OUR BIT OF PARADISE

Dear Tom

You have the most amazing property on Bali and when I say AMAZING, I do not understate. To DIE FOR!!

Not to stay here will leave your experience of life seriously impaired!!
We have used holiday-rentals.com for most if not all the past decade, climbing a ladder that takes us higher and higher on each trip. We have never been disappointed and this trip has been THE highlight!

On arrival, we were picked up as VIPs, transported to the villa, and greeted by Made & the two house staff. Flowers carefully laid down both the front lawn and the pool garden. After a very long flight, what a welcome! Instantly put at ease, any worries (well we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t worry) were washed away. My 21 year old daughter earwigged me on arrival and what she said summed up the villa- 'this is a ‘HOME’ she said, 'not a rental', to which I replied, I hope that is how you will all respect the property. The family did.
But it got better and better-we were adamant that we only wanted to eat local food, we had pre booked Made to cook for us (2 parents, 3 adult teenagers) we wanted HOT HOT HOT. We were not let down, to the extent that Made must have questioned our culinary sanity.
If you have not been to Bali before, you will not know or understand several components of their lifestyles- smiles, smiles, smiles, mopeds, Bali time and the GIVE factor. They have so much to offer, there is a major learning curve for all of us.

Thank you Tom, your wife, Made and the “boys”, all totally committed to giving us the holiday of a lifetime. Yes, that is what we had – you do not need to be a golfer to enjoy this experience (we do not play), the word paradise springs to mind, believe us, it is BEYOND paradise.

Giles, Cathy, Phoebe, George & Rory

P.S.
Points out of ten:
Owner communication: 10/10 (and NOT intrusive)
Cleanliness: 10/10 (and daily clothes washing was an unexpected treat)
Staff: 10/10 If there was a medal for the most delightful, happy cook and property manager, you would have to award it to Made. Culinary genius, truly exceptionelle!
Transport: Made arranged for a first class driver, licenced tourist advisor, producer of the finest suckling pig (cooked by his lovely wife)
Location: The best sunsets on the planet, the most superb golf course in the Far East, secluded, but near enough for late teens to go out and have fun on their own.
Recommended for:  Age 55+, Tourists without a Car, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

Owner's Response:

Dear Cathy, thx so much for characterizing our villa holiday proposition so eloquently!

Tom

Everything we hoped for

Tom,

Thanks for the opportunity of sharing your lovely home. It truly was everything we hoped it would be and more. You do not have to be around here for very long to see that this is the perfect get away spot. Just far enough away from the bustle of Kuta and Seminyak but close enough to take it in when you want.

Made and her staff could not have been more helpful and kind. Wyan is a great tour guide. I did not understand then a previous guest said "thanks for making the pool bigger", but with our group I now know.

Some suggestions: coming in from the United States on a long flight a little "welcome cheese cracker" would have been nice! We were a little out of sorts when we arrived and getting food on arrival was a chore.

All in all I speak for all of us when we say this was the best vacation ever!!

Thanks again Mike and Kari

Fabulous Villa Majapahit Vacation

One cannot say enough about the relaxing enjoyment we had at Villa Mahapahit. It was more than we could have expected.

Tom made sure we were picked up at the airport and the VIP service is the only way to go. There were over 350 passengers waiting to get processed and we walked by all of them to claim our baggage. We landed got luggage, cleared customs and were out of the airport in less than a half hour. Tom was in contact with us numerous times to make sure everything was OK, during this process and at the house.

Made and her staff were fantastic. There was nothing they would not do to keep us comfortable and assist us in anyway they could. Made arranged for a driver one day and he showed us all the places to see and shop, not tourist traps. He also recommended an out of the way hotel / restaurant that was great location for lunch.

The breakfasts were wonderful and the table presentation was something out of a Gourmet magazine. It was so relaxing and enjoyable to have breakfast on the upstairs balcony, overlooking the golf course and seeing the ocean waves.

The Master bedroom was large, comfortable and cool. The master bath was everything in the pictures, elegant and very functional.

The Le Meridien Resort and Spa was very convenient and the restaurants provide a wide variety of great choices. Room Service was surprisingly very quick and the quality of food was exceptionally good. The ground of the resort are absolutely beautiful. Golf was wonderful, but please bring extra balls, Greg Norman made it tough....

Our overall experience at Villa Majapahit was more than we could have expected..... A wonderful, relaxing experience in all ways....

Mike, Stephanie, John & Phyllis

Recommended for:  Age 55+, Tourists without a Car, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

Owner's Response:

Dear Mike, Stephanie, John and Phyliss,

Thanks for your review and your comments and we sincerely hope that for our guests like you that despite renting a private villa, guests feel like they are looked after like a 5 star hotel guest and that is why we go to the trouble of providing cleaning, a well presented breakfast, a bed turn down service, flowers on arrival and access to the resort etc.

We hope that we can repeat business from you in the not so distant future.

Sincerely
Tom and Shaline
Owners

Excellent holiday

Dear Tom

Just writing to let you know how wonderful our holiday was. The whole family agreed it was the best holiday any of us had ever had. It was lovely having the whole family together but still being able to have our own space when we wanted. Made was just fantastic and so helpful with any queries and always seemed to be able to anticipate things we would need - eg bag already packed with towels and water before our many excursions. And her husband was wonderful too with helping with bookings and transport etc, and Wayan the driver we had on most days was great and lovely with the children - and so patient, putting up with 3 restless kids on those long drives! The villa was just beautiful and we spent many hours sitting out by the pool just enjoying the view. We definitely would love to do it again next year with the family and would be thinking about the September school holidays as Tom (husband) wants to do caravaning for a few months after Xmas. Don’t know the exact dates of the holidays yet but hopefully September next year is not already booked out. Also I do apologize, but inadvertently packed one of your books in with the ones we took over - 'The Funniest Thing You Never Said' - so if you can let me know the correct mailing address I will send it back ASAP.

Once again Tom we do thank you for a wonderful holiday - definitely a little piece of heaven!
Recommended for:  Families with Young Children

Owner's Response:

Dear Penny, thanks for taking the time to write us such a lovely review. I will email you seperately re the book and we welcome and look forward to your family's return next year.

Sincerely
Tom

Genuinely five star in every way

Thank you again and again for the exquisite stay at your stunning villa. It was everything that your website said it would be-- refined, impeccably cared for, genuinely five star in every way. And the views are breathtaking! Your wife is a very talented interior designer and the ambience reflected that graciousness. The house was warm, welcoming and elegant. Thank you Tom for constantly keeping in touch to ensure that our stay was perfect in every way. We could feel your passion and dedication for making guests feel personally cared for and supported on every level. Your warm, friendly staff offered pristine service. Everything in your home was spit-polish clean and the meals were tastefully prepared with love. Of course you already know that Made, your villa manager, is a real gem. There is nothing she can't or won't put her hand to, and it is all done with love. Over the years she has become genuinely accomplished in every aspect of her job. Anyone privileged to stay at your villa will feel blessed indeed.

Thank you for putting in the larger pool. It made such a difference to our stay -- to have a pool we could stretch out in.

And thank you for your excellent recommendation for our driver, Mr Made. He really made our stay in Bali culturally rich. He is grateful, responsible, personable and cheerful. He always arrived with a smile, a big heart and patiently waited wherever we were, greeting us freshly upon returning with genuine graciousness. He takes great pride in his knowledge of Bali and has wonderful insider recommendations for sights to see and restaurants to frequent. We are foodies and he has done a fair amount of research on all the wonderful places to eat and will be a real wellspring of info for anyone who wants to explore Bali. As you know we did a great deal of exploring and managed to outfit our new home with the beautiful handmade furniture and art that Bali is so famous for. And he found us some wonderful workshops down backstreets in little villages that no tourist would ever have found on their own.

So together with the wonderful staff at Maja Pahit, you really provide a superb service. Thank you with all our hearts for 2 months in paradise.

Recommended for:  Age 55+, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

Owner's Response:

Dear Brandon,

As I have said to many other guests, my wife and I present our villa and train our staff for them to look after us and we expect them to look after our guests the same way.

I am so pleased that we met or even exceeded your expecations.

We really hope that you and Kevin and team will be back in the not so distant future.

Tom

A place in heaven .... Villa MajapahitThe DCs Jakarta

My family (wife and two children - 6 & 8 yrs), stayed at Villa Mjajpaphit recently for the first time. We were excited about the holiday having seen photos and read reviews. However, we were totally bowled over by this beautiful villa when we arrived. The spaces, the stunning decor and furninshings and the view are more than you will read in the review ... truely outstanding! The villa has a sophisticated charm that helps you to totally relax and enjoy your holiday.

We also took advantage of the hotel pool facilities which are a short walk from the villa. These are super for young children who played on the water slide for hours!. Having the hotel there to walk over to dinner of just have a drink was very handy. The walk along the coastal path for 10 mins brings you to the local temple and market which we found interesting. My wife and I both ran each morning along beautiful paths bathed in sunshine ... idyllic!

Recommended for:  Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

Owner's Response:

Dear Peter, thanks for leaving the villa as you found it and your kind words are much appreciated. Your family is welcome back at any time.

Regards,
Tom

Heaven found!

Tom, we think you have a little piece of heaven in Villa Majapahit and we are so grateful to have been privileged to stay there. It is exactly as seen on the website (something we were worried about!) and the views are breathtaking. Made is like a little whisper - she is always there when you need her, but never seen when you don't. Everything is kept immaculately and the breakfasts are to die for! The water in your pool was like swimming in silk and so lovely and warm. The hotel facilities are excellent - an Indonesian massage is sooo... relaxing and nothing is too much trouble. This holiday is a must and as Arnie would put it .....'we'll be back' !!

Recommended for:  Age 55+, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

Owner's Response:

Dear Nicky and Micky, it was a pleasure and indeed our pleasure having you stay at our villa. Thanks for your warm comments and we look forward to your return post haste!

Tom

Villa Majapahit, Meridien golf and spa, Bali

This a stunning villa, beautifully appointed, and very well managed by the on site supervisor Made.

Exceptionally clean and every bit matching to the high expectation that we had from our thorough research.

Tom, the owner, showed that he was concerned that we were entirely happy with the facilities and service - contacting us on the second morning and the day before we were to depart.

If you are interested in golf there is no better set up course - It's not cheap, but with the 40% discount by staying at a Meridien resort property, it is still good value.

One improvement that could be achieved would be a more fully equipped kitchen for guests who may also wish to do a greater degree of self catering.

This neccessity was somewhat reduced by the fact that the catering facilities of the Meridien resort were easily accessible and reasonably priced.

Paul

Recommended for:  Age 55+, Tourists without a Car, Sightseeing, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

Owner's Response:

Dear Paul,

Thanks for your comments. As villa owners and past users of other people's vacation homes in Europe, we take family vacations very seriously and we pride ourselves on providing an exceptional experience for guests.

You mentioned you would like an espresso machine and replacement adaptor plugs as the ones that we provided did not work. I have taken both of these suggestions on board and we will fix these problems.

Overall, it was a pleasure accomodating you and we hope to see you again in the future. Thanks for taking the time to provide your feedback.

Regards
Tom

The Best Tropical Christmas Ever!

We stayed in the Villa Majapahit last christmas (2007). It was everything it promises to be. The villa is elegantly furnished, the accomodation and its layout is perfect for a family of five like us. The pool is amazing with stunning view to the golf course and the ocean beyond. My children lived there! The Bale is such a lovely spot to watch the sunset - a nice retreat after a hard day out on trips around Bali. The staff were amazing - Made and Dewa really pampered us with such Balinese hospitality. We found frangipanis scattered around the villa and what a breakfast service! My children ate so well! The home theatre is worth mentioning as well as it was one of the children's favorite room! The villa is located within the world renowed Nirwana Le Meridien resort- so we were able to use the resort's extensive facilities as well. Tom, the owner, was very approachable and made sure he was always available at the other end of the line if we need anything. I would certainly recommend this property to friends and family.

Recommended for:  Girls Getaway, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

Owner's Response:

Irene, thanks for your lovely comments and we look forward to your family returning again.

We built this villa so it is a home away from home for our family and we are glad to hear that you have the same impression as us.
Thanks again Irene.

All the very best.
Tom

A very comfortable and relaxing week

We had a family holiday at Villa Majapahit; our group of six adults (two couples and two singles) were easily accommodated in this beautiful villa. We wanted everyone to have their own room so we took up the option to convert the home theatre area into a large single room with ensuite bathroom. The website information gives a very accurate description of the villa and amenities and although it's nice to have the option of using the resort facilities, there was really no need - the villa has everything right there. The staff, Made and Dewa, are lovely people who do an excellent job maintaining the villa and providing breakfast. They were also extremely helpful in arranging car pickups for our various excursions to Kuta, Seminyak and Ubud. The owners clearly care a lot about the quality of the experience for villa guests and are very approachable and helpful. I would definitely recommend Villa Majapahit.

Recommended for:  Age 55+, Girls Getaway, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Romantic Getaway

Owner's Response:

Dear Ros,

I thank you for your kind words and it makes us feel great that you had an excellent holiday experience.

We do not take for granted the fact that you trusted us for your summer holiday vacation. We are glad that we met your expectations.

I am so glad that you used the fourth bedroom. In fact, the ensuite with the external but private shower is an amazing experience in its own right! The fourth bedroom has a beautiful Plasma TV, DVD player and satellite cable system.

Bye for now and we look forward to your group's return to our villa.

Regards
Tom (Owner)

Good value for money

We have stayed for 2 weeks in Villa Majapahit Bali in July 08, we were six and we spent a wonderful time.

The Villa is well maintained, exactly like the pictures with all the details and accessories, bathrooms were clean though the water pressure of the shower was weak, and beds were comfortable, and staff (Made and Dewa) were extremely friendly and helpful. They really made us feel like home and we liked their touch with flowers everywhere.

The nearby beach is rocky and not good for swimming or sea sports, however the view was marvelous and very peaceful and relaxing.

The location is a bit remote, and most tours agencies will charge extra money for villa pickup, however, we have chosen to relax and stay away from crowd especially that you can rent a car with driver at a very reasonable price and go wherever you want to go. There is a nice seafood restaurant nearby who provides a pickup service.

The owner, Tom, is a decent nice and caring man, and helped us in sending back our bag that we forgot in the Villa.

Owner's Response:

Dear Sanaa,

Thanks ever so much for the feedback. It was indeed our pleasure hosting your family. Your family was one of the most active groups that we have to date!

We have already addressed the water pressure issue and I can confidently say that it is back at international standards. Re swimming, the beach is open ocean and somewhat dangerous with spectacular 2m waves and we do not recommend ocean swimming for our guests. This is why we built such a large open private pool with plenty of sunbathing opportunities on the Bale platform overlooking the ocean.

As stated, our villa is an easy 25 mins drive from Seminyak and a 35 min drive from Kuta and it suits families that want to be well away from the heat, clutter, hawkers and high density developments going on in Kuta and Seminyak. I am always glad to get "home" after a half day trip downtown to these areas.

I am pleased that we were able to provide you with a nice mix of high quality accommodation, access to activities and the peace, calm and relaxation of the villa. In this way, our villa is a retreat from the noises, smells and crowds of downtown.

Finally, we are villa owners and we take pride in our villa's presentation and the standard of service that we provide to guests. Our motto is what is good for us is good for the guests. As such, you get the same treatment from our staff as we do when we stay at the villa. Given that we are well travelled expats, we have built into our villa accommodation proposition all the best things that we have learnt over the years including being architecturally inspired, Plasma TV's, satellite service with 50 channels, ocean and golf view, guest airport collection, etc etc

As such, we are easily the most successful villa at the resort as other villas are managed by agents with non-active owners and uncaring agents. I am very pleased to hear that our villa met your expectations and that our staff looked after your needs as promised.

We look forward to your return in the near future. Also, I am glad to hear that your bag made it back to your home town.

Sincerely
Tom

Thanks for a fantastic holiday at Villa Majapahit

My family and I spent 18 fantastic days at Villa Majapahit in May 2008. We had a really amazing time and have no complaints at all about the villa.

First contact with the owner, Tom, was very helpful and we had good communication with him before and during the trip. Made (pronounced Mar Day) and Dewa (the house staff) looked after us superbly. Made is a really amazing cook (my wife is a professional caterer and thought she was wonderful) and Dewa ensured the house was beautifully clean all the time and our laundry was done every day. The villa itself was spotless and everything was exactly as described and we made good use of the villas facilities - our children were hardly ever out of the pool and we watched a few DVD’s and plugged our iPod into the excellent stereo system. The villa is in the grounds of Le Meridian Nirwana and you also have use of their excellent facilities. We made good use of the huge swimming pools, spa, restaurants, a first rate kids club, the gym and of course the golf course - all of which were of the highest quality. We also used a driver recommended by Made – Toni – who drove us all over the country very cheaply and was an excellent and cheerful bilingual guide. We had done some research on some of Bali’s better restaurants and ate well around the island. We particularly enjoyed lunch at La Lucciola in Seminyak, lunch at Casu Luna in Ubud and dinner at Hotel Tugu. Beers watching the sun go down at Echo Beach weren’t bad either!

I guess I should point out that the villa is a good 35/40 minute drive from the party life in Kuta – so if you are looking to go out and party every night it might feel a little remote. We certainly didn’t miss it…

All in all we could not have had a better trip to Bali and I would thoroughly recommend the villa to anyone – it was every bit as good as we hoped it would be.

Recommended for:  Age 55+, Girls Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

Owner's Response:

Dear Tom, it was a pleasure hosting your family at our villa. My wife and are really hope to present the best family luxury villa on the market with Villa Majapahit and we get great satisfaction from detailed positive feedback.

Thanks for your suggestions re plastic cups for the pool area. We are adding them to our cupboard this weekend. Also, we will add an indoor mountable IPOD speaker system soon to balance the external speakers.

Overall, we hope to have you back again and thanks for leaving the villa in great shape.

Regards,
Tom

Vicky,
Australian Family

Thank you Tom - our stay at Villa Majapahit was one of my most relaxing and memorable holidays with my family. The beautiful décor, location and staff are first rate. It amazed me how the villa staff were unobtrusive but simply there when needed. Just a short walk (or drive) to the resort facilities provided the best of both worlds, not forgetting the magnificent golf course too. Our driver took us where ever we wanted and he also provided a further insight into Balinese life. Fantastic experience overall ………… If you get an influx of West Australian enquiries you will know we haven't stop talking about Villa Majapahit.

Aulia, Indonesian/British Family

Thanks a lot for Stuart's familiy and friend's lovely stay at the Villa

Paula,
Dutch Family

Dear Tom,
We are back in our daily routine again with very good memories to Bali and your villa. A special thank for the very, very attentive birthday cake that you gave me! 'Made' made a flower trail towards the cake and our son was so happy to find it immediately. A wonderful finish of becoming 42! The villa was perfect, the DVD collection impressive, especially and also for the children, and the staff was very kind and helpful and also gave us all privacy we wished. Thanks again for all you help in having this great holiday.

Dash Family

Dear Tom,
Thank you for a wonderfully relaxing vacation. The villa was in immaculate condition with an unbeatable location only a stone’s throw away from the fairway of the 12th hole of the Blai Nirwana golf course – truly one of the best courses in Asia. Sitting in the bale every evening watching the sun set over the ocean was one of the highlights as was the jacuzzi in the master bathroom and relaxing in the pool overlooking the golf course. Well worth the trip!

MacPherson
Family

Tom,
A short note to thank you for allowing us the use of your villa for this past weekend. The place was great, your staff was very helpful and the weather cooperated as well! All in all, a good weekend. We had some food items left over which we left there for your staff to do with as they wish. The pool was great too - we generated a little excitement amongst the ladies when one of them stepped on a medium-size crab in the pool, which caused a rapid evacuation of all ladies from the pool until the offending crab was captured and returned to his proper abode (ie the ocean).