My husband and I and our families were absolutely blown way by this villa. We s…

My husband and I and our families were absolutely blown way by this villa. We spent 5 days here and got married on the 4th day and we could not have asked for a more spectacular venue. Nothing was too difficult for the staff (Thanks Putu and Salam!)- they picked relatives up from here, there and everywhere, the food they cooked was amazing, they were so accommodating with our wedding, they organised massages etc for great prices, and they were very patient with our constant requests for more booze and more food during the several parties we had in the lead up to our wedding. It is hard to describe how stunning it is and the rooms are breathtaking. It's the kind of place I would recommend to go to and just sit back and enjoy the facilities - while we went out in Seminyak a few times, the traffic is pretty nightmarish, and it is better to hang out at the James Bond style infinity pool. The food was better at the villa than a lot of restaurants - our guests are still talking about the Rendang Beef curry! We cannot wait to go back one day though it will be hard to decide who gets the master bedroom with private pool- we might have to draw straws for that one!

We booked this villa for 9 days at the start of July, for a party of 25 (16 adul…

We booked this villa for 9 days at the start of July, for a party of 25 (16 adults and 9 children) for an extended 50th birthday celebration. To say the villa exceeded our wildest expectations would be an understatement. Villa The Sanctuary is simply extraordinary! From the time we arrived, we were treated like VIP's. The transfers from the airport were coordinated to perfection by our hosts, Putu and Salaam, who are the main villa managers. We continued to be impressed with their professionalism throughout the whole week, and no request seemed to bother them. They always seemed to be nearby somewhere at just the right moment. We must also highly commend their assistants, Giday and Dewi, who were so courteous and polite, and always trying to do that little bit extra to ensure our guests had the most relaxing holiday they had ever experienced. Everybody was amazed at the beautiful outlook from every room. The quality and cleanliness of each room was outstanding (and stayed that way all week - rooms were attended to very diligently by cleaning staff each day). And everybody had commented by the end of the week that the beds were the most comfortable they have slept in at any hotel around the world (and this was a well-travelled group). The villa is located in a jungle oasis in the middle of rural Canggu. Apart from the occasional unruly rooster in the morning (and you don't notice them after a day or two), the villa is a haven of tranquility. Don't come here if you want the hustle and bustle and smells and rubbish of Kuta, but if you want a truly luxurious getaway, this is the place for you. Make sure to request a massage in the bales on the lawn - Salaam was always able to arrange them at short notice and 9 masseuses from the local area kept our guests feeling very pampered all week. The food at the villa was excellent. They had a wide range of menu options, and Salaam would check our preferences each morning to give the Chef time to source food fresh from the markets daily. The suckling pig dinner one night was a highlight, as was the seafood barbecue on our last evening. Having said that, there was not one single complaint from anyone about any dish we were served - servings were generous to the point that none of us could eat more (and we had some big eaters in the group). We were happy to let Salaam make suggestions for us many times and we were never disappointed - try their Beef Rendang, and Pepper Crab. Oh, and try an omelette with chilli's for breakfast! With the distance from Kuta (about 40 minutes), the peaceful, beautiful setting and the excellent food, it would be easy to just chill out at the villa all week and not go anywhere. However, the villa car was always on hand (a big thanks to our cheerful drivers), and Salaam was very efficient at organizing extra cars or a mini bus, depending on group size, to take our guests wherever they wished to go. He also provided great recommendations and assistance in organizing activities to suit all our group - a day trip to Ubud to see the monkeys and top class shops, a shopping outing in Kuta, diving in Tambalen, a day at Waterbom, and a highly recommended mountain bike tour that is all downhill and finishes at the Elephant Park. On top of all that, Salaam was able to arrange bookings for dinner at two of Bali's top restaurants, Potato Head and Ku De Ta - very impressive, given the size of our group. I must admit a highlight of our trip was walking straight past the queue of 30+ people outside Potato Head, to be escorted to our exclusive balcony seating overlooking the main restaurant. We felt like rock stars! The pool area at the villa became our hub of activity, with people constantly moving between the spa, the billiard table in the adjacent bale, or even the occasional movie in the air conditioned media bale. This was all transformed into a dance/pool party one evening, with a local DJ (again efficiently arranged by Putu and Salaam) to entertain young and old - what a night! I honestly cannot speak too highly of Villa The Sanctuary, and it's exceptional staff. Don't come here if you're looking for a cheap budget holiday, but if you are looking for a truly first class, exceptional holiday, this is the place. Would I stay here again? Definitely. Would I recommend it to others? Absolutely! This villa is without doubt one of the best villas in Bali, and probably South-East Asia as well!