In a place unlike any other, Nusa Dua was like a gem for me. It is known as the more luxurious side of Bali, surrounded by many private resorts inside a gated community. However, my time at Nusa Dua wasn’t spent with the other tourists. Instead, Shad and I stayed 10 mins from the beach in our very own, and very luxurious, private place thanks to Tanadewa villas.
The first thing that made the Villa stand out for me was that they’ve been the winner of the Tripadvisor certificate of Excellence for 4 consecutive years! That means they rank highly on things like service, experience and guest leisure. I was excited to stay there more than ever after knowing I’ll be in good hands. There are only 16 villas in the whole complex, meaning you’ll get the privacy you want unlike major resorts. 15 of them are one bedroom villas, and there is 1 two bedroom villa which has the best view of the city. I was so jealous that I couldn’t stay in the two bedroom villa so I made a promise that I’d book the next trip with my friends just so we can take full advantage of that two bedder.
THE VILLA
Unlike the other villas that we had stayed at during our trip, Tanadewa felt like it was a mix of both hotel and villa accommodation. The villa was separated into two levels, one with the bedroom, and the other with the pool and lounging area. The bedroom was so spacious, it looked like I had walked into a 5 star hotel! Even when we had unloaded our luggage, we still had so much space to walk around without tripping on things (it’s happened before). The ensuite bathroom can rival just about any bathroom in Bali. If you’re into watching TV whilst taking a bath, then I suggest you book right now because it’s a thing with Tanadewa! If a bath TV session isn’t your thing, they also have a separate shower. All Tanadewa villas are lined with luxurious amenities that I was (closely) tempted to take home myself because they smelt so nice.
Although we didn’t spend much time in the lounging area, we did use the pool quite a lot. Every villa has their own private pool which is great as you can wake up and jump in straight away! The pool isn’t heated but the sun comes through everyday just to give that perfect amount of sunshine. Though when we were staying there, the sun was hiding behind the clouds and we did find it quite cold to get into – once we did get in, swimming wasn’t a problem at all! I forgot to take a photo of this but I did note that there was an outdoor shower in the corner of the lounging area to rinse off the pool water before heading back upstairs. We didn’t really use it, but it is a good plus to know you have it!
THE MASSAGE
During our stay we got to experience one of Tanadewa’s signature massages from their own spa, fittingly called Tanaspa. Tanaspa uses natural oils and remedies that bring focus on the 4 elements and how they harmonise together. There are only two rooms at Tanaspa, each holding a maximum of two people. You get to choose between the cool room which is an air conditioned room, or the hot room, which features an outdoor massage space with no air conditioning, but it has a private pool for you to have a dip in after getting your massage.
For our massage, we were given the element of Earth. We started off by having a small foot massage to reinvigorate the body. To highlight the Earth theme, stones were used instead of hands to massage our feet (which I thought was so interesting). As Earth is the first and basic element of nature, our therapists specifically concentrated on their thumb and arm pressure around the bones and muscles to recreate a sense of being grounded towards nature. They also create an amazing ambience with earthy incense and candles, as well as soft music playing in the background. I was so relaxed throughout the massage that I almost fell asleep (And I know Shad most certainly did). The therapists take extra care and go out of their way to make sure you’re enjoying the treatment. Multiple times I was asked if the pressure was okay and if I needed any more/less. I also injured lower back and hand earlier and let my therapist know beforehand. During the massage she remembered the specific area and actively avoided touching it so I wouldn’t be in pain – it’s this level of service that I love!
After the massage was done, we were given food that represented all 4 elements. We sat in the cabana and enjoyed our post massage feeling whilst snacking. It certainly felt like a 5 star experience to me, even down to the patience of our therapists letting us take our time with the food. Even though I had only experienced the Earth massage, I love how each experience is tailored toward one element and can be so different to each other.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We didn’t spend much time in Nusa Dua, but the experience we had was an amazing one that we will never forget thanks to Tanadewa Villas. Every morning as we walked to and from our Villa, we were greeted with nothing but smiles and even staff stopping just to have conversations with us! The management team was also kind enough to pick us up from the previous villa (which was 40 mins away), as well as drop us off to our Airbnb after we told them we were headed away from Nusa Dua and into the city. Even after we had checked out, they still offered to drive us, which shows me that they really value guest experience. I would recommend Tanadewa to anyone who visits Nusa Dua. Shad and I had an amazing time, and I’m sure anyone else who books with the villa will too.
Xoxo,
Eli.
