Bali Sunsets - Villa or Resort?

Bali is a truly wonderful holiday destination, because it offers all things to all people, and at whatever price bracket you want. There are fabulous hotels at great rates, and villas all over the island for a little luxury, that may or may not break the bank, depending on where you choose.

We have always stayed in a villa, because it's something we couldn't do anywhere else in the world. This time, we opted to also stay a few nights at a resort, as I figured the kids might like the activities, it was on the beach and we had points to 'pay' for the room until our midnight flight, so we'd have access all day and into the night.

We stay at Kembali Villas in Seminyak, though any villa in Seminyak will offer a similar experience, location being one of the key things to look at. That said, a taxi won't cost much, so it's not really a big deal.

The villa gives you space, a huge lounge room for relaxing, a pool and bedrooms. This indoor/outdoor space was a real bonus on the afternoon it rained, as we still could enjoy the location, watching the tropical storm pass, rather than being cramped in a hotel bedroom (the kids however chose to watch tv in the bedroom so it probably didn't matter to them either way).

The outdoor bathroom adds to the truly tropical ambience, and the jasmine toiletries and nearby frangipani trees fill the air with fragrance.

 The downside, you will be pushed to find a villa with connecting bedrooms or a pool with a fence, so if you have little children, you may find yourself in a sleeping arrangement with one adult and one kid each bedroom, as we did for awhile, in fear of fire or an early riser making their way to the pool unsupervised.

Our children are now older, so they can lock themselves in and it's less of a concern.

The staff at the Villa can organise to change money, drivers, call restaurants and anything else you require.

A freshly cooked breakfast is included, and you have access to a kitchen should you want to prepare snacks or dinner for picky eaters. Massages and babysitters come to you, at good rates.

The resorts at Nusa Dua are on the beach, with direct access and offer huge manicured grounds, beautiful views and lots of fun activities for the kids. The Hyatt has a water slide, surfing lessons, paddle boarding and boogie boards for hire. There's beach volley ball and a kids club too. There are five pools, so if you can drag your kids away from the slide, there are plenty of other spots to relax poolside under the shade of an umbrella.

The connecting rooms are spacious and had a daybed too, so we had plenty of room for the five of us.

The resort had a number of restaurants, so there is no need to eat in the same restaurant twice. Even breakfast was at a number of locations, although the menu is the same apparently.

The massage ladies and vendors still roamed the beach but weren't aggressive at all, and the hotel has deck chairs in the shade, and obviously beach towels.

As lovely as the resort is, with lots to do and great fun for the kids, I'd still pick the villa experience next time.  While the room cost in the resorts was less, the food cost was more (but we are five people, and only one child eating off the kids menu). Even when we ventured out of the resort, we tended to be eating in other resorts, so it was all rather expensive compared to the fancy non-resort restaurants in Seminyak. If I put this vote to the kids, the youngest one preferred the resort, the middle one ambivalent because he loved both, and could see pro's in each style that the other style lacked, and the oldest preferred the villa (but he was sick for the last day at the resort, not Bali related, and missed the surfing lesson, so that may've clouded his vote). I need to add, we don't have a pool at home, so having your own pool is still a novelty to our kids, and a luxury to us.

While we didn't have a beach front villa, we chose to dine at beach front restaurants every night, so still made the most of the glorious sunsets. The shopping is better (if you don't want to head into Kuta) and the range of excellent restaurants is exceptional. You will spend more time in the car if you want to go to Jimbaran or Uluwatu, so if you have the luxury of 10 days or 2 weeks, then consider doing both and work out your sightseeing and day trips accordingly.

It is also worth noting that a lot of resorts also offer villas, so if you choose carefully, you can do both at the same time! Whichever you choose, you're bound to have a wonderful time.

Bali is the perfect island holiday if you like surfing, shopping, eating and sunsets. An island with temples on every corner and rich history to explore, as well as stunning natural beauty. The manner in which you experience is up to you.

Practicalities:

Kembali Villas http://www.kembalivillas.com/

Grand Hyatt Nusa Dua http://bali.grand.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html


Further Reading:
Top spots for Sunset Drinks in Bali http://www.weekendnotes.com/top-spots-sunset-drinks-bali/

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