Deciding where to stay in Bali is always a tricky matter. There is just so much to choose from in the land of the Gods. From food land Jimbaran to party zone Seminyak to earthly Ubud - the choices are many. Iam a Bali addict and can only tell people to go there as many times as they can only to feel as if its your maiden trip. For the authentic Balinese experience, steer clear of hotels and opt for the villa accommodations. These are just so much more relaxing and there is something to be said about being on a beach holiday in a 5 star ambience without the staidness of a reception, lobby area, crowded buffet breakfasts and the usual buggy taking you around the resort. Having done a lot of afore described holidays, it was with much skepticism that I had settled for my first villa holiday in Bali and now Iam a convert.
My parents had loved Jimbaran for its food and beach in that order (we are a food family)! So I decided to check out Jimbaran and opted to stay at the fabulously presented Ahimsa villas over the sophisticated Four Seasons Resort where my folks had stayed. Of course, Four Seasons is swish and their villas are luxurious and all that, but I was curious about all those stand-alone villas in Bali and wanted to experience them just once. So Ahimsa it was for us. We were greeted at the airport by our transfer service - a smiling driver in his deluxe minivan offering cold towels and water and zipped off to Ahimsa which is only 15 minutes away.
The greeting area is small and the formalities are quickly dealt with. We take a short walk along a high walled path from the 'reception' to our villa and come to a big wooden door. Not having any clue on what to expect since the walls are very high, we entered wonderland and I was smitten. Holidaying with friends we had booked the 3 bedroom villa. You enter by side of the main living room which overlooks a clean decent sized pool and leads onto the open kitchen and onwards to the dining area. Further beyond lie the rooms, each ensuite. This was our own bit of paradise in Bali and was I glad we chose a villa over a hotel villa or suite. The rooms are large and have enough storage space. The bathrooms are spacious and have an outdoor tub overlooking the pool (appropriately covered by foliage). The beds are very comfortable and mosquito coils are provided in each room.
The decor is minimalistic and the architecture is all about clean lines, lot of woodwork and as much use of natural materials as possible. The sofa in the living room is ideal for lazing with a book or listening to music. There are LCD TVs with DVD players in every room in addition to the living room. There is a selection of DVDs available in the villa and wifi is free. Ahimsa offers a shuttle service within Bali town. This is quite a luxury since the 'shuttle' is really your own personal car and will take you outside of the main town area too (but drop-off only). Buggy and bicycles are available for guests to use for going to the beach at no charge. The staff at Ahimsa is outstanding. Always smiling, polite, nothing is too much trouble for them. The maintenance of the villas is exceptional and nothing looks tired or out of place. There is no spa on the property but in-villa massage services are available. We tried these wherein the masseuse came with a folding massage table and worked her magic. The massage was nice but nothing beats the relaxing experience of being massaged on a wooden table in a spa setting.
Since this is a villa complex, there is no in-house restaurant. However, room service is available from a nearby Italian restaurant which was decent. Breakfast is cooked daily in your villa by the staff who'll come at your preferred hour. They make eggs, toasts, sausages as per your preference and the way they cut fruits is mesmerizing. What artistic designs on your mangoes, apples and pineapples ! Now I'll let you in on a secret. What is not advertised but available on demand is a private barbeque in your villa with the day's fresh catch of seafood. We had chosen Jimbaran precisely for the food and decided to try the barbeque for dinner. A staff of 4 arrived at our villa, set up the barbeque stand and the aroma of chargrilled lobsters, crabs, prawns and fish filled the air. I do not have words to compliment the excellent quality of food we had. A night of pure gluttony which cost a fraction of what it would cost in Singapore if we order the same quantity in an above-average restaurant.
The Ahimsa villa complex is not beachfront property. You have to walk for 10 minutes down a dead-end road before reaching the beach. The beach is clean but not the best Bali has to offer. A slew of vendors sell food on the beach from corn on the cob to coconut water to satay. Ahimsa has beach beds there but you need a token from the front desk before you can use them. The many restaurants on Jimbaran Bay also offer sea-beds if you order food from them obviously. The food at these beach-front restaurants is fantastic and they typically write the day's catch on their entrance signboard. Crabs, lobsters and prawns are to be had aplenty and they are sold by weight. Comparing prices to Jumbo in Singapore, they don't cost anything.
If you are visiting Bali for the nightlife, trendy shopping and chic dining options so raved about, Jimbaran is ill-suited. It is a fair distance from Kuta. If you are looking to spend quality time relaxing with family or chilling out with friends and don't want to do too much outside of lazing, eating and drinking with a toe tucked into the plunge pool, Ahimsa Villa is the place for you. Luxury rarely comes at a reasonable price and Ahimsa is the place to get it.
My parents had loved Jimbaran for its food and beach in that order (we are a food family)! So I decided to check out Jimbaran and opted to stay at the fabulously presented Ahimsa villas over the sophisticated Four Seasons Resort where my folks had stayed. Of course, Four Seasons is swish and their villas are luxurious and all that, but I was curious about all those stand-alone villas in Bali and wanted to experience them just once. So Ahimsa it was for us. We were greeted at the airport by our transfer service - a smiling driver in his deluxe minivan offering cold towels and water and zipped off to Ahimsa which is only 15 minutes away.
The greeting area is small and the formalities are quickly dealt with. We take a short walk along a high walled path from the 'reception' to our villa and come to a big wooden door. Not having any clue on what to expect since the walls are very high, we entered wonderland and I was smitten. Holidaying with friends we had booked the 3 bedroom villa. You enter by side of the main living room which overlooks a clean decent sized pool and leads onto the open kitchen and onwards to the dining area. Further beyond lie the rooms, each ensuite. This was our own bit of paradise in Bali and was I glad we chose a villa over a hotel villa or suite. The rooms are large and have enough storage space. The bathrooms are spacious and have an outdoor tub overlooking the pool (appropriately covered by foliage). The beds are very comfortable and mosquito coils are provided in each room.
The decor is minimalistic and the architecture is all about clean lines, lot of woodwork and as much use of natural materials as possible. The sofa in the living room is ideal for lazing with a book or listening to music. There are LCD TVs with DVD players in every room in addition to the living room. There is a selection of DVDs available in the villa and wifi is free. Ahimsa offers a shuttle service within Bali town. This is quite a luxury since the 'shuttle' is really your own personal car and will take you outside of the main town area too (but drop-off only). Buggy and bicycles are available for guests to use for going to the beach at no charge. The staff at Ahimsa is outstanding. Always smiling, polite, nothing is too much trouble for them. The maintenance of the villas is exceptional and nothing looks tired or out of place. There is no spa on the property but in-villa massage services are available. We tried these wherein the masseuse came with a folding massage table and worked her magic. The massage was nice but nothing beats the relaxing experience of being massaged on a wooden table in a spa setting.
Since this is a villa complex, there is no in-house restaurant. However, room service is available from a nearby Italian restaurant which was decent. Breakfast is cooked daily in your villa by the staff who'll come at your preferred hour. They make eggs, toasts, sausages as per your preference and the way they cut fruits is mesmerizing. What artistic designs on your mangoes, apples and pineapples ! Now I'll let you in on a secret. What is not advertised but available on demand is a private barbeque in your villa with the day's fresh catch of seafood. We had chosen Jimbaran precisely for the food and decided to try the barbeque for dinner. A staff of 4 arrived at our villa, set up the barbeque stand and the aroma of chargrilled lobsters, crabs, prawns and fish filled the air. I do not have words to compliment the excellent quality of food we had. A night of pure gluttony which cost a fraction of what it would cost in Singapore if we order the same quantity in an above-average restaurant.
The Ahimsa villa complex is not beachfront property. You have to walk for 10 minutes down a dead-end road before reaching the beach. The beach is clean but not the best Bali has to offer. A slew of vendors sell food on the beach from corn on the cob to coconut water to satay. Ahimsa has beach beds there but you need a token from the front desk before you can use them. The many restaurants on Jimbaran Bay also offer sea-beds if you order food from them obviously. The food at these beach-front restaurants is fantastic and they typically write the day's catch on their entrance signboard. Crabs, lobsters and prawns are to be had aplenty and they are sold by weight. Comparing prices to Jumbo in Singapore, they don't cost anything.
If you are visiting Bali for the nightlife, trendy shopping and chic dining options so raved about, Jimbaran is ill-suited. It is a fair distance from Kuta. If you are looking to spend quality time relaxing with family or chilling out with friends and don't want to do too much outside of lazing, eating and drinking with a toe tucked into the plunge pool, Ahimsa Villa is the place for you. Luxury rarely comes at a reasonable price and Ahimsa is the place to get it.
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