Villa Alamanda

Villa Alamanda is a special place. After four years searching for the perfect location to create their dream holiday home, the owners decided on the lush jungle setting near Ubud, and their affection for this tropical paradise is evident as soon as you open the villa doors.

Set high on a ravine amongst tall trees, lush green foliage and twittering birds this four-bedroom villa takes you back in time. Alamanda is part of a traditional wood-carvers’ village that conjures up images of the Bali of yesteryear. Here, guests are privy to the routines of daily Balinese life from elaborate Hindu ceremonies to children playing in the street.

What really makes this villa special is the way its design complements its natural setting with alang-alang thatched roofs, wooden beams and polished floors featuring a large open-sided terrace to enjoy the balmy tropical climate. Air-conditioned king-size bedrooms with marble ensuite bathrooms provide the perfect respite from the heat along with the fully enclosed media room.

The gardens are spectacular, with a 13 x 9-metre infinity pool that hangs over the ravine and a poolside balé just made for relaxing. Frangrant frangipanis, red heliconias and the bright-yellow alamanda (after which the villa is named) inject colour against the rich green foliage of the surrounding jungle.

The villa’s location is convenient for accessing nearby attractions including Ubud, Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) and the UNESCO rice terraces of Tegallalang. The villa staff team, including Ibu Made, the villa’s experienced in-house chef, will look after you well: meals can be selected from a suggestion menu on guest account. But if guests do wish to dine out, there are plenty of dining options in Ubud catering for every taste and budget.

INDOOR LIVING

Villa Alamanda is characterised by a delightful T-shaped terrace that stretches the length of the main house. This beautiful open-sided living space features polished wooden floors, high ceilings hung with overhead fans, and wooden balustrading that makes the most of the villa’s picturesque natural environment. Two daybeds adorned with silk cushions provide the perfect places to meditate and enjoy soothing sounds on the CD player.

The dining area that juts out over the ravine and is furnished with a wooden table for eight, is the ideal spot for an intimate dinner party. The kitchen, which delivers exquisite meals, is housed in the staff quarters at the rear of the property.

The fully enclosed air-conditioned media room adjacent to the garden suite is equipped with a large flat-screen satellite TV with DVD player, games, toys, movies, bean bags and a comfortable sofa.

OUTDOOR LIVING

Its unique jungle setting is what makes Villa Alamanda special and the owners have designed the gardens to make the most of the tropical surroundings. An arched gateway with Balinese doors marks the entrance to the enchanting garden accessed by a flight of 17 stone stairs.

A curved 13 x 9-metre blue-tiled infinity swimming pool gives the illusion of disappearing into the ravine as water cascades over its edge. Sun loungers and umbrellas rest on the Palimanan pool terrace strategically placed to capture the sun. A round outdoor dining table is ideal for casual poolside dining while the thatched balé, equipped with bright coloured cushions and a CD player, is perfect for sunset cocktails.

A grassed area with two carved wooden seats and a traditional Hindu shrine makes a lovely setting for an intimate wedding blessing or a private yoga session.

ACCOMMODATION

Perched on a hillside high above a ravine, Villa Alamanda is built on two levels. Guests enter the main living quarters through imposing antique carved wood doors that open to a foyer and long T-shaped living and dining terrace with wood floors and an alang-alang thatched roof. The master bedroom, red room and cinnamon room all face the ravine and open onto this terrace.

To one side of the main house rests the garden bedroom suite and media room, with the kitchen located at the rear. To the other side, a steep stone staircase leads down to the beautiful gardens and swimming pool area, where sun loungers, an outdoor dining table and the poolside balé beckon.

BEDROOMS

At Villa Alamanda, all four air-conditioned bedrooms feature king-size beds, polished wooden floors, high-vaulted alang-alang ceilings, glass sliding doors with louvre shutters, safety deposit boxes and an ensuite bathroom with shower and bathtub.

- Master Bedroom
The spacious master bedroom, or honeymoon suite, is furnished with Indonesian artefacts and artwork by local artists. A large lantern suspended from the ceiling creates a romantic ambiance while glass sliding doors with wooden shutters open onto the outdoor terrace where a daybed is positioned for relaxing and taking in the jungle views.

Louvre doors open to a dressing room which, in turn, leads to the master bathroom with its sunken marble bath and shower. Shuttered windows open out to the garden and pool area below capturing the natural breeze.

- Cinnamon and Red room
Similar in design these two neighbouring bedrooms are differentiated by their furnishings. The Red room is characterised by red lamps and paintings, while the Cinnamon room gets its name from the scented cinnamon-stick vase arrangement above the bed. Both rooms feature a private walled garden bathroom and open onto the large living terrace with a daybed for curling up and enjoying a good book.

- Garden suite
A separate pavilion houses the Garden suite, which is decorated with Indonesian artefacts, paintings and tapestries. This suite has a fully enclosed marble bathroom and its own private deck for soaking up the tropical surrounds. The Garden suite is located next to the media room.

STAFF

One of the greatest advantages of staying in a villa is the personalised service provided by dedicated staff. Villa Alamanda’s warm and friendly staff have worked at the property for many years and will do their utmost to make you feel at home.

Please don’t hesitate to talk to your villa manager to discuss any specific requirements.

- Villa manager
Experienced villa manager, Ely, is responsible for the overall operation of the villa. His role is to oversee and coordinate the staff and property and to assist guests during their stay.

- Chef
The villa’s skilled private chef, Ibu Made, will happily prepare anything from the Western, Asian, vegetarian and children’s suggestion menus. Her specialties include local dishes.

- Housekeepers
Three housekeepers attend to daily housekeeping and domestic duties and a lady from the local village also performs daily offerings throughout the villa in keeping with Balinese Hindu tradition.

- Gardener
A gardener ensures the villa gardens are maintained on a daily basis.

- Pool Attendant
The pool is serviced daily by a pool attendant.

- Security
A security guard provides night-time security.

DINING

The villa’s private chef, Ibu Made, is at your service to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The villa offers an extensive suggestion menu of delicious home-style meals featuring Asian and international dishes to cater to all tastes, with an excellent selection of vegetarian and children’s options. Her true specialities are traditional Indonesian dishes which you are encouraged to sample. If you wish, Ibu Made will also take you to Ubud market to choose fresh produce for your very own cooking class!

Meals can be tailored to accommodate special dietary requirements and to make the most of the kitchen, and give staff time to shop, it is recommended that you plan meals with the chef or villa manager the evening before.

Groceries and beverages are charged at cost plus a 20%++ surcharge. Guests will be requested to provide a float for groceries in advance and the staff will do the shopping for you and keep the receipts for your reference.

FOR CHILDREN

The family friendly advantages of a villa holiday are many, including access to your own private facilities and the freedom to use them whenever you want. Knowing that the kids can run around happily, independently and safely, without you having to worry about other guests, is a real plus – and one that means parents are certain to have a more relaxed holiday too.

While young children will need close supervision at Villa Alamanda because of its steep hillside location, it is a great villa for families with older kids. With a large swimming pool, lawn area for games and a media room well equipped with DVDs and indoor games, the kids will be kept well entertained.

The team of friendly staff at Villa Alamanda make children feel as welcome as adults too, and having these willing helpers on hand gives guests plenty of flexibility and freedom to do their own exploring beyond the villa grounds (full-time babysitting incurs a small extra cost).

Although the equipped kitchen allows meals for fussy eaters or babies to be prepared with ease, staff will happily to do this for you – just talk through your requirements and meal schedules with the villa manager or chef and they will take care of the rest. The chef can customise all meals to suit children’s taste buds. Pancakes by the pool for breakfast? Milkshakes with your movie? No problem.

Neither do you need to worry about packing all that cumbersome kids’ equipment for your stay. There are a number of children’s items already at the villa including a high chair and baby cot with mosquito net, but should you need anything else, equipment can be hired on your behalf.