Kayumanis Ubud

Personally I prefer Ubud because it feels more spiritual and authentically Bali (see our Eat Pray Love Bali travel guide).

The Kayumanis Ubud is a discrete, intimate hideaway nestled amongst groves of cinnamon trees and fragrant blooms. The villas are built on a ledge overlooking a tropical forest and the gently flowing Ayung River. It is the ideal choice for those seeking absolute serenity and complete privacy. There are 23 villas with different themes: Javanese, Oriental, Palembang, Primitive, and Modern. Note that Kayumanis Ubud does not accommodate children below 16 years old.

Kayumanis Ubud
Sayan Village, Ubud 80571, Bali, Indonesia
+62-361 972 777
Email the hotel to inquire about a booking.

Kayumanis Jimbaran

Kayumanis Jimbaran is an exotic and idyllic retreat virtually hidden amongst the hypnotic sway of groves of coconut trees and the romantic embrace of the Jimbaran bay nearby. Every villa is spacious and masterfully juxtaposed amidst the coconut trees. Complemented by an exclusive 24-hour butler service, Kayumanis Jimbaran is the perfect setting of pure serenity and unrivalled luxury. It is open to guests of all ages.

You can relax at the Kayumanis Spa, which offers massage and beauty treatments.  There are several dining options which can include a romantic candlelight dinner in your own villa. For afternoon adventure, be sure to take advantage of the two exclusive beach facilities, which are only five minutes away.

Kayumanis Jimbaran
Jalan Yoga Perkanti Jimbaran,
Bali 80364, Indonesia
+62 361 705 7777
Email the hotel to inquire about a booking.

Kayumanis Nusa Dua

Famous for its stretches of long white sandy beaches and upscale resort facilities, Nusa Dua is also home to Kayumanis Nusa Dua whose villas blend quiet sophistication and understated elegance. An exclusive enclave of luxuriously appointed pavilions, each offers unrivalled space, exceptional comfort, and complete privacy within secluded walled gardens.

Kayumanis Nusa Dua is the perfect venue for those who may seek a more adventurous discovery of Bali by day, and yet, demand the utmost serenity and privacy by night. Note: Kayumanis Nusa Dua does not accommodate children below 16 years old.

Kayumanis Nusa Dua
BTDC Area Nusa Dua
P.O. Box 777 Nusa Dua
Bali 80363
Indonesia
+62-361 770 777
Email the hotel to inquire about a booking.

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Go to the main website of Kayumanis Villas to get an overview of their villas in Bali:
www.kayumanis.com

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Recommended article about Bali:

Eat Pray Love Bali travel guide

If you are traveling to Bali but are looking for a very quiet spot to spend a few days, go to the Gili islands, off the coast of Bali. There is a lovely beach front boutique hotel called Villa Julius on the island of Gili Trawangan, an oasis of calm because there is no motorized traffic or shopping malls.

Villa Julius is the first boutique hotel on Gili Trawangan and it offers panoramic seaside views over the island of Bali in the distance. The hotel prides itself on rustic tranquility, but still offers guests the latest modern conveniences. It combines design and innovation to create a small bohemian chic hideaway for the modern traveler. The hotel has its own bohemian restaurant but if you want to sample the culinary delights on the island, there are many other restaurants offering anything from traditional Balinese and Indonesian food to French crepes.

The Balinese-style hotel offers central free-form natural stone swimming pools that are surrounded by lush gardens full of palm trees and Japanese bamboo. Each of the seven rooms are individually and uniquely decorated with King size beds set under the traditional Balinese style roof with en-suite bathrooms with open-air showers.

Gili Trawangan is the perfect destination for both honeymooners and families on holiday.  Regarded as Indonesian’s best kept secret, the island is  a favorite getaway for travelers looking for a true tropical island experience without the commercial excess and noise of Bali.

Rooms start from $95 during low season and $110 during high season making this a wallet friendly escape to a luxurious and secluded island getaway. Bookings can be done by email, phone or sms.

Villa Julius
Jalan Pantai
West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
+62 81 916 034 549
Email the hotel to inquire about a booking.

Located on an elevated limestone cliff above the Indian Ocean on Bali’s Bikit Peninsula, the Alila Villas Uluwatu integrates contemporary design with cultural richness.  The result is an experience that is ‘serene, sensual, and surprisingly different’. The resort is only 30 minutes from the Ngurah Rai International Airport and 15 minutes from Jimbaran Bay near the Uluwatu Temple.  They have also been granted the Green Glob certification and is the first hotel in Bali to have the highest level of certification for ESD.

The interior of the resort complements the architecture as the design seamlessly flows from inside to outside.  The materials used are environmentally friendly and support local communities by being produced locally.

The resort consists of spacious 52 one-bedroom villas (291 square metres), 2 two-bedroom villas (582 square metres), 25 three-bedroom villas (2000-3000 square metres) and 5 Cliffside villas (2000-3000 square metres) .  The open-plan design with unique flat lava rock roofs and bamboo ceilings allow the sea breeze to circulate throughout all of the rooms of the villas. The villas come equipped with flat screen TVs with satellite channels and Wi-Fi. Each villas has a private pool, outdoor dining, private cabana and a deluxe bathroom that has both indoor and outdoor rain and jet showers and a bathtub.  These facilities offered together with the hotel’s hospitality truly encompass luxury design and lifestyle elements.

Spa Alila is a place to rejuvenate and relax and provides unique treatments that blend ancient Asian healing techniques with age-old beauty recipes.  For a unique dining experience, the Alila Villas has both contemporary western cuisine and authentic traditional food to satisfy any craving.  The Warung has authentic Indonesian and Balinese cuisine with indoor and outdoor settings in a friendly atmosphere.  The CIRE has a very stark contemporary setting with bold design and sleek furniture with western cuisine made with only the freshest and where possible, organic and regional produce.

If you are searching for a private getaway with either a loved one (to celebrate a honeymoon or anniversary) or the entire family, plan to stay at Alila Villas Uluwatu and you will definitely experience relaxation and wellness while exploring a new destination.

The Kupu Kupu Barong Villas and Tree Spa is a luxury boutique hotel in Bali set in an idyllic resort for a couples on a honeymoon or romantic holidays, and for those who want to get away from the busyness of everyday life. It is enclosed by lush tropical gardens that overlook the Ayung River valley in Ubud, a tranquil, spiritual village, popularized in the novel and film “Eat Pray Love”. The unique spa concept of the resort welcomes you to rejuvenate and pamper your senses at the top of a Mango Tree Spa.

The resort is quite exclusive with only 34 luxury villas; you can choose from four different types of rooms.  There are 7 Ayung River Club Villas that are a high-end and offer total indulgence where every need and desire is tended to.  The bathroom is truly decadent with a lavish mosaic tiled sunken tub and each villa has its own plunge pool and is truly a private sanctuary.  The villa is quite large and is equipped with a kitchen and medium fridge and dining table and has traditional Balinese decorations and modern amenities.  WiFi and LCD TVS are in all rooms.

If you are looking to indulge your senses with peace, quiet, and rejuvenation, this is the perfect place for you.  The Mango Tree Spa by L’Occitane has body treatments and traditional massages with a personal and luxurious touch. The treatments and massages are all inspired by techniques and traditions from all around the world and developed with global Spa experts.

The La View Restaurant, like its name, it situated on an outdoor terrace with fantastic views for intimate wining and dining, offering the best of South East Asian and French fusion cuisine.  You can also choose to surprise your partner by having a twilight dinner literally on the infinity pool.  There is a unique floating dining setting under a canopy of stars that is surrounded by lush greenery. If that appeals to you then so will sharing a romantic evening on a unique flying dining setting at an exclusive bird nest that is surrounded by candles and fragrant flower blossoms.

Reservations can be made online and if you pay in advance you can get 10 percent your entire booking.

Email the hotel to inquire about a booking.

*****

Related Post: Eat Pray Love Travel Guide to Bali – where to stay, where to eat, what to do

If you read our Eat Pray Love Travel Guide to Bali and want more recommendations of boutique hotels and retreats on the island (other than the alluring Bambu Indah which we loved), check out the Alila Ubud, perched on a hillside in the village of Payangan overlooking the Ayung River, only 5 kilometres from the center of Ubud. The Alila Ubud is pretty close to Bambu Indah, and both overlook the same river. The resort hotel blends contemporary design with traditional Balinese architecture. The secluded courtyards, spacious terraces and private gardens create an intimate feeling that many of the crowded beach resorts can never match.

The resort offers 56 rooms and 8 villas that stand above a ravine on stilts like tree houses. Rooms are located in 14 two-storey blocks designed to resemble a Balinese village, and all have panoramic views of the magical Ayung River and surrounding volcanoes. The Deluxe Rooms on the ground floor feature individual garden terraces and a back courtyard with an open-air bathroom and shower. The Superior Rooms on the upper floor feature a private balcony and a daybed where you can chill out, read a book or just daydream while enjoying the unobstructed views.

If you want more privacy, book yourself into one of the 8 villas. Four Valley Villas offer a spacious walk-around deck and are perched over the valley affording spectacular views of the river. The four new and luxuriously spacious Pool Villas offer a complete retreat experience with a private pool bordered by landscaped gardens, an open-air bathtub surrounded by a lotus pond, LCD TV and entertainment system, and the exclusive privilege of personalised leisure concierge services and in-villa dining and spa treatments.

Perhaps the most enticing place in this resort is the infinity edge pool which seems to flow endlessly into the jungle. It is surrounded by stone-tiled sun decks and comfortable sun beds. If you want beauty treatments and massage, Spa Alila features open-air treatment areas and bathrooms with waterfall showers. They also use products from the French luxury skincare line, Decleor.

Alila Ubud is perfect for couples on a honeymoon and people who prefer the more spiritual, tranquil environment of Ubud.

Alila Ubud
Desa Melinggih Kelod
Payangan, Gianyar 80572, Bali
Indonesia
+62 361 975 963
Email the hotel to inquire about a booking.

Inspired by the movie and the book “Eat Pray Love“ to go to Bali? Here’s my Bali travel guide with special focus on the village of Ubud, where Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Eat Pray Love” stayed while she was in Bali.

Ubud is a village that lies an hour by car from the beaches of Seminyak and the airport. It feels spiritual and tranquil, and I can see why Elizabeth Gilbert stayed here. Ubud has a lot of yoga studios, quirky little cafes and restaurants, bookstores and spas. Here are my recommendations on where to stay, where to eat, and what to do in Bali. I did not venture out to the northern part of the island. I stayed mostly in Ubud with a couple of days in Seminyak, and several side trips to East Bali.

Accommodations in Bali

The one place I highly recommend is the Bambu Indah Villas. Owned by jewelry designer John Hardy, these small private villas built out of local materials are perched on a cliff overlooking the Ayung River. You have views of the lush rice fields and the mountains, including the volcano, in the distance. Read my detailed review of Bambu Indah.

There are many other wonderful hotels in Ubud:

(1) The Alila Ubud, overlooking the magical Ayung River, quite close to Bambu Indah with a wonderful spa and spectacular views.

(2) The Kupu Kupu Barong Villas and Tree Spa: also overlooking the Ayung River, a romantic luxurious boutique hotel and spa.

(3) Alila Villas Uluwatu: spacious, luxurious villas overlooking the Indian Ocean on the Bikit Peninsula close to the Uluwatu temple. For people who want privacy and exclusivity with sea views.

(4) Kayumanis Villas: luxurious villas, very private and secluded, in Ubud (also in Jimbaran and Nusa Dua, which are on the beach). Great views across the Ayung River.

If you must stay in the Seminyak-Legian-Kuta area on the beach, try the Padma Bali Resort in Legian. The good: spacious rooms, huge swimming pool, excellent buffet. The bad: all-the-beer-you-can-drink-in-an-hour specials, which result in rowdy, drunken behavior among some guests.

Restaurants in Ubud, Bali

Bumbu Bali: delicious Balinese food served indoors and outdoors in little huts scattered across a small garden; opposite the Puri Saren Palace and next to Ibu Oka. (Jln. Suweta No. 1, Ubud). Gives excellent cooking classes (see What To Do in Bali below).

Ibu Oka: famous for Balinese roast suckling pig, this place is always packed. You eat sitting down on the floor on low tables. The food is very inexpensive: I spent about $2.50 for a big plate of roast suckling pig with rice and vegetables.

Ary’s Warung: a chic, modern restaurant with a fabulous bar in the heart of Bali. Excellent Balinese and Western specialties, cocktails, wine, beer. Cool vibe.

Jazz Cafe Bali: live music, food, drinks and excellent ambiance not far from Monkey Forest Road (Jl. Sukma, Ubud, Bali).

Three Monkeys: restaurant and cafe on Monkey Forest Road serving good salads, Balinese and Western dishes, and lovely desserts. Try the Singapore prawn laksa and the chocolate pâté.

Warung Enak: two-storey restaurant serving excellent Balinese food, cocktails, beer; eclectic decor.

Mozaic: temple of high gastronomy on the island, Mozaic has stunningly beautiful interiors and a romantic garden filled with coconut trees where you can dine. French cuisine flavoured with Balinese influences by French-trained chef, Chris Salans. You must reserve in advance especially if you want to eat outdoors.

Luxurious spas in Bali

Como Shambhala: the spa at this luxury hotel is impressive and the service is amazing. You’ll feel like melting away after their massages and body treatments. The hotel and surrounding gardens are very beautiful.

Kirana Spa: located on a ledge above the Ayung River, the Kirana Spa is an oasis of peace and utter indulgence. Run by Shiseido with its luxurious products and treatments.

What to do in Bali

(1) Cooking class at Bumbu Bali: If you can’t get enough of the food in Balinese restaurants, make sure you take a cooking class before you go home. The wonderful restaurant of Bumbu Bali (recommended above) holds cooking classes in the morning from 9:00 am to 12 noon. The chef takes you on a short tour of the local market across the restaurant, tells you about local herbs and vegetables that are used in Balinese cooking, and then teaches you how to make five Balinese dishes. The cooking class is very hands-on and at the end, you have to eat everything you make. Not a bad thing except that you make a lot of food. So don’t even consider eating breakfast on the day of the cooking course. The chef also gives you a cute apron and a cookbook to take home.

(2) Beach life: if you decide to spend a couple or more days on the beach not too far from Ubud or Denpasar, the towns of Seminyak and Legian (both of which are next to the horrible, seedy Kuta) are good options. There are several resort complexes in Seminyak and Legian and they are predictably very touristy. You will probably find yourself walking around in Kuta, a truly terrible place. The beaches in this part of Bali have a lot of waves which is good for surfers, not so good for people who just want to swim.

(3) Watch the sunset and sip amazing cocktails at Ku De Ta, a restaurant and night club right on the beach in Seminyak. Make sure you park yourself upstairs on the second floor patio where the guests tend to dress and look better, and where you get a good view of the sunset. Attire: casual chic. They have a dress code for men: they will not allow you in if you are in a t-shirt with a beer logo or are wearing a sleeveless top.

(4) Yoga: there are a lot of yoga places in Bali but I like Yoga Barn because of its location (great views across the rice fields) and the large number of classes.

(5) Other places to visit:

• Monkey Forest in Ubud
• Gunung Batur crater
• Tenganan: a tiny, traditional Balinese village where they still make ikat cloth the old fashioned way
• Pura Kehen temple in Bangli (photo below): one of the most stunning temples in East Bali. Surprisingly, we were the only visitors. This is not one of the touristy temples on the island but it is atmospheric. You climb the steps to a lavishly carved door, enter a courtyard and find yourself next to a large banyan tree. The inner courtyard has an 11-roof meru, a multi-roofed shrine which looks Japanese.

• Sidemen Road: lovely scenery of rice paddies and rivers.
• Pura Goa Lawah: temple near the beaches of Candidasa, very crowded with locals engaged in a variety of ceremonies.
• Candidasa: small beach town, not as touristy as Kuta and Seminyak, low-key.
• Kertha Gosa palace of the Diwa Agung dynasty: beautify ceiling panels in bright colors depicting scenes from Balinese folk tales in a floating pavilion surrounded by a lotus pond.

(6) Catch a performance of the traditional Balinese dance, the Kecak, which reenacts the Ramayana.

(7) Visit the Green School Bali, possibly the most “green” and eclectic school on earth. Classes are held in bamboo buildings which are mostly open air and set in a lush tropical gardens. The school incorporates a green curriculum in addition to the traditional Western course of study. They also have summer camp for children (they don’t need to be enrolled in the Green School during the term).

(8) Budget massages, manicures and pedicures, spa treatments: if you don’t feel like splurging on the spas I mentioned above, try the small massage places and spa salons in Ubud. You can get a 45-minute massage with a Bali lulur soak for only $25.

Get connected to the Internet

There’s free Wi-Fi in almost all the cafes in Bali. Better yet: you can use Skype on your iPhone, iPad or laptop to call people overseas. Most of the hotels also have free Wi-Fi.

A warning to contact lens wearers

The pharmacies on Bali (called apothek which comes from Dutch) are often out of contact lens solution. Always bring an extra bottle if you plan to stay for more than two weeks. I remember being driven to several apotheks before finding one that carried contact lens solution.

Side trip to Borobodur outside Jogjakarta (Java)

If you are going to be in Bali for more than a week, plan on visiting Borobodur, a 9th century Buddhist monument outside Jogjakarta on the island of Java (which is next to Bali). It is best to get a local guide (note: your hotel can recommend a tour operator). You fly out of Denpasar airport in Bali to Jogjakarta (45-min flight), sleep one night, wake up before sunrise, go up to Borobodur to catch the sunrise. It’s a mystical experience.

How to get to Bali

I flew to Bali via EVA Air, the Taiwanese airline, which has a stopover in Taipei. There is a transit hotel in the airport (inside security) so you can take a nap and freshen up. The food in Taipei’s airport is great and there is free Wi-Fi. The shopping galleria in the airport is impressive with the luxury brands outdoing one another (note: Bottega Veneta even has a store where they sell their $2000+ handbags). EVA Air’s premium economy is very good and the service is excellent. I advise you to avoid flying US carriers to Asia as there are many Asian alternatives, all of which provide far better service and newer airplanes.

Google Map with Bali favorites

I created a Google map with all of my suggested Bali hotels and restaurants.

Eat Pray Love Guide to Rome

I have also posted the Eat Pray Love Rome Travel Guide.

About the author

Esme Vos is the founder and editor-in-chief of Mapplr.com, a travel site devoted to ideal holidays, adventure travel, and distinctive accommodations around the world. Since 2007, Mapplr has been providing discerning travelers with advice on which airlines to use, where to stay, where to eat and what to do. Mapplr’s sister site, Shopplr, publishes shopping recommendations around the world.

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If you going to Bali, make sure you stay at Bambu Indah, a set of luxury villas just outside the village of Ubud. We stayed at Bambu Indah for more than a week and it has to be one of the most unforgettable places I’ve ever been.

Bambu Indah (which means beautiful bamboo in Balinese) is comprised of four pavilions spread out on a ridge overlooking the Ayung River. It is owned by John Hardy, a jewelry designer who has lived in Bali for decades, and who, after selling his jewelry business in 2007, devotes his time to ecological projects such as the Green School in Bali.

The four pavilions of Bambu Indah are teak houses from Java, over 100 years old, brought over by Hardy and decorated with local furniture and art work. We stayed in the “Afrika House” which is the largest of the pavilions. The views over the rice fields and to the mountains beyond are breathtaking.

Every morning we would get up and have breakfast on the porch — a typical Balinese breakfast of rice porridge (“bubur Bali”) with spicy vegetables, fruit (papaya, pineapple, snakefruit, watermelon) and fresh papaya juice. Then we would jump into the natural pool that winds its way past the pavilions and the vegetable gardens – no chlorine, no cement. The pool feels like something nature herself has created.

The bathing experience is quite unique: the bathroom at Afrika House is exposed on the side facing the valley, giving you an unobstructed view of the rice paddies and the mountains while you bathe or shower. If you need more privacy, all you do is roll down the bamboo-canvas screen.

At night, we would fall asleep to the sounds of crickets, birds and rushing water, and occasionally, the mysterious chanting of a village priest from a nearby Hindu temple.

The staff at Bambu Indah are wonderful. When we wanted to see performances of traditional Balinese dances such as the kecak, legong and barong, they told us exactly which were the best ones in Ubud. They also suggested where to eat, what to see and arranged for a driver to take us on short day trips around the island  (note: our driver, Wayan Sujendra, was fantastic). I have never had such great personal service in any other hotel or B&B.

Although there are many luxury resorts in Bali, even in Ubud not far from Bambu Indah, why stay at a resort hotel that’s nothing more than a part of a large chain? Your stay at Bambu Indah will be much more memorable.

I have posted my photos of Bali and Borobodur (where we went for two days) on Flickr.

UPDATE (25 September 2010): I have just posted my Travel Guide to Bali on Mapplr with lots of tips on where to eat, what to do, and where to go in Bali, with a special emphasis on Ubud.

Bambu Indah
Banjar Baung, Desa Sayan
Ubud 80571
Gianyar, Bali
Indonesia
Phone: +62 361 977 922
Fax: +62 361 974 357
www.bambuindah.com

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