Auntylynne

I am considering two different accommodations for a late May 2005 (10) day stay in Bali and wanted feedback on these properties if anyone is familiar with them.

The first is in Ubud - IBAH LUXURY VILLAS (5 nights)

The second is located only 10 minutes from downtown Legian-Seminyak - VILLA KUBU (5 nights).

Anyone's experience with these properties would be much appreciated.

Craig

There are so many wonderful accomodations in Bali - maybe it is better to ask what your requirements are for your stay? For example, though Villa Kubu is located near the beach, it is not located ON the beach so you might as well be staying in Ubud or anywhere else in southern or central Bali, in my opinion. Ibah is one of many well established luxury properties in Ubud.

I was looking for a trip report that you promised in a previous post on Costa Rica on the Latin America board to see what your tastes are but you never posted one.

Auntylynne

Ha! You are the first person to note I never did a trip report. Just because you're interested and it was just this last summer, I will post a report sometime this weekend. By the way, thanks for having my back on the Bangkok board with the sun sign girl.

When my husband and I first thought about going to Bali I had visions of an exclusive villa all by itself with no other units and some person cooking our meals. After much research, it just seems hard to plan since we've never been to the area.

The Villa Kubu seems like a good in between. It's private yet in a good area with staff to make reservations or arrange transportation, etc. I realize the beaches in Bali aren't all that good. I just want to get away from my demanding sales job!

I am interested in Ibah because of its similar qualities to the above. Intimate enough but not void of amenities.

Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.

Lynne

Craig

I think splitting your time between two places (beach, ubud/mountains) is a good idea. I suggest you check out Hotel Tugu as a beach destination. I think it will meet your requirement - very intimate and private, staff will fall over backwards for you. Easy to get to restaurants in Seminyak (although you may not ever want to leave the Tugu) - they can provide transportation. Suggest you hire a driver though as there is a lot to see on Bali - several posters here including yours truly have used Putu Arnawa at about $30-$35/day. He can be reached at [email protected] - for ideas on what to do, see my 6-part trip report at:
http://www.balitravelforum.com/archive200307/11747.html

hobbes

Some other ideas - www.puriwulandari.com, www.lindagarland.com, www.baliprivatevilla.com - Kayumanis, www.puriganesha.com. I saw Ibah while we were in Ubud - seemed nice. Begawan Giri combines a villa holiday with a hotel - quite amazing tho so are prices - www.begawan.com.

welltraveledbrit

Dear Auntylynne,
I'm so glad someone has actually asked about Ibah because I'm endlessly recommending it to anyone heading even in the direction of south East Asia or Indonesia!

Ibah is gorgeous...it has a very special small hotel feeling. The rooms are very private and all of them are fairly spacious.

They really need to redo their website as it just doesn't do the place justice. It is absolutely gorgeous ...exquisite...very personal...not at all generic or corporate. The entire aethetic is amazing...down to the flower arrangements!

Lots of pensive Buddhas dressed with a flower in their folded hands in the morning and a flickering oil lamp in the evenings. It was so beautiful that I said to my husband, when we left that I was exhausted from all the looking and admiring while we were there!

The pool is quite lovely...we had a room with a private pool that you went into through a lovely private entrance...great garden bathrooms etc. They do tea every afternoon which is nice and there's a shuttle that willl take you into town though you can walk there too.

We also enjoyed walking out on a footpath from the hotel and out over the rice fields.

Ibah is sometimes on Luxurylink.com so you might be able to get a good price if you buy a package there. I didn't use them for our trip to Bali but I have used them in the past and they're very reliable.

Hope that helps!

Baliphile

Why not try a gorgeous traditional Balinese house/villa? We went to Villa Poppy last month and LOVED it! It's perfectly located just off the main street in Seminyak and only a short walk to fabulous restaurants and nightlife. Some of the best shopping is in Seminyak.

Villa Poppy is totally private, has 3 bedrooms, great open plan living overlooking the lush gardens and pool.

They've got their own staff who are so friendly and you'll even have your washing done! They'll cook for you also if you want to stay in.

Price-wise it was incredibly reasonable - we booked on the net - check out the site www.villapoppybali.com.