Honeymoon in Bali with Alila Ubud
March and September are our months for a spot of travel, so when everyone started to jet off to exotic climes over Christmas & New Year I might have shed a tear or two as our spring jaunt felt like a million miles away! Fast-forward just two months and I’m currently in heaven…
Whilst I’m taking a little R&R time away from Coco HQ I thought I’d share a trip we took last year to the ever-so-blissful Balinese jungle.
Alila Ubud is quite magical; it’s a serenely simple retreat tucked into a hillside on the edge of the Ayung River in the traditional village of Payangan. Logistically, the nearest airport is Denpasar, which is about an hour by private transfer. The nearest town is Ubud, just 15 minutes from the resort, which is a buzzing hub of activity. So all in all, albeit a mighty 7,771 miles from home, once you’re here it’s a pretty great location!
We had broken up our trip by stopping over in Singapore for three nights (definitely recommend doing this!) but once we got to Bali we had zero plans and by this I mean we came to relax.
I think we were a little unusual staying in just one place as the norm seems to be resort-hopping around the island, but for us relaxation lives on the edge of boredom and so we always spend part of our holiday really indulging in everything that nudges us towards this sweet spot – eating, drinking, reading, spa-ing and soaking up the local culture. Alila Ubud allows you to do all of this – with a hefty dose of Balinese contemporary style.
Across their 56 rooms there are several options available, but we chose to stay in one of their Pool Villas – an ‘indulgence of space and seclusion’. The Valley & Terrace Tree Villas however have the most epic jungle views, but I hear that they’re creating Valley Pool Villas! So I think we’ll be heading back to road test these new rooms.
We loved the food here and the restaurant and service was simply divine! Breakfast changed daily and the menu was designed so you could order several small dishes. You could be as healthy or as naughty as you wanted to be – it was all seriously tasty! I personally loved the Daily Smoothie choices and the boy had a regular Jamu (a traditional medicinal drink in Indonesia).
Lastly, I must mention the pool. Although we had our own private pool, we did spend a hefty amount of time looking out at this incredible view. Mostly when we were sipping on Coconuts or Tangerine & Clove Margaritas! It really is as beautiful as it looks in these pictures; perched on the edge of the hillside, it reaches out into the jungle vista where the mist rolls in early morning. Come dusk, you can watch the sun turn the water pink whilst wild monkeys play on the deck
If you’re thinking of a place to unwind, or a possible honeymoon location then I can’t recommend Alila Ubud enough! But, I would also check out the Alila Hotels portfolio as if you like this kind of style, you might just want to explore their other destinations.
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