Sankara Suites and Villas

Bali was the second leg of our global honeymoon and our first-ever visit to Indonesia. If first impressions count, Sankara Suites & Villas — and especially its people — set the bar remarkably high.

Our experience began well before arrival. After booking earlier this year, the team stayed in close contact by email and WhatsApp and arranged a private airport transfer. We arrived in Denpasar from Dubai after a long journey from Istanbul, and while immigration was surprisingly quick, our luggage apparently decided it needed more time to contemplate life. Despite the delay, our driver waited patiently, communicated with us throughout, and never once made us feel rushed.

That became something of a theme in Bali: patience without pressure, service without pretence.

The property itself is beautiful, peaceful and immersed in the lush landscape that makes Ubud feel almost otherworldly. The food at Laddu Restaurant was consistently delicious. And, for anyone terrified by everything they have read online about “Bali belly,” our stomachs survived perfectly intact. Basic common sense goes a long way — although I would probably avoid drinking directly from a river virtually anywhere on Earth.

The highlight, however, was Nyoman.

Nyoman drove us for two full days, roughly seven hours each day, at an extremely reasonable cost. He took us through an extraordinary cross-section of Bali: local handmade textiles and clothing, a professional photoshoot dressed in traditional Balinese royal wedding attire, spectacular rice terraces, a beautiful temple, Tegenungan Waterfall, and a coffee shop where we sampled more coffees and teas than I could possibly name.

He was knowledgeable without lecturing, conversational without intruding, and endlessly patient. Always a warm smile, always willing to explain something about Balinese life, and somehow always too humble to even let us buy him a coffee.

Nyoman is hospitality personified.

Sankara should be proud to have him. His work ethic, disposition and genuine kindness stood out even among a team (with far too many to name individually) where warmth seems to be part of the culture. I suspect his future will be every bit as bright as his mind and heart.

More broadly, Bali gave us something we weren’t necessarily expecting: perspective.

The roads aren’t particularly wide. The buildings aren’t particularly tall. Scooters seemingly outnumber cars by a thousand to one. Yet there is an extraordinary rhythm to everything. Nature isn’t something pushed to the outskirts — it feels intertwined with daily life.

Bali’s spiritual and cultural diversity fascinated us, as did the warmth of people whose smiles often communicated more than perfect English ever could. Coming from Canada, the difference in wages and purchasing power was also humbling. At one convenience store, three Cokes, chips, instant noodles and a 1.5L bottle of water cost us less than the equivalent of CAD $9.

As I write this, fittingly, Nyoman is driving us from Sankara to the next chapter of our honeymoon in Nusa Dua.

We leave Ubud with full hearts, fuller camera rolls, and one certainty:

We would return to Sankara in a heartbeat.

Thank you for making our first taste of Bali so memorable — and Nyoman, if you’re reading this, matur suksma, my friend. 🇮🇩❤️

We had a very pleasant 2-night stay at Sankara Suites and Villa in Ubud. The private Jacuzzi in our room made the experience especially cosy and relaxing. The staff were wonderful; polite, attentive and very friendly throughout our stay.

The only drawbacks were the lack of a buffet breakfast and the limited control over the room lighting, which could feel a little too dark at times. Overall, though, we really enjoyed our stay and had a lovely experience.

I had a lovely time at this resort. The food is done to an excellent standard. My room had a beautiful peaceful view & if we ever needed anything the team were accessible, responsive & incredibly sweet. Thank you so much Emi- your smile & great energy brightened our day & thank you to all the reservations/ Laddu staff. A special thanks to Tina and her talented team at the spa, the massages & treatment was wonderful- I could not recommend enough. The team went above & beyond to accommodate us & we greatly appreciate it.

There are so many perks here, free yoga, a gym, room service, gorgeous breakfast, shuttle into Ubud town centre etc. The location is very close to many Ubud hotspots such as boutiques & high end restaurants etc. Lots of additional activities (private chef dinner, cooking classes) which is worth the money if you are celebrating a birthday or milestone. My partner & I had a wonderful time. It’s very peaceful & safe, perfect for a solo trip, great for couples & there were a few small families. It’s quite rare for a resort to suite all needs but I honestly think this one does- and I’m not easily impressed but they made a great impression & created a cherished lasting memories for us!