After donning a traditional sarong and taking part in two Balinese morning offerings, I walk down what seems like hundreds of stone steps.
My instructor suddenly stops at a small cave on the side of the hill, canopied by palms, which will be our al fresco yoga studio.
He takes me through a series of gentle yoga poses on my mat overlooking the Pakerisan River below, ending the class with a guided meditation.
My body and mind feel rejuvenated as I bow in gratitude and make my way up the stairs – which seem to have multiplied! – for a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s open-air dining room, also overlooking the 170m-deep valley below.
All of the thatched-roof main buildings – the reception, restaurant, spa and 'floating' Gazebo Café - are perched on the hillside and, honestly, the only sounds I hear throughout my stay are that of native birds and the running water from ancient irrigation canals, or subaks, that run throughout the property.
The dining room is busy but so quiet and I enjoy the attentive service and peace given I am a mother of two active little boys and quiet breakfasts don’t exist in my world.
There are traditional Japanese, Indonesian and American breakfasts on offer, each coming with coffee or fresh juice, fruits and bread.
Content, I retreat to my private villa, a fusion of minimalist Japanese design and traditional Balinese elements.
Designed by Tokyo-based architect Rie Azuma and landscape designer Hiroki Hasegawa, my entry level Bulan villa – there are two more premium levels of accommodation, Soka and Jalak – is sleek and spacious.
The king-sized futon-style bed is on a raised timber platform with an elaborate backdrop; a backlit Balinese carved timber feature wall.
There is a separate Japanese-style shower/wet area with a huge freestanding bath tub, as well as a large dressing room and separate state-of-the art electronic toilet.
Outdoors, there’s a private terrace for lounging and steps leading down to a semi-private pool and a poolside terrace with sun loungers, another toilet, towels and a phone to dial for room service.
All 30 villas have private access to one of three lengthy canal-style swimming pools which weave seamlessly throughout the property.
HOSHINOYA Bali really does feel like a magical utopia hidden amongst Ubud’s terraced rice paddies and holy sites.
Later, it’s time for aquatic yoga which I do in the South Pool. My teacher takes me through a series of moving poses before the main sequence which involves stretching on a wall in the pool. It’s unusual but I enjoy it and the cool water is a relief from the island’s tropical heat.
After lunch and more rest, I take my book, slip off my shoes and enjoy an Indonesian tea ceremony at Café Gazebo, an open-air café with seven spectacular individual steel gazebos suspended over the jungle.
Sitting barefoot in my protruding cage, I really do feel as though I’m floating above the trees as I sip my cup of Indonesian ginger tea prepared from natural ingredients, and enjoy a skewer of tropical fruit.
Just when I feel like I couldn’t be any more relaxed, I make my way over to the spa reception for my Spicy Body Revitalising spa treatment.
The treatment rooms are set halfway down the hillside, accessed by the funicular railway, so the guests feel more immersed in their jungle surroundings.
My therapist and I step inside a metal cage car and slowly descend down to the spa, where my treatment room has floor-to-ceiling glass windows facing out over to the forest.
My treatment – one of the best I’ve ever had in Bali - begins with a full body massage followed by a body scrub, wrap and a long soak in a freestanding tub.
I reluctantly dress and head back up the hillside for a light la carte dinner in the dining room before changing for moonlight yoga in the open-air Yoga Gazebo, which begins at 9pm.
It’s a very gentle practice, followed by meditation, but it sets me up for one of the best night sleeps I have ever had.
In fact, the following morning, I sleep through five wake up calls and, as a result, sadly miss my sunrise yoga practice.
I do manage to wake in time for my Air Gazebo Breakfast where I am served coffee and the resort’s take on the traditional Balinese dish, terang bulan as well as a selection of pastries, fruits and salads served in baskets.
After my ‘floating’ breakfast and a Balinese handiwork experience, a private shuttle takes me to Ubud where I spend hours exploring Bali’s busy cultural hub.
I adore Ubud but the streets seem busier and crowds bigger after a stay at HOSHINOYA.
For those who are seeking a traditional health retreat or conversely, a lively place to meet other travellers and enjoy a few cocktails, this probably isn’t the place however those who want to experience a design-led, Zen-like resort village with gentle wellness immersions and Balinese craftmanship, HOSHINOYA Bali is a gift to the body, mind and soul.