scott_bev

We are taking our first trip to Bali in October and are looking for private, intimate luxury spots, perhaps most off the beaten track with maybe one stop in a more beach oriented place. We have been looking at Puri Ganesha Villas in the North as well as the Damai, the new Kayumanis in Nusa Dua which is just opening in September or the Legian, the Alila Manggis (but unsure about the beach there), or maybe going over to Amanjiwo in Java for a few days. We have booked the Four Seasons Sayan so that is done but have 8 more nights to decide what to do. We love small resorts with attention to detail, modern or sumptuous design, excellent service. We would ideally like to mix it up with the FS Sayan so that they are all not the same thing repeated. Also looking at Villa Sangikh in Munduk for isolation. If we go to a beach we wanted a nice one which is why we thought of Kayumanis but seeing that it is brand new we weren't sure if it would still be under construction. We will do some diving, some cooking, lots of relaxing! We want to avoid the prefabricated resort hotels - not our thing. if anyone has been to these places or recommend others - Any advice would be very helpful!

rhkkmk

i recently stayed at the new conrad which opened in may....it is splendid...it is large but has a very modern (minimalistic) flair...it is on the beach ... there are tremendous pools all around it...
it is just north of nusa dua in a fairly removed setting...

i would think you might like it...the villas are particularily nice (not seperate buildings but rather swim-out units in the main building)....

good restaurants in the hotel and some not far away...

craig will probably answer you with his more remote lux places...

Craig

Check out Hotel Tugu, probably the most unique hotel on Bali. It is located on the southern coast, north of Kuta and Seminyak. If you are looking for great beaches though, Bali is not the place to go and I really can't recommend the Tugu for that. They do have a beach, however.

For Diving, Damai is good - it is about an hour away from Menjangan Island which has excellent diving.

Rather than go on here, please see my 6 part trip report which includes our experiences at Tugu and Damai:
http://www.balitravelforum.com/archive200307/11747.html

glorialf

The Bali Oberoi sounds like just what you are looking for. Beautiful, small, luxury.

cruisinred

I have not been to Bali recently, but I have been checking out luxury villas/hotels for our trip this November. The idea of a villa rather than a hotel appeals to me for the privacy. Also, often a cook is included to prepare all your meals.
Here are some of the places I have found.

www.villakubu.com - beautiful private villas in Seminyak, near the legian and oberoi

In Canggu, on the west coast, untouristy area. These 2 villas look great, and very good prices, around $150 or less for 2 people. Very "W Hotel" style decor. Have read good reviews of these on other travel sites.

www.tamuseseh.com & www.sesehserasi.com

scott_bev

Thanks so far...I know the beaches aren't great, I just know that there are some that are decent and some that are really not decent so we at least want to get on a decent one for a few days. I am unsure about the Conrad but will check out the others - thanks Craig -will look at your report. So you feel the Tugu is worth the money? The website pic's make it look a little old but it could just be the poor website. And anyone stayed at the Bale in Nusa Dua or Matahari Beach? We liked the look of the new Kayumanis at Nusa Dua but as it opens in September we were worried that it may not be fully done and will be caught in the "introductory rate" construction zones.

Ericka

Amankila meets all of your needs - small, extreme pampering and attention to detail, lovely black sand beach, secluded (no tourists), stunning views, I could go on and on.

We also stayed at the Sayan property in October. Be warned, it may rain (a lot). Last year in October, the rainy season came early. It's still a beautiful place, though.

But, the sun is always out at Amankila! Please read my review of it on this forum (hotels section).

P.S. You can't go wrong with any Aman.

Craig

The only thing about the Tugu that is old is the awesome Indonesian antique furniture and buildings that make up the place. It is impeccably clean and the beds are the biggest you will have ever slept on. There is nothing "tired" about this place and the ability to eat your meals (great food) or have a massage anywhere on the hotel grounds is a huge plus. The service is also excellent. This is the antithesis of the "prefabricated resort". See the Fodors review and user revies on this site. For some reason, I can not enter the link without losing this post. From the fodors.com home page click on hotels, then Asia/Indonesia/Bali. I am surprised that you asked if the Tugu is worth the money - aren't you staying at the FS Sayan - way more expensive - check the rates for the Tugu (and others) on www.balidiscovery.com. If you really want to spend the big $$ the Aman properties mentioned by another poster are the way to go BTW.

hobbes

IMO if money is not object there is nothing to beat Begawan Giri - www.begawan.com. Take a look at it tho u mention u have already booked the Four Seasons and is not a beach. The Club at the legian is GORGEOUS, very exclusive with private pools in the rooms but the beach opposite on which the hotel is located is not great.

rhkkmk

on the conrad i do not want to mislead you...the beach looks like it has been enhanced by man....you do know that you will be unable to spend long hours on the beach because of the hot sun...??

we took advantage of the post construction rates and found it a real bargain...$70....the gourmet dining room was not available but everything else was....i suspect you will find the same thing at the place at nusa dua, especially if it is to open in sept...most things in bali are delayed in opening just as they are in other places...marketing says open, operations says we are not ready!!!

rhkkmk

both craig and i have used the driver Putu...he is fabulous and you might want to take advantage of his services on some days:

[email protected]

marmot

I'm an American living in Indonesia. I go to Bali about 6 times a year and I've stayed at just about every place on your list. The one I keep going back to is the Legian on Seminyak beach. It is beautiful, stylish, the service is great, the food is quite good, the pool stunning and the view of the ocean the best anywhere (sunset included, gratis). Just to give you an idea I was there last week and my co-guests were three generations of a prominent and very elegant Italian fashion family. Look for the Bali collection next year! Basically, you can have solitude or activity as you please and two of Bali's best restaurants are within a short walk.

Everyone has a different idea of what's a great beach in Bali. I think the stretch between the Oberoi and Legian is wonderful, wide, sandy, great for walking and playing in the waves. A little rough for small kids though. I don't like Nusa Dua or Jimbaran because the beaches feel cramped and I think the east and north coasts are way overrated, except for diving. The Conrad is a wonderful property but the beach is simply awful.You just want to pick it up and move it to a decent location.
The Oberoi has seen better days. Personally, I found the Tugu to be a little too quirky (but their guests seem happy). There are a lot of boutique hotels and private villas all over Bali. They can be wonderfully charming, but service and housekeeping can also be quite haphazard. Always warm and friendly though.

Whatever you decide, the beach would make a good balance to the FS Sayan.

I recently spend a weekend at the Amanjiwo (and am going back again tomorrow.) This is a wonderful experience, but very, very different from Bali. Number 1, IT IS HOT! No cooling ocean breezes. Java, while infinitely fascinating, is not as cheerful as Bali and Yogya can be extremely taxing. Having said that I would say that getting up predawn and watching the sunrise from Borobudur temple is one of the great experiences of life.

StanKase

The FS Sayan is an excellent choice. It is small but not intimate as a vills would be. But,it is well worth 4 nights with day tours in and around a 40 mile radius.Do not go to Lumback. We took a short flight there after Sayan and found it not worth going regardless of cost.We were in search of snorkeling and FS Jimbaran Bay other than being large only had fair beaches and fair snorleling if that is what you are looking for as part of the trip.We stayed at the Amanjiwo in Java but you will lose the better part of a day from the time you leave your hotel in Bali to the hotel in Java. Beaches are quite good and snorkeling is good. We went in October and were fortunate and had very good weather.

scott_bev

Thanks everyone for your advice! Craig I hope I didn't offend you, I have never been and am just going by what I see on the web which of course can be misleading or difficult to decipher. Kayumanis Nusa Dua's GM wrote me and promised that the property would be fully completed by the time we arrive, hmmm...well the Legian sounds good as a resting place upon arrival. I certainly have never heard a bad word about the Club there. There are so many hundreds of places to stay it has been quite daunting but between the Legian, the Tugu, the Damai and Amanjiwo we will I am sure have a great trip. Thanks again and anything else I need to know don't hesitate to write!

scott_bev

Oh and Marmot, thanks for all that advice. Yes I went to Borubodur 15 years ago when I was in Java and want my partner to see it - it truly is wonderful. If you've stayed in North Bali do you have any thoughts on Matahari or Damai, or have other suggestions if we go to the beach for 4 days and Sayan for 4 days where to spend our final 4 days? Thanks!

Craig

Scott - no offense taken. Sometimes my passion for something (in this case, the Tugu) can be misread. I am not sure what the other poster on this thread meant by the Tugu being "quirky". A Google search reveals the following definitions of "quirky" which do apply to the Tugu though:
1. "Unusual in an attractive and interesting way"
2. "Strikingly unconventional"

scott_bev

Thanks Craig - is Tugu on a beach?

Craig

Scott - Technically, no. It is across a narrow road (not busy) from the beach. However, if you want to have breakfast, lunch or dinner served to you on a table at the beach, they will be happy to do this as well as anywhere else on their property. The beach is basically empty. Canggu, where the Tugu is located is a very quiet town north of all the "action" so you pretty much have the place to yourselves. Even though it is isolated, it is very easy to get to all the major sites in south Bali (Uluwatu, Tanah Lot, etc.)

marmot

Bali is undergoing another renaissance so what was already a massive field of choices is becoming even more so. I run an export business in Jakarta. My US customers often ask me for recommendations on Bali; they are extremely well traveled and sophisticated but represent a range of budgets. We also occasionally set up small group conferences in Bali which turn out to be about 50% leisure and 50% corporate. I've learned not to recommend places that I've not stayed myself so I do a lot of research. As the number of options escalates I've had a hard time keeping up, thus I tend to stay with what are for me the tried and true. What I'm looking for both on the beach and inland is an unobtrusive, aesthestically pleasing atmosphere. Clean, of course, topnotch service, good food internally and near by, serene ambience and a good dose of that "authentic Bali" touch.This is intangible and can mean different things to different people.

I really like the Legian and think the manager has a lot to do with my opinion. The place runs like a clock but is also stunningly beautiful and peaceful. The suites are splendid but I still prefer the rooms in the regular building (especially room 431) because the view from the balcony is incomparable. My two favorite restaurants -- La Lucciola and Kudeta --are a short walk down the beach.There's a lot to do when you want it and solitude with the sunset a glass of champange on the balcony when you want to get away from everything. I'm also a beach-jogger and can go for miles and miles from Seminyak to Kuta and back with constant entertainment along the way.

I love the villas at Jimbaran, although I don't particularly like the beach or surrounding area. Once inside my personal compound, centrifugal force takes over and I never want to leave.

Amankila is also astonishingly beautiful but it's a bit off the beaten track so I don't get there too often.

I'm going to take another look at the Tugu. As I said we got to know the owner when we stayed at the Tugu in Malang. He is definitely quirky (in a good way!) and the hotel is a expression of his personality and passion. I guess I'm looking for more impersonal -- not in the sense of institutional -- but rather, simple, elegant, refined.

I think the FS Sayan is a very beautiful property, though the restaurant is overwhelming. I usually go for the Alila which overlooks the same river vally (check out Suite #303) for the same reasons that I like the Legian; same philosophy. same attention to detail. I understand that some people find Alila's architecture off-putting. My recommendations for restaurants in Ubud are Mosaic, Bigi at Begawan Giri, and the restaurant at the Alila. I like to shop in Ubud to a limited extent. The heat and confusion can really wear you out. Why can't they get decent sidewalks? Some of the old favorite Ubud restaurants are a little worse for the wear, hygene is questionable. For me the biggest draw in Ubud are the dances and temple festivals. Your hotel will tell you where to go. Avoid the monkey forest!

If you intend to scuba then I'd say go north. Matahari is the best medium sized place in the area. I haven't been there for several years and I understand there are many new villas that offer options. Matahari is okay, but I wouldn't consider it a destination in itself. North Bali has a different atmosphere -- it's drier, less verdant, more Islamic.

I just spent 24 hours at the Amanjiwo with a customer. They didn't disappoint. Sunrise at Borobudur is an amazing experience. Getting in and out of Java is never easy and it was hot as Hades, so if you go, slow down and don't over schedule. Yogya is really truly Indonesia, for better and worse. It is hot (did I say that?), dirty, crowded and totally fascinating. The stark serenity of the Amanjiwo is a godsend.

Sorry to be so wordy, but obviously this is a topic I love to expound on. I can say for sure that any satisfied traveler can become a Bali-expert. There are so many right answers.

scott_bev

Thanks! The Alila in Ubud was our second choice - we love minimalist modern architecture and design (our house is mid-century modern in Canada) and so we would have enojoyed it I'm sure. We are longstanding Four Seasons customers so we went with Sayan instead. We are going to Damai in the North for diving so the only choice left now is the beach. I hear you about the Legian and we are thinking of that one, either that or the new Kayumanis villas which look great in Nusa Dua but are a walk to the beach (5 min) or the Jamahal villa II or III in Jimbaran which also are a 300 m walk to the beach. It will come down to what the 3 beaches are like and what the properties are like in comparison. I hear you about Jimbaran so unless the Jamahal gets splendid reviews we will opt for Kayumanis or the Legian. I also love white broad tropical sand...I get the differences between Nusa Dua and Seminyak. As we are going to 2 other areas we wanted a peaceful and interesting start to the holiday when we first arrive - any last words before we book?