It was not a very smooth start to our Bali trip. As it happened, thunderstorms were forecasted for our entire stay. 10 long minutes of Kiefer’s whining later, and with dark clouds looming, we made our way to Changi.

I managed to catch 3/4 of Shutter Island on the plane, which was infuriating, to say the least. But when the plane landed, it was as if we had touched down on paradise.

It was sunny, sunny, sunny!

We were received just as warmly by the greet staff, and our driver. The Alila experience started right from the drive out to the estate. Ice-cold towels and mineral water appeared magically; pillows, bolsters and snacks such as crackers and dried fruits, were abundant, to make our 75min (Bali is 4X the size of S’pore) ride comfortable. If we wanted to, we could even pre-order snacks which would be ready in time for our arrival at the villas. Nice.

The ride was long, but it was certainly worth it when we turned into a beautiful estate. Half of it faces the padi fields, the other the beauuuutiful Indian Ocean, and the amazing black sand beach.

I knew Ken would be measuring the Alila against the amazing Bvlgari resort we stayed in last year. He’s hard to please and I was nervous!

We were immediately greeted by name, even dear Kiefer, as soon as the car doors opened. Though the view that greeted us didn’t take our breath away as Bvlgari’s did (which was set on a cliff), the horizon did command a moment.

Check in was in-villa; we were immediately whisked away in a buggy. Our Ocean View Villa was quite amazing. We opened the main door to a wow view. The villa had its own pool, which was probably about 3 times bigger than the Bvlgari’s, and it went length of the villa, with access from the bedroom and the sunken bath. How very cool is that. An outdoor private cabana completed the look of perfection, it was beckoning me for that cigar-and port-moment, of which I had a couple

A private staircase led directly to the black sand beach. My feet had a wow moment too, the black sand was so powdery soft and fine, it was a treat just walking on it

We could jump straight from the living room to the pool, and the bathroom was another story in itself. I have a love affair with candles, and was I ever so pleased to find  2 large candles on the long vanity, which I would light in the evenings, as I soaked in the tub. Amenities were just fantastic. There were ‘his’ and ‘hers’ sets, and even ‘his’ and ‘hers’ hats! Lovely attention to details.

There was also an outdoor shower, which I used to wash off after a turn in the pool.

We never left the villa on the first day, safe for a quick jaunt on the beach during sunset, and even then I had to draag a reluctant Kiefer along

Service was 5-star; we had the villa hosts at our beck and call, who were so well-informed, they could plan our days for us, if we wished them too. But we decided to work on being lazy. They did plan for an in-villa bbq though, personal chefs and all. Very nice.

The Manager also very kindly provided a PS3 for Kiefer, complete with several games. We also had a fully loaded AppleTV, and I caught up with some movies I had missed.

The second day, (I made the hubby pay for it) I had a masseur on a 12-hour standby for me, as an add-on to my birthday present LOL.

It was full-on relaxation straight after breakfast. This was my enviable schedule:
11am Meet with the Spa Manager to plan my day

11.30am – 2pm Therapeutic massage + ginger wrap

2.15pm – 3pm Steal from Kiefer and Ken’s lunch leftovers, back at the villa.

3.15pm – 4.30 Facial with back and head massage

5pm – 6pm Foot reflexology at the villa cabana, whilst taking in the sunset

6pm – 8pm In-villa BBQ dinner

8pm – 9.30pm One last Balinese massage before bedtime

Ken occupied Kiefer for one whole day, whilst I enjoyed mine. Now, that’s luxury.

Our private pool and cabana

You can jump into the pool from everywhere!

We felt right at home!

Even the sand felt luxurious

Some fine non-Cubans came along for the trip

Kiefer loved the sunken bath

Noice!

Our bbq being set up

I can go from bubble bath to pool if I wished to!

Sunset

The entrance of the resort

The Library

Parting drink: The Alila Soori. Served with a slab of dark choc. Delicious!

I returned from a stay at Capella, to an open August magazine oh just laying around, right on a double-page spread on the newly-opened Alila Soori resort on Bali.

What a most opportune setup. Someone must have known I was going to plunge straight into it, the offer of a 2-for-1 deal! (Join me! Click to Alila Soori)

And what a beautiful resort. And Ocean Villa: 275 sqm of well-designed luxury, with an infinity pool over-looking the Indian Ocean.

Black sand beach.

Private staircase to the ocean.

Pre-loaded in-villa Apple TV.

Personalised experiences: We are going fishing and cooking with the Chef.

This may just beat The Bvlgari.

Pics: www.alilahotels.com/soori

Images: Sunset On Seminyak, Anantara Resort, anantara.com

A beautiful vista, with a martini as chaser. Life is gorgeous.

Images: Bvlgarihotels.com, samyoyobelinda.com

Need I say more?

For lunch, I swallowed a bowl of pre-packed Velveety Mushroom Stragonoff, to which I added a huge splash of Cab Sav. Coupled with these beautiful images swimming in my head, life is good.