The location

Amori Villas is a few kilometers from the town of Ubud (Ubud gets its name from the Balinese word “ubad” meaning medicine).  It is situated in a lush green valley, on the edge of a quiet unspoilt village, surrounded by forest and rice paddies on steep-sided hills. Deep in the valley below Amori runs the sacred Petanu river, and the sound of the fast flowing waters provides a constant background.

We will be about 90 minutes drive from Denpasar Airport, and a similar distance from the more developed areas of Seminyak, Leggian, Changgu and Kuta. Amori is in a different world from the restaurants and nightclubs of those tourist areas on the coast. The pace of life is slow, the tempo set by gentle spirituality of Balinese Hinduism which is practiced by more than 85% of Balinese people.

The village is welcoming, and full of familiar faces as Amori’s staff all live nearby. A guided village walk with one of the village elders is a recommended activity on the first day. In 2023 we were all lucky to be invited to a wedding in the village which felt a huge privilege and in 2024 the retreat coincided with the time of the full moon festival so the surrounding villages were very busy with traditional festivities.