the 5 star experience

late last week we decided to have a bit of a pool day and ended up meeting some friends at the royal pita maha, a ridiculous 5 star resort just outside of ubud. our friend natasha knew someone who works there, which is how we ended up at this place. the entrance to the hotel is located down a nice paved path about 500m from the main road. you know you have arrived because you are greeted by the most gargantuan statue ever known to man.

that’s nayou and i on the scooter at the bottom of the photo, btw. yep, its big.

the lobby is big and opulent as you would expect. apparently at this place, you can’t just have a button to call an elevator. you have to have a statue.

the main pool was really nice, overlooking the jungle in a steep valley. noone else was there, probably because each villa has its own private pool. you gotta wonder why they bothered with this main pool… probably for people like us i guess.

we spent $45 (a small fortune in bali) on some terrible food, but the experience of walking around their grounds made is (almost) worth it. the resort is situated on one side of a steep valley that leads down to the ayung river. they did an amazing job with the landscaping – there are ponds, temples and little nooks to hang out in all over the place.

there is a lagoon that runs around the lower half of the grounds. it was fun drifting alongside the river and watching the whitewater rafters float by.

its crazy to think that this resort is one of several that are built along this valley (including a four seasons and an aman hotel). i’m glad we had the experience, although i have to say that i much prefer our little villa out in the rice paddies!