Villa Alamanda

Ubud is Bali’s cultural hub, a royal village situated at the confluence of two rivers in the Balinese heartland. A haven for local and foreign artists since the 1930s, it is now a conglomeration of villages and the island’s centre for fine arts and cultural performances, attracting art collectors, connoisseurs, writers, mystics, and people who are actively involved in art, anthropology, music, dance, architecture, environmentalism and alternative healing.
Ubud is the seat of the Sukawati Royal Family. The palace is centrally located and open to the public, while in the surrounding villages you can watch the island’s most accomplished painters, stonemasons, woodcarvers, mask makers and silversmiths at work. Besides numerous shops, galleries, studios and a market, Ubud even has its own sacred monkey forest. Restaurants are plentiful, but nightlife is limited with the majority of places closing around midnight.
Ubud is the perfect area to use as a base when visiting Bali. The town claims most of the attributes that entice people to this exceptionally beautiful island – glistening rice terraces, traditional art and craft communities, ancient temples, palaces, and breathtaking river gorges. In fact, the Sayan Ridge is home to some of the best hotels and luxury residences in the world. Ubud’s central location makes it very easy to get to the mountains and all of the major tourist attractions. It also has a cooler, fresher and generally more pleasant climate than the southern coastal regions.
The staff were efficient and because the property is so large we hardly saw them apart from at mealtimes when they tended to gather around the main kitchen to chat, which was a little off-putting. We were informed by the management company, however, that they have plans to change the kitchen design which would resolve this problem. As if to compensate for any disturbance, the house manager really went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed at all times.
There’s quite an extensive priced menu at the villa – the cook’s excellent Balinese dishes come highly recommended and you receive a complimentary Balinese meal if staying more than seven nights. Self-catering is also an option but only for stays of seven days or more; in this instance, a 30% charge is added onto the total cost of your grocery bill if the staff do your shopping for you.
As we were travelling with two teenage children, we were at first concerned that they would not have enough to entertain them, since there is no television; but they had brought their laptops (which functioned perfectly with the good WiFi connection everywhere); and immediately got into the spirit of the house. They loved their rooms, with their cabin-in-the-forest feel and huge bathrooms. We had lunch together in the large living room on their floor, which was also great for board games (we brought along our own). The children also spent a lot of time exploring the river and visiting the organic gardens of the ashram. They made friends with the cows and three Golden Retrievers. The swimming pool was a blessing for us all, so fresh at all hours of the day.
The staff were gracious and competent. The house manager, Alfian, greeted us when we arrived and checked on us often. The two Balinese women looking after the house were a bit shy of speaking English, but they seemed to know exactly what we needed at any moment. On arrival we were immediately offered a glass of fresh coconut water—a most restorative drink full of nutrients. It came from coconut palms growing on the grounds, and a pitcher was always on hand, constantly refreshed.
We had great meals during our stay—some in Ubud and some at the villa. Dinner at the massive dining table felt like being in a castle. The freelance cook was brought in with a day’s notice, which meant that a bit of menu planning was necessary, but that will still be the case when a permanent cook is hired (in the plans), since staff need time to shop for fresh produce at the local market.
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