As first timers, we had our doubts about Bali. This was the way to experience it
Bali may be a popular holiday destination for Aussies, but also has a mixed reputation.
From crowded roads, decaying beaches and the dreaded Bali belly, we have all heard at least one horror story from someone who has ventured to the island paradise, only to go through a nightmare.
Bali remains one of the most popular destinations for Aussies. iStock
The stigma surrounding Bali is unfair to some degree, but even so, my partner and I had some trepidation as we prepared to visit for the first time.
As it turned out, from the moment we arrived we were treated like royalty and experienced a week of luxury.
If you’re lucky enough to experience an all-inclusive stay at Paradisus by Meliá Bali, with food and most drinks, plus a host of other benefits included with the room, even the biggest Bali sceptics will come back for more.
The tone is set when we are given flower wreaths and fresh coconuts with our names etched into them on our arrival, and a towel and floral arrangement in our room wishing us a happy anniversary.
Paradisus by Meliá Bali opened in February. Paradisus by Meliá Bali
The exceptional service does not falter during our entire stay, with the staff catering to every request, no matter how small, and carrying out everything with a smile.
The resort
The resort, opened in February this year, is located in Nusa Dua, which is its own separate world to the rest of the island.
It’s a resort enclave, with a checkpoint to get in and out, and it is far calmer than the rest of Bali.
With that comes expectations of excellence, and Paradisus matches that in so many areas.
We were stunned to see our names carved into fresh coconuts on our arrival. Patrick Brischetto
A lovely message greeted us when we got to our room. Patrick Brischetto
A drawcard to couples is ‘The Reserve’, an exclusive adults-only section of the resort with its own pool, restaurant, bar, and even a closed-off part of the beach for privileged guests to enjoy.
The resort as a whole is huge, with nearly 500 rooms, and caters to families, but ‘The Reserve’ offers serenity and calmness as you can comfortably sit for breakfast or lounge by the pool on a day bed sipping cocktails.
You don’t even need to leave your resting place to get anything, with a button on your lounge-side table summoning a staff member to take your food or cocktail order.
Luxury and relaxation awaits at the Paradisus By Melia Resort. Patrick Brischetto
The food
This is just the start of the culinary experience, with eight bars and restaurants dotted around the resort to cater for any mood; the all-inclusive package allowed us to try six of the restaurants for dinner each night.
These ranged from quite good to sensational, with Spanish restaurant Peseta and Sante, serving French-inspired fine-dining, standing out. At the former, divine octopus, wagyu ribeye and the best cheesecake I have ever tasted steal the show alongside a delightful red wine.
I had the best cheesecake I have ever tasted at Peseta Restaurant. Patrick Brischetto
The food at Sante, for both breakfast and, pictured here, dinner, was divine. Patrick Brischetto
At Sante, the restaurant exclusive to ‘The Reserve’ guests, everything from the tiger prawn carpaccio to start to the tenderloin ‘à la Parisienne’ is cooked to perfection, and accompanied by a live violinist creating a moving and romantic soundtrack.
Sante is also where we have breakfast every day, which features an à la carte menu with dishes like French toast, shakshouka, and fish congee, alongside pastries, cold meats, and fresh fruits and juices.
For coffee snobs, they also make coffee as good as cafés in major Aussie cities.
If you want to walk off your hearty breakfast or wonderful dinner, the resort has beautiful gardens, with creeks full of koi flowing through its heart.
While speakers dotted throughout play calming music, you also hear the call of countless animals throughout the day and into the night.
The ducks and geese become a common sight in and around the gardens. Patrick Brischetto
This may seem odd, but it is simply the ducks, peacocks, and geese that call the grounds of the resort home.
While they are sometimes terrorised by little kids, they are happy enough to exist among the guests and are a unique and pleasant addition to the resort.
The Japanese-themed gardens are a good space for contemplation during the day, but become even more beautiful at night when they are lit up, with stepping stones allowing you to move across the water and take it all in.
The room
After all of this, you can retire to your room for the night, which itself meets the high expectations of the resort.
We are staying in a junior suite with lagoon access, which means we have access to a lagoon that wraps its way around part of the resort right at our doorstep.
The lagoon right on our doorstep! Patrick Brischetto
While the water is cooler than the main pool, it is still a nice place to cool off, with two deck chairs also offering a place to relax and read or enjoy some room service.
The room itself is spacious with a king bed, two televisions, a lounge area, and a bathroom with a big bathtub and a separate shower.
The decor gives off a Bali jungle vibe, not so much luxury, but still relaxing and matching the feel of the rest of the resort.
The spa
We don’t spend a great deal of time in the room itself, choosing to lounge by the beach or pool, or getting wonderful massages at the hotel spa.
Located in its own contained area, it has 12 treatment rooms, a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and cold plunge pool, along with a massive catalogue of treatments.
The spa within the resort has many treatments, as well as a jacuzzi and whirlpool. Patrick Brischetto
They may be pricier than a lot of spas outside the resort, but as part of our all-inclusive package, we get 20 per cent discounts.
I take advantage of this, getting three massages during my stay, including a ‘rainforest massage’.
This is where you lie on a massage table underneath several jets of warm water, essentially getting a full body massage while having a warm and gentle shower.
It is as refreshing and relaxing as it sounds.
After your treatment, you can sample several herbal teas and sit in the grounds of the spa as you slowly come back to reality.
The only small blot on the experience was a small allergic reaction my partner had to some of the oils used in one massage, but the staff at Paradisus turned this into a positive by leaving a note in our room the next day checking in on her, and leaving a small box of chocolates to apologise, even though we did not feel an apology was in order.
We needed to properly switch off, and the Paradisus let us do that for a wonderful week. Patrick Brischetto
The verdict
You may be wondering if the resort is this good, why would you want to leave? In truth, we rarely did.
The only two times we left the resort were for two day trips, one to the picturesque but busy Uluwatu Temple, making sure to dodge thieving monkeys along the way, and another trip to Tanah Lot and Taman Ayum temples.
Even then, these were fully organised by the resort itself, featuring transport, free water and knowledgeable and affable guides leading the way.
This is a big drawcard of the resort; it is designed to be a stay where the most thinking you have to do is which massage you’ll get today or what your next cocktail by the pool will be.
It’s not the cheap travel some go to Bali looking for, but compared to other parts of the world, this level of luxury is certainly easier to come by on the island.
The writer travelled at their own expense and stayed as a guest of Paradisus by Meliá Bali.
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