When I was trying to figure out which hotel to stay at in Ubud, Bali, I really struggled to make up my mind as so many of them looked really amazing. In the end I settled on one night at the Blue Karma Dijiwa Resort Ubud, and one night at the Arma Museum & Resort Ubud.
They were two very different hotels in two very different locations, so I wanted to tell you all about them, starting with the Blue Karma!
What captured my heart about the Blue Karma Dijiwa Ubud was the infinity pool overlooking the surrounding rice terraces. It looked SO dreamy, and my goodness was it just as good as it looked.
I arrived late at night after my 24-hour journey from London to a very warm welcome from the Blue Karma hotel staff, who quickly checked me in and gave me information on where I could get food, before showing me to my beautiful room.
One Bedroom ‘Suite’
My room was a ‘one bedroom suite’, which is the lowest room category and isn’t actually a suite, it’s a small bedroom with a good-size bathroom, and a small terrace at the front.
I only booked 3 weeks before staying, and it was the last room left sadly. If I stayed again, I’d definitely book further ahead and book the One bedroom private pool villa, or the One bedroom villa hammock jungle view (this one comes with a hammock overlooking the jungle!).
I was super excited to find a beautiful outdoor shower, a cute rustic bathroom, and a bedroom complete with mosquito net. They provide you with bottled water, and there’s tea and coffee making equipment, bath robes, and indoor slippers.
After dropping my things and exploring the room, I walked the 30-second walk to the hotel’s restaurant, Botanist.
Dining at Botanist Restaurant
They had a cultural night on and so were fully booked for the evening, but they still managed to squeeze me in on the sofa and table to the side of the restaurant.
I was absolutely starving after my long journey, so ordered the Matcha Chicken Cashew, a sensational comfort dish of Chicken breast matcha with sauteed mushroom, capsicum & dried chili, that filled my rumbling belly.
Not only did it taste incredible, but it also cost just £4.50. Bargain!!
For dessert I chose the Dadar Gulung, which consisted of Butterfly pea crepes rolls filled up with caramelized grated coconut and palm sugar. Oh my goodness, I was in actual heaven. And the price? £1.99. It was at that moment that I thought, I think I’m going to like Bali?
Super impressed with dinner, I took myself back to my room to catch up on sleep before my busy day the next day!
The Resort
I had the most blissful sleep – you know the kind where you’re so tired from a long journey that you just fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow?! That kind!
The bed was ridiculously comfy, the pillows were I think some of the comfiest pillows I’ve ever slept on, and the fan and air-con couldn’t be more perfect temperature-wise.
I woke up just after sunrise and padded out of my room to have a look around the resort in the daylight.
The resort is intimate, and felt very relaxed because of its small, but perfect, size. It’s incredibly lush and green, with lots of Balinese style beds dotted around to laze about on.
There was the gorgeous infinity swimming pool that looked just as dreamy in real life as it did in the photos online, the flying bamboo spa (which I was about to test out!), and the Sarang Yoga Shala, a large yoga space ethically crafted with natural indigenous materials.
Inside, there’s the lobby, a small gift shop, the restaurant next to it, and a small library and games room with comfy sofas.
A Perfect Massage at Flying Bamboo Spa
I had pre-booked a hot stone massage at the resort’s in-house spa, the Flying Bamboo Spa, the week before I arrived. I knew I’d need a massage after the flight, so at 9am on the dot I turned up as soon as they opened.
You guys. The location of the spa is actually unbelievable. I walked into the therapy room and was in complete AWE!
Just look at it!
The massage therapist left me to get undressed and comfy, and then started the 60-minute treatment. It was so relaxing I fell asleep at one point, and by the end I wished I could just stay there all day.
After the massage I was shown back to the little waiting area and provided with a hot ginger tea and a home-baked oat biscuit.
The hot stone massage was IDR 907,500 (£45), but then I also got a 15% discount off that price as I was staying at the resort (all resort guests get this discount). Living in London, hot stone massages cost over £100, so for me this was super good value.
Peace & Tranquility in Ubud
I loved my stay at the Blue Karma Dijiwa in Ubud so so much! I was actually really surprised that I ended up preferring it to the Arma Resort? I just had a much better sleep there and it felt quieter and more peaceful. But I’ll tell you about the Arma next week.
The location of Blue Karma Dijiwa Ubud is about 20-minutes outside of Ubud, and is closer to the famous rice terraces than the hotels in Ubud itself. I think it’s a great location for a couple of nights, but there isn’t a huge amount of dining options around the restaurant, so you’d need to get a Grab taxi into central Ubud for more restaurant choices if you were staying longer.
Aside from that, I would absolutely stay at Blue Karma again!
Watch the full room tour video!
