From a central beachfront location to an unspoilt hillside getaway, travel editor Winsor Dobbin presents the second and final instalment of Ciao’s Bail Special.
Family fun
Whether you plan on partying, surfing, or spending some time in the pool with the kids. Pullman Bali Legian Beach has a major drawcard: its location. Situated between Kuta and Seminyak, and situated right across the road from one of Bali’s most popular surfing beaches, this is an ideal base for lovers of bustling international hotels.
All the local attractions are within a short stroll, whether you want to walk along the beach, visit myriad restaurants and bars, have a massage, a mani/pedi, drink cocktails, visit a market, get a tattoo, drink at a beach club or maybe see a drag show.
Or alternatively there’s enough activities on site for the whole family that you could stay on site and stay busy all week. A variety of room styles are on offer and we were lucky enough to spend one night in a Premium Deluxe Ocean View room (below), and the second in a spacious and very quiet Exclusive Family Room.
This is a big hotel – offering terrific variety. There are 378 rooms and suites, each with the possibility of overlooking the gardens, pools or ocean. Fresh air and sunlight abound no matter which room format you choose, and all rooms are equipped with LED smart TV and cable channels, fast and free wifi, bathtubs and rainfall showers, yoga kits and safe deposit boxes.
There is a lot of greenery here; it is a little oasis from the hustle and bustle outside. Visit the hotel’s own temple gardens, dine in the Montage all-day dining restaurant (with different global cuisines featured each night of the week), or dine from an on-trend food truck.
Think Middle Eastern foods one night, seafood another, or Tastes of Asia, which we enjoyed. Not gourmet, but hearty. The relaxed resort vibe does sometimes extend to the service.
But if you need a late-night bite after being out partying, or a cosy breakfast in bed, 24-hour in-room dining is offered.
Breakfast can be whatever you want from a buffet array of healthy options ranging from Japanese and Indian to western options. The egg station is quick and efficient and makes excellent omelettes. The al a carte all-day menu features Indian and Korean dishes, western favourites and local tastes like satay platters and bebek goreng (duck fried rice). There are three bars, an infinity pool, garden pool and kids pool, a well-equipped gym with enthusiastic trainers, a kids club, even function rooms and a ballroom. Choose from L-Bar near the lobby area (which has late-night BOGOF happy hours), IP Bar at the rooftop Infinity Pool that offers great sunset views, and the relaxed Garden Bar.
Keeping guests’ wellness to the fore, the modern Tjakra7 Spa features hydro pools, steam room and sauna, along with a range of spa therapies. It is very impressive.
For those needing time before check in or after check out there is a lounge with computer screens and bathroom facilities.
Kids will love the after-dark movies shown open air in the gardens.
See https://www.pullman-bali-legianbeach.com/
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Get away from it all
There are so many places that I have yet to visit that I rarely return to destinations, even top-notch ones that I have thoroughly enjoyed. The Damai, a little sanctuary of serenity, is a firm exception to that rule. Think exclusive, remote, and stylish. And definitely return worthy.
Tucked away in the hills above Bali’s northern beaches, The Damai is a privately owned bijou resort where the air is clean, the sky clear and the sounds muted, except, sometimes, for the local frogs.
The Damai sits in the lush green hills above sleepy Lovina and there are just 14 beautifully appointed villas in lush tropical gardens with stunning views over the North Bali coast and the distant volcanoes of Java. The award-winning poolside restaurant serves delicious local and international cuisine with organic ingredients from the resort’s own gardens and farm.
The Damai is a perfect spot to relax from the hectic world outside; to enjoy the private luxury of a pool villa or simply to relax in your private pool after a massage. With a few hours of arriving you will be zoned out, ready to start regenerating.
Myriad activities are on offer; a trip to one of the spectacular local waterfalls, perhaps, a boat ride out to swim with dolphins on one of the local fishing vessels, or maybe a vineyard tour, wine tasting and picnic at a local vineyard (yes, really!).
But my bet is that you will spend most of your stay in your pool, or reading a book, or having an al fresco treatment. Unlike many of Bali’s top resorts, The Damai really is far away from the hustle and bustle.
Here you are close to the true heart of Balil; local people going about their daily lives. Maybe you will venture to a dance class in the village. Savour the scent of cloves in the breeze. Take a trek to a deserted temple or a secret waterfall.
You are only a few hours from Kuta or Canggu, but in a very different world. After taking in the magnificent sunsets, the only sounds you are likely to hear are snatches of traditional music drifting from one of the small nearby villages, or perhaps a rooster crowing.
In addition to the marvellous pool villas, the lush greenery and superb food, the big strength of The Damai is its staff; the vast majority of them locals.
The service here is uniformly smiling and quietly efficient. Nothing is too much trouble whether you are enjoying a cocktail, taking a golf buggy trip from your villa to the main complex, or need help with a restaurant reservation at your next destination.
The Damai describes its style as “elegant simplicity”. All the villas are surrounded by private gardens and you are unlikely to see any other guests unless you wish to. The food is easy to enjoy. Simple brasserie dishes. Balinese classics. Tropical, local and good. Most evenings dinner is served by the poolside, by a roaring fire, under the stars, with views of the boats at sea, catching the fish for tomorrow’s menu.
“We use organic ingredients wherever possible.” staff tell me. “Many things we grow ourselves. Herbs and salads from our market garden. Honey from the Damai bees. Poultry, eggs and fresh coconut oil from our village. Fish from the local fishermen. Very few imports, and always of the best quality we can find.”
In addition to the a la carte dinner menu there is always a three-course set menu of Balinese favourites. And don’t miss out on the cocktails – alcoholic or otherwise. They are splendid and potentially addictive.
Breakfast features a choice of western or Balinese menus, but we began each day with fresh fruit platters and a shot of “jamu” – a local herbal elixir.
You can then go traditional, or local, maybe with Mie Goreng, fried noodles with vegetables and chicken satés. For dinner think menu favourites like yellowfin tuna grilled bleu with ripe local mango, pickled raisins, sweet and sour soy vinaigrette with macadamia and oyster mushrooms, or poached village chicken with fresh zucchini, cucumber, dill oil, noodles and a touch of wasabi.
Stay ultra regional with grilled local fish of the day, beurre blanc or spicy soy sauce, with pilaf rice and steamed local greens.
Your villa will be just a 10-minute drive through the countryside – past local temples and farms – to the beach resort of Lovina.
One note: Unless you are brave/foolish enough to drive yourself, you’ll need to book a hotel transfer. You are a good 3-4 hours from Denpasar Airport, and it is an interesting, albeit slow, drive.
You can stop along the way at Singarajah, Git Git Falls or in Ubud to break up the journey.
The writer was hosted by The Pullman Bali Legian and The Damai