I was excited to be returning to one of our favourite resorts, this time with our two daughters 15 and 17.  On arrival you are given a warm welcome which comes as a blessing after the hour and a quarter taxi ride from the airport combined with the hot and humid weather. 

Just as before, we were seated and presented with refreshing ginger, honey and lemongrass drinks and a small ball of something sweet covered in sesame seeds.  There are towelette tablets that once dipped into the water provided, swell to become a face washer.  Very novel!  Once passports are checked and food and drink consumed, you are then ushered to your room by one of the friendly staff.  We booked two rooms side by side to give us all a bit more room and privacy.  Ours had a large American King bed whilst our daughters’ room contained two large king singles.  The rooms were spacious and overlooked the large and inviting infinity pool.

The fridges were stocked with complimentary soft drinks, Ovaltine drinks and fresh milk all of which was restocked each day.

Shortly after we headed off to the lounge and sat in oversized arm chairs to enjoy another drink with our afternoon tea, complimentary of the resort. Next a welcome plate of mixed hot quiches was presented to us.  We were full as a boot!  Iced coffee in Bali doesn’t generally come with milk but with a sugar syrup. They will happily bring you a jug of milk if you ask.

The grounds deserve a thorough look.  The craftsmanship that went into the rock carvings, and various sculptures is amazing.  Steps lead down to the Ayung River where you can stop to watch the Deer at the Deer Park on the way. The resort has at least a couple of swimming pools, a Gym and a number of luxury rooms further up the hill that were being built offering commanding views over the Ayung valley.

The upstairs dining room is very elegant and you can choose to eat inside or outside on the verandah.  The terraced rice paddies and the mountains provide a worthwhile view.  It was lovely to hear staff welcome us back as it was our second stay here.  Being off-season, the resort was quiet and it felt like we had the place and the staff to ourselves.  Two varieties of bread rolls were served prior to the arrival of our meal (curry and spinach) along with a canapé. The food was delicious and the service was exceptional, although we ordered more than we could eat.  When we arrived back at our room the curtains had been drawn, our bed turned down with two chocolates sitting on our pillow.  This happened every night and it wasn’t until the seventh night that we were given the same chocolate twice.

Breakfast at the resort is a la carte.  There is a choice of freshly squeezed juices to choose from as well as tea and coffee in various forms.  The meals are a mix of Indonesian and Western with the Bubur Ayam, Nasi Goreng and Mi Goreng being our favourites.  As well as the main dish, you can order a selection of breads and pastries, fresh assorted fruit, a deli platter and yoghurt and banana with your meal.  There is definitely no need for morning tea after a feast like this.

The resort runs a free shuttle into Ubud town three times a day and that is where we usually ate lunch and dinner.  There is no free shuttle back after dark but they will pick you up for 100 000 IRP per person or you can catch a taxi back for a negotiated rate.  We paid 100 000 for the four of us and never had a problem getting back for that price.

If you want to book any tours the reception staff are happy to help.  Knowing we wanted to do a cooking class but not sure of what was available, they handed us a brochure.  We googled them on Tripadvisor and seeing that they received a five star rating we happily went with their suggestion and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip.

Again, our experience at the Ayung Resort had been memorable and we couldn’t help but wonder what one of those luxury villa’s would be like when they were finished. One day we may just have to return to check out their amazing views, clever architecture and private infinity pools.

Pros

Beautiful large gardens with amazing architecture and sculptures throughout

Large infinity pool

Delicious food of a high standard

Friendly staff

Cons

Situated in the Ubud area so there are no beaches

In Summary: A beautiful resort that is excellent value for money.  Most highly recommended.