Poinciana Resort: Tembok, Bali

Located in the small village of Tembok, situated on the north-east coast of Bali is the truly magnificent Poinciana Resort. Far from the madding crowd of the tourist mecca in the south-west of the island, the resort offers a unique place to chill out and relax. I say that because there are no televisions, radios or the ilk to annoy you in the room you reside in whilst you are there – just pure peace. Delightful!. Having never been there before, I was indeed curious as to what kind of resort it was going to be as we drove down the narrow leading off the main north-east road. The first thing that struck me was the seclusion and the beauty of its natural location right on the beach. Instantly, any reservations I possessed about the place dissipated immediately.

Set in beautifully landscaped tropical gardens fringing the shoreline, the Poinciana Resort is a place of relaxation. The friendliness of the staff is superb, and the beautiful host is owned by Nyoman, a Balinese lady who spent 25 years in Australia. She is a super nice lady and the place she’s built is breath taking and making it a perfect place to stay after the two and a half journey from Kuta. What impressed me was its near-to-perfect and stylish accommodation, comparative to a five star hotel but with three star prices. Inside all the rooms are double beds equipped with a mosquito net (not that it was needed), air conditioning, beautifully appointed fitments, and a balcony on which to relax and soak up the atmosphere of the manicured gardens. The night I was there with my wife Candika, we both sat on the balcony and listened to the gentle waves lapping the rocky foreshore. In fact I almost fell asleep reading a book!. If you feel like unwinding after the journey then you can relax in the soothing spa or take a dip in the reasonably large swimming pool. Both have ocean views giving you the best of both water sources.

The open-air restaurant overlooks the sea and serves mouth watering traditional Balinese dishes as well as variety of Western dishes. A plentiful and delicious breakfast is included in the price of your stay. To give you an idea how reasonably priced their food is, I imbibed in a delicious Tuna Sambal that wasn’t too fierce on the palette but enough to taste the flavours of the culinary delights of the east coast of the island and priced at Rp35,000 it was comparable to costs in the tourist strip of Kuta. All the seafood is fresh from the ocean. Heck, it’s right on the doorstep!. Candika was pleased with her six large spring rolls (she does deviate in her tastes of food!) and commented on the size and freshness of the contents and, for Rp18,000 I thought it was quite reasonable. A delightful and strong Bali coffee afterwards completed the meal. After repletion, we casually walked along the rocky shoreline and watched the fishermen set out in their prahu’s for a night’s fishing. It truly is a very romantic place.

The resort is compact and consists of Two Beach Front Villas, Three Garden Villas, One Family Beach Villa, one Honeymoon Suite. The Two villas are slightly secluded and have a generously built bedroom with an en-suite. Each villa has its own terrace which opens on to beautiful tropical gardens. Both villas face the beach and are air conditioned. We stayed in one of the garden villas. The three villas are set to the back of the resort and surrounded by tropical gardens. Each has an en-suite and air-conditioned and these I would recommend.

The Family Villa is perfectly appointed for any size family (provided you don’t have thirteen kids!) It has one master bedroom with an en-suite, two bedrooms sharing a bathroom, and a living room and a dining room. The villa features a terrace which overlooks the ocean. All the bedrooms are fully air-conditioned. Of course the ultimate is the honeymoon suite. This suite consists of a bedroom with an en-suite, fully air-conditioned and also features a generous size verandah overlooking the resort and ocean.

Getting There:

The Poinciana Resort is a two and a half hour journey from Kuta. From Kuta, follow the road to Ubud. Once you pass Ubud follow the signs to Kintamani. After passing Kintamani, head in the direction of Singaraja and turn right at a sign marked ‘Bondalem‘. A curvy, steep road will lead you to a suburb called Tejakula. Turn right once you get to Tejakula and drive along the North Coast until you reach Tembok. A short time after turn left into Poinciana Resort.

Transportation – The staff at Poinciana Resort is more than happy to have a rent-a-car of your choice ready for your trip. For guests staying a week or longer receive free air port pick-up.

Website: www.poinciana-resort.com

As a resort I would give the Poinciana Resort a five star rating. If are looking for a great place to stay, with a restaurant, pool, beach access and some great scenic areas nearby, then try Poinciana. I will be retuning there next time I get a chance to be in Bali even if it’s just for that beautiful walk along the shoreline.