The vibe
In a word: breezy. The moment we arrived at Samabe Bali Suites & Villas and stepped out from the car, we were greeted by the friendly receptionist straight away and had Hawaiian leis placed over our heads while we sipped on the coconut mocktail welcome drinks. Samabe Bali Suites & Villas is situated on a cliff, so a fresh sea breeze blows all day long keeping it cool and relaxed. After an introduction from manager Nisa, we were whisked off to our villa in a buggy.
Read also: How to get the most out of Bali’s beach clubs
The rooms
We stayed at the two-bedroom pool villa with an ocean view, which was absolutely beautiful. When we walked into the villa, a tray of fruits and welcome drinks was served on the table in the living area, and the butler took us around the villa and explained all the features (complimentary mini bar, anyone?). I requested for a bluetooth portable speaker which the butler promptly arranged for us. The villa has two spacious en-suite bedrooms, a living room and a private pool. The master bedroom’s bathroom is exceptionally spacious with a bath tub, two dressing counters and built in wardrobe (besides the standard toilet and shower area).
Special touch: Samabe even provides guests with their own original stylish sun hats and beach bags, which are yours to take home too. It’s an all-inclusive resort, and a standard package includes daily breakfast, free-flow beverages across the resort, daily afternoon tea (served in a tiny birdcage!), complimentary yoga, ice cream for kids at the pool, complimentary cooking classes and guest activities and unlimited water sports, and more. We took full advantage of the water sports, and tried sea kayaking and paddleboarding on the private beach.
Food & drink
Samabe’s Rempah-Rempah restaurant is excellent. We had breakfast there one day, and had a very good time at the egg station. It’s not just your standard scrambled/sunny-side-up/poached situation (although they do that too). My favourite was the foie gras + scrambled egg + hash brown combination – yup, foie gras at breakfast.
We also had dinner in Samabe’s Rempah-Rempah restaurant and there was a live band performance (the lead singer sang very well!) to keep the guests entertained. You can’t go to Bali and not get involved in some nasi campur, and we can attest that Rempah-Rempah’s version is excellent. We also got a quick education in different types of sambal from a very patient waitress!
One thing we’s have loved to try was the cave restaurant underneath the cliff – it was occupied for a private event during our stay, but it looked absolutely amazing. (Hint: especially if you’re planning a special, romantic occasion.) There is also a beautiful chapel at the cliff in Samabe overlooking the Indian Ocean – perfect for weddings.
Read also: Everything you need to know about planning a Bali wedding
The service
The staff here are so. Extra. In the best way possible! Throughout our stay they were so attentive, and always seemed to be able to predict what we’d need next. One day, one of our group was feeling unwell so she decided to stay back in the villa while the rest of us left to tour around Bali. Our female butler was so worried about her that she stayed with her in the villa for the afternoon, getting her hot water when she needed it, getting her the medicine she needed, even patting her on the back when she felt nauseous. When she finally regained her appetite, the staff rallied round to get her some congee – and it was midnight!
Our favourite part
You have to try Samabe’s famous Floating Breakfast (especially if you have an Instagram reputation to uphold). Our attentive butler took our breakfast order the evening before – you get to choose from the in-villa menu which features a wide variety of breakfast selections: Continental, American, Chinese, local Indonesian, Japanese and they even have Korean cuisines. In the morning, the staff sent the Floating Breakfast trays to our pool villa, and even arranged a flamingo float in the pool alongside breakfast. The food was excellent, and if you only try one thing, make it the fresh red dragonfruit juice – honestly the best we’ve ever had.
Read also: Cheat sheet to Balinese food
