Bali was a dream! I debated on how best to blog about the experience and decided that our first Airbnb in Bali deserved a standalone post. It was the most wonderful welcome to one of the most beautiful islands we’ve ever visited. While researching and planning our Bali vacation, I stumbled upon Camaya Bali and was immediately obsessed. I’m not an outdoorsy girl, but I love nature. I know that seems like an oxymoron, so let me explain! You won’t catch me fishing or volunteering to go camping, but I appreciate the clouds, the beach, and any place where I’m surrounded by lush landscapes. It’s in these spaces that I feel closest to God.
If you appreciate nature too, you will love Camaya Bali. Camaya Bali is one of six beautiful bamboo houses created and managed by a Balinese man named Made. You can view his other bamboo houses here. All of the staff members are Balinese as well and each of them exceeded our expectations. They were warm, welcoming, and never failed to provide first class service. The ambiance alone was enough to write raving reviews about. The service was the icing on the cake!
As we walked up the stairs to our villa my first thought was “Wow. This place looks just like the pictures.” The entire first floor is open. Yes, open! Small sitting area, beautiful bed, bar for two, bathroom complete with an open air shower, cozy hammock (which is where our romantic dinner was set up on night one), and heated splash pool. You literally feel at one with nature in such a magical way. Check out the videos below for a first floor tour.
Upstairs was a pleasant surprise! While we knew the upstairs bedroom was enclosed, we did not expect a landing area with a full size mirror and a separate balcony. Aside from the canopy bed and floor to ceiling glass doors, the hanging net with room for two is the likely winner for most picturesque spot. Here’s a tour:
Now let’s talk about the experiences you must book if you stay at Camaya Bali! The flower pool, which I scheduled to be ready on arrival, and the bespoke dinner. 10 out of 10 – so happy I chose these two! You’ve seen the flower pool in previous videos, so I’ll only add that the flowers are real. I see this all the time on Instagram and wasn’t really sure lol, so sharing in case you were wondering like me. Below are a few videos of the dining experience. I totally forgot to record dessert!
Lastly, I have to share one more thing so ya’ll don’t go book Camaya Bali and say I left this out! The villa is totally open, with the exception of the upstairs bedroom. You can hear the sounds of nature in my videos. This means you might have some unwanted visitors. For us, that was a geko or two, little frogs (mostly by the pool and they run away when they see you), and beetles. Now I know, if you know me personally, you’re surprised that this wasn’t a dealbreaker for me. Honestly ya’ll, the place is so unreal that it didn’t bother me at all. We stayed for two nights. Had it been longer, my story may be different!
The reason we only stayed for two nights is because it is far (nearly 2 hours depending on traffic) from Ubud. It’s a more remote, quiet location that allows you to disconnect and be fully present with the beauty and culture that surrounds you. We decided to start our trip here, then journey to Ubud. If I had to do it all over again, I’d make the same choice. In summary, Camaya Bali is a must stay if you’re in Bali! Did I mention it was featured on Netflix’s World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals (see season 1, episode 1)?
Have you been to Bali? If so, what places did you enjoy most? Stay tuned for more Bali content!
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