Gdas Bali Health and Wellness Resort, in the cultural and spiritual enclave of Ubud – a verdant oasis contrasting with the buzzy beachfront bars of tourist hotspot Seminyak – is making waves in the retreat scene.
With 27 rooms and villas, this boutique sanctuary is the brainchild of Russell Simmons, the entrepreneur and founder of hip-hop label Def Jam who followed his love of yoga to Indonesia from the US in 2018.
Tucked away in the artistic village of Mas, known for its generations of skilled artists and stone carvers, Gdas Bali lies just off the beaten path.
Officially an hour's drive from the airport, but more realistically a scenic two-hour journey through Bali's lush landscapes due to the island’s notoriously heavy traffic, the resort promises a haven of tranquillity and artistic heritage.
The National checked in to a Grand Deluxe room for two nights to experience Gdas Bali’s all-vegan vision for wellness with a hint of hip-hop.
The welcome
At Gdas Bali, the welcome ritual is an experience in itself. A ladle of cool coconut water is gently poured over your head, symbolising a fresh start and setting the tone for a transformative stay.
This ceremony – a pared-down version of the traditional Balinese melukat purification ritual – instantly connects you with the island's rich cultural heritage.
Post-ceremony, the check-in process is a breeze. Guests are welcomed with cold towels and a refreshing iced tea, much-needed respite after a long journey in the humid Balinese heat.
Then, it's a leisurely stroll along the resort’s winding wooden walkways, leading you to one of the four interconnected “houses” set over two levels.
Each house faces either the lush neighbouring rice paddies – offering some of the best views – or the Bali Eden, the hotel's wellness retreat, which is set for its grand opening this month.
The rustic charm of traditional keys to unlock the door to each room contrasts with the contemporary flair of the black-and-white open lobby, and a flower-filled bath overlooking the fields is ready for you to take a refreshing soak on arrival.
The neighbourhood
Gdas Bali is down a winding driveway off the backstreets of Mas, a spot that's all about embracing Bali's spiritual and cultural heart.
It is a perfect base for exploring – it's close enough to the action but still a peaceful sanctuary to return to at the end of the day.
The hotel’s free shuttle service is your key to unlocking the treasures of central Ubud, or local taxis can be ordered via Bali’s Careem equivalent, Grab, to whisk you into the town.
Here, you'll find yourself wandering through a maze of lively streets, a vibrant contrast to the resort’s serene, green setting.
The room
Like elegant glass boxes nestled in nature, each Deluxe room at Gdas Bali features full-height windows, immersing you in the surrounding beauty of rice paddies and jungle greenery.
Colourful artworks on the walls and intricate ornaments dotted around the room’s plush king-size bed are all created by painters and craftsmen from Mas, adding a touch of authenticity.
The generously sized bathroom is luxurious, with green marble counters, a glass-enclosed rain shower and a deep stone bathtub hidden from view by lush vegetation.
In Bali’s wet season, the tropical rain taps gently on the houses’ glass-domed roofs, adding a soothing, rhythmic backdrop to the peaceful ambience.
The service
The staff, predominantly from the local area, bring genuine Balinese hospitality to the hotel – they’re more than happy to talk through the culture of the surrounding area or make recommendations for bars.
From the welcoming smiles at the front desk to the culinary expertise of the chefs, the service is warm and authentic throughout.
The nightly turndown service comes with thoughtful gifts and delicious glutinous cakes nested in bamboo baskets, and room service is swift throughout the night.
The scene
The ambience at Gdas Bali is one of relaxed sophistication, with the boutique pool area a particular hotspot for unwinding in the sun on wooden loungers or in cabanas.
The resort has a laid-back elegance that feels like an escape from the tourist-filled streets of Bali, with figures from the worlds of hip-hop and yoga often dining in the lobby.
A yoga shala overlooking the rice fields and surrounding jungle hosts daily classes. Or you can head to the reading room and its shelves of interesting books from around the world.
Daily complimentary cultural experiences, including hat making and walks to the local village, offer more opportunities to connect with Balinese tradition.
The Bali Eden wellness retreat will feature a traditional bathhouse, where guests can immerse themselves in warmed, filtered spring water and breathe in steam scented with organic herbs, spices and aromatherapy oils.
It will also include cold and warm plunge pools, salt therapy and one of the only in-house IV drip facilities in Bali.
The food
The all-vegan Tangi Restaurant is a culinary haven for plant-based food fans, serving everything from enormous slabs of tempeh steak to jackfruit spring rolls and the Indonesian classic gado gado (vegetables with tofu in peanut sauce) from a busy open kitchen.
The restaurant's name is inspired by a Balinese Hindu traditional story, in which the saint Dang Hyang Nirartha planted a sacred stick at a nearby templed that miraculously grew into a tangi tree with golden flowers.
A standout dish is the teriyaki wok-fried “chicken”, which delivers a burst of flavours so authentic, it gives the real thing a serious run for its money.
However, be wary of the spice levels – unless you're up for a face-tingling adventure, ask for a milder version.
There’s another clever substitution at breakfast – a salmon benedict made out of papaya.
The cake selection changes each day, adding to pan-Asian dessert options like sticky mango rice, an oat brownie artfully plated with orange zest, plus pandan crepes doused in palm sugar sauce.
You won’t find any alcohol on the menu at Gdas Bali, but there are plenty of smoothies, mocktails and several versions of the traditional Balinese herbal drink loloh featuring turmeric, ginger and vegan honey.
While the restaurant closes at 10pm, the full menu can be served to your room 24 hours a day. Service is speedy, but it comes with a 20 per cent surcharge.
Highs and lows
A full week of plant-based meals might not be for everyone, but following guest feedback, the hotel is considering introducing a new restaurant with non-vegan options.
The hotel's hidden location in the forest, while adding to its mystique, can be a tad challenging for first-time visitors to find. Also, the attentive service, though warm and personalised, might feel a little overwhelming for those seeking a more private stay.
Before plunging into your flower-filled bath, watch out for walkers ambling along the tucked-away path just in front of the rice paddy rooms.
The insider tip
The resort is a sanctuary of peace, but if you're itching for a change of pace then hop on the hotel’s free hourly shuttle service to central Ubud.
The first stop is at the must-visit Monkey Forest, an enchanting sanctuary where playful primates are the stars of the show, and then it’s on to the art market surrounded by cocktail bars, each with its own unique flair.
The verdict
Gdas Bali is off to a promising start, and it’s fast becoming a notable addition to the island's flourishing wellness scene.
Its combination of traditional Balinese hospitality and a deep connection with nature, courtesy of those floor-to-ceiling windows, sets it apart.
The Bali Eden retreat promises to enhance the hotel's appeal significantly, offering a range of relaxation options ideal for yogis and wellness enthusiasts.
Once completed, Gdas Bali is poised to become a go-to destination for those seeking both relaxation and a genuine connection to culture in the heart of Ubud.
The bottom line
Grand Deluxe rooms officially start at $700 per night but can be booked in low season for about half that price, with the rate including daily breakfast and yoga plus a complimentary spa treatment and airport transfers on stays for three nights or more.
Check-in is at 2pm and checkout is at noon, with early room access available from 4am for an additional charge; gdasbali.com.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the hotel and reflects hotel standards during this time. Services may change in the future.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
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Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
The%20Roundup%20%3A%20No%20Way%20Out
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Makerah, Adrie de Vries, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Hazeme, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Handicap | Dh85,000 | 2,200m
Winner: AF Yatroq, Brett Doyle, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Nawwaf KB, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Treasured Times, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
