Bali's new crop of luxury villas offers privacy, flexibility and space.
There’s a lot about Bali that is new these days – new roads, new shops and restaurants, fancy new spas and, most notably, a proliferating clutch of new villas. International tourists may have temporarily shied away from Bali after the bombings in 2002 and 2005, but investors were confident they would return. The result is a changed landscape in areas such as Seminyak and along the coast to its north, not so long ago the refuge of expatriates, long-term visitors and boutique shops and villas. Just as the investors predicted, the tourists have returned. Australians, in particular, came back with a vengeance, records showing a 73 per cent increase in 2007 over the previous year, making Bali Australia’s fifth most popular holiday destination. But they don’t have Bali to themselves. South Koreans have taken over in terms of numbers, Russians love the spas and there’s a lot of interest from India and Singapore.
Travellers are choosing the privacy, flexibility, space and affordable luxury provided by Bali’s villa network. Ric Shreves, of Elite Haven’s marketing arm BHM, says the villa market is booming and villa construction in 2007 was almost double that of the previous year.
Bali villa operations fall into three categories: luxury hotel villas, for example those run by hotel groups such as the Ritz-Carlton and Bulgari; villa complexes (investor-owned, but centrally managed); and individually owned villas, managed either directly by the owners or through a management agency.
Rentals for individual villas can be as high as $4230 a night, as at the super-glamorous Luna2, a palatial “private hotel” fronting the beach at Seminyak. Top-end hotel villas, such as those at the Ritz-Carlton, can cost up to $8500 for a three-bedroom, ocean-front villa.
More affordable are the mid-market villa complexes such as The Villas, owned by Australian entrepreneur and artist Jim Elliott, who got the ball rolling in the early 1990s when he built a three-bedroom villa for his own use in what were then Seminyak rice fields. High-season rates range from about $440 a night for a two-bedroom villa to more than $560, with low-season discounts of about 20-25 per cent. Be aware that tariffs are usually subject to an additional “tax and service” charge of between 10 and 21 per cent.
Villas such as these are perfect for the longer-stay visitor who has already done the Bali tourist trail and now just wants to shut the door, restock the fridge with Bintang, switch the mobile off, head for the pool and bliss out.
Villa complexes
Affordable and good value, these resorts have clusters of individual villas with fully equipped kitchens, good-sized pools, ensuite bedrooms and generous gardens. They’re all fully serviced – with a driver, chef, babysitter or masseuse simply a phone call away.
The Ahimsa
Jalan Kunti, Seminyak.
The Balé
Jalan Raya Nusa Dua Selatan, Nusa Dua.
The Dusun
8 Jalan Kayu Jati, Petitenget.
Serene Villas
22 Jalan Drupadi, Seminyak.
The Villas Bali Hotel & Spa
Jalan Kunti 118X, Seminyak.
Private villas
Private villas are where real privacy and luxury can be found, often at reasonable prices. More remote villas are likely to have a driver and vehicle available, and resident cooks will prepare meals to order. Minimum stays of three to seven nights may be required, depending on the season.
Luna2
22 Jalan Sarinande, Seminyak.
The Maharaj
Seminyak.
Simona Oasis & Spa
Canggu.
Umah di Beji & The Beji
Jalan Pantai Berawa, Canggu.
Villa Aqua
Seminyak.
Villa Mako
Canggu.
Top-end hotel villas
Villas in the sense that they’re separate from the main hotel; private with the highest levels of comfort. Kitchens? Don’t bother – no-one here cooks. The downside? Pools are often little more than plunge – but then the hotel’s main Olympic-size oasis and spa are not far away.
Bulgari Resort
Jalan Goa Lempeh, Banjar Dinas Kanjin, Uluwatu.
The Club at The Legian
Jalan Laksmana, Seminyak.
Four Seasons
Jimbaran, Denpasar.
The Ritz-Carlton, Bali Resort & Spa
Jalan Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran.
Source: Qantas The Australian Way August 2008