This is my third time experiencing Nyepi in this island of gods and I planned to spoil myself a little bit this time. I searched on hotels with great accommodation, view, services and deals. I work in a hospitality industry and thus, I know what to expect every time I visit other hotels.

For some of you who are willing to have a super long haul flight just to experience a perfect tropical vacation in Bali, you might want to consider this luxurious five-star Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa. From the outer look, the hotel seems pretty old. However, we could never judge a book by its cover, couldn't we?



From the minute I was served by the valet staff and front officer while checking-in, I could already feel like home. The people were so warm and friendly. A guest relation officer escorted me to my room, which was at level 4. He was so nice and a bit talkative. He called me 'Ibu Damara'. Weird, but perhaps, it has been their standard to call guests by their last name, no matter what the nationality is. He knew I was Indonesian.

I booked a standard room, Deluxe Room, if I was not mistaken. The room was dominated by wood furnitures and had a generous space at the balcony. The bathroom was large enough for me and complete with set of toiletries. All basic necessities were all well prepared. Toothbrush, toothpaste, shower cap, sanitary bag, cotton pad, hair dryer, huge mirror, etc. It had mini bar with free coffee and tea. A small refrigerator was placed below the main working desk. The room had great lighting and during the day the sun light would fill the room through its glass door of the balcony where you and your couple could sit and chit chat over a glass of wine and some snacks during the night. I could see the lagoon pools down there surrounded by the garden from my balcony. All I knew was I did not like the room. I LOVED IT!!




If I could describe my stay experience with three words, I would choose: classic, home and elegant.

The package that I bought was Half Board package that included daily breakfast and one time dinner, as I only stayed for two nights for Nyepi. The breakfast was actually standard just like any other five star hotels. Wedang Jahe restaurant serves Asian (rice, porridge, curry), Western cuisines (waffles, scrambled eggs, sausages, crepes), generous fresh juices and fruits and my favourites, pastries.


After having my breakfast, I decided to have a little tour to see the whole hotel. The pools were not as enchanting as I saw through the photos. Or, perhaps it was because of the crowds. All guests were not allowed to get out from the hotel area on Nyepi Day and thus, everyone had nowhere to go but the pools! Beach areas were closed and restricted. The beach was actually fantastic and teasing with its white sands and blue sea water. I was pretty sure, I would have had so much fun beach time if it were not Nyepi.




The other thing that stole my sight was the lagoon rooms that I could see from my balcony. These lagoon rooms' balcony were installed with a few stairs that headed directly to the lagoon pools. The area was like more 'private' as it was quite 'hidden' and located on the other side of the hotel. This type of room would be great for guests with kids who love swimming that much.


In the heart of the hotel was located some kind of stage or platform where Balinese traditional shows were mostly held and taken place. This was a very great entertainment and attraction for their in-house guests so that they did not have to dine outside the hotel and instead, they could just dine in the restaurant and enjoy the show.

I was so thankful for my manager and her husband for giving me a special rate for staying in Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa! I really had the best Nyepi experience so far as I could really enjoy my ultimate me time. My family kept calling me for some reasons and thought that I would be lonely and bored while in fact, I was like "Y-E-A-Y" - being in my element with only my self. Oh well, I know they miss and love me a lot <3 :)


Overall, Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa is surely a great hotel that offers you great hospitality. Trust me, my workplace has been teaching me a very high standard in serving guests and I am not a kind of customer who is easy to please. However, this hotel did NOT disappoint me with some biggies.

The funny thing is, well it actually happens wherever I go in this island, all the staff here thought that I was not Indonesian so they always talked to me in English. It never is an issue for me. My response depends on the expression of the staff, if they seem struggled while greeting me, I would respect and reply them in Bahasa. However, if they seem confident, I would keep the talk in English. Just, please, don't talk to me in Chinese or Mandarin straight away as I would surely make a face and leave immediately. 我不是中国人！