First Impression of Bali and Mandapa

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First Impression of Bali and Mandapa

Bali has been one of the places my mom has spoken of for quite some time. She’s a very spiritual woman with an innate curiosity towards faith and world culture. Somehow after taking her to Beijing, my dad and I were still able to surprise her with Bali as a destination on our surprise Around the World birthday trip. What made the surprise even more extraordinary has been Mandapa.  This is one of the few places on the trip that we are actually paying for the stay. We used a great Virtuoso rep who helped secure us a very special experience, including an upgrade to a Rice Paddy Pool Villa and welcome birthday cake.  In planning the trip we debated Mandapa ( A Ritz Carlton Reserve – 1 of 3 in the world), Amandari, and Four Seasons at Sayan. Ultimately we choose Mandapa and could not imagine a better stay.

Ubud is the cultural center of Bali. Peace, serenity, spirituality, and healing are the reasons to visit. You’ll even see monkies 😉

The downtown area of Ubud has become quite developed and touristed. Escape from the city center to spiritual refuges like Mandapa to clear your mind, body, and soul. Healers abound.

Overlooking the Ayung river Mandapa has 25 villas and 35 suites.

Words. Pictures. Emoticons. Nothing does this place justice. The people, my goodness, the people. Gratitude, graciousness, and joy radiate from their being.

We were given Villa 11.

Mandapa isn’t even 2 years old, yet the entire property feels ancient.

We arrived very late after a 5 hour delay from Singapore. Instead of a traditional check-in we hopped straight in a buggy and did an in-room registration. We were upgraded from a Mandapa Suite to a Rice Paddy View Villa. Incredible to say the least. MILES WAS SWINGING FROM THE TREES!!!!!

Kubu is rated #1 on the island. We dined in a cocoon overlooking the ayung. The artistry, technique, and design should be in every world’s best discussion.

My folks were pretty happy with Miles’ planning 😉

On Easter we had healing sessions, enjoyed Easter brunch, and relaxed as a family. Miles deserved his mimosa 😉

 More to come.

I’m still on the trip and am trying to get a post out every day. Mandapa deserves a complete review which will come when I arrive back in the states, but until then…if you’re looking to unplug, relax, celebrate, and enrich your mind, body, and soul – look no further. You can follow the story on my instagram too: @zacharyburrabel or on Miles’ @milesthemonkey