Bali 2 - Alila Manggis resort

Alila Hotels and Resorts is a chain of boutique hotels in Thailand, India and Indonesia. A couple of its resorts in Bali are Alila Ubud and Alila Manggis in Candi Dasa.

When we arrived at the Alila Manggis in Candi Dasa, a town on the east coast of Bali, the resort's front-of-house welcomed us with a cool facial spray and a refreshing lemonade ginger and lime drink. He introduced us to the facilities of the resort which include a large outdoor pool amidst sprawling tropical gardens with coconut and frangipani trees.

After 9 days travelling in Ubud, Gianyar, Seminyak, Canggu and Sanur, we found Cendi Dasa to be an exceptionally quiet, serene and laid back seaside town with its black volcanic beach sand. The hot and humid weather transformed the pool into a warm bath and I found swimming in the slightly cooler waters of the sea to be more refreshing.

As the resort's rooms are designed to walk onto the manicured gardens and pool, it was also a convenient retreat when the humidity became less tolerable.

I found this resort to be exceptionally good simply because of its staff. They are knowledgeable about recreational activities and what Cendi Dasa has to offer - snorkeling in nearby islands, learning to scuba dive, fishing, trekking, visiting local organic gardens or arranging for a massage treatment at the resort's spa centre. I reported my mobile phone lost and the Head of Housekeeping and security were onto the hunt around the resort and within 10 minutes, told me they have located a ringing response from the safe-deposit box in my room and were almost apologetic in response to my own absent-mindedness. Nothing was too difficult to accommodate and it was these little things in their service level that made the difference.

I was disappointed with the food at the resorts which we were staying over the last 9 days in Bali. On our first night in Candi Dasa, we took the resort's shuttle bus into Candi Dasa town where restaurants abound with its wait staff out on the street fervently cajouling customers with flyers and leaflets of its menu and cuisine. Sadly, most restaurants seem to have more staff than customers and although service was well-meaning, these restaurants lack finesse and its food desperately forgettable. I was resigned to the prospect of yet another 3 days of sub-standard food but everything changed when we ate at Seasalt, the restaurant at Alila Manggis resort where Penelope Jane Williams is the Executive Chef.

Being a Sydney-sider, I am familiar with the restaurant and cafe scene where Penny Williams, the chef of Seasalt restaurant honed her skills for five years at Jared Ingersoll's Dank Street Depot in the Sydney suburb of Waterloo. My wife and I have had breakfast at Dank Street Depot on many occasions. Therefore, when our first breakfast meal at Seasalt of perfectly poached eggs with grilled bacon, freshly toasted rye bread, eggs' Benedict and its rich and creamy hollandaise arrived, we knew this was the mark of someone from Australia who knows what a good breakfast is all about.

After our first breakfast at Seasalt, we abandoned our search for local breakfast fare in Candi Dasa and just stuck to Williams' winning formula - fresh local fruits and juices, croissants which are so freshly baked, they melt the creamy butter and daily homemade jams which include rich and tangy marmalade, strawberry and even coconut jam. The freshly brewed local coffee was right on the mark with its intense flavour and aroma. Coupled with the intuitive and subtle service of its wait staff, we decided to try Williams' food for dinner and we were not disappointed.

Williams' menu makes clever use of the local ingredients in Candi Dasa which include locally harvested seasalt, hence the name of the restaurant. The resort has an organic farm where local herbs, vegetables and other ingredients are transformed by Williams into suprising and innovative flavours. Her resourcefulness and creativity is reflected in her offering of the Balinese Megibung - an array of local Balinese fare which include tumeric rice, grilled satays, poached fish parcels with local herbs, pork and vegetable stews bursting with Asian flavours of lemongrass, tamarine, mild chilli, ginger and coconut. Being a fan of grilled satays, I commend Williams for her take on chicken and prawn skewers and its accompanying condiments of raw sambal and peanut sauce. Being Asian, I find it inspiring for someone like Williams who is obviously knowledgeable and passionate about the cuisine from a culture so different from her own.

The allevated setting of the candle-lit restaurant amidst the gardens and lotus ponds amplified our dining experience on a balmy tropical Balinese evening. For me, this experience was the obvious standout from my first trip to Bali, thanks to Williams and the outstanding staff at Alila Manggis.

Related hubs by the same author: Bali 1 - Rural Charms