In total, we spent almost two months in Indonesia and visited Bali, Nusa Lembongan and Lombok. At the beginning of our long trip, we spent a week at the new Grün Resort in Uluwatu on Bali.
In this blog article, I report on my experiences with the accommodation, the pool, the food and the surrounding area with its many beaches and restaurants.
Rooms at the Grün Resort
After the long flight from Frankfurt, which we paid for with miles as usual, we didn’t want to spend the night too far from the airport in Bali. The car journey took just under an hour.
On arrival at the Grün Resort in Uluwatu, we received a friendly welcome at reception with a cup of tea. We were then given the key to our tree house with the number C2 and were allowed to get into a golf cart with our luggage.
The nice employee took us for a drive around the grounds and showed us everything before taking us to the tree house.
The house is accessed via a spiral staircase and we were very impressed. In addition to the bedroom with a nice washbasin, there was a separate shower, a cozy living room with a sofa and even a dining room with a small kitchen.
We had a great all-round view of the greenery from every room. But the highlight was the large terrace, where we could have our first coffee in the morning. The two nice chairs here were large, but quite uncomfortable.
The bedroom, kitchen and living room each had their own air conditioning. In the kitchen there was a kettle, a fridge and a sink.
On the first night, the whole tree house suddenly shook. We thought maybe monkeys had jumped over the trees onto the roof.
The next morning we learned that there had been a minor earthquake in the north of Bali. Fortunately, nothing more serious happened.
There are around ten tree houses on the grounds of the Grün Resort in Uluwatu. Some of them probably have a sea view and are therefore a little more expensive.
Breakfast & dinner in the green
We had breakfast in a restaurant on the premises. It was shady here and you could sit very comfortably. Breakfast is a la carte and there are a few hot and cold treats to choose from.
As everywhere in Indonesia, we naturally drank lots of coconuts, which are also known as young coconuts.
Young coconuts have a lot of liquid, which decreases as they ripen. You can drink the coconut water straight from the fruit with a straw.
Grün Resort: Pool & Terrace
However, the highlight of the Grün Resort is without question the pool. From the tree houses, it is just a few minutes’ walk to a small hill with a wonderful view of the valley and the sea.
There is a wonderful infinity pool up here where you can easily spend a whole day.
Relaxing music plays in the background, the sofas and loungers are very comfortable and there is a large bar and restaurant that immediately fulfills all wishes.
The atmosphere up here is particularly beautiful at sunset. We thought it would be very crowded at this time, but there were only five other people besides us. That could still change, of course.
We only ate dinner at the Grün Resort once. There were many western and some local dishes on the menu. As everywhere in Indonesia, the wine was relatively expensive. The food at the hotel was okay, but not a highlight.
Surroundings: Tips for Uluwatu
On the other evenings we were always out and about in Uluwatu and ate in various restaurants. The first restaurants in Uluwatu can be reached on foot from the hotel in around 20 minutes.
Alternatively, you can order a cab (motorcycle or car) via the Grab app, which we often used in Indonesia. Cab rides are much cheaper than in Germany, and a ride on the back of a motorcycle usually only costs a few cents.
Ours Restaurant
One of our favorite restaurants was Ours in Uluwatu: in addition to delicious fish and risotto, they also served home-made pasta. The atmosphere was very relaxed and cozy.
Drifter Surfshop
The Drifter surf store in Uluwatu is also highly recommended. The store itself is beautifully designed and offers high-quality surfboards as well as lots of clothing, books and pictures.
The surf store also has a café and a restaurant where you can sit outside in front of the store. There is often live music and of course delicious beer.
Alchemy Uluwatu
One evening we went to Alchemy in Uluwatu: a mixture of spiritual venue, grocery store and restaurant.
It was here that we realized how incredibly modern and western Bali, and Uluwatu in particular, is. I’ve never seen stores as stylish and hip as Alchemy in Berlin, Copenhagen or New York.
Accordingly, the prices for the delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes were a little higher.
Beaches in Uluwatu
If you are looking for beautiful beaches, you should definitely come to Uluwatu. There are not only beaches for surfing here, but also for swimming and snorkeling.
Melasti Beach
The beaches in Bali are often relatively dark, but the sand around Uluwatu is usually golden yellow. We particularly liked Melasti Beach.
At low tide the water recedes quite far, at high tide the small waves reach the beach and you can dive and swim well.
At Melasti Beach in Uluwatu, we also discovered a nice little restaurant: Le Club 22, which apparently belongs to the adjacent Karma Beach Club.
Padang Padang Beach
Padang Padang Beach on the west coast of Uluwatu is also very beautiful. This is a small bay for which you have to pay an entrance fee of around one euro.
After a few steps, you reach the beach and can admire fantastic sunsets.
Bingin Beach with barbecue
From here you can also take beautiful walks over the rocks. We walked to Bingin Beach once and ate at a restaurant on the beach in the evening.
There was a big barbecue in the Lucky Fish Lounge with fresh fish, which you could choose yourself beforehand.
Grün Resort and Uluwatu: My conclusion
Apart from the beautiful Grün Resort, I can absolutely recommend Uluwatu as a place in Bali. We’ve also been to Ubud, Canggu, Sidemen and Lombok, but Uluwatu was our favorite of the whole package.
If you love beautiful beaches and surfing or swimming, you will absolutely get your money’s worth here. This is complemented by wonderful cafés and restaurants and a very special surfer vibe.
However, Uluwatu, like many places in Bali, has become very touristy and is no comparison to countries like Sri Lanka.
Uluwatu map with highlights
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