Royal Kirana Spa
Royal Pita Maha Resort
Ubud, Bali
I was excited for our stay at the Royal Pita Maha for months before we left for our honeymoon as the website really made it look like paradise, and it sure didn’t disappoint! Having it be our first time in Bali, we felt Ubud would be a great place to start to really soak in the culture and experience the exotic landscapes, art, and stunning temples. The 5-star Royal Pita Maha was a great choice for a luxurious romantic setting for our honeymoon.
The Resort Experience
When we finally arrived at the hotel, we were pretty exhausted. After 24+ hours of travel due to layovers and then the longer than expected drive from the airport due to traffic, we arrived in the evening and it was dark but that didn’t hide the beauty and majesty of the resort. I’ll never forget the feeling when we first walked into the open-air lobby. The scent of incense in the air took over and as the staff warmly greeted us and took us to some comfortable couches to rest we immediately felt at ease. They brought us a cold towel and a cool refreshing fruit drink right away, exactly what 2 tired travellers needed
We finished the check-in process and as the staff took us to our villa, we took in the surroundings. The resort is located on a hill overlooking the Ayung River and was built with sensitivity given to the lush and vibrant environment. We were closer to the bottom of the hill, quite close to the river so there were multiple stone steps to climb down with elevators in some areas as well.
The private villa we had for the trip (Ayung Healing Villa) was absolutely stunning with a large bed with netting, gorgeous stone soaker tub, marble bathroom area and a private patio with a table, daybed, lounge chairs, outdoor shower and a large private pool overlooking the river and lush greenery. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time, relaxing and lounging in the pool and villa as we felt like royalty! The pool was always the perfect temperature and a refreshing break from the Bali humidity and we could even watch white-water rafters floating by in the river below. We even splurged a little and had a “floating lunch” where we could enjoy our delicious lunch in the pool on a floating tray, one of the many luxuries during our stay there.
Amenities
Although the resort has private pool villas, there are also 3 different resort pools open to guests: Holy Spring Water pool, Lagoon pool and Infinity pool. There’s 4 different restaurants on site and 24-hr room service to the villas. A buffet breakfast is provided daily so we would gladly trek up the steps to the restaurant each morning. Although it could be challenging for some, it didn’t take too long (maybe a 5 min walk upstairs) and although my cardio isn’t the best we got by just fine. Once you arrive at the top, you are rewarded with a stunning view of the river and landscape while you enjoy a delicious selection of western and traditional Balinese food options and refreshing fresh fruit juices, coffee and tea.
Other amenities include the Yoga Bale by the river, which is a multi-purpose pavilion to provide a peaceful space for yoga or guided meditation. They also offer immersive activities such as painting or woodcarving classes, cooking classes with the chef and also classes on how to make Balinese offerings. Of course, I was the most excited for their on-site spa, the Royal Kirana Spa.
The Spa
The Royal Kirana Spa acts as a sanctuary to restore balance and reconnect with yourself. The large open-air spa has breathtaking facilities including a spa garden, lounge area, 2 swimming pools, private yoga pavilion, dry and mist saunas and separate shower and dressing room areas for men and women. There are also stunning private spa villas for the ultimate luxurious experience.
The walk to the spa from the resort area was almost as enjoyable as the surroundings of the spa itself. The beautiful stone architecture and designs with stairways, fountains and landscaping was lovely and I stopped many times along the way to take pictures and enjoy my surroundings. Once we arrived at the entrance, you are taken to a small lounge area, overlooking a zen garden of sand and are given a complimentary tea or water before you are taken into the spa.
We opted for the 2-hour massage and we were taken to the Ayung Treatment Villa with private change rooms and bathing area. The villa overlooks the natural beauty of the resort with surrounding fountains and pools providing the perfect ambiance for a relaxing journey. The treatment starts with a Balinese foot bath ritual to clean your feet and prepare the body for the relaxation to come. The massage was perfection, with the perfect amount of pressure and variety. There was no music being played so you really got to take in the sounds of the jungle and nature around you, which was a totally unique experience for me. Listening to the birds, wind rustling in the trees and sounds of the surrounding fountains was absolute bliss! They also placed bowls of water, flowers and essential oils right below the head rest on the massage beds which was such a treat. After the massage, we were given some delicious ginger tea and we rested for a bit in the private villa to take in the full benefits of the treatment.
We also explored the rest of the spa area, taking a dip in a few of their cold spa pools and taking in the gorgeous fountains, stone carvings and lush greenery.
The Royal Pita Maha and Royal Kirana Spa are absolute gems and I would highly recommend staying here if you ever find yourself in Ubud. Not only was it relatively close to Ubud City Centre (10 min cab drive) where you can immerse yourself in the culture, markets and temples Ubud has to offer but it still feels like a complete escape into the jungle and allows you to fully disconnect and experience living like royalty!
-Liz, WSR Editor
