Hotel review: Alila Manggis
Bali is beautiful, but let's face it one of the most visited islands in south-east Asia, so its, of course, going to be packed with tourists! Why not venture out of Seminyak, or Uluwatu to the more unknown areas?? I had the luxury of being invited over to the Alila in Manggis.
Manggis is a quiet area located in the east of Bali, not far from Padang Bai (ferry dock). The surrounding area is mainly small villages and a handful of restaurants. We found most people in the area spent most of their time within their resorts, with the Alila being one of the nicest in the area!
Services, facilities!!
The hotel has all the general services expected Wi-fi, rooms service laundry, spa, private beach, outdoor yoga studio and a restaurant.
Rooms
We got to experience two different rooms, the Superior room, and the seaside suite.
The superior room was reasonably sized at 364sq feet, with a king-size bed and shower. We also had a private terrace which lead us straight out onto the pool area.
The seaside site is much larger at 1220 sq ft. This room had a much larger shower and a bathtub. It didn't lead us out to the pool but we had a balcony which gave us a view of both the pool area and the ocean. I'd defiantly say this room was my favourite of the two, I always love having more space to spread out my gear and relax and make a mess basically lol!
Food
The on-site restaurant is perfect for every occasion, we had most of our meals there, everything is fresh and made to order.
The Breakfast spreads was the perfectly curated mixture of authentic Balinese dishes and continental options. And of course, the dragon smoothie bowl was utter perfection!! You can also have your breakfast in the pool, because are you really in Bali if you don't have your breakfast in the pool????
On our first night, we had the traditional Balise Megibung, which is a traditional way of sharing food, during festivals and ceremonies. This isn't something I've been able to experience in other parts of Bali so i'd definitely highly recommend it!
Things to do
Yoga
In true Bali style, yoga is offered daily at the outdoor yoga studio, overlooking the ocean where the sun rises. They also host regular wellness retreats, which include daily yoga and a Balinese healer.
Organised experiences
They also have some amazing experiences available such as visiting the local village, a traditional Balinese fishing experience.
We tried out the traditional Balinese fishing and had such an amazing time, our guide was extremely friendly and a great teacher. We managed to catch two fish each and saw wild dolphins swimming a few feet away from our boat!! Id highly recommend this experience!
Relax by the beach
Manggis is located on the east shores of bali, pretty close to Mount Agung volcano. Which means the beach at the Alila is a black sand beach! I personally love black sand beaches as I feel like there super unique!! The sand here was pretty black but if you want to experience pure black sand head over to Muggu beach in Canggu!
➳ Check out my Canggu guide here: Guide to Canggu
Relax by the pool!!
The Pool is defiantly extremely dreamy, and can definitely fulfil all your Instagram dreams!! I mean look at that picture does it get any better than that!! The pool has all-day service, including fresh towels, drinks, and menu service.
I enjoyed my stay at the Alila, I fell in love the moment I stepped inside. Its beautiful, peaceful, and a the service was impeccable. Id highly recommend visiting whether it be a weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of central Bali or if your visiting for vacation this would be a great place to base yourself, especially if you want to get away from the typical Bali itinerary!
Overall Impression 8.5/10
I enjoyed my stay at the Alila, I fell in love the moment I stepped inside. Its beautiful, peaceful, and a the service was impeccable. Id highly recommend visiting whether it be a weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of central Bali or if your visiting for vacation this would be a great place to base yourself, especially if you want to get away from the typical Bali itinerary. The only reason I didn't give the hotel 10/10 is because outside of the hotel actives there is a whole lot to do within the area.
