This next series of posts describes the trip I took to Bali, Indonesia in October 2023
It was almost magical, our first exposure to the Mandapa Ritz Carlton Reserve in Bali, Indonesia - though all the events that happened before were certainly not (more on that, later).
After a crowded adventure weaving my way through the airport, I finally found the driver. It was rush hour, and (not surprisingly), we hit traffic. We managed to arrive at the Mandapa Ritz Carlton Reserve just around sunset.
This video gives you a sense of how they welcomed us. It totally blew us away.
Afterwards a little golf cart came to pick us up and drive us towards our bungalow.
The Mandapa Ritz Carlton Reserve is beautiful resort located in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. Though most people associate Bali with beaches, bars, and huge crowds, Ubud is different. Ubud is located more in the mountains (high elevation) and is pretty far away from the ocean. Ubud is known for rice fields, waterfalls, temples, and yoga retreats. The Mandapa Ritz Carlton Reserve, which is located in Ubud, is even more secluded and quiet.
We were visiting during "Golden Week", one of the biggest Chinese holidays, at a location that is very, very popular. I was quite thankful I was in this more remote location and didn't have to fight too many crowds.
But there was a bittersweet part of the story.
Bryan and I had planned to fly out to Bali to meet a friend who had moved to Indonesia. Bryan used his bazillion Marriott points to book the Mandapa Ritz Carlton Reserve. Sadly, we found out at the airport that Bryan's passport didn't have enough full blank pages for the visa-upon-arrival we would need in Indonesia. Alas, he wasn't able to board the flight, and I flew out to Indonesia by myself to visit our friend. 🙁
Breakfast at Sawah Terrace
Breakfast was included as part of our stay, and it was amazing. Every morning we would sit on the terrace overlooking the raging river below.
There was a ton of food options, including local Indonesian specialties, tropical fruit, and Western offerings as well.
Lunch at Sawah Terrace
Sawah Terrace converts to an Indonesian restaurant after breakfast is over. We started by enjoying Lalapan, an assortment of raw vegetables and tempeh with Sambal Roa, a chili dipping sauce.
Wash your hands in Kaffir lime leaves and water!
Indonesian rice! All the rice grown in Bali is kept for the domestic market. "We keep the best rice for ourselves" said my tour guide.
We also enjoyed several other delicious local specialities, such as jackfruit salad and chargrilled pork ribs.
Kubu Restaurant
Kubu Restaurant "Bamboo restaurant" is located right along river. Diners eat in cozy private cocoons outside. The food is Mediterranean-European prepared with Bali-sourced ingredients.
This is where we came the very first day we arrived in Indonesia.
The food is fusion, though mostly European in its style.
My friend (who had moved to Indonesia) was craving non-Indonesian food this whole trip. As a result, I ate more Western food than I typically would during a trip to a new country. I ordered the lobster tail while my friend ordered the beef Wellington. The entire tasting menu (maybe 6-7 courses) was only 1,200 thousand Indonesia dollars, (USD78 per person).
Grace by The Rice Field
The resort offered a "Grace by the Rice Fields" dinner. It's essentially a private romantic dinner next to the rice fields that on the Reserve. You are given your own private server, who brings you food from some hidden remote kitchen. Since Bryan couldn't make it, my friend and I enjoyed this meal without him.
Dining Beyond Experience: In Villa Romance
There's another version of the same meal where they serve you an entire tasting menu right inside your room. It was a bit over the top. They even brought rose petals and real burning candles to place all along the floor.
At least Bryan joined remotely (he just ordered take-out on his side).
All in all, the resort is very nice and the service is top notch. You wouldn't expect any less of a Ritz Carlton property. I do think we threw them off when Bryan unexpectedly didn't show up. They didn't quite know how to adjust. They kept a lot of the originally planned "romantic" meals, even though it wasn't as fitting anymore.
Still, overall we had a great time. The Mandapa Ritz Carlton Reserve is perfect if you don't want to think about planning anything. Their tour guides work directly for the Reserve and only serve hotel clients, so the quality is top notch. We enjoyed each and every one of our excursions (more on that in future posts!).
I do recommend getting off the property to get a taste of real Ubud. One evening we took a car downtown and had a blast walking around the local night market. That post will be coming very soon as well!
