We made our way to the gate as they opened up for boarding. After folding up the stroller and stuffing it into the bag provided by SQ, we were through security and soon onboard



We grabbed 2 rows of middle seats, with mini-ChongL #1 sitting next to me. As you can see, row 12 allowed me to walk over to help if he needed anything. The row behind had the 2 seats next to each other for less separation, which suited the younger one’s need to be next to mom perfectly







Today’s menu…but I did book the cook again instead







Short flight to DPS



Some roti



And the always enjoyable nasi lemak for myself



After landing, we head towards immigration. We had the e-Visa on arrival completed and paid for prior to departure so we were able to head straight to the counters while others were confused and turned back. We had our own confusion when we tried to go into the family line and got directed to the regular line, only to get redirected back to the much faster family line. We grabbed our bags and walked outside to the hundreds of signs with names on them. After not spotting our name at all, we contacted the hotel and were put in touch with the driver. A small hiccup, but we just so happened to miss each other while walking out of the airport. A 45-ish minute drive awaited us to get to Umana Bali







Narrow, winding roads



And finally arriving at our first hotel to get some rest







A welcome drink and snack were provided while check-in details were processed. Then we hopped onto a buggy for a short tour of the resort before we were shown villa 108, a small upgrade to a partial ocean view



























Abysmally slow internet



The bedroom has doors that open up directly to the private pool. With our short stay, we never actually ended up using it, but we did hop in the pool with the minis to get some swim lessons in. By the time we were done, It was well past lunch time, and almost dinner time so we ordered in room dining. Starting with the penne carbonara which was quite good



Fried chicken burger which was ok



Nasi goreng



Dessert



We went to bed rather early afterwards. But with jet lag in full swing, we were up by 4AM, which was still better than I had expected. Sunrise hit by around 5:30 which gave amazing views each morning



Breakfast started at 7AM at Commune





A selection of buffet and a la carte menu items were available

























Menu items which were tasty as well. I thoroughly enjoyed all the sambals they had here which was infused with lots of locally inspired flavors







The boys went to the kid's club and had a blast playing on the slide and having a ball fight with the staff. They also had board games and arts and crafts for those who preferred less active activities. It is very well equipped and the staff are great with the children. We went back to our room during the lunch hour to eat again before returning to the kid’s club. For the first time, we were even able to leave them behind while the Mrs. and I went to the spa for a massage









We had made reservations at Commune for dinner but mini-ChongL #2 had missed his nap being too busy playing and fallen asleep, so he was quite grumpy when we woke him up. We decided to head back to the room and the staff graciously made arrangements to deliver the food to our room





Unfortunately, the laksa was quite terrible



We had a transfer arranged to Mandapa. Given that we expected the Ritz Carlton Reserve to be the highlight of our stay, we asked to depart around 10:30 in the morning since it would take roughly 1.5 to 2 hours to get to Ubud due to traffic. After unsuccessfully vying for the close-in seats that opened up for the JL flight home, I wallowed in self-pity while we checked out and head on our way







As we turned into a nondescript alleyway, it sloped downward to the gates of Mandapa. A quick verification of guest names and we were waved through to the dropoff area. Upon getting out of the car, we were greeted by staff who took our bags and led us to the “lobby”. I say lobby loosely since it is an open area with gorgeous views into the valley where the rest of the resort resides. We are offered welcome drinks and eventually meet our patih, or butler, who guides us on a tour through the resort on a buggy







In our base room, we are greeted by a spacious area with a rollaway bed already set up for us. Niti, our patih, confirms some other details and provides her contact information for booking restaurant reservations or excursions. She notes our special occasion and says she will try to get us an upgrade to a villa for the last 2 nights of our stay. It’s a fantastic beginning to our 5 nights and we look forward to the rest of our time here













Slightly improved internet speeds



Next up: More nasi goreng, a Christmas Eve dinner, and an excursion