Villa Bali Il Mare

For what it costs, this place gives you a lot, especially compared with a smaller villa. The gardens are huge, and there are four large bedrooms, a pool table and a tennis court of its own. The villa is a little older, but the staff are great, the pool is fantastic and there’s plenty of room to relax. Its location also makes for peace and quiet, apart from the local call to prayer blaring from speakers at 5 in the morning. That’s the one downside.

The staff were really accommodating. They booked several excursions at short notice, arranged transport whenever we needed it and even put extra mattresses in the rooms for our group of 14 college students. We booked Villa Bali Il Mare at the last minute while staying elsewhere in Bali. The large bedrooms had king beds and roomy wardrobes, and the bathrooms had tubs and walk-in showers. The pool, tennis court with rackets and yoga pavilion were all great. Nearby, a dive shop delivered food, and the pizza restaurant had very good pizza, so we didn’t have to cook every night. Most of the house was clean, though the bathrooms could have been better. The bedrooms had AC and fans, but not the main open living area. During the day it was comfortable enough with the patio doors open and fans running. The house is in a mostly local neighborhood, so we needed a car for restaurants, markets and activities like snorkeling or diving. The beach on the property was nice for a walk to the water, but not really for sunbathing or spending the day.

The garden meets the beach at a low wall, and the shoreline is public, so you may see a few locals fishing or going about their day. We had no privacy problem. The house is off a B road in a quiet area, and a driver is available. The staff were friendly and excellent. There were a few small things to fix, like the parasols and missing Xbox, and the toilet cistern leaked, but they fixed that the same day. The house is big and in good condition, much as the photos show. I’d recommend Frangipani Restaurant, especially the prawns in blankets and the ribs. There’s plenty to do if you have a car, but we’re at a change-of-life point and wanted somewhere to relax. We’ve traveled all over Indonesia, and my partner is Indonesian, but we can’t hike and do those sorts of activities anymore. This was a great place to start shifting into sunbathing.

Amazing villa, and what a view!