Our Five-Night Luxury Escape to Ubud
Our first wedding anniversary is fast approaching.
‘Should we go somewhere?’, my wife ponders. I haven’t given it much thought as we already have a big trip booked to Lapland at the end of the year. But I’m always open to the idea of more travel.
We whittle down our options to a long weekend road trip or an extended five nights in Bali. She’s never been to Bali before and I’ve only been once, many moons ago. We check flights with Jetstar and hotel packages at Luxury Escapes. After running some sums, we decide - ‘why not?’. The trip coincides with us both turning 30, so we might as well celebrate it in style.
The Luxury Escapes Package
We have no interest in Bali’s party scene. Instead, we base ourselves in Ubud, the spiritual heartland of the island. Five nights at AnandaDara Ubud Bali Resort & Spa comes to just A$999, including:
Daily a la carte breakfast at deDaara Eateries or in-room dining
Daily two-course lunch or dinner at deDaara Eateries
Nightly cocktail at deDaara Eateries
One 90-minute massage per adult at L'Sante SPA
Complimentary minibar replenished daily
Daily shuttle to Ubud
Daily early morning rice paddy trek
Even better, as a Citi Premier cardholder, we are also able to use a discount code to reduce the price by another 10%. It comes down to around $180/night for a spacious room in a new resort with daily inclusions.
New to Luxury Escapes? Sign up with my referral or use the code INVITEBRANDONM5T6T6 to receive $50 off your first booking of $499+.
Jetstar JQ116 - Perth to Denpasar (Bali)
Perth to Bali is a route where it’s rarely good value to redeem your Qantas Points. The route is serviced with at least 10 flights a day by four low-cost carriers, so you’re bound to find a good deal somewhere.
We end up booking Jetstar for around $250pp one-way. As a concession, we add a single 20kg checked bag, but otherwise, we’re travelling bare-bones. No meals, no seat selection, no points. For our return flights, we book Citilink for around the same cost, but this ticket includes 20kg of luggage each.
Check-in at Perth Airport Terminal 1 is uneventful. They weigh and tag our carry-on bags, but we know better than to go over. (In 2019, I was slugged $60 at the gate for an overweight bag after connecting from Qantas First Class).
Thanks to the unlimited Priority Pass perk with the American Express Platinum Card, we fill up at the Aspire Lounge. The food options are limited, but a small buffet with sparkling wine is still a fun way to start the trip.
I regret not buying an extra legroom seat on Jetstar ($36). The Airbus A321neo may be a modern ride, but the slimline seats don’t have much padding and the limited pitch means I can’t fully straighten my legs underneath.
Luckily it’s only a 3.5 hr flight and we’re treated to stunning views of Perth City during take-off.
AnandaDara Ubud Resort & Spa Review
After staying in a series of luxury lodges in South Africa, it’s safe to say we’ve developed a taste for resort life.
The journey to Ubud from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport takes around two hours, so plan accordingly. Our pre-paid transfer on Klook (~$30) works seamlessly and we finally arrive at the resort just after 11pm. We’re quickly checked in and shown to our room.
AnandaDara Ubud resort is located some 15 minutes out of the centre of town. It’s a relatively peaceful area with some decent warungs (roadside eateries) in walking distance. We’ve booked the base room type, the Ananda Deluxe Room, which is still a spacious 50 sqm. The room is tastefully furnished with a free-standing bathtub, separate shower and toilet.
Our beautiful Ananda Deluxe Room for the next five nights.
A cheeky taste of Indonesian KFC, which we order on the Gojek app during the ride over, arrives 10 minutes later. Our box includes a sample of KFC’s local menu items such as fried chicken and rice, congee (rice porridge) with diced chicken, and a fluffy plain omelette. I’ll never say no to KFC as a midnight snack, but I do think Perth’s Hot and Spicy is supreme!
Complimentary a la carte breakfast is served in the beautiful outdoor restaurant, de Daara Eateries. The menu rotates daily and includes a coffee and a juice each, fruits and pastries to share, plus one main course per person.
I rate the espresso coffee highly – an iced latte is perfect as Ubud warms up in the morning. If you’re after a fresh juice, opt for watermelon or papaya. The other juices are commercially made.
As for main courses, they range between local Ubudian and Western choices. If you’re feeling adventurous, my wife stands by the Bubuh Be Bali (classic rice porridge with chicken and egg). The savoury avo toast isn’t bad either.
Our package also includes a daily two-course lunch or dinner with cocktails. The included meals are on a separate ‘Luxury Escapes’ menu rather than the full restaurant menu.
Mains include Bebek Betutu (slow-cooked duck on rice) and Mie Goreng (fried noodles with egg and sides), while a good dessert choice is Dadar Gulung (Balinese pancakes with shredded coconut and palm sugar). But the Western options, such as the seafood linguine, aren’t as inspiring.
A few times, we bought tropical fruits at the markets and the chefs were more than happy to cut them up for us as we didn’t have the facilities. The staff offered this proactively – a testament to their high standards of service.
The hotel offers a few extra paid dining options such as ‘Balinese Night’ on Thursdays for 399,000 IDR++ (around A$40) which includes a four-course dinner and performances from Balinese dancers. It’s an interesting enough experience, though one I’d probably skip in the future.
AnandaDara Ubud Resort has a beautiful pool. It’s not heated, but as the days are quite warm, I find it relaxing to float around in the cool, serene water. You don’t need to rush out for a sun lounger, but it can get busy from 10 am on some days as it depends on whether guests are staying in or heading to town.
Another complimentary inclusion is a 90-minute massage at the spa (upgraded from 60 minutes as we stayed five nights). The treatment rooms are beautiful and relaxing, setting the scene for utter peace and tranquility.
Service at this hotel is excellent. We get to know some familiar faces across the days including Ari and Made, who are always happy to chat. The hotel uses WhatsApp as a digital concierge – you can message at any time, day or night, to ask questions, request items or book a transfer.
The resort offers three complimentary transfers to Ubud town centre every day (9am, 1pm and 6pm, returning 20 min after). Outside of those times, you’ll need to order a rideshare on Grab or Gojek for around A$6 each way.
Speaking of which, there’s supposedly a ‘taxi mafia’ enforcing no pick-up zones in certain areas for rideshares. However, we didn’t have any issues ordering rideshares from the resort or in town, away from the busiest areas.
Final Words
Overall, our stay at AnandaDara Ubud Resort & Spa via Luxury Escapes is excellent value for money and meets most of our expectations. The friendly staff and the modern facilities are truly a highlight.
de Daara Eateries offers a comprehensive breakfast. We appreciate the daily two-course lunch or dinner, but might not look for that in future packages. The food, while delicious, is not quite the calibre of some restaurants outside and it does get a bit restrictive when you don’t want to ‘waste the inclusion’.
Also be aware the resort is located out of town. It would be nice if guests could get one complimentary ‘on demand’ transfer to Ubud town each day. Having said that, we did use the scheduled transfers a few times and they were fine.
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