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That intuition became Fivelements, a sanctuary built on the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, harmony between spirit, humanity, and nature. The retreat comprises twenty eco-luxury suites constructed almost entirely from sustainable bamboo, thatch, and reclaimed wood, designed by Balinese architect Ketut Arthana in consultation with local priests and paranormals to honor the land's spiritual energy. The property sits in the village of Baturning, where the founders spent years building relationships with the community, conducting flora and fauna studies, and performing Balinese ceremonies to transition the land from farming to international collaboration. Everything here is intentional: bamboo structures that blend into the jungle canopy, treatment rooms open to the sound of the river rather than music, LED lighting that reduced electricity consumption by ninety-five percent, and an irrigation system that relies on the traditional subak method drawing from the Ayung River. At the heart of the experience is Sakti Dining Room, the retreat's award-winning restaurant set in a riverside bamboo pavilion. The predominantly plant-based cuisine, complemented by organic eggs and locally sourced fish, draws from the Garden of Peace, a 3,700-square-meter permaculture garden established in 2022. Chef Dii leads a culinary team that creates what guests describe as "vegan fine dining that charms even adamant meat-eaters," blending raw living foods with nourishing cooked dishes designed to support detoxification and cellular renewal. Many ingredients come from the on-site garden or the nearby Mambal market, and all spa products are handcrafted in a small laboratory behind reception using local herbs and flowers. The Healing & Wellness Village is the retreat's spiritual center, housing riverside treatment rooms where traditional Balinese healers, including two resident priests and six healers trained in generational family lineage, practice Sekala-Niskala, the philosophy that we live equally in the seen and unseen worlds. Treatments range from the signature Balinese Boreh (a two-hour ritual with boreh spice scrub and river-view bath) to aqua healing in the hydrotherapy pool, where trained therapists guide guests through Watsu-inspired floating massage. The retreat offers five structured wellness programs lasting from three to fourteen nights: Tri Kaya Parisudha (holistic purification), Pancha Mahabhuta (five elements balance), and Sattva Yatra (mental stillness), among others. Each is personalized rather than rigidly scheduled, allowing guests to move at their own pace while receiving guidance from healers. General Manager John Nielsen, a Dane who joined the retreat after meeting the team at World Travel Market in London, serves as Ambassador for World Wellness Weekend and sits on the board of the Wellness Tourism Association. Under the leadership of founders Chicco and Lahra, who serve as Managing Director and Vision Director respectively, Fivelements has expanded beyond its flagship property while maintaining its core philosophy. In 2019, Evolution Wellness acquired the retreat as part of their portfolio, enabling strategic growth while preserving the founders' vision. The property earned inclusion in Condé Nast Traveller UK's Top 10 Spa Destinations globally in 2025, joining accolades from the Luxe Global Awards (Best Luxury Wellness Retreat Globally), Organic Spa Media, and dozens of others spanning hospitality, culinary, and sustainable design categories. What guests encounter is not a hotel with spa amenities but a fully immersive healing environment where every element, from the no-alcohol, no-smoking policy to the request that phones stay in guest rooms, serves the intention of presence and transformation. The retreat welcomes solo travelers, couples, and small groups but discourages children under twelve to preserve the contemplative atmosphere. Days typically unfold with morning yoga in open-air shalas, healing sessions with practitioners who may use prayer, massage, or energy work, plant-based meals that double as medicine, and evenings shaped by ritual fire ceremonies or meditation rather than entertainment. The property's Sacred Space, discovered almost by accident, is a riverside spot where rocks warm even on cloudy days and guests report unexplainable sensations during meditation, a phenomenon the team honored by preserving it as a meditation area rather than building reception there as planned. The retreat is intentionally removed from Ubud's bustle, offering shuttle service three times daily (the last at 6:40 PM) for those who want to explore temples, markets, or the town center. But most guests arrive for structured retreats and rarely leave the property, content to move between their riverside suites, the healing village, and the dining pavilion, letting the constant sound of the Ayung River and the jungle's birdsong recalibrate their nervous systems. This is Fivelements: not an escape from life but a return to it, grounded in Balinese wisdom that understands wellness not as a weekend pursuit but as the art of living in harmony with all that is.
Traditions: Balinese Healing, Hindu-Balinese Spirituality, Traditional Usada Medicine, Plant-Based Wellness, Sacred Arts, Yoga, Meditation, Energy Healing, Ayurvedic Principles
Programs: Tri Kaya Parisudha (Holistic Purifying Retreat), Pancha Mahabhuta (Five Elements Retreat), Sattva Yatra, Balinese Boreh Ritual, Aqua Healing (Water Therapy)
Amenities: Riverside Setting, Jungle Immersion, Open-Air Pavilions, Plant-Based Dining, On-Site Garden, Hydrotherapy Pool, Bamboo Architecture, Organic Farm-to-Table
Tri Hita Karana (Philosophy): This Balinese Hindu philosophy of harmony between spirit, humanity, and nature forms the foundational framework for all aspects of Fivelements' design, healing practices, and guest experience.
Usada (Balinese Healing) (Tradition): Traditional Balinese healing knowledge passed through generations of Balian families provides the core healing methodology practiced by the six lineage-trained healers and two resident priests at Fivelements.
Sekala-Niskala (Philosophy): This principle that reality encompasses both seen (conscious) and unseen (psychic) worlds shapes Fivelements' holistic healing approach addressing physical, energetic, and spiritual dimensions simultaneously.
Panca Mahabhuta (Philosophy): The Hindu-Vedic concept of five elements informs the retreat's name and its integration of earth, water, fire, air, and ether across healing treatments, architecture, and environmental design.
Permaculture (Movement): Permaculture principles guide the 3,700-square-meter garden established in 2022 that supplies Sakti Dining Room and reflects the retreat's regenerative environmental commitment.
Plant-Based Living (Ethos): A plant-based culinary philosophy expressed through Sakti Dining Room positions food as medicine and aligns with the retreat's healing-centered approach to transformation.
Fivelements is built on actual Balinese healing lineage rather than importing Western spa culture and slapping on Balinese aesthetics—the retreat employs two resident priests and six generational healers who practice Sekala-Niskala, the philosophy of living in both seen and unseen worlds. The founders, Chicco and Lahra Tatriele, spent years before the 2010 opening conducting flora studies and ceremonies with the local Baturning village community, working with Balinese architect Ketut Arthana and consulting paranormals to honor the land's spiritual energy. Unlike resorts where wellness is an add-on amenity, everything here serves the intention of presence—no alcohol, no smoking, phones stay in rooms, and the shuttle back from Ubud leaves at 6:40 PM so you're not tempted to chase nightlife. The rawness of it surprises people: treatment rooms have no piped-in music, just the constant sound of the Ayung River below, and healers may use prayer and energy work alongside massage. It's more immersive healing environment than luxury hotel with spa, which means it's glorious if you're ready to surrender to the program and frustrating if you want autonomy to come and go.
If you want a Bali base camp for exploring Ubud's restaurants, temples, and nightlife, this isn't it—the last shuttle back is 6:40 PM and most guests on structured 3-14 night programs rarely leave the property. Families with children under twelve are actively discouraged to preserve the contemplative atmosphere, so this isn't where you bring the kids for a wellness vacation. The no-alcohol policy is firm, which bothers some couples who envisioned romantic dinners with wine, and the plant-based cuisine (though award-winning) won't satisfy dedicated carnivores no matter how good Chef Dii's vegan creations are. People who need constant structure and scheduled activities may find the personalized, move-at-your-own-pace approach too unmoored, while those who bristle at anything spiritual will struggle with the Balinese ceremonies, priest blessings, and talk of unseen worlds. It's also in the $$$$ price tier with no mention of scholarships in any materials, so budget-conscious travelers looking for accessible wellness should look elsewhere.
The healing sessions draw from traditional Usada medicine and Tri Hita Karana philosophy rather than generic spa protocols—you might receive the two-hour Balinese Boreh with its warming spice scrub followed by a river-view bath, or aqua healing in the hydrotherapy pool where therapists guide you through Watsu-inspired floating massage. The six healers come from generational family lineages and two are actual Balinese priests, so treatments can include prayer, energy work, and invocations of the unseen world alongside physical manipulation. What surprises first-timers is the quietness: treatment rooms are open-air bamboo structures with just the sound of the Ayung River rushing below, no music, no dimmed lighting tricks, just you and the practitioner and the jungle. Some guests report unexplainable sensations during sessions at the Sacred Space meditation area, where rocks stay warm even on cloudy days—a phenomenon the team discovered by accident and preserved rather than building over. If you need your healing to feel clinical and evidence-based, the spiritual framing here will unsettle you; if you're open to indigenous wisdom traditions, it's profoundly moving.
Days unfold with morning yoga in the open-air shalas overlooking the river, followed by breakfast at Sakti Dining Room where the plant-based spread includes raw living foods and cooked dishes designed for detoxification. The structured wellness programs (Tri Kaya Parisudha, Pancha Mahabhuta, Sattva Yatra) are personalized rather than rigidly scheduled, so you might have a healing session with one of the resident priests mid-morning, then time to float in your suite's private plunge pool or walk the 3,700-square-meter Garden of Peace. Lunch and dinner happen in the riverside bamboo pavilion, and evenings are shaped by ritual fire ceremonies or meditation rather than entertainment—there's no bar, no lounge with music, just the option to retreat to your suite or join communal practice. The shuttle to Ubud runs three times daily with the last return at 6:40 PM, but most guests on multi-night programs don't leave, content to let the jungle birdsong and constant river sound recalibrate their nervous systems. What's different from other retreats is the spaciousness—you're not herded from activity to activity, but given room to move at your own pace while healers guide the arc of your stay.
Sakti Dining Room sits in a riverside bamboo pavilion with a banana leaf-shaped thatched roof, and Chef Dii's plant-based cuisine earns the description "vegan fine dining that charms even adamant meat-eaters" in multiple reviews. The menu draws from the on-site Garden of Peace permaculture garden and nearby Mambal market, with raw living foods alongside nourishing cooked dishes—ingredients and spa products are even crafted in a small laboratory behind reception using local herbs. The culinary team earned the retreat dozens of awards for food specifically, not just wellness, which tells you this isn't austere detox gruel but refined, beautiful plates. The predominantly plant-based menu is complemented by organic eggs and locally sourced fish for those who need it, though the core philosophy leans heavily vegan. What guests mention most is that meals feel like medicine—designed to support cellular renewal and detoxification—so you're not choosing from a menu as much as trusting the kitchen to nourish your healing process.
All twenty suites are constructed from sustainable bamboo, thatch, and reclaimed wood with river views, four-poster beds with mosquito nets, outdoor bathrooms, and bamboo bath houses—the baseline experience is already quite luxe. Upgraded suites add private plunge pools and iPod docks, which matters if you want to float in your own water rather than trek to the communal pools, though honestly the treatment-room hydrotherapy pool is where the real aqua healing happens. Reviews mention the thoughtfully designed setting and beauty of accommodations, but they receive less detailed commentary than the overall experience, which suggests the rooms are lovely but not the main event—you're not spending much time there. The SERP data mentions only nine suites, but the bio says twenty, so there may have been expansion; either way, capacity is intentionally small to preserve the contemplative atmosphere. The tradeoff is simple: pay more for a plunge pool if you want private water rituals, but don't expect wildly different room experiences otherwise—the real luxury is the healing village access, the food, and the setting itself.
The good: the plant-based food is so refined that even self-described carnivores rave about it, which nobody expects from a wellness retreat menu. The bad: the remoteness and shuttle schedule (last return from Ubud at 6:40 PM) catches people off guard who imagined they'd explore Bali during the day and return to a luxury base at night—this is a stay-put immersion. Guests consistently praise the staff's genuine warmth and unhurried grace, handling everything from midnight arrivals to last-minute changes without the performative niceness that plagues high-end hospitality. The Sacred Space meditation area, where rocks stay warm even on cloudy days and people report unexplainable sensations, surprises even skeptics—it was discovered almost by accident and preserved rather than built over for reception. What disappoints some is that reviews focus heavily on relaxation and restoration rather than substantive programming depth, so if you're coming for rigorous workshops or intellectual engagement with wellness philosophy, you may find it more ambient than instructive.
Fivelements sits firmly in the $$$$ range and has earned ninety-plus international awards, which tells you this is elite-tier pricing with a trophy case to justify it. The structured wellness programs run 3-14 nights (Tri Kaya Parisudha, Pancha Mahabhuta, Sattva Yatra) and appear to include meals at Sakti Dining Room, accommodations, and some baseline healing sessions, but the bio doesn't specify exactly what's bundled versus à la carte. Breakfast is listed as a freebie along with shuttle service and bike hire, but you'll almost certainly spend more on additional treatments with the resident priests and generational healers—those two-hour Balinese Boreh rituals and aqua healing sessions aren't likely part of a base package. There's no mention anywhere of scholarships, work-trade, or sliding scale access, which means this is pay-to-play luxury wellness without the democratizing gestures some retreats make. Since Evolution Wellness acquired the property in 2019, the business model has likely become more formalized, so expect transparent but premium pricing with upsells for deeper healing work.
The entire retreat is built on Tri Hita Karana, the Balinese philosophy of harmony between spirit, humanity, and nature, and you're greeted by that framework from the moment you arrive—this isn't a secular spa with optional spirituality. Two resident Balinese priests lead ceremonies, and the architecture itself was designed in consultation with local paranormals to honor the land's spiritual energy, so you're embedded in Hindu-Balinese cosmology whether you subscribe to it or not. Evenings include ritual fire ceremonies and meditation shaped by these traditions, and healing sessions may involve prayer and invocations of the unseen world (Sekala-Niskala philosophy). That said, the retreat welcomes people of all backgrounds and doesn't require religious conversion or rigid belief—guests describe it as immersive but not coercive, more like being respectfully held by a wisdom tradition than indoctrinated into it. If you're the type who needs your wellness secular, science-backed, and free of ritual, you'll spend the whole time uncomfortable; if you can approach indigenous practices with curiosity rather than judgment, the spiritual framing becomes the container for transformation rather than an obstacle to it.
The retreat sits along the sacred Ayung River in Mambal village, twenty minutes from Ubud, where the constant sound of rushing water becomes the soundtrack to your entire stay—no piped-in music, just river and jungle birdsong. Architect Ketut Arthana designed the twenty bamboo suites and treatment rooms to blend into the jungle canopy using sustainable materials, thatch, and reclaimed wood, with LED lighting that reduced electricity consumption by ninety-five percent. The 3,700-square-meter Garden of Peace permaculture garden supplies much of what Chef Dii cooks, and an irrigation system draws from the river using the traditional subak method, so even the infrastructure honors Balinese agricultural wisdom. What's striking is how open everything is—treatment rooms have no walls, just views of the river gorge below; dining happens in a bamboo pavilion shaped like a banana leaf; suites have outdoor bathrooms that put you in direct contact with the humid, verdant air. The land itself was transitioned from farming through years of Balinese ceremonies and community consultation, which you can feel in the intentionality of every sightline and pathway—nothing here is arbitrary or imported, it all grew from relationship with place.
Phones stay in guest rooms—this is a firm request, not a suggestion, and the entire environment is designed to support presence rather than documentation. The no-alcohol, no-smoking policy is absolute, which shapes evenings completely differently than most luxury resorts where cocktails at sunset are the social glue. Children under twelve are discouraged to preserve the contemplative atmosphere, so don't bring your kids expecting family-friendly programming. The shuttle schedule (last return from Ubud at 6:40 PM) functions as a soft curfew, signaling that the retreat expects you to be here for dinner, evening ceremonies, and rest rather than nightlife. Meals at Sakti Dining Room aren't silent, but the vibe is quieter and more intentional than resort dining—you're eating medicine, not just food, so treat it with corresponding reverence. What guests mention most is the staff's unhurried grace, which sets the pace for everything: move slowly, ask for what you need, trust that midnight arrivals and last-minute changes will be handled with warmth rather than stress.
Bali's humidity is relentless year-round and the retreat sits in jungle along the river, so bring clothes that dry fast and don't mind getting damp—your outdoor bamboo bathhouse means towels and swimsuits stay perpetually moist. The suites have mosquito nets over four-poster beds, but bring natural bug repellent for evenings in the open-air shalas and treatment rooms where you're exposed to the jungle. Since phones stay in rooms and the emphasis is on presence, pack an actual journal and pen if you want to process your experience, not just photograph it. The plant-based cuisine is refined but detoxifying, so bring any supplements or comfort foods you rely on if you're worried about nutrient gaps or caffeine withdrawal headaches. Comfortable walking shoes matter more than you'd think—the property is small but you're moving between riverside suites, healing village, garden, and dining pavilion on uneven natural pathways. Most importantly, bring something for the shuttle rides to Ubud if you plan to explore, since the 6:40 PM last return means you'll be heading back in twilight and may want a book or music for the twenty-minute drive.