Sungai Jungle Estate

10/10

Thank you Pamela and staff (Made, Illu, Wayan, Putu and the others whose names escape me) for an exceptional Bali experience. I am relieved and grateful that this side of Bali still lives on i.e. no sounds nor signs of ‘proyeks’ and traffic chaos. This elegant tranquil hideaway epitomizes peaceful relaxation. Surrounded by lush forest and sounds of wildlife with a sensational staff complement and talented chef/s who see to your every need – from airport escorts to exotic cocktails and in- house ‘lulurs’ – there was no reason to leave this secluded paradise except for the airport … Terima kasih

10/10

It had been 18 years since we were last in Bali. Planning our trip we were naturally talking to as many of our contacts as possible who had recently visited Bali to get their feedback and suggestions. Their comments confirmed huge changes/ developments in the "city" and "resort" areas and my suspicion was that to a certain extent Bali like many other beautiful locations around the world is being loved to death. Our research suggested that the resorts are a bit too International and manicured to really immerse yourself in the real Bali culture of our memories and with a combination of business and a family wedding it was important for us to plan a little more carefully. Through the feedback from more recent visitors other issues were also highlighted including an increase in the population and the obvious down side of crowds and hugely increased road traffic and the associated increased travel time to get to any of the areas we wanted to visit. So the question for us was how would we find the "Real" Bali and get away from the hustle and bustle, the Tourist traps and the manicured, sterile, cookie cutter International resorts? Luckily while researching we almost fell across a reference to the two villas "Villa Sungai" & "Sungai Gold" and a number of things stood out immediately. Having a local Australian owner living in our time zone able to answer our myriad of questions and organise timing and logistics was invaluable. Thanks Pam! A small country village locale like Cepaka is outside of the built up noisy crowded areas and looked much closer to the "Real Bali" we remembered. A private villa with staff sounded far superior to staying in a large sterile hotel/resort. So the plan looked good on paper ....What was out of our control was the human element and as any successful manager will confirm the single most important aspect of their business is their people and right from our arrival at the airport all the indications were good. "Tall(Tuggah) Made" met us as we came off the air-bridge in to the terminal and smoothly shepherded us through the throngs and hubbub of the much larger Airport labyrinth and then efficiently handed us off to "Little(Chenik) Made" outside ready to chauffeur us to the Villa and what an eye opening ride it was with some of the larger roads looking more like parking lots full of motor scooters jockeying for an extra few meters of progress. There are very few if any road rules and a driver is essential for a relaxed drive! The relief from the crush and noise of the traffic as we moved in to the tropical hinterland and away from the built up areas was palpable. The villa sits o the edge of the village above a quiet stretch of the river and is separate from the staff quarters and next door to a larger villa (all in the larger compound) that can be rented individually and or together to accommodate larger parties. It is a beautiful location but what struck us first was the staff, the team or maybe I should call them the extended family (as that was how we quickly came to think of them), they made us feel immediately at home ...they were thoughtful, kind, softly spoken and thoroughly enthused about our visit. It is one of those wonderful skills from professionals of their caliber combined with that wonderful Balinese attitude that nothing is too much trouble that they can make each guest feel special. The service was wonderful the food was magnificent and the drinks mixed with a heavy hand (nothing watery about "The Bar"! ) we're always just an arm legth away almost arriving by magic. As I said before any business is only as good as its people and "Made Chenik" has a 6 Star Team that really added far more to our visit than even the magnificent location and the beautifully designed buildings and court yards. Our visit surpassed all of our expectations and will will hopefully be back to visit our friends and second family in Bali in the not to distant future. Our thanks for a wonderful visit and inviting us in to your homes and we will look forward to seeing the "Made's" the Wayans, Putu, Iluh and the others again soon.

10/10

From the moment we (quite literally), stepped off the plane and were whisked like rock stars through the airport, we knew we were in for an amazing stay at Sungai. Made and his team are very special, offering the perfect balance between 1st class service whilst never feeling intrusive or OTT. The villa itself is just beautiful, a perfect sanctuary complete with infinity pool, day beds and spa. The food was exquisite, as were the cocktails. Nothing was too much trouble. We were a group of friends in Bali to attend a wedding and Pamela was very helpful in arranging a last minute hairdresser (who was also wonderful!) to come to the villa on the morning of the wedding for us. Would not hesitate to recommend Sungai for families or friends alike.