Eat Pray Love Your Way Around Bali

The release of the movie Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts this August is sure to start a lot of women thinking about what they really want from life and if they are happy with their current situation. The film is a true story based on the memoirs of the same name by Elizabeth Gilbert. Gilbert escapes an unhappy marriage and travels to Italy, India and Indonesia in an attempt to find true balance and harmony in her life physically, spiritually and emotionally.

It is in Bali, Indonesia that the story is wrapped up - Liz finally finds peace within herself and after six months of self-imposed abstinence, finds true love in the shape of Filipe - a Brazilian ex-pat who later becomes her husband.

In fact people have been turning to Bali for physical and mental relaxation as well as spiritual enlightenment for many years and the island is the ideal place for anyone looking for a relaxing holiday balanced with some real food for the soul. Bali offers all that you would expect from a tropical holiday destination - beautiful white sand beaches, fantastic food and drink, accommodation ranging from simple inexpensive bungalows to five star resorts and there is certainly no shortage of sightseeing opportunities.

Many people choose just to treat the island as a great location for a beach holiday but it has so much more to offer. The Balinese people follow a devout form of Hinduism and this important part of everyday life is impossible to ignore in the thousands of temples that dot the island and the daily offering ritual that can be observed anywhere on the island. This strong culture and religion provides the perfect backdrop for anyone looking for a spiritual escape.

As well as attending temple ceremonies and getting to know the locals (who are more than happy to involve outsiders in their culture), visitors to Bali can take part in meditation and yoga classes either as and when they feel like it or on a full-time yoga retreat. There are many yoga and meditation schools across the island but the best selection is to be found in Ubud - the very same village where Liz spent her time in the book.