The Viceroy Bali holds a very special place in my heart because this is where my parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary while renewing their vows in Bali. It’s been over 5 years, and they still rave about their time spent at this exquisite property. For my 30th birthday, I decided to treat myself to my very own grand adventure in Bali, and of course had to make my own memories here at the Viceroy. As much as I would have loved to share this experience with my one true love, I was thankful to have shared it with friend and Youtube vlogger Robyn Kimberly. Words cannot describe this property’s beauty, nor will the photos I have taken for this blog. A property as stunning as this can only be truly enjoyed by experiencing it for yourself. Since you’re somewhere else in the world, I’ll give you a little insight as to why it is so magnificent.
Here at the Viceroy, they take luxury to the next level; a level that many other 5 star hotels cannot meet because of its prime location. Robyn and I had the honor of meeting both Anthony Syrowatka and his father who built this independent boutique hotel years ago. We are very happy their vision of this boutique mountainside hotel came to fruition, because there is nothing quite like this place. Just by looking out into the jungle it instantly takes you to a place of serenity and peace. This hotel is now part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), which thrive on unique touches that leave guests with an everlasting impression.

As we walked into our deluxe villa, Robyn and I gasped in awe over this grand room’s beauty. With beautiful natural stone floors, walk-in closet, comfortable couch, flat screen tv, bath tub, waterfall shower, king sized bed, and private infinity pool with a gazebo… we instantly felt right at home. Some of my personal favorite features about these villas are the built-in universal converters and fast wifi! In my experience, island wifi tends to run on “island time,” but this was strong throughout the entire property. Granted, most people come to a location like this to disconnect, but when you’re a busy business woman like myself, high speed wifi is a bonus!

There was almost no need to relax by the main pool because we had everything we needed right in our own deluxe villa. Everyday we enjoyed a delicious and healthy breakfast in our personal gazebo as we looked out trying to find monkeys in the jungle behind us. The private setup of Viceroy Bali villas takes romance to the next level, you truly feel as if no one is around! They even offer in-house spa treatments and massages from their Lembah Spa, where you can be pampered in the luxury of your villa. My parents had couples massages in their villa almost everyday, and I don’t blame them!!

The spa offers more than just facials and massages:

• Yoga with a two hour spa treatment

• Romantic couples treatment

• Cycling in the rice fields with a two hour spa treatment

• Trekking with a two hour spa treatment

• Spa lunch or dinner package

We finally made our way to the main infinity pool to get the full experience of what this hotel has to offer. We sat poolside in another gazebo eating lunch, and even enjoyed a few cocktails at the swim up bar. We hardly saw anyone to be honest, because most people just enjoyed their privacy. It was fun feeling like we had this entire hotel to ourselves! Also, I highly recommend ordering anything and everything from Cascade’s, their poolside restaurant. Not only is the food delicious, but their awards for best food, restaurant bar, and wine list is extremely impressive.

There is so much love at this property, where it should be meant to relax and be shared with a lover. I felt a little guilty taking Robyn here away from her boyfriend, because I could see them getting married (or even honeymooning!) at this property. For those of you looking for the perfect place to experience your honeymoon, you need to stay here! No questions asked!  It is close to town, so the hotel can arrange a ride for you to see all that Ubud has to offer, such as the Sacred Monkey Forrest Sanctuary.  Plus, you can arrange a helicopter to transfer you from Denpasar Airport to the property. Yes, they have there very own helicopter pad! TALK ABOUT BOUGIE!  

I fully believe that it isn’t just about the prime location or amenities that makes a hotel 5 star, it’s the people who work there. At the Viceroy, every single person had the biggest beaming smile where you couldn’t help but smile back. When I stayed at the Viceroy, it was during a very important Hindu holiday and I was amazed to see how many people were happy to be working knowing that it was a special day for their culture. Bali is a Hindu island in Indonesia, and religion is VERY important to the Balinese people. Hospitality is just as important to them because they are so proud of their beautiful island. The Viceroy brings the Balinese culture to life, with not only the food or decor, but the loving people that work there.
This was the perfect place to embrace my jet-lag and I am not a morning person whatsoever.  I would wake up every morning before the sunrise and would sit in the little gazebo waiting for the sun to peek through the palm trees as it spreads across the rice fields. Then every evening, I would walk across the street to watch the sunset as I took a stroll through the rice fields. There really is no place like Bali, especially here at the Viceroy in Ubud. 

Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

If you are looking to venture out and explore a little bit of Ubud, I highly recommend visiting the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. For about 80,000 IDR, which is only $5 USD, you can explore this gorgeous forest and catch a glimpse a monkeys in their natural habitat and explore the beautiful temple on site. This sanctuary is conserving the area based on the concept of Tri Hita Karana, a Hindu philosopher. I love monkeys so much, but when visiting the Monkey Forest it’s important to exercise caution. I may have one on my shoulder in this photo, but I was 100% freaking out on the inside because he is still a wild animal and can easily be spooked. I watched plenty of monkeys fight each other and even saw a few stealing from guests. Do not wear a hat, loose head scarf, sun glasses, (be careful with your reading glasses), or anything else that they can take – even your cell phone. In one of the photos below, there is a man wearing a hat, but you can tell the monkey is biting it and quickly ran away with it. This monkey even tried to pull off my sports bra! They will literally take anything they can!