Bali’s Trailblazing Women’s Wellness Haven

By 2028, the Global Wellness Institute estimates that the global wellness industry would hit a new peak of $9 trillion by 2028. Travel and tourism anchored on a desire to achieve overall wellbeing make up a significant portion of this lucrative space. But decades before this industry boom, Goddess Retreats Founder Chelsea Ross was already laying the foundations for what would become the benchmark for wellness retreats designed specifically for women. In 2003, she designed and launched the first surf retreat for women in Bali.

Back then, most of the surfing experiences offered around Bali were run like camps. “They were mainly for men with very basic accommodations and amenities. It was very hardcore,” Chelsea describes. She envisioned something different for women like herself seeking a unique experience that combined surf, wellness, and luxury. She drew heavily from her childhood years spent in Raffles Singapore and a long, illustrious career working at the head office of Aman Resorts in Hong Kong.

“At that time, I felt that I was too old to go backpacking. So I created a holiday that I wanted for myself. When I couldn’t find it, I created it” she explains. This meant upscale accommodations in a beach front hotel. Chelsea also came up with an itinerary that combined surf lessons with yoga, culinary adventures, spa treatments, and wellness workshops. The program was built around the concept of a “surf retreat.” The idea, she says, was to create a nurturing space “where women could surf, practice yoga, and experience Bali on a retreat that combined wellness, development, and culture.” They catered to one guest during that pilot run some 22 years ago.

The brand’s growth was slow, steady, and intentional. “I started small, welcoming one guest, and then two. Organically. Goddess Retreats grew, driven by a real need and an experience that resonated.” Chelsea shares. Through word-of-mouth and online searches, more and more women traveling to Bali for transformative, enriching, and invigorating travel experiences began signing up for the Surf Goddess Retreat. She details, “Female solo travelers make up a huge, untapped market that no one was serving at that time. Our retreats were designed specifically so that women could enjoy solo travel, without having to feel lonely.”

Female solo travelers make up a huge, untapped market that no one was serving at that time. Our retreats were designed specifically so that women could enjoy solo travel, without having to feel lonely.

More retreat programs were later developed to cater to a wider range of travelers and their interests. Inquiries began to pour in, asking about alternative retreats that offered a mix of adventure, culture, yoga, healing, and spa treatments. “They weren’t all interested in surfing,” notes Chelsea. “That’s when we created the Bali Goddess Retreats, which focused on yoga, wellness, and the beauty of Balinese culture: the temples, ceremonies, and spiritual warmth that make this island so unique.”

Chelsea’s success story is an embodiment of the phrase: being at the right place at the right time. In wellness parlance, hers was a journey shaped by alignment and synchronicity. “Not long after, Eat Pray Love was released. The movie inspired thousands of women to travel to Bali searching for meaning and renewal, and we were right there offering exactly that experience. The timing couldn’t have been better,” she recalls.

As a professional in the fields of marketing and communications, Chelsea also had the foresight to build the best possible website even before the age of digital marketing and social media. “I launched Goddess Retreats before Facebook even existed, so our early marketing tools were very different. From the very beginning, I focused on building the best website at the time (all on dial-up) and made sure it was search-engine-friendly. Back then, if you typed in ‘surf retreat,’ ‘yoga retreat,’ or “Bali retreat,’ we were right at the top. It definitely helped to be first.” They were also quick to adapt to the social media boom, using platforms like Facebook and Instagram to share the Goddess Retreat experience to a larger audience.

The Bali Goddess Retreat is the most popular of all the offerings. It allows travelers to create their own experience of the island through a selection of curated excursions and activities. These include: A sunrise trek to Mount Batur, Holy Temple Purification ceremony, intuitive tarot card reading, authentic Balian healing sessions, Theta healing, consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor, silversmithing workshop as well as waterfalls and rice terraces tours. Over the course of seven days, retreat goers are also invigorated by daily yoga classes and pampered by unlimited Balinese spa treatments.

After the pandemic, increasing awareness for alternative medicines inspired the creation of the Healing Goddess Retreat. “The idea was to empower women to explore healing modalities. This retreat highlights traditional forms of Balinese healing, Reiki, and quantum healing, to name a few,” expounds Chelsea. The retreat also blends ancient wisdom with modern wellness to renew mind, body, and spirit.

The idea was to empower women to explore healing modalities. This retreat highlights traditional forms of Balinese healing, Reiki, and quantum healing, to name a few

The Wellness Goddess Retreat, meanwhile, hones in on holistic healing and wellness. The seven-day sojourn is designed with detoxification, renewal, and overall well-being in mind. The team furthers: “Whether you are beginning a wellness journey or reconnecting with yourself after burnout or life transitions, this retreat provides the space, support, and inspiration to feel truly revitalized from the inside and out.”

More recently, Goddess Retreats has also gone into fitness and adventure with programs like Fitness Goddess Retreat, Pilates Goddess Retreat, and the Padel Goddess Retreat. “In the past, health and wellness travel experiences felt more like bootcamp than a holiday,” Chelsea comments. “The Padel, Pilates or Fitness Retreats are usually held in Seminyak. We have a team of fitness experts and lifestyle coaches who help with workouts and creating sustainable routines.

Unlike most organizers and operators that schedule their excursions annually or seasonally, Goddess Retreats holds retreats all year long. And unlike when they began 22 years ago, the company now has its own spaces in Ubud and Seminyak. “We host a total of 45 retreats each year,” she elaborates. “Everything is done in-house. We employ over 100 team members, which allows us to give our guests the best service possible–from the trainers, teachers, guides, and chefs. We have a 3:1 team-to-guest ratio, which ensures exceptional care.” The founder reveals that a new property dedicated to bespoke retreats is currently being built.

Everything is done in-house. We employ over 100 team members, which allows us to give our guests the best service possible–from the trainers, teachers, guides, and chefs. We have a 3:1 team-to-guest ratio, which ensures exceptional care.

It is not lost to Chelsea that the wellness retreat space is currently receiving backlash. They are vilified in TV series like Apple Cider Vinegar and 9 Perfect Strangers, suggesting that these wellness offerings are veiled in money-making agenda. Chelsea weighs in by saying, “Wellness is accessible to anyone and everyone. It’s just a question of whether you are willing to do the research, and organize your own retreat. What we do and offer takes time, experience, coordination and effort. Ultimately, it will always be up to the individual to decide if she wants to invest in a retreat.”

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