Our group of four absolutely LOVED this villa. The views here are simply stunning. However, if you are not willing to accept living side by side with tropical jungle inhabitants, this is not the place for you.

The common living and dining areas are all open to nature. The sleeping areas are walled for privacy, but the walls are made from woven rattan. The roofing is traditional thatch. You will hear everything that goes on in the jungle during the night. You will also hear scurrying footsteps of who knows what moving along the walls in the darkness (my guess - lizards hunting for bugs). The full mosquito netting will prevent anything from getting into your bed. That being said, this is what gives the villa so much of its charm. During dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed having the different lizards taking their places along the thatch ceiling and the tree frogs taking their places along the half walls and poles. On each of our four nights there, we saw the same critters in their predesignated positions. Never did anyone intrude on our space. After dinner we would relax in the open air living room reminiscing about the days events, enjoying each others' company and spotting the different critters hanging about (again, it was lizards and frogs, as well as the occasional fly-by of a bat). Daylight brings out a whole different set of wildlife. Stunning birds and butterflies are everywhere amongst the gardens and surrounding jungle.

The 3-star rating is due to the somewhat rustic living. You do have modern plumbing and all the living areas are clean and comfortable. As with other villas in the Bali Villas collection, the staff here is wonderful, friendly and they aim to please.

For a truly glorious experience, this villa is a gem.

The good - Nice layout, nice pool, well appointed rooms, friendly staff.

The bad - poor location, cleanliness not great, huge overcharge on groceries, owner's sexual preferences advertised in master bathroom.

A bit more on the overcharging - Bali villas advertise that a cook is provided as part of an all in price - but each meal we had was charged at (New York) restaurant prices when we were only supposed to be paying for the raw materials. We still gave good tips at the end despite the fact that we were gouged on both the food and the outdoor pursuits (where the inclusive driver would take us to locations with only one choice of supplier for each activity).

Our overall experience was negative as a result of the above. And it wasn't cheap by any means.

We wanted peace and quiet, a relaxing holiday without hassle.
This is what we found, though it wasn't a cheap holiday. However
splashing out on the Villa was something we don't regret, and we plan on
going back.

The accomodation was the Water Spa Villa I, which had 2.5 bedrooms (the
study can also be a bedroom, it has it's own bathroom), was more
spacious than we'd thought. The beds were lovely and firm which, along
with the spa treatments every day, gave me the best sleep I've had in a
long time.

My bathroom, which was marble - or something - was perhaps a little
affected by wear, especially in the shower. There were also a few small
areas of wear throughout the villa, just from the climate and use I
would think. However the whole villa was cleaned every day and was
always spotless.

The area was quiet, the staff were great, we had our own private pool,
spa treatments every day, a fantastic cook who made eating out a lot
less interesting, a car & very helpful driver. It was wonderful and
we didn't have any hassles or worries.

Because we booked within 14 days of our stay, and we booked for longer
than 5 days, there was a discount of 20%, which helped us to decide on a
more expensive villa.
Booking at the last minute might not work in the high periods, but April
was fairly quiet, and the occasional rainfall didn't bother us at all.

Because we had a car and driver we were able to explore without any
problems, and actually did more than we'd planned. Our main objective
was to rest and relax, but it was so easy to get out and about. Wayan
our excellent driver also made sure we weren't bothered by harrasing
sacred monkeys at the temples or by shopkeepers when we did venture into
Kuta.

Darn, just talking about it has made me want to go back again....which
we plan to do next year.

My wife and I stayed here for our honeymoon in May 2011. We stayed in the Water Spa Villa IV. I had read lots of good reviews before hand so I kind of knew what to expect. However, the Balivillas.com Estate definitely exceeded my expectations.

From arrival to the airport, until our departure, every need/want/request was met by the staff. We were initially greeted at the villa (after our driver picked us up from the airport and took us there) by our entire house staff. The butler helped us plan our daily activities as well as gave recommendations on places to see. The chef was GREAT! we had so much good balinese cuisine, it was always better than the food we had out on our own. Overall it cost us about $300 USD for the meals of 2 people over 10 days... this was usually only breakfast and dinner but there were a couple days that they went out and picked up pizza for lunch which is included in my estimate.

The only reason I dinged t he Location is because there are a lot of activities on the Northern side of Bali, and since this is located on the southern side of bali, you can expect 1+ hour drives to these attractions, sometimes 2 hrs. That being said, you have a driver for 10 hours a day at your disposal so its not that big of a deal, you just make a whole day out of it.

Can't forget about the massages... TWO HOURS of free massages every day. It was incredible.

I would recommend Balivillas.com estate to anyone travelling to Bali. You WILL save money when comparing it to a stay in a nice hotel. And, in my opinion, you will receive better accommodations and amenities.