Together Once More
 

Om Swastiastu (Balinese greeting) and Hello!

Allow me to preface that over the past year I have written a couple of trip reports that revolve around hotels in Bali, you can find them here, and here. Between the continued opening and easing travel restrictions of Indonesia (and hence, Bali) and the island still relatively less crowded, it became a good time for my sister to visit from abroad for the first reunion in nearly two years. This was a good opportunity to again, review several hotels I have been meaning to check out. I have elected to make a new trip report thread to make it easier to read these new reviews as opposed to having to scroll a lot. This report will focus on some of the smaller/independent hotels around Bali, some of them being those that aren't very well covered here in on FT. I also intend to separately share a thread of reviews focusing on some of the larger hotels in the near future.

Among the hotels I will be reviewing, I am especially excited to review the recently reopened COMO Shambhala Estate (aka Begawan Giri), which does not seem to get as much attention here on FT compared to Aman. I am also very much looking forward to reviewing Plataran Canggu, a hotel from the Plataran group of hotels, a self-proclaimed Indonesian eco-conscious "luxury" resort brand I have been meaning to check out.

The following is the full list of hotels I shall be reviewing on this thread (subject to change):

The Royal Pita Maha (Deluxe Villa)
Maya Ubud (Heavenly Pool Villa)
Pita Maha Resort and Spa (Garden Villa)
Komaneka at Monkey Forest (Monkey Forest Suite)
COMO Shambhala Estate (Two Bedroom Retreat Pool Villa)
Aman Villas Nusa Dua
The Balé (Single Pavillion)
Plataran Canggu (One Bedroom Garden Villa)
Tandjung Sari (Two Storey Bungalow)*
Kayumanis Private Estate Jimbaran*

I hope that you will enjoy reading some of these reviews and hope that it could perhaps help make decisions on any future travels you might be planning to the island.

Best regards,
Clubeurope






Beautiful setting with so much potential
 

Introduction The Royal Pita Maha is one of the three hotels owned by the Ubud Royal Family (which probably explains the Royal prefix). Along with the Pita Maha Resort and the original Hotel Tjampuhan, the three make up the Tjampuhan Hotels; the latter of the three had served as the royal guesthouse from 1928 until the 1970s when it opened to paying guests (at one point, the place hosted the artist, Walter Spies).The Royal Pita Maha was opened in 1995, and has 75 Pool Villas that view the beautiful Sayan Valley. It separately features the Royal Kirana Spa that is designed by Bill Bensley. To those wondering about the hotel’s name, Pita Maha was the name of the 1940s art movement that led Ubud into becoming Bali’s cultural capital. The movement started at what's now Tjampuhan Hotel, led by the then-Prince Tjokorda, who along with Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet, reimagined the artistic styles of Balinese artists. As such, the historical-artistic influence is still very much visible at Royal Pita Maha, where virtually every space within the hotel is covered with numerous paintings and carvings done by local artists, some under the direction by the King of Ubud himself.Deluxe Pool Villa Location The Royal Pita Maha is located in Kedewatan Village which borders Sayan (where hotels like Mandapa, Amandari, Four Seasons, and Samaya are located). The hotel itself is around 10 minutes north of Central Ubud, so it is not an ideal base to explore on foot. There are several local food establishments called warungs nearby, some of them rather popular with visitors and locals alike. However, the street that leads to the hotel from the main road is quite lengthy, so the hotel isn’t the most pedestrian-friendly out there (neither are many resorts in Bali).Impressively large statues by resort entrance Check In The Royal Pita Maha LobbyThe Royal Pita Maha LobbyWe arrived at The Royal Pita Maha shortly before 14.00, earlier than their official check-in time at 14.00. After presenting our IDs, we were invited to the beautiful, valley-viewing Dewata Lounge for a welcome drink of warm herbal tea. This was also where much of the confusion ensued. We were told that they would be checking if the room is ready since there was 20 minutes until check-in time, but we were also handed our keys along with a breakfast card (something I haven’t seen in a long time!). Interestingly no one really updated us on that front and pretty much left us waiting… we decided to head to downtown Ubud for a bit. We requested the staff to just take our luggage in whenever the room becomes ready and was assured that it will be done. Unfortunately, our bags were still there out in the open when we returned, to which the reception staff reasoned that they wished to keep the room sterile until we entered it. This made a rather disappointing start for the stay. Welcome Herbal TeaView from Dewata Lounge Room The Royal Pita Maha VillasVilla EntranceWe booked an entry-level Deluxe Pool Villa and received one as such. We were brought to our villa by a friendly staff member who briefly explained the features of the room. I personally thought the room to be very spacious and opened to an absolutely stunning and unobstructed view of the valley. The view probably also distracted me from the look of the villa itself, which frankly had seen better days.​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Deluxe Pool Villa​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Deluxe Pool Villa​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Deluxe Pool VillaLike many of the hotel’s public areas, the room hasn’t quite aged very well, and there were several pieces of furniture that looked very outdated. Some parts of the room also looked unkept: some parts of the thatch ceiling appeared to be rotting, many of the seat cushions look stained, and the mosquito net that draped over the bed wasn’t very clean. I also didn’t like how dark the room is at night, given the lack of proper lighting leaving some corners of the room to be dim.​​​​​​​Deluxe Pool Villa Living Room​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Deluxe Pool Villa GardenHowever, there’s surely a novelty about the place, a sort of rustic charm that eventually made the place feel quite nice. The room and the hotel’s design can be said to be anything but sleek or modern, but that was also what made the place feel very Balinese. There were little touches like Hibiscus flowers placed everywhere, and a couple of small informative pamphlets explaining local fruits and wildlife.​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Welcome Fruit Bowl (well, an attempt at one)Interesting DetailsInteresting DetailsI very much enjoyed the oversized indoor terrazzo bathtub, despite the toiletries being only decent at best.​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Deluxe Pool Villa Bathroom​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Deluxe Pool Villa Bathroom​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Deluxe Pool Villa Bathroom​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Deluxe Pool Villa Toilet​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Deluxe Pool Villa ShowerWhat really impressed me was the view and the organically shaped infinity plunge pool that viewed the valley. Despite that, the pool itself felt to be a bit rough and the sunbed also has seen better days.​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Deluxe Pool Villa Pool​​​​​​​The Royal Pita Maha Deluxe Pool Villa Pool View Service Apart from the hiccup at check-in, I found the staff mostly to be agreeable and well-intentioned. Interestingly, most of them looked young, which was later explained when we were told that many staff members were trainees from a local hospitality school.I for one was quite impressed (and also confused) by the attention to detail. For instance, our room is promptly serviced (without request) when we headed to breakfast early in the morning; we were surprised to come back to find that it has been cleaned. The same was done when we headed out for dinner one evening, where we came back to see that our room has been turndown. Yet, interestingly, housekeeping didn’t proactively offer to turndown the room when we are in the room (which made me initially think that the hotel didn’t offer turndown service). Despite these lapses, I thought that everyone was very friendly despite any shortcomings or misunderstandings. Dining View from Dewata Lounge restaurantView from Dewata Lounge restaurantWe didn’t dine at the hotel apart from breakfast, which was included in our rate. Breakfast is an Ã. la carte affair and is served at the Dewata Lounge, which is the sole operating restaurant at the moment. I ordered an Eggs Benedict with spinach in place of beef ham, since their Eggs Florentine is confusingly served with a cream sauce instead of Hollandaise. It was oddly served with a side of fries, which isn’t precisely my idea of breakfast food… but okay. The dish itself wasn’t the best I’ve had, but I wouldn’t mind having it again given a lack of other choices.Eggs Benedict with spinach in place of ham (aka Eggs Florentine)The had a choice of two pastries—croissants and danishes. We tried the croissant, which was nothing to write home about, but I did appreciate that it was warm and flaky. We also had a fruit platter that was served in a small cocktail glass and tried a glass of fresh pineapple juice that sadly had sugar added to it.Pastries and drinksI did also sample an omelette, which came with some unusual sides. It was just edible.Omelette Amenities As a result of the low occupancy from the pandemic, many areas of the hotel appeared to be unkempt. Apart from the pool in our villa, there are a couple of pools in the resort, including an interesting-looking Sacred Spring Pool. Sadly, only the infinity pool under the lobby was open since the spring pool had been recently victim to a landslide and thus had to be repaired.Royal Pita Maha Infinity PoolRoyal Pita Maha Infinity PoolGuests are momentarily requested to stay out of the lower section of the hotel that is being repaired, however, after asking the reception staff, I was authorised to head down to view the river.Elevator heading downYoga Patio with Waterfall in the background (that caused the landslide)Closed Lagoon PoolAyung RiverThe hotel has no gym.Advert inside elevator (Floating lunch? hmmmm) Overall Overall, I think that the Royal Pita Maha is an interesting hotel that’s perhaps worth checking out, particularly for cultural travellers heading to Ubud for the first time. The look of the hotel is undoubtedly Balinese, and had a bit of charm despite looking painfully outdated. I honestly really struggled with whether or not to give a recommendation for the hotel based on the room we stayed in, but I reckon that one will have a much better experience booking in one of the newer-looking Royal Pool Villas.Sunset from roomI personally can perhaps see myself returning at some point in the future, just to check out the Sacred Spring Pool once it is repaired; however apart from that, unless there are major renovations conducted, I, unfortunately, see no compelling reason to return here.

Beautiful Setting, Underwhelming Service and Food
 

Introduction The Maya Ubud Resort is the original of the two Maya Resorts now operating in Bali (the other being in Sanur). At around 10 hectares in size, the hotel splendidly houses only 38 rooms and 70 villas, allowing for many beautiful open spaces. The hotel was completed in 2001 and opened to much fanfare and retains a venerable reputation for its architecture in the area. Like its Sanur counterpart, the hotel is a masterpiece of Budiman Hendropurnomo of Denton Corker Marshalls, which also oversaw the designs of the popular Anantara Uluwatu resort and the cavernous Kempinski Bali.Maya Ubud Lobby Check In We arrived at the hotel's porte-cochere, where our luggage is unloaded (and left until the check-in registration was completed). The hotel was absolutely busy (we were told the hotel is overbooked), and as such, it took a while as we waited for our turn. After the registration formalities were completed, we waited for 30 minutes for our room to be ready, after which we were driven there with a golf buggy. Room We stayed in a Heavenly Pool Villa, which shared the exact layout of the lower-category Heavenly Jacuzzi Villa, albeit with a small plunge pool. When I say small, I mean really small—to an extent where it looked pointless.Heavenly Pool Villa PoolHeavenly Pool Villa PorchInside the villa is a main living/bedroom section and bathroom section. The size of the villa itself makes it look more like a room in a standalone building. The design itself is modern with many ethnic touches in an effort to be chic. Nothing about it looked Balinese, and I thought of it to be mostly unremarkable. The room was bright, although the lighting control frustratingly doesn’t allow individual lights to be switched off/on. The bed however was very comfortable.Heavenly Pool Villa RoomHeavenly Pool Villa RoomHeavenly Pool Villa RoomHeavenly Pool Villa Coffee Machine, coffee pods were from IllyAs such, I thought that the premium for a Pool Villa over the Jacuzzi Villas is definitely not worth it (unless one is assigned to a valley-viewing room). I am very happy with the degree of cleanliness of the room, which pretty much looked spotless.Between the relatively smaller space and the large furniture, the room felt cramped for space. The bathroom, however, is a different story and felt very spacious. I absolutely loved the fast-filling oversized metal bathtub that is very nice to bathe in.BathroomBathroomOur room views the hotel’s expansive gardens and features a small porch with two chairs. There is an outdoor shower adjacent to the plunge pool.Outdoor showerIn-room wifi was very weak, and there were times when I struggled to connect. I suspect the bandwidth wasn't able to withstand the guest numbers. I was disappointed to find that the coffee machine hasn't been cleaned after use by the previous guest. Dining We paid the £10 premium for breakfast included in our rate. Despite the relatively low premium, I found the breakfast spread to be very underwhelming. Breakfast is a buffet, which included a rotating variety of Indonesian, Western, and Asian selections. The quality and taste of food are mostly poor, bar the fruits and cold cuts. The juices taste artificial, and the restaurant seemed to be understaffed, leaving service to be rather slow.However, I found the chef manning the pancake/waffle station to be cheerful and enthusiastic, and proactively offered to make us a hot batch of whatever is on offer on that day. Kudos to him.Mayasari BreakfastMayasari BreakfastMayasari BreakfastMayasari Breakfast Service Compared to most places we’ve been to in Bali, Maya overall probably had the least friendly staff. They weren’t outright hostile but seemed only to go about the motions of their jobs. For instance, that’s to say that staff won’t proactively greet one unless greeted first (which sometimes gets ignored). Service is never proactive, and most people didn’t seem to enjoy their jobs very much.However, there were also instances where we felt the staff was borderline rude or unhelpful. For instance, housekeeping wanted to enter our room shortly after we returned from breakfast; our request for them to return later was interjected with a sharp “When?!�There was also the time when we requested a taxi only for it to be declined. We were instead offered to be driven by the hotel’s car at an absurd rate of IDR200,000 to the Campuhan area (10 minutes away). When we asked for any alternative transport options or taxis, we were told to find one ourselves. Among the few exceptions to this was our buggy driver/porter at the end of our stay who was very cheerful and friendly. Amenities Amongst the biggest selling points of Maya Ubud are definitely the hotel’s two beautiful pools as well as its expansive manicured gardens. I personally thought that both pools looked to be very beautiful. However, due to the exceptional hotel occupation rates during the period, the pools was absolutely busy at most times of the day. River PoolInfinity PoolHotel GroundsImpressively, the hotel also has a small piece of farmland adjacent to their tennis courts.Maya also has a small gym and Yoga Pavillion which was occupied for much of my stay, thus I unfortunately cannot get a picture. Location Maya is a 5-minute drive away from Central Ubud, making it a convenient base to explore the island. There isn't much within the direct vicinity of the hotel, apart from a small local restaurant, so it can be rather isolative for those who like to walk; the hotel, however, does have a time-limited shuttle service to Ubud centre. Overall Between the hotel’s underwhelming service, forgettable food, and the mostly unremarkable rooms, I don’t reckon I can see myself wanting to come back. The hotel's pools and the setting is definitely beautiful, although it does not preclude other hotels from offering a similar ambiance.I'm sorry to say that I cannot recommend this hotel.

Underwhelming is indeed what it looks like. Shame

Shame indeed... it has become apparent that many hotels were not prepared for a sudden surge of arrivals to the island—between foreign arrivals and domestic travellers coming for the eid holiday, the surge of visitors has been dramatic. Many hotels are severely understaffed, and there are others that are very mismanaged as a result of cost-cutting measures that leave the rooms and services to be poor or underwhelming :(

Great service, beautiful setting, but rooms can be improved.
 

Introduction The Pita Maha Resort and Spa is the Royal Pita Maha’s much smaller sister hotel. Placed in a similar, valley viewing setting, the resort is made up of 24 bungalows (or villas, if you will), some with pools. Compared to Royal Pita Maha, Pita Maha is much closer to downtown Ubud, being located on Campuhan hill. The hotel is marketed as a boutique, more intimate offering compared to Royal Pita Maha.View from lobby Check In We arrived at the hotel's small but intricately carved entrance to be greeted by the resort’s exceptionally friendly general manager. After exchanging a few greetings, we were promptly checked in by his colleague whilst another person brought us a juice (of some fruit I can’t identify) for us to sip on whilst viewing the beautiful scenery of the valley.Pita Maha EntranceWe were shortly brought to our villa as someone else took care of our luggage. Room We were booked into a Garden Villa, which I’d say felt a lot like a premium, yet very traditional-looking Balinese bungalow. The style of the interior very much reminded me of that at Amandari, albeit decidedly less upmarket. I felt that the room itself looked spacious and had a nice old-world charm to it. Either way, I definitely preferred this room to the one I had at The Royal Pita Maha. There were large windows that overlooks the courtyard (and a bit of the beautiful Campuhan Valley). Villa EntranceVilla CourtyardVilla PorchGarden VillaGarden VillaGarden VillaGarden VillaThe villa felt to be adequately maintained, and nicely appointed. This had to be one of the most Balinese-looking hotel rooms I've seen in Bali; with the ornate carvings at the entrance and the Kamasan paintings on the bed's headboard, the hotel isn't shy to show its Balinese roots and doesn't pretend to be modern or stylish. I did have doubts about cleanliness though, particularly with the mosquito net and curtains. Sink and WardrobeSinkDespite my mostly favourable impressions of the room, I did not like the bathroom setup at all. Whilst the sink and wardrobe are conveniently part of the room, the set up of the toilet and wet room left much to be desired. The toilet frankly had seen better days; its glassless window viewed a dark, unlit area which made nighttime trips to the toilet a lot less pleasant. The shower and bathtub setup was much less pleasant. The open-air setup ensured that the bathtub is always covered with various insect and plant debris, no matter how diligently it is cleaned. What made the least sense was the slightly tilted drain that made it difficult to flush out said debris using the shower hose. The shower was at least usable, although it wasn't very pleasant to use. The toiletries were in reusable glass containers, and were okay.Garden Villa bathroom Service The staff at the hotel are friendly, warm, and well-intentioned, although the service did seem inconsistent (in a good way). Service at the restaurant, particularly by the considerably more senior members of staff was unbelievably polished, and I was frankly very impressed by that. Service in other areas instead felt very casual and in which people aren't shy to chat. The hotel's general manager frequently checked upon us to ensure that everything was okay. If anything this overall made the place feel like a relatively nice, family-run bed and breakfast. Dining I'm frankly unsure how to summarise the food here. Our rate included breakfast, and it was objectively mediocre at best. We offered fresh juices, although it didn't take a second guess to know that the artificial-tasting orange juice was anything but fresh. We also sampled their croissants, which tasted great as a bread-roll, but definitely weren't croissants (aside from their shape). The shell was thick and crusty and the inside was like bread.'Croissants'The fruit platter was fresh and inoffensive.Fruit plateWe also sampled the Bonnet Breakfast plate and their Eggs Benedict. The former is said to be what's served to guests at the Ubud Palace back in the days. It was interesting, although the 'Balinese special Banana crepes' on the right were strangely sour... Bonnet BreakfastThe Eggs Benedict was mostly fine, although there was too little Hollandaise sauce, which made the dish blander than it should be. It was amusing to hear the neighbouring table questioning the lack of the sauce, to which the staff replied that it is supposed to look like that.Eggs BenedictService is surprisingly very polished and attentive though as previously mentioned; that and the beautiful view from the restaurant frankly took our minds off the flaws. Pool The hotel has a single infinity pool, which overlooks the valley. The setting and design again reminded me of the pool at Amandari, although Amandari's does look nicer. It was nevertheless still very beautiful.PoolPool Location Pita Maha is located on Campuhan Hill, and it is theoretically possible to walk 20-minutes down to Central Ubud. There are various art galleries nearby along with many restaurants, including the famous Indus Restaurant and the temporarily closed but acclaimed Mozaic restaurant.The hotel also offers a shuttle to central Ubud at irregular intervals. Overall Despite its flaws, Pita Maha's character and background undoubtedly make it one of the most authentically Balinese hotels on the island. The feel of a place is very hard to fake, and the feel of Pita Maha can't be mistaken for any other place in the world. Whilst the food and the bathroom setup aren't ideal, this hotel is a good choice for those seeking to be immersed in a Balinese sense of place without making the jump to staying at a local homestay.

I never understood the concept of an outdoor bathroom. Sure, an additional outdoor shower is nice, but otherwise a closed bathroom is essential for me.

WOW or should I say COMO?
 

Introduction This is probably the single place I was most excited to check out in the Ubud area. COMO Shambhala Estate originally opened as The Begawan Giri Estate in 1998 but was later acquired by the COMO Group in 2003. The Estate itself is set on over 9 hectares of forest land and consists of only 46 rooms spread between 5 residences and several villas.Each residence is named after one of the five elements and is designed to that theme accordingly. Within the residences are the hotel’s guest rooms and suites, guests of which share the residences’ common area.COMO Shambhala Estate Location We drove a leisurely 15 minutes up from Central Ubud to Payangan, where the estate is located. The hotel itself is located on a small village street, that had to be accessed through several other village small streets from the main road. It was easy to get lost, and the small road's two-way traffic didn't ensure a very easy entrance to the hotel. Amusingly, the village next to the hotel is called Begawan Village, and the roads were correspondingly called 'Begawan Giri Street'. Bear in mind that there isn’t really anything within the direct vicinity of the Estate (apart from the neighbouring Ayung Resort), and it is located further away from the main road, something to bear in mind. However, the hotel's beautiful setting makes up for it as a sort of retreat to get away from everything. Check In Once at the hotel's entrance, we were stopped for a quick and routine security check, before pulling up at reception. There, we were promptly greeted by several friendly associates who valeted our car and offered us scented cold towels and a green welcome drink called the ‘Namaste’.Reception AreaShortly after, we were introduced to a personal assistant who would be assisting to our needs during our stay (perhaps equivalent to a ‘butler’ at other hotels); she became our main contact point. We were then escorted to our room, where the check-in formality was conducted. Before that, our assistant brought us around to introduce us to the features of the hotel, before eventually walking us to our room. Along the way, I was surprised to be told that we were upgraded from our COMO Shambhala Suite all the way to a Two Bedroom Villa.The Living Room (the only area where smoking is permitted) Room After the brief tour of the Estate, we walked to our villa (which as it turned out was close to the reception). Our Two Bedroom Villa, Saundarya, is set some 35 steps down from the main walkway, and is spread over two floors—the top floor being the setting of living room, pool, and the master room; underneath it is the secondary room, along with its own bathroom.Villa EntranceThe villa features an excellent, relatively large private pool along with several lounge chairs, all of which view the forest.Pool DeckPoolPool Deck and ViewThere is a sizeable open-air living room next to the pool with several very comfortable sofas and chairs, along with a dining table. There is also a minibar section with all sorts of items. In addition to the standard bottles of water, the hotel interestingly provides COMO-branded reusable water bottles that they encourage to take home to reduce waste(?)Living RoomMinibarThe master bedroom is behind the living room and is very beautifully appointed. I especially loved the soft, warm glow from the ceiling lighting, which really set a calm mood in the room. Aside from the bed, there is a sizeable television along with two very plush chairs and a desk.Unlike the rest of the resort, the villas were a later addition and were designed by Koichiro Ikebuchi (who also designed a bunch of other COMO Hotels, including the two Umas in Bali). Subtle similarities are evident in the very soft, warm lighting of the room. There was also a signed letter from the General Manager, along with a fruit plate that is topped up whenever the room is serviced.Master BedroomMaster BedroomFruit PlateNext to it is the massive closet/bathroom, featuring an open concept closet and double sinks. There was a wonderful oversized bathtub that actually fills up quickly, and is comfortable to use; also provided were some excellent bathsalts with dried citrus peels. Bath amenities were COMO Shambhala-branded and were very high quality.ClosetDouble SinksOversized bathtubThere were also two showers, one indoor and the other, outdoor. I especially loved the indoor shower, which had great water pressure. The indoor shower also has an interesting/novelty steam feature, which doubles its function as a sauna. All the choices made the bathing experience here phenomenal and amongst the best I've had anywhere in the world.Indoor ShowerOutdoor ShowerThe downstairs bedroom looked slightly plainer compared to the master bedroom, although it still felt like a very comfortable room nevertheless. The room is set up by default in a twin configuration, and also features two plush chairs and a large television. It has its own bathroom and walk-in closet but interestingly does not have a bathtub. However, I thought the shower looked very nice given the superb forest views.Downstairs bedroomDownstairs closetDouble sinksShowerThere is also a separate patio area downstairs.Patio Dining The food was unfortunately the least memorable part of our stay, although that's not to say it was bad. The selection of food undeniably seemed very healthy, and the quality of the ingredients was evidently very high. Despite that, I didn't care too much for the taste of the food... The rather extreme focus on well-being made the food a bit too niche for my liking... although I imagine many who come to stay here are perhaps attracted by the resort's wellbeing/'detox' offering.For the evening meal, we sampled the Balinese Nyat-Nyat curry as well as a steamed grouper fish, both served with organic rice. The curry was nice and flavourful, and was probably the better of the two. The fish tasted fresh and light, but I personally thought the combination of flavours and scents are a bit unusual for my tastes.Steamed Grouper FishBalinese Nyat-Nyat Grouper Curry with Red RiceDuring breakfast, I sampled the Smoked Salmon Zucchini Waffle, and a Balinese Congee called Bubuh Tepeng. The congee was fine and interesting, although I found the waffle to be very dry (given the lack of an unhealthy sauce to cover it in). The smoked salmon was excellent though. I did find the raw food items, like the fruit salad and the fruit plate, to be excellent; furthermore, there was an array of interesting drinks on offer, including some detox shots. I tried a wheatgrass juice that I ended up liking.Pain au chocolatFruit SaladFruit PlateBubuh Tepeng CongeeSmoked Salmon Zucchini WafflesI, however, very much loved the beautiful views from the restaurants.Kudus House RestaurantView from Rumah Kudus (breakfast)Frankly, I thought that the food at COMO Uma Ubud excelled over that at Shambhala Estate, although it may be a matter of personal preference. Amenities The hotel has two pools accessible to all guests—first, the main pool near the spa, as well as a sacred spring pool that's fed by a flowing natural spring. The main pool is beautiful in itself, with a (slightly obstructed) view of the valley, but nothing compared to the sacred spring pool.Main Pool and SpaMain PoolMain PoolThe spring pool is absolutely amazing, and it felt like swimming in a waterfall next to the mighty Ayung River. The water is very cold and fresh and felt different due to the absence of chlorine. However, bear in mind that the spring pool is located some 300 steps down, and it was indeed a bit of a hike to go down there and back up.The rather precarious walk down to the spring poolTemple on the way down (notice the flowing spring water that later feeds the pool)River view from spring poolSpring Pool (notice the small waterfall)Spring poolUnder the breakfast restaurant is also an excellent gymnasium, that is well equipped and offers beautiful valley views.Gymnasium Service Service is exceptional, particularly from our personal assistant, who was exceptionally friendly and warm. She ensured that we had everything we needed during our stay and was quick to respond to any queries and was very attentive to various detail. However, it was apparent that the hotel is understaffed and hence unprepared for the sudden surge of guests. We were told that most bookings (including our own) were last minute, which I suppose makes it difficult for them to have more staff on standby given the short notice. The fact that the hotel only reopened the month before our stay made this a reasonable excuse. I thought that attention to detail was very good, particularly at the restaurants, reception, and in-room. Having said that, service was rather slow by the pools, given the staffing situation. Overall Overall, I thought that COMO Shambhala Estate is an exceptional experience. I didn't think of the place to feel like a hotel, but more like a retreat near Ubud. As such, I didn't really feel like leaving the grounds very often (perhaps also due to the small entrance roads). Whilst the food selection wasn't something I particularly loved, I thought that the entire experience is something to repeat, and I would definitely encourage people coming to (or even, to those already living on the island) to stay at the Estate as a getaway from life. As such, I don't think I would recommend the place as a base to explore Bali, given the less accessible location compared to many other places. In many ways, the hotel exudes a special charm, akin to what one might feel at Amankila, although in a bit more of a lifestyle retreat-esque setting.

Aman as I remembered it.
 

Introduction As many on FT would know, Aman Villas at Nusa Dua is the successor of the unfortunately-closed Amanusa that is soon to reopen as a Kimpton (which just feels so sad). The compound consists of six villas that were originally the private residential villas developed nearby Amanusa. As such, each of the villas has subtle design touches that resulted from the requests of each of the owners. Villa Entrance featuring familiar face? :) Location We were picked up by an Aman car by a friendly associate, who drove us all the way to the Nusa Dua peninsula. There were cold towels and water in the car. Unlike most other hotels in the area, Aman Villas isn't located within the Nusa Dua gated community, but just outside it, along with several other hotels like the St Regis, the enormous and impersonal Mulia Resort, the stalled Shangri-La project, as well as the neighbouring Reviv� Wellness Resort (which in itself was developed when a group of villa owners decided to make their own hotel brand). There isn't anything in the direct vicinity of Aman Villas, but there is a car service that can shuttle guests anywhere within Nusa Dua. Check In Once arrived, we were greeted by the very warm and friendly general manager, Michel B. He brought us around on a quick tour as one of our butlers came and brought us a refreshing welcome drink, whilst our luggage was quietly brought to our room in the background.Soon after, we were brought to our room by our butler, where the check-in formalities were done, consisting of signing a few documents. This had to be one of the smoothest arrival experiences I've had on the island.In-room fruit platter Villa I thought that the fact that the ~3,500 sqm entire villa is blocked to a single booking party—regardless of how many rooms are booked—is simply extraordinary. We were assigned Villa 5, which boasts a phenomenal 50m pool, the longest of the six villas at the compound. Swimming in that pool with such an unparalleled level of privacy had to be one of the most wonderful swimming I've done on the island. Exceptional pool and the main pavilion in the backgroundThe grounds were beautiful and certainly evoked a Kerry Hill touch, and I really liked the look of the whole place. I especially loved the cold library, where I could sit for hours ... although sadly there weren't many books that piqued my interest. The large, circular table at the dining pavilion wasn't very effective for a party of two, but I reckon it would be nice to use when staying as a larger group. Main pavilion interiorLibraryDining PavilionAman Villas at Nusa DuaThe marble and stone-clad rooms look identical to that at the bygone Amanusa and were beautiful albeit a bit dark at some hours. Like at many Amans, there was a fruit platter in the room that was topped up whenever the room is serviced (which is a lot of times). There were also banana chips and peanuts provided as snacks, along with an endless amount of water. BedroomBedroomBedroomThe bathroom features double sinks. There are both indoor and outdoor showers, but what I really liked was the sunken bathtub. As expected at Aman, none of the bath amenities were branded. They were of high quality and had a wonderful tuberose scent. SinksClosetBathtubI did feel that the sheer size of the place did make it a bit wasteful for just two people since there were a lot of spaces that we didn't use. As such, I would personally prefer to return with a couple members of friends or family for next time. Dining The food at Aman Villas is exceptional and is definitely on par with Kila, if not better (although I did really miss Kila's spectacular Moroccan Donuts). I felt that the quality of the food is excellent and very well prepared. There was a rather comprehensive menu, although they were inherently a bit more like guidelines. That is to say that it is possible to order off-menu, but that required some advance notice given the nature of the property. When dining in, we mostly stuck to the menu. The breakfast was very well done, and something I looked forward to having each day. The pastries were fragrant, soft, and flaky on the outside. The fruit plate was similarly excellent, and I loved that they had mangoes and mangosteens.PastriesFruit plateI sampled an almond porridge, which was perhaps my least favourite dish on offer, but still nice for what it is.Almond porridgeThe mains I sampled were all exceptional and were of very high quality. Over the course of the stay, I had their Banana Pancakes, the Eggs Royale, and the Gypsy Eggs. Of the three, I found the Gypsy Eggs to be the most wonderful, and I can still remember its wonderful flavours as I type this. Banana PancakesEggs RoyaleGypsy EggsOutside breakfast, I especially loved the Mahi-mahi fish which was superbly done by the chef. It was so good that I had it twice. Mahi MahiI also sampled the Pork Ribs on the menu, which was nice but a bit salty for my liking.Pork Ribs Beach Like Amanusa, neither Aman Villa nor Reviv� is adjacent to a beach. As such, Aman Villas rents a small plot on the public Mengiat Beach, which sits a bit north of the old Amanusa Beach Club, in between the Merusaka and Ayodhya resorts. The beach got rather crowded at certain times given its public access and the fact that our stay went over a bank holiday weekend, although the small Aman area is expectedly closed to the public. Of course, this wasn't an ideal arrangement, but I understand the difficulty to secure a nice plot by the sea given that virtually all plots in the area are occupied. There is a shower stalls at the beach club, which served its purposes.Aman Beach ClubMengiat Beach over the holidaysBeach Club with the temple behindThe beach attendant is an absolutely delight, and he was probably the star during our stay. He attended to each of our requests and was very quick to respond to everything. I had a minor injury on my foot whilst walking back from the edge of the beach and he showed up within minutes of contact. Beach Club Entrance Service The service we had at Aman Villas at Nusa Dua was amongst the best we've had anywhere on the island, perhaps even the best (along with the old Tandjung Sari in Sanur). Each villa is assigned two butlers and a chef, in addition to various others working different roles. Everyone at our villa still had a strong sense of the old Aman Ethos I had feared to be long gone. Overall I found Aman Villas at Nusa Dua to be an absolutely wonderful place to stay. The whole place made it feel like one is staying at a private house (which it technically is) and reminded me a lot of the magic of Aman. The Aman ethos was very strong with this team, and that single-handedly made this stay exceptional. Add to the fact that the place was desolate of any arrogant influencers and their photographers (if there were, I wouldn't have known), which made the stay so very much more exceptional.

Sleek resort, certainly surprised me
 

Introduction The Balé is an all-villa property located just outside the Nusa Dua gated community, near Aman Villas and across from Mulia. The resort is operated by the Singapore-based, LifestyleRetreats, who is also behind The Menjangan up north and a few other properties. The word “balé� itself means along the lines of pavilion in Balinese, so it’s no surprise that the hotel is categorised in that way.The resort apparently opened in 2002, and has 29 pool pavilions; since the resort isn’t adjacent to the beach, there isn’t a sea-view of any kind, which is probably the main caveat about staying here.The Balé Location The resort is located down in the Nusa Dua Peninsula, but outside the gated community housing many of the area’s international hotels and convention centres. It is across the street from the sprawling Mulia complex, and nearby St Regis. It is within walking distance to a beach and several local warung food establishments as well as the hotel restaurants (The St Regis does excellent food at its restaurants). Check In We arrived just past midday by car from Sanur. I frankly thought the hotel’s entrance is bizarre. The small entrance opens straight to a small parking lot of sorts. There isn’t really a drop-off, less so a porte-cochère, which made the arrival confusing. There wasn’t anyone on standby near there either, so it would require one to go to the lobby to get attention for any assistance with luggage.Lobby and temporarily closed Tapas RestaurantThat aside, check-in was very quick. The helpful and friendly receptionist explained the features of the resort, whilst her colleague brought over some refreshing citrusy welcome drinks. Soon after, we were driven to our room up a narrow winding path by buggy. Room We booked a confusingly named “Single Pavillion� and received one as such. I thought that the room was beautifully done, and looked very modern. I pretty much liked the look of the bedroom, although there were some wear and tear that I didn’t mind too much. There is also a small yet modern Bale by the pool which had a desk, the minibar, and two folding-looking-yet-non-folding deck chairs.Single Pavilion BedroomSingle Pavilion BedroomThe Balé Welcome Amenity - OrangesSingle Pavilion - PoolSingle Pavilion - GardenSingle Pavilion - Outdoor BaléThe bathroom was similarly nice and bright. I liked that they also provided a variety of soaps with different scents for us to try, which reminded me of the setup at Capella Ubud. The fact that they had both an indoor and outdoor shower made it better, although the outdoor shower probably had seen better days.BathroomShowerBathtubSinks and SoapI had only one gripe with the room, which was the lack of power outlets. I counted a total of 3 outlets in the room, one of them being an American plug, all placed in inconvenient locations and none of them bedside. Single Pavilion - View Dining We only dined at the hotel for breakfast during our short stay, which was included in our rate. They had a rather varied breakfast menu, which is viewable on their website. Breakfast is served at the Faces Restaurant (interesting name choice), and the food is generally high quality.Faces RestaurantI sampled a “Bale Benedict� along with a fruit plate, and a pastry. The Benedict is served with some mushroom bits and truffle oil; whilst I thought the dish was overall nice, it seemed like they had trouble preparing the hollandaise since it was slightly curdled and a bit too acidic.Fruit PlateThe 'Bale Benedict'PastriesThe pastry wasn’t the best I’ve had, but it was warm and edible. The preserves were surprisingly homemade and tasted excellent. I was also happy with the nice and varied fruit plate, along with the interesting drink options they had (I tried a lychee tea and a strawberry-pineapple-orange juice). Overall, I was pretty happy with the meal. Amenities The resort itself somehow managed to pull off a sleek look whilst maintaining a a serene feel. Water is a very strong element of the design and there is a shallow stream of water that flows from the restaurant to the lobby. In fact the design of the whole place really reminded me of that at Alila Villas Uluwatu, particularly with its sleek lines combined with traditional elements (bamboo at Alila, thatched roofing here).Water featurePool AreaThere is a main pool, which is fed by a gentle waterfall from the two-bedroom pavilion’s pools. The pool is split between two levels and was very nicely done. There are some sunken lounge chairs that I didn’t find particularly comfortable. Unfortunately, the enclosed daybeds were covered with scattered leaves and plant debris... a sign that the place is understaffed. Main poolMain poolMain poolThe place also has a very nicely appointed gym, along with a spa and a gift shop. There are also faint references to a beach club, although I’m not sure if the resort still has access to one at this point.GymSpa Service It occurred to me that the resort, like many others on the island, is very much looked understaffed. There didn’t seem like there were many people working the place, although they did a pretty good job keeping the place more-or-less clean and maintained. The staff we encountered were very friendly and warm, and service at the restaurant was quite polished too. Overall The Balé is officially an adults-only resort, although I don’t know if that rule was temporarily changed during the pandemic. The public areas mostly felt deserted, bar a single time early in the morning when several people arrived to do a photo shoot for a cushion product…Overall, I was rather impressed by The Balé, and this resort certainly surprised me. The property is beautiful, the food is good, there is a nice gym and pool, and staff are friendly and quick to respond. However, that's not to say that the hotel is an exceptional resort rivalling the best, most luxurious hotels on the island, because it frankly doesn't—especially not to the lofty standards of a luxury hotel on this forum. It is, however, a very much upmarket, intimate boutique resort.

Interesting hotel by Canggu
 

Introduction Plataran is an Indonesian hotel company that operates hotels and dining/event venues around the country. Self-proclaimed as a luxury, eco-conscious brand, I had been intrigued by it and have been meaning to check out one of their hotels for a while now.Plataran Canggu drivewayPlataran Canggu opened in 2000 and is certainly amongst the first upmarket hotels to open in the area, way before Canggu became trendy. With only 19 rooms, the resort is small and intimate. Despite that, the resort occupies relatively large plots of land, certainly with a room count to space ratio that's much lower compared to any of the other hotels in or near Canggu. Location The Plataran is ironically not located in Canggu, instead in neighbouring Kerobokan—although it is 5 minutes away from Canggu, and 15 minutes away from the beach. The hotel is located at the far end of a village road, so I would recommend having a transport option at one's disposal. There didn't seem to be anything interesting within walking distance either, apart from some local warungs and home goods stores. As such, location isn't a strength of the hotel. Check In We arrived at the hotel by car, and being the only guests checking in that day, we were greeted by name. I was surprised by how empty the resort is, especially compared with other places we stayed at. I believe we were one of the only two rooms occupied during our stay.Nevertheless, check-in was quick and we were invited to take a seat whilst they did final checks on the room. We were served a welcome drink that oddly tasted like Coca-Cola (hmm), and offered some cold towels. Soon after, we were driven to our room by buggy. Room We originally booked a Garden Villa, but we were upgraded on arrival to a One Bedroom Pool Villa, which I certainly wasn't expecting. The pool was relatively sizeable, although I wasn’t inclined to use it during my short stay.One Bedroom Pool VillaOpen-air living roomThere is an open concept living room out on the porch of the villa. Directly inside is the bedroom, which consists of a large four-poster bed, a desk, two armchairs, and a closet. There is a small fruit platter left in the bedroom as a welcome amenity.BedroomBedroomFruit welcome amenityKettle, Coffee, and Tea. Notice that the provided water came in refilled water bottles (and tasted odd)Behind it is the open-air, marble bathroom—something I didn’t realise when booking the hotel. The bathroom had two sinks, a tall terrazzo bathtub, as well as a dimly-lit shower. I personally do not like open-air bathrooms, as it is easily susceptible to various insect and plant debris (which is an issue anywhere on the island). As such, I wasn’t a big fan of the bathroom.BathroomBathroomToiletShowerI’m not sure exactly what to say about the room’s design, but I frankly wasn’t especially fond of the open bathroom. That said, it was relatively comfortable, and I especially loved the armchairs which were very well-padded and very nice to read a book on. Dining Teras Canggu RestaurantThe hotel has one restaurant—neatly set inside an antique Joglo house that featured many curios—located next to the lobby/reception. Afternoon tea is included by default and it was frankly much better than I had anticipated. There was a nice and fresh seafood meatball, along with a vegetable and egg finger sandwich and a small peanut dumpling.Complimentary afternoon teaBreakfast was similarly pleasant. I tried their Plataran Egg Benedict, which was better than I expected it would be. Everything tasted balanced. We also had a fruit plate and some croissants, all of which were rather simple but very much edible. The orange juice was also very fresh, although they, unfortunately, added a bit of sugar as evident by the undiluted sugar in the bottom of the glass. Granted, this wasn’t the best breakfast we’ve had in Bali, but it was certainly nice and not something I would skip.Fruit PlatePlataran Eggs BenedictCroissants Service I thought service was attentive. The friendly hotel’s manager was frequently present to ask us how we were, and if everything is fine. I felt that everyone was friendly and well-intentioned. Amenities The hotel features a spa and two pools, along with what looked like an event space. Both pools are relatively small, and one is located riverside.Restaurant-side poolRiverside poolThere is also a space that appears to be useable for events and features a temple, a traditional Balinese kitchen, and a rice storage hut.Interesting event space/cultural exhibition(?)Suspension Bridge to cross river to event space Overall Even though I wasn’t very fond of the room's design or layout, I thought that it was comfortable enough. That said, I do have my biases due to my dislike for open-air bathrooms, so the rooms can be very wonderful to those who like or don't mind such bathrooms. The hotel’s service is relatively good and the same could be said about the food. This first time at a Plataran hotel was a fine introduction to the brand, and I would be happy to try staying at other Platarans, particularly in more interesting locations like Komodo Island. The hotel surely isn't exempt from flaws, but it definitely has its merits. I especially thought that the Balinese-village-looking event space is an especially strong point of the hotel, and definitely makes it an interesting place to hold events. Library/loungeWhilst I’m personally not very keen on Plataran Canggu due to my reservations about the bathroom setup, I wouldn’t hesitate to try other Platarans in the future.

It's fascinating that they simply "forget" a wall of the bathroom and think people appreciate it.

I think that’s a very good take on it :D

I’m guessing that many hotels chose to do outdoor bathrooms because that was how traditional Balinese bathrooms were set up in the past (or so I heard), so there’s probably some romanticising attached to the decision.

Speaking of forgetting bathroom walls, there’s actually a new Banyan Tree called ‘Buahan’, which not only forgoes bathroom walls, but the entire resort is open-air and free of walls! I’m sure they’re trying to capitalise on the novelty, but it sounds like a preposterous offering to me.

Thanks for all the pics! It seems that so much of the resorts appear so similar. Considering that 5 star resorts are a dime a dozen in Bali, I personally cannot see why any of these resorts are preferable to any of the international chains. I find mold to be an issue in Bali. While these resorts appear to do good cleaning, many times I find the local hotels have lots of mold and mildew. Especially ones that have bathrooms that are not air conditioned. I have stayed at the Maya, about 7 years ago. Our opinion of the resort was much different than yours. But so much can happen in 5-7 years.

Kinda of interested on the bad aspects of Komaneka Resorts as they have been on our radar for awhile. The Banyan Tree Buahan seems to be really nice. The rates are about $120 USD per night including breakfast and dinner. That is just outstanding for a new deluxe property. I would be concerned about sleeping with all those bugs, though!

Not surprised they didn’t name it the Plataran Kerobokan as that’s the location of the infamous jail!

Thanks for such detailed reviews.