My Stay at Villa Kami in Canggu with Villa-Bali.com

I am perhaps one of only a handful of Australians who have never been to Bali. I somehow skipped this rite of passage when I was graduating high school and favoured trips to other parts of Asia, America and Europe. But my partner and I were craving a true break – we wanted to relax, not spend a huge amount of money and travel somewhere under 8 hours. Bali ticked all these boxes and before I knew it, we were planning our Bali vacay!

It’s always been my dream to stay in a villa in Bali for the “true” Balinese experience (at least in my mind!) I’m talking a walled estate, private pool, personal chef – the works! But I must admit I was a bit nervous about booking a villa in Bali at first. I have read in the news all sorts of horror stories about holiday-makers being ripped off. From hapless travellers booking non-existent villas, to false promises of the standard of the accommodation, you really need to be careful where and how you book your villa. Enter Villa-Bali.com. These guys are dedicated to sourcing and vetting only the best array of villas in Bali for Aussies. They have a team of villa experts who personally visit the villa rentals before they are listed on the website, and they deal directly with the villa owners to ensure the cheapest price.

Villa-Bali.com also offer a concierge service to make your trip as easy as possible – they can welcome you at the airport and provide private transfers to your villa, assist in the check-in process and they are able to arrange any extra activities you need. From massages in your villa, to day trips and babysitting services, the concierge aims to help you out wherever possible. They offer 600 hand-picked villas around Bali. If you’re after something fancy and central to all the action, choose Seminyak or Legian. If you want peace and quiet try Uluwatu, or if you love the mountains than you need to get a villa in Ubud!

After a lot of research I settled on staying in Canggu. This emerging area has really blossomed lately and is full of cool cafes, restaurants and bars. I didn’t want to stay in the party-focused area of Kuta, nor the high-end area of Seminyak, so Canggu was the perfect happy medium of peaceful rice paddies, yet it wasn’t too far away from the action.

We ended up booking Villa Kami, located in Padonan which is just north of Canggu and a quick taxi or scooter away from Berawa and Echo Beach. Set amongst the palm trees and lined with rice paddies, this tranquil villa felt like we were almost in the middle of nowhere! The property comprised of four spacious bedrooms, a sprawling indoor/outdoor living area, private pool and gorgeous tropical lawns.

The master bedroom is located on the second floor and features a huge king bed and the most amazing freestanding bath located in the interior ensuite.

There are 2 more bedrooms located downstairs in the main house, each with king beds and the most incredible outdoor bathrooms.

The 4th bedroom is located in a separate pavilion, which is perfect for those guests with kids or who just simply want a bit more privacy.

The abstract pool is the central focus of the villa and is the perfect place to float around during the day and cool off from the hot Bali weather. There are also sun chairs, umbrellas and towels provided on the pool deck.

Since it’s always warm in Bali, the living area is completely open allowing you to enjoy the weather and balmy evenings. There are bean bags at the end to watch the tv, a huge dining area which is the perfect place to enjoy an alfresco meal and an open kitchen for you to cook a meal or ask the chef to whip you up something.

Villa Kami came with it’s own butler, chef and manager, and a security guard kept a watchful eye over the property during the evening. Our butler was a great help with booking taxis and day trips and the chef cooked us a delicious breakfast each morning to our liking, and both cleaned the villa daily.

The villa even had its own massage bale, and our manager arranged for 2 masseuses to pay us a visit and provide an hour-long Balinese massage each.

As much as we wanted to explore the Canggu area every day, it was hard to leave the villa! Some mornings we enjoyed a sleep in, had a swim, ate a delicious Indonesian breakfast prepared by our chef, before reading by the pool for hours on end. It truly is the perfect place to completely unwind and relax.

I’m sure you’re thinking, gosh this must have been an expensive trip! Well Villa Kami is priced from AUD$375/night, and with enough bedrooms to sleep 8 people, when travelling in a group you could be paying as little as $47/night per person. It works out to be insanely good value and much cheaper than the luxury hotels in the same area.

     

Next time I visit Bali I definitely want to stay in a villa again. The privacy, convenience and value is unquestionable and I will definitely book with Villa-Bali.com again to ensure I get the best on offer!

This post was created in collaboration with Villa-Bali.com. As always, thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that allow me to create content for you!