Bali & Beyond Travel

07/08/2026

So many doing this and we keep telling people the government is cracking down on it - here is an example.

Make sure you have the right visa for your retreat. Speak to us and we will help you determine which one is the best fit and keep you legal.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GvASmmLBP/

Another foreign visitor has been deported from Bali after immigration authorities found alleged activities that went beyond the purpose of a tourist visa.

Read more: https://thebalitimes.com/the-island/australian-deported-from-bali-over-yoga-retreat-on-tourist-visa/

07/08/2026

Are you running a retreat in Bali?

Then your visa is not a small admin detail. It is part of running your retreat legally.

If you are facilitating, teaching, presenting, coaching or leading paid retreat activities in Indonesia, arriving on a tourist visa and hoping no one asks questions is not a strategy. And yes, people have been doing it for years. That does not make it legal.

Running a retreat on the wrong visa can put your entire retreat at risk. Your retreat could be shut down. You could be questioned by Immigration, deported, or potentially blacklisted from re-entering Indonesia.

And there is another risk retreat leaders often don’t think about.

If your retreat is shut down, your guests may expect refunds. But your venue, transport providers and other suppliers may already have been paid under non-refundable terms. That can leave you carrying a very real financial loss, alongside the reputational damage of having your retreat interrupted in front of your guests.

The confusing part is that visa advice in Bali is not always consistent. Some agents are still working from outdated information. Some recommend visas that are more expensive or more complex than you actually need. And sometimes the visa being suggested simply does not match what you will actually be doing while you are here.

We have even heard of retreat leaders being advised to obtain an investment visa, which is a long-term stay visa, for a retreat lasting only a few days. That is exactly why the visa needs to match the actual activity and length of stay, rather than simply accepting the first recommendation you are given.

A retreat host leading a defined retreat program may need one type of visa, while a visiting yoga instructor may need a different visa and set of requirements.

This is why “my venue said I can use a tourist visa” or “my visa agent told me to get a working KITAS” is not enough, and is not always correct.

You need the visa that matches what you are actually doing, and you will need an appropriate Indonesian sponsor.

Bali Beyond Travel can help you understand the requirements around running your retreat legally in Bali and, where appropriate, we may also be able to act as your Indonesian sponsor.

We do not process visa applications ourselves. We work alongside reputable visa professionals so the visa processing is handled by the right people, while we support the retreat and sponsorship side where required.

You also do not have to use Bali Beyond Travel for your full retreat logistics to speak with us about sponsorship. We can support you with the logistics of your retreat, the sponsorship side, or both, depending on what you need.

If you are planning a Bali retreat and are unsure whether the visa advice you have been given is actually right for what you will be doing, start the conversation before you book flights and start taking payments.

Because finding out you have the wrong visa once your retreat has already started is far more expensive than getting it right from the beginning.

Send a message to learn more

03/07/2026

I have just seen an introduction in a WhatsApp group where all four paragraphs started with “I,” and it really stood out to me because this is something I see a lot in marketing.


Of course it is fine to say, “Hi, my name is…” and explain what you do, but your introduction, tagline, bio or post should not be completely centred around you. It should always come back to the customer or client, how they are feeling, the problem they are dealing with, the solution you provide and how that solution helps them.


Too many introductions are full of “I do this, I offer that, I have this experience, I have these qualifications,” but the person reading it is still trying to work out whether you understand them and whether you can actually help.


It should help the right person recognise themselves.


They should be able to read your words and think, “Yes, that is exactly how I feel,” or “That is the problem I am having.” Then they need to understand what changes for them after working with you, how they will feel and what your solution actually helps them do.


Your experience and qualifications can absolutely be part of your marketing, but they should support the message, not become the whole message. The focus should always be on the person whose problem you solve, not just on you

09/06/2026

Area Spotlight: Ubud

When people think of retreats in Bali, Ubud is usually one of the first places that comes to mind.

And there’s a reason for that.

Ubud has become one of Bali’s main retreat hubs because it brings together so many of the elements retreat hosts often want in one area: culture, spirituality, nature, wellness, yoga, healing, beautiful venues, and easy access to meaningful experiences.

It’s surrounded by jungle, rice fields, temples, rivers, waterfalls, and traditional villages. For many guests, it gives them that feeling of stepping out of normal life and into something slower, deeper, and more intentional.

That’s why Ubud works so well for yoga retreats, wellness retreats, silent retreats, women’s retreats, creative retreats, spiritual retreats, and general personal development retreats.

There are many types of venues around Ubud too, from simple and peaceful retreat spaces to more polished boutique properties. Some are tucked away in quiet village areas. Others are closer to cafés, shops, yoga studios, healers, and wellness centres.

Ubud also gives retreat hosts access to experiences that can support the purpose of the retreat, not just fill the schedule. Water blessings, temple visits, rice field walks, traditional healing, sound healing, waterfalls, cultural workshops, and local village experiences can all help guests connect more deeply with Bali.

And for corporate or leadership retreats, Ubud can also work well because there are plenty of activities nearby that bring in movement, challenge, and fun, such as rafting, ATV rides, jungle swings, team-style adventures, and nature-based excursions.

But Ubud is not the only place to run a retreat in Bali.

It is not automatically the best place for every group, every budget, or every retreat outcome.

Some retreats need beach energy. Some need quiet coastal space. Some need luxury. Some need privacy. Some need easy access to nightlife or restaurants. Some need to be far away from all of that.

Ubud is popular because it has been packaged well as Bali’s retreat centre, and because it genuinely offers a strong mix of culture, spirituality, wellness, nature, and venue options.

But the right location should always come back to the retreat itself.

Who is coming?
What do they need?
What kind of transformation are you creating?
What level of comfort, movement, privacy, culture, and support does the group need?

A good retreat location is not just a pretty backdrop.

It needs to support the experience you are promising.

At Bali Beyond Travel, we help retreat hosts look beyond the obvious and choose locations that actually fit the purpose, people, budget, and flow of the retreat.

Ubud may be the right place.

But it should be chosen because it supports the retreat, not just because it is the place everyone has heard of.

22/05/2026

Why Most Retreat Hosts Underprice.


If your retreat price feels hard to stand behind, the problem may have started before the numbers.


Most retreat hosts do not underprice because they are bad at maths.


They underprice because they are trying to make the price feel safer, easier to say out loud, or more comfortable for other people to accept. But retreat pricing needs to be built from structure, clarity, costs, value, responsibility, and business sense, not fear.


In this video, I talk through why pricing often feels hard to stand behind, why “market value” can be misleading, how over-including can come from pricing doubt, and why your leadership, expertise, preparation, mental load, and presence need to be properly accounted for.


A retreat is not just accommodation, meals, transfers, and activities. It is a held experience. And if the host is not paid properly, the model is not sustainable.


At Bali Beyond Travel, we help retreat hosts plan and deliver retreats with stronger structure, clearer logistics, and the right support behind them, so they can focus on leading their people instead of carrying every detail alone.


Follow Bali Beyond Travel on YouTube for more practical conversations about retreat pricing, planning, logistics, and what it really takes to host better experiences.

Most retreat hosts do not underprice because they are bad at maths.They underprice because they are trying to make the price feel safer, easier to say out lo...

20/05/2026

Retreat hosts, facilitators, coaches, wellness leaders and retreat spaces, you’re invited.


I’m hosting the next Retreat Host Collaboration Circle, and the topic is:


What support do retreat hosts actually need?


This is for people who are running retreats, planning retreats, thinking about retreats, hosting retreats, or supporting retreat hosts in some way. It is not a formal training session.


It is a safe and practical space to talk honestly about what retreat hosts are carrying, where people are getting stuck, and what kind of support is actually useful. But the bigger intention is connection.


This circle is about creating genuine collaboration between retreat hosts, facilitators, coaches, venues, retreat spaces, podcast hosts, service providers, and others connected to the retreat industry.


That might look like referrals, guest interviews, shared ideas, venue connections, support partnerships, introductions, or simply meeting people who understand the retreat space and may be useful to know.


The conversation gives us a reason to come together.
The relationships and collaborations are the real purpose.


There are two session options:


Option 1
Date: Friday 22nd May
Time: 9am Bali / 11am Aust Eastern / 2am UK / Thursday 21st 8pm US Central
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/92330738183


Option 2
Date: Wednesday 27th May
Time: 5pm Bali / 7pm Aust Eastern / 10am UK / Wednesday 27th 4am US Central
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/93775322194


Please arrive a few minutes early if you can, so we can start on time.
Message me Karyn Bali Mahoney to let me know which option you’ll be joining.


I’ll have the waiting room turned on, so I need to know who to admit into the meeting.


You’re welcome to join if you are running retreats, planning one, seriously exploring the idea, or connected to the retreat space in a useful and respectful way.

19/05/2026

The itinerary matters. But it should not be doing all the selling.

A retreat offer needs to show more than what is included.


When the message focuses too much on the location, meals, classes, and extras, it can start to sound like a holiday package.


Strong retreat marketing makes the purpose clear, so people understand the value before they ever look at the itinerary.

14/05/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CivxoMiS3/

For Indonesian Immigration, some unpaid activities could violate the conditions of an tourist's visa stay permit.

04/05/2026

Here are both Zoom options for the Retreat Host Collaboration Call:
Friday, 8 May:
https://zoom.us/j/92330738183
Wednesday, 13 May:
https://zoom.us/j/93775322194
You’re welcome to join whichever time suits you best.
Please arrive a few minutes early if you can, so we can start on time. The waiting room will be on, so if your Zoom name is different from your Facebook name, just let me know so I can recognise you.

FB has limited my messages.

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.