Aston Nandini Ubud Resort & Spa at Ubud: “Paradise Found!"
Date: 12 July 2006
Reviewer: A TripAdvisor Member, Singapore

We stayed at Aston Nandini Ubud Resort & Spa from 8-11 July 2006. This was the second leg of our short Bali holiday and after the hustle and bustle of Nusa Dua/Legian/Seminyak/Tg Benoa, the experience at Aston Nandini was exquisite!

We were literally surrounded by a rain forest!! My 3 year old boy asked me if we were in the jungle! Yes, it really felt like it and it was wonderful to just leave the stresses of city life behind and be enclosed by nature, comforted by the thought that we would still be pampered, rejuvenated and indulged without having to rough it out.

Although the name of the property says Ubud, the exact location is in Payangan, which is about 20-30 minutes drive from Ubud. Maybe the property is new (just 6 months since its official opening in January 2006) and our driver, who is from Nusa Dua was not familiar with the area, so he had to stop three times to ask for directions as he felt we were leaving Ubud too far behind and was afraid we were getting lost!

Thankfully, I spotted the Aston Nandini Ubud turn left sign when the driver missed it. A quick reverse and we were on our way again. From that first inconspicuous sign, it took us another 10-15 minutes to reach the resort. It was literally in the middle of nowhere! The driver kept exclaiming how hidden and private it was and was still wondering if we were at the right place because as we drove up the dirt track (no more proper road, just two strips of tarmac for car tyres!) the “hotel lobby” was just a reception table!

However, the moment we stepped out of the car, the cool fresh air hit us and it was a magical moment. It was almost sunset but still bright and the stillness of the lush surroundings enveloped us. We felt so at peace and savoured the moment. Meanwhile, the porters took our luggage and from the “lobby”, they had to walk down a series of short steps to reach our “chalet”, which is not a typical budget chalet but a luxurious self-contained villa, made entirely of natural materials.

From the balcony, we were greeted by a breath-taking view of the valley. We could see the other chalet roof tops down the valley and realized then that the chalets were built on a slope and our location was on the ‘high’ part of the valley while the Spa was the ‘low’ part nearer to Sungei Ayung. The attendant told us we could take the gondola to the pool and spa. This was a great thrill for my little boy. He took many rides up and down the gondola during our stay! At the open air spa, we could hear the gushing of the river but we still could not see it.

Aston Nandini was a most exquisite and satisfying experience for us, coming from the busy-ness of city life and high-rise living. Surrounded by verdant greenery, there were no traffic sounds, no fumes or pollution, no concrete jungle – only the sounds of nature – the gushing water of Ayung River, birds chirping and leaves rustling and the occasional gaggle of geese and bebeks doing their symphony orchestra. It was almost like we had our own piece of natural jungle to feast our eyes on, a little piece of paradise of our own, if only for 4 days and 3 nights!

During our stay, there were probably only 3 other couples and 1 family. The 30% occupancy rate meant we received very personal and attentive service. The staff doted on my son and would play with him and show him around the resort. Many times, we felt as though we were the only guests in the resort! Pure bliss!

After spending an entire day just luxuriating in nature, we finally moved ourselves and went out to spend a day in Ubud town. The hotel concierge arranged for a shuttle. It cost us 100,000 Rp per trip and 200,000 Rp for round trip. We decided to take the round-trip just in case the drivers in Ubud did not know where Aston Nandini was and we could not get back!

We paid USD$116 nett per night x 3 = USD$348 through booking with Bali Friendly, which was still cheaper than the internet rates offered at the Aston Website. The rate was inclusive of breakfasts (full ABF or local Indonesian) and two free 30-minute massages were thrown in. The meals we had at the hotel restaurant for lunch and dinner, room service, spa package and shuttle to Ubud and airport worked out to an additional 1.7 million Rp.

For a nature retreat, Aston Nandini is definitely worth experiencing at least once. But if shopping and the arts scene around Ubud is more your thing, maybe two or three nights at Aston Nandini is sufficient, then transfer to another villa or hotel nearer to Ubud to save on the travelling time and shuttle costs.

All in, we had a very fantastic experience at Aston Nandini Ubud Resort & Spa. Definitely recommend it to honeymooners, families with young children and nature lovers.