What You Get
Internet (WiFi)
Swimming Pool (Private)
The Experience
Villa Lila Bamboo is a place for people who want to experience the spiritual energy of Bali. Hindu statues adorned with flowers give the villa a temple-like quality. The neighbourhood village of Nyuh Kuning is quiet, leafy, and pristine. The large size of the house makes it ideal for a family or several couples. Although it is designed to sleep six, a small canopy bed in the second floor living room and a full bathroom on the ground floor make it easy to accommodate a seventh person. Life is simple and natural at Lila Bamboo. There is no television (although there is good WiFi internet throughout the grounds). There is no air-conditioning, and no need for it since the design of the house allows fresh air to circulate freely. But neither is there a shortage of things to do: a stone-lined swimming pool runs along the east side of the house, while yoga classes, a traditional massage, raw food classes and excursions around the island can all be arranged on request. Airport pick-up and drop-off (one trip each) are complimentary, and a car and driver can be hired through the villa manager (at about USD30 per day, including petrol). The villa has three full-time staff for housekeeping and looking after the pool and garden, and the live-in manager is very attentive to guests’ requirements. Breakfast is included in the rate while a cook is available to prepare lunch and dinner with a day’s notice; charges for this service (approximately US$5) plus food at cost are added to your account . Alternatively, there are many good restaurants in nearby Ubud, and D’Waroeng, in Nyuh Kuning village, is an informal eating place with very good food; it has tables in the back garden, and they deliver too. Lila Bamboo Villa was conceived to fund the Satyagraha Ashram for children, in whose one-hectare grounds the villa and its walled garden are situated. The children do not live there: they come for community-based yoga programs and schooling in organic gardening—very quiet activities. Smoking is strictly forbidden on the entire property, and no pets are allowed.
Our review
- Overall Rating:
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7.4
- Reviewed:
- 12-Jun-2012
A stone and bamboo mansion in an ashram near central Ubud.
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.
Individual Scores:
| Character/Charm: | 8 | Location: | 8 | Outside Area: | 6 |
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| Living Area: | 8 | Bedrooms: | 8 | Bathrooms: | 8 |
| Kitchen: | 8 | Facilities: | 6 | Staff: | 7 |
| Value: | 7 |
Highlights
Lila Bamboo’s location in a pretty village within walking distance of Ubud offers a rare combination of seclusion and convenience. The large scale of this ingeniously built house is liberating and uplifting. The third floor bedroom, with its soft colours and beautiful textiles, has an ethereal quality; we will never forget the beauty of the moonlight streaming in on three sides.
Surprises
We felt no need for air-conditioning, but we visited in the cool dry season (July). No phone in the house, but most people use their own cell phones. The strict non-smoking rule for the entire grounds will be a blessing for many, but a hardship for a few. The driveway of round river stones was hard to walk on, and you had to watch your step in the bathrooms, where loose rocks between large flat ones were a decorative feature. In the top floor bedroom, there was no ceiling fan, but we could open the sliding glass walls. The white cotton curtains make it impossible to create a dark room on a moonlit night (but who cared?)
PROs
- Large interesting 3-storey house
- Excellent location near Ubud
- Calm, healing atmosphere
- Good WiFi everywhere
- No smoking anywhere
CONs
- No smoking anywhere
- No air-conditioning
- No television
- Telephone in office, not house
Gallery
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Location
Lila Bamboo with its large walled garden is located in the grounds of the 1.13-hectare Satyagraha Ashram, in the northeast corner of the exceptionally neat and pretty village of Nyuh Kuning, which lies just south of Ubud’s sacred Monkey Forest. A short walk brings you to the famous Jalan Monkey Forest shopping street with uncountable shops and restaurants. Rice fields are still being cultivated just across the small river that flows by the east side of the villa. To the north, quiet villas and gardens are springing up.
Places of Interest(KMs) |
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| Monkey Forest Road | 1.0 |
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| Central Ubud | 2.5 |
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| Neka Museum | 3.5 |
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| Mas | 4.0 |
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| Sayan | 6.5 |
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| Tampaksiring | 15.0 |
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| Seminyak | 31.0 |
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| Ngurah Rai Airport (DPS) | 40.0 |
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About Ubud
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.
About Bali
Bali is Indonesia’s most popular tourist location and is considered one of Asia's premier tropical island destinations. Steeped in history and renowned for its artistic way of life, Bali is a peaceful contrast to some of the more frantic destinations Asia has to offer.
The inner peace and creative talents of the Balinese has attracted artists the world over fascinated by local dancers, silversmiths, wood carvers, potters and painters that seem to pervade throughout the island. The abundant verdant fields and surrounding sea have long supplied Bali with an easy surplus of food leaving time for life’s more artistic past times. As a result everything in Bali has a creative and religious element centred around the local Banjar (residents association) – little, adorned temples are everywhere, doors are covered in intricate carvings, huge kites ward off evil spirits and colourful roadside ceremonies bring traffic to a standstill.
Bali is a popular destination principally from Australia and Asia but also from all over Europe. The island welcomes thousands of visitors each year to a relaxing lifestyle, stunning beaches, world class surf, vibrant villages, and spectacular scenery all with an exquisite tropical climate. Located approximately two hours’ flying time from Singapore the island is serviced by an international airport at Denpasar with direct flights to and from many major cities in Asia, Europe and Australia and many more via Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital.
The island offers an impressive range of leisure and lifestyle amenities including world-class golf courses, wonderful seascapes for surfing, diving and snorkelling as well as luxurious spas, chic boutiques, tropical forests, towering volcanoes and international cuisine.
Rooms
The villa’s tiered roof, which allows natural ventilation, rests on columns of giant bamboo poles lashed together and set on large rocks. Living and dining areas are on the ground floor. The three bedrooms—all with ensuite bathrooms, natural toiletries, walk-in closets, and canopied queen-size beds hung with mosquito netting—are on the second and third floors. Asian carpets, antiques, and textiles create oriental sumptuousness amidst the organic materials of the house.
In the entrance foyer is a shrine to the elephant-headed god Ganesh set in a niche of river stones. Black river stone walls give the ground floor a dark glamour (which some may find simply too dark, although light blasts in through sliding glass walls, and the ceilings are high). Floors are of suede-like adobe. Sofas of giant black bamboo flank a recycled teak coffee table and the big timber dining table (seats up to twelve) has free-form benches and baroque armchairs. Also on the ground floor is a bathroom with shower, and the large professional kitchen. A patio with table and lounge chairs lets you enjoy the morning light by the stone-lined swimming pool stretching along the east side of the house.
The second floor, up a beautiful, broad spiral staircase, has a large living area and long balcony. The honeyed mood of this room comes from the antique furniture, warm tea-colour bamboo, and thick red carpets. The two bedrooms on this floor have sliding glass walls overlooking the garden, study desks, big carpets, antique painted teak panels, and large bathrooms with rain showers. Alix’s room, as it is called, is masculine and trim; Sophie’s has furnishings in soft, pretty colours.
The third floor is one large light-filled room, with pale bamboo, sliding glass walls, a walk-in closet and large bathroom. The furnishings are white or pastels. The regally centred bed has a timber frame inlaid with mother-of-pearl. There is a large sofa, big glass-topped desk, antique dressing table, and several nooks for study or meditation are lined with precious-looking 19th-century books. The bathroom has a rain shower and a big bathtub of carved pale stone; the WC is in a walk-in niche with shelves of art objects.
An adobe wall encloses the villa’s broad lawns. There is a comfortable pool pavilion with cushions. Two paths lead to a small river in a shady glade, with several places to sit and enjoy the air.
Key Amenities
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Internet (WiFi)
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Swimming Pool (Private)
Other Amenities
- Bed Linen
- Book Selection
- Car Parking
- Ceiling Fans
- Computer (On Request)
- Fax (On Request)
- Laundry Service (Extra)
- Main Dining (12 persons)
- Motorbikes/Scooters (Extra)
- Oven/Hotplates
- Printer (On Request)
- Toiletries
- Towels
Villa Staff
- Babysitter (Extra)
- Chef/Cook (Restricted hrs) (Extra)
- Garden/Pool Staff
- Housekeeping (Full time)
- Manager
- Masseuse/Spa Therapist (Extra)
- Security (Night time only)
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Lila Bamboo is a fascinating 3-bedroom villa of baronial proportions, built of river stone and bamboo—a peaceful retreat in a yoga ashram next to a quiet river and just a walk through the sacred Monkey Forest to the centre of Ubud with all its cultural, dining, and shopping opportunities.
http://www.thevillaguide.com/villa/lila-bamboo-villa.aspx
