On the plus side, there was hardly any traffic noise, the bed was comfortable, the staff were very friendly, and the rooms were spacious. However we were woken every morning at 4.30am by prayers being broadcast over a loudspeakers from a nearby Muslim mosque, and we were often kept awake at night by the owner’s barking dog or by the owner himself, whose house is right next door, and whose conversations we could hear every word of. The furniture was extremely dated, the air-conditioning in the main bedroom didn’t work (the owner said he knew about this but didn't do anything to fix it), and there was no wardrobe in the master bedroom (we could only hang our clothes on doorknobs). The meals consisted of very basic, village-style cooking at ridiculously expensive prices, far more than any of the restaurants in the area. Audaciously, we were charged 21% tax, which is the rate charged in top end restaurants, instead of the usual 10%. The villa has no name plate at the front and the owner does not use his real name in advertising which made us suspect that the villa is trading illegally and no tax is being paid. The staff told us that a licence is not required for less than three villas, but this simply isn’t true. The next week we stayed at an oceanside villa in the same area that was a world apart from Villa Surya in terms of quality, décor and amenities, yet the price was exactly the same. Our advice to anyone considering staying here is to look around. You can find much better places than this to stay.

We would prefer to keep this place secret but our stay has been so amazing we can only strongly recommend this place. The location is peacefull and also close to any day or half day travel trip on the island. We have surprised by the kindness of the staff who ensure we were "at home" from the first minute. Everyday a pleasure since the chief Ketut prepared various and always wonderfull meal based on our guidance (loved rfesh sea food from the market). The villa which we had only for the 2 of us was simply amazing. Alit and the rest of the staff took care of us on a way we could not imagine and introduced to local habits (wedding, ceremonies). Only good memories of our stay and looking forward to come back asap.

I’ll be honest. We had some reservations about staying at Villa Surya. Not because the villa isn’t beautiful. No - it is special. The rooms and facilities are exceptional, and we especially loved the pool, the outdoor showers and the rooftop terrace. All set in beautifully maintained and secure gardens. Not because of the location. No - this villa is wonderfully situated overlooking the rice paddies to the ocean beyond. Far enough away from the traffic mayhem of Denpasar to ensure a more peaceful environment, yet close to many of the main attractions in eastern Bali. Not because the food is average. Absolutely not - Ketut served up beautiful dishes each evening from a varied menu. And she was ever willing to prepare breakfast at whatever time required as we set off to explore the island’s attractions. Not because the pool was small or substandard. No - this is a monster pool for a holiday rental. And surrounded by other pools with fish swimming alongside. Beautiful! Our reservations centred around whether we could cope with other people being around the villa while we were in residence. On holiday we like our privacy and tend to be independent in our arrangements. But this is Bali. Things are different here. And maybe more so at Villa Surya than some other properties. Mark and Petra have something special here. Somehow they have created a ‘family’ from their staff and other contacts. You are welcomed into that family as soon as you arrive, and for however long you stay. Any reservations quickly disappear as you realise that these people are here to ensure your holiday is whatever you want it to be. And no-one is standing watching your every move, or invading your private space. The level of contact with the owners (who live next door) is set to your preference. If you want to be left alone, then you are left alone. If you want to sit and resolve the world’s problems, then you can do that as well. Someone else has said that the owners are an asset to the villa, and that is so true. Two contrasting, but complementary, personalities, they combine to work wonderfully well for their guests. And they are both genuinely likeable people. You could probably make arrangements for the various trips and activities by yourself, but these were made without any fuss or drama. Made the driver was ever punctual and must surely be one of the most patient and safest drivers on the island. We have been asked what was the main highlight of our trip to Bali. The island has many beautiful sites, events and attractions, but our answer has to be ‘the people’. So thank you to Mark and Petra, Ketut, Alit, Kadek, Iluh and Made for providing some special memories on a wonderful trip. Very highly recommended!

My Sister and I stayed at Surya in September and just loved it. It was my 6th time to Bali but my sisters first. Villa Surya was perfect and we both enjoyed ourselves immensely. We were waited on and spoiled by the wonderful staff who simply cannot do enough for you The Villa was lovely, one of the most comfortable beds I have ever sleep on in Asia, spotlessly clean and comfortable. The pool and gardens are just lovely and we spent every day swimming. I can also recommend their drivers, we did sight seeing every 2nd or 3rd day and they were very accommodating to our needs and knew some new places to visit which was wonderful for me. Mark & Petra were so helpful organising massages and even a shaman for my sister who was sick one day. She swore he made he feel 10 years younger and more agile than she had felt in years! The Villa is only a short drive to Candidassa where there a lots of bars & restaurants although we ate mostly at the Villa. If you were after pubs and wild night life this would not be for you, but if you were seeking the true Bali experience then I recommend you stop awhile here. I would definitely stay at Villa Surya again

We spent a wonderful 10 days at Villa Surya. We are a family with 2 teenagers looking for a break and it suited us well. I spent a lot of time looking at Trip Advisor reviews when I chose this place so I'll try to put info here that we would like to have known about. Location - Villa Surya is located away from large towns. This means you aren't one of a hoard of tourists to be preyed on. The local villagers are happy to see you and you can see their activities, such as rice harvesting, happening around you. The downside to this is that you have to deal with the noise of dogs, lizards (more intrusive than you would think!) and roosters through the night,. Still, you have to deal with traffic noise elsewhere. We found it a nuisance trying to get into town to go out for dinner etc. There is a driver but his prices were high compared to others so a trip into town just for a meal was out of the question. It was fine though if you wanted to go out all day. Service - there are 4 staff just for you! The two cooks are amazing - they can cook up whatever you would like. You place your order early in the day and it's all ready at the requested time. You won't have to lift a finger the whole time you are there. The owners live next door and they drop in regularly. We found the presence of all these people around "our" villa took a bit of getting used to but we did get used to it. Mark and Petra were really helpful and lovely people to boot. The Villa - the place was beautiful - every bit as gorgeous as it looks online. I wouldn't recommend it if you have small kids though. The main bedroom is downstairs and the other two bedrooms are upstairs, accessed by an outdoor staircase. If your kids need you during the night you won't hear them. Plus the upstairs balcony has no rail around it. The setup is perfect for teens though or two couples or a couple with a baby (you could all sleep upstairs). We all loved the indoor/outdoor bathrooms, the 4 poster beds and romantic mosquito nets (although there was barely a mosquito while we were there). The pool was fantastic. If you're looking for a beach holiday, don't come to this part of east Bali at all. The closest beach is an hour's walk or a short drive away from the villa, although it's a fabulous beach! All the nearby 'beaches' are just rocks that meet the shore and the waves are pretty rough. Other - the internet is very sporadic. Don't rely on it to be available when you want it. To summarise, if you're looking for a quiet escape, where you can sit by the pool and read books and spend some days out exploring then this is perfect.

We stayed for six days at the end of May 2014 having inspected the property in November 2013. What a wonderful experience far from the madding crowds of Seminyak. We were warmly greeted by the friendly staff and owners Mark and Petra who over the next six days did everything to make our stay a memorable one. We were collected (and returned) from Seminyak by the villa driver making getting to this fairly remote location very easy. Well worth the trip to experience the wonderful idyll that is Villa Surya. Surrounded by rice fields and a short walk to the beach we were happy to explore the local area by foot and experience the real Bali and the rhythm of village life. Swims in the pool, reading a book in the beautiful gardens under the trees was accompanied buy the sounds of the waves the birds and the roosters nearby. Just perfect! This tranquility was enhanced buy the wide range of wonderful meals served to us ( just choose from the menu) both western and great authentic Balinese. Fresh fish bbq'd for us was delightful. You just fix up the bill on departure. Great arrangement for a really carefree break. We were able to explore the local town of Amlapura with its market and Hardy's supermarket to stock up on essentials where required. Got some great utensils for my kitchen there! Candi Dasa is a 20 minute drive away and a must see were the water gardens Puri Agung well worth visiting. There is plenty to do from Villa Surya but having been in this part of the world on other occasions we spent most of our time just relaxing by the pool and going for walks exploring the surrounds. Just beautiful. The rooms are simply decorated, clean and comfortable with AC most welcome at night to escape the humidity. It is BYO entertainment at night after dinner - we took a jigsaw but the stars provided a spectacular light show from the upper terrace to the sound of the waves. Ah Villa Surya- I spent so long looking forward to my holiday there and now it is beautiful memories. I hope I will return one day. I thank Mark and especially the lovely Petra for sharing this beautiful place with us. A special mention to the gentle and beautiful staff and their kind and smiling faces that greeted us every day. A beautiful holiday destination and great to have this contrast to the busy streets of Seminyak.... Highly Recommend Alk to the beach

We spent 8 days at the villa, and I must say it was the most pleasant experience ever. The place is nice and neat and very well looked after. The crew was very friendly, the kids had a lot of fun with them and they seemed to like it too. I'm sure we will come back!

I would recommend Villa Surya to anyone, particularly those with a bit more time on their hands (i.e., more than a weekend) and a desire for more than the resort beaches of Kuta and Sanur have to offer. The villa itself is gorgeous - two inviting pools set in a garden environment conceived and maintained with great care. The two suites, the poolside (ground floor) and mezzanine (upstairs) are both large, with comfortable beds, beautifully appointed bathrooms and plenty of living area. There is also a large living and dining area and kitchen under the mezzanine suite. The property is clean, and the website did not fully do justice to the setting and the view of rice paddies extending to the sea, to the beauty of sitting by the pool and watching the sun rise. More importantly, the web cannot truly convey the friendly welcome and homey atmosphere of Villa Surya. Mark and Petra - the owners - live nearby and are very helpful in suggesting activities to make the most of what eastern Bali has to offer. Our two kids - age 4 and 2 - fell in love with Mark and Petra and with the villa staff (who are extremely friendly and welcoming), and had so much fun exploring the grounds and learning about local plants, animals and customs. Villa Surya is located in a quiet, village setting, a couple of hours by car away from the congested resort communities of the southern part of the island. However, it is still just a 10-minute drive to a modern supermarket, 15 minutes to the restaurants of Candi Dasa. And eastern Bali has a wide variety of great activities on offer - from trekking and white water rafting to swimming, surfing and diving. Staying at Villa Surya, we could pack out days with fun, and then retreat to a relaxed and welcoming home environment. Perfect!

As a frequent visitor to Bali, Villa Surya and its surroundings delivers a taste of Bali far away from the maddening crowds. Meet real Balinese, be spoilt by the friendly staff and explore east Bali.The Villa was comfortable, clean and the service was faultless. The owner provided plenty of local knowledge and was happy to assist with arranging visits to ceromonies, shopping etc. Great place to relax and chill out.

Villa Surya is for those travellers who want to experience Balinese life whilst being pampered by the staff and owner. This secluded property is set amongst Balinese going about their daily life which you can observe from the comfort of the Villa or if so inclined talk the the rice farmers, villagers, school kids and other locals who use the quiet track adjacent to the Villa. The staff are friendly and efficient and if the owner Mark is in Bali during your stay he will provide a mine of information to make your stay enjoyable. As a frequent visitor to Bali this was one of our most enjoable holidays and we will return.