Ayodya Resort, Nusa Dua, Bali

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So – let’s talk about Bali. I once swore I’d never go to Bali.. even when we were researching for this holiday, Bali was at the very bottom of the list. It is just one of those places that we Australians seemed to have ruined with our tourism and bogan attitudes. In the end, though we decided to push aside our prejudices and give it a try as the week we wanted to book flights, Bali had some great flight deals and I found a Scoopon deal that suited us perfectly. So, we booked the flights and got ready for whatever Bali could throw our way.

The area’s of Bali we looked at staying at were: Nusa Dua which is a gated resort area but is a bit isolated from the atmosphere of Bali, Seminyak which is closer to hustle of the city and features a lot of private villas to rent and Ubud which is up in the hills and again a bit isolated from the city with no beach.

We chose a resort in Nusa Dua, as we decided it would be best to tackle Bali first time around with the comfort of Resort where we didn’t have to leave if we didn’t want to. We were travelling with our 2 young girls – aged 2 & 5. This was their first overseas holiday and the first time for them to experience another culture. Plus, as this was our first holiday in a long time – I really just wanted to lay by a pool and drink some cocktails! Bliss.

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Ayodya Resort is perfect for non-fussy young families
The rooms while a bit dated are big and comfortable
Wine & Spirits are super expensive. Beer is cheap.
The food is GOOD!!
It was HOT and very humid, so you don’t roam far from the pools
Ayodya resort had the best stretch of beach that we could see
The Beach bar & lounging area is excellent, especially for kids.

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[eltd_separator position="center" color="#fc01b8" border_style="solid" width="250" thickness="1" top_margin="25" bottom_margin="50"][eltd_section_subtitle color="" text_align="center" text="One of the main things I loved about Ayodya Resort was just how beautiful it was. The gardens are full of colourful flowers and traditional-style buildings. I loved just walking around - which was good because the resort is BIG with lots to explore." width="80"]

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There are quite a few restaurants and food choices while at Ayodya… I think we ate at most – except for the Japanese restaurant which we didn’t have time to get to! And at every single place we ate the food was amazing. Fresh, delicious, authentic – even the Italian and pizza restaurant was great!

There were some nights however that we just didn’t feel like going to a sit-down restaurant – which is where Ayodya really does this well. They have a big grassed area down near the beach bar with low tables and cushions where you can lounge and relax while the kids run around and you can order food either from the restaurant or the Beach carts. The beach carts are cheaper alternatives to the restaurant – but by no means are they less quality! The Laksa is soo good! And it will set you back about $4 – #bargain.

Seriously, I’d go back to Ayodya just for the food! And we found it to be quite reasonable in price at all the restaurants. It’s not super cheap, you’re not going to get a full meal each time for $5 – but it’s also not expensive.

Also, for anyone concerned about “Bali Belly” – we ate all the salads and fruit at the resort and none of us got sick! Which is a bit unheard of in Bali I believe…

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I had to film our walk home from Breakfast as it was a trek we did every day and just I loved it (even though it was quite a walk from our room, this resort is BIG!). But the open areas with the greenery and statues were so pretty.

Hot tip: If you have young kids who are going to be at the pool every day – ask for a room close by the pool/beach as this will save you this trek back and forth multiple times a day!

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The pool tiles are incredibly slippery.. my youngest came off second best a few times
We tried the Kids Club for one afternoon – but didn’t get the feeling that it was particularly good. We had to stick around as our youngest one was too little to be left alone. But to be honest, I don’t think we would have left our kids there anyway. Maybe if there were a few kids together it would be good. But ours were solo.
Decor is dated and a few things in the room were pretty old and rusted eg: Shower head!
I wouldn’t call it a 5 star resort – but its comfortable and easy and good for families

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The staff are lovely and kind and happy to help
The breakfasts are SOOO good
The resort is beautiful
The resort is big enough that you never feel like you are cramped
2 big general pools + 2 private pools if you stay at Ayodya Palace
The beach right out the front is lovely
Great atmosphere at the Beach bar
Close to Bali Collection shopping centre + a quick walk down the road gets you to a regular street market where you can buy cheap groceries if needed
The Beach bar food is cheap and gives you a break from restaurant-type food
Wifi is excellent (we had both kids on iPads watching Youtube at night and there was no lag). Plus it’s available all through the resort.

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We had a great time at Ayodya Resort and I’d recommend it for people/families looking for a comfortable, easy get-away.

Would I go back? Yes, I would.

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[eltd_separator position="center" color="#fc01b8" border_style="solid" width="250" thickness="1" top_margin="25" bottom_margin="50"][eltd_section_subtitle color="" text_align="center" text="Every Sunday Ayodya throws a Beach Party - its open for anyone to attend. It's super fun with local musicians, DJ's and performers playing from late in the afternoon to the evening. It was a great atmosphere with families dancing and having fun." width="80"]

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If I should take a notion, to jump right into the ocean.. ain’t nobody’s business if I do

– Billie Holliday ―

[eltd_custom_font font_family="Arapey" font_size="30" line_height="50" font_style="italic" font_weight="" text_align="center" content_custom_font="QUICK RECOMMENDATIONS" color="#000000"][eltd_separator position="center" color="#fc01b8" border_style="dotted" width="250" thickness="1" top_margin="25" bottom_margin="50"][eltd_elements_holder number_of_columns="two-columns"][eltd_elements_holder_item item_padding="0px 100px 0px 80px" horizontal_aligment="center" item_padding_1280_1440="0px 150px 0px 150px" item_padding_1024_1280="0px 100px 0px 100px" item_padding_768_1024="30px 20px 30px 20px" item_padding_600_768="30px 20px 30px 20px" item_padding_480_600="20px 10px 20px 10px" item_padding_480="20px 10px 20px 10px"][eltd_custom_font font_family="Arapey" font_size="30" line_height="50" font_style="italic" font_weight="" text_align="center" content_custom_font="DAY TOUR / DRIVER" color="#636363"][eltd_section_subtitle color="" text_align="center" text="Nyoman & Co Bali Drivers" width=""]

Highly recommend Nyoman for a day tour while you’re in Bali!

He was so engaging and took us off the beaten track a bit when we wanted to visit a traditional market instead of the more public places. He also provided car seats for our girls which is a bit unheard of in Bali! I felt much safer driving around distances with them in the proper restraints. The roads are crazy.

Nyoman also provides surfing lessons (for the kids too) and can show you some of the best surf breaks in Bali.

[eltd_button size="" type="outline" hover_type="" target="_blank" icon_pack="" font_weight="" text="VIEW WEBSITE" link="https://www.facebook.com/nyomanandco/" margin="20px 0px 20px 0px"][/eltd_elements_holder_item][eltd_elements_holder_item item_padding="0px 100px 0px 80px" horizontal_aligment="center" item_padding_1280_1440="0px 150px 0px 150px" item_padding_1024_1280="0px 100px 0px 100px" item_padding_768_1024="30px 20px 30px 20px" item_padding_600_768="30px 20px 30px 20px" item_padding_480_600="20px 10px 20px 10px" item_padding_480="20px 10px 20px 10px"][eltd_custom_font font_family="Arapey" font_size="30" line_height="50" font_style="italic" font_weight="" text_align="center" content_custom_font="SEAFOOD ON THE BEACH" color="#636363"][eltd_section_subtitle color="" text_align="center" text="Jimbaran Bay" width=""]

We had an early dinner after our day tour with Nyoman at Jimbaran Bay. As we were early we were the only ones there! The setting was beautiful and the seafood was fresh! We watched a big old storm roll into the north while we ate our seafood feast. It was a lovely way to wind down the day.

Jimbaran Bay is about 20 minutes from Nusa Dua by taxi.

*Tip: I’ve heard Sanur beach is also good for seafood. So if you want to avoid the crowds of Jimbaran Bay. Head to Sanur instead.

[eltd_button size="" type="outline" hover_type="" target="_blank" icon_pack="" font_weight="" text="MORE INFO" link="http://www.bali-indonesia.com/magazine/jimbaran-seafood-cafe.htm" margin="20px 0px 20px 0px"][/eltd_elements_holder_item][/eltd_elements_holder]