When it comes to wellness, modern day travelers are embracing the traditional. Java is home to age-old wellness practices that are largely undiscovered outside their locale.

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Self-care in Javanese tradition is a lifelong process that goes way beyond what’s visible. It is a lesson on striving for balance of the body, mind, and soul. The body is nourished from inside out, while the skin is cared for with traditional remedies including lulur (scrub) and a diverse range of herbal drinks, known as jamu. The mind and soul are taken care of with samadi meditation practices and mindful exercises to create a healthy condition to live with respect and care for others as well as The Divine. There is no better way to understand the Javanese approach to wellness than to experience them. Traveling through Magelang, Yogyakarta, Solo, and beyond uncover some of the time-tested traditional practices.

MAGELANG

Experience the sacred Javanese cleansing ritual of Ruwatan at Amanjiwo.

At the heart of Magelang and surrounded by five mountains, lies Borobudur Temple, a World Heritage Site dating back to the 8th century. Each year, close to 1.5 million people travel from around the world to visit the storied Buddhist pilgrimage site. While the temple is a constant among travelers, Magelang is also home to numerous spiritual sites, including two main rivers that flow through its area—Elo and Progo. It is apt that one of Progo’s river banks is the home of a purification ritual called ruwatan, offered to guests at Amanjiwo resort as part of their extensive wellness program, designed in consultation with the resort’s resident anthropologist Patrick Vanhoebrouck.

Ruwatan is traditionally performed by a spiritual leader on a person or a place, based on the Javanese belief that the soul needs to be purified to cleanse it from negative spirits that may come from within (or outside). At Amanjiwo, the ritual is led by healer-shaman Joko Triagung, who has dedicated his life to healing others with an inner power and spirituality honed through generations of his Mataram Kingdom family lineage. The procession begins with a Javanese meditation, holy water blessing, and mantra recitation followed by a spiritual counseling session with the guru. The river is a crucial part of the ritual. Its flow, which leads to the South Java Sea, is believed to take in and wash away negative spirits and rebalance life. Other traditional rituals that guests can enjoy are Semedi meditation and Tolak Balak (casting away bad spirits). To discover a more holistic understanding of Javanese wellness practices, guests can join in a grounding spiritual journey and one-day wellness experience.

Interior of Hammam Spa at MesaStila. — The interior of the Hammam Spa at MesaStila.

Driving further north to Losari, a small village in Grabag, Magelang Regency uncovers MesaStila: a 22-hectare wellness resort within a Dutch-era coffee plantation offering an elaborate bathing experience designed to improve blood circulation and rejuvenate the skin. The hammam bath experience takes place in a high-ceiling domed building with terracotta walls where guests relax in the 40-degree celsius steam bath for up to half an hour. The initial exposure to heat may come as a shock, but soon the muscles relax while you sweat out the impurities. The rhythmic sound of trickling water as the steam subsides is the only sound that can be heard. Such a sensorial experience is made possible by the dome, traditionally a feature of Turkish architecture, designed to maximize temperature, humidity, and sound.

The hammam spa is one of MesaStila’s highlights. The interior of this wellness destination is a mishmash of Turkish-inspired design and Javanese ornaments, a nod to the signature Arabian Nights spa package, which combines a traditional Turkish experience with a Javanese traditional massage. For staying guests, the wellness agenda also extends to daily yoga and walks around the resort’s coffee plantation, as well as the healthy Mediterranean-style menu at the Java Green restaurant.

YOGYAKARTA

Unwind with age-old healing techniques in a royal Javanese setting at Royal Ambarrukmo Yogyakarta.

Home to a monarchy that has been ruling for over 250 years, Yogyakarta is a center for Javanese arts and culture, including storied beauty rituals using all-natural ingredients, created for the royal family. Living in both the sacred world of the palace and the digital era, the five current princesses of Keraton Jogja have decided to share some of their mythical beauty rituals with guests at Nurkadhatyan Spa, adjacent to the Royal Ambarrukmo Yogyakarta hotel. Step back in time at this spa complex, originally built in the 1890s to house princesses and other female family members, featuring a picturesque royal bath with fountains. The therapy rooms have solid wooden doors, and a typical Javanese interior resplendent with wooden elements, and a stone bathtub made from Merapi volcanic dust.

One of the signature treatments, Pareremaning Rasa, is a two-hour ritual that includes a traditional Javanese massage, a herbal scrub, and a soak in spiced water. In the first hour, an experienced therapist will massage the daily stresses away from head to toe, leaving the body slightly sore as the muscles gradually relax. The next 30 minutes is dedicated to a scrub ritual that uses traditional herbs. Guests can choose from four lulur concoctions, one of which is Mangir, the princesses’ favorite scrub, made with turmeric, lime peel, and coconut oil to brighten the skin. The scrub is naturally very cooling; it almost feels like it has been refrigerated. With relaxed muscles and smoother skin, you are prepped for the last part of the treatment: a 30-minute soak in hot, fragrant water with an aroma reminiscent to the herbal drink wedang. This mixture includes secang (Sappanwood) that is commonly used in wedang and gives the bath water its crimson red hue. When guests reluctantly leave, they will do so feeling deeply relaxed, and fragrant.

Restore balance with holistic therapies at Garrya Bianti’s 8lements Spa.

With the body feeling recharged and refreshed, it is a good opportunity to clock in some mindful exercise. Travel to the banks of Kali Denggung and book a private session of yoga and meditation aided by a group of ethnic musicians playing the flute, singing bowl, and wind chimes. The session is available to in-house guests of Garrya Bianti — a tranquil Banyan Group resort in the north of Yogyakarta — at the bamboo yoga shala overlooking the river. Walk-in guests can take part in the session during the resort’s regular Day of Silence program. The four-hour program starts off with yoga and meditation, followed by traditional massage and a hearty lunch.

Traditional treats follow a relaxing foot massage at Tentrem Yogyakarta.

When one thinks of the traditional Indonesian herbal drink jamu, the image that might come to mind is one of a Javanese woman carrying a basket of glass bottles, with batik fabric securing the basket to her back. Yet Tentrem Hotel Yogyakarta tries to renew the iconic imagery with its celebration of jamu in many contemporary forms. Incoming guests are treated to a welcome drink served at the jamu bar, attended by dedicated hotel staff dressed in kebaya. Arriving guests are encouraged to share their current state of health and in return will receive a customized drink to help any ailments, which is created on the spot. Since the pandemic, the hotel’s pastry chef has been hard at work creating jamu-infused sweets, including beras kencur (sand ginger and rice) mousse, kunyit asem (turmeric tamarind) praline, and Tolak Angin popsicles. The latter refers to a popular anti-flu syrup by Sido Muncul, a historical jamu company that owns and manages the hotel.

SOLO

Soak in soothing jetted tubs at Alila Solo. — Soak in soothing jets at Alila Solo.

Solo brands itself as a wellness destination. As part of introducing this initiative, the city hosted Indonesia’s first international wellness tourism festival at Alila Solo. On a daily basis, the hotel offers a range of contemporary and Javanese treatments in a sleek spa area. Guests can choose from three types of massages: Balinese (medium pressure), therapeutic (to ease sore muscles), and Javanese (strong pressure). The therapy room features adjustable lighting that can be dimmed to induce relaxation, and guests receive a fragrant foot wash using lime and lemongrass to start the session. Massage is carried out in accordance with the sequence of the audio, which plays a series of meditative sounds. The full Javanese beauty ritual package combines 60 minutes of massage with lulur, a skin-soothing ritual using herbs of sandalwood, turmeric, jasmine, and rice powder, as well as a hot and cold plunge pool session, herbal steam, body mask, and mini facial.

About 40 kilometers away from Solo, tucked in the hills of Mount Lawu, is Tawangmangu, a district that has long been known as a relaxing holiday destination. In recent years, Tawangmangu has attracted urban travelers seeking peace and quiet, thanks to the opening of Rumah Atsiri (atsiri is the Indonesian word for essential oil). The complex was originally opened in 1963 as a citronella factory, built as a part of the Indonesia-Bulgaria bilateral collaboration. When it reopened in 2018, Rumah Atsiri was privately owned and was intended as an educational center for aromatic wellness. Recently, it dedicated its neighboring facility Atsiri Jawa as a wellness destination. One of the highlights from the wellness offering includes Beksan Javanese mindful practice, a mindful movement ritual based on Yogyakarta traditional dance to train breathing, strength, balance, flexibility, and rhythm. True to its aromatic roots, guests can also join a Racik Candra Raksi session, an opportunity to create a body oil made to their own aromatic recipe.

From traditional herbal drinks to mindful movement, Java’s time-honored wellness traditions give modern day travelers the opportunity to discover the peace and calm of yesteryear.

This article was brought to you by DestinAsian and Indonesia Travel.

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