20 May 2025

Bali

We offer a wide choice of cheap flights to Bali together with Bali hotels, tours and self-drive itineraries.

Other Asia Reviews

How three sisters fell in love with Bali

Lisa Snowdon made it a family affair when she headed for serious girlie pampering on this enchanting Indonesian island.

Bali - At the serene Four Seasons Resort

Bali - An Indonesian night market with BBQ

Bali - Secluded luxury at the COMO Esate

1 At the serene Four Seasons Resort 2 An Indonesian night market with BBQ 3 Secluded luxury at the COMO Esate

SNOWY, FRIENDS SAY TO ME, you’re a beach bum. And it’s true: I love lying around on beautiful beaches. But then I love travelling. There are so many countries to see and so little time. I’m pleased to say I’ve finally made it to Bali.

For years it has been at the top of my holiday wish list. So when I finally decided to go, the only question was who would come with me on this holiday of a lifetime. I decided I wanted to share this holiday not with a significant other (due to the fact that there isn’t one right now) but with two very special people in my life: my sisters Joanna and Lesley Anne.

We arrived in Denpasar, capital of Bali, slightly spaced out after our day’s journey. But our spirits were buoyed by the thought that our first port of call was the Four Seasons resort in Jimbaran Bay, just 30 minutes from the airport.

This meant that as soon as our bags popped out on to the carouselwe were able to head straight to the beach for a much anticipated afternoon swim, followed by a sunset cocktail. On arrival at the resort we were met with warm smiles and stunning views of the Indian Ocean.

After a refreshing welcome drink, we were whisked off by golf buggy to our home for the next few days – a gorgeous thatched-roof villa with its own infinity plunge pool, as well as a garden shower. Eager to explore, we decided to walk to the beach. Frangipani trees in full bloom scented the air, waterfalls and Balinese statues lined the way.

On arrival we were met with warm smiles

Later we headed down to the Taman Wantilan restaurant in the grounds of the Four Seasons, where on a Sunday night they have an Indonesian night market.

We were greeted by an eruption of colour, smells and sounds. On offer was a mouthwatering array of delicious food prepared on charcoal grills. The

food was set up in stalls around a market of local wares, all of which added a wonderfully authentic atmosphere.

Over the next couple of days we happily spent our time relaxing in the sun on the beach and cooling off in the ocean, snacking on fresh fruit, coconut water, crispy calamari and grilled fish from the nearby PJ’s restaurant.

One evening we took the golf buggy to the resort’s Warung Me Indonesian restaurant. It’s small and intimate with an open kitchen. Here we ate fresh mahi mahi fish steamed in banana leaves, delicious curries and salads that thrilled the palate with new and wonderful flavours.

‘Beds on the Beach’ the next night was a particular favourite: I’ve never seen anything so magical. Canopied beds in vibrant colours were set up on the sand in front of PJ’s, surrounded by hundreds of candles with live jazz playing softly in the background. We had a delectable five course meal served in taster-size portions, as we sat on cushions gazing out at the ocean.

We enjoyed sushi, gazpacho, lobster and tender Australian sirloin, finished off with a decadent chocolate extravaganza. My spa day provided further delight as we were to try out Ocean Opulence. All we knew beforehand was that the experience would take place outside and I had to wear a bikini.

After checking in at the spa reception, I was driven by buggy to a spot on the edge of a cliff with amazing views over the Indian Ocean: I took a walkway down to a secluded bay.

There’s a choice of wellness programmes

My therapist soaked my feet, handed me a frangipani flower (‘flower of the gods’ in Bali) and told me to focus all negative thoughts into the frangipani. I concentrated on off-loading all my worries from life back home so as to really benefit from this treatment and the magic of Bali.

The next two hours passed in a heavenly blur as I was scrubbed, cleansed and massaged by the soft but strong hands of my therapist and soothed by sounds of the sea. Opulence indeed.

On our last evening in Jimbaran Bay we had ‘Six on the Beach’. It started at 6pm, where tables were dug out in the sand with six different food stations. Six colourful Balinese dancers entertained us, and torches burned brightly in the sand – a night to remember. From Jimbaran we headed to Ubud and the COMO Shambhala Estate, a wellness retreat in the heart of Bali.

It was a two-hour drive away, past rice fields and fabulous temples and shrines. We passed through villages, each specialisingin its own style of arts and crafts – gorgeous stone and woodcarvings, for example, of Buddha and Ganesha. The estate, when we arrived, was stupendous.

Surrounded by rice fields and wooded mountains, with the sacred River Ayung running below, it looked like something out of Ang Lee’s film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Truly mystical. We were shown to our villa by our personal assistant Made (pronounced Maddy) who took care of everything. We were staying in a two-bedroom split-level villa with spacious outside decking and a gorgeous lap pool with Jacuzzi jets. Made said that we had all been booked in for Indonesian massages that evening: Yes, we soon came to love Made.

There’s a choice of wellness programmes – including stress management, cleansing, fitness, rejuvenation or a bespoke regime. I fancied all of the above, but chose a bespoke programme with the main aim total relaxation and rejuvenation, involving daily body treatments. It was heaven.

I decided that we should all get involved in some of the activities and booked us all in for a 7.30am meditation class the next morning.

Everything about it is a joy

Then, feeling very peaceful and, dare I say, Zen, we had a healthy but hearty breakfast of young coconut and almond milk porridge and poached eggs with steamed vegetables and crushed tomatoes.

Later that day I had a Taksu massage, Taksu being the magical transference of energy between two people: it’s an intense and invigorating deep-tissue massage, but not for the faint-hearted. Dinner was at the Kudus House restaurant, a 150-year-old former Javanese residence.

We had a delicious selection of Indonesian dishes, including gadogado – lightly cooked vegetables, grilled tofu and cashew nut sauce – seared whole baby fish with green mango and peanut relish and pumpkin, eggplant and curry.

The food was fantastic and each day we experienced something new.

The estate’s all-day Glow restaurant focused on organic, locally sourced produce, with influences ranging from Indian to Italian and, of course, Balinese.

Tuna sashimi with seaweed and sesame dressing, zucchini carpaccio with crab and lemon, chilli and mint salad were among our favourites. We were handed a juice menu with fresh ingredients all grown on the estate.

We soon found our own favourites: a Cool Down for me which included watermelon, mint and cucumber, while the girls loved the Culture Shock. Meal times had never been so exciting.

One morning we were up early to catch the sun rising over rice fields, and on another we went for a rice field trek in and around the estate: a wonderful introduction to village life.

As we prepared for the journey home, we decided that the holiday had been even better than we had hoped. Bali is not only such a beautiful place, its people are so warm – everything about it is a joy.

0330·100·2220i 0330 calls are included within inclusive minutes package on mobiles, otherwise standard rates apply. X 0330 calls are included within inclusive minutes package on mobiles, otherwise standard rates apply. X