Villa Rumah Bakti Ubud

Rumah Bakti is in a small village, walking distance from Goa Gajah. It is an oasis of calm. We (two couples) stayed in the 2 villa accommodation. One villa has the lounge and kitchen area as well as the bedroom and bathroom, the other has a spacious bedroom and bathroom. Breakfast is served in an outdoor eating area under a gazebo over looking the spotlessly clean pool. There is a choice between western and Balinese food - we chose the Balinese breakfast - tempeh, tofu, spinach and soya beans with peanut, and chilli sauce - lovely. Each morning a staff member would make the offering at a small temple next to the gazebo. He placed fragrant frangipanis and hibiscus flowers in the statues around the beautiful garden. During the day we could hear the birds and at night, the occasional owl. Each day, Made (our host) arranged for Nyoman, the driver, to drive us into Ubud. It is a short drive - 20 mins in the day, maybe 10mins at night, depending upon which part of Ubud you want to go to. He was a very safe driver and nothing was too much trouble for him. Ari, who is related to the host, conducted a cooking class for us. For a very reasonable price, she took us to a local market in a village outside Ubud where we bought ingredients for our lunch. (See separate review for the cooking class.) Ari also conducts tours - 1/2 day and full day. She is an excellent driver too. There were a number of people working at the villa and every single person was kind and thoughtful. My husband had an unexpected health issue. The staff were very attentive and reassuring. Ari and Made organised an ambulance which arrived quickly. It took him to the nearby hospital where he was assessed. My husband was transferred to Kuta hospital and had to stay overnight. Nyoman, the manager, Guru and his son, drove all the way from Ubud to visit him in hospital and gave him a lovely fruit basket. Ari and Made kept in contact with me and provided support. Their kindness was heartwarming. On our return we continued to enjoy the villa and the village surrounds. We enjoyed cooling off in the pool and relaxing in the shade. There is a massage room on site which is very convenient and enjoyable. Made recommended a local restaurant for dinner. It overlooked the rice fields and the food was lovely. It was lovely to stay with Made, Ari, Nyoman and the rest of the team - locals who know the area and genuinely want to share their beautiful country with us. I highly recommend Rumah Bakti!