Playfully dubbed the “Brooklyn of Bali”, Canggu offers an enticing mix of rice fields and skate bowls. This once sleepy seaside hamlet has grown into a vibrant neighbourhood where hipsters and temple goers rub shoulders with ease. Needless to say, it’s also one of the most inspiring areas to stay in Bali right now. Our team was invited for a fun midweek sleepover at Villa Merayu.
Introducing Villa Merayu
Tucked in a private lane of villas and surrounded by rice fields, Villa Merayu feels rural and relaxing right on arrival even though the villa sits just minutes from the main street of Jalan Raya Canggu.
We step through the villa’s private gate… and wow! Villa Merayu is a beautiful white villa overlooking a green lawn and a light turquoise pool. There’s an innate sense of ease about the villa, with life flowing effortlessly between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
After taking in the wow factor of the pool and garden, you really can’t help but notice just how clean this villa is. Every surface is almost surreally spotless – you almost want to pull on white gloves just so you can take an indulgent sweep of the counter tops.
Villa Merayu has five bedrooms in total, so there was plenty of room for our group of seven. The bedrooms are divided over two floors and two of them interconnect – just one example of how villas can cater to families. That and the whimsical towel arrangements!
Dining at Villa Merayu
One of the best things about staying in a villa is the personalised service. Unlike in a hotel where you have a small army of staff taking care of hundreds of guests, in a villa, the staff is there just for you. That the service is personalised also means that every villa is different and offers its own unique brand of service.
At Villa Merayu, we were particularly taken by the food. After settling into our new digs, we sat down for a fabulous Indonesian feast of fried rice, grilled fish, chicken satay and sautéed vegetables served with rich Indonesian sauces. For breakfast, which is included in the daily rates, we had a beautiful spread of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and a rainbow coloured fruit platter.
So how much does it cost to dine at the villa? Villa Merayu is one of those villas which don’t have a chef included in the daily rates, but the villa staff can prepare meals at an additional fee. At Villa Merayu, guests pay a USD $50 cooking fee per mealtime as well as covering the cost of groceries used to prepare the meal.
This is great for groups who like having the flexibility of dining out at a restaurant or back home at the villa when the mood strikes them and only having to pay for chef services if and when you use them.
And don’t worry about not knowing what ingredients are used in these dishes – the staff will handle all of this for you. Villa Merayu has a suggestion menu where you can choose whatever looks good and the staff will purchase the ingredients for you. If you want to do some grocery shopping of your own, the Pepito Supermarket is literally within a two-minute walk from the villa.
Villa Merayu Locale
Villa Merayu is surrounded by rice fields and on a clear day, you can spot Mount Batukaru in the distance. After the sun went down, the only sound we heard while relaxing in the open-plan living room was the soft chirp of crickets humming through the tropical night. Still, you’re by no means in the sticks.
A five-minute drive from Villa Merayu brings you from a rice field idyll to Canggu’s hip and happening main drag, Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong. The street is lined with local eateries, trendy cafes and cute boutiques and the further down the street you drive, the more plentiful the options get. If you make the whole 15-minute drive from end to end, you’ll arrive at Batu Bolong Beach where you’ll find cool beachfront venues like Old Man’s and The Lawn. Pro tip: Ji Restaurant serves a mean Sunday brunch! If you’re bringing the kids, Taman Segara Madu Water Park is also just minutes away from the villa.
Villa Merayu is a great villa for anyone looking to explore all the different sides of diverse Canggu, from tranquil rice paddies to trendy beach clubs. If you would like to stay here, find out more about Villa Merayu or contact our villa specialist team.
