Candi Beach Resort & Spa Hotel Review
The Walking Critic | Candidasa, Bali | 2024
The path north from Sanur to Candi Dasa is a gradual ascension away from a lifestyle of holiday indulgences, to a more sedate pastoral existence. Say bye-bye to the endless stretches of local warongs peddling tat and dross and wave hello to rice paddy fields, lined with lush tree lines of coconut palms and banana trees. You are sliding into a completely different holiday, devoid of Bintang “wife-beaters” and thongs. You’ve gone rural…very quickly!
“Chandi Dasa” (as it is pronounced), is only about 1.5 hours to the north of Sanur. It is not a drive plagued by the usual congestion afflicting Bali. And there is nothing awesome along the way that stands out. It is just a really pleasant coastal drive, with diminishing Western influence and expanding swathes of greenery. Fishing is a part of life in these northeastern reaches. Locals peddle the night’s catch on the side of the road, prostrate on small wooden stools or reed mats. Refrigeration is a not part of this marketing. You would be lucky to see two or three fish at any one time. I’m not sure what species they were, but they looked like mackerel.
When we eventually pulled off the main road, we only had a few wiggles before turning into the front gates of the Candi Dasa Beach Resort. Even in a few hundred metres, we had grown markedly more rural, with overgrown verges and pot-holed roads. Random chickens pecked in between disheveled side houses and alleyways, if they weren’t being guarded by a gloating cockerel.
As is often the case in Bali, there is a comforting co-existence between the rickety and shabby, the affluent and opulent. A dichotomy between the “haves” and the “have nots”. Yet there is no social malaise. Everyone is riding the tourism bandwagon, from the pleasure seekers to the joy makers.
The entrance to the Candi Beach Resort is very meek and unpretentious. You would not be faulted for doing a double-take, as you approached it, for it is more more motel, than hotel. Yet, as I was soon to discover, this was somewhat of a mirage, a rather unpretentious facade to an otherwise hidden treasure.
The foyer and reception area was in keeping with its bland exterior. I came with no notions of grandeur, despite expecting the Candi Dasa Hotel to be out of my comfort zone, but it was not. The staff on check-in were beautiful, helpful and welcoming, as all Balinese staff tend to be. And it was not long before we had downed our welcome drinks and wiped our sweaty brows, with a cold cloth. Within a blink of an eye, we were loaded onto a golf cart and making our way to my new abode: a Luxury Pool Villa.
The whole resort is really divided into three distinct sections: the older bungalows, the spacious villas and the modern wing with new suites.
As you step down from the reception area, you follow a walkway towards the ocean. To your left and right are a series of Deluxe Garden Bungalows. These are the most affordable of the single level accommodation in this class. At the end of this avenue, there are the more premium Deluxe Ocean View Bungalows.
All bungalows offer a contemporary Balinese design. They are spatially the same size at 39 m². You can choose either a double bed or twin single configuration for up to 2 adults and 1 child (under 12 years old).
Deluxe Garden Rooms are in their own two-story building, providing either a balcony or terrace option with garden views. They are a cozy 39 m² in size and are perfect for the more budget conscious. These rooms also provide for 2 adults and 1 child under 12 years old.
There are three categories of Suites which offer the most modern choices at the Candi Beach Resort. These are the Junior Suite Garden View (52 m2), Junior Suite Ocean View (52 m2) and Luxury Ocean View Suite (70 m2). In all suite categories, you are allowed to have 2 or 3 adults, or 2 adults and 1 child (under 12 years old).
The final category is the crème de la crème of the Candi Beach Resort: the Luxury Pool Villa. There are 19 villas in total which branch out from the centre of the resort like a leaf’s filaments. Each one of these are a huge 265 m2. They can also accommodate the best configuration of guests from a family point of view, because they can sleep 2 or 3 adults, or 2 adult and 2 children under 12 years old.
When you stay in a Luxury Pool Villa, you not only have your own residence, front door and all. You even have your own pool and garden exit. It is through here that you access the expansive resort grounds, across acres of manicured, cut lawns, towering coconut palms and smatterings of frangipani trees. As such, it becomes an extension of your own villa, like a private estate. If you are partial to walking, this really is a beautiful setting, framed by the backdrop of distant hills, shrouded in tropical jungle. The ocean waves rumble and murmur close by, rarely pierced by the sound of cars or motorbikes, so often embodied in Balinese life.
The main swimming pool takes prime position in centre, as far as the commanding views go. Like most of the resort, it is not flush to the beach, but set up on a slightly higher protective embankment, with steps leading down to the water. Your view across the ocean towards Nusa Penida is stunning. It is only about 25 kms away.
Local fishing boats line the shallows to your right, below the Ocean Terrace Restaurant, where breakfast is served each day. To the left, the bay contours sharply out to sea in a sort of right angle. A temple rests on its point.
The Candi Beach Hotel offers something for everyone: rooms, bungalows, suites and villas. But a word from the wise, book a Luxury Pool Villa if you can.
With 265 m2 of humongous, private space, this is worth its weight in gold. It’s like a giant, modern apartment infused with bright light, reflecting off white walls, that are only countered by a few daubs of dark wood from the pitched ceiling, shutters, door and floor. Soft greens permeate from the chairs and cushions, whilst the blues of the bed runner reflect the tones of your own private pool and the ocean beyond. Furniture is spartan and apt. Nothing overstated. It all feels immensely comforting and soothing. And yours!
I loved the king sized bed and especially the bay window overlooking the pool and lush gardens of the resort. My son slept on this, exuding the air of a Roman Emperor. I was jealous, even from the soft confines of my larger bed!
Not to be outdone, the bathroom was amazing too: long and thin; totally in keeping with the rest of its surrounds and natural vibe. Amusingly enough, despite the size of the villa, there was no desk or table. When I travel, I take my iMac Apple computer (I call it “the most travelled computer in the world”) everywhere. That’s right…the big one. I am often working on photos and videos. I need the larger real estate of a big screen. And that means I need a desk, plugs and all. In this case, the only place I could set up my “mobile office” was in the bathroom! I converted the long bench-top into what I needed, using the provided dressing table stool for my seat.
The Infinity Pool is the undoubted "statement piece" of the resort with gorgeous, sweeping views towards distant Nusa Penida and Lembongan some 25kms away. A pair of limestone dolphin statues stand prone before the pool steps. It has a faded wooden deck and plenty of sun umbrellas. The whole area is raised up an embankment that juts out towards the bay.
Behind you lies an equally stunning backdrop surrounded by lush tropcal vegetation and avenues of coconut palms. You really feel like you are in your own private estate.
I liked the fact that it was never over-stuffed by other residents, vying for sun loungers and premium positioning. To the contrary, it was barely used and totatlly at peace for all to enjoy. On the few times that I did take a dip, there could barely have been more than three or four guests there.
The Infinity Pool is also one of three public pools at the resort, if you exclude the Luxury Pool Villas. There is a second, smaller swimming pool is in front of the new, modern left wing. This is home to the Garden Suites and set away from the main resort. Finally, the Main Pool is off to the right hand side. This is beside the Ombok Bar and close the the Ocean Terrace Restaurant and diving centre. Although it was conveniently close to the bungalows and bar, I hardly saw anyone using it either.
The Candi Beach Hotel is not located on a main tourist strip like many Balinese hotels would wish to be. In some respects, that should be a blessing. Not everyone wants to be in the hustle and bustle of places like Kuta or Legian. Yet with isolation comes remoteness and the added burden of seclusion. Not the best formula for commericial success, unless you become a sought-after destination. If you want to bring the proverbial “mountain to Mohammed”, you have to stand out from the crowd.
And this is where the Candi Beach Hotel came unstuck for me. It’s food and dining was really sub-par and not just in one venue, but across the board!
In the music industry, a band is often judged by its weakest member. You can have a great guitarist and singer, but if your drummer sucks, then whole band sounds bad. This adage is equally true of a hotel: if your food is not good, then expect bad reviews from your whole performance!
It is not a hard concept. When it comes to marketing, the Candi Beach Hotel has to compete and win as “a destination” property. If people are going to travel that far, it has to make sure they have every reason to stay, and better still, no reason to leave. This is especially true when you are trying to lure them away from other spots.
In an elemental way, food and dining is one of those golden ingredients. Like a juicy worm on a hook… which is kind of metaphorical to marketing, despite its fishing connotations. As I said, it is a “lure”. The juicer the wiggling “advertisement”, the likelier a fish will bite!
The Ocean Terrace Restaurant is the main venue serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It tags itself as having Asian and Western Specialities. It makes no difference whether you are seated on the outside terrace, or in the air conditioned restaurant, behind floor to ceiling glass windows. Both offer stunning ocean views towards distant Nusa Penida.
On this front, the Candi Beach Hotel scores well. But guests are not visiting there for bird watching. They are there to eat. And my first experience there felt like a school dinner.
Being so remote, breakfast was also part of the equation. You are a captured audience.
A large group of elderly German tourists had filled the hotel as part of a coach tour around Bali. They seemed pleasantly happy with their stay.
Having crashed and burned on my first meal at the resort, I was ever hopeful that my next choice of Biru Restaurant would be a better experience.
Again, the setting was perfect...a beautiful dusk light gazing over the ocean waters of the Badung Straight. Candlelit tables. The shimmering silhouette of Nusa Penida sitting on the horizon meniscus. The slow conveyance of cargo ships slipping into the port of Padang Bai. Wonderful, smiling staff. What more could you want?
Good food?
All the ingredients were on the table and in the kitchen. Metaphorically, it was like the chef was on holiday, or on sick leave!
I’m not saying this to be mean. I’m really not. Forget the rest of the world, but I have cooked professionally for 20 years and I have eaten and reviewed well over 250 restaurants, hotels and cafes just in Bali. On top of this, I have a well-earned catalogue of litmus tests, under my belt and huge tidal wave of culinary clients to boot. I simply cannot forgive poor cooking, especially when one of the "national dishes" falls flat on its face, in Bali!
Nasi Goreng is not meant to be killable, especially in Bali!
If you want to get away from the resort and explore the local town, Candidasa is only about 6 minutes away by car. The good news, is that the hotel provides a free daily shuttle for its guests, using a few of the local taxi drivers. Normally they will drop you in the parking lot of the Asri Shop, at the beginning to the high street (Jalan Raya Candidasa). This is actually quite convenient, especially if you want to pick up some nicknacks or provisions to take back to the hotel.
Like many rural Balinese towns, you have the usual tourist offerings (and yes that does include Bintang singlets and phallic bottle openers. Even I was lured into buying a grey singlet with a printed white Ganesh motif on it.
Look out for the Ananta Garden Coffee Resto on the left. It is only about 75 metres away from the drop off point and slightly set back from the kerb. It is bright, modern and pumping air conditioning, the perfect place to escape the midday sun, especially if you are overheating! Of course, a cold beer helped that too!
Technology has not escaped the semi-rural confines of Candidasa either, for there is an ATM in front of the Casa Coffee. This is located towards the end of the high street, on the right side and a good marking point to turn around, if you want to make your return transfer in time. And apart from that, there really is nothing much else to see, apart from a sprinkling of restaurants, bars and trinket vendors selling tat.
Candidasa’s most prominent feature is the Candidasa Lotus Lagoon, which is an impressive setting, a giant pond filled with lily pads and bursts of pink flowers. Even the red dragon flies, darting over the surface, add more charm and life to this rather underkept and I have to say, dirty feature. Like so much of Bali, I could not turn my eye away from the smattering of empty water bottles and food wrappers, that spike the landscape. They were not in abundance, but they were a frequent eyesore, both around the perimeter and under the surface. Sadly, the sight of rubbish is so prevalent throughout the country, that the population seems to turn a blind eye to it. Worse than that, they actually do nothing about it. If only local districts could connect the dots, between beauty and tourism dollars, everyone would win!
I don't normally do this, but the Candi Beach Resort & Spa is photographically amazing.
So to bore you more, here are a few extra photos!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Candi Beach Resort & Spa. It is truly an amazing location with great facilities and 100% I would go there again. I chose it on the basis of what it was: remote and away from the "Madding Crowd”…removed from civilization and the frenzied actions of Kuta, Legian and its ilk."
But what I would do is bundle this hotel stay with other stopping points: Sanur; Lembongan and Penida Island; Lombok and the Gillis. It is a truly perfect stepping stone into the northeastern reaches of Bali and the Greater Sunda Islands region.
Even though I stayed in one of the 19 Luxury Pool Villas and would definitely do this again, I’d equally love a Luxury Suite (Garden or Ocean), if I was a couple. The modern left wing has its own swimming pool, stunning balcony views and the facilities are on par with any major hotel on the island.
On that note, the Bungalows have their own charm. Perfect for the budget conscious. Afterall, you will share the same setting with everyone else.
Food is my only major concern. With such a huge resort and three major choices of dining (all of which I felt fell flat on their face), I’d love to return again and not see bland choices and failed local dishes. I don’t want to travel 1.5 hours and eat average pizza, because nothing else is palatable. I’d like to come because of the food and not in spite of it. It should outshine the other reasons to visit.
I can't wait to be proven wrong.
This review was not paid for or influenced by anyone that works with this hotel. I was not even given a free croissant!
For more information on the Candi Beach Resort & Spa Hotel Review or to make an actual booking enquiry, contact Bali experts BlueSun Travel on 1300 799 758 or holidays@bluesuntravel.com.
