I’m back in Hong Kong after four glorious days in Bali. It really was a perfect trip filled with everything I wanted to do: explore, relax and eat. I’m not sure what more one could ask for in a vacation, especially such a short one. So first, I want to recap our stay at the Laguna as well as what I thought about Bali overall. Next week, check back as I’ll provide our full itinerary for everything we did in Ubud, which is located at the center Bali, about an hour and a half from where we stayed in southern, Nusa Dua.

The Grounds

The grounds at the Laguna Bali were really beautiful, with subtle touches of Balinese culture around each corner. As soon as we arrived on site, we were greeted with drinks while Balinese dancers performed in the lobby. After checking in, we walked around the grounds to check out the gardens and private beach. The Laguna resort is built around seven nicely landscaped lagoons and pools, it seemed like everywhere we walked, we had immediate access to a pool.

The room

Our room was quite possibly one of the nicest resort rooms I’ve ever stayed in.The best part was the lagoon access right outside our bedroom door, where we could literally jump right off our patio into the water. Each morning we had fresh beach towels rolled up on our lounge chairs with a reserved sign, which was nice never having to frantically search for somewhere to lay out.

Is it weird to talk about a bathroom? Hopefully not, because I have a thing for hotel bathrooms, and this one did not miss the mark. Stepping up into the bathroom from our bedroom, we had a hot tub jacuzzi on the left and a walk-in shower. Additionally, in the bathroom, was a sauna mat for drying wet clothes and a closet filled with robes and towels.

I’m a loser and only took Instagram stories of our room, so check out professional-grade photos of it, here. Our room also had a little couch and lounge area, which came in handy for the few times we took advantage of the 24-hour butler service. Which leads me to my next category!

The food

If I’m being honest, the food at the Laguna Bali was good – but not great. There are two main restaurants located on the grounds, a café, which serves small plates, and two cocktail bars. With much of the menu being fish-heavy, it left few options for the non-fish eater that was me on this trip. The first night we ate at Arwana, where I ordered a salad and steak. The steak was cooked well, but it wasn’t earth shattering.

Lunches and breakfasts mostly consisted of a buffet at Banyubiru. I’m not sure if I’ve shared my disdain for buffets, but in case I haven’t, I am not the biggest fan. I honestly think you see the worst in people in a buffet line. It’s probably the same people who have to push their way from the back of  an airplane in order to get off first, rather than waiting their turn.

Does anyone else agree with me on buffets here? There’s the person who consistently holds up the line because they HAVE to take six lobster legs, instead of coming back for more later, or the person who doesn’t use the proper utensils to pick up their food and is just raw-handily grabbing at everything. Or how about the person who picks something up, puts it on their plate, and then stands there staring at it for a minute, and ultimately decides they don’t want it, and puts it back. UGH! You guys. I can’t deal with the germs.

It’s all of those reasons, plus the food quality that I don’t tend like buffets. I understand their purpose, and their price point is unbeatable. Anyway, I digress.

Because we were so close to so many Starwood resorts in the area, we chose to branch out many of the nights for dinner and explore other venues. Specifically, we dined a lot at the St. Regis. Each night they would come and pick us up, and then bring us back to the Laguna after dinner, only a short 10 minute ride. Holy moly, was this food and service impeccable. I’ve never smiled so much in my life, because the servers and staff were genuinely so kind and happy. Happiness is contagious, people!

We also had high tea at the St. Regis, which was lovely. And our server was so kind – he even helped us build our day-long trip to Ubud, complete with activities and places to see. These are the moments living abroad that I truly enjoy. Getting to know people from around the world, their experiences, their life story, it’s all so interesting.

Bali Beauty

There is so much to explore and see in Bali. Just the exotic scenery alone is a site in itself. There are beaches, jungles, volcanoes, mountains, waterfalls and so much more. Not to mention the markets, the food and the people. Next time I come back I’d like to discover the northern parts of the island, with its black sandy beaches and volcanoes.

Disclaimer

I wouldn’t consider myself an honest blogger if I didn’t give you guys all the facts, specifically about the Laguna Bali. The one incident that certainly did not leave the best impression was when we received our bill at check out. Hidden in the middle of all of expenses was a donation to UNICEF. Which wouldn’t have been the worst thing if they had told us it was on there in the first place. Or perhaps, not even added it to the bill, but instead, asked us if we wanted to donate – that would have been option number 1.

I consider it poor taste to add money to a bill without telling the guest it’s on there, it feels like stealing. Although, I know many would make the argument that it’s my fault for not checking the bill, but if they don’t bring additional payments to my attention, how would I know to expect it?

When we asked the staff what this expense was, and why it was not brought to our attention initially, they skirted the answer by saying we could take it off if we wanted. Which isn’t the point, there also wasn’t any information or flyers on how much of the donation actually goes to UNICEF.

Other than the bill discrepancy, our stay the Laguna was pleasant. I would give it four out of five stars. And this is not a sponsored post. Just me being honest.

Overall, I had a wonderful time in Bali, and I would highly recommend visiting to anyone. My next update will be our jam-packed day in Ubud (where Eat Pray Love was filmed), so don’t forget to check back!