Nestled in the hill tops of the Campuhan Ridge Walk and village of Bankian Sidem, lies Karsa Spa. This beautiful spa offers a delectable slice of heaven set amongst the rice paddies of Ubud and has gained notoriety as one of the most sought after venues for decadent relaxation and treatments.
This sanctuary, blessed with a fleet of therapists with magic hands, embraces sustainability into its daily holistic hustle. They only use Ayuverdic and locally sourced organic oils for their massage treatments, the aromas of which were tantalising to say the least. The ingredients used in the facial and body masks and scrubs can be traced no further than their garden where many natural healing remedies including galangal and aloe vera are cultivated. Karsa Spa practices an eco-philosophy to support the local villages and surrounding rice fields system; an example of this is their own bio-septic tank systems to prevent contamination of the neighbouring rice farming.
They deploy the services of Eco-Bali (also used by Green School Bali), a zero waste management organisation, to recycle. On the premises Bio Soap, a natural soap formulated from nut liquid, is used to clean the spa and they collaborate with the village to be as green as possible and are actively involved in correct waste management.
Whilst the allure of the eco, zero-impact philosophy motivated my booking for the ‘All day transformation package’, the treatments surpassed my expectations. A somewhat strict schedule for a juxtaposingly calming day comprised of their signature intuitive heart massage (combination of Balinese, Swedish, Deep Tissue and Shiatsu techniques), reiki healing, a body mask (organic tamarind, galangal and honey), spicy Balinese body scrub (perfect for circulation) and flower bath. Following this was foot reflexology, a pedicure and lastly the Karsa organic facial with no less than 15 different steps using natural ingredients including white volcanic clay, seaweed and ylang ylang essential oils.
For the grand sum of 1.1million IDR (£55) I felt as though I should have been convicted for day light robbery and I can confirm this was definitely my preferred 10am-5pm kind of appointments.
Tip: Book weeks in advance to avoid disappointment and be prepared to float all the way home!
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