We’ll be going back to Singapore for good really soon, and wanted to go on a short holiday within Indonesia before that. Bali was our first holiday destination as a family of five, when we first relocated to Jakarta, so it was fitting that we visited Bali again before we leave Indonesia for good.
C found a really good deal for the Mulia Villas, where we only had to pay half when we stayed for four nights, which was perfect since we were planning to visit Bali for five days.
The night before we flew to Bali, Meimei came down with a fever. Our whole family had been taking turns to fall ill, and the two boys had actually just recovered from their illnesses after completing their antibiotics, so I knew that Meimei would most likely require antibiotics too. Thankfully, there’s a hospital near Mulia, so we could bring her to a doctor if necessary. Our flight was really early in the morning, and thankfully, Meimei was still pretty happy, so I just managed her fever with the meds that I had.
The flight was pretty uneventful, if you don’t consider how all three kids wanted to sit with me, and how N spilt orange juice all over himself. There was a lot of “Mummy, tv! Mummy, not this! Mummy, no sound! Mummy, I want eat watermelon!” but as many mums will tell you, holidays are basically just us doing the exact same things, but in different locations. I even managed to read my e-book while feeding the twins fruits during the flight! #achivementunlocked
We were greeted at the airport by the Mulia staff and driver, as we had prebooked our airport transfer. The Mulia Villas is about 20 minutes away from the airport (without traffic), but we usually prefer to get our transport handled by the hotel instead of taking a taxi, as it’s more convenient.
While C was checking into the hotel, the kids received welcome packs with a sun hat and sand play toys, and N enjoyed a refreshing glass of the welcome drink. I think that really set the tone for our entire holiday, as everyone we encountered was really helpful and attentive. The assistant manager, Pak Kohei, in particular, was very friendly, and helped us to arrange for a bowl of congee to be served whenever we ordered room service, as I told him that Meimei was unwell. In fact, our butlers would ask if Meimei was feeling better whenever they picked us up from our villas, and Pak Ari gave us advice on how to get Meimei to the nearby hospital too.
Our butler then brought us on a short tour of the compounds, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The pools at the resort were really nice, and the view of the waves rolling in at the beach was just so soothing.
We decided to have a quick buffet lunch at The Cafe before heading to our villa, and were impressed by how good the food was. The daily buffet breakfast is also at The Cafe, but it gets crowded by 830am, so when we woke up late one morning, we had the à la carte breakfast at The Living Room instead. There’s also complimentary tea daily there, and the kids liked the cookies quite a bit.
At the Cafe
Tea at The Living Room
Complimentary cookies in our villa which the twins loved
The villa lived up to our expectations, and although the kids were sleepy, they perked up when they saw our villa and private pool. The boys went for a quick swim, while Meimei looked longingly at the pool from inside the villa. The poor girl didn’t get to swim at all during our stay, but we took pity on her one day and let her sit in the shallow area to play for a while, before bundling her into the jacuzzi tub indoors.
Happy kids outside our villa
Family photo one morning
The private pool in our villa’s compounds was definitely the highlight of our stay. N begged to go swimming ALL THE TIME, and jumped into the pool at least once a day.
The beach at Mulia Resort was also very beautiful, and although the twins were hesitant about stepping on the sand at first, they quickly got used to it, and were soon very busy digging the sand with the sand play toys provided by the hotel in their welcome packs. Didi also liked climbing up onto the lifeguard’s chair to enjoy the breeze and view.
Heading to the beach in our buggy
C read about the Bali Water Blow, and we took a taxi there as it was quite nearby. We had to take a short walk after the taxi dropped us at the entrance, and had to ask for directions along the way, but it was truly a sight to behold. Everyone cheered each time the waves crashed up against the shore, and the kids were so excited to see the majestic waves.
Walking to the Water Blow
The Bali Water Blow at Nusa Dua
Enjoying the gorgeous sights and weather
Our trip back to the villa from the water blow was quite an adventure. We approached the security guards at the Bali Collection (a small shopping area) to ask for directions to the taxi parking area, and while we were talking to them, a truck with seats at the back stopped to ask where we wanted to go. We were hesitant to board it, but the security guards told us that it was perfectly safe, and that we could pay any amount we wished. The kids were thrilled to ride the truck back to the hotel’s compounds, and waved happily at the passing vehicles.
It was really dark by the time we got back, but look how beautiful the wedding chapel was! We made our way to Table 8, the Chinese restaurant, and had a really good buffet dinner there. We all enjoyed the food there so much that we ate there for lunch before we checked out on our last day.
At Table 8
We didn’t really make full use of the hotel’s facilities since Meimei was unwell, but honestly, staying in our villa was more than good enough. We ordered room service a couple of times, and the kids all thoroughly enjoyed the grilled sea bass fillet.
I visited the spa while the kids napped one afternoon, and the back massage I chose soothed my super sore back muscles. The staff there all spoke good English, and my therapist was very pleasant too.
The Kids Club looked pretty decent when we popped by after breakfast on our last day, and the three kids had fun playing there for a while.
For our last dinner in Bali, we decided to head to Jimbaran for some excellent pasta at Sami Sami. The view there was also breathtaking, and the food was as good as we remembered it to be. (Read about our previous experience and favourite dishes HERE.)
At Sami Sami
Apart from us having to visit the BIMC Nusa Dua to get antibiotics for Meimei, our trip to Bali was exactly what we needed. We got to spend quality time as a family, and made many wonderful memories there.
Kids playing at the hotel lobby while waiting for our ride
Thanks for an amazing holiday, Mulia Villas! We hope to be able to stay here again some time soon.