LUXE chats to Bliss Sanctuary For Women founder, Zoë Watson.

Bliss has now seen countless women through its doors, and like Zoë, guests often leave with a changed perspective on their lives. All of that thanks to the renowned founder and creator. Using her own personal journey and hurdles to fuel the passion for the Bliss Sanctuary for Women. We have a chat with Zoë about what it takes to run such a beautiful destination.

Could you tell us a bit more about your journey up to opening Bliss Sanctuary?

In 2008 I had a car accident which sent my health into a spiral of migraines and chronic fatigue and chronic pain which I later found out was Fibromyalgia. At the time I was working in media and was State Sales Manager for an Australian Media company. I was so burnt out I needed to take some time out which I did but it was short notice and I couldn't find anything for women only, which was all about rest and relaxation where I didn't have to partake in rigorous activities or be a part of a group.

That's where the idea of Bliss Sanctuary for Women was born and after researching and finding nothing but retreats where you needed to better yourself somehow, i knew creating beautiful sanctuaries for women traveling on their own without being alone where they could do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted to do it, whilst having the flexibility to swap and change and have someone do it all for them; was a winner. And something women needed in their life.

From here it grew and grew and so many happy women absolutely love the experiences we created just for them. It is so special to take time out for ourselves and be truly cared for and nurtured without being told what to do or have to make constant decisions and that is the measure of a true sanctuary experience.

Also, they absolutely loved Bali and our unique sightseeing experiences with our personal drivers where you are allowed to go wherever you want, not to follow a group allowing our guests to see and be part of the Bali experience in a way that was tailored to them.

By having small numbers of 5-6 at any one time we can truly unlimited food, unlimited yoga, unlimited massage and unlimited sightseeing with personal drivers plus a heap of different package inclusions. This simply can’t be done with large groups.

Where did the idea for the Sanctuary originate?

My own experiences of wanting freedom whilst feeling safe and supported traveling on my own. Travel can be really hard work so I wanted to create something that took all the stress away and made everything easy, because that’s what I wanted.

I also know that the headspace we are in when we book travel can be so different when we arrive so flexibility is so important and often it’s not offered without jumping through hoops or paying extra. So, my own drive to make things as easy as possible in life to support my own health and wellness is something I wanted to bring to other women.

From a personal perspective, when did you start prioritizing wellness?

I have always been very fit and active since I was a teenager whilst also living with a lot of pain. When I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, they thought I’d had it since I was 15. So, I was always looking at alternative health and wellness to help me with my own journey from seeing chiropractors at 15 to alternative health choices, learning about food and my body in biology at school onwards.

I was open to trying all sorts of ways to help better my own health from Chinese medicine, massage, acupuncture, herbs to naturopaths to energy healers. It never occured to me that anything isn’t helpful or we should only go to a medical doctor. I have always been one to look at all aspects and form my own opinions. From a young age my life was wellness focused without me really thinking about what wellness was to me.

What do you believe are the keys to wellness?

Balance. It really is that simple. When we get out of balance whether it is emotionally, through what we eat, our lifestyle etc. then our body naturally rebalances. Sometimes this creates symptoms we need to address. Even if we live crazy lifestyles, we can still balance them through stress reducing meditations or physical activities or whatever works for us. Wellness is supporting the balance in our lives to help us live a better quality of life.

What were the effects of Covid-19 on the Sanctuary?

Indonesia completely closed the borders to international tourists, so we have not been receiving guests for 2 years. Although this has been devastating, I have kept 40 staff employed and supported through this time and kept our sanctuaries beautiful and ready for guests right away. We renegotiated rents and created a win-win scenario for everybody which I’m really proud of and Bali is set to open unhindered to tourists any day now.

What do you think the future is for Wellness Sanctuaries?

They are about to explode! Which is an amazing thing.

Since opening Bliss we have seen so many retreats adopt our flexibilities and ways of doing things creating a better experience for guests and many now call them sanctuary retreats which we started. I love this as it means more and more people are able to have these amazing experiences with more and more focus on each individual guest's needs over group logistics. I truly believe whilst retreats are amazing, they are a bit like school camp and always focused on people bettering themselves somehow.

The more sanctuaries that are created to simply 'be' and truly relax and create space, that's where the magic is. Reconnecting to ourselves in our own way is so beautiful and those businesses that are heart based and not just chasing the dollar are open to creating amazing spaces and amazing experiences that truly cater to the individual. The larger they are the harder this is to achieve which is why I think so many small but luxurious beautiful sanctuaries will be created in the near future. What an amazing new platform for authentic and ethical wellness tourism.

Want to know more about Zoe? You can find out more about wellness Entrepeneur and Advocate Zoe Watson on her personal website www.zoeblisswatson.com or check out Bliss Sanctuary for Women in Bali www.blisssanctuaryforwomen.com