When you are spending an intense month of Yoga Teacher Training in Ubud with Shades of Yoga, it is sometimes nice to escape and do something different. Ubud is known as the centre of culture and art in Bali, whereas Seminyak is more geared towards the tourist who wants to enjoy the beach, shop, dine and party. This is by no means a judgement of the traveller’s preference, because Seminyak is definitely the place to go to for a break of sheer decadence!
You can start the day at Ku De Ta,a great restaurant right on the beach.
Arriving at any time you like, they have a number of large sun loungers that look out over the water with a DJ playing music to suit the time of day. There is a good security presence so it is completely safe to leave your things on your deck chair whilst you go down to the sea for a dip! You can rent surf boards nearby, buy coconuts to sip on or just walk along the sand. The food and drinks are high quality, and this is reflected in the price. It’s good to arrive early as it gets very busy nearing sunset, as the loungers offer the perfect view.
If you prefer to take a break from the sunshine, just a ten-minute walk up the road from Ku De Ta is the Wellbeing Spa. This spa is set back from the road and offers a range of different treatments. You can have four hours of complete relaxation indulging in body scrubs, massage and bath, or just nip in for a half hour massage to get rid of some of those yoga knots!
Another ten-minute walk along the road from the spa is Mama San. This modern restaurant offers Asian inspired dining, with a large menu of small plates, vegetarian, seafood and red meat dishes. They have a great wine and cocktail list, and the food is very good, served in a style that’s perfect for sharing. You can book a table in advance downstairs, or arrive early for a table upstairs in the bar, which has more relaxed seating. It is open for lunch and dinner everyday (except Sunday lunch), and despite being quite strict with its dress code, is very popular.
Spending the day indulging in these three places is not cheap, but it is well worth it – and is a change from the raw/vegan vibe of Ubud. Of course, there are also cheaper options for eating and a spa treatment in Seminyak. The kind of activities that may not be to everyone’s tastes, but it’s nice to know there is somewhere you can take a break from green juice and papaya if you need it!
