Inside the northwest Bali retreat where community, regeneration, and vision quietly reshape what’s possible
I arrived at Sumberkima Hill having little understanding of what type of space this actually was.
I’d looked at the website beforehand, seen stunning pictures, read about the philosophy and the vision. Still, I wasn’t truly able to grasp what this place was all about.
Only now do I understand that places like Sumberkima Hill are impossible to grasp until you experience them in person.
Over the past six months in Bali, I’ve visited retreat centres across the island – most of them beautiful, especially in the Ubud area where I’m based. There’s an abundance of perfect-looking venues here. After seeing so many, I thought I’d developed immunity to being surprised.
I believed I’d seen enough to understand what Bali offered.
Then I was invited to spend a weekend at Sumberkima Hill together with eight other women in the wellness space to discuss the future of retreats and the importance of collaboration and co-creation.
Standing there last Friday, surrounded by views that stretched from the jungle-covered hills to the crystalline waters of the Java Sea, I realized the photos I’d seen – no matter how stunning – hadn’t prepared me for this.
So let me try to capture why a weekend at Sumberkima Hill inspired me in a way no other place ever has.
Not just as a retreat strategist and planner, but at a deeply personal level.
Because what Bernard and his family have created here is exactly what I’ve been dreaming of building myself – a model I’d love to see replicated around the world.
From a Conversation Between Friends to an 80-Villa Village
I had the privilege of meeting Bernard and his wife Jane during my visit.
In an industry dominated by competitiveness and the power of money, where giving back to the community and building sustainably is sadly rare, their generous and honest approach felt like a breath of fresh air.
The story begins in the nineties when Bernhard first traveled to Bali and Indonesia.
Like so many of us, he fell in love with the lush vegetation, the fascinating culture and traditions, the beautiful furniture and artisanal products.
When he finally found his way back to Bali years later, he carried with him a dream he and his friends had shared when they were twenty-five: to create an interdependent community where they could build homes for themselves and live close to each other.
By the time Bernard was ready to turn this vision into reality, Bali had transformed into an incredibly popular destination.
The south didn’t have the energy he was looking for.
Ubud had become a busy destination in the aftermath of Eat Pray Love’s success and was rapidly growing.
Some of the underdeveloped areas of Bali, however, still held that magnetic quality Bernhard recognized and loved.
The northwest showed itself as an ideal location to turn the dream into reality.
In the sleepy village of Sumberkima, nestled between jungle, mountains, and sea, close to the ferry connecting Bali and Java, it all started.
Slowly, one step at a time, what began as an interdependent community for Bernard, Jane, and their friends revealed itself as something else entirely.
Visitors fell in love with the villas, the views of the volcanoes, the crystalline waters of the Java Sea, the peace.
People wanted to have their own homes in this little piece of paradise.
New possibilities and projects revealed themselves, transforming into what Sumberkima Hill is today: a little village of its own.
An ensemble of 80 unique houses and villas – soon to be 100 – with shared spaces and activities that guests can enjoy for a few days or for months and years.
Ancient Wisdom as the Blueprint
What grounds everything at Sumberkima Hill is the ancient Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana – the harmony between humans, nature, and the divine.
For generations, the island of Bali has lived by these principles.
Today, this exact phylosophy guides every decision Bernhard and his team make.
You can see it in the architectural choices made, in the daily operations that run Sumberkima Hill and in the partnerships with NGOs and projects they’ve established to not just preserve their area but create a positive impact on the environment.
They partnered with NGO Plastic Free Bali to establish a local recycling centre in Sumberkima village.
There’s Metamorfosa, their reef restoration and mangrove planting initiative.
The organic farms they created.
The hiking trails they maintain.
They’re actively restoring and enhancing ecosystems for everyone to benefit.
What you’re witnessing here isn’t sustainability treated as a marketing angle but regenerative practice woven into the fabric of daily life.
Where Every Corner Lives Up to the Photographs
If you’re looking at pictures right now, you might be thinking the place can’t possibly be that beautiful in real life.
I understand the skepticism.
What often happens is that the prettiest corners dominate the marketing, becoming the most Instagrammable elements while the rest of the property doesn’t quite live up to the standard.
That’s not the case here.
In the 48 hours I spent at Sumberkima Hill, I took hundreds of pictures.
I photographed the views at sunrise and sunset.
The gorgeous villas I stayed in and visited – each one unique, built with so much character and personality.
The communal spaces. The yoga shalas. The spa area where even the sauna has an unforgettable view. The modern gym. The padel courts. The amphitheater built at the top of the hill.
What really impressed me wasn’t the individual facilities though, but the way everything exists together.
The land, the people, the buildings – it genuinely felt like being inside a vision that had somehow been turned into a wonderful reality. Not forced or manufactured, but organically grown from intention and care.
Infrastructure That Serves Both Intimacy and Scale
The villas range from the most modern design to more traditional Balinese homes, each designed uniquely but with a common quality: they’re rooted in nature, designed to help you slow down and reconnect.
The dining experience spans three restaurants serving a mix of Indonesian and international dishes in relaxed settings.
The experiences they curate go deeper than typical resort offerings – diving and freediving, snorkeling, kayaking in Sumberkima Bay, trekking and day trips, birdwatching, cultural immersion with village tours and local crafts, culinary experiences.
Sumberkima Hill isn’t trying to be a luxury resort but a thoughtfully designed village offering genuine connection to the land, the culture, and the community.
For retreat leaders, the variety of accommodation options means you can host groups with different budgets and plenty of flexibility to find the right type of space for your retreat. The infrastructure supports intimate gatherings and larger programs.
For travellers craving an experience beyond the usual Bali destinations, somewhere that feels authentic and immersed in nature, this is it. Remote enough to offer genuine escape, accessible enough to feel manageable as part of a broader Bali experience.
For anyone drawn to spaces where sustainability and luxury genuinely enhance each other rather than existing in tension, where community matters, where ancient wisdom guides modern hospitality – you’ll find your people here.
The Weekend That Brought Clarity
I spent last weekend at Sumberkima Hill as part of a women’s gathering – retreat leaders, wellness practitioners, each of us holding different pieces of the same puzzle.
We shared practices, meals, experiences, thoughts, and ideas.
We talked about retreats in the making, questions we’d been carrying, where we think the industry is going and the role we want to play.
Between all those moments and conversations, I felt a clarity I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Retreats aren’t just events we organize. They’re ecosystems.
My role as the “behind the scenes” person matters more than ever.
So does the space we choose.
If the foundations are held well – the venue, the flow, the structure, the energy of the place itself – it creates space for the real work to happen.
The teaching, the connection, the transformation doesn’t land the same way if that foundation isn’t in place.
This weekend felt like a beautiful confirmation of why I love the work I do, and why I feel so drawn to supporting retreat leaders in building experiences that feel this aligned.
Carrying the Inspiration Forward
I left Sumberkima Hill with my head full of ideas and my heart full of gratitude.
Gratitude for Bernard, Jane, and their team for inviting us into the space they’ve created and for their openness in sharing their journey.
Gratitude for every woman who showed up to that weekend with honesty, generosity, and presence, turning three days into the most nurturing, inspiring, and fun experience I’ve had in a while.
Gratitude for being reminded that places like this can exist.
That it’s possible to create spaces where sustainability and luxury enhance each other. Where community grows organically. Where ancient wisdom guides modern practice. Where the land, the people, and the buildings exist in harmony.
This is what I dream of creating one day and I’m grateful places like Sumberkima Hill exist to show me – and the rest of us – what’s possible.
Inspired by spaces like Sumberkima Hill and need help finding the right venue for your retreat? Let’s discuss how I can connect you with extraordinary properties that align with your values and vision.