The method? We purposely went at the end of the year-end holiday for a million people so that it wouldn’t be crowded, which is on January 3-10, 2021. The flight was even on an airplane that implemented seat distancing , even one that flew from Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport because it was much quieter than Soekarno-Hatta. Our PCR tests were carried out the day before as a condition for flying to Bali – all negative.
Because we are still paralyzed with crowds of people, in Bali we chose to stay in a luxurious private villa (you know, Sri’s house is like a palace, so the villa must be better). Because Sri’s family and I no longer live together, but for mutual safety, the villa must contain at least 3 rooms so that the bedrooms are separated. The villa must also have good air circulation with an open-plan layout , large windows and can be opened. Then, I have to have a large private swimming pool because I have a pinched nerve in the neck, so I have to swim every day for therapy. And of course we must have a strong internet network so that we can WFH ( Work from Home ) and SFH (School from Home).
So the choice fell to Elite Havens because only those who have many villas meet our requirements. This leading Luxury Villa Rentals and Management company in Asia has been established for more than 20 years and manages hundreds of villas around the world, but most of them are in Bali. Seeing the photos of the villas on the website makes everyone gape! It turned out that the villa we lived in exceeded my expectations because it wasn’t just a good design.
During the week we stayed in two villas. First at Villa Tirta Nila in Candidasa. Chose here because it’s far from everywhere so it’s quiet, plus the villa is directly on the beach with calm waves. Turns out the villa is cool and really big – the land area is only 2,100 m²! There are 4 large rooms all facing the sea, very comfortable bedding , a walk-in closet and an outdoor bathroom . The interior is beautifully sea-themed, the furniture is all luxurious wood, the kitchen equipment is very sophisticated, there is a TV room , an infinity pool , a place to play beach volleyball , and even a private dock with sun chairs . Every afternoon wesnorkel out front, then watch the spectacular sunset.
Second villa in Bendega Rato in Canggu. Chose in Canggu because it’s close to walking everywhere, including 5 minutes to the beach. This villa is also cool and really big – the building area is 966 m²! The architecture is modern Balinese style, all-open rooms, antique wooden furniture, beautiful green gardens, 18-meter swimming pool, spacious bedrooms with bathrooms with large bathtubs and showers , plus a wide-screen TV room with sound system , and library with a good collection of books. In the end, even though the location is premium, we are so lazy because of the comfort of this villa!
During that week, we only left the villa twice. In Candidasa we traveled to Bukit Asah and swam at Virgin Beach which is only 7 km away from Villa Tirta Nila. In Canggu we went to Ubud because the kids wanted to play ATV. I had a chance to jog to the beach in Canggu but was in a hurry to come back again because I’m afraid to see Caucasians don’t wear masks and like to crowd! The rest of us just stay at home: work online , read books, chat, swim in the pool/beach, sunbathe, eat, hang out in the TV room . On the last day, I was visited by friends from Jakarta children who moved WFH to Bali (which I know very well that they always take care of the prokes). With this spacious and outdoor villa , it’s safer to play.
The advantages of Elite Havens villas are the availability of 24-hour butler service and reliable chefs (all of whom comply with health protocols) which we can request in advance. So it’s like moving house with the housekeepers! Eat three meals a day cooked, so no need to go anywhere. The system can be selected from a menu that already has a price, like in a restaurant, or a grocery system where we give money for shopping to the butler – the ingredients will be bought later, given a bill, and we just add the service fee from the total price on the bill. The food is delicious, all with fine dining style presentation. Fortunately in both of our villas, there are two dining rooms, sometimes we eat inside or in the outdoor gazebo. This butler is also the one who cleans the villa and tidy up the rooms. Don’t worry, towels and toiletries are also provided. Ah, what a joy to be alive! Really worryless !
