The view from our deluxe bungalow.

Oh yes! The sun came out and shone brightly for us this year and all our days on retreat were bathed in glorious sunshine and warmth, lighting the ripe rice paddies golden. We had a full house of fabulous writing women, ranging from complete newbies with great ideas but not many words on the page to multi-published authors, January Gilchrist and Christine Jackman, who, along with my beloved retreataholics – Liana, Georgina and Tatia – needed time out to focus on their own works-in-progress.

We enjoyed a wonderfully sunny tour of Bali EcoStay’s incredible permaculture garden that we ate from every day, and through the food forest cultivated by generations of local Balinese. The water was chilly but still a few of us bravely took the plunge into the glorious waterfall and washed away all the madness of the past six months.

Every day, Kakek, the local elder and bestower of blessings, placed offerings at every shrine and at the entrance to every bungalow ensuring our safety and powering our creativity. Every day the beautiful women in the kitchen prepared us delicious healthy organic meals with warm smiles and genuine care. I love these women who work so very hard every day – not just for us, but when they go home too. Preparing offerings for festivals is creative but busy work and they’d just celebrated the equivalent of Balinese Christmas. And we all know the work that takes!

Yet still the women found time to host us for our traditional Balinese welcome blessing. We dressed up in fancy Balinese outfits and made beautiful floral offerings, participating in rituals that have lasted for eons.

I hurt my knee mid-retreat playing silly buggers during yoga with Jaye and Tatia (it was lots of fun), but you can’t keep a good woman down so apart from hobbling up and down a hundred stairs every day, retreat went on regardless. Not many yoga fans this retreat but those who turned up had a great time, got their blood pumping and cleared their heads, ready for a day of writing and thinking. Yoga moves the stories out of our bodies and writing helps us release them – the combination is important.

Every day we had at least one writing workshop, packing in university courses worth of information over the week. Plus Kerstin and I enjoyed providing individual feedback and getting to know everyone’s projects on a deeper level.

When we weren’t in workshops, or yoga class we had lots of free time for exploring and sleeping (most popular), more trips to the waterfall and MASSAGES! I confess to having three massages while at Bali EcoStay, in the heavenly massage bale surrounded by forest. Three massages and I still haven’t equalled the price of one at home. I may just marry my masseuse Sunny who was such a comfort after I hurt my knee.

My wonderful Sunny

The sound of running water was our music, the scent of earth and incense filled the air and in the teaching room the sound of laughter trumped them all.

One morning we had an unexpected visit from a few “Karens” in matching wigs, which had us all in stitches. But whatever you do, don’t cross the Karens! Thank you Tatia, Jaye and Liana for making us all laugh and bringing lots of fun and dress-ups on retreat.

My favourite session, as always, was the collage afternoon where I get to shut up for a change and we all play with images and colours and lots of bling to make vision boards to help make all our writing dreams come true.

Suddenly, WHOOSH!, the retreat came to an end with our bonfire taking away all we wanted to leave behind and blessing all we intend to bring into our lives. Some people went straight home, others travelled on to further adventures or pampering. Kerstin and I put our feet up in the deluxe bungalow as our post retreat treat, and started hatching plans for others. China anyone?

Our participants had so many great projects underway. Important stories that need to be told – either personally or for the whole world. Stories to entertain, to uplift, too heal. It is a great joy and honour to be able to provide space and encouragement and education to help make these stories the very best they can be.

How lucky am I that this is my job (or one of them anyway)? I meet the very best people. THANK YOU Rell and Aileen and Eleanor and Ginette and Kay and Tracie and Christine and Jaye and my beloved retreataholics who were back in Bali for the second time – Liana, Georgina and Tatia. Liana celebrated her thirtieth birthday with us which felt very special indeed. I’m one proud writing aunty. Thank you for trusting us with your precious selves and your stories.

Yes that is a tomato in the middle 🙂

Every retreat is different and special in its own way and I am deeply grateful for the love and joy that is shared with me in the company of these wonderful writing folk.

Our next retreat is in Byron Bay, closer to home, with a Life Writing and Memoir focus though if you’d like to come along and just work on a sci-fi novel that would be fine too. September 19 – 24 in the beautiful Byron Bay hinterland. Book yourself into a spot at the beach after the retreat to make the most of the writing inspiration and get lots of good writing done. Here’s the INFO.

We’re back in Bali again next June (21 – 27) at beautiful Bali EcoStay, our spectacular home away from home in Bali. Is it your turn yet? Stop dreaming and start planning your retreat for next year! More info HERE. Will be updated shortly.

We also have a couple of rooms still available for our Incredible Italy Writing Retreat 2027 October 1 – 8 at the stunning Terzo Di Danciano which is total heaven for anyone who’s ever dreamt of holing up in a beautiful ancient villa in the hills of Tuscany to write and dream. More info HERE.

For those wanting something sooner and a whole lot more affordable I have my August 7- 9 weekend intensive Feedback and Revision Retreat. See HERE for more info. Only a few places left. Suitable for those with either some work done towards a full length project or for those with an idea for a longer project wanting to clarify the idea and nut out a rough plan. More info HERE.

Whichever retreat you join, we always have a wonderful time! Hope you can come!

Lots of love

Edwina xx

Bye bye Bali! Until next year!