I wasn’t thinking about juice fasting or any kind of deprivation when I headed for the stylish social scene on Seminyak beach, Bali. I arrived on the island with a different idea of fun, anticipating my first stay in Seminyak, Bali’s most glamorous beach – renowned for its beach scene, luxurious designer hotels, chic boutiques, beachside eateries, art galleries and happening nightlife.

My destination was the Peppers Seminyak Resort, a boutique pool villa resort.   I was booked for a short spa getaway and was ready to browse the neighboring shops and dine out in cool cafés, but ended up doing none of those things once I discovered the array of spa offerings at the resort’s unassuming spa.

A refreshing departure from the standard, ho-hum list of jet lag massage and sports massage, the spa menu came as a surprise for a boutique resort spa.

I was impressed to find comprehensive range of holistic offerings encompassing all levels pampering, beauty, wellness, detox, nutrition, energy healing, life coaching and even cosmetic dermatology. The spa also offers health retreat programs and tailor-made wellness programs for people who want specific weight loss or de-stress holidays. Juice fasting and colonics are available, as well as meditation teachers, yoga teachers and fitness trainers.

I loved the elegant, contemporary rustic style aesthetic inside the spa.  Inside the treatment rooms, gauzy white drapes billow from dramatic heights while gorgeous white orchids graced the warm wood interiors.

All I wanted was a break from my stressful life in Bangkok, and was hoping for a nice massage or two, but what I found was so much more than a good pummeling.

My spa experience had actually begun before I arriving at the resort, with an email wellness questionnaire that I was asked to fill in and send back before my trip. Upon arrival, I was presented with a schedule of treatments designed to achieve my wellness goals, including a juice fast and colonic for detox and cleansing.

I love food too much to be voluntarily separated from it, but decided to go ahead and do it for the sake of better health, and since it was something I wouldn’t do on my own in my normal city life back home, where, I hate to admit, potato chips were part of my regular diet.

I discovered that the juice fast wasn’t hard at all, and what made it so easy was that everything was catered to me. Six big bottled and numbered juices were delivered to my villa in the evening before the day of the fast, and all I had to do was drink each bottle throughout the day.

The first morning, the first swig took me by surprise with its burst of vibrant flavour.   I’ve had many green drinks in the past , with names like Green Clean, Green Smoothie, Spinach Thingy, but this dark green liquid, labeled Juice No. 1, somehow tasted fresher, livelier,, peppier and more satisfying than whatever I had tasted before. It was packed with depths of flavour.   Throughout the day, the rest of the juices were an adventure in exploring a range different ingredients, colours, and taste sensations.

The final bottle, No. 6, was creamy white cashew nut milk that was my second favourite drink of the day. In the end, I was so happy with how easy and delicious it was that I decided to continue with a second day of juice fasting. Though I confess I succumbed to hunger and ate a light dinner at night, it didn’t hurt the overall result, which was to help prepare the body for the colon cleansing the following morning.

Energy healing with the warm and caring resident healer Meli was a chakra-opening experience under her gentle reiki and theta healing which helped release blocked emotions in my body.

The sessions left me feeling lighter, more energized, and amazingly calm. I noticed that the stresses and worries that had burdened me felt lifted away and my mind and overall mood felt much clearer after her session. She also gave me an energy session to activate my DNA which was meant to block ageing.  When I looked in the mirror afterwards, I thought I saw a happier version of myself looking back.

Anti-ageing cosmetic dermatology is another unique offering here. Provided in conjunction with Cocoon Medical Spa, services include microdermabrasion, LED light therapy, gold masks, and even botox and dermal fillers, administered by qualified dermatologists . With minimal down time, the skin rejuvenating results are visible and immediate.   This makes it easy and convenient to have dermatology services on site on your holiday –  whereas at home you’d have to drive through traffic or crowded subways to get to any appointment.

Overall, the spa experience here is flexible and can be custom-designed for single guests or a group and personalized to your specifications.

Despite the enticing shops and restaurants down the road, I found that by the end of my three –day stay I didn’t step outside the resort until I checked out.

I had arrived at the resort stressed and exhausted, and found that what I really needed was some quiet time alone to catch up on sleep and recharge my batteries.

Also, it was hot season in Bali and I preferred the tranquil luxury of my pool villa, with its private garden and koi-filled lotus pond instead of walking around town in the heat among crowds of tourists.

Staying holed up in my villa was no hardship at all. The villas here are huge, with kitchen, living and dining spaces that are convenient for families and big groups. Mine was a 2 bedroom villa with a full size kitchen including an oven, dishes and cookware, a huge dining table big enough to seat 10 people, and huge sofas.

The villa options range from 1 bedroom to multiple bedrooms and all have private pools and outdoor sitting areas.

While the Peppers Seminyak Spa is not a destination spa per se, it offers a destination spa type of experience with a full range of wellness offerings.

One advantage that it does have over remote destination spas is the convenient location, so that you want to go on a spa retreat but are travelling with others, you can come here with your partner, friends or family and do your own detox or wellness program while the others can easily enjoy a regular holiday going shopping and dining just down the road in Seminyak.