I did so love this place. I wish I could have stayed longer than the restful week we did.
We opted to pay the extra for the Gangga suite and were so glad we did. The private pool was such a lovely addition to what was already a wonderful experience.
The service at this place is faultless; not gushing insincere servitude as may be experienced in some hotels, but a genuine and understated desire to assist. From the moment that you are greeted at Alam Shanti with a cool welcoming fruit drink, to the moment you leave, nothing is too much trouble. They will suggest places to eat and make bookings without quibble, translating to and fro. The staff bringing the breakfast of a morning and clearing up afterwards were delightful and were integral to the pleasure of our stay.
The hotel itself is set in extensive grounds of beautiful gardens, lovingly maintained. The singing frogs and geckos of a night make it an opera!
The rooms themselves are by no means luxurious in a traditional Western sense but nor should they be; they are spacious and beautiful in an authentic way. The soaring ceiling was decorated with beautiful painting (and geckos!). Our private verandah was spacious and proved to be an important addition to our living arrangements, allowing us to read outside of a morning before going downstairs for a dip.
The view from our verandah over the rice fields, often being tilled of a morning, provided a splendid setting for breakfast. Breakfast comprised options including wafer thin pancakes -- more of a crepe -- with thinly sliced banana and palm sugar. So delicious. Juice, fresh fruit, yoghurt, toast and tea / coffee made for a filling start to the day. Afternoon tea was also provided for guests, lovely cakes and tea or coffee.
Alam Shanti Is a little out of town, about a 10 to 15 minute walk adjacent to the Monkey Forest. However, the hotel also provides a car service so if you are feeling lazy -- or merely disinclined to battle monkeys! -- you can get a car into town and then arrange for it to collect you wherever. This was a terrific way to have dinner of a night and then come home again.
All up I could not fault Alam Shanti. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. It's a magnificent property run by gracious people. I would return in a flash.
A tip: book well ahead. Thanks to reviews like this, it is popular and so it is advisable to book well ahead of travel. Also, take advantage of the car service to and fro Denpasar Airport. At $25 each way, it's a good option.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.