Zenubud Villa

As someone running the Bali private driver service at Nagiku Bali, I’ve dropped guests off at Zenubud Villas several times. They’ve consistently liked how peaceful it feels after a busy day touring Bali. The villa area is comfortable for travelers on airport transfers or heading out to explore central Ubud, and the staff are friendly. It’s a quiet spot with convenient access for touring. Ubud’s roads can get crowded in the afternoon, so morning trips are preferable.

The jungle views are lovely, and it’s a nice option for a short stay if you want to enjoy the scenery or shop for local Balinese products at better prices than elsewhere. But we wouldn’t pick it again for a longer holiday. The villas feel a little dark and shaded, and they’re not the newest. There’s also hardly anywhere to unpack, which makes a longer stay inconvenient. Breakfast was quite poor on our first day, then very good on the second, when Jack served it with great care. Most of the staff don’t speak much English, so communication can be difficult.

The staff were genuinely kind and friendly, and I was happy with the villa and my stay. I loved the place, though I was disappointed by the cleanliness on the first day. The sheets, pillowcases, towels, and bathrobes weren’t as clean as I expected. If they improve that, I’m sure it could be a perfect place to stay.

The room looked nice, the views were stunning, and the staff were friendly. But there were a lot of problems. Ants got in because the doors and windows didn’t seal, the patio door was falling apart and difficult to lock, and the AC leaked all over the bed and one of us. People in public areas could easily see and access our private pool. Our room wasn’t cleaned unless we contacted the staff directly. The free shuttle into town left us stranded. We couldn’t get a response for over an hour after contacting them, so we had to arrange and pay for our own ride back. Our flights changed, and after all that we hoped they’d let us move or refund one of our six nights, but they wouldn’t. The place seemed very catered to westerners, and it wasn’t the Balinese experience we’d hoped for.