By Leah Harrison
The mere mention of Bali evokes thoughts of a paradise. It’s more than a place; it’s a mood, an aspiration, a tropical state of mind. From the chaos of Kuta or the luxurious resorts and eateries in Seminyak, to the tropical forested Ubud, the cultural heart of Bali. There is something to suit every traveller. And our very own Leah Harrison got to experience Bali on all levels thanks to her recent trip. Leah shares her favourite experiences and exclusive accommodation deals…
I was lucky enough to travel to Bali earlier this month and experience some of its amazing cities and sights and wanted to share with you the places I stayed during my time here.
With this country neighbour being so accessible, most of us have been able to experience what Bali has to offer, mainly it’s benefits of being so affordable and only a short plane ride away. But for those of you who have travelled here before and perhaps stayed in a large public resort and want something different, or for those who are looking for a luxurious touch that won’t break the budget, I would like to share with you the places I stayed in and why I loved them so much…
For my time in Bali, I chose to stay in Trendy Seminyak and in the jungle of Ubud. Seminyak has so much to offer, from its boutiques and large choice of eateries, but also for its luxurious spas and great location with close access to the other main sights of Bali. Staying here allowed my fellow travellers and I to venture into the hustle and bustle of Kuta for shopping and exploring, but also gave us a quieter area to return to. When you combine this with the villa we chose to stay at, we had a perfect balance of seclusion and luxury, as well as great restaurants and nightlife.
Khayangan Dreams Villas Seminyak
I introduce to you the Khayangan Dreams Villas Seminyak. Just off the vibrant Petitenget street, with only 8 private pool villas in total (seven 1 bedroom villas and one 2 bedroom pool villa); you almost feel like you are the only one staying there with undivided attention from the friendly and attentive staff.
On arrival and after our icy cold refresher towel and equally icy cold fresh juice, we were taken down a beautifully landscaped walkway to our villa. Upon walking through the innately wooden carved doors, we were a little stunned. In front of you is a well-appointed kitchenette and dining area, great for families or just having the flexibility of being able to cook your own meals if you wish. Also here is a fresh mineral water dispenser – a great plus! To your left is a large, perfect temperature pool (which was the perfect temperature all day, every day!), a gazebo and sun beds to laze the day away. Walking into your villa you will see a large lounge with all the amenities; a large cosy couch, surround sound, LCD TV, DVD player and air conditioner. Through the hall is your bedroom, appointed with an extra-large King Bed, day bed, desk, mirror, closet with robes and slippers, safe and another air conditioner. And through the bedroom, is the bathroom, as large as the span of the villa, you have a double vanity with plenty of storage, a large stone bath too big for two and a luxurious yet very private outdoor shower. To say we were blown away was an understatement. To know that we had the luxury of choosing to relax here all we wanted with everything we needed and more, or to be able to walk into the heart of Seminyak, or catch a short cab ride into Kuta was a great feeling.
On top of the physical amenities, the staff were fabulous. Every day we were asked what breakfast we would like for the next morning (choice of 3 cuisines; Indonesian, western or continental) and what time we would like to eat. So after our glorious sleep-in in our cosy King Bed, we were awoken with our breakfast made fresh in our villa. We tried all of the cuisines over our 7 day stay and all were very enjoyable and enough to start the day.
The resort also offers free shuttles into any of the main cities when you like. Although it is recommended to call around 30 minutes in advance to ensure they have a vehicle for you, but we never had a trouble. Another great thing we found is that no matter how early or late we left for the day, we were never bothered with room cleaning calls, they always seemed to discreetly clean the room once we leaved. This was great for the days we chose to laze by the pool until the late afternoon.
Overall, we were very sad to leave this property, but Ubud was calling!
Puri Wulandari Boutique Resort and Spa
After our 2 hour transfer from Seminyak to Ubud, we finally arrived at our jungle oasis; Puri Wulandari Boutique Resort and Spa. One of our main prerequisites for staying in Ubud was that we wanted the amazing view of the Jungle, and that’s exactly what we got! A little bigger than the last resort, there are a total of 34 villas here (28 Srikandi, 4 Drupadi, one 3 bedroom and one Maharani Suite), although you would almost never know it. Once again we felt like one of the only people staying here and the staff were very attentive.
When pulling up to the grand reception, you are greeted with unparalleled views of the lush jungle. A quick check in sees our butler (yes, everyone gets butler service!) drive us on our buggy down the steep slopes of the hillside to the colourful doors of our villa. Upon entering, once again, we were blown away. Pictures do not do the view justice. On your left is a large open aired dining and relaxing area with minibar which oozes out onto a large sun drenched space hosting sun beds and a large infinity pool and gazebo extending out over the edge of the cliff. After drawing our eyes away from the view we were shown into our villa. Although you don’t miss the view for long as you are once again admiring it through the floor to ceiling glass sliding doors that are in front and to the left of the queen sized bed that are draped in a white cotton mosquito net. In the room there is also a LCD TV, DVD player, desk and a lovely welcome flower arrangement. Back into the hall, there are two separate large closets and luggage storage, which leads onto the bathroom, once again, with a large picture window letting in the uninterrupted views of the jungle. Here we found a deep soak in ground bath, two separate vanities, an outdoor shower (although unfortunately not private) and a large indoor shower. All of the little extras were here as well, from body lotion and shampoo to dental and sewing kits; a nice little touch.
When it came to the all-important breakfast, we were offered to dine by the resorts public, very luxuriously large infinity pool, or in villa for a small surcharge of $7. Both options offer you your choice of 3 cuisines; Indonesian, western or continental, offering more choice in each category than our previous resort. We dined both in villa and by the pool, each a great and tasty experience. Yet I couldn’t go past getting room service for breakfast at last one morning as our own private oasis with majestic views over Ubud’s lush jungle was too much to resist.
In terms of location, Puri Wulandari is located amongst some of the great resorts of Ubud such as the Royal Pita Maha and Alila, but for a lesser cost. The resort is situated around a 10 minute drive from the centre of town and quite centrally located to reach other main sites such as Monkey Forest, Elephant Safari park and many temples and waterfalls of interest. The resort offers 4 shuttles to and from the town each day at scheduled times. They also offer a taxi service for a surcharge out of these hours.
At Puri Wulandari you will also find a separate dining restaurant for dinner, once again, with amazing jungle views, as well as a bar, highly rated spa and tour booking services from your butler.
After our 4 day stay came to an end, we regrettably said goodbye to our private jungle retreat and made our journey back home.
Overall, we had a great time exploring Bali and an even better time relaxing and soaking up our stay at our resorts, relishing in the luxurious touch they added to our holiday.
Khayangan Dreams Villas Seminyak
Our stay included:
- 1 bedroom private pool villa
- Airport pickup
- Welcome drink and cold towel on arrival
- Welcome fruit basket
- In villa Wi-Fi
- Breakfast daily
- Shuttle around main cities
- 2 x bottled water daily
- 1 x in villa Balinese dinner
- 1 x in villa 2 hour massage
Cost per night per villa from $170.00
Puri Wulandari Boutique Resort and Spa
Our stay included:
- 1 bedroom Srikandi private pool villa
- Welcome drink on arrival
- Welcome fruit basket
- In villa Wi-Fi
- Breakfast daily
- Shuttle around main cities
- Unlimited bottled water daily
Cost per night per villa from $260.00
Contact Malvern Travel & Cruise Today!
For more information on either of these resorts or to make a booking please feel free to contact Leah on 03 9576 0211 or email leah@mtac.com.au
