It is easy to be overwhelmed by myriad of travel experts, magazines, guides and internet about how to craft a perfect holiday in Bali. For some Bali is “Island of Gods”, while for others Bali is “Adventure Hub”. For the discerning guest Bali is “Mecca of Arts” while for the gastronomes, Bali is the aromatic court for creative street foods to traditional Gourmet delights. If you want a list of to-dos, or list of places to see in this amazing island, be sure to have your list overflowing with ideas from happy travelers with a unique story to tell and unique experience to share. At one end we talk about Bali being a hub for beach entertainment and perpetuating nightlife while at the other end Bali preserves ancient Vedic practices, Culture, Wellness Programs, Yoga and ambiance for inquiry about deeper fundamental questions of life. So from where do you start? With so much to experience and explore, Villa Getaways tailors a perfect guide for a luxury holiday in Bali sampling world most renowned villmonkas, restaurants, things to do and last but not the least – touching your heart.
In this first part of the guide, we start from lively Canggu and then we move to Tabanan touching Seminyak on the way. In the second part of the Travel series, we will travel to Cultural Capital Ubud and finally end our trip in Bukit Peninsula, Uluwatu.
Villa Bendega near Canggu
We start at lively Canggu, one of inviting location perfect for warming up for the luxurious trip ahead, in the luxury cocoon of villa 3235 popularly called as Villa Bendega. The magnanimous luxury villa enjoys a quiet village location close to Canggu beach and is the perfect retreat villa to relax either before a travel or after a travel.
The villa exhibits Balinese finesse in architecture, interior and the decors. The villa is spacious in terms of both facilities and ground space to give seclusion and a grandeur feel.
Beautiful Balinese art, sculptures and wood works grace the villa with attention to the smallest detail and reveal the uniqueness of the villa. “I love these traditional carvings, I love the textures of them and the sense of history”, says one of the guests of the villa.
The villa comes with open plan living room with sweeping views of the tranquil garden and 11-meter infinity pool with lounge area to soak in the sunny rays as well as the pleasant vista of the rice paddies in the horizon.
The villa has an air-conditioned dining which can easily seat 20 people and a pool house with outdoor dining facility.
The villa has ample recreation facilities from pool table, gym to private massage and spa menus and the guests have full access to the prestigious Canggu private club throughout the duration of stay. If that is not all, Echo Beach – the Surfers Mecca is minutes away from the villa.
The spacious villa with traditional Balinese antiques, the lush tropical gardens with ponds, huge pools, top-class facilities and sincere villa staffs provide a perfect welcome and a gives a lasting taste about the magic of Bali.
Villa is great for :
- Family Getaway
- Beach in minutes
- Party Getaway
- Wedding Host
- View of Rice paddies
- Corporate Getaway
- Entertainment Hub
Things to do:
The villa location makes it easy for absorbing the tranquil of green paddies and at the same time, its just a short drive away from bustling Seminyak and the entertainment hubs.
Chill out at the beach sipping in tropical juices or get the adrenaline flowing at echo beach.
Enjoy boutique shopping in Seminyak where world’s best designers showcase their signature collections. Stylish and interesting Shops of hand-made personalized jewelries, curious novelties, boutique collections of fashionable clothing and variety of eateries gives perfect retail and tongue therapy.
All the beaches from Kuta to Canggu and Seminyak are full of buzz. Creative and luxurious open style restaurants, nightclubs, beach sports and unique shopper stops makes beach time exciting and lively.
Each restaurant, shops and other entertainment sources have their own theme, style and unique individuality to lure you inside. The restaurants also offer different traditional and exotic vegetarian and vegan dishes for the vegetarians.
Eat like a king, shop like a celebrity, savor all moments in style and finally be treated like royalty in villa Bendega to complete a luxury-filled time at Canggu.
Things to do in a Nut Shell:
- Relax in Villa
- Try Private Spa in the Villa
- Try multi-cultural cuisines by the villa chef
- Surfing at Echo Beach
- Horse Riding at Echo Beach
- Canggu Club
- Boutique Shopping in Jalan Laksmana street in Seminyak
- Try any restaurants in ‘Eat street’ in Seminyak
- Watching Sunset in Seminyak while sipping fresh juices
After around a week in Villa Bendega we move to 2 hours north from Canggu, near Tabanan to Beach side villa retreat of Villa 3335 with the pet-name of Villa Kembang Desa.
Villa Kembang Desa
Villa Kembang Desa is a six bedroom two-storied beachfront villas located in countryside of Bali’s un-crowded west coast.
The villa is a collection of four unique residences each having direct access to the wildly beautiful beach and its amazing rock formations. The location, layout, decor and service are all superb in this wonderful villa – perfect for inspirations and creativity.
The villa is a cute joglo – the traditional Javanese house. Beautiful vistas of sunsets at the beach, sunrise at rice paddies, view of wildlife on the beautiful seaside green cliffs and the sweeping views of Bali from Left to Right greet the villa every day and leave a lasting effect of relaxation and peace.
The villa’s garden facilitates an enhanced front-seat viewing of nature’s beauty. A beautiful infinity pool ornamented with luxury daybeds and spacious bale pavilions decorate the villa garden. It is the best place where forgetting of worry comes automatically without even trying. The décor of the villa is beach chic and is tastefully furnished to satisfy even the most discerning guest. The rooms of the villas are spacious and come with abundant unique seating furniture to relax and rejuvenate. The room has an open design to allow the cool breeze and the sunny rays throughout each corner.
The furniture has the signature whitewashed look to give a bright feel to all the rooms and is an exhibition of the beautiful creations of Timor’s artisans, one of the island of Bali.
The villas are made with natural stone or wood elements to make you feel closer to nature. The stone works such as carved tubs, wash basins and stonewares, the carvings on the walls, the use of eco-furniture and beautiful rudimentary wooden works gives an earthy feel and exudes simplistic luxury.
The villa is a great place to connect with nature and reconnect your heart and mind. This area is one of the most agriculturally productive location of Bali and have several crop fields. The location is also close to Mount Batukaru, one of the high mountains and reservoir of beautiful mountain streams, hidden hot water springs, beautiful flowers, ferns and tropical floras. It is also home to rare wildlife species and bird watching, butterflies and more. The villa location and the serene ambiance make it great for wellness retreat. “It’s a perfect place for meditation, yoga, walk on the beach, reading and more”, says the owner of the villa.
The villa also owns a private organic garden for the freshest of food to complement the wellness lifestyle. Villa Kembang Desa comes with all the luxury facilities, 24 hours security, chef’s expert in Asian, Indonesian and western food and more of a luxury private retreat with your family.
The Villa is Good for:
- Family Getaway
- Privacy and Space
- Beach in minutes
- Relax and Rejuvenate
- Yoga Retreat
- Wedding Getaway
- Nature Retreat
- Beachfront
- Unique architecture based on Javanese Joglo
Things to do:
The first thing to do is to relax in this heart-soothing villa.
Allow natures beauty to cast a pleasant spell on you. Snooze in the Bale Pavilion or have nourishing spa and absorb the evening hue while the serene breeze and the infinity view gently close your eyelids.
The villa is a dream place for Yoga and wellness programs. Choose any spot and you will be able to breathe the freshest of air, while the balmy climate warms your muscles for a strain free session.
The villa is a 30 min drive to Nirvana Golf Course, designed by Greg Norman and is the best golf Course in Indonesia. If you like golfing and want to experience something unique, then ride on the golf buggy, take your friends and family to the 7th hole of the golf Course.
The 7th hole location gives you a spectacular view of the ocean, a lush tropical garden setting and full view of the ancient and the famous temple of Tanah Lot. It also incorporates Rice paddy in the course top making it unique and challenging for all players.
As with most places of Bali, areas around Tabanan are perfect for many unique experiences, adventures, learning and religious insights. Since Tabanan is located more centrally, it is easy to access all directions for a multitude of things to do. You can start with Helicopter Ride to visualize the writings about Bali’s beauty coming into reality. Experience the amazing Black Eagles view of the diversity of Bali from beautiful ocean to active volcanoes, from sculpted rice paddies to hidden islands, from sanctuaries to high cliffs.
The helicopter trips can include landings at untouched beaches to mountain tops. Relaxation seems perpetual in this place, which is close to great naturescapes. The landscapes of Mount Batukaru, the second largest mountain in Bali provide wonderful experiences all throughout the way. Trek through the rainforest reserves near the mountain to witness the tropical beauty at the best, while you discover mini waterfalls, or spot rare Kijang deer.
The forest is also great for butterflies and bird watching. On the way downhill, walk or cycle ride through the rice paddies to inhale the freshest air and smell of the earth followed by rural exploration into the friendly villages.
Check out the nearby ancient temples and local village artisans work. Speaking of artisan works, world famous luxury handmade jewelry brand, John Hardy lies in the vicinity.
You can have a half day trip to this wonderful place in Mambal, where you can observe the talented artisans, engaged in meticulous creations of handmade jewelry using a rare skill coming down from ancestors. Of course, you can buy those precious hand-made at the site itself. You can have best explorations of Bali art and culture in half-day tours to different villages, which have carefully protected different ancestral skills for excellent artistry works. Ride to Kerambitan area to be marveled by the local expertise in artistry , terracotta earthenware and local culinary delights.
The local markets at Kerambitan give a perspective into the local culture, their belief and culinary surprises. If you want adventure in the subsequent day, a drive to mountain regions offers great trekking experience and white water rafting is a real adrenaline rush. Finally finish in style by mellowing out your mind and warming your heart with a visit to most famous, ancient and peaceful temples of Bali.
Bali is full of temples that highlight the local people wonderful living and religious culture. It is a magical place where the tradition of past lives in the present. The architecture of the temples is really beautiful and hard to replicate in today’s world even though science and technology has advanced so much.
Each temple has an inspiring ancient story attached to it. The stories are fascinating and certainly add a new way of viewing life and the world. You can start with Pura Luhur Batukaru, situated on the slopes of mount Batukaru.
The location of the temple is enough to calm your mind, what to speak of going into the temple. The hazy climate and the view from the mountain slopes is something special. Next, visit Pura Taman Ayun temple in Mengwi, built by the king of Mengwi in the early days. Beautiful water features, landscape and the atmosphere of the temple spreads calm in the mind. Just sitting inside the temple is a relaxing experience.
The guide or the driver can easily take in other nearby temples and finally, a visit to famous Pura Tanah Lot in the early evening is a moment to cherish. Beautiful sceneries, serene sunset and a divine temple – be sure to be charmed.
Things do to in Nutshell:
- Spa at outdoor bale pavilion in villa
- Yoga In Villa
- Visit Nirvana Golf Course
- Helicopter rides organized by Villa
- Scenic Trip to Mount Batukaru
- Half day trip to Mambal for luxury Hand-made Jewellery by John Hardy
- Half day tour to Kerambitan to explore local expertise in artistry , terracotta earthenware and local culinary delights
- Visit to the local markets at Kerambitan to understand local culture and cooking lessons
- Get close to Bali religion visiting beautiful temples near Tabanan
- Visit to Pura Tanah Lot temple
- Watch sunset in Tanah Lot
We come to an end of first part of the series on luxury holiday and essential to-do for a relaxing vacation in Bali. Stay tuned for more actions. Please leave your comments, suggestions or any topic of interest below and we will try to write on it.