Why stay?

Crossing the suspension bridge to the reflecting lotus pool that seems to levitate over the Ayung River gorge, guests at the Four Seasons’ Sayan resort arrive in a Bali that’s both timeless and of the now. Yet the palace, temples, restaurants and boutiques of Ubud, the island’s artistic and cultural capital, are just a 15-minute drive away. Herb gardens, tropical forest, and rice paddies—where guests can practice yoga—enmesh villas, suites, and the airy central hub. Twenty-five years after opening, John Heah’s riverside retreat remains a design classic.

The area

Flowing water connects and calms the hillside site, with the rushing roar of the Ayung River a mellow backdrop to the riverfront villas: Guests arriving from the sister resort in Jimbaran can opt to check in by raft when conditions permit. Just four kilometers from Ubud’s bustle, culture, and cutting-edge restaurants, Four Seasons Sayan has the vibe of a rural escape: guests can hike, bike, or do both in the surrounding countryside, cocoon in the wealth of wellness options on-site, or immerse in activities from batik painting to planting rice.

An aerial view of Four Seasons Bali at Sayan; the local specialty babi genyol as served at Ayung Terrace.

The feel

Nestled almost invisibly into the winding hillside, private pool villas offer timeless tropical style with distinctly Balinese accents, from statues and latticework through to rice plants and coconut shoots that anchor the resort in the rural life around it. Electric buggies zip along the network of paths but Four Seasons Sayan is a pleasure to explore on foot. Be it river-view infinity pools, the resort temple or the rice-field yoga shala, crafted from bamboo by Bali’s homegrown Ibuku designers, there’s always something to discover.

Guest quarters

A total of 60 suites and villas span the gamut from the vast three-bedroom Royal Villa, lined with art from around the archipelago, to a range of single-story and duplex suites. But most guests favor one of the 39 one-bedroom private pool villas. Rooftop lotus ponds surround a tranquil meditation space atop the riverfront villas, which cover an airy 340 square meters, including canopied beds, landscaped pool areas, and bathrooms with freestanding tubs and both outside and inside showers; garden villas are slightly larger, while the Sayan villas, perched at the resort’s highest point, occupy an impressive 480 square meters.

Food and drink

Below the lotus pond in the resort’s central hub, Ayung Terrace and Jati Bar boast airy views of tropical forest and river gorge under circling fans. À la carte breakfasts, with pastries served from cigarette-girl trays, will please all palates and dietary restrictions, while dinner showcases elevated Indonesian flavors alongside a small but perfectly formed “sattvic” menu that nods to yogic principles of moderation. Culinarily curious guests will adore the garden cooking school, Sokasi, which also serves Balinese feasts at intimate chef’s-table dinners. Menus range from favorites such as slow-cooked duck betutu and babi guling (sucking pig) spit-roasted over an open fire, through to chicken cooked in bamboo with sour belimbing fruit. Fresh, contemporary, international dishes plus river and pool views make Riverside pop.

An anti-gravity yoga session at Four Seasons Sayan’s bamboo-built yoga shala.

Wellness factor

The Sacred River Spa delivers the full suite of contemporary wellness practices but Hindu-Buddhist rituals and Balinese traditions set it apart from the mainstream. Massages and scrubs borrow from Balinese therapies, including ingredients such as red ginger and red rice, while chakra rituals, sound baths, and chanting nurture spirit and soul. An imaginative and therapeutic yoga program runs from hot-stone yoga to anti-gravity yoga by way of sessions dedicated to guests’ chosen chakras. One activity not to miss is the “sacred nap,” a soothing session where Heny Ferawati, both a mother and a Buddhist nun, rocks guests to sleep in aerial yoga hammocks.

Family matters

From the treehouse kids club with its wealth of activities to Ayung River rafting, families are well served. Little ones can learn to carve their own art from fruit and vegetables or join child-friendly cooking classes at Sokasi, while older children will enjoy activities including Balinese dance.

Sustainability cred

Four Seasons Sayan works hard to tread more lightly on the planet, eliminating single-use plastics, purifying its own water on-site, operating recycling and food waste donation programs, and using eco-certified cleaning products. Guests can rent electric cars, while vegans and vegetarians are well catered for.

What else?

The combination of rice fields and tropical forest with rich local culture has been drawing visitors to the Ubud area for almost a century. Discover the Bali time forgot at less-visited temples and traditional compound homes, perhaps receiving a water blessing at a sacred spring, admiring 1,000-year-old rock-cut shrines, or marveling at ancient banyan trees.

Reviewed by Theodora Sutcliffe

fourseasons.com/sayan/
+62 361 701 010
Sayan, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan: Riverside Relaxation

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