Viceroy Bali - Luxury in the Valley of the Kings
Photos by Deniz Reno
To be rated Conde Nast Traveller’s #1 Resort in the World is no easy feat. When I reveal that Viceroy Bali had risen above 429,000 entries in the Reader’s Choice category of the World’s Best Resorts to be crowned the very top in its class, I invite your imagination to run wild as to how such an accomplishment is possible. I was certainly curious to find out when I was invited to spend two nights at this renowned luxury resort in the heart of Bali.
Viceroy Bali is located on a land where the lush rice fields Bali is so famous for meet the jungle, aptly named ‘The Valley of Kings’. The dream of Viceroy began when Margaret Syrowatka discovered the land with her brother on a motorcycle trip through the ricefields in 2003. Before the land was acquired by the Syrowatka family, the land belonged to the Balinese Kingdom of Peliatan. The name ‘Viceroy’, means ‘Governor’ appointed by the Regent and pays homage to the Royal origins of the land. From its inception in 2005 to this day, and unique to any resort in its class, Viceroy is a family run business.
Viceroy Bali started out as a 11 villa resort which has now become a bespoke mecca of 40 luxury villas in 6 categories: Pool Suite, Terrace Villa, Deluxe Terrace Villa, Elephant Villa, Vice Regal Villa, Viceroy Villa, all masterfully equipped with every detail of a luxury hotel experience for even the most discerning of travelers: singles, couples and families. From the polished marble floors to limestone wall carvings executed by local artisans, fresh flowers picked from the resort’s own green house and a welcome card handwritten by Amanda Syrowatka, Margaret’s daughter (Viceroy’s General Manager), waiting for you on snow white silky satin linens upon arrival. Each villa has a heated pool, ensuring that guests may have a relaxing swim at any time of day or night. On site visitors may enjoy the guest infinity pool, a fitness center, private yoga classes, a visit to the Lembah Spa, private chauffeur services, in house boutique and my favorite, the in house library. The Viceroy grounds are home to two world class restaurants: Cascades Bali and Apéritif, Bali’s premier fine dining establishment, visited by the likes of Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Peggy Gou. For those wishing to fly into the resort, the property also houses a heliport, which is frequently used for guests as a VIP transfer service from the airport or other hotels; as well as a fantastic tour of luscious green Bali from the air . It was a welcome convenience for cast and crew during the filming of Eat Pray Love in 2009, the film based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s book that catapulted the town of Ubud, Bali to worldwide recognition.
Viceroy Bali
Viceroy Bali Heliport
Day 1
I was picked up in Canggu by one of the hotel’s private chauffeurs. After a quick coffee stop which I requested, my driver Catur ‘Chess’ and I headed to Ubud. During the ride I was offered a refreshing cool towel and had a lovely chat with Chess who revealed that he had been with Viceroy for 15 years. Inside the car I flipped the pages of Exquisite Taste Magazine featuring my friend, Nic Vanderbeeken on the cover (the Executive Chef at Viceroy’s Apéritif Restaurant & Bar ). It took us approximately 45 minutes to arrive at the Viceroy grounds where I was greeted by the lovely concierge and staff and swiftly taken to my villa by hotel transport. I was to stay at the Deluxe Terrace Villa overlooking the lush Bali jungle. The staff transported me to my villa a stunning 150sq m haven complete with all the exquisite comforts of a luxury hotel stay. Shortly after my landing a welcome drink arrived, a refreshingly cool blend of homemade raspberry syrup, fresh mint and basil, lime juice and soda, which I enjoyed out in the terrace gazebo while marveling at the view. My villa was facing straight out into the abyss of endlessly green tropics. It felt like I was being transported to another world.
Relaxing in my Deluxe Terrace Villa
After making myself at home I took a brief tour of the grounds, strolling by Cascades, Viceroy’s celebrated in house restaurant, and visited the boutique and the fitness center. But perhaps my favorite discoveries were the small in house library and the green house. The library had a nice selection of popular, classic and travel literature as well as films, even housing foreign languages shelves in Russian and Japanese. I picked up a copy of Ken Follett and a book on Balinese culture and headed outside where I came across the Viceroy gardens which are home to the resort’s own green house. Inside, the staff from Nagi, a nearby village, tend to flowers, vegetables, fruit and greens which are utilized in the resort’s decor and used in the dishes served at both Cascades and Apéritif. After my tour I retired to my luxurious residence, took a brief nap and settled in to do some writing.
A lovely handwritten welcome note from Amanda Syrowatka
The Deluxe Terrace Villa , my home for two days.
In the evening I was invited to join a dinner across town with Anthony Syrowatka and his lovely wife Dewi along with friends. As the night set in and I returned to my villa, I was greeted with fresh frangipanis and chocolate truffle wrapped in a handmade beaded box laid out on my pillow. A thoughtful and welcome midnight snack. I walked outside in my robe onto the terrace to listen to the sounds of the jungle. The skies were crystal clear. Switching off all the lights, I took off my robe and stepped into the infinity pool. My eyes took a couple of minutes to adjust. I swam around and turned over, looking up at the vast canopy of stars up above. Floating on my back in the warm pool water I witnessed a star shoot across the sky which made me sigh in awe and delight at this cinematic display of nature’s magic. Standing back up on my feet I walked over to the edge overlooking the jungle and stared into the darkness for a few moments before bearing witness to a dozen fireflies zooming in and out of the bushes in the ravine. Moments like these couldn’t be described in the sheer depth of their magnificence. I spent about an hour observing nature’s casual midnight sorcery from my pool before retiring to take a candle lit bubble bath inside the villa. After reading a chapter out of Ken Follett’s book, which I picked up at the Viceroy library, I was ready for bed.
Day 2
I woke up to the sounds of birds singing and the gentle rays of the sun falling on my bed. I had purposefully left the curtains open the night before so I could enjoy the view of the morning terrace from my bedroom. The bed itself was so comfortable I could lounge in it for hours. After a quick shower and a sit down meditation, I headed to Cascades for a scrumptious three course breakfast which included a choice of fresh squeezed juices, coffee and tea, and delicious options for starter and main courses followed by dessert. I settled on mostly fruit, fresh baked croissants and salmon egg scramble. The view from the restaurant over the jungle ravine was again, breathtaking. After breakfast I was given a tour of the different categories of villas available for guests at Viceroy Bali by Kadek, the hotel’s lovely Front Office Manager and met with the resort’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Patrick Farrell over lattes in my villa to discuss the resort’s history. I must say that through my interaction of with the staff at Viceroy Bali (several of whom have been with the resort since it’s opening 15 years earlier) and upon meeting Patrick, I was really touched by how this world class hotel has been able to combine high caliber professionalism with authentic human connection. The staff at the Viceroy genuinely enjoy their work and respect the family and company they work with, and it shows. Viceroy in turn provides steady employment and a feeling of being a part of the family. The resort was the only hotel in its class in Bali to stay fully open during the pandemic, re-configuring and taking strict precautions to guarantee the safety of guests and guaranteeing that its employees didn’t lose their jobs and were able to provide for their families. The loyalty and dedication here is a powerful river, which flows both ways. After my meetings I enjoyed a long needed afternoon siesta before heading off to Cascades for dinner. At the restaurant I enjoyed an impressive three course dinner: Prawn Salad, an absolutely delectable Fish Green Curry and for dessert, which I took to go, I had a Lemongrass Brulee.
Pool Suite Villa
Terrace Villa
Viceroy Vice Regal Villa
Apéritif Bali
After dinner at Cascades I headed to Apéritif . Mentioned in my New Year’s Day post, Apéritif is Bali’s premier fine dining establishment. After my first degustation dinner there in October I became friends with it’s Executive Chef Nic Vanderbeeken and his beautiful wife Yuli, who I was heading out to meet for cocktails that evening. Upon arrival I was greeted with a glass of champagne by Mr Panji Wisrawan, Apéritif ’s master mixologist (Campari’s Indonesian Champion Mixologist 2019) and canapes. Wednesday Nights are ‘Ladies Nights’ at Apéritif and the bar graciously welcomes the ladies with a cocktail and canape on the house to start off what is always an unforgettably and classy evening. As a frequent visitor I can attest to this. Over the course of the evening I decided to try out new cocktails from the menu. Panji, with his usual flair mixed Yuli and I a couple of ‘Mary Pickfords’ (a mix of White Rum, Maraschino Liquor, Campari, Pineapple Kalamansi and Velvet Orgeat) and Apéritif Reviver No.2 (a mix of Gin, Yuzu, fino Sherry, Blue Curacao and Absinthe), as I am not a lover of Gin, Panji replaced in with Tequila. I was dualy impressed. Cocktails at the Apéritif Bar are a visually and gustatory experience, just like the cuisine at Apéritif Restaurant.
Cascades Salmon Egg Scramble
Panji Wisrawan - Aperitif’s Mixologist
After a fun filled girls night with Yuli I returned to my villa to find more impeccably wrapped chocolate truffle and a handwritten card from Patrick who had booked me in for an en-suite Balinese massage session the next morning before I was due to check out. After another starlit dip in the pool and a bubble bath, which I paired with a tasting of the delectable Lemongress Brulee I had saved in my ensuite minifridge, I retired for the night with a big smile on my face.
Day 3
I woke up to another sunny morning and headed to Cascades for breakfast. Patrick texted me suggesting I order the Pain au Chocolat and I thoroughly enjoyed following through on his suggestion over a cup of hot green tea. The croissants served at Cascades were just fresh out of the oven, they were so delicious! Over breakfast I met Margaret Syrowatka’s adorable toy poodle Bo, who sat with me for about an hour before I had to head off back to my villa for my Balinese massage appointment. Back at the villa I was greeted by Tini, my massage therapist. I was initially apprehensive about getting a massage because I had been in a motorcycle accident a week prior and had a shoulder injury that was still very tender and in the process of healing. Tini and I discussed the dynamics of the treatment (avoiding the injured area) and went forth with the massage. I must say I was incredibly impressed at how nice and comfortable the treatment was, given the restrictions and I really appreciated being able to drift off to sleep during the massage. After the hour of bliss I packed my bags and walked out onto the terrace for one last look over the ravine. I wished that everyone could experience this magical place. It had provided me with some much needed relaxation and recuperation after a very busy and eventful week. I have been to many beautiful hotels, but there was something about Viceroy Bali that made me truly fall in love with this place.
Luxury is a word used in the hospitality business the world over. Luxury often denotes something exquisite in a material sense. What I would call my experience at Viceroy Bali is something other altogether. A slew of words come to mind: inspirational, intimate, otherworldly, enchanting, serene, regal, and yes, luxurious. This resort has far too much heart and soul to simply call it ‘luxury’. From the staff, to the family who own it, to its magnificent villas and world class cuisine, Viceroy Bali offers an unforgettable experience to be treasured.
In Partnership with Tropical Nomad Coworking Space