Having a Five-Star Resort in Bali to Yourself: The Samata

Having lived in Bali for a few years, I always thought of Sanur as a quaint area of the island where you can really get away from everything. The Samata is situated in an even more secluded location, a few minutes outside of Sanur, away from the larger resorts along the coast. So before we arrived at the Samata, the plan was to use our stay there as a quiet moment on our recent Asian trip. After staying in Singapore and the bustling Seminyak, we figured a peaceful environment would bring us into a nice, relaxed state of mind. What we never expected, was to actually be the only people staying at the Samata and have the entire resort to ourselves!

The small, 10 villa resort has recently come a property under management from Lifestyle Retreats, a high end Asian hotel group. The villas are all luxurious and spacious, but every villa is different since they each have a different owner, for whom Lifestyle Retreats manages the property. During our stay we noticed that Lifestyle Retreats is working hard to freshen up the Samata and add some finishing touches.

One of the things that amazed me, is that although each villa has its own pool, there are several beautiful lap pools for use by all the guests. Factor in the lovely restaurant with a wide variety of food options for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the incredibly friendly staff and the Samata stands out as an very attractive destination, for a reasonable price. Especially considering that there is also a tennis court, an enormous gym (with a full on boxing ring!) and even a complete brand new spa being constructed!

All in all, the Samata offers every feature and amenity that you expect at a large, exclusive resort, but there is something truly unique that sets it apart: its pristine location. Most villas, including the one we stayed at, are located on the edge of a stretch of beautiful rice paddies that lead all the way to the beach.

You absolutely can not miss the sunset walk, when a lovely staff member took us for a stroll through the rice paddies to the beach. Just as the sun came up, fishermen in row boats came back to shore with their catch after a night of fishing off the coast. It was truly magical and something that makes the Samata so much more than a luxury retreat.