Review: Samabe Bali Suites and Villas, Nusa Dua – Bali

I felt like I was in Santorini, Greece. The buildings surrounding me were painted white and sparkled in the noonday sun. I sat down in the cool shade staring over the clear swimming pool towards the ocean that stretched to the horizon. It was easy to imagine that I was in Santorini, but Samabe Bali Suites and Villas is half a world away in Nusa Dua on the point of Bali. The resort, a beautifully sculpted landscape of open planned buildings with suites and villas that draws you to the sea, is a luxury retreat.

The Accommodation

Accommodation at Samabe Bali Suites & Villas is split into two parts. Furthest from the sea are the 35 private villas surrounded by green lawns and dotted with palm trees. Each villa is secluded offering you complete privacy. As you get closer to the sea you find one of the restaurants and the aquamarine pools. Hugging the edge of the cliffs are two luxury condominiums. The condominiums face the ocean and the private beach and each of the private suites offers a view overlooking the ocean. On the top floor of the condominiums are the that come complete with rooftop infinity pools. The private villas live up to the name. The villas are large, spacious and airy. There is a large front room with sofas and TV that leads into the main bedroom. Off to the side of the bedroom is a large bathroom with wall length mirrors and a huge bath you can soak in. The bathroom is supplied with all of the amenities that you need for your pampered stay in the resort (this includes things like body lotion, milk bath and sea salt) Each of the 35 villas has a private swimming pool with a garden patio where you can enjoy snacks or just sit out and soak up the sun. As a guest at the villa you also get access to 24-hour room service, so you always have somebody available should you need anything.

The Breakfast

Breakfast time at Samabe is one of the highlights of the day. The selection of food available is as big as your appetite. You can either choose from the buffet or the menu (a’la carte), or both. The good news is all of the food is tasty! Every morning I started my breakfast with fantastic fruit shots that I loved to the max. The four shots of juice leave you feeling refreshed (and give you your four portions of fruit and veg). The shots are a combination of fruits and vegetables. Following the fruit shots (and fresh coffee) you can explore the menu. The buffet includes things like sushi, fresh pastries and cakes and other tasty morsels. From the a’la carte menu you can choose things like steak, tasty poached eggs with caviar and more besides (there is at least a half dozen specially prepared dishes to choose from every morning). There are four restaurants and bars on Samabe Bali Suites & Villas. While you need to go to the main restaurant (Rempah-Rempah restaurant), close to the reception area, to get breakfast (you can also get it in your villa or suite), you can have afternoon tea and cakes at any of the restaurants and bars (Te.Ja.Co lounge and bar, Crystal Blue Ocean Grill, and Ring of Fire Pool Bar) or in your villa or suite at 3-5 pm. In addition to the restaurants and bars there is also a beautiful chapel that overlooks the ocean. Keeping on the food theme, it’s also possible to arrange your very own tasty dinner in a cave experience (on the sand, surrounded by candles and accompanied to the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach).

The Amenities

Samabe provides various benefits for your stay. Included in the room rate is free-flow non alcoholic beverages, which can be ordered at any of the restaurants and bars or directly to your room. It’s a great service and I am now officially a big fan of their dragon fruit juice that I started to order multiple times a day 🙂 Besides the free-flow drink, and breakfast, Samabe also offers a daily afternoon tea. The afternoon tea comes with sandwich and also some sweets. I always chose to have afternoon tea at the restaurant closer to the sea. This restaurant has wooden decking and the tables are split into individual seating areas that look out over the turquoise pool and the ocean beyond. I was a happy sweet-toothed guest. Samabe also has the unlimited privileges (all inclusive package), which includes all meals. This is a perfect combo for honeymooners who usually tend to linger around the resort (because with food included there really is no reason to leave).

Activities and Common Areas

Samabe Bali Suites & Villas offers lots of activities for guests staying at the hotel. There are cooking class, daily Yoga classes, weekly Batik painting workshops and also Balinese cultural and dance class lessons. If you are feeling more active, you can take a catamaran ride, do some stand-up paddling, windsurfing and even kayaking. Of course, sitting by the pool and doing nothing is also an option. When I was a guest at Samabe Bali Suites & Villas I took a cooking class at the Wantilan (Wantilan is an open air kitchen that functions as the venue for the cooking classes). We learned how to cook Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and chicken satay. It was an interesting class, though I know how to cook fried rice and chicken satay. It was great to see the other guests (mostly foreigners) interacting with the chef and preparing this famous Indonesian dish.

The Samabe Bali Suites and Villas

If you are looking for the perfect honeymoon in Bali, Samabe Bali Suites and Villas is definitely the one. It is also the perfect choice for an anniversary or even just a memorable and relaxing holiday. I promise you’ll feel like you’ve found a small patch of heaven when you arrive at the resort… Beautiful, peaceful and romantic. *** FYI I was invited (September, 2015) to Samabe Bali Suites and Villas as a guest, however the views expressed in this article are, as always, my own opinion.