Secret River Villa

The villa's design, décor and atmosphere are really beautiful. It's quite far from the city and other spots, so it seems ideal for a quiet family stay away from the noise. The car park is very tight, with room for just one car. I only visited a friend and didn't stay, so I can't comment on the service.

There’s not much close by except a great cafe and a few small shops, though Canggu and Seminyak are only a short drive away. The area is very quiet, and the staff can arrange cheap taxis at any time of day. Make sure you have the villa address ready for your driver on the way back, as the area doesn't seem well known. We had both sides of Secret River Villa and both pools for 7 nights over Christmas this year, with 15 friends. There was plenty of room to spread out, and the villa was clean and tastefully decorated, even better than the photos. The bedrooms were all a good size and had en-suite showers or baths. Our huge master suite had a wardrobe, hairdryer, iron and other useful things. The booking, free airport transfers and check-in went smoothly. The villa staff greeted us warmly and did a great job throughout the trip with cleaning, cooking and shopping. Special thanks to Diah, who was always available and happy to help. Being picky, we'd have liked one more pillow each, and the fridge freezer in Villa A didn't seem to cool our drinks. Still, we had a fantastic stay. :) Thanks again, Jessica

Transport was the main difficulty. Because online taxi bookings are banned in the area, ride-sharing apps and taxis won't come for a one-way pickup. You can get a private driver for the day, or arrange a car with Diah ahead of time, but that gets annoying if you're only going out for a meal or don't like planning in advance. It was also hard during a very busy time like NYE, though that seems to be the case across Bali. Getting around on a motorbike or a gojek bike was fine. We stayed in one of the two villas for four days over NYE. The place was really spacious, and the separate entrances mean you rarely see guests from the other villa. There's a little bridge from the living room, but it would be locked if both villas had guests. Diah and two other maids are there daily from 8am - 4pm to clean and help with errands like light shopping and laundry. There was a small booking issue because the agent hadn't told the villa staff we were arriving. Luckily, I got there while staff were still around, and they prepared the rooms quickly. We wouldn't have been able to check in if they'd already left. There were lots of mosquitoes at night, but repellent solved that easily. Remember to leave a tip for the staff when you go.

Really nice pool.