The Newest Addition to Villa Amrita

After nearly 9 full months of operating Villa Amrita, we have begun to understand that a treasure is really not a treasure until or unless it can be seen, experienced, consumed or shared by many people. A beautiful work of art, a flashy sports car or even a special person or place cannot really be fully appreciated unless it (or he/she) can be accessed or seen by more people who find it remarkable, exceptional or realize its value.

In this day and age the most effective and quickest way to advertise and promote something great is to share with many people through social media. Facebook, Twitter, G+, Reddit, Yelp, Foursquare, Linkedin, Pinterest, Tumblr and so many others are the newspaper and TV ads of the cyber age. We know that people find some something they might like by seeing and learning what others like. Peer reviews are more accessible, and therefore more effective than ever before. 

We know that almost anyone who visits Villa Amrita is going to be impressed by the beauty, comfort and access to so many activities, nice people and great foods. It is hard to not like staying here. That is why we want to try to get the word out. Bali has been a popular travel destination or many years, but some of the greatest spots on the island are little known. The Conrad, Hard rock Bali and the W are famous chain hotels, but they still sometimes lack that “wow” factor. These hotels can be fun and lovely, but there is nothing like visiting a place and staying in your own private home – Bali villas. 

In an effort to do our best to share the value and wonder of Villa Amrita, we have made another small investment. We purchased the Ice Appliance Ice Cream Maker Pro for the villa. See the video and description here: http://www.iceappliance.com/products/p4_ice-cream-pro.html

This professional machine makes creating tasty ice cream simple and quick. No need for days of preparation or to wait overnight, this little contraption yields the soft, delicious desert in one hour. With no need for special tools, chemicals, salt and with no sound, the Ice Cream maker cranks out your favorite flavor in no time flat.

We will begin making ice cream in various flavors for our Villa Amrita guests for free in October. We have many plans to eventually make fresh ice cream with fruits from our own garden, such as lime, mango, papaya, mangosteen, banana and others. The possibilities are limitless. We can visit Big Tree Farms and buy some organic cocoa beans and add raw sugar, organic eggs, fresh milk and perhaps some mint from our garden!

By offering a scrumptious, free dessert for our guests, we want to encourage our guests to share good times. In return for free homemade ice cream we ask that Villa Amrita guests share with us their best photos of fun, family and romance at and around the Villa. Come and post on our Face book page http://www.facebook.com/VillaAmrita  and email your photos to reservations@villaamrita.com 

Give us your feedback, share with us (and your friends) the good times you are having on your vacation at Villa Amrita in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. Email your photos to us so we can create a cool collage of images that represent the magic and exclusivity. Help us to get the word out. By encouraging the most valuable commodity - user generated content, we do the best we can to promote the coolest Ubud villa in Bali!

Bali-Eat in Ubud Continued

One of the greatest joys of a relaxing and fulfilling vacation is the ability to eat great food. In our regular daily lives we often get into a routine that has us going the same places and eating the same food. A trip abroad is a treat for those who love food because it gives us an opportunity to see and try something new. A trip to Ubud, Bali, Indonesia is a delight because of the fantastic variety of great quality food at relatively affordable prices.

One of the interesting things about staying in a luxury villa in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia is that not only can you enjoy the comfort, intimacy, convenience and luxury of an actual private home, but you also have a private car, butler and personal chef at your fingertips. You may get various conveniences and certain efficiencies at a big hotel, but you may also be limited to their schedule, arrangement or policies as well.

Bali villas are special in the world because there is a wide variety of types and styles at all price points. From unbelievable, posh and stylish cliff top or beach front luxury homes with massive gardens, gorgeous design and the best modern amenities to a modest tropical cottage with small attached kitchen and basic private patio. Ubud villas in particular, are best known for fabulous valley, river and green garden views in a fresh, clean and glorious natural environment.

Whatever your choose, an exceptional villa in Ubud such as Villa Amrita can provide you the flexibility and chance to get the most on your holiday. We have a list of top restaurants in Ubud, that we have personally visited, which we can recommendto our guests. No need to fret about scheduling, give us an idea of what you want and when and we can make the arrangements. If you need a suggestion about where to go and what to eat you only need ask our Butler.

You can get incredibly good food of all kinds at a great price. There are so many boutique-style restaurants popping up around Ubud all the time. Some of the great restaurants are prominently featured at top Ubud, Bali resorts, like the Semaya Ubud or along the Monkey Forest Street at places like Kajane Mua or Cinta Inn. Still others are excellent, little creations courtesy of expatriates or as a result of Balinese who are inspired by one thing or another like Café Vespa, Alchemy, Taco Casa, Kafe, Café Luna, Naughty Nuri’s and others.

Lastly, Villa Amrita is an Ubud accommodation closely located to the Bintang Supermarket, farmers markets, organic farms, a sea food supplier and other food resources. With just a little bit of preparation and advance notice we can prepare fresh, delicious meals of any kind. If you want tuna steak, filet mignon, smoked meats, imported cheese, pasta, breads, coffee, liquor and other items all you need to do is ask. We will take you to see or we can purchase it for you. We will have our chef prepare the meal for cost plus a modest fee.

Come to Villa Amrita Ubud, Bali, Indonesia and step away from the predictable. Experience something refreshing, fun and new. Find one of the best Bali villas to have your vacation.

Bali Info _ the Island of a Thousand Temples

Balinese culture is unique in the world. It has developed over more than a thousand years and represents a hybrid of various tribal practices, mysticism and traditional Hinduism. The number and variety of special ceremonies, practices and traditions on the island are remarkable and interesting. The local people maintain a tight-knit community that works to perpetuate and promote religiousness, piety and preservation of ancient ways. From the interesting culinary practices,special cultural artifactsto distinct ways of dress, the Balinese are fascinating.

One thing is for sure, you cannot go anywhere in Bali without catching a glimpse of a beautiful and magnificent temple complex. Cities, palaces, villages and even private homes all have some form of temple (pura) erected for the worship of the gods and of ones’ ancestors. A temple in Bali is can be constructed in various ways with differing levels of sophistication. The temples are made up of a series of concentric or interconnecting zones or compounds surrounded by high walls. The area inside these compounds consists of shrines, towers and different pavilions (bale). The architecture in Balinese temples are made of classic red brick and intricate stone carvings with iconic split gates, towers,  plenty of statues, elaborate wooden structures and both thatched grass and terracotta roofs.

Temples in Bali are located in different geographic locations for differing reasons and to appease specific deities or facing certain directions in order to protect the island from evil spirits. The temples all have a specific function and are visited at different times in the year. The really incredible thing about Bali is that there are many sacred and important temples that were built an astonishingly long time ago. There are several temples built more than 1,000 years ago and some that are several centuries old. There are few places in the world you can visit that feature so many ancient relics.

Nominated a world heritage site, the mother temple of Besakih in Karangasem regency is positioned on the side of Mount Agung (the principal volcano in Bali) at over 1,000 meters in elevation and is considered the most important temple in Bali. Besakih was built in the 14^th century and consists of 22 different and distinct sections with dozens of temples, courtyards, gates, walkways and a throne all surrounded by incredible views.

Pura Tirta Empul is a remarkable temple in the foothills of the mountains on the way to Kintamani. It was built in 926 A.D. on a site with a large water spring. The temple is famous as a place for the Balinese to go for ritual purification.

Taman Ayun is a fabulous ‘family temple’ built in 1634 by the King of Mengwi. Located just outside of Tabanan, Taman Ayun is a “beautiful garden” temple generally considered one of the most magnificent in Bali. The wide, terraced grounds are meticulously maintained and are surrounded by waterways, ponds and bridges.

Said to have been established in the 11^th century, Goa Lawah, or the “Bat Cave”, is considered to be one of the nine directional temples in Bali. Goa Lawah is home to a large community of bats. The temple can easily be visited as a stop on the way to Candidasa.

There are more temples in Bali including perhaps the most iconic of all, Tanah Lot. Said to have been built in the 1500’s, Tanah Lot is the focus of an annual Balinese pilgrimage and an important ‘sea temple’.

Where is Villa Amrita- Home?

One of the biggest questions a traveler can have is trying to understand where his/her accommodation will be in relation to the surroundings, tourist attractions, infrastructure, transport options, dining and entertainment. If you are traveling to somewhere you have never been it is key to know where you will be staying geographically so that you may arrange tours, dinner reservations, transport, activities and other necessary items more easily. We understand that is can be frustrating and confusing to travel to a new destination and not have a handle on the local conditions. That is why we want to make an attempt to explain clearly where Villa Amrita is located.

Perhaps the quickest and clearest way to get the details and information you want about where Villa Amrita is at is to use Google Maps. Early on, we took the initiative to have our tech person undertake the necessary steps to properly register Villa Amrita’s exact location on the Google Maps service. This is important because we were able to submit the detailed GPS coordinates and then confirm using a code and confirmation system. There are many exceptional luxury villas in Ubud and around Bali, so it is important to be precise and take the chance to differentiate and identify ourselves properly.

Once you have visited Google Maps here: https://maps.google.com/ you can type in the following: Villa Amrita, Bali, Indonesia.

When you do this you will automatically see a close up satellite view of the area around Ubud in which Villa Amrita is located. For your information, our GPS coordinates are as follows: -8.449705, 115.260301.

This is rough because of the margin for error. Still, if you put these coordinates in Google you will get a marker that is very close.

You may use this link to find the location of Villa Amrita directly:  http://goo.gl/maps/zmvks

Here is a link showing the exact path to arrive at the entrance of the Monkey Forest in Ubud. You will note it takes about 16 mins:  http://goo.gl/maps/RT3B6

Villa Amrita is a luxury three-bedroom villa located in a quiet, fresh, rural village setting. The Villa itself is set upon a hill among traditional rice terraces and facing a pristine, forested valley with a small river and a pure water spring.

While there are not many accommodations in Ubud near Villa Amrita there are some excellent places to visit nearby. One is the Elephant Safari Park: http://goo.gl/maps/ilRRp  (8kms – 17 mins)

You can visit the gorgeous, traditional rice terraces in Tagallalang: http://goo.gl/maps/80lpY

Great reviews on TA: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297701-d1515658-Reviews-Tegallalang_Rice_Terrace-Ubud_Bali.html#REVIEWS

More great information: http://www.topdestinationbali.com/gianyar/tegallalang-rice-terraces.html

We really want to make a trip to Villa Amrita an exceptional experience. A vacation at Villa Amrita should be inspiring and an unforgettable memory. Ubud, Bali, Indonesia is a unique place in the world. Lovely mild weather, beautiful, nature scenery, many interesting activities and wonderful dining options are the hallmark of a trip to Ubud. Come join us for a relaxing, comfortable and refreshing time in the luxury and beauty of Villa Amrita in the countryside of this scenic and charming tropical Indonesian isle.

Bali and Ubud Neverending Fun

The never ending interest in and desire of foreign visitors to travel to Bali is due to many, varied reasons. The island has a unique cultural experience and more than 1,400 years of history with elaborate temples, rich traditions and the interesting customs. Fascinating dress, rituals, food, religion, music and art are a big part of the allure of Bali. Bali is very distinct from other parts of the world and offers a vacation experience like no other.

The pretty and varied geography is also a major attraction. Beautiful beaches, boating, fishing, diving and surfing are a big draw. In the interior of the island we can see incredible terrain, amazing rice terraces, stunning volcanoes, rivers, valleys and waterfalls. We know that the wide variety of fun and interesting activities all over the island are also a powerful incentive for travelers to visit Bali.

In particular, in and around Ubud, the climate is perfect for a mild, yet tropical, atmosphere that is generally warm and wet, but can also be cool and fresh. The soil is fertile and the land verdant.  Torrential afternoon rains highlight beautiful, sunny days and make way for bright, starry nights. Ubud is a place where people can see a bit of man’s age-old interaction and balance with the natural environment.

Lush rice fields, abundant fruit trees, pigs, chickens, ducks and cows flourish here.Food and fresh water is relatively easy to obtain which makes life relaxed and blessed at the same time. The people here have known the rich harvest and providence of this remarkable land for millennia. This has allowed the people of Ubud to develop a unique cultural experience and evolve differently than those in other islands and in other nations.

A trip to Ubud, Bali, Indonesia is a treat for anyone. There are few locations on Earth that can provide such an interesting landscape, people, food and host of fun and education activities for everyone in the family. Paris, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Barcelona and other famous vacation spots are also lovely and worth a trip, but Ubud, Bali is dynamic and special.

The hotels, resorts, villas and other Ubud accommodation are varied and high quality. There are romantic getaways as well as modern, budget hotels. Ubud has bungalows and cottages and also private luxury villas. The private luxury villas in Ubud are one way to experience the comfort and amenities you would expect in your own home, but in a foreign country. An Ubud villa is a perfect place for a couple or family to have some peace and quiet, but also convenience, comfort and enjoyment.

In fact, Bali villas are a unique type of accommodation in the world. They are self-contained miniature homes with a private pool and complete facilities. Moreover, Bali Villas run the entire gamut in price from super expensive to downright cheap!

If you have a special diet or specific culinary needs you can prepare your own meals in the fully-equipped villa kitchen. Alternatively, you may invite a skilled chef into your borrowed kitchen as well. If you need to stay connected to the outside world most luxury villas in Bali offer HD Television sets with international satellite cable channels, newspapers as well as access to high-speed Internet that can support video chat.

Villa Amrita is one of the many exceptional villas in Ubud. You can get it all here. You are close enough to the boutique shopping, haute cuisine and exciting entertainment of the cosmopolitan enclave of Ubud to get there in a short, scenic 10-minute drive, but far enough away to experience the unparalleled beauty, fresh air and water and quiet of the peaceful countryside.

If you need to have a large private party for a group of very important guests or just candlelight dinner for two, Villa Amrita can provide it. You can go on leisurely walks, bike rides or explore the nearby villages. There are many places to go and see nearby Ubud as well. You can visit an organic farm, ride an elephant, go white water rafting or have a cappuccino while staring across a wide expanse of incredible, jade green rice terraces. All this and much more is available within minutes of this exceptional Ubud villa. Trips to the beach, dining with lions, visiting a 1,000 year old temple and walking at the edge of a vast volcano crater are all available within 40 minutes of Villa Amrita.

Villa Amrita is a special, niche product among Ubud accommodation. We invite you to see something extraordinary and new. Spend your vacation pampering yourself and enriching your mind and body. Come visit us at Villa Amrita.

The People Truly Make the Difference

The last year of my time in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia building a luxury villa I have discovered one undeniable fact about this lovely place. No matter how great your structure, how gorgeous your view, how luxurious your amenities and number of services you offer, if you do not have the quality, trained, responsible, mature, thoughtful, responsible, capable and mature staff to support there is no way you can truly achieve greatness. No matter how exceptional the Ubud or Bali villa, if the right people are not there to give the accommodation the right spirit, the right touch, the right attitude and the level of service that the guests are looking for or what or need, you will always fall below your goal. Villa Amrita desired to create something extraordinary. We aim to be mindful and to live up to high expectations.

Villa Amrita is not an Ubud, Bali resort, but it does have many of the elements of a larger operation. Certainly, the furnishing, amenities and options are nearly identical or are able to compare. While we do not have a private gym or a tennis court we have other things that are as good or better! The chance to really get to know a local person through the course of your stay is often a great joy. Getting a glimpse of the mind and heart of the Balinese on some new level is a pleasure and a privilege. Staying in a Bali villa allows an opportunity to interact with local people much more closely that you might otherwise.

We realize that without the people at Villa Amrita we could not continue to provide one of the best vacation experiences in Bali. One particular special person we would like to call out for his extra special performance, wonderful attitude and dedicated service is our head butler I Wayan Sudana. I Wayan Sudana is a resident of a small village near Keliki only around 10 minutes by motorbike from Villa Amrita. Just 33 years old and a father of two young children, “Sudana” is a sensitive, friendly and thoughtful young man helping Villa Amrita become great. Having been trained in several 5-star hotels prior to settling at Villa Amrita which is located closer to his home, Sudana is the right person to help maintain a high quality standard of cleanliness, preparedness, and operation and service.

We want to recognize the superb and gracious service Sudana has provided to our guests the last six months. Without him we could not have achieved nearly the same level of excellence. Having been praised by name by several of our guests, we are particularly thankful for having such a bright, caring and helpful man gracing our magnificent creation – Villa Amrita. We desire to always do the best no matter what it takes and without exception. We want to make something that is unique and extraordinary.  Without a person like Sudana on hand to offer support and expertise in guest service we would be unable to achieve our goal. There is nothing better than having built a Bali villa in such a special place, except to also have the best people in the area help create a remarkable product that will attract visitors for decades to come.

Ubud Villas General Services

Ubud has been a place of great mystique and fascination for several decades now. It wasn’t until the 1980’s really that foreigners came here in any numbers or with too much frequency. Clearly there were visitors, some substantial, well before that, but up to that point Ubud was still a bit of a hidden mystery. To have several “old timers” describe it, Ubud had no roads or electricity, or at least not many, in those days to even make a phone call would have been difficult except for a couple places in the center of the city.Slow-paced and rural, practically everything in Ubud was shut down and completely dark by 9:00 pm. In addition, most of the entire area of Ubud was nearly all full of rice paddies until fairly recently.

Clearly you can see a lot has changed since then. There has been phenomenal growth, which still remains ongoing today, that has transformed the place in ways and to a point that it must be nearly unrecognizable on some levels. However, that does not diminish any of the city and this area’s charm and appeal. Ubud is dynamic, exciting and unique in several ways compared to the rest of the world. That is not to say it is best or devoid of problems as something can be said for anywhere on Earth and all places face troubles, but Ubud is different and special.

These people have created and developed one of the most fascinating places in the world. The fact is, there are very few places like Ubud and Bali. Ubud is a bastion of strict mystical Balinese Hindu practices and beliefs. It is also a superbly lush and verdant with unique geography made sweet by a somewhat mild climate. The place has become the home and heart of some of the more devout and conspicuous cultural and artistic displays here. Commercially and socially, Ubud is robust and full of entrepreneurs, tour operators, artisans, bohemians, connoisseurs, shop keeps and restaurateurs, but it has always maintained a laid back and free-spirited feel. New age, liberation, spirituality, well being and healthy living are actively practiced on some level throughout. There is also a strong love for art, literature, music and food here.

The ultimate peaceful destination, Ubud Villas has become a place-to-relax, unwind, meet people, seek romance, learn-about-self, and get-back-in-touch kind of venue. If you’re looking for culture, comfort, nature, entertainment, fun, culinary pursuits or plain old inspiration, Ubud has some incredible things that make Bali so interesting. There are picturesque rice fields, ancient temples, rivers, waterfalls, palaces, museums, art galleries, wonderful people, tons of great food, comfortable climate and a wild variety of interesting adventure activities from horse, elephant and ATV riding to canyoneering, mountain biking and river rafting. There is also an incredibly varied amount of interesting accommodation from home stays to luxury villas.

Ubud is made up of a small main town and several small villages that surround it. It is about 24 to 33 Celsius year round with typically frequent, short rains (which can vary) that help to make the place very green. There are a lot of diverse shopping, indoor/outdoor activities, dining and entertainment concentrated in this place. There is also a rich tradition of celebration, learning, goodwill and openness that carries on to today. Almost anyone would have a positive, meaningful and possibly unforgettable experience if they spent just a week in Ubud, Bali.

We invite you to experience this uncommon place in extraordinary style and luxury. An amazing location, architecture, facilities and comfort are to be found at Villa Amrita. You cannot imagine a better way to relax. Modern and traditional, stimulating and soothing, Villa Amrita is the perfect base for exploring Ubud and Bali to its absolute fullest.

Bali Information –Basic Tips of Villa Amrita

We want to give our guests the best information possible to help them prepare for the trip of a life time to Bali. Bali is in the process of making huge changes to their roads and highways. Traffic is probably the biggest problem for visitors to the island. Long waits in a car on the way to an activity or site is the last thing people want to be doing on their vacation. The good thing is that the government in Bali has already begun an extensive project to modernize and improve the islands relatively weak transportation infrastructure.

It takes about one hour and possibly ten minutes to reach Ubud Villas and Villa Amrita from the Airport. On a Sunday, on a holiday like Galungan (usually in February and August) or later at night (after 8pm), it is possible to reach the airport from Ubud in less than 45 minutes. 

You do not need to plan more than 1.5 hours to reach the airport from Villa Amrita.

You should always prepare 150,000 IDR (rupiah only) to pay the exit tax to leave the NgurahRai Airport. On arrival, you can buy a visa on arrival for $25 USD. It is possible to expedite the long wait in the airport by paying the young men in the blue shirts approximately $20 USD per person to speed you through without waiting. However, we do not recommend this. Instead, you should examine the situation and choose the immigration line that is being handled by TWO immigration officers. Even with long lines, lines serviced by two immigration personnel will go remarkably fast.

Always plan airport pick up in advance. It may seem pricy or you may feel like you can get the best deal by haggling, but you may find yourself sweating, nervous, tired, thirsty or just plain annoyed if you don’t plan your airport pick up in advance. It costs no less than 250,000 rupiah to go to Ubud from the international airport. We believe that it is impossible to get cheaper than this unless you have your own car.

Always bring a bottle of wine or your favorite spirit with you to Bali. The cost of alcoholic drinks in Indonesia is exorbitant. We advise guests to plan ahead and buy something at duty free.

There are a lot of activities, spa trips, meals and places to visit that can be arranged quickly, easily and cheaply. For the best price and most favorable conditions we urge you to plan ahead. This is both to ensure safety, clarity and also get the best price.

Electricity is 220v. The electricity plug for Indonesia is specialized. Most of the higher end Bali resorts; villas and hotels have adapters, but beware lower end Bali accommodation.

Do not change too much money in the airport as the exchange rate is always 5% lower than out on the street in the popular tourist areas. Be careful using ATM’s because they will never provide more than USD$350 in local currency and will likely top you out at $120. Cash remains the best way to travel in Bali.

You can easily get a cheap Bali SIM card and simple phone for maximum 300,000IDR (roughly $32 USD). You can add credit to it as you like. Wireless internet is available in a lot of pubs, restaurants and hotels for free, so having a device like a tablet PC, smart phone or notebook is handy.

It is important to know that Bali is currently of creating a road that will directly connect the international airport with the road to Sanur, Ubud and to other parts of the island such as Candidasa, Tulamben and Amed. This is an incredible development as it will cut the travel time to these areas by at least 30 minutes. This is a major improvement.  The international airport itself is undergoing major overhaul and the new, larger and much more modern airport is supposed to open in 2015. 

There is also construction underway to improve the trip from the international airport to Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and beyond. Due to Bali’s important role in the region as a hub for international conferences, including the 2013 APEC summit, the mad dash to improve driving conditions is officially in full swing.  By the end of next year, there will be tunnels and other traffic improvements that will make it no longer necessary to wait if you wish to go straight to Seminyak, Canggu or Tanah Lot. 

If this kind of development did not happen Bali would and could never emerge as a full-blown, first-rate vacation destination in the region. Granted Bali is already incredibly popular with tourists, both foreign and domestic, but for the island to really become a lasting, premium location it needs to improve these problems.