Let’s cut to the chase right away. They did. Dwaraka does everything really good. The food, the people, the interior decoration, the views… We sleep in a one bedroom pool villa which has everything you need. A huge and beautiful bed, a large bathroom and some space outside (shade & sun).

Probably the best thing about Dwaraka Royal Villas is the fact that the put a new meaning to the saying ‘the devil is in the detail’. This resort has sooo much work to it, it’s unbelievable. Every square meter has it’s own identity. The doors, the floors, the wooden chairs, the stairs, the stone art that’s everywhere. Not only is everything well thought of, it also has a lot of hand labor in it.

Take for instance the palace compound. This is the place where the owners sleeps (and the owner only – he sleeps there just once a month) and the place of another presidential suite. There is art all over the place. And the fun (and beautiful) thing is, it’s all Indian. So there’s all these famous ‘stories’ on the walls and ceilings, and there’s all this little wood carvings (details) in the bed, couches, and they’re all Indian. Built in a typical Balinese compound. We just love this fusion kind of coming together. It just feels right.

Dwarska doesn’t fit a lot of people. For us this is good news. We like it small. That way you get this personal touch. And this personal touch gets you places. Literally. One morning we had a spa appointment really early in the morning. We thought (thanks to Google maps) it was really close by but we found out that morning it was actually a 30 minute car drive from Dwaraka Royal Villas. Because it was so early we couldn’t get hold of taxi so the reception immediately took matters into their own hands and offered us the ride. That’s what you get when there’s a personal touch at a resort. That’s what matters.

So, back to the smallness of this place. It has a number of 1 bedroom pool villas (the one we’re staying in) and a bigger villa for a larger group. There’s also a common pool area but this ons isn’t used very often. Most of the villas have their own pool so it’s kinda useless in a way (let’s keep it at good useless because well… it looks pretty).

The first night we’re welcomed to enjoy the food in the restaurant. To be honest, the staff could have done better. There’s one other guy eating there at the moment (lot of people dine in their villa) and that would mean you get a lot of attention. The staff was busier with each other than attending the guests which is kinda regretful. That is however the only downside of the dinner. The food was pretty good. We had some very tasteful crispy duck and some classic rendang. Before that we shared some seared tuna and an amuse with fresh fruits.

Dwarska is the perfect place for you to stay when in Ubud. You don’t wanna be in the hectic centre because it’s hectic. Really hectic. You want to be a little bit out. You want to stay at a place that suits your needs and you want to make sure the people that work there care about you. Are we hitting your ‘sweet spot’? Well, if that’s the case, book yourself a villa at Dwaraka Royal Villas because we promise you, you won’t be disappointed.

Price range: Around €200,- a night
More information: Dwaraka Royal Villas website
TripAdvisor: link
Google: maps
Rating: 9