For Luxury And Privacy Book A Bali Vacation Villa

The average beach vacation may be all about soaking in extra sun, frolicking in the sand and clicking typical postcard style photographs against the seemingly endless tropical and beautiful landscape the destination provides, be it Bali, the Caribbean or any other island resort.

For some, it can mean packing in additional holiday fun by signing up for an extreme sports package or visiting all the nightclubs on the boulevard, or possibly, tasting all the exotic Island cuisine they can try at local rates, much lower than back home. However, at the end of such typical beach holidays, most travelers are left holding on to cheap souvenirs and needing another one – just to recover from the hectic pace of arranging for activities and making time to enjoy what Bali offers. However, booking a Bali Vacation Villa can prove to be the ticket to paradise you’ve always wanted and take all the stress out of planning for the next day.

The best properties offering private villa rentals provide for privacy, luxury and comfort with 24-hour in-house staff, attached to each beach cabin and are typically a little away from the hustle and bustle of the main city. For example, booking Bali seminyak villas would mean the freedom to move about a spacious beachfront private home, comprising single to five bedrooms, depending on the kind of property you choose, with all the necessary amenities made available in a fully-equipped kitchen, pool and garden area.

Not only does choosing your private villa in this fashionable part of the famed Bali Isle mean you get to enjoy the luxury of a pristine beach, a short walk away from your selected Bali Vacation Villa, you also get to do so at your own pace. So, if watching the sunset and dinner by moonlight seems to be your heart’s desire, you can do so easily enough by having your chef make you an authentic Balinese meal served on the beachfront.

Or, if clubbing’s more your scene, the concierge is sure to guide you and also make travel arrangements for an all-nighter disc-hopping plan around the trendy part of Bali seminyak villas you are holidaying on. There is no dearth of restaurants, pubs, nightclubs and shopping plazas around this stretch of the island – so do be sure to make adequate enquiries regarding the kind of holiday fun you are looking for – the Villa staff are all usually locals and very friendly with a service-with-a-smile attitude.

For those traveling to Bali in groups, be it business partners or friends and family for company, the luxurious stay offered by the top-end Bali Vacation Villa is a prudent choice, as it can prove more affordable than staying in a hotel. Not only can staying at even the best hotel mean being confined to your room, but also often having to share certain facilities can mean a restriction on your sense of personal freedom. This is easily dealt with when you opt for a private vacation villa stay on the fringes of the Island.

Remember your family vacation for a lifetime with a heavenly few days at a luxurious, all services, Bali vacation villa in the serene and enchanting Bali islands. Happily married couples can rent full service and luxurious Bali seminyak villas and spend a glorious honeymoon vacation to remember forever.

Bali Villa Rental Tips & Tricks

If like me, you have been bitten by the ‘Holiday Villa Bug’, you will already know that no hotel can match the privacy and luxury of a good Villa Holiday. The great news is that today there are even more villa rental options out there than ever before. Not to mention the fact that if you know how to choose the right holiday rental villa you will be saving a lot of money in comparison to the same level of service in a comparable quality hotel.

It seems that no where in the world has seen as big an explosion of luxury fully serviced holiday villas, as the island of Bali in Indonesia.

OK, I happen to be blessed with a great line of work, as a Travel Writer, and have been lucky enough to stay in some of the best tropical resorts around the world, especially in Asia. But still for me, nothing compares to the peace, luxury and delights (not to mention the cost effectiveness) of staying in a good serviced villa in Bali.

So, what makes a ‘good holiday villa’?

Like everyone else, I have learned how to choose the perfect villa through luck, some mistakes and sheer experience.

Here are my top tips for choosing the right villa in Bali for your next Bali holiday.

Location-Location-Location

This sounds obvious, but it is not always easy to make the right location decision when we are sat at home, far away from our holiday destination.

Like every other world-class holiday destination, Bali offers a range of options, from ‘central’ locations, to those which offer ‘absolute tranquility’.

I personally like a balance between the two. On a Bali villa holiday, the last thing one needs is to be sooo central that you feel like you are an extension of a night club’s base unit till wee hours of the morning. On the other hand, I really don’t want to be more than 15-20 minutes away from where the restaurants, shops and the action is. I like my villa to be certainly quiet, preferably amongst rice fields, but at the same time accessible (within 30 minutes of the airport, and a few minutes from the action).

The great thing is that Bali caters for all of these tastes.

Those seeking a central location, with a lively night life may want to look into Legian and Seminyak, (I exclude Kuta area from this list, as there are hardly any proper rental villas left in this bustling tourist centre).

Those who don’t mind a bit of a trek, and don’t want to go out and about much during their holiday, may opt for areas such as Uluwatu or Canggu and beyond.

For me the perfect choice is Kerobokan and Umalas areas. Quiet rural environment, surrounded by rice terraces and real villagers going about their real daily routines (instead of trying to push you a handicraft (Kuta) or pull you into a restaurant you really couldn’t care for (Seminyak)).

Quality and Availability of Service

Now this is an area where villas differ from each other immensely. In Bali most villas proclaim to be ‘fully serviced’. However, how ‘fully’ and how ‘serviced’ range from the most basic to being totally pampered.

A good villa should provide a guest to total staff ratio of nearly 1 to 1, or at least 1.5 to 1. So, if you are a group of 8 you should be looking at, at least, 5-6 full time staff, or for a group of 4 at least 3-4 full time staff. Sounds ostentatiously high? It really isn’t once you consider the effort it takes to keep a holiday villa, its gardens, and the pool in a tip-top shape.

Of course, quantity is never the only answer. The staff needs to be full-time and fully-trained at a professional level. There are too many villas out there, which are run by ‘part-time’ managers and staff who actually have other full time jobs elsewhere!

Your Own Chef

One of the great pleasures of traveling to a foreign destination is to experiment with and experience the local cuisine. And what better place to experience this, than in the comfort of your own villa!

So, make sure that your villa comes with its own Chef. Once you have tasted the delights of enjoying home cooking in your own villa, you will probably not want to venture out to restaurants at all. The best thing is, having your own private villa Chef in Bali, is substantially cheaper than eating out.

However, make sure to check how the Chef arrangement works.

Ideally, the Chef cost should be included in your rental rate. In this case all you have to pay for are the cost of the ingredients which are purchased for you, typically at the local market/supermarket prices, with no mark-up. So, financials of eating at your own villa becomes just like eating at home, but without lifting a finger, and at substantially lower Bali prices.

Some villas claim to offer a Chef service, but charge restaurant/hotel prices for each dish that the chef prepares for you. I prefer to avoid these, as I can always pop out to a restaurant if I so wished anyway.

So, check to make sure that the Chef is part of your villa team, and that you will not be charged incrementally for food on a per item basis.

Your Villa Manager

A professional Villa Manager makes a huge difference to your enjoyment of your holiday. Even if you have been to Bali many times before, a good Villa Manager can be a much valued life-line, a great source of shopping tips, and a problem solver. A good villa manager can provide a wealth of directions/advice, from where to eat, to which river to choose for your white-water rafting adventure in which season, or where the cheapest golf courses are, to which temples to visit to see which local ceremonies.

Needless to say, they should also be managing the villa team, and making sure that the quality of service and cleanliness are never compromised.

Before I book a villa in Bali, I always check to see what the Villa Manager arrangement is like, and that there is a full time Villa Manager on site at the villa I am planning to rent. Typically, for good villas, you can expect to have your own dedicated Villa Manager, or have a Villa Manager who is working at 2-3 adjacent villas. However, if a Villa Manager is expected to look after 5-6+ villas, then you are most likely not going to see him for more than a few minutes a day, only during his courtesy visits (at best), so you loose out on the real benefits of having the inside-track.

Villa Quality & Upkeep

Be very, very weary of any rental villas which can not provide you with more than at least 20 recent photos of the property. These photos should show you not only the outside of the buildings, but also the living/dining areas, as well as insides of bedrooms.

If you are not provided with a sufficient number of photos giving you a clear idea of the property, then it is quite likely that there is something substantially wrong with the property, such as a building overlooking it, an abattoir next door, or at the least peeling paintwork or missing fixtures/furniture.

Remember, not all villas are created equal. But additionally, not all villas are kept and maintained equally well. It is your right to request and see these photos of the property.

Mod-Cons

OK, you are planning to stay on a tiny island, in the middle of the tropics. What mod-cons should you expect?

From own experience, I would suggest that even in the middle of the tropics, good Bali villas should be able to provide at least the following mod-cons:

Air-conditioning in all bedrooms

Clean, Western style kitchen -fully equipped with a fridge, microwave, electric kettle, and a coffee maker, as well as sufficient crockery and cutlery

Safe deposit box – at least one for your private villa use, and preferably one in each bedroom

TV/Satellite/DVD Player – as there will always be someone who wants to catch the news, or children who will need entertaining

Telephone – whilst many of us live attached to our mobile/cellular phones, it is important that there is a permanent phone connection at the villa, in case of emergencies

En-suite bathrooms – if you are looking at going as a family or a group of friends, you really don’t want to spend your holiday in Bali queuing for the next available slot at shared facilities!

Enjoying a fully staffed and serviced villa with your own Chef may seem like an un-attainable dream in most other parts of the world. However, renting a Villa in Bali is by far one of the most cost effective ways of enjoying this beautiful island and the company of its hospitable people.

Now armed with this check-list you are ready to plan you next dream holiday in a Villa in Bali.

Like me, you will probably never want to leave, and go back to reality!

Many happy returns…

Finding Your Cheap Villa in Bali

The island of Bali is famous for its extraordinary beauty and unique culture. Bali has been voted the # 1 top island for six consecutive years by prestigious New York based TRAVEL + LEISURE magazine. Visitors to Bali are always impressed by its cultural and natural beauty. Explore its unique places of interest and attractions bali has to offer you. For Australian with just a 5 hour flight from Australia’s East Coast. Surely Bali is a paradise packed with things to do.

Bali has some attractions, sightseeing tours, activities, accommodation and even car hire. Bali has lots of variety of accommodation ranging from luxury resort to cheap Bali villas. So be prepared to find some things out for yourself – as not all cheap Bali villas are made equal. You could find yourself saving far more than you could have dreamed.

If you’re on a budget, October or  May (with the exception of Christmas/New Year) is the best time to visit Bali. At this season Bali has more than sufficient facilities such as discount hotels Bali, bargain Bali villas and restaurant to make you feel at paradise. You will be able to find discount Bali villas much more easier but remenber one thing, you must book ealier in advance as rent a bali villa is not like booked a hotel.You just can not book within a few days or i short notice.

There are around 50+ cheap villas in Bali which located from Ubud, Sanur, Seminyak, Canggu and even up until south part of Bali island like Nusa Dua.

So how do you go about finding cheap Bali villas? There are numbers villa rental agents in Bali. The best way is by searching on Google. You will find quite a lot villa rental agents displaying their villa rental on their websites. One thing to look first is to find websites with a BVRA logo. BVRA or Bali Villa Rental Association is govertment approved for villa rental association. By finding BVRA logo on villa rental websites you will have the confidence to book through one of them.

The Bali Villa Rental Association (BVRA) was established by and for licensed villa rental agencies operating in Bali with the aim to initiate and maintain a healthy business climate. BVRA is a body that ensures service quality for clients in a segment composed of both villa owners and holiday makers.

Without a doubt, the safest way to score cheap Bali villas is to be thorough searching. It’s not the easiest way to book a Bali holiday but might actually surprise yourself with how much money you save. You’ll be fine..just put in some work beforehand and once you’ve got that cheap villa for rent you can start dreaming of relaxing on the bench by the pool and enjoying the Balinese culture and marvel of nature.

Bali Villa Holiday Guide to Family Holidays in Bali

A rental villa in Bali is a great way to spend your well earned few weeks with family members.

However, whether you go for a luxury Bali villa or a standard private Bali villa, how you spend your holiday, and what you do will almost invariably be defined by the number and ages of the children in your family.

This quick guide is intended to provide you with insights into Bali for families, with Bali travel tips and tricks.

Of course, we will start our list in priority, with the most important people, the young ones. If you wish, you may want to scroll down to the right age group for your children.

Infants

A Bali villa holiday is an ideal choice to make (over hotels and the like), if you are traveling to the island with an infant.

At a rental villa you have greater flexibility, support, and often much needed space.

Invariably, Balinese adore children, especially the younger ones. At your Bali rental villa you will more than likely get eager support to look after the little ones whilst you take a much deserved dip in the pool.

Today in Bali, most of your infant’s and your own needs will be met readily. Clean bottled water should be available at your villa, at no extra cost. Most rental villas will offer a microwave, so handy for warming up bottles. Some will even provide child friendly cutlery, so you don’t have to carry your own. Needless to say, as a favourite international tourist destination, Bali offers some very good international standard hospitals and English speaking doctors, if the need arises.

If your little one (or you for that matter), have a particular make of infant formula that you prefer, you may want to get your Bali Villa Manager to check availability for you before you arrive. Whilst there is an increasingly wider choice of baby formulas and ready-made fruit/vegetable purees available in Bali, you may not always be able to find the specific brand that you are familiar with. Of course, the same goes for disposable nappies. These are available at most supermarkets, but possibly not exactly the right brand you may be after.

The great thing about taking your own baby formula, and disposable nappies to Bali is that, having used these up in Bali, for your return trip home, you are left with much more space/weight allowance for all the shopping you will have done in Bali!

For your supplies, you may wish to try Bali Deli, Bintang Supermarket Bali. For a good selection of inflatables drop in at Matahari Bali at Bali Galleria.

Toddlers

Toddlers will love Bali and the Balinese people, since they are absolutely wonderful in interacting with the young ones.

If you want your toddler to make the most of your Bali villa pool, then you can find a variety of inflatable swimming support equipment at department stores, malls and pharmacies. Of course, it is worth noting that when buying these types of devices in Asia, one needs to pay careful attention that it meets international safety regulation. Also, as all inflatable equipment intended for children should clearly state, -these are not life saving devices and should always be used under the supervision of a competent adult swimmer-..

Also, it is worth noting that, many good villas in Bali, will actually provide some basic toys for your toddlers. Again, it is worth checking that these do meet international safety standards, as some cheap knock-offs may have small pieces or sharp edges.

If you are in need of some nap time stories, there are numerous bookshops in Bali which carry a good selection of English language children’s books. You will find that especially those printed in Indonesia are very reasonably priced.
You may want to try Peripulus Bali or Gramedia Bali, both of which seem to have suitable book selections for the young ones.

Older Children

In my experience, older children will have a ball in Bali and quite likely very happily tire themselves out between the villa swimming pool and the daily excursions.

If you have chosen one of the more spacious Bali villas, it is worth noting that the Balinese do enjoy playing football/soccer as much as the next nation. The rental villa staff will probably need only a tiny bit of encouragement to start playing ball with your young ones.

Similarly, your female villa staff will be more than happy to play-house with your little girl for many hours. What a better way for the young ones to get to learn a new culture, and may be pick up a word or two of the local language whilst having fun!

Of course, once you manage to drag yourself out of your Bali holiday villa, the options for the young ones are even more numerous.

Here is a quick list for starters:

1. Waterbom Park Bali
A genuine must during your Bali villa vacation. Suitable rides for children of all ages.

2. Horse Riding
From chaperoned rides on ponies to full galloping experience on the beach.

3. Cruising
A selection of boats, and family cruises to choose from.

3. Lovina Dolphin Watching
Bit far away from most Bali villas, but still well worth the trip.

5. Elephant Safari Park
With some great conservation and animal rescue efforts.

6. Go-Karting
For those with the need for speed.

Teenagers

I regularly get asked, if it is safe to mix Bali with teenagers. In all honesty? The answer is an absolute and one hundred percent, yes.

Bali is essentially a very safe place.

Over a million people visit Bali every year, with tens of thousands of teenagers traveling to Bali with their families, or on their own, and in majority of the cases, no one ever feels threatened or in any form of risk.

There are numerous restaurants, bars, and night clubs in Bali, and probably all are essentially safe places for anyone with some common sense.

Three simple guidelines apply in Bali, as with any other holiday destination.
- Keep away from illegal substances.
- Drink alcohol in moderation (especially in the heat, as one will already be dehydrated)
- Think twice before renting a motor-bike (or certainly, riding one under the influence of alcohol)

Once these three basics are addressed, you will find Bali to be one of the safest holiday destinations for your teenagers.

For You

Of course, last but not least, if there is any time left, you yourself will want to enjoy your Bali villa to the fullest.

The great news is, you have your own private swimming pool in your own villa. (Almost all Bali villas come with private pools.) Also, quite likely a wonderful sun-deck from which to soak up the rays.

Most Bali rental villas come equipped with a TV and Satellite/Cable connection. So if you want to catch up on the news, or sports, or just enjoy a DVD, you will not feel out of touch.

Many rental villas in Bali will also provide a library service, providing all sorts of fiction/non-fiction books for your reading pleasure whilst in Bali.

If you want to be a bit more adventurous, and can actually bring yourself to leave your newly found haven, here are a few things you may wan to try:

1. Dance Performances
Try to catch one of each of:Kecak, Legong and Fire Dances, at least.

2. Designer Shopping
In the recent years, Balinese design scene has been experiencing an amazing renaissance.

3. Diving
Different courses and organised dives exist to meet all needs.

4. Fishing
Fishing boats from Benoa Harbour or Sanur)

5. Golfing
A number of 18 hole courses are available across Bali, many with great views.

6. Helicopter Tours
Not cheap, but certainly an experience never to forget.
7. Kite Boarding
Some great wind and lift, as well as the equipment for rental are available at Nusa Dua beaches.

8. Surfing
If you are experienced, you will know where to go. If you want to learn, head for the Kuta beach where you can catch beginners’ lessons.

9. Paragliding
Throw yourself off the sheer cliff faces into the Indian Ocean!.

10. White Water Rafting
Enjoy a thrilling ride through 8 kilometers of rapids!

Once you have done it, you will agree that, Bali villas offer an amazing setting to enjoy your family holiday. The great thing is, you get to have a great Bali holiday, together, but each enjoying their own space, flexibility and freedom.

Hopefully, armed with these insights, you can now ease into your new Bali rental villa, and have a spectacular holiday in this island paradise.

Many happy returns…