Kayumanis Ubud Private Villas & Spa

The place is so peaceful and relaxing, and everyone on staff is lovely. Nothing seemed like too much trouble, and the food was fantastic. Our villa was spacious, clean, and the whole resort was immaculate. They also provide free rides into Ubud centre, which is a great bonus. I was already talking about coming back as soon as we arrived!

I left disappointed and won’t be coming back. The room wasn’t cheap, the western breakfast was miserable, the furniture felt old, and the restaurant seemed too small for all the guests. They ended up pushing breakfast to the rooms. The nasi goreng and mie goreng were fine, and breakfast overall was just okay. Service was okay too, but the common facilities were a long way off. The kitchen in our 3 BR villa was rusty and in sad condition, though the rest of the rooms were fine. One bedroom had ants all over the bed and clearly hadn’t been cleaned properly. I texted the butler, and a cleaner came by and said they hadn’t prepared that room, only the other two. I was too tired to keep complaining, so I used another room. On checkout day I looked at a 1 BR villa, and in my opinion it was better maintained than the 3 BR. We had originally booked a 2 bedrooms villa, but reception said we’d been upgraded to 3 bedrooms. I didn’t trust that explanation and asked to see both kinds. I was right to be suspicious: they’d oversold, and the 2 BR was still occupied, so I had to use the 3 BR. I went along with it rather than make a fuss. The welcome juice was nice, but the small bites were soggy and tasted like an amateur had made them. The pool was okay, though the water was icy. The villas were generally well kept apart from the kitchen, and the forest didn’t feel as cared for as I expected. You have to walk a long way to reach the main pool. The spa looks over the forest, not the river, though dipping my feet in the river felt refreshing. There’s no gym.

The spa treatments were the best we’ve had anywhere. By the Ayung River, with birdsong and the sound of water instead of piped music, it was wonderfully calming. Dewi, Lani and Muli were fantastic. I drifted off completely, and my husband didn’t even try to stay awake. We’ve stayed at Kayumanis Private Villas in Ubud twice now, and it’s become the place we return to. It’s tucked into the forest, very private and peaceful. On our last visit I spent an afternoon painting watercolours in the garden and completely switched off. The villas are lovely, and the beds are heavenly. The Dining Corner restaurant has sweeping green views over the forest, with a calm feel and hospitality to match. Food is consistently excellent, and the 24-hour butler service is seamless. Whatever you need is brought to the villa without fuss. Most of all, the staff are warm and intuitive. Coming back from town to their big smiles feels like coming home.

We should have booked a longer stay, we enjoyed it that much. The grounds are beautiful and well cared for, surrounded by lush tropical greenery that made us feel private and secure. Budani and Suri looked after us so well and filled our days with fun adventures. Their personal touch really went above and beyond. We’ll definitely return. Thank you, Kayumanis team, and Bali blessings. 🙏 Anthony and Ari