This retreat is designed for women who want a more thoughtful way to enter the underwater world — through scuba diving: breathing from a tank, moving with intention through coral reefs and historic wrecks, guided by someone who knows exactly what they’re doing. Scuba is extraordinary for beginners. There is nothing between you and the reef but water, and the learning curve — when it’s taught well — is gentle and deeply rewarding.

You will complete your international PADI Open Water certification across three to four days of structured, guided training — theory, confined water pool sessions, and open ocean dives — then use those skills to dive the USAT Liberty wreck in Tulamben, one of the most accessible and historically significant dive sites in Southeast Asia. The second half of the retreat opens into Ubud: rice terraces, temple visits, and a closing water purification ceremony that gives the whole journey a meaningful arc.

Not a performance retreat. Not a competition. Just you, your breath, and the ocean floor.

Bali is one of those rare places where the ocean, the land, and the spiritual feel genuinely inseparable. This retreat brings together two of the island's most distinctive settings: Amed, a quiet coastal village on Bali's northeast coast known for its black-sand beaches, calm and clear water, and a freediving community that takes the practice seriously, and Ubud, the cultural heartland of the island, surrounded by rice terraces, jungle, and centuries of temple life.

Over eight days, you will move between salt water and sacred water — between the particular stillness of a long breath-hold and the quiet of a landscape shaped by ritual and intention. The retreat is designed to feel calm, meaningful, and easy to navigate alone.

Duration

5 days / 4 nights (Amed base) or 8 days / 7 nights (with Ubud Extension add-on)

Location

Amed, Bali (4 nights); optional Ubud extension (3 nights)

Accommodation

Bali Dive Resort & Spa, Amed (base); Grand Sehati Inn & Spa, Ubud (with extension)

Diving

PADI course (OW or AOW, chosen at booking) + USAT Liberty wreck dive, Tulamben

Certification

Optional add-on — PADI Open Water or Advanced Open Water (incl. ECO variants)

Group size

Small group — intimate by design

Who it's for

Women, beginner to intermediate, solo-traveller friendly

Meals

Breakfast included daily at Bali Dive Resort & Spa (Amed). Ubud extension does not include breakfast. Lunch and dinner at your own pace.

Language

English

●    Dive the legendary USAT Liberty wreck: a WWII cargo ship torpedoed in 1942 and reshaped by Mount Agung's 1963 eruption, now draped in coral and full of marine life, just metres from shore.

●    Learn or dive with a PADI 5-Star Eco Center: conservation built into the teaching — optional ECO course upgrades add a Dive Against Debris conservation dive and a second PADI AWARE certification on top of your PADI course.

●    A two-halves week — salt water, then sacred water: four days of diving in Amed, then three days in Ubud moving through waterfalls, rice terraces, and a closing Tirta Empul melukat water-purification ceremony.

●    Plant a coral fragment with Ocean Gardener: optional visit to a working coral nursery in Lipah Bay, snorkel the restoration site with a marine biologist, and leave a lasting piece of you on the reef.

●    Small group, women-only, solo-traveller friendly: kept intimate on purpose. You are not a number on a trip list — you are one of a few.

●    Founder-led and Swiss-organised: a real person (Rocío) behind every booking, answering questions before, during, and after the retreat.

●    Flexible at the core — designed for certified and uncertified divers: already certified? Dive all twelve. New to scuba? Add the PADI course at booking and complete it inside the same week.

●    Airport pickup and drop-off (Denpasar DPS)

●    [Transfer to Ubud available with optional Ubud Extension add-on]

●    4 nights accommodation at Bali Dive Resort & Spa, Amed (Private Deluxe room, single occupancy)

●    Daily breakfast at Bali Dive Resort & Spa

●    PADI certification course — Open Water (3 days, 4 training dives) or Advanced Open Water (2 days, 5 specialty dives) — chosen at booking. Includes a dive at the USAT Liberty wreck, Tulamben.

●    All standard scuba equipment (mask, wetsuit, BCD, regulator, tank, weights)

●    [Ubud cultural visits available with optional Ubud Extension add-on]

●    [Temple fees included only if Ubud Extension add-on is taken]

●    WiFi at the resort

●    Host support before, during, and after the retreat

●    Airport pickup and drop-off (Denpasar DPS)

●    [Transfer to Ubud available with optional Ubud Extension add-on]

●    4 nights accommodation at Bali Dive Resort & Spa, Amed (Private Deluxe room, single occupancy)

●    Daily breakfast at Bali Dive Resort & Spa

●    PADI certification course — Open Water (3 days, 4 training dives) or Advanced Open Water (2 days, 5 specialty dives) — chosen at booking. Includes a dive at the USAT Liberty wreck, Tulamben.

●    All standard scuba equipment (mask, wetsuit, BCD, regulator, tank, weights)

●    [Ubud cultural visits available with optional Ubud Extension add-on]

●    [Temple fees included only if Ubud Extension add-on is taken]

●    WiFi at the resort

●    Host support before, during, and after the retreat

This retreat is designed to work for both certified divers and those wanting to earn their certification. The base price includes your PADI certification course (OW / OW ECO / AOW / AOW ECO — chosen at booking). If you already hold a PADI Open Water (or equivalent) qualification, you can take the Advanced Open Water course or ECO variant as a certified guest. If you are not yet certified, you add your course at booking and it runs inside the same eight-day window.

PADI Open Water (beginner) is the entry-level scuba certification and runs over three to four days. It covers theory, confined-water pool sessions, and four open-water dives — everything you need to dive safely and independently anywhere in the world. No prior experience required.

PADI Advanced Open Water is for those who already hold an Open Water certification and want to expand their range — deeper dives, navigation, buoyancy refinement, and specialty skills. Runs over two to three days and includes five specialty dives, one of which is the USAT Liberty wreck.

Your course is conducted by Wayan, a certified PADI instructor with years of experience in Amed and Tulamben, based at Bali Dive Resort & Spa. Wayan is known for the calm, patient quality of his teaching — unhurried, technically precise, and genuinely adapted to each diver's pace.

Bali Dive Resort & Spa is a PADI Eco Center, and offers an ECO version of both the Open Water and Advanced Open Water courses for those who want their certification to mean something beyond the card. The PADI ECO Open Water course includes five open water dives instead of four — with the extra dive dedicated to a Dive Against Debris: you actively remove marine debris from the reef, identify and categorise what you find, and submit your data to the global PADI AWARE database used by researchers and policymakers worldwide. You leave with two certifications: your PADI Open Water Diver and your PADI AWARE Dive Against Debris certification.

The PADI ECO Advanced Open Water course works the same way — six adventure dives instead of five, with the Dive Against Debris as a dedicated additional dive. Adventure dives typically include Deep, Wreck (USAT Liberty), Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Navigation, and Fish Identification, plus the debris dive. Two certifications: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and PADI AWARE Dive Against Debris.

Both ECO courses can be selected at the time of booking. If ocean conservation matters to you, this is the most direct way to act on that while learning to dive.

Optional add-on: Coral Restoration Experience with the Ocean Gardener NGO (4 hours, $80 per person) — snorkel the coral nursery in Lipah Bay, Amed, learn about coral restoration from marine biologists, and plant your own coral fragment. All proceeds fund the NGO’s conservation work across Indonesia.

There is something deeply symbolic in the way this journey unfolds: you begin in the water, and you close in the water.

The first part of the retreat invites you into Bali through the sea — through scuba diving, the sound of your own regulated breath, and the particular stillness that settles over you when you descend for the first time and realise that the underwater world is not something to be afraid of.

In Amed, the experience is not only about learning a technique. It is about discovering a different relationship with the ocean: quieter, more intimate, more deliberate. Scuba diving, taught well, is one of the most grounding things you can do. And Amed — with its calm, clear bays, extraordinary marine life, and unhurried pace — is one of the finest places in the world to begin.

One of the highlights of the retreat is the dive at the USAT Liberty wreck in Tulamben — a US Army cargo ship torpedoed in 1942, later carried to its current resting place by the 1963 eruption of Mount Agung. Today it rests just metres from shore, draped in coral and alive with marine life. To descend through its structure on scuba — moving slowly through the hold, alongside schools of fish, in near-silence — is something that stays with you.

On Day 5, your private driver takes you on the journey to Ubud — three hours inland through the mountains and terraced valleys of central Bali. By the time you arrive, the pace has already shifted.

In Ubud, the second day opens early. You are out before the crowds — at the waterfall by 8AM, when the valley is quiet and the mist is still in the trees. The day continues through the sculpted rice terraces of Tegalalang and a slow afternoon at Bali Pulina for a traditional luwak coffee tasting. This side of the island is rooted in the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana — the idea that harmony between spirit, people, and nature is the foundation of a good life.

The retreat closes with a visit to Tirta Empul, where water enters the journey again — not as practice this time, but as ritual. The melukat purification ceremony is a Balinese Hindu practice of releasing, cleansing, and making space for what comes next. It gives the whole experience a meaningful arc: you enter through the ocean, and you leave through sacred water.

Bali Dive Resort & Spa — Amed (4 nights)

A PADI 5-Star Dive Resort and certified PADI Eco Center set directly on the beachfront in Amed, Bali's quiet northeast coast. The resort has direct access to Amed's reef systems — you can walk into the water from the property — and is a short transfer from the USAT Liberty wreck in Tulamben. Your room, the dive centre, and the reef are all in the same place, which means mornings are unhurried and days are easy to organise.

●    Room: Private Deluxe, single occupancy.

●    Setting: Beachfront, black-sand coast, Amed's dive community right next door.

●    On-site: Swimming pool, spa, restaurant, dive centre, reef access.

●    Wi-Fi: Included.

●    Air-con: Yes, in all rooms.

Grand Sehati Inn & Spa — Ubud (3 nights)

A peaceful boutique property in the heart of Ubud, surrounded by gardens and the quiet rhythms of the town. Rooms are well-appointed and restful — a natural place to slow down after the intensity of the diving days. The inn has its own spa and is within walking distance of Ubud's markets, galleries, and restaurants.

●    Room type: Private single-occupancy rooms throughout the Ubud leg.

●    Setting: Central Ubud, walking distance to markets, galleries, restaurants.

●    On-site: Garden, spa, breakfast service.

●    Wi-Fi: Included.

●    Air-con: Yes, in all rooms.

All prices are per person, single-occupancy throughout. Room type confirmed at booking.

Breakfast is included every day at Bali Dive Resort & Spa in Amed. Breakfast is not included at Grand Sehati Inn during the Ubud extension — Ubud has excellent warungs and cafés for morning meals, and the freedom to choose where you eat is part of what makes the Ubud half feel like yours rather than a schedule. Lunches and dinners are also left at your own pace.

●    Included: Daily breakfast at Bali Dive Resort & Spa (Amed). Breakfast not included at Grand Sehati Inn (Ubud extension).

●    Not included: Lunch and dinner. Local warungs and restaurants in both Amed and Ubud are excellent and inexpensive.

●    Dietary needs: Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergen-aware options can be arranged — let us know at booking and we pass it on to the kitchens.

●    Water: Filtered drinking water available at both properties to refill your bottle.

This journey is designed for women who want more than a holiday. If you are drawn to the ocean but not sure exactly where to start, if you crave slowness and meaning over schedules and performance — you are already in the right place.

This retreat is for you if you

●    want to reconnect with yourself through the ocean

●    are drawn to meaningful experiences over performance

●    prefer calm travel with personal flexibility

●    are curious about scuba diving — the practice of breathing underwater and moving through the ocean in near-silence

●    are travelling solo and want structure without losing freedom

●    value slow, intentional travel that leaves something real behind

This retreat is probably not for you if you

●    are looking for a party or social-first atmosphere

●    prefer fast-paced group tourism

●    want an intense or competitive training environment

●    need a packed schedule from morning to night

You don't need experience. You don't need to be fearless. You just need to be a little curious — about the water, about yourself, and about what a different kind of travel can feel like.

Your scuba training takes place in Amed’s calm, clear waters with a carefully selected partner: Bali Dive Resort & Spa, a PADI 5-Star Dive Resort and certified PADI Eco Center based directly on the beachfront in Amed. The resort has direct access to Amed’s reef systems and is a short transfer from the USAT Liberty wreck in Tulamben. You will be matched with the instructor best suited to your level, pace, and goals, ensuring a learning experience that feels personal, supportive, and deeply grounded in safety.

Teaching is calm, attentive, and adapted to you. Whether you are new to scuba or building on existing certification, the focus is not only on technique, but on breath awareness, buoyancy, and genuine confidence in the water. The resort’s ECO course option — which adds a Dive Against Debris conservation dive and a second PADI AWARE certification — reflects a teaching philosophy that takes the health of the reef as seriously as the quality of the diving.

Bali Dive Resort & Spa also partners with Ocean Gardener, a marine conservation NGO based in Amed, offering retreat guests the opportunity to visit their coral nursery in Lipah Bay — snorkelling the restoration site, learning from marine biologists, and planting their own coral fragment as a lasting contribution to the reef.

Morning  Arrive in Bali (DPS). Your private driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to Amed, a scenic journey of approximately 2.5 hours along Bali’s northeastern coast.

Afternoon  Check in at Bali Dive Resort & Spa — steps from the water. Time to settle in, rest, and feel the pace of the village begin to work on you.

Evening  A gentle first evening — dinner at leisure, early sleep, and the sound of the sea outside your window.

Morning Breakfast, then the first diving session. Certified divers head straight into Amed's house reef and Japanese Wreck. Uncertified guests on the course begin with theory and confined water skills with Wayan.

Afternoon Second training dive or continued course practice. By this afternoon you are already at home beneath the surface.

Evening Free time to rest, explore the beachfront, or have dinner. Your body will need space to absorb what it learned today.

Morning Breakfast, then into open water. Drift dives along Amed's coral slopes, descending alongside the reef, equalising, moving through the water with intention.

Afternoon Afternoon dive — deepening skill and confidence. Certification students work on navigation, deeper descents, and specialty skills.

Evening Sunset by the water. A free evening in Amed.

Morning An early start for the Liberty wreck at Tulamben. Torpedoed in 1942 and resting just metres from shore, the wreck is encrusted with coral and alive with marine life. This is the centrepiece dive of the retreat.

Afternoon A second dive on the Tulamben coral gardens, then return to Amed. Time to rest and let the morning settle.

Evening Certification students celebrate their qualification. A free evening in Amed — dinner, rest, or a quiet walk along the water.

Morning A free morning in Amed — a last swim, a slow breakfast, time by the sea before you leave the coast behind.

Afternoon Your private driver collects you for the 3-hour journey to Ubud through the mountains and terraced valleys of central Bali.

Evening Check in at Grand Sehati Inn & Spa. Dinner at leisure, an early night, the greenery of Ubud outside your window.

Morning An early start — out before the crowds to reach the waterfall by 8AM, when the valley is quiet and the light is still soft. Worth every minute of the early alarm.

Afternoon Tegalalang Rice Terraces, then a stop at Bali Pulina for a traditional luwak coffee tasting. The afternoon slows down as the day does.

Evening Free evening in Ubud. Dinner at leisure — the town has some of Bali's best restaurants within easy walking distance

Morning A slow morning. Sleep in, explore the Ubud market, or simply enjoy the greenery and quiet of the inn.

Afternoon Visit Tirta Empul for a respectful participation in the melukat water purification ceremony — a Balinese Hindu ritual of cleansing and renewal practised here for over a thousand years. Sarong and guidance provided.

Evening Final evening at leisure. A moment to reflect on the week.

Morning  Breakfast and a slow check-out.

Afternoon  Private transfer to Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS).

Evening  Travel onward — certified, renewed, and carrying something real from Bali.