📷
The entrance of De'Uma Lokha
My husband Thomas and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary in Bali. It was a fabulous trip – a combination of relaxation, romance and outdoor adventure. We stayed at De’Uma Lokha Luxury Villas and Spa located at Kerobokan, a stone’s throw from the artistic Seminyak area.
📷
The waiting area outside the lobby
De’Uma Lokha is an oasis of serenity and tranquility, coupled with unique charm and luxury. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city and nestled in between verdant paddy fields, the villa is a haven for couples looking for a romantic getaway or families on a relaxing retreat.
Check in was prompt and efficient and welcome drink and cold towels were served upon arrival.
All the staff were very friendly, gracious and helpful.
📷
Our private villa with jacuzzi pool
Thomas and I were impressed with the luxurious facilities including the inviting private pool, minimalist garden, outdoor living area with a kitchenette, refrigerator, cable TV channel, massive bathtub, king size bed and the complimentary WiFi access. There is also a shared pool which is just outside our private villa.
📷
A welcome drink upon arrrival
📷
Can't wait to soak into the pool
📷
Outside the gym
📷
The shared outdoor pool
De Uma’ Restaurant is the only restaurant within the villas. Overlooking the infinity pool, the restaurant is located in the lush tropical garden. The elegant décor and cosy ambience make dining a very pleasurable experience. The restaurant offers a variety of international, Indonesian and Asian cuisine and is open during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pizza lovers can indulge in delectable pizzas at the Sarpinos Pizza Outlet. The chefs can also prepare customised pizza upon your request. During my trip, I had the opportunity to savour some of the signature dishes including grilled lobster set, nasi goreng, chicken satay, sambal udang (sambal prawns) and dadar gulung ( Indonesian coconut crepes).
📷
Grilled lobster set at De'Uma Restaurant
I was so enamoured by the rich and delightful flavours of Indonesian cuisine that I decided to sign up for the cooking class conducted by the main chef of De’Uma Restaurant, Macle Mudiarta. I learnt how to prepare nasi goreng, chicken satay, sambal udang and dadar gulung and after the class, the chef gave me the recipes of the dishes.
The greatest highlight of our stay was the extent that the staff went through to make our wedding anniversary a very unique and memorable one. Our pool and Jacuzzi bathtub were filled with delicate rose petals in heart-design. Our bed was decorated with rose petals and a love Swan created using towels. Chef Macle and his team also whipped up a special 4-course dinner for us.
Overall, our stay was marvellous and we were sad to leave the villa on our final day. We will definitely be back again.
Here are some of the places we visited during our vacation in Bali.
Day 1 ( 9 Nov)
📷
A relaxing dip in the jacuzzi pool
Thomas and I checked into De’Uma Lokha Luxury Villas and Spa. We had a relaxing dip in the Jacuzzi pool, followed by dinner at De’Uma Restaurant. It was a leisurely day for us.
Day 2 (10 Nov)
📷
We decided to venture out of the villa. Had lunch at I Made Joni Fine Art’s Gallery & Restaurant located at Ubud, the cultural centre of Bali. The walls were adorned with traditional Balinese paintings and the restaurant faces the paddy fields. This restaurant is renowned for its crispy duck.
📷
Crispy Duck
After lunch, we headed to the famed Nusa Dua Beach. It was relatively calm, clean and peaceful. There are some shops nearby selling souvenir and sarongs. You can bargain with the shop owners to get a good price for the goods.
📷
At Nusa Dua Beach in my new sarong
📷
Sun, sand and sea at Nusa Dua Beach
📷
Second beach for the day. At Kuta Beach
After that, we proceeded to Discovery Shopping Mall, one of the biggest shopping malls in Bali. You can find many mid-range brands such as Guess, Billabong, Esprit, Nine West, Adidas and more. After an hour of shopping, we went to Kuta beach, which was nearby. This beach, also known as SunsetBeach has been popular since the 1970s. I personally found the beach a little too crowded for my liking. In the evening, we had seafood at Gurita Seafood, a Chinese seafood restaurant located in Jimbaran. The food was pretty average, nothing much to rave about. After dinner, the hotel’s driver cum guide, Wawan Juliana brought us to Krishna for more shopping! It is a mega mall which abounds with souvenirs and food products. An excellent place to shop for gifts for your friends and family members. After shopping, we went back to the villa to rest.
Day 3 (11 Nov)
📷
Our adventure begins! My first experience riding an elephant.
11 November marks our second wedding anniversary. It was also the most eventful day of the entire trip. It was also a day filled with many pleasant surprises. Thomas and I started the day with a hearty breakfast in our villa. After breakfast, we headed to the Bali Elephant Camp, located in the historic village of Carangsari and only a short distance from the Sangeh monkey forest. It is one of the most natural places in Bali as is situated between the rice paddies, jungle and the Ayung River. I was excited as it was the first time I rode on an elephant. It was an amazing experience! We took The Adventurer Short Trek and admired the stunning views of the beautiful landscape while the elephant entertained us with melodious tunes on the harmonica. After riding, we fed Api, the Elephant with corn and watermelon.
📷
Ready for our white rafting adventure!
📷
White water rafting is fun!
📷
The waterfall is so therapeutic
Next, we changed into our white rafting attire and had the greatest experience of our lives. The pristine water, waterfalls and natural surroundings made the entire experience truly divine. This was my second time rafting. My first experience was in New Zealand when I was a teenager. After we completed the 9km route, we were treated to a buffet lunch at Karang Dalem.
📷
Mak Malen Babi Guling at Sunset, Seminyak
📷
Delicious Babi Guling - Balinese style suckling pig
In the afternoon, our guide, Wawan brought us to Pak Malen for delicious Babi Guling – Balinese style suckling pig, It was delicious but very sinful.
📷
The entrance of Taman Air Spa
📷
In the spa's couple room
After an afternoon of adventure, we headed to Taman Air Spa to soothe our tired muscles. Thomas has arranged for a couple room and pampering spa treatments for both of us. I was enthralled by the beautiful setting of the spa and the little garden outside. My spa treatment started with a floral foot bath, followed by a 2-hour aromatherapy massage. I felt revitalised after the treatment.
📷
Surprise 1 - Jacuzzi pool filled with rose petals
We returned to the villa for dinner. I was expecting to have a simple dinner at De'Uma Restaurant. When I stepped into the villa, I was awed by the special dinner set-up as well as the pool filled with rose petals. The Jacuzzi in the bathroom and our bed were filled with rose petals too. Thomas has informed the staff at the villa to arrange these specially for our wedding anniversary. So sweet of him!
📷
Surprise 2 -Rose petals on bed and love swan made using towels
📷
Surprise 3 - Rose petals in jacuzzi bathtub
📷
Surprise 4 - Special Anniversary Dinner at the villa
📷
Surprise 5 -Anniversary Dessert
📷
Surprise 6 -Anniversary cake
The dinner was awesome and the special anniversary cake and dessert provided a sweet finale to the evening.
12 November
The Final Day! I soaked in the jacuzzi pool filled with rose petals in the morning as I did not have the chance to do so last night due to the rain. After breakfast, we attended a Balinese cooking class conducted at the poolside by Chef Macle Mudiarta.
📷
Having fun in the pool with rose petals.
📷
Chef Macle Mudiarta and me
I have always been fascinated with Indonesian food and I was glad to learn the art of Balinese cooking from a chef. After the class, we indulged in the food that we prepared.
It was time to go. We packed up and headed to the airport. It was a fun and fulfilling trip and the warm hospitality of the staff at the villa made our trip an awesome one.
📷
Goodbye Bali!