Bali is many different things to many different people. You get the vegan-yoga cult in Ubud, the digital nomad-hipsters in Canggu, the Ozzie-shoppers in Seminyak, the uber-cool surfers in Uluwatu, the party crowd in Kuta…Regardless of where you fit into this spectrum, it’s safe to say that most visitors to Bali dream of living it up in their own private villa. We too have been dreaming about it for quite a while.
We recently turned this dream into reality. Not so much for ourselves, but for my parents. The worst thing about ex-pat life is the fact that you only get to see your family for a few weeks every few years. We try to alternate between visiting Jin’s parents in Korea and my parents in South Africa. This means that we get to see our parents every second year if everything works out.
This time, we decided to treat the old folks from South Africa and spoil them rotten by flying them to Asia for a dream holiday. And nothing says spoilt rotten quite like a private pool villa in Bali! So after visiting us for a few days in China and a weekend in Hong Kong, we all jumped on board a Cathay Pacific plane bound for Denpasar, Bali.
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Quick Guide to Umalas Retreat 3
Visited: February
Suggested time: 3-4 days minimum
Book: Read Reviews & Book on Tripadvisor
Famous for: Bali Villa Lifestyle
Transportation: Pick up and drop off from the airport included. Driver available for touring around Bali
Unique experience: Get an in-house massage next to the pool
Where to Get a Private Villa in Bali?
Deciding where to stay in Bali and choosing your dream villa in Bali is a nightmare. Honestly, there are so many nice places and all of them look as good as the next. The first thing we had to do was to narrow it down to the area we wanted to stay in. We are beach people, so being near the beach was very important. So this, unfortunately, eliminated Ubud.
When we started reading up on Amed on the east coast of Bali, it sounded perfect. However, because of the distance from the airport, we decided against it. Kuta was never an option for us since my parents are really not into partying.
Friends recommended Seminyak, and that seemed like what we were looking for. Great options for eating, shopping for the girls, beach for boys and options for activities and day trips if we wanted to. That’s all that we really wanted for this holiday.
Now that we had narrowed it down to Seminyak, the plethora of choices was still overwhelming. During a late-night Google session for the best private pool villa in Seminyak, the Google gods blessed us with what was to become our slice of paradise. It was everything that we were looking for. But it was in Umalas. We haven’t even heard of Umalas.
Where is Umalas?
Umalas is still flying under the radar of most visitors to Bali…for now. Wedged between the big names of neighbouring Seminyak and Canggu, Umalas is like the middle child. Not quite as trendy or established as Seminyak and not quite as hip as Canggu. What Umalas has is a relaxed charm, a few boutique villas, rice paddies and some up-and-coming restaurants. Many long-term ex-pats also base themselves on Umalas.
One thing that Umalas doesn’t have is a beach. But with Seminyak’s Double 6 beach about 15 minutes away by taxi, and Canggu beach about the same distance in the other direction, we were sold on Umalas.
What We Look for in a Private Pool Villa in Bali?
We are easy people. It doesn’t take much to keep us happy. For our Spoilt-Rotten-Family-Holiday we basically needed a private villa. With a pool. Those were the only criteria. Everything else would be a bonus.
When we found Umalas Retreat 3 online, it met our basic needs. It was private and had a pool, but promised us so much more.
- A PRIVATE CHEFF!!!
- Tropical garden
- Indoor-outdoor living
- Relaxed atmosphere
When we get a private villa we know that we will be spending most of our time inside the villa. We don’t need to be entertained, but instead are looking to collect memories that will last a lifetime. We are getting a villa to spend quality time with our family and to relax.
What to Expect When Staying at Umalas Retreat
Your stay at Umalas Retreat 3 includes pick up (and drop off) from Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar. You literally don’t need to worry about a thing from the moment that you pass immigration.
The drive from the airport to our villa took about 40 minutes. Take in all that traffic and remember it, since you will not be seeing that for a while. Once you enter the villa and shut the door behind you, the outside world stays behind outside.
The driver will coordinate with the villa team, who will await your arrival to carry you on their hands right from the start. Our luggage magically disappears into the rooms, icy welcome drinks with bamboo straws and refreshment towels appear, and our phones connect to the wifi. All of this without us having to lift a finger.
Umalas Retreat is a fully serviced, 2 bedroom – 2.5 bathroom villa and is perfect for a family holiday. The two rooms are identical, except that one room doesn’t have a tv. You can request one room to be with 2 single beds if travelling with children. The huge bathroom comes with an open-air shower and bathtub and is inside-out living at its best. This is what most people picture a Bali villa to be.
Umalas Retreat strikes the perfect balance between a luxury private villa and homeliness. The decor throughout is stylish and staying here is incredibly comfortable.
You will also get a pre-charged Nokia phone that you can use for making local calls such as taxis or restaurants. There is no need to buy a sim card if you’re not planning to go anywhere else in Bali after your stay at the villa.
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Your Private Villa Comes With a Private Chef
All things considered, the thing we love most about Umalas Retreat is the private chef. Each villa comes with a housekeeper butler who also doubles as a chef. Our butler, Rosita, is more than just a housekeeper/chef. She is a weather forecaster, informant, expert on Balinese culture and eventually a friend.
The concept here is that you discuss with Rosita what you want to eat and when. Rosita then gives you an estimated cost. You pay Rosita and then she goes shopping for ingredients. Upon her return, she will provide a receipt and return any leftover money. She will then prepare the food and serve it at the arranged time. This system works well and you can be sure that the ingredients are fresh from the market.
The villa comes with a menu book that has ample Indonesian and western dishes. Anything from soto ayam to bacon carbonara. We had breakfast (included) and dinner at the villa every day, and everything we had was fantastic!
We always started the day with continental breakfast, pancakes, avocado smash and a free flow of freshly brewed Balinese coffee. After breakfast, we would discuss what we will eat for the rest of the day, or whether we would be eating out.
For us, there is nothing better than coming home after a day out at the beach or shopping and simply sit down to our dinner. Sometimes you just don’t have any energy left at the end of the day to decide where to eat and then actually have to go out to eat it.
Relaxing at Your Villa
There is nothing left to do at the villa other than take relaxation to the next level. Every possible thing will be taken care of for you, so you simply need to get with the program and relax hard.
The information manual which the villa provided is jammed with recommendations of things to do and where to eat in the area. If still in doubt your butler will give you even more local tips.
The in house massage service immediately grabbed our attention, we made a call on our villa phone and a one-way ticket to heaven was promptly arranged. A minivan filled with therapists, batik sheets, massage tables and cd with soothing music arrived at the agreed-upon time, and soon after we reached nirvana.
Seeing Seminyak and Canggu from Umalas
Seminyak and Canggu make for nice distractions when you need a break from sleepy Umalas. Depending on traffic, a taxi to either of these places takes about 20 minutes.
The beach at Seminyak was quite a disappointment, to be honest. Perhaps because we went there in February, the Double 6 beach was full of trash and not what you expect a beach in Bali to look like.
February is the rainy season though, and due to flooding rivers and tides beaches all over Bali can be a mess during this time. The majority of the trash washing up on the beaches in Bali comes from Java. There’s not much really that Bali can do about that. We saw ex-pat families trying in vain to collect the trash, only for the sea to deliver a new load with every wave coming in.
There is some decent shopping on Double 6 road, which kept the girls busy for a while. However, for much better shopping, we suggest going to Ubud.
Here is a VIBE!
That’s what my mom said shortly after arriving at Fin’s Beach Club in Canggu. We missed Fin’s demographics by about 20 years, but the beach here is wonderful for a sunset stroll and a few cold Bintangs as the sunsets. Canggu beach is wide and packed with little quirky beach bars.
You could also check out a few of the cool markets in Canggu if you’re looking for some unique souvenirs.
Day Trip to Ubud
You can’t come to Bali and not go to Ubud. Ubud is the cultural heart of Bali and you should dedicate a whole day to seeing its wonders. Or even better, you should spend a few days here before or after Umalas.
We arranged with our villa to take us on a full-day trip to Ubud, which costs Rp 600K. We simply asked Kadek, our driver, to take us to Ubud and show us what there is to see. This is where Kadek took us:
- Luwak coffee tasting at a lush spice garden
- Tegalalang rice terraces
- Tirta Empul water temple
- Shopping at Ubud Art Market
- Sacred Monkey forest
He also wanted to take us to Tanah Lot for sunset, but we were knackered after the full day of sightseeing. Instead, we went straight back to our villa where Rosita was waiting for us, smiling, with a delicious dinner of mixed satays, gado-gado and nasi goreng.
Should You Get a Private Villa in Bali?
ABSOLUTELY!!!
On our last day, I catch my mom quietly crying in the garden. I would like to think that she is coming to terms with the fact that we’ll soon be saying our farewells. It will be two years before we see each other again. But I might be wrong.
Perhaps she is crying because she has to leave this paradise. She has to go back to a reality where there is no Rosita waiting with a smile when she returns home at the end of the day.
Staying at your own private villa with a pool is the absolute best way to do Bali. The beauty of having a villa in Bali is that there is something for every taste and budget. Whether you are travelling as a couple, with family or with friends, you will go home feeling rejuvenated and with enough memories to last a lifetime.
If you’re looking for an extraordinary holiday which offers exceptional value for money, we can’t recommend a private villa highly enough. Go book yourself a villa- you know it’s the right thing to do.
