Sungai Gold gives more luxury love in Bali

Couples wanting the ultimate in bespoke and intimate romance in Bali can check in to their very own premier 'owner's villa' at Villa Sungai, tucked away in a jungle setting in an authentic village twenty minutes from Legian. The newly expanded Sungai Gold villa is a slice of paradise in this private compound, where every dream and fancy is catered for in exclusive style.

Sungai Gold already features the same services as Villa Sungai with exclusive only hire, twenty-four hour butlers, personal chefs and chauffeurs and a private concierge.  Only now, after recent renovations, Sungai Gold has more space with two identical master suites.

Couples can choose to use the second master suite as a dedicated spa treatment room for in-house spa therapy or convert the master suite to two king singles when travelling with children. Two couples travelling together also have the option of a third sleeping space if needed in the Sungai Gold leisure pavilion with a king or king singles bed with private ensuite. Or just enjoy the peace and total privacy that comes with hiring out the entire Sungai Gold just for the two of you ... perfect for an exceptional honeymoon experience, we think.

Larger parties may wish to exclusively book both the three bedroom Villa Sungai and Sungai Gold for the ultimate house party, complete with two full size pools, six king bedrooms and seven bathrooms. Awesome!

We're always up for a little bit of exotic glamour, and nowhere does that quite like Bali and Villa Sungai ... this dreamy destination is rated high on our lust-list! 

A day of silence in Bali - Nyepi falls on Friday March 23rd

If you are planning on being in Bali on March 23rd, don' be surprised to find it a ghost island. For a total of 24 hours you won't see any locals on the streets, you won't leave the confines of your hotel or villa (nope, no shopping for you!). You won't hear any noise, and you certainly won't be landing or flying out of the airport that day! Friday March 23rd this year is Nyepi day  – the day for meditation and absolute silence in Bali - and the one day of the year when the entire island of Bali is closed for 24 hours to all traffic, including air traffic. On this day, no one is allowed on the streets and on the beach, including tourists.

In keeping with the strict traditions of the holy day, Bali grinds to an absolute halt from 6:00 a.m. on the Friday until Saturday, March 24, 2012.

On the eve of Nyepi, celebrations are held when floats of huge colourful paper demons are paraded through the streets of cities, carried to the beach and torched, making a bright bonfire. Each one then quietly retreats to their respective homes to spend the entire day in silent reflection, free from any noise. Homes may also not have any open fires, nor any lights lit at night.

While this may sound eerie, in fact, those that have gone through this absolute quietness of a whole island find it a most exhilarating experience.

Craig Gibbons Marketing Manager for the Visit Indonesia Tourism Office in Australia says 'Nyepi is a truly wonderful and peaceful time to visit Bali but we do ask that all Australian tourists respect this very sacred day in the Balinese Hindu calendar by remaining within their hotel grounds for the respective period'.

So, if you're on the island, please pay respect for the 24 hours of Nyepi, be observant of tradition, and enjoy the rare opportunity to soak up absolute, complete silence and retreat. You may just find yourself tuning in to a level of relaxation not experienced before. 

The Young and the Young at Heart at W Seminyak, Bali

On our recent trip to Bali we simply had to check out the sizzling hot new W Seminyak Retreat & Spa! As long time fans of the signature W lifestyle approach - design, music and a good dose of tongue-in-cheek cool - we had heard great things about the new kid on the block, and weren't disappointed! 

This place is like nothing Bali has ever seen before, and it's taken it's rightful place as THE place to stay and play if you want something totally unique, stylish and trendy. W Seminyak is an enclave that embraces a "forever young" philosophy, and you know it as soon as you arrive in the avant garde hotel lobby ... beautiful and sophisticated, it's also cheeky and playful too. Case in point? Take the landscaped tropical WET pool, where huge round canary yellow sun lounges let you kick back in style and tune out to the blissful beats that wash over the terraced rice-field style swimming zones, beachside. The 'Beach Amabassadors' make sure your every whim is catered for and the Sweet Spot will have you in comfy robes and slippers as you enjoy its hands-on deck service, from bringing you sun care amenities, fresh towels, snacks, cocktails frozen treats, games to, yes, help cleaning your sunglasses!  

And we got a real giggle riding the elevators, with the quirky welcome mats personally changed by the hotels' 'Talent' (a W title for the exemplary staff) from "Good Morning" to "Good Afternoon" and "Good Evening" as the day glides by - and don't worry when the lights go out as you land on your floor, and the interior turns to neon blue. It's all a part of the living art that is W Hotels. There's even an art gallery, a selection of high fashion retails spaces, and a 24 hour spa, which we hear is popular with late night revelers who come here to wind down in the early hours of the morning. 

Dining here is a decadent affair, with a choice of restaurants and bars - devour the finest of Asian flavours at the Starfish Bloo, or get your heat on at the open kitchen and wood fired grill of Fire, cooling down with Artisan cheeses, imported and house-made charcuterie and frozen cocktail confections at ICE. 

The WooBar is cocktail heaven, right by the WET zone and the scene of the weekend parties where international DJs come to play their sets and appease the dance floor crowd on the Sky Deck overlooking the beach before everyone heads downstairs to chill in to the early hours with ambient beats at the W Lounge. 

In testimony to the W Hotels love of music, every suite is completely sound proofed with in built super styling stereo systems that let you turn the music up without ever annoying your neighbours ... and with an urban interior design that is the complete anti-establishment of the modern exotic Bali style, W Seminyak offers something completely different and exciting to the Seminyak scene. 

We were extremely impressed. And already planning a longer stay on our return to Bali in the New Year! 

Shisha and cocktails on the beach at The Sandi Phala - Bali

This stunning boutique hotel is set within a shady tropical garden and fronted by a privat white sand beach, just 7 minutes away from the airport. 1st and 2nd story suites and pool suites offer the utmost in comfort and sophistication, while the dining is a real highlight. With sunset views that make for a daily pleasure, The Sandi Phala has taken all opportunity to make every day an unforgettable memory, with the beachfront Ma Joly restaurant that features fine-dining French cuisine, where you can wine and dine to your heart's content while enjoying the incredible sunset colours splash across the sky. Sandi Phala's complimentary Sunset Cocktail and Afternoon Tea Delight prove popular with couples for obvious reason - there's a tempting array of sweet and savoury delights, coupled with an impressive line up of cocktails and a live showcase of jazz music making for a romantic and ambient event. 

The resort's latest addition to the art of the sunset experience is the Shisha On The Beach - partake in the traditional hookah pipe with Mint Tea and optional Asian Tapas to start the evening in a unique style!

Experience the divine at Maya Ubud Resort & Spa

Still in Ubud, and off to another stunning property, Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, where you are greeted with the most incredible beauty all around. With individual Balinese style villas set in a lush landscape, this well established favourite is also home to one of the best spas to be found in all of Bali. We were told to go here by a local friend who lives in Bali - in her words it is an "incredible experience" not just for the amazing treatments on offer, but also for the sheer beauty of traveling down through the resort to the very banks of the sacred Petanu River. What a stunning setting!

Below the luxurious resort you will discover the riverside spa at Maya, and it has been designed with the utmost sensuality, relaxation and pure pampering in mind. Surrounded by nature, with the swirling waters of the river a stone's throw away, this is the very best of serene Ubud.

For couples, the spa at Maya Ubud is a heavenly indulgence, with double treatment pavilions that allow couples to be together and to share in the spa specialties - a gentle four hand massage, relaxing Balinese massage, reflexology, herbal treatments, organic body scrubs (including the traditional Lulur scrub, highly recommended!) and facials - plus a range of packages to choose from that will keep you in total bliss for hours on end. Divine!

Maya Ubud Resort & Spa has also recently opened a new fitness centre and yoga pavilion, where you can enjoy daily yoga sessions in a tranquil atmosphere, with stunning views over the resort gardens and adjacent rice terraces. There is a "Yoga for Beginners" session conducted each morning for all to join, and also private sessions available for those who really want to immerse themselves in this holistic body and mind practice while staying here in paradise.

There is also the incredible "Spiritual Journey" package available, tailor made by Maya Ubud to include an 8-day/7-night program that will enable you to experience and understand the spirituality of the Balinese. The program includes yoga and meditation each morning, exploring nearby temples and a visit to balinese healer or obtaining a priestly blessing, join in the making temple offerings, and even walk to a traditional village to be greeted by the villagers and experience how they start the day. And between the activities, spa pampering awaits you at Maya, to help you relax and rejuvenate both mind and body. Sounds truly beautiful, doesn't it? Maya Ubud Resort & Spa is just that - a place of beauty, and a unique journey in to romance and relaxation.

Images courtesy Maya Ubud Resort & Spa

Romance and relaxation Kamandalu Resort & Spa

The peace that prevails in the lush green hills of Ubud is so potent, making it an ideal destination when you really want to unwind and rejuvenate the spirit while in Bali. It's a special place, imbued with serenity and enchantingly beautiful in its scenery. 

I had the pleasure of staying at Kamandalu Resort & Spa a few years back, in a deluxe private pool villa that was dramatically perched overlooking the cascading Petanu River. Days were spent floating in the cool waters of our pool while listening to the farmers singing in the surrounding hills, accompanied by the cracking call of wild birds. Occasionally we would drag ourselves out to sample the great food at the resort's restaurant, or to have a cocktail at the swim-up pool bar in the public areas, or a romantic meal in the garden. More than one day was spent enjoying the pampering spa treatments on offer. But one of the real highlights was an evening spent in the privacy of our own villa enjoying a bbq of Indonesian delicacies created by the resort's chefs, just for us. And with that incredible view, it's a meal to remember - if you stay here, you must try it!

Totaling 56 villas in five different styles - the Ubud Chalet, Garden Villa, Pool Villa, Deluxe Pool Villa and the larger two bedroom Pool Villa which is perfect for groups - each villa features natural stone finishing and indigenous grass (alang-alang) roofings, and most have their own private bale bengong (traditional outdoor day-bed) for the perfect enjoyment of the art of doing nothing. And in such a spectacular location, surrounded by nature, lost in the pure bliss, it's the perfect way to spend time together. 

Kamandalu Resort & Spa is located just a 10 minute drive in to Ubud centre if you're keen to go shopping or head out to a restaurant or sight seeing. Though be warned, dragging yourself away from the relaxation of your daybed won't come easy here!

Images courtesy Kamandalu Resort & Spa

Ku De Ta - still as cool as ever

We wanted a special night out, one of those candle lit meals with a moody, beachside romantic ambience, and fine dining to make for memories, you know what I mean? Cue an old favourite - Ku De Ta in Seminyak. We've been going there for years and it remains an ever chic and ultra special kind of place to relax and mingle and lounge and soak up the very best of that modern exotic style that Bali does so well. 

Hanging lanterns line the entrance and you're greeted by friendly staff who lead you to your table, set perfectly to be framed by that always impressive view! By early evening the star of the show is the food - Ku De Ta runs the gamut of international cuisine, prepared by world class chefs ... always impressive and delicious. 

Come of a day and you're in for a chill out zone, with ambient beats played until the sun begins it's crawl back down - you get perfect sunset views to enjoy a cocktail and let the whole scene wash over you. As the night wears on the music starts to rise and the - later after dinner is done - the party set creeps in. There's always a line up of international DJs making appearances here and it's a great spot to come along for a sunday session.

The Ku De Ta claim as "where art meets fine dining in a collision of culture and epicurean fantasy" always rings true - we left our dinner here feeling indulged and well satiated, and with a little hint of the cool factor still lingering as we made our way back to our private villa. It's just that kind of place. The music, the food, the wine, the people ... it's a definite 'scene', and one we keep returning to again and again!

Images courtesy Ku De Ta