We left Villa Maia Ubud at with Eddie Kus as our driver and headed to Lovina via Kintamani. I found Eddie via the internet after much discussion with Villa agung Khalia staff. Eddie is a wonderful safe driver. The vehicle that Villa Agung Khalia used to pick us up from the airport was too small for four people and luggage. We were crammed in like sardines and did not want to travel to Lovina the same way. We had some pretty funny conversations about a larger vehicle, they offered to take us in their bus. This was going from one extreme to the other but I said okay but how is the airconditioning. I was told okay, you try it, he jumped into the bus and started the engine, as he jumped down he said "try the two front seats it wont be too bad there". I then said okay forget the bus, what about the older Kijang, he said "ohh no,okay for airport transfer but motor not good for Lovina". I suddenly realised why we had been going round in circles. The staff knew that two vehicles were too small, one had an old motor and the bus had bad aircon, they just didn't want to inconvenience us at all. When I asked them to call Eddie for me they did so immediately and in fact they were happy to help us find good transport.
We had not gone far from the Villa when Eddie's phone rang, it was Villa Maia wanting to let us know that we had left money in the Villa. We explained that it was tips for the staff, we were asked if we were sure, we said yes. I have never had that happen before.
So off to Kintamani to take photos and an interesting trip down the steep winding roads to Singaraja. We asked Eddie to take us to Carrefour to stock up for the Villa. This Carrefour is much smaller than the others we have visited but we still found everything we were looking for.
Eddie then rang the housekeeper at Villa Beranda to get directions and to tell her we were on our way. Eddie was told to drive through Lovina towards Seririt and to turn right at Jl Lotus just after the gas station. The five of us Eddie included kept watch. After a false alarm when we all spied the gas bottle change over station and wondered if this is what Wewin had meant but no, we finally found Jl Lotus. After quite a drive down the long narrow lane we saw the red roof of the Villa just over to the right. Thank you Google Earth!
The wonderful staff were waiting to meet us, Wewin the housekeeper (who is due to have her second child in one month), Putu her assistant for the day, Putu the gardener / maintenance person (who is simply the nicest young man with the most amazing smile. (This Putu has the cleanest motorbike in Bali which we believe he is restoring with tender loving care). We were told that Putu security would be here at 6pm each day. Putu security would interchange with Komang security when Putu had ceremony. The driver who was recommended by the Villa is also named Putu. (Putu the driver will transport us to lovina and back for dinner many times, to Menjangan Island and on many other trips over the next two and a half weeks). We were surrounded by Putu's.
We quickly unpacked, Joe and Flo decided to sit on the kitchen dresser close to where Wewin was cooking dinner. I can't blame them, that is the best seat in the Villa when Wewin is cooking, the smells waft out over the pool, the bale, the upstairs beranda and the ricefields. We will have many a lovely meal here cooked by Wewin. We will give her money and she will shop at the local markets and Hardy's. Wewin's lumpiah is famous and rightfully so.
The Villa is set in lovely gardens a short walk from the black sand beach. The Villa is a little remote but there are a lot of beautiful villas along the beach in the front row, we are in the second row but don't mind at all. You can walk to the main road and catch a bemo to Lovina and back up until 6pm each day.
We will co exist with a lot of wildlife while we are here. We have even been told quite seriously by Putu the driver that there are crocodiles here. N, will say many times "this would not be for everyone". I think at first she wasn't sure that it was for her. I am sure it grew on her as the days went by.
We have a lovely refreshing pool and a second story open air veranda that has many lovely comfy couches, a pool table and a mini bar. There is a large Bale downstairs and four pool loungers, what more could we ask for...
Next:Great food, not so great food, snorkelling Menjangan, and those damn mishaps