Writing Retreat in Bali, July 2024
A writing retreat focusing on re-finding your creativity!
Academic Writing Retreat, Bali, July 2024.
It isn’t business as usual this July. Write with pleasure and joy, with creativity and in community. Do it in Bali at a writing retreat that will help revitalise your writing and refresh your ideas!
Facilitators
The facilitators for this retreat will be Julien Cayla and Tanvi Mehta.
Tanvi has been an academic editor, coach and instructor for over 20 years and is deeply familiar with the writing ecosystem of academia.
Julien is an academic himself, and is entirely steeped in this universe!
Together, we have extensive experience in running writing retreats and writing groups (writing retreats, writing groups, co-working sessions, writing bootcamps, productivity writing workshops etc.).
We both share a deep desire to create community, which is at the heart of all our endeavours! We absolutely love bringing people together, creating connections, and planting seeds of friendship and connection around the world!
This retreat is extra special for us as we will be able to share our love for Bali with other people too! We have been visiting Bali for the last 15 years, and are still thoroughly enchanted with it. We are also quite familiar with the property where the retreat will be held and with the Ubud surroundings, so we will be able to guide you well, we hope!
This writing retreat has been scheduled to be just before ACR Asia-Pacific, which runs from 8 to 11 July in Bali, making it convenient for you to attend if you are coming to Bali for the conference.
Accommodation
This retreat will take place in a quiet neighbourhood at the edge of the centre of Ubud in Bali. We are working with a company that is known for its co-living and co-working spaces across several countries in Asia. The writing retreat will be held in the private meeting rooms of the co-working space, and you will have unfettered access to the co-working space during our non-scheduled hours.
We have arranged for your stay at the co-living facilities run by the same company, a short 5-minute walk away. The rooms are lovely, the common spaces are relaxed and convivial, and you can choose to book a deluxe room or a small one-room bungalow for yourself. In either case, you will not be disappointed.
We will be located just outside Ubud centre, and the immediate neighbourhood is walkable, peppered with fantastic little restaurants and cafes with that unmistakable Ubud vibe. The centre of Ubud is a short drive away, and transport is easy to organise.
The Writing
The purpose of this retreat is to ensure you have the time and the space to retreat from your regular life to concentrate on your writing. And to be able to do it in surroundings that are peaceful and conducive to writing work.
We also want to infuse a more creative aspect into the endeavour. Through meditation, movement, games, creative exercises and writing prompts, we want to help you unload the mental task of your daily burdens and to find again the playful joy that brings us new and exciting energy.
It may bear pointing out that this is a retreat, and not a workshop, so we will NOT be teaching writing. For writing instruction, please see here.
Schedule July 4 to July 8, 2024
Day 1 - Thurs. July 4
You will be welcomed by us when you arrive at the property, and we will help you settle in.7pm to 10pm - We commence the retreat with a welcome dinner and drinks!
Day 2 & 3 - Fri. July 5 & Sat. July 6
8am to 8:30am - Morning movement session (optional)8:30am to 9:30am - Breakfast10am to 12:30pm - Structured co-writing with breaks [creativity exercises, writing prompts and simple, concentrated writing sprints]12:30pm to 2pm - Lunch [you are free to get your lunch as needed]2pm to 3:30pm - Structured co-writing with breaksParticipants will have the rest of the afternoon and evening at their disposal to wander through Ubud as they choose. There are many shopping and dining options available.
Day 4 - Sun. July 7
8:30am to 9:30am - Breakfast9:30am to 3pm - A half-day outing. See the rice fields of Ubud and its surroundings on an easy-breezy bicycle tour for 2.5 hours. This will be followed by lunch, and a visit to a nearby waterfall where you can cool off after your morning workout!7pm to 10pm - Close-out dinner and drinks!
Day 5 - Mon. July 8
Goodbye breakfast and checkout!
The costs for the retreat will cover stay, breakfast, access to the co-working space, the half-day excursion, dinner on Day 1 and Day 4, and airport transfer (pickup only).
Mid-day and evening meals on Day 2 and 3 are up to you. There are MANY restaurants nearby, so you will be spoilt for choice (more on that below). You can choose to stay local, or wander into the heart of Ubud, which is a quick Gojek bike ride away!
ROOMS
We have two room options for you:
A one-bedroom bungalow
A deluxe room at the co-living space.
BUNGALOWS
Bungalows are connected
A little stream flows through
Verandah/porch of bungalow
Bed and table, looking out
Entertainment unit, looking out
Looking into the bungalow
Bed, straight on
Check the position of the air conditioning
Bathroom, with bath to the right
Bath, with view
Toilet and shower
DELUXE ROOMS
The co-living compound with deluxe rooms
Bed with mosquito net
Large clean room
Looking out, with desk in corner
Full view
Bathroom with shower
FOOD
Sample Breakfast Menu + Menu of Cafe at the Co-Working Space
Remember, all prices on the menus are in Indonesian Rupiah. Exchange Rate: US$1 = IDR 15,500
Retreat Costs
Deluxe Room, solo occupant
Deluxe Room, add-on non-participant
Bungalow, solo occupant
Bungalow, add-on non-participant
Includes: 4 nights’ stay, breakfast, welcome and goodbye dinner, half day excursion, and airport pickup | US$910
Includes for participant: 4 nights’ stay, breakfast, welcome and goodbye dinner, half day excursion, and airport pickup
Includes for non-participant: 4 nights’ stay, breakfast, and airport pickup | US$1210
Includes: 4 nights’ stay, breakfast, welcome and goodbye dinner, half day excursion, and airport pickup | US$960
Includes for participant: 4 nights’ stay, breakfast, welcome and goodbye dinner, half day excursion, and airport pickup
Includes for non-participant: 4 nights’ stay, breakfast, and airport pickup | US$1360
Let’s Answer those Burning Questions!
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The costs for the retreat will cover stay, breakfast, access to the co-working space, the half-day excursion on Day 4, dinner on Day 1 and Day 4, and airport transfer (pickup only).
Mid-day and evening meals on Day 2 and 3 are up to you. There are MANY restaurants nearby, so you will be spoilt for choice. You can choose to stay local, or wander into the heart of Ubud, which is a quick Gojek bike ride away!
We can organise a sim card for you, and you can choose this option as an add-on during checkout.
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Yes! There are additional charges, of course. You can pick that option at checkout.
Your guest will be able to share your room and enjoy breakfast.
Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate them in any retreat activities.
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We are happy to try and accomodate your dietary requests. Please get in touch with us by email before the retreat to organise this.
Most restaurants and cafes offer vegan and vegetarian options.
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Because of our upfront costs with the vendors, we are unable to provide any refunds, regardless of the cause of cancellation. We don’t want to seem draconian, but it’s really a question of not being out of pocket on something we will be earning very little on. We suggest you buy travel insurance that also covers cancellations.
If you are unable to make it at any point, we request that you inform us straight away. We will share our contact details with you closer to the start date so that you can reach us at short notice.
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We can help you book a car from Ubud to Nusa Dua, the site of the conference, once you are on site. You will be able to make payment to the driver directly.
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Bali will be in the dry season in July. It will be warm, with temperatures hovering around 27 to 30 degrees centigrade. We don’t expect much rain then.
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According to travelladies.app: “Bali is relatively safe for solo female travellers. The locals are generally friendly and respectful. However, minor issues like pickpocketing or taxi scams can happen occasionally. It's advised to be cautious particularly in crowded areas and at night. The island is overall safe assuming you take the necessary precautions.”
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Twelve at full capacity, excluding Julien and Tanvi.
We want to create an intimate community atmosphere, so we are keeping the numbers low.
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Apart from the incredibly enchanting location??
We are focusing on the creative aspect of writing and being. We want you to engage in creative activities and try new writing prompts to think outside that proverbial box!
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Quite simply, no. As this is a writing retreat, we are facilitating a moment for you to retreat from the world and concentrate on getting some writing done. Our job will be to help you focus, get you to be creative, and be productive in your output. We won’t be teaching writing, nor will we be editing or giving feedback.
Bali Academic Writing Retreat, 2024
Thursday July 4 to Monday July 8