Part 18
Michael Taylor is currently in Bali, Indonesia, where he is spending three weeks exploring the sights, sampling the food, learning about the culture, and checking out what’s hot and what’s not in one of Southeast Asia’s most exciting travel destinations.
Michael is staying in 10 properties on this trip, from a budget hotel targeted at travelers of “slender means” to resorts that can only be described as “extravagant”. The seventh resort on his itinerary is surely the most extravagant of them all, the Karma Kandara, which is located on Bali’s southernmost tip.
Two Storey, Three Bedroom Villa
I spent three sybaritic nights in a two storey, three bedroom villa at the Karma Kandara, and if I have any regrets, it is only that the monkeys that decided to frolic in somebody’s plunge pool while I was there didn’t do it in MY plunge pool!
I had to settle for a couple of cute little monkeys checking me out through the window while I was having a massage at Karma Spa & Wellness. I tried to capture this magical moment with my camera, but by the time I picked it up, they had already shyly scampered off in search of other amusements.
So I had to settle for one of the most relaxing spa treatments of my life – one of three that I enjoyed at the breathtakingly beautiful resort.
Karma Kandara 101
Karma Kandara is perched atop a cliff at Bali’s southernmost tip. It comprises 46 free standing villas scattered amid bridges, stone walkways, and little pathways, which meander up and down through lushly landscaped tropical gardens.
Each villa at Karma Kandara has two or three pavilions with wooden tile or thatched roofs and an infinity pool that is deep enough to stand in set within a garden courtyard with timber deck.
Each of the three nights I was there I spent about 30 minutes standing in my pool with a glass of wine in my hand before retiring. Not sure why I found that so relaxing, but I did. Maybe it’s because the water came all the way up to my neck
All of the bedrooms at Karma Kandara have an en-suite bathroom,. Those located on the ground floor have both indoor and outdoor showers. In addition to living and dining areas, there are fully equipped open plan kitchens.
Food and Beverage
Karma Kandara has an all day, open air fine dining restaurant, di Mare, which serves the best white egg omelettes I have ever had. With goat’s cheese, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes, they are impossibly light and airy.
Yummy cocktails are served at Temple, the resort’s rooftop bar, with sweeping views of the sea. A furnicular inclinator takes guests down the cliff to Nammos Kandara, a full service beach club serving Mediterranean snacks and signature cocktails.
One of the toughest decisions for guests staying at Karma Kandara each day is trying to decide where to watch the sun sink into the Indian Ocean: from Temple or Nammos Kandara. Both offer great views and fabulous cocktails.
