One of the many delights of traveling is the chance to experience customs and cultures that are very different from your own. I’ve been to many parts of Indonesia, but this visit to Ubud, Bali, had some delightful, fascinating surprises.
I’ll talk about the wild festival of Nyepi and the following holiday of Silent Day in a different blogpost, but first, let’s talk about the hotel. Natura Villa was set in a lush jungle, with dark wooden walkways that connected the rooms to the dining area and pool. Bamboo, giant ferns, and the sounds of the river rushing below in the ravine made it easy to feel like you were deep in a remote region of Bali despite being only a five minute tuk-tuk ride away.
I think if I’d been less fortunate and been in a different hotel, the rigors of Silent Day might have been harder to bear. But it’s tough to find any fault with being “forced” to remain in a palatial room big enough for a family of five, with its own personal swimming pool and lounge on a separate lower level, all nicely walled for seclusion and privacy. The jacuzzi outside and the waterfall shower were additional nice touches. Despite the lack of internet that day, I found ways to keep myself occupied.
If you’re required to stay on hotel premises, it helps to have a nice restaurant to dine at, and I did avail myself of a wonderful massage as well. The therapists use natural ingredients, and treatments can be enjoyed in the tranquil spa facilities or even in-room, though I didn’t opt for that. By the end of Silent Day I was almost wishing that things wouldn’t return to normal.
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