After our stay at the Mandapa Ritz Carlton Reserve in Ubud, we continued on to our next stop — breathtaking Uluwatu, located on Bali’s Bukit peninsula.
Home of the island’s most scenic views and magnificent sunsets, Uluwatu, with its hidden beaches and cliff-fringed Indian ocean coastline, is the perfect setting for a relaxing and luxurious getaway— Bulgari Resort Bali!
Located on the Southern tip of the secluded Jimbaran peninsula, the resort blends traditional Balinese architecture and contemporary design featuring volcanic stones, rich exotic woods and a mix of fabrics and furniture pieces.
The Villa
With its 59 gorgeous standalone villas perfectly blending the traditional Balinese character with modern, minimalist design, the resort has a very unique vibe. Meandering cobbled paths lead the way through a lavish tropical garden to the entrance of your private villa.
Set behind the volcanic stone walls of each villa lies a tranquil and inviting space — a beautiful ocean-facing private plunge pool and an outdoor living room with a breathtaking vista are just the beginning.
The bedroom room area boasts super high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows and double walk-in closets. The space is a perfect blend of high-end tech amenities with sumptuous antiques and art.
The bathroom is arguably the largest I have ever been in — complete with a fabulous freestanding marble tub, double vanity, separate shower room, as well as an outdoor shower area. On the evening of our arrival, the amazing staff had prepared a relaxing bath for us — filled with beautiful flower petals.
The Beach
And now on to my favourite part — the towering cliffs overlooking the Indian ocean, which make up the breathtaking landscape surrounding the hotel.
This pristine private beach also boasts by far the most exhilarating elevator ride to reach it — an open-air 2 minute ride down a 150m practically vertical drop over the thundering waves below definitely gets your blood pumping.
Once you make it down the elevator and the steep stairs you truly understand how lucky you are to be a part of this marvel of nature. I am not even going to pretend like this was not my favourite spot to chill, read a book and have a cocktail (it’s never too early for a piña colada when you’re on vacation!) — our awesome little balcony by the waves!
Even though we were not encouraged to swim in the ocean in the mornings, because of the strong waves, they actually made for a rather dramatic and stunningly impressive backdrop for our pre-lunch reading ritual.
The Infinity Pool
The show-stopping infinity pool carved into the cliffside at the centre of the resort was a prominent part of our daily afternoon agenda — a couple of hours were dutifully spent lounging around the resort’s “community” pool before heading back to our villa to get ready for some pre-dinner sunset cocktails.
The Spa
The open-air oceanfront spa centre embraces all of the natural elements of Balinese culture. One of the coolest things is that the reception area is housed in an antique pavilion — a hand-carved “joglo” house from the island of Java — it had been carefully dismantled, relocated, and rebuilt at the resort.
Following our amazing Balinese massages, we enjoyed a cup of refreshing tea by the swimming pool in the open air relaxation lounge area, surrounded by reflection pools and a courtyard garden.
The Food
The resort has three restaurants. Positioned at the edge of a steep cliff, Sangkar offers an elegant yet unpretentious dining setting. The menu is an exquisite mix of Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian cuisines. We dined there several times during our stay and feasted on Balinese classics such as Nasi Goreng, Tongkol Lan Remis Panggang, Udang Galah Menyatyat Base Genep (say that three times fast!).
In keeping with the resort’s Italian heritage, the second restaurant — Il Ristorante — offers a modern creative take on traditional Italian cuisine. You can’t really go wrong with fresh seafood, pasta and divine tiramisu for dessert.
La Spiaggia is only open for lunch and is located under the cliff at the end of the elevator ride which takes you to the beach. The cute little restaurant offers some delicious lunch classics and freshly grilled seafood.
Let’s be honest — drinking while on vacation is basically a sport. And anybody who knows me, knows that I never turn down a glass of good prosecco.
Having said that, the Chili Mojito at Sangkar (it is exactly what it sounds like) is one of the best beverages I have ever tried! Yum! 🙂
The Monkeys!
Last but definitely not least, I want you to meet the Balinese long-tailed monkey — or as I call them — The cutest little thieves. They are everywhere! You can never be too careful and almost everyone who has been around them has had something stolen.
Say what you will but they are super smart — they take your stuff, move to a safe distance, turn around taunting you with it, and simply wait for you to hand them some food in exchange for your valued possessions. What a brilliant scheme!
The guy in the next photo even gave us the added bonus of a priceless photo opportunity.
Gourmet Vixen 