John Nielsen – the general manager of Fivelements Retreat in Bali’s spiritual capital of Ubud – allows us a window into a special day in his life on the Island of the Gods, when everything and everyone goes quiet. 

Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, is a truly unique and incomparable event when everything comes to a standstill. It is a public holiday when everyone observes a day of silence, fasting and meditation: There are no planes, no cars, no TV or radio, no shopping and  in fact no people to be seen anywhere – just silence. Nowhere else on the planet does a whole country just shut down to human activity!

John commenced his Hospitality career in the Travel industry and was educated with a classic Swiss Hotel School education before joining leading international hotels from Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong to Hyatt International in Hong Kong, London & Melbourne. Prior to joining Fivelements Retreat Bali, John spent 5-years in education running famed Swiss Hotel school Les Roches Hotel Management School in Shanghai & the Australian Hotel school Blue Mountains Hotel Management School in China and recently launching their Masters Program in Melbourne.

Picturesquely located on the banks of the Ayung River, Fivelements Retreat Bali is an award-winning eco-conscious wellness retreat deeply rooted in the ancient traditions of Bali, making it a peaceful sanctuary to embrace authentic Balinese healing, plant-based cuisine and sacred arts.

The focus on wellness in a thoroughly holistic and integrative approach is what distinguishes Fivelements from other five star resorts. The spa treatment menu is not only impressively voluminous but also genuinely outstanding. Receiving a skilful massage on the banks of the rushing river and in the shade of a majestic bamboo, followed by a revitalising bath with lemongrass, lime, pandan leaves, ginger and Sakti bath oil in a carved stone bath – is an unforgettable experience. Spas, wellness and ‘eco’ credentials are now commonplace ticklists for many resorts, but Fivelements  Retreat is the uncompromising real deal. And to be there during Nyepi feels like a raindrop at the centre of ever expanding circles…

A Day In the Life of John T.G. Nielsen, GM of Fivelements Retreat Bali

The world of hotels are for many reasons very different to a “normal” work place, as most places at some point during the day will close the doors and say goodnight.

A hotel rarely does, – but during this week, the hotel went quiet and no guests could arrive or leave!

Fivelements Retreat Bali is in many ways not the normal style of hotel that the average traveller visits when holidaying on the beautiful island of Bali. Located in the southern part of Indonesia, the island is unique on many points, not just because the volume of tourist who make their way to Bali, but as much because the island is so very different from the huge amount of islands in the Indonesian archipelago, which consists of 17,000 islands and a population of 260 million.

The warm waters, beaches and green fields of Bali offer visitors a perfect place for a week or even longer to explore.

A very important and beautiful part of life in Bali is the religion of Hindu, which has a daily impact on life and gives locals a wonderful purpose in life.

This rings especially true when countries such as the Philippines and Thailand have successfully closed down key tourist destinations of Boracay and parts of Phi Phi islands that have been overrun by eager visitors and looking at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, this is maybe something that needs to be looked deeper into.

I had the pleasure a few days ago speaking to a group of design students who were fascinated to understand more about our sustainable philosophy of Fivelements Retreat Bali and the new Fivelements Habitat in Hong Kong. The young design students were eager to understand just how Fivelements Retreat Bali has won so many awards.

As the day proceeds through to our afternoon Department Heads meeting, we review the operations and how the day of Silence or Nyepi will unfold, as next day from 6AM for 24 hours no lights nor cars and indeed no planes will be aloud to land or take off from Bali. The team tells me that the stars shine bright and the island goes silent… giving nature a small chance to breathe and gain strength again. It seems strange to think that it can actually occur, but as the next morning arrives and the sky is clear with just birds flying around and as evening descends stars grace us and it is truly an amazing sight, almost like being in the Australian outback with just a few wild animals around you.