A perfect Bali getaway for special occasions, family gatherings
At maximum capacity, the four-villa Pandawa Cliff Estate is an opulent offering that works out at a fraction of the cost of five-star-hotel alternatives
Where is it? Any further south and your feet get wet. At the bottom of the Bukit Peninsula, half-an-hour’s drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport, roughly as far from that temple at Uluwatu, this is what “ideally located” really means. As the name suggests, it’s on a cliff, above Pandawa beach, and – yes – it’s a truly stately estate, spread over 1½ hectares. Owned by a brace of tycoons, one Singaporean, the other Indonesian, Pandawa’s less a honeymoon hideaway than a coruscating quartet of villas that cries out for family reunions, milestone birthday parties, weddings and similarly merry knees-ups. Bonus trivia: convicted art forger John Myatt put up here recently while giving painting lessons to the son of one of the owners and his fiancée.
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What’s the set-up? Pandawa’s four self-contained villas – Markisa, Pala, Marie (above, centre) and Rose – trumpet a total of 21 double rooms and can be rented individually or as a whole. The estate is run by Spaniard Diego Pons Alentado, who oversees 40 staff. So, essentially, this is a boutique hotel perhaps with the exception that you’ll like all the other guests – or, at least, be related to them. It’s beautifully designed and faultlessly appointed (each marble-floored room has a different layout and furnishing). Catching the panoramic view for the first time, most guests stop in their tracks and simply gape.
What is there to eat? Breakfast – continental/American/Asian – is included in the rate. For lunch and dinner, cast an eye down the menu: prices average out at about 170,000 rupiah (HK$100) per main dish. Head chef I Wayan Mudana can pretty much turn his hand to anything, from lobster thermidor to steak sandwiches to ikan bakar (whole snapper with chilli sauce), and there’s a raft of vegetarian options, plus a snacks menu headed by chicken satay. The option of giving the order to ignite the barbecue (seafood, meat or Indonesian) is more than a little tempting – granted a few hours’ notice and requests that are not overly outlandish, the kitchen will put together a meal that balances both personal tastes and budgets. The wine list is more than comprehensive while the signature cocktails – Pala Mojito, Rose Apple Martini, and Marie Frozen Daiquiri – pack a delicate evening-of-the-world punch.
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