Fairmont Singapore Signature Suite Review

Fairmont Singapore has a very different atmosphere from Sofitel Sentosa. Where Sofitel had been bright and resort-like, Fairmont feels more like an urban business hotel. The lobby has high ceilings and light-colored flooring, but the natural light is limited, so the dark wood columns, heavy furniture, and large dark-toned artwork on the walls give the space a quieter, more serious feel.

It doesn’t feel oppressive — just composed. The doormen wear neat tailored suits with caps that add a small touch of formality. The overall vibe felt more suited to travelers in Singapore for business than for sightseeing, and I mean that as a compliment.

My husband eventually came back with the backpack. Since we were already running late by then, we grabbed a quick breakfast first and did the proper check-in afterward. This was where I started revising my impressions of Singapore hotels. At Sofitel Sentosa we’d had almost no orientation during check-in or check-out — no one had told us where breakfast was, where to claim our welcome drink, how the shuttle ran, or anything else. At Fairmont, the receptionist walked us through everything carefully: the hotel facilities, the shared amenities with Swissôtel next door, the dining venues in the connected mall. She was friendly and helpful in a real way, not in a memorized-script way.

So I quietly adjusted my opinion. The problem hadn’t been Singapore. The problem had been Sofitel Sentosa.

By the time we got upstairs to the room, it was just before 10 a.m., which is genuinely remarkable for an early check-in. I was grateful to drop our bags off and head out for the day without dragging luggage along.

We’d booked the Signature Suite — 602 sq ft, with two balconies. The bedroom and living area aren’t divided by a wall, so it’s not a true two-room suite like the one we had at Sofitel, but the room is generous enough that the bed and the sofa-and-coffee-table corner are well separated. With our son asleep on the cot, my husband and I could still hang out at the other end of the room in the evenings without worrying about waking him.

The king bed was very comfortable. The cot was set up when we came back that night from the Zoo, which I appreciated. Our son was 32 months at the time, and I’d been a bit worried the cot might be too small, but he slept fine. I did notice, though, that we’re getting close to the end of the era where a hotel cot is a viable option for him. The next trip might be different.

The lounge area had a sofa, a coffee table, and a TV. Honestly, the sofa wasn’t anything special — it wasn’t one of those plush hotel sofas you sink into and don’t want to leave — but it was roomy and comfortable enough. Just a normal, decent living-room setup in a hotel room.

The bathroom was clean and well-organized, and there was a separate non-slip bath mat available, which made giving our son his bath much easier. Amenities were Le Labo Rose 31. I’m personally more of a Hinoki person, but Rose 31 is also lovely. Children’s amenities were prepared separately as well.

If I had to summarize the Signature Suite in one sentence, it would be that it’s a well-built, no-frills suite that does the basics very well. The interior finishes and furniture quality aren’t quite at the level of the Sofitel Sentosa Prestige Suite — Sofitel was, fairness aside, the more “design-y” room of the two — but the Fairmont suite was completely comfortable, spacious, and we never felt cramped or like we were missing anything.

What I really loved about the room, though, were the two balconies. We were in a corner suite on a high floor, which meant two large windows on different sides of the building, opening onto two completely different views. The room felt bigger than it actually was because of how much light and city came in through them.

One balcony looked out onto Marina Bay Sands, the War Memorial Park, the ArtScience Museum, and Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay. The other looked over CHIJMES and the National Museum of Singapore. Two distinct snapshots of the city from a single room, and they shifted dramatically between day and night. By day it was all clean architectural lines; after dark, Marina Bay Sands and the surrounding skyline lit up, and I kept finding myself wandering out onto whichever balcony I hadn’t checked in the last hour, just to look out.

A note for Korean readers who’ve been comparing the two: the conventional wisdom is that Swissôtel The Stamford has the better view, because Fairmont sits slightly behind it and a portion of the angle is technically blocked. That’s true. But I thought Fairmont’s view was more than enough. I’d recommend it without hesitation.

The Breakfast and Pool I Didn’t Get To

Fairmont shares its facilities with Swissôtel The Stamford, which means there are three breakfast venues available to guests — Prego, Clove, and Asian Market. I would have genuinely loved to try one each morning and compare them properly. I tried none of them.

On the first morning, my husband was off in Sentosa rescuing the backpack, so by the time he was back we were too pressed for time. The second morning we had a separate breakfast reservation at Raffles Singapore next door, which I’d booked in advance and didn’t want to skip. The third morning we were checking out before sunrise to catch our flight, so there was no chance there either. Three breakfast restaurants on offer, and I made it to none of them. A frustrating bit of bad scheduling.

What I did eat on that first hectic morning, while my husband was traveling back to Sentosa, was kaya toast at Toast Box in the basement of Raffles City Mall.

Raffles City connects directly to the hotel, but at that early hour almost nothing in the mall was open. The supermarket on the basement level (CS Fresh Mart) and Toast Box were the only signs of life. Since I’d been wanting to try kaya toast at some point on this trip anyway, and we needed to eat quickly before heading to the Zoo and Bird Paradise, I changed the plan: skip the hotel buffet, eat kaya toast.

I wasn’t really expecting much from it. Toast is toast, I’d thought. How much can really be done with two slices of bread.

It was much better than I’d expected. Crisp bread, kaya jam, a sliver of cold butter sandwiched in the middle, with a soft-boiled egg on the side to dip the toast into and a cup of coffee. The egg-dipping is what makes it. I’d assumed I wouldn’t finish the order — I’m not really a bread person and I rarely eat much in the morning — but I actually wished there had been a bit more of it.

Since coming home, I’ve started making kaya toast for myself fairly regularly. It’s become one of those quiet souvenirs from the trip. Most tourists will tell you Ya Kun Kaya Toast is the more famous version and Toast Box the second-most. I’d love to try Ya Kun on a future trip and see how it compares.

So, no Fairmont breakfast review from me. Just a kaya toast endorsement.

I also didn’t make it to the pool. Fairmont and Swissôtel share their pool deck, and from my balcony I could look right down on it. Two round pools, surrounded by tall walls. It’s not the kind of “rooftop infinity pool with a city skyline” experience you find at Marina Bay Sands — it’s enclosed, clearly designed for actual swimming and family use rather than for the photo.

On a different trip I’d have built in time for it. But Singapore has a lot to see, and traveling with a young child compresses your sightseeing hours in ways that are hard to undo. The pool just didn’t make the cut. Next time, longer trip, more pool time.

The Real Reason to Book: City Hall Location and Raffles City Mall

If I had to point to one single thing as Fairmont Singapore’s biggest strength, it’s the location. The hotel sits about a three-minute walk from City Hall MRT station, and City Hall is consistently the most-recommended area for Singapore accommodation. There’s a real reason for that.

Singapore is small and well-connected, so technically you can stay almost anywhere and still get around fine. But the City Hall area sits in a different category in terms of walkability. A lot of the city’s most-visited spots fall in that awkward zone where a taxi feels excessive but a walk in the heat feels a bit punishing — unless you’re starting from a place like this, in which case they all suddenly become a pleasant stroll.

And because Raffles City Mall is connected directly to the hotel, along with several other nearby malls full of cafés and restaurants, you always have an air-conditioned exit option whenever Singapore’s weather decides to win.

Heading south from the hotel, you can walk to St. Andrew’s Cathedral, the National Gallery Singapore, the Victoria Concert Hall, on toward Merlion Park, The Fullerton Hotel, and Lau Pa Sat, and even further to Chinatown if you push it.

Heading west, you can reach CHIJMES, the National Museum of Singapore, Fort Canning Park, Clarke Quay, and Boat Quay, with the option to loop back via The Fullerton and Merlion Park to make a full circuit.

Heading east, you’ll pass the Makansutra Gluttons Bay hawker centre, the Helix Bridge, the Singapore Flyer, and if you have the energy, the ArtScience Museum and Marina Bay Sands.

Heading north, you can walk through to Bugis Street, Arab Street, and Little India.

In every direction, there’s something landmark-worthy or visually interesting between you and your destination. Walking from A to B in this neighborhood isn’t really walking from A to B — the in-between is the tour. That was, more than anything else, what made Fairmont’s location feel so worthwhile. I’d happily stay here again on a future visit for the location alone.

Aside from walking, anyone visiting Singapore as a tourist has probably thought about taking the Big Bus at some point, and its main boarding point is at Suntec City, just east of the hotel. While picking up our tickets there, I noticed the basement food court was packed with locals — mostly office workers — rather than tourists. Curious about where they were eating, I went looking and ended up at Turkish Lezzet House, a Turkish restaurant my husband’s Turkish friend had recommended.

We had iskender kebab, kebab rice, and moussaka. Arab Street also has a stretch of Turkish restaurants, but the prices and atmosphere there are clearly geared toward tourists. Suntec City’s basement gave me the same kind of food at much more reasonable prices, with a more local feel. If you’re picking up Big Bus tickets at Suntec City, the basement food court is worth a look for lunch or dinner.

If Fairmont specifically isn’t available, the City Hall neighborhood has plenty of alternatives in different price ranges — Swissôtel The Stamford, Raffles, Carlton, Kempinski, Pullman, and others. Pick what fits your budget and travel style, but if at all possible, stay in this part of the city.

The other big upside of Fairmont is being directly connected to Raffles City Mall. Toast Box aside, the basement has a full food court with a wide range of cuisines, and the mall itself has plenty of restaurants, shops both luxury and otherwise, a TWG outlet (a classic Singapore souvenir), and a decently sized supermarket.

I picked up pre-cut fruit there a couple of times — mango of course, but also sugar-apple (sour-sop), which I’d been curious about and finally got to try. The supermarket is more expensive than FairPrice locations elsewhere in the city, but the convenience of having it directly attached to the hotel is hard to overstate. When you’ve been outside in 33-degree humidity all day with a tired toddler, the elevator-ride distance to a full mall starts to feel like a quiet kind of luxury.

Final Thoughts on Fairmont Singapore

I’d say my stay at Fairmont Singapore was probably the high point of our entire Singapore trip. Early check-in, friendly and attentive staff, a spacious suite with two balconies and views of two completely different Singapore skylines from the same room, a connected mall with everything we needed, and a location that made the city feel walkable in every direction. There wasn’t really a moment where I thought something was off.

In hindsight, splitting our stay between two hotels turned out to be the mistake. If we’d just been at Fairmont the whole time, we wouldn’t have lost half a day to a backpack rescue, and we wouldn’t have had the Sofitel disappointment hanging over our overall impression of the trip.

Normally I don’t really like to re-book hotels I’ve already stayed at — there’s so much else to try — but Fairmont Singapore is one I’d come back to without hesitation. I’d recommend it especially to people visiting Singapore for the first time, to families, or to anyone who wants a calm, well-located, well-run hotel to come back to after a long day.

If you’re choosing among Singapore’s 5-star hotels for your first visit, Fairmont Singapore would be my top recommendation — for the location, the Marina Bay views, and the connection to Raffles City Mall.

If you’re trying to decide between Fairmont, Swissôtel, Raffles, and the other City Hall area hotels, you’re not really going to make a bad choice. For me, Fairmont gave me everything I wanted from a Singapore hotel without anything I’d want to change.

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Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Check-In & The Prestige Suite Review

We spent our first night near Changi Airport at the Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy (a smooth, easy start to the trip, which I’ll write about separately). With a late checkout secured, we wrapped up some nearby sightseeing the next morning and headed to Sentosa — with our hotel booking confirmation in hand, since you need it to avoid paying the Sentosa entry fee by taxi.

Singapore is compact and traffic-light by design (the government tightly controls the number of vehicles on the road), so the ride was quick. As we crossed into Sentosa, I noticed the vibe shift immediately. The high-rises disappeared, replaced by lush tropical trees. It felt quiet, green, and genuinely different from the city we’d just left — which was kind of surprising, considering how close they are to each other.

The resort’s first impression? Legitimately impressive. The lobby isn’t enormous, but it has high ceilings and opens up beautifully onto a central courtyard — a stretch of manicured lawn, a fountain, and a sense of space that made the property feel much larger than it is. The black marble floors give it a quietly chic edge. That courtyard is the image I keep coming back to when I think of this place.

Then came check-in.

There was a large wedding party checking in ahead of us — every single one of them, at the single desk, with what appeared to be the only staff member available. No one came to assist. No temporary station opened up. We waited a long time. (I’d already had some unanswered emails to the resort before arrival, so this wasn’t a great sign.) Singapore is supposed to be one of the most efficient cities in the world. This corner of it had apparently missed the memo.

Once we finally got our keys and made our way to the room — which, I’ll note, is genuinely a journey from the lobby — we arrived at our Prestige Suite: 688 sq ft of separate bedroom and living room. I’d chosen a split-room suite deliberately, because our son goes to sleep around 8–9pm, which means our evenings essentially end at 7. Having a proper living space so we could eat snacks and decompress after he’s down was a non-negotiable.

The room itself was genuinely good. High ceilings, warm wood finishes, spacious without feeling cavernous, and — unlike some reviews I’d read beforehand — it didn’t feel dated to me. The design felt considered. The furniture worked. I was relieved.

The bedroom had a king bed, the pre-requested crib, a couch, and a TV — with a large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking… other people’s parked cars and foot traffic. Because we were on the ground floor. So the curtains stayed closed.

The living area had a much bigger sofa, a stylishly designed bar unit with a coffee machine and minibar, and a welcome fruit basket with a note. The bathroom was all mirrors — large ones over the sink, one by the bathtub, more on the cabinet doors — which made it feel simultaneously larger and slightly overwhelming. Amenities were Balmain.

Oh, and there was a separate set of kids’ amenities. More on that shortly.

Breakfast at Kwee Zeen

I’d seen reviews warning that Sofitel Singapore Sentosa’s breakfast wasn’t worth it. I went anyway, mostly because there’s genuinely nothing walkable nearby, and making a trip to the main island just for breakfast felt excessive.

After a good night’s sleep and stepping out of the room, I realized that check-in had included zero orientation. No mention of where breakfast was, what time it started, where anything was. I wandered toward the lobby and happened to spot the restaurant — Kwee Zeen — on my own.

There are indoor and outdoor seats. We chose outdoor, since it was a cloudy morning and didn’t feel too intense. The indoor section matched the lobby’s aesthetic well — cool, considered, consistent in style. The outdoor section felt like it had been appended as an afterthought. An odd contrast.

The buffet spread was… basic. Salads, bread, cold cuts, egg station, cereal, fruit. An outdoor crepe station and a noodle station. I tried the prawn noodle soup — it smelled amazing, but tasted surprisingly flat. The eggs were unremarkable. The bread selection was extensive, which would be great if you’re into bread. I’m not, particularly.

The one genuinely Singapore-specific touch I kept wishing for was kaya toast. Just kaya toast. That would have elevated the whole thing.

I’d used my Accor Plus membership for a 50% discount on breakfast, and our son ate free at his age, so the math worked out. Without that discount, I’m not sure it would feel justified. But — and this is worth noting — the atmosphere at breakfast was genuinely warm. Sofitel Singapore Sentosa draws a lot of families, and seeing so many young children running around made it easy and comfortable. Our son barely raised an eyebrow from anyone. That part was lovely.

After eating, I took a slow loop around the resort grounds before heading back to the room. Quiet, tree-lined paths, birdsong. The ambiance of the resort itself is genuinely peaceful.

The Pool: Deep, Beautiful, and Beer-Adjacent

We’d originally planned to take Sentosa’s tram to Siloso Beach, then head to VivoCity for lunch before coming back for an afternoon swim. Our son had other plans. The moment we were back in the room after breakfast, he started lobbying hard for the pool.

Since the afternoon sun in Singapore is intense and our son’s enthusiasm was at peak levels, we gave in and headed down early.

The pool was nearly empty that early in the morning. Cool at first, but Singapore’s heat takes care of that quickly — especially once the clouds cleared and the sun came out fully. The pool is a single, generous length that deepens toward the far end — up to 2.5 meters — with a lifeguard stationed accordingly.

(Side note: I was in the middle of freediving training at the time, working toward Level 2. Watching the deep end, I genuinely wished I’d brought my snorkel to practice duck dives. That far end is legitimately good for adults.)

On one side of the pool, there was a small station with complimentary kids’ goggles and life jackets — though everything was sized for older children, which didn’t quite work for our three-year-old. We made it work. He had a blast anyway.

Then my husband wanted a beer. App-based ordering opened at 10am. We waited, placed the order the moment it went live, and… nothing arrived for 30 minutes. There was no one to ask. Eventually our son’s lips started turning blue (time to get out), so I took him back to the room while my husband waited for the beer. He gave up, rejoined us in the room.

A few minutes later, the room phone rang. The beer was ready for delivery — almost exactly one hour after ordering. I still don’t know what happened. Did they brew it?

Beer-related mysteries aside, the pool was a highlight.

LEBAR & The Welcome Drink

Our original afternoon plan — the Sentosa tram and beach — had slipped away with the morning swim, so we pivoted. A nearby hawker center (Lau Pa Sat) had its Saturday Satay Street opening at 3pm. We’d go early, around 4pm, before the crowds.

Before that, we stopped at LEBAR — the resort’s bar — to use the Accor welcome drink perk. I chose sparkling wine; my husband chose beer (again, brave man). Our son sat down and was asleep within five minutes. Swimming will do that.

Since our son’s naps tend to run about an hour, we decided to linger. My husband ordered a carbonara (he loves it; this was his view of the menu), and with happy hour running, he got 1+1 on his beer. I used the time to catch up on our trip budget spreadsheet. It was, genuinely, a lovely hour.

The staff at LEBAR were the warmest we encountered during our entire stay. The setting — all marble surfaces, open on all sides, perfectly shaded — was breezy and comfortable even in the 2pm heat. This was the one space where everything clicked: good atmosphere, good service, good company (including one very efficiently napping toddler).

The Shuttle Bus Schedule & VivoCity

Getting in and out of Sentosa by taxi every time would add up fast. The resort runs a shuttle to VivoCity — the massive mall right at the Sentosa Gateway — with departures every 15–30 minutes, so even if you miss one, the wait isn’t long.

While waiting for the shuttle, we discovered the Doctor Fish pond tucked between the lobby and the bar. Tiny fish nibbling at your feet — our son was too nervous to participate, but watched with fascinated horror from a safe distance. The fish, I’ll note, were enormous. The biggest I’ve ever seen at one of these things.

VivoCity itself is well worth knowing about. It’s large, with a solid mix of shops and restaurants, and it connects directly to the MRT — so it becomes a natural hub for day trips. The FairPrice supermarket there is one of the larger locations I visited, and it was an excellent spot to pick up snacks, fruit, and groceries for the room. Mango, sliced and packaged, was SGD 4.70 — more than the SGD 5 for four packs I’d found at a hawker centre fruit stall, but noticeably better quality and presentation. Worth it.

Shuttle times are worth checking in advance — but once you’re in the rhythm, it’s a convenient and free way to move between Sentosa and the city.

Final Verdict: Is Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Worth It?

Sofitel Singapore Sentosa is a beautifully built resort. The architecture, the materials, the sense of space — it all suggests somewhere that was designed with care and genuine investment. The rooms are good. The grounds are peaceful. The pool is excellent for adults. LEBAR is a gem.

And yet. Would I come back? No. Would I recommend it? Not without significant caveats.

On Sentosa as a choice for Singapore: Unless you’re specifically there for Universal Studios, or you want a deliberate reset from the city, a hotel in Sentosa isn’t the obvious choice for a short Singapore trip. The beaches aren’t the kind you’d come to Southeast Asia for. It’s close to the main island, but it adds a logistical layer. If you want a quieter base with a bit of resort energy, a Sentosa hotel makes sense — but it’s a specific use case, not a default.

On Sofitel Singapore Sentosa specifically: The service was, frankly, not at the level I’d expect from a property of this caliber. The staff count seemed low for the resort’s size, and those who were present didn’t appear to be working from a consistent playbook. Check-in was slow and offered no orientation. Nobody told us where breakfast was, where to pick up welcome drinks, or how the shuttle worked. We had to figure everything out ourselves.

The beer-taking-an-hour episode. The “Okay.” response when I raised a legitimate concern. These things add up.

And then there was MyKids.

When booking, I’d spotted an add-on called “MyKids” and paid extra for it, assuming it was some kind of family package. I received no explanation of what it included at check-in. Midway through our stay, I went to the front desk to ask what the MyKids package actually was.

“It’s food-related,” I was told. And nothing else.

After our stay, I looked it up. The MyKids package includes: children’s meals (lunch, dinner, afternoon snacks), unlimited soft drinks and juice for kids throughout the day, unlimited Kids’ Club access at Villa Des Enfants, in-room movies, and welcome gifts. There was apparently a Kids’ Club on the property. I didn’t know. We didn’t use any of it. I received nothing — except the Balmain amenities for my son’s bath. When I raised this at the desk, the response was a single “Okay.”

We’re generally easygoing travelers. It takes a lot for us to feel genuinely disappointed in a hotel. Sofitel Singapore Sentosa managed it. The facilities were lovely; the experience around them was not. The Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy — a step down in category — delivered a noticeably better experience.

I’d love to return to Sentosa island someday. A longer trip, a proper resort stay, more time to actually be on the island.

Just not here.

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Reception & Check-In: First Impressions

Walking from the jetty to the reception, my first impression of Cora Cora was surprisingly casual. From the logo featuring “It’s Freedom Time” to the colors and decorations throughout the lobby, everything felt bright, warm, and approachable rather than luxurious or sleek.

At the lobby, we received a welcome drink of sparkling wine while completing check-in with our assigned butler. Our butler was Aju, an incredibly professional staff member. He asked about our departure flight schedule, any food allergies, exchanged WhatsApp contacts for any needs during our stay, and showed us how to make restaurant and excursion reservations through the Cora Cora app. He had already made restaurant reservations for us, with the flexibility to change anytime. Thanks to Aju, we experienced zero inconvenience throughout our stay.

One side of the lobby features a pool table, foosball table, and ping pong table. Initially, I thought it was odd to have these right in the lobby where people constantly pass through. But by the end of our stay, I didn’t think twice about it—playing games with that stunning lagoon as a backdrop just felt wonderful.

Our family particularly loved the sofa area near the lobby entrance. A large tree creates perfect shade, keeping the space surprisingly cool even under the Maldivian sun. This spot remains the most iconic image of Cora Cora in my mind. The shaded sand stays cool, and sitting barefoot on that soft sand while feeling the gentle breeze brings such peace—with the bonus of an unreal lagoon view.

Our son would play in the sand while my husband and I grabbed coffee from My Coffee café right next door, spending time gazing at the sea. Sitting there, all the stress and busyness of life back in Korea would melt away, and my mind would become as clear as the lagoon’s waters.

Cora Cora Maldives Lagoon Villa Review

When researching Maldives resorts, I knew that if the price was the same, I absolutely wanted to stay in a Maldives lagoon villa. I’d never experienced staying in an overwater room before and was incredibly curious about it

After nearly 24 hours of travel, we finally entered our lagoon villa. There are two lines of lagoon villas—one facing sunset, and one with a wider lagoon view. I’d heard that the sunset line’s rooms are visible from the central beach sunset point, so I requested the lagoon-facing line for privacy, and the request was granted. While Cora Cora isn’t specifically famous for its lagoon, the clear waters spread out beautifully before us.

The room has a bed and sofa bed, comfortable enough for three. The terrace accessible from the bedroom features sunbeds, a table, and a net hammock. Personally, I found such peace sitting on the shaded sunbed gazing at the lagoon. You can enter the water directly from the lagoon villa, and while the depth allows adults to stand, the water isn’t as calm as it looks—too risky for young children. So only my husband went swimming from the room while my son and I stayed out.

The minibar includes one small bottle each of sparkling, red, and white wine, plus beer, various drinks, and snacks—all complimentary with daily refills. Traveling with a child means we couldn’t spend long hours at bars or restaurants, so the free minibar refills were wonderful. They also provide tumblers that you can fill with coffee from My Coffee café to enjoy in your room or outdoors—incredibly useful.

The Cora Cora eco-bag and flip-flops are yours to keep. I carried the bag everywhere—to the pool, beach, restaurants—and still use it back home. The gradient colors are gorgeous. Amenities include single-use items, while hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash come in full-sized bottles. The shampoo and conditioner left my hair a bit stiff, so I used products I’d brought from home.

The bathroom has an open wall allowing you to see the lagoon from the bathtub. A net hammock between the tub and the view partially obstructs it, but it adds character. Since both the bathroom and terrace have net hammocks, we never used the bathroom one—except for drying swimsuits!

Many Maldives resorts have spacious rooms even at base level, but Cora Cora’s base rooms are smaller than average. I worried it might feel cramped, but while not generously spacious, it wasn’t uncomfortably small either—plenty of room for three. The wide-open outdoor view prevents any feeling of confinement. Beach villas offer more space since the sandy area in front becomes part of your room, but beach villas can have bugs and more mosquitoes. If I return to Cora Cora, I’d choose a lagoon villa again!

Cora Cora Maldives All-Inclusive Dining: Complete Restaurant Guide

Cora Cora has four restaurants and one café: Tazaa (main restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and occasional dinner buffets), Aquapazza (Italian, lunch and dinner), Teien (Japanese, dinner only), Ginger Moon (Asian, dinner only), and My Coffee (coffee and gelato).

Tazaa: Main Restaurant

Breakfast at Cora Cora is only available at Tazaa. The buffet includes various breads, Indian-style hot foods, cereals, salads, fruits, sausages, a self-serve noodle station, and a cooking station for eggs, crepes, and pancakes. While well-stocked with variety, something felt lacking to me. Despite the many options, not much appealed to me.

My biggest disappointments: no cheese for bread, and the Asian noodle soup smelled amazing but tasted like nothing—a few spoonfuls of chicken stock and salt would’ve fixed it! I tried every day to find a satisfying breakfast combination but never succeeded. Most buffet items stay the same with rotating hot dishes. My husband loved the chili con carne, hummus with pita bread, paratha, and beef stroganoff—often overeating. I preferred the cooking station’s eggs and pancakes. Our picky son mainly ate bread with strawberry jam or eggs Benedict.

While breakfast is buffet-style, lunch operates à la carte. We ordered salad, burger, calamari, and pork ribs, with fish and basmati rice for our son. Maybe because he was active and hungry, he ate well—scooping up rice enthusiastically, then announcing “Mmm, chicken is delicious!” while eating fish.

Everything we ordered was delicious. The burger had been praised in blogs I’d researched, and it delivered. The calamari was tender and tasty, and the ribs were reliable as always—we cleaned our plates.

Cora Cora’s desserts are generally delicious but quite sweet. Koreans often praise desserts as “not too sweet,” preferring moderate sweetness over intense sugar bombs. Cora Cora’s desserts lean toward intensely sweet, blood-sugar-spiking territory. Delicious, but too sweet for me to finish.

Tazaa hosts themed dinner buffets on specific days. During my visit, Thursday featured Spice Route Night. Perhaps due to Maldives’ proximity to India (or theories that indigenous Maldivians descended from Indians), the menu heavily featured curries and spice-based dishes. Being exhausted from arrival killed my appetite that first night, so I didn’t eat much, but my husband enjoyed the variety of meats served with pita bread and paratha.

Sunday featured Fisherman’s Catch BBQ, a seafood-focused buffet. Since Teien and Ginger Moon were closed that night, it seemed like every resort guest gathered there. The menu included sushi (also available at Teien), shrimp, crab, lobster, and various grilled shellfish. I loved the grilled lobster best and kept going back for more—perfectly prepared for easy eating. My husband, who dislikes seafood and prefers meat, didn’t have as many options, but I was thoroughly satisfied.

Tazaa handles breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and while breakfast was underwhelming, lunch items were quite good, and the dinner buffets were solid. They had live performances during dinner with talented singers creating great atmosphere.

One downside: while mosquitoes were barely noticeable at the lagoon villa, Tazaa was mosquito central. My son, who’s allergic to mosquito bites, suffered despite mosquito spray—apparently Maldivian mosquitoes are different. Also, the water glasses seemed to have a slight odor, possibly from poorly maintained drying towels.

If you stay at Cora Cora, you’ll eat at Tazaa most often. For seafood lovers, I highly recommend Fisherman’s Catch BBQ.

Aquapazza: Italian Restaurant

Besides Tazaa, Aquapazza serves lunch. This Italian restaurant became my favorite at Cora Cora. I only had lunch here twice and never tried dinner—my biggest regret of the trip.

Over two lunches, I ordered: salad, spaghetti carbonara, pepperoni pizza, tenderloin steak one day; salad, spaghetti ai frutti di mare, chorizo risotto, and tenderloin steak another day.

Everything was above average. The carbonara was slightly under-seasoned—my only minor complaint. On our last day, eating lunch here, I deeply regretted not trying dinner. The desserts were excellent too—tiramisu paired with their signature cocktail “Bitter Lies” was fantastic.

A funny thing happened both times we ate at Aquapazza. After morning swimming, we’d come for lunch, and our exhausted son would start dozing around the time bread arrived, then fall asleep sitting up—both visits! Initially panicked (we’d just ordered! What do we do? There’s nowhere to lay him down!), we caught a staff member’s attention. They pushed two chairs together and laid out towels to create an instant mini-bed. I was so grateful.

Our son napped beside us throughout lunch, giving us—miraculously—the only peaceful meal of our entire Maldives trip including flights and airport lounges. Perhaps that’s why Aquapazza remains my most satisfying Cora Cora dining experience.

Teien: Japanese Restaurant

Teien is the Japanese restaurant connected to Tazaa’s interior. Interestingly, many Maldives resorts have Japanese restaurants. Is Japanese food really that globally popular?

Japanese cuisine is quite common in Korea, and having traveled to Japan multiple times (Korea and Japan are close), I know that Western interpretations of Japanese food differ significantly from authentic versions—like teriyaki sauce in teppanyaki or non-seafood sushi rolls. I was curious about Maldivian Japanese food… but honestly, Teien was my least favorite of the four restaurants.

The menu includes miso soup, ramen, tempura udon, meat soba, various skewers, sushi, sashimi, and rolls. We ordered broadly, skipping only skewers and rolls, with sake to pair.

The appetizers—seaweed salad and edamame—were quite good. The tangy seaweed salad awakened my appetite. Unfortunately, what followed disappointed. The soba and udon shared identical broth—disappointing—and the udon noodles weren’t actually udon noodles, which was the saddest part. Udon is one of my son’s comfort foods; I’d planned to feed him udon for dinner, but it wasn’t the udon he knows. He doesn’t like thin noodles, so he refused it. Fortunately, there was avocado—another favorite—so he had a decent meal with avocado sushi.

For the main event — sushi and sashimi — freshness and texture matter more than anything. Fish from cold waters have firm, chewy flesh, while warm-water fish tend to be soft. Obviously, Maldivian sushi can’t match the real thing. Even within Japan, Hokkaido sushi quality far exceeds Okinawa’s due to water temperature differences. Knowing Maldivian waters are warm, I expected softer textures. Perhaps my lowered expectations helped—it was better than anticipated. For the Maldives, not bad.

Then came the skewers. I figured grilling skewered meat would be simpler than sushi and ordered some… Unfortunately, the meat was so tough and salty it was hard to eat. Even the mushrooms were tough—strange. The Maldives being predominantly Muslim means pork isn’t commonly consumed, which might explain why the pork skewer was especially tough. We couldn’t finish the skewers, and by then our son was sleepy, so we got chicken karaage to-go… It was so salty (pickled in salt?) that we couldn’t eat it either.

Teien might satisfy those accustomed to Westernized Japanese food, but for anyone familiar with authentic Japanese cuisine, it’s hard to recommend. Though skewer quality varies greatly depending on who’s cooking—your mileage may vary.

Ginger Moon: Asian Restaurant

Ginger Moon is an Asian dining restaurant, like Teien operating only for dinner. It features an open kitchen where I could see the head chef directing assistants—the main chef appeared to be Thai. The menu focuses primarily on Thai food with Indonesian and Malaysian options. There were also Korean dishes, but reviews warned the taste differs significantly from authentic Korean food, so I trusted the chef and ordered Thai dishes.

We ordered Cumi Cumi Bakar, Labb Tuna, Pad Thai, Tom Yum Goong, and Mango Sticky Rice. The Labb Tuna featured fresh tuna (not unusual) with an interesting mint note—fine for me but not great for my husband who can’t handle fishy flavors. Cumi Cumi Bakar (grilled squid) was savory and tender, perfect with beer. The tom yum goong and pad thai tasted nearly identical to what I’d had in Bangkok—delicious. The menu also had Som Tam, Laksa, and Satay that I love, but I was too full to try them. If I return to Cora Cora, I’d probably skip Teien and visit Ginger Moon and Aquapazza more often.

My personal restaurant ranking: Aquapazza = Ginger Moon > Tazaa > Teien. Though I didn’t try Aquapazza dinner, lunch was satisfying enough that dinner should be good too. If you enjoyed food in Bangkok or Bali, definitely visit Ginger Moon. And Tazaa’s Fisherman’s Catch BBQ is highly recommended.

My Coffee: Café Review

My Coffee café sits right next to the lobby, operating from morning until night. We’d stop by for coffee throughout the day, or fill our room’s tumbler before heading back after breakfast. Beyond coffee, they offer various drinks—and best of all, multiple flavors of gelato and sorbet.

Having ice cream available anytime—what child wouldn’t love that? My son visited daily. Day one: strawberry. Day two: stracciatella—he loved it so much he ordered it exclusively until our last day. Many resorts offer dessert ice cream after meals, but few have cafés serving ice cream all day. My Coffee was probably our most-visited spot at Cora Cora.

The True Meaning of “Maldives All Inclusive”

Most Maldives all inclusive plans limit restaurant orders to 1 appetizer, 1 main, and 1 dessert per person per meal. Cora Cora has no such limits—order whatever you want. Coffee and ice cream are available anytime. The café doesn’t even check room numbers. I absolutely loved this system, and it contributed enormously to our relaxing Maldives vacation.

After experiencing true all-inclusive at Cora Cora, if I ever research Maldives resorts again, I’ll either return here or only consider resorts with similar “Unlimited AI” plans (even that term sounds a bit funny, doesn’t it?).

Swimming Pools: Sound Pool & Main Pool Construction

An unexpected variable during our visit was pool construction. About a month before departure, I learned that both pools would undergo sequential renovation, with the main pool under construction during our stay. The main pool is 1.5-2m deep for adults, while the sound pool is about 1-1.2m—a shallow pool. Since one had to be under construction, having the shallower pool available worked better for playing with our son.

The two pools are connected, and the Sound Pool is on the smaller side. But with few swimmers during our visit, it was pleasant enough for playing with a child. The pool floor tiles have a holographic coating that sparkles like jewels in the sunlight—beautiful. However, the Sound Pool’s tiles were quite cracked, looking potentially dangerous.

Years ago, a Korean guest at another Maldives resort was cut badly by broken pool tiles, and that story circulated in Korean communities for years—the pool clearly needed renovation. The cabana cushions around the Sound Pool also looked unwashed for quite some time. I hoped these would be replaced during the renovation.

On our departure day, walking to Tazaa for breakfast, I noticed the main pool’s tile replacement was complete with some water already in it. Seeing it uncovered for the first time, it was much larger and deeper than the Sound Pool—looked fun. My husband joked, “Guess we need to come back to use that pool.” I genuinely want to return!

Spending time at the pool, ordering cocktails or beer from adjacent Aquapazza, enjoying the sparkling water during the day and colorful sunset reflections in the evening—that’s a perfect vacation.

House Reef Snorkeling Experience

On the opposite side from our lagoon villa sit the beach villas, with the best house reef at the very end. The dark patches visible within the clear lagoon are coral areas where you can see diverse fish. Since my son desperately wanted to play in the ocean, we brought him in—but the current was stronger than expected for a 3-year-old, and he got scared. After that, he only played in the pool.

I’d looked forward to snorkeling in the Maldives, so I specifically chose a resort balancing lagoon beauty with underwater environment. I’d heard Cora Cora Maldives’s snorkeling point was decent and had high expectations. The current made visibility less than crystal clear, and honestly, the underwater environment wasn’t exceptionally remarkable.

Coral bleaching was evident, and the colorful coral reef I’d hoped for wasn’t there. Still, I saw diverse, colorful fish: Surgeon fish, Snapper, Parrot fish, Trigger fish, Jack fish, Damsel, Rabbit fish, Butterfly fish, Wrasse and more. However, I didn’t spot the baby sharks, rays, or turtles supposedly common at Maldives resorts. I’d hoped to see sharks and rays swimming into the lagoon or beach area—that was somewhat disappointing.

The house reef length felt moderately long—one round trip took about an hour. That single hour of snorkeling gave me a perfect sunburn on my back. I knew the Maldivian sun was intense and brought well-researched famous sunscreen, but even that couldn’t protect me for one hour. The inflammation from the sunburn caused severe shoulder pain. Thankfully, I’d brought sunburn medication and aloe soothing gel purchased in Bali, which helped. For Maldives trips: bring good sunscreen!

Excursions: Snorkeling Extravaganza & Sunset Cruise

When I first decided on the Maldives, I imagined incredible underwater environments and couldn’t wait to snorkel. But resorts famous for great underwater environments often had unattractive lagoons, kids clubs starting at age 4, disappointing restaurants, or prices too high. I eventually learned that resorts with both great underwater environments and beautiful lagoons are rare, so I decided to book snorkeling excursions.

Cora Cora Maldives offers various excursions. I wanted to try Manta Quest, Turtle Quest, Snorkeling Extra Vaganza, and Snorkeling Coral Garden. Manta Quest runs only Tuesdays—we checked out Monday, so impossible. Turtle Quest and Coral Tour had no available spots—I should have checked immediately at check-in! The only available excursion during our stay was Extra Vaganza, which visits two snorkeling spots. Not my first choice, but I wanted to snorkel, so I booked it. We sent our son to the kids club and joined the tour.

I’d recently earned my AIDA Level 2 freediving certification and brought long fins, but for safety reasons, life jackets were mandatory—no diving allowed, just snorkeling. Both spots had strong currents but weren’t too deep, with abundant coral and diverse fish—plenty to see. I’d hoped for more than just fish—sharks, rays, turtles—but didn’t spot any. Still, resort excursions have limited participants (guests only), making for a comfortable snorkeling environment.

Another excursion was the Sunset Cruise—departing an hour before sunset for a boat tour around nearby waters. This complimentary excursion is offered to all guests staying 4+ nights.

The lower deck was nearly full. When the boat anchored, passengers could go upstairs to enjoy the view with complimentary sparkling wine. Most people headed up, so our family stayed comfortably on the lower deck with our young son. The captain kindly showed our son the control room—a special experience. The sunset itself was partially blocked by large clouds—somewhat disappointing—but spending an hour on a boat enjoying the sea breeze was special enough.

Cora Kids Club: The Highlight of Our Maldives Vacation

The biggest reason I chose Cora Cora Maldives among many candidates was TripAdvisor’s excellent kids club reviews. Traveling to the Maldives for vacation while wanting to do house reef snorkeling and snorkeling tours is impossible with a toddler in tow—parents can’t leave a young child alone. Whether our son could adapt to the kids club would determine our vacation quality. So I researched meticulously before choosing this resort.

My biggest worry: our son had just turned 3, communicating well in Korean but knowing only “Hello,” “Yes,” and “No” in English—nothing else. Could he adapt to an unfamiliar environment without being able to communicate? I’d read reviews of Bali resorts requiring parents to stay if children couldn’t communicate with staff. Would the Maldives be the same?

On his first kids club day, he needed some adjustment time, but ultimately found it satisfying. That night at bedtime, I asked what was most fun that day—”Kids club,” he answered. Would he go again tomorrow? “Yes!” Kids club adaptation: successful.

Cora Kids offers various hourly activities and crafts, plus plenty of toys—though the toys seem more suited to toddlers while activities fit preschool to early elementary ages. Being young, my son mostly played with toys, did sand play in the backyard, or played in the kiddie pool. The kids club pool was perfect depth for him, so I sent him there in his swimsuit from the start. After our house reef snorkeling, we stopped by to check on him—there he was, happily splashing in the water like a fish.

The next day, we sent him to kids club after breakfast and went on the Extra Vaganza snorkeling tour. Returning to the resort, I spotted kids club staff Sadha and Siba walking with our son toward the beach in front of the lobby. He was in his swimsuit, but they wore regular clothes—getting their pants soaked in seawater while playing with him. They didn’t care. Watching them prioritize his fun over their own comfort moved me deeply. If it were me, I’d probably have said “Mommy can’t go in, my pants will get wet.” Seeing them play with him his way, I understood why TripAdvisor highlights Cora Cora’s kids club.

Later, Siba sent us photos taken during his time at kids club. In every single photo, his face beamed with pure happiness. The kids club staff gave us time away from parenting to enjoy our Maldives vacation while giving our son happy memories—I’m deeply grateful to Sadha and Siba.

More to Explore: Museum, Fitness Center & Spa

The lobby houses a small museum about Maldivian history. According to the displays, early Maldivian settlers were likely shipwrecked sailors or fishermen. The indigenous Giraavaru people are believed to be connected to Tamil descendants from India, with some early settlers possibly from the Indus civilization (North India).

Monsoon winds determined travel timing—sailors crossing the Indian Ocean had to stay with Maldivian locals until winds changed. These interactions left behind objects like “Dutch Onions” (a type of glass bottle) and formed today’s diverse Maldivian communities.

Over thousands of years, Indian Ocean trade flourished, bringing outsiders whose interactions created modern Maldivian society. Travelers brought specialized knowledge, creating “cultural fusion” as exotic items were absorbed and transformed into everyday tools.

This historical background of “confluence of cultures”—transformed and transforming over a thousand years—has become today’s Maldives. Fascinating content.

Since Maldives travel typically means going straight from airport to resort and back again, there’s little opportunity to experience local culture. Having this glimpse into Maldivian history and artifacts was wonderful.

Maldivians look remarkably similar to Indians but speak English with completely different accents—the museum content helped explain this curious observation.

Near the beach villas sits an archaeological area with traditional Maldivian houses used until relatively recently, a mosque site, and a traditional “bathhouse” with stagnant water that I suspected was breeding ground for the island’s many mosquitoes. My son has mosquito allergies; despite constantly applying mosquito spray, he (and I) got bitten relentlessly. I grew to resent that bathhouse.

There’s also a watchtower-like structure. I climbed it imagining a Moana-esque panoramic ocean view… but only saw jungle and a distant strip of deep blue Indian Ocean.

The fitness center I peeked into once but never used seemed lightly trafficked. Not huge but adequately equipped. Running on a treadmill facing the lagoon would be nice—the view wasn’t quite that, but the natural lighting was excellent.

The spa I never visited. Being in the Maldives, a spa experience might seem fitting, but I’ve rarely found hotel massages satisfying for the price. We spent our time watching the lagoon and swimming, only exploring the resort’s various spaces on our last day—even these small discoveries became memorable moments.

Checkout & Lagoon Hub: Saying Goodbye to Cora Cora Maldives

Our far-too-short 4-night maldives vacation ended, and departure time arrived. With a 1:15 PM Malé-Singapore flight (SQ431), Aju said we needed the first seaplane. Bags packed by 8 AM for staff pickup, then to the lobby by 8:30. Time to leave already… just sad.

After our last slightly-disappointing Tazaa breakfast and finishing packing, we said goodbye to our lagoon villa 232 and headed to the lobby for checkout.

After checkout, you can write a wish on a ribbon to hang on the tree near the lobby. We wrote hoping for good fortune so we could return to Cora Cora Maldives.

Checkout complete, with time before the seaplane, we used My Coffee (still accessible post-checkout) for one last ice cream with our son, soothing the goodbye blues.

The seaplane dock has a waiting lounge called Lagoon Hub. Over drinks, we said our final goodbye to Aju. When I said it was sad to leave, he suggested staying two weeks next time. I wish I could! I need to work hard and earn more money.

During our stay, I’d posted on Instagram. Coincidentally, my husband’s friend messaged saying he’d be honeymooning at Cora Cora the following week! I mentioned this to Aju, and he ended up as that friend’s butler too. We later heard the friend also had a wonderful time at Cora Cora thanks to Aju’s excellent care.

Soon the seaplane arrived, and departing for Malé Airport ended our time at Cora Cora Maldives. Having one last coffee at Malé Airport, worrying about the long journey home while reflecting on our incredibly happy vacation , I firmly resolved: I must return to the Maldives.

Final Verdict: Is Cora Cora Maldives Worth It?

Our 4 nights at Cora Cora felt far too short—but throughout our stay, we ate without worry or calculation thanks to the all-inclusive system. Butler Aju ensured our comfort throughout. Cora Kids staff Sadha and Siba gave our young son unforgettable happy moments. And every staff member was wonderfully friendly. All these elements combined to show us what Cora Cora’s slogan “It’s Freedom Time!” truly means—it was a wonderful vacation and wedding anniversary.

Some drawbacks exist: occasional cleanliness issues, somewhat disappointing meals. Those seeking luxury or high-end resort service might not find Cora Cora ideal. But for those seeking a comfortable (if not glamorous) family vacation at a Maldives resort, I recommend considering Cora Cora Maldives.

Lastly, I recalled a conversation with the manager at Munduk Moding Plantation in Bali. He’d said Bali has countless resorts, and theirs isn’t particularly exceptional in facilities, plus it’s in a hard-to-reach location—they know it’s difficult for guests to choose them and travel there. So they want every guest who does visit to be as comfortable as possible, with all staff striving toward that goal. Cora Cora Maldives gave me a similar feeling—everyone working to help guests have the perfect vacation.

Since Cora Cora Maldives was my first Maldives resort, I have nothing to compare it to. It may fall short for some travelers. But for me, it was the best Maldives resort and the best anniversary vacation we’ve ever had.

Klook.com

모벤픽 BDMS 방콕 레이트 체크아웃하고 수영장 이용 후기

호건이가 갑자기 낮잠을 자버리는 바람에 늦은 점심을 먹고 나니 벌써 오후 3시. 모벤픽 BDMS 수영장에는 유아풀이 있어서 호건이가 엄청나게 좋아했기 때문에 체크아웃 후 아기와 함께 수영장을 또 이용해도 되는지 물었더니 흔쾌히 가능하다고. 그래서 수영장 이용 후 샤워실을 사용할 수 있는지도 미리 체크했는데, 1층에 있는 헬스장 샤워실을 이용하면 된다고 확인을 받았다.

식사 후 방으로 돌아와서 짐 다 챙겨서 체크아웃 먼저 하고 수영 후 갈아입을 옷들만 빼놓고 나머지 짐은 맡겼다. 그리고 바로 수영장으로 내려갔는데, 점심 먹고 난 후부터 계속 수영장에 가고 싶었던 호거니,, 발걸음이 아주 가볍다 ㅋㅋ 뒷모습 왜 이렇게 귀여운지..수영장은 조식당이자 점심을 먹었던 Nourish를 통해서 나가면 바로 나온다. 수영장 주변으로는 트랙이 있는데, 밖에서 조깅하고 싶어 하는 사람들을 위해서 간단하게라도 만들어놓은 것 같다. 바닥도 약간 자전거도로처럼 푹신한 길로 되어있고, 코스가 넓거나 길진 않지만 나름 잘 정리된 정원이어서 도심 속에서 산책하는 것과는 조금 다른 느낌이 난다. 나는 더워서 저녁때만 딱 한 바퀴만 돌아봄..ㅎ

방콕 모벤픽 BDMS의 수영장은 규모가 막 엄청나게 크다! 이런 건 아니지만 그래도 충분히 즐길 수 있을 만큼의 넓이다. 나는 오후 4시~6시 이때 수영장에 갔었는데, 이 시간대는 생각보다 사람들이 별로 없어서 좋았다ㅋㅋ 일단 중국인 관광객들은 수영장에서 마주친 적이 없고, 이틀 동안 한국인은 딱 4명? 6명 정도. 다양한 국적의 사람들이 있었는데 기본적으로 수영장에 사람이 별로 없어서 놀기 편했다.

그리고 유아풀장이 있어서 호건이도 놀기에 좋았는데, 오후 4~6시 이때에는 그림자가 별로 안 지고 햇빛에 너무 노출되어서 솔직히 놀기엔 너무 뜨거웠다. 그리고.. 수영장 물이 너무 뜨뜻 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 이게 어느 정도 쌀쌀한 날씨에 미온 수풀이면 너무 좋을 텐데… ㅋㅋㅋ 완전 핵 더운 날씨에는 그냥 시원한 수영장 물이 더 좋을 것 같아.. 그리고 기분 탓일 수도 있는데, 일단 수영장에 나오는 물 자체가 약간 미온수인 듯했고, 거기에 강렬한 햇빛 때문에 물이 더 데워진 것 같은 느낌이었다.

참고로 수영장에 기본적으로 상주해 있는 안전요원은 없고, 알아서 잘 놀아야 한다. 그리고 음식이나 음료도 주문할 수는 있는데, 직원이 계속 상주해 있는 게 아니라서 약간 직원이 지나갈 때 주문해야 하는 단점? 선베드에 누워서 맥주라도 시켜 먹었으면 너무 시원했을 것 같은데 그냥 기본으로 비치되어 있던 레몬 물을 마셨다. 그 외 자유롭게 이용할 수 있는 튜브, 암튜브, 구명조끼, 비치볼들이 있다!

마지막 날 수영장 갔을 때는 딱 한 가족만 수영장에서 놀고 있었고, 우리가 들어가고 나서 얼마 안 있다가 그 사람들은 나가서 사실상 수영하는 내내 전세 내고 수영했다. 완전 쾌적!! 내가 원한 건 키즈풀에서 물장구치며 노는 호건이였지만 자꾸 어른 풀장에 들어온다고 해서 결국은 계속 안아서 물놀이시켜 줬다. 힘들긴 해도 수영장에서 노는 게 방콕 여행에서 호건이가 가장 즐거워한 순간 2위였다 1위는 모벤픽 BDMS 조식당에 있던 키즈놀이방에서 논 거..ㅎㅎ

수영장 이용 후 사용가능했던 헬스장 샤워실

호건이 신나게 물놀이 시켜주고 샤워는 1층에 있는 헬스장 샤워실을 이용했다. 수영복 입고 헬스장들이오니 좀 뭔가 이상하긴 했는데, 어차피 헬스장에도 사람이 없어서 ㅋㅋ…. 여자탈의실 기준 샤워실이 3칸? 4칸? 정도 있었고 전부 엄청 깨끗하게 관리되고 있었다. 샴푸랑 다 비치되어 있어서 따로 준비해 갈 필요는 없다. 뭔가 굉장히 세련된 느낌의 사우나실도 딸려있었는데 내가 갔을 땐 꺼져있었다. 하긴 누가 이 방콕 5월 핵 더운 날씨에 사우나를 하겠냐 싶긴 하다만 운동 끝나고 시원한 물로 샤워하고 나서 사우나 하면 개운할 것 같기도..?

모벤픽 BDMS의 탈의실, 샤워실 규모는 작긴 하지만 헬스장 이용하는 사람이 별로 없어서 샤워실에도 사람이 없었고, 혼자 전세 내고 사용했다. 그렇게 뽀송하게 씻고 난 후 남편이 호건이 씻기고 나오는 거 기다리면서 헬스장 구경을 했는데, 규모는 작아도 기본적으로 있을 거 다 있고 심지어 필라테스 기구도 있다. 내가 알기로는 매일 요가 등 다양한 프로그램이 준비되어 있어서 투숙객은 클래스 신청하면 들을 수 있는 거로 알고 있다. 여행 가기 전에는 나도 아침 먹기 전에 클래스 신청해서 운동으로 아침을 시작해 볼까 했지만 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 역시나 어림도 없지.

헬스장이 가든뷰라 초록 초록 완전 힐링 되면서 운동할 수 있을 것 같아서 요가는 못하더라도 러닝머신이라도 해야지 했는데 역시나 어림도 없지 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 결국 마지막 날 수영장하고 샤워실만 쓰러 잠깐 들린 헬스장 ㅋㅋ

샤워를 마치고 뽀송하게 나와서 센트럴월드 구경을 다녀왔다. 센트럴월드 엄청나게 크고 휘황찬란하고 뭐가 엄청 많은데, 막상 딱히 살만한 건 별로 없었다. 여기저기 구경하다가 호건이 장난감이나 살까 해서 토이져러스를 구경하러 갔는데, 원래 토이져러스 가격이 이랬나? 싶을 정도로 가격이 높아서 이 정도 가격이면 한국에서 사는 게 낫겠다 싶어 결국 아무것도 사지 않고 나왔다. 그래서 남편이 좋아하는 치즈케익팩토리가 있길래 그냥 저녁이랑 디저트라도 먹고 갈까 했는데 가격이 은근히 꽤 부담되는 가격이었던 걸로 기억한다.ㅎ.. 심지어 점심을 너무 늦게 먹어서 아무도 배가 고픈 상황이 아니라 결국 저녁은 호텔 옮기고 나서 간단히 먹기로 하고 스킵하고 호텔로 돌아갔다.

호텔에서 센트럴월드 올 때는 그랩 택시를 타고 왔는데 워낙 막히고 생각보다 오래 걸리길래 택시 타나 걸어가나 거기서 거기인듯해 돌아갈 때는 그냥 걸어갔다. 센트럴월드 나오면 스카이워크? 육교?같은 통로를 통해서 빅씨마트 건물로 바로 들어갈 수 있게 연결이 되어있길래, 나는 빅씨마트 라차담리점으로 들어가서 다시 1층으로 나왔다.

센트럴월드에서 모벤픽 BDMS 후문까지 유모차 끌고 대략 15분 정도 걸렸다. (참고로 후문은 8시까지만 열려있어서 8시 이후에는 돌아가야 하므로 더 오래 걸림) 후문으로 들어가면 주차장이 보이고 주차장에서 나와서 올라가면 모벤픽 BDMS 정문과 Rim Klong Café 카페 사이에 있는 길로 올라오게된다. 당연히 이 습한 날씨에 걸어 다니면 덥긴 하지만 워낙 이 주변 차가 많이 막히기도 하고, 택시비가 조금 아깝기도 해서 내 기준으로 빅씨마트 라차담리점, 센트럴월드 도보로 15분 정도는 갈 만했다.

호텔 돌아오니 어느덧 저녁 7시. 호텔에 맡겨둔 짐들 찾아서 두 번째 호텔 U 사톤 방콕으로 이동했다. 하나하나 너무나도 만족스러웠던 방콕 모벤픽 BDMS 웰니스 리조트 앤 스파. 하나하나 너무 다 만족스러웠던 후기 끝.

방콕 모벤픽 BDMS 2박 후기 요약

나는 all.com에서 레드핫룸으로 20만 원 정도 할인받고 예약했다. 보통 레드핫룸은 조식 제공이 안 되는데, 예약 당시 호텔에 메일로 문의하니 스위트룸은 조식이 포함되어 있다고 해서 조식 추가 비용도 따로 없었다. 심지어 조식이 건강식도 챙길 수 있으면서 메뉴 퀄리티가 꽤 괜찮고 맛있어서 완전 대만족.

방은 내가 예약했던 투베드룸 아니어도 기본적으로 좀 넓은 편에 속하는듯하고, 내가 묵었던 2베드룸(커넥팅룸)은 거의 35평 규모로 방이 진짜 엄청 넓어서 완전 쾌적하게 지낼 수 있었다. 일단 거실이 별도로 있으니 호건이 재워놓고 남편이랑 거실에서 야식 먹기 너무 좋았고, 침실에는 아기침대 놔도 공간 완전 널널. 아기 침대도 두 돌 아기 기준 사이즈 괜찮았고, 아기 전용 바디워시나 로션이 따로 나오는 것도 너무 좋았다. 남편 생일 기념으로 방문한 거라 받은 케이크도 존맛, 미니바와 간식도 무료로 제공되어서 은근히 잘 챙겨 먹었다.

특이하게 여긴 초콜릿아워가 따로 있었는데, 일반적으로 호텔들의 클럽라운지는 아이들이 출입 불가하거나 입장이 가능하더라도 엄청 조용히 해야 하는 등 이용하기엔 약간 제약이 있는데, 초콜릿아워는 기본적으로 아이들도 같이 즐길 수 있는 개념이라 호건이 데리고 가기 마음이 편했다. (물론 아직 두 돌 아가에게 초코는 허락되지 않지만)

수영장에는 사람이 별로 없어서 놀기 좋고 유아풀이 별도로 있어서 아기 놀기에도 좋다. 체크아웃 후 수영장이랑 샤워실 이용 가능한 건 진짜 좋았고, 레이트 체크아웃도 4시로 넉넉하게 받을 수 있었는데, 5시나 6시 레이트 체크아웃한 사람들도 있는 걸 보니 상황만 괜찮다면 고객의 니즈에 최대한 맞춰주려고 하는 듯했다.

아코르 플러스 혜택으로 호텔 내 레스토랑에서 메뉴 50% 할인받아서 식사도 저렴하게 먹을 수 있었고, 진짜 하나하나 다양한 장점들이 많은 호텔이었다.

단점으로는 전반적으로 일부 직원들의 영어가 잘 알아듣기 힘든 점, 약간 일 처리가 뭔가 어설픈 점..? (직원 매뉴얼 같은 게 잘 안되어있는 듯)이 있긴 한데, 그래도 내가 핸드폰 잃어버렸을 때 적극적으로 도와주고, 친절하긴 엄청 친절하다.

처음에 모벤픽 BDMS 예약하기 전에 몽키트래블이나 아고다, 트립닷컴 등 다양한 예약 사이트들에서 비추 후기들이 꽤 많아서 걱정을 많이 했으나 진짜 우리에겐 가족 여행으로 최고의 호텔이었던 방콕 모벤픽 BDMS. 개인적으로 진짜 강추강추. 정말 U 사톤 방콕으로 옮기기 싫을 정도로 왜 2박만 예약했을까 싶을 정도로 마음에 들었던 호텔이었다.
만약 누군가 이 포스팅을 보고 방콕 모벤픽 BDMS 웰니스 리조트 예약 시 난 방에서 잠만 자는 사람이라서 방 진짜 1도 중요하지 않다는 사람만 아니라면 1베드룸 추천..따봉

방콕 모벤픽 BDMS 금액 확인하기

20230401-20230407
Bali & Gili Trawangan

빠당바이 항구에서 문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 리조트까지 프라이빗 픽업 서비스로 편안하게 도착했다.
체크인을 위해서 로비에 도착했는데 첫인상은 뭐랄까 굉장히 소박하다.
보통 문둑모딩플랜테이션 하면 이 리조트의 메인 풀을 가장 많이 접하게 되는데, 그 이미지를 보다가 로비에 도착해 보면 로비가 굉장히 작아서 처음에 에게? 했다.

리조트 환영의 수국 목걸이와 따뜻한 웰컴 티

체크인을 기다리는데, 잠시 후 환영한다며 문둑지역 재배 품목인 엄청 싱싱한 수국으로 만든 목걸이를 걸어준다.
굉장히 어색어색 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 수국은 특히 물을 엄청 많이 먹는 꽃이어서 엄청 쉽게 시드는 꽃인데, 수국 목걸이라니..
이 지역은 따뜻했던 길리나 빠당바이 항구와는 다르게 내 예상보다 훨씬 추웠고, 고산지대여서 그런지 안개도 많이 끼고 약간 고산지대 특유의 습한 느낌이었는데, 그래서 가능한가 보다.

웰컴 티로는 뜨끈한 생강차가 나왔다.
보통 동남아 어느 곳을 가도 웰컴 드링크로 시원한 과일 주스, 사탕수수 주스 이런 게 나왔었는데 뜨끈한 음료를 웰컴 드링크로 받으니 너무 새로웠다. 맛은 매우 건강한 맛! ㅋㅋ

체크인하면서 우리의 전담 버틀러가 배정이 되었는데, 리조트의 식당, 수영장 등 간단한 소개를 해주고 우리의 객실까지 안내를 해준 후 자신의 임무는 우리 부부가 이 리조트에 머무는 기간 동안 아무런 생각을 하지 않고 편하게 쉬다 갈 수 있도록 하는 것이라고 한다.
물론 우리는 바쁜 한국인답게(?) 다음날 새벽 5시부터 스노클링 하러 떠날 예정이라고 했더니, 그러면 조식을 먹지 못할 테니 간단하게 도시락을 챙겨주겠다고 한다. 덕분에 아침 걱정은 하지 않아도 됐다.

문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 리조트 인피니티풀 & 시설들

리조트의 시설은 뭐가 엄청 많지 않다. 리조트 중앙에 식당 2개가 붙어있고, 문둑모딩플랜테이션하면 가장 대표적으로 나오는 이미지가 바로 이 인피니티 풀에서 찍은 사진들이다.
조식당도 운영하고 있는 밈피 레스토랑에 인스타에 가장 많이 나오는 인피니티풀이 있고, 그 바로 아래에 또 다른 식당과 인피니티 풀이 하나 더 있는 구조다.

보통 저 밈피 레스토랑 앞의 인피니티 풀의 끝에서 구름 위에 떠있는 것처럼 이쁜 사진들 많이 찍던데..
출산 후 불어난 몸으로는 사진을 찍고 싶지 않아서.. 관뒀다ㅠ 꼭 다이어트해서 다음 기회에..!

리조트의 시설은 뭐가 엄청 많지 않다.
유일한 식당 2개와 인피니티 풀 2개가 도 붙어있고, 짐, 라운지도 밈피 레스토랑 2층에 있다.
그 외 시설은 스파&사우나랑 나는 직접 본 적 없지만 테니스 코트 정도?

심지어 주변에 구경 갈만한 곳도 없어서인지 투숙객을 위한 프로그램이 많아서 다양한 체험 신청을 해볼 수 있다.
나와 남편은 커피 농장 견학, 발리의 피부 관리 체험, 대나무 빨대 만들기를 해봤는데 대나무 빨대를 제외하고는 만족스러웠다 ㅋㅋ

문둑 모딩 플랜테이션의 최고는 서비스 경험

처음에는 버틀러가 워낙 친절해서 굉장히 좋은 직원을 버틀러로 붙여줬다고 생각을 했는데, 나중에는 이 리조트 전체가 친절한 곳이다 라는 체감이 됐던 건 멘장안에 스노클링 하러 다녀온 후였다. 

문둑 체크인하고 바로 우리는 내일 새벽 5시에 스노클링 하러 외출하고 오후에 돌아온다고 했더니 그러면 조식을 못 먹을 텐데 도시락을 싸줄까라고 물어봐 주던 버틀러 아릭.. ㅜㅜ
5시에 맞춰서 버기카를 타고 픽업 차량까지 데려다주고 나와 남편 2명이라고 도시락도 바구니를 2세트 챙겨줬다.
리조트, 호텔, 에어비앤비 등 다양한 숙박 시설에 가봤지만 내 일정으로 인해 조식을 놓쳤다고 도시락을 챙겨주는 곳은 난생처음이었다.

아무튼 멘장안에 스노클링을 하러 갔다가 엄청난 태양열에 남편이 등에 제대로 화상을 입었다.
처음에는 심각성을 모르고 그냥 웃었는데, 스노클링 끝난 후 밤에 리조트로 돌아가면서부터 통증이 심각하다는 걸 알게되었고 약을 산다는 생각을 못해서 뒤늦게 리조트에 돌아가면 약이 있지 않을까 라고 생각했다.. 
그런데 버틀러에게 물어보니 안타깝게도 리조트에 화상을 위한 약이 없다고..

대신 스파측에 도움을 도움이 될만한것을 찾아보겠다고 했는데, 생알로에를 갈아서 이것저것 섞은 것을 갖다줬다. 그때 남편은 통증떄문에 거의 울다시피 했었는데, 알로에를 가느라고 오래걸렸다고 이게 도움이 되길 바란다며 갖다줬을때는 정말 너무너무 고마웠다.

문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 리조트 총평 : 3박은 너무 짧았다.

예전에 어떤 사람이 인스타에서 파리의 1박 140만 원짜리 호텔드크리용에 방문했다가 경험에 대해서 작성한 포스팅인데, 문둑 모딩 플랜테이션에서 비슷하게나마 느낀 것 같다.

물론 이런 고급 호텔만큼 전문적이진 않고, 약간 프로페셔널한 느낌이라기보다는 굉장히 친근하고 누군가에게 초대받아서 방문하게 된 것 같은 그런 느낌에 더 가까웠다.
고객이 이 리조트에서 불편한 경험 없이 얼마나 편안하게 머물다 갔는지를 가장 중요한 니즈로 보고 있다는 것은 동일하지 않을까 싶다.

솔직히 말하면 문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 리조트는 발리의 불가리, 더엣지, 아야나 이런 리조트들에 비하면 호화스럽거나 고급스러운 분위기의 리조트는 전혀 아니다.
오히려 약간 촌스럽게 보일 수 있는 느낌도 조금 있고, 그나마 인스타에서 유명한 밈피 레스토랑의 인피니티 풀을 생각하고 오는 투숙객들이 많을 텐데 내가 생각하는 이 리조트의 최고의 만족은 직원들의 서비스였다.
발리 여행을 다녀온 지 한참 지난 이 시점에도 우리가 아무런 생각도 하지 않고 쉬다 갈 수 있도록 하는 것이 자신의 미션이라던 버틀러, 등에 화상 입은 걸 걱정해 주던 직원들이 생각난다.

유럽에서 가족단위로 휴가 온 관광객들이 많던데..
나도 호건이와 함께넉넉하게 일주일정도 머무르면서 다양한 체험도 해보고, 주변 관광도 하고 싶다.
공항에서 멀긴 하지만 확실히 발리 본섬과는 다른 분위기인 문둑과 로비나, 멘장안 지역을 방문할 예정이라면 꼭 문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 리조트를 추천하고 싶다. 

20230401-20230407
Bali & Gili Trawangan

길리 트라왕안에서 거의 꼬박 하루가 걸려서 드디어 도착한 발리의 문둑 모딩 플랜테이션.
사실 이번 발리 여행에 꼭 이 리조트가 꼭 들어가야만 했던 슬픈 이야기가 있다.

나와 남편은 2020년도에 결혼을 했는데, 그때 신혼여행으로 발리의 문둑 모딩 플랜테이션과 길리 트라왕안의 인사나빌라를 예약했었다. 그런데 코로나가 생각보다 오래갔고 결국 발리 신혼여행을 취소할 수밖에 없었는데 다른건 취소가 됐지만 문둑모딩플랜테이션은 환불이 불가하며 바우처로 발급해 줄 테니 나중에 오라고.. 어쩔수없이 나중에라도 꼭 가자고 생각했는데 코로나가 정말 오래갔고^^ 호건이가 태어나면서 발리 여행은 물 건너갔다고 생각했다..
3박에 160만 원(MMP 코로나 이전 가격)을 줬는데, 양도라도 안 되나 했는데 시부모님이 호건이를 봐줄 테니 다녀오라고 해주셔서 오게 된 발리 여행.. 즉 문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 리조트가 이번 여행의 목적이었다.

밤부 페퉁 빌라 체크인, 그리고 담당 버틀러 지정

그렇게 2020년 4월에 예약하고 3년 만에 방문한 문둑.. 그 와중에 코로나 때문에 숙박 가격이 거의 2/3수준으로 떨어져서 리조트 도착 전까지 진짜 너무 열받아 있던 상황인데, 그래서인지 더 밀착 관리를 해주겠다며 아릭이라는 친구가 우리의 담당 버틀러로 지정이 되었다.
모든 요청 사항은 왓츠앱으로 아릭에게 얘기하면 모든 것을 해결해 주겠다고 한다.

우리의 발랄하고 친근한 성격의 버틀러 아릭의 안내로 숙소에 도착했다.
나는 사실 내가 어떤 방을 예약했는지는 모르고, 그냥 풀빌라로 예약한 것만 알고 있는데 왠지 가격 차이 때문인지 룸 업그레이드를 해준 느낌이었다(추측).

우리의 방은 밤부 페퉁 빌라(Bamboo Petung Villa), 영어로는 Big Bamboo Villa라고 했다.
저 Petung은 엄청나게 크고 두껍게 자라는 대나무의 종류인데, 매우 튼튼해서 발리에서 건축물을 지을 때 많이 사용된다고 한다. 빌라 입구에도 페퉁이 심겨 있었는데, 사이즈가 너무 커서 도저히 사진에 담기지 않았다.
아릭이 이야기하길 2주 전에 완공된 풀빌라고, 우리가 이 방에 두 번째로 묵는 손님이라고 한다.

아릭이 환영한다며 방을 간단하게 소개해 주면서 웰컴드링크와 쿠키, 과일을 주고 갔다. 웰컴드링크 이름은 뭔지 모르겠고, 뭐가 들어갔는지는 설명을 해줬는데 강황밖에 못 알아들었다..
엄청 생소한 맛이고, 만약 입맛에 안 맞으면 꿀을 더 넣어먹으라고 주고갔지만.. 나는 패스ㅋㅋ 남편은 다 마셨다.
쿠키는 리조트에서 직접 구운 거라 했는데 매우 건강한 맛이고, 과일은 발리 여행 중 먹었던 과일같이 역시 쏘쏘

길리 트라왕안에서 문둑모딩플랜테이션 가는 법

문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 풀빌라 : 거실

아릭이 주고 간 또 다른 웰컴드링크와 쿠키를 먹으며 우리가 묵을 방 구경을 했다. 야외공간 수영장, 거실, 침실, 욕실이 일렬로 있는 구조인데 각각의 공간이 엄청 넓진 않다.

특히 거실은 욕실과 침실에 비해서 공간이 매우 좁은 편인데, 그마저도 티 테이블이 공간을 거의 다 차지한다.
티 테이블에 앉아있으면 바로 옆의 통창으로 수영장과 바깥의 마운틴뷰를 볼 수 있다.

한쪽에 책상과 커피, 티를 위한 컵과 전기포트가 준비되어 있다.
소량의 쿠키와 카사바칩(?)도 있긴 한데, 먹어보진 않아서 맛은 잘 모르겠다. 커피는 아마도 커피농장도 같이 운영하는 이 리조트에서 판매하는 커피가 아닐까 싶다.

책상의 반대쪽에는 소파가 있는데, 이용할 일은 없었다. 내 옷과 짐을 놓는 공간으로 사용됨 ㅋㅋ. 거실 가운데는 벽난로가 있어서 리조트 측에 요청하면 불을 지펴준다.

문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 풀빌라 : 침실

방이라고 하기엔 큰 공간을 일렬로 잘라서 벽만 세워 거실, 침실, 욕실을 나누고 있는 듯한 구조긴 하지만, 거실 바로 옆이 침실 공간이다.

침실에는 캐노피겸 모기장이 있는 킹사이즈 침대가 있다. 이 리조트의 특징 중 하나가 우렁각시가 있는 ㅋㅋ 조식 먹고 오면 저 캐노피와 커튼들이 싹 정리가 되어있고, 저녁 먹고 숙소로 돌아가면 캐노피와 커튼이 쳐져 있다. 사생활 때문에 호불호가 갈리긴 하겠지만 나는 매우 만족스러웠다. 료칸에서 가이세키 먹고 돌아오면 침구가 준비어있는 것처럼 뭔가 배려받는 느낌??

티비는 있긴 한데 침대와의 거리에 비하면 너무 작은 사이즈라 켜보지도 않았다.
그리고 리조트 돌아다닐 때 쓸 수 있는 이 쇼퍼백(?). 리조트의 인피니티풀을 이용할 때 쓰면 좋을 듯하다.

문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 풀빌라 : 욕실

침실 뒤쪽으로는 바로 욕실이 붙어있다. 특이하게도 빌라 전체 공간 중에서 제일 넓은 곳이 욕실인 것 같았다.

욕실에는 공간 가운데에 욕조가 있고, 양옆으로 각각 샤워부스 칸과 화장실 칸이 있다. 꽤 먼 위치에 완전히 분리되어 있어서 이런 부분은 좀 좋았다. 욕조가 있는 곳의 천장 부분이 유리로 되어있어서 햇살이 이쁘게 내려온다.

그리고 외부로 통하는 문이 하나 있는데, 그 문으로 나가면 야외 샤워부스가 따로 마련되어있다.
예전에 나트랑의 미아리조트에 갔을때 미아리조트는 수영장에서 야외 샤워부스로 바로 들어가서 샤워 후 욕실로 연결된 동선이 있어서 이용해 본 적 있는데, MMP에서는 수영 후 거실과 침실을 가로질러서 욕실 or 야외 샤워부스로 이동할 수 있는 동선이기 때문에 나는 굳이 사용하지 않았다 ㅋㅋ

문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 어매니티는 따로 샘플들을 주는 것이 아니라 그냥 통 샴푸, 통 바디워시 이런 식으로 준비되어 있는데, 나는 사용했을 때 개인적으로는 머리가 너무 뻣뻣해지는 듯한 느낌이 들어서 따로 챙겨간 제품을 사용했다.
환경 관련 문제 때문에 따로 일회용품을 사용하지 않는다고 한다.

문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 풀빌라 : 프라이빗풀과 자쿠지

거실의 통창이 창문 겸 문 역할을 하고 있는데(출입문은 따로 있긴 함), 바로 탁 트인 마운틴 뷰가 보이고 바깥으로 나오면 바로 앞에 내가 묵은 빌라 전용 수영장과 노천탕이 있다.

넓은 저 등짝.. 참고로 발리 여행 갔을 때가 출산 후 6개월 좀 넘은 시점이라.. 한창 몸무게가 많이 나갔을 때였다..
수영장 깊이는 1.5M 정도, 수영장도 넓고 깊이도 적당하고 너무 좋았지만, 그보다 노천탕이 꽤 뜨끈한게 좋았다.
미온수 풀과 자쿠지가 붙어있는 구조라니!! 문둑 지역이 해가 떠 있어도 날씨가 덥지가 않아서인지 개인적으로는 수영장보다 자쿠지가 더 마음에 들었다 ㅋㅋ

오두막도 있는데, 날이 추워서 오두막에 드러누워 있는 일은 없었다 ㅋㅋ

개인적으로 내 취향은 마운틴 뷰보다는 오션뷰를 훨씬 더 좋아해서 뷰가 조금은 심심하게 느껴졌지만 전혀 불만족스럽진 않았다. 쌀쌀한 동남아 날씨와 그에 맞는 자쿠지, 따뜻한 웰컴드링크 그리고 너무나도 친절한 리조트 스태프들과 우리의 담당 버틀러.

이 포스팅의 앞에 언급했었지만, 우리는 길리 트라왕안의 만족도가 너무 높았고 반면에 억지로 와야 하는 문둑 모딩 플랜테이션 리조트에 대한 반감이 꽤 있는 상태였다.
그래서 리조트 도착 전까지만 해도 꽤 불만스러운 감정이 있었는데, 도착하고 나서 정말 1시간 이내에 모든 감정이 싹 사라지고 나와 남편 둘 다 오길 잘했다로 결론이 났다. 너무 만족스러웠던 우리의 숙소 밤부 페뚱 빌라! 또 가고 싶다ㅠ

Indonesia Bali & Gili Trawangan

20230401-20230407

A Private Oasis Among Accommodations in Gili Trawangan

Gili Trawangan is a small island, and perhaps because of its size, you won’t find large-scale resorts or well-known brand hotels here. While there are a few 5-star options, they’re not what you might typically imagine. Most accommodation in Gili Trawangan are 3 to 4-star stays, with a variety of guesthouses and Airbnb options available. My trip to Bali & Gili Trawangan in 2023 was a belated honeymoon, delayed due to the pandemic, so I wanted to stay in the best possible place.

After thorough research, I found Insana Villa, one of the top accommodation in Gili Trawangan, where I stayed for two nights. It was so satisfying that I even considered canceling the rest of my Bali trip to extend my stay here.

Arrival and First Impressions

Upon arrival, I met the host at the villa to check in and receive the room key. We were welcomed with a refreshing coconut drink and introduced to Atun, the housekeeper who would take care of us during our stay. Atun prepared our daily breakfast, and we could choose our preferred menu from a provided list.

After the host left, my husband and I explored the villa. Insana Villa is a small villa with a maximum capacity of four people, but it’s surprisingly spacious. There are two bedrooms; the main bedroom we used was incredibly large with high ceilings, giving it a grand feel despite being a wooden structure. The floor-to-ceiling windows provided excellent natural light and views of the lush green garden. The main bathroom connected to the bedroom had an indoor bathtub and an outdoor rain shower. Basic amenities were provided, but I used my own products.

The second bedroom was smaller and cozier, with a convenient indoor shower. The beds were king and queen-sized, making it comfortable for a family of four or a group of friends. While it was just the two of us, the villa felt a bit too large, and I thought it would be perfect to bring children or friends next time.

Living Spaces and Amenities

The villa’s roof connects all spaces, but the layout is divided into two buildings: one with the two bedrooms and another with the living room, kitchen, and dining area. The living spaces are spacious with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, creating an open and airy atmosphere. We spent most of our time in the living room, lounging on the comfortable sofa. The only downside was the indirect lighting, which might be inconvenient for those with night blindness.

The kitchen was well-equipped with an oven, gas stove, microwave, and various cooking utensils, but we didn’t use it much since there were plenty of dining options nearby, and breakfast was prepared for us. Families with babies or those who prefer cooking might find it useful.

One of my favorite features was the mini-bar fridge. My husband and I enjoy ending our day with a beer and snacks in our accommodation. The mini-bar was stocked with drinks at convenience store prices, which was a pleasant surprise. We could enjoy Indonesia’s famous Bintang beer without the hassle of buying it elsewhere. The villa also offered various paid services like snorkeling tours, trips to other Gili islands, boat reservations to Lombok or Bali, and even babysitting services. The host was always available to assist with any needs, like helping us find motion sickness pills for our speedboat ride to Bali.

Dining and Pool Area

The dining area connects to the outdoor pool, which is quite large for a villa accommodating up to four people. The pool, about 1.5 meters deep, is surrounded by beautifully maintained trees and flowers, creating a serene atmosphere. The water was slightly salty, likely due to the island’s use of seawater, and there were some leaves and sand at the bottom, but it didn’t bother me. However, snorkeling at Gili Trawangan’s turtle point was far more exciting than swimming in the villa’s pool.

A Wonderful Breakfast

After a peaceful day, we had breakfast the next morning. We had pre-selected our menu and preferred time, but there was a slight delay as Atun arrived a bit late. The breakfast spread was colorful and abundant, with bread, butter, jam, coffee, tea, and fresh fruit juice (options included watermelon, banana, pineapple, papaya, ABC juice, and green juice). The main dishes included egg dishes, granola smoothie bowls, banana cinnamon porridge, granola fruit yogurt, nasi goreng, and pancakes. We chose pancakes, nasi goreng, watermelon juice, and papaya juice.

The portion was generous, easily enough for two. The bread, coffee, and tea were good, and the nasi goreng was as expected. The pancakes were average, and the egg dishes the next day were visually different from what we imagined. While the food wasn’t gourmet, it was satisfying. The fruit platter was impressive but not very sweet, which seemed to be a common issue in Indonesia during our visit.

The wooden villa, with its bright natural light and views of the green garden and pool, provided a peaceful escape from the noisy city life. It felt like a second honeymoon, even years after our wedding.

Final Thoughts

One of my initial concerns about staying on Gili Trawangan was insects, given the warm and humid climate. However, during our two-night stay, we hardly saw any bugs. The villa was well-maintained, and we only encountered a large grasshopper in the living room and a spider in the bedroom. The overall cleanliness and comfort were excellent.

Insana Villa is a private, standalone villa available only to its guests, located in the northeastern part of Gili Trawangan. It’s set slightly inland, away from the bustling edges of the island, making it perfect for a quiet and private stay. The villa’s secluded atmosphere was exactly what I was looking for in accommodation in Gili Trawangan. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk to the outer areas of the island where most restaurants are located, and the snorkeling turtle point is easily accessible to the east. The villa even provides free bicycles, making it quicker to get around. I enjoyed leisurely 20-minute walks, though the lack of streetlights meant I had to use my phone flashlight at night.

The lack of high-end accommodation in Gili Trawangan wasn’t an issue for us, thanks to Insana Villa. This private pool villa offered a unique blend of Airbnb-style lodging with hotel-like services, making our stay incredibly satisfying. Gili Trawangan is more about relaxation than sightseeing, and having a comfortable place to stay is crucial. Insana Villa exceeded our expectations, and I even found myself researching land prices on the island. If I could, I’d build a similar villa and visit regularly. I would definitely return to Insana Villa and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Gili Trawangan, especially small families or groups of friends looking for the perfect accommodation in Gili Trawangan.

Affordable and Convenient Jakarta Airport Hotel

The first destination of my trip was Gili Trawangan , with a transit in Jakarta before heading to Lombok. Since I needed a Jakarta airport hotel for my overnight stay, I chose the Anara Airport Hotel, located closest to the airport. My evening flight landed in Jakarta, but the next available flight to Lombok was early the next morning. This meant I had no choice but to stay overnight in Jakarta.

After a 7-hour flight from Incheon, I arrived in Jakarta in the evening. The weather was humid but not too hot, and immigration went quickly due to the late hour. By the time I got out, it was already 9 PM. I had read that finding Anara Airport Hotel could be tricky, so I researched the directions in advance. Despite this, I still ended up wandering for a while before finally locating the hotel.

The hotel was quiet at night, and I checked in around 9:30 PM. The room was simple but clean and equipped with everything I needed for a comfortable stay. Since I only needed a place to sleep before heading back to the airport in the morning, the location was perfect. At a rate of approximately USD 58 (KRW 78,000) per night for two people, including breakfast, the hotel was excellent value for money.

How to Find Anara Airport Hotel

Finding Anara Airport Hotel can be confusing, so it’s best to prepare ahead. There are two main routes:

1. Through the connecting walkway on the 2nd floor of the airport.
2. Via the parking lot building on the 3rd floor, accessed from outside the airport.

The first route is far more convenient. After clearing immigration and customs, you’ll see a currency exchange booth directly ahead. Walk straight past it until you reach the exit (you’ll see a large plaza with the parking lot behind it). Instead of exiting, make a U-turn and re-enter the airport. Inside, you’ll find an elevator next to the baggage scanner. Take the elevator to the 2nd floor, where you’ll find a slightly inclined connecting walkway. Cross this walkway to the adjacent building, which is the parking lot building. The hotel is located on the 3rd floor of this building (2nd floor from the airport perspective).

While the location can be tricky at first, once you figure it out, the hotel is very accessible and conveniently located. I initially got lost and ended up going outside to the parking lot, which was crowded and chaotic. The humidity didn’t help either, so I highly recommend using the 2nd-floor walkway instead.

Snacks and Beer from Airport Store at Night

After checking in, it was already past 9:30 PM. I wasn’t particularly hungry, having eaten during the flight, but I still wanted to grab some snacks and beer to mark the start of my trip. Since the hotel is connected to the airport, the closest option for food and drinks was back at the airport. The 2nd floor is home to various restaurants, convenience stores, and shops.

I initially wanted to try Indonesian satay, but most restaurants had already closed by 10 PM. The only 24-hour option was A&W, but burgers and fried chicken didn’t appeal to me. Instead, I visited a FamilyMart for snacks and WHSmith for beer, as FamilyMart doesn’t sell alcohol.

At WHSmith, I picked up beer, chips, instant noodles, and water. When the cashier told me the total was “425,” I mistakenly thought it was in thousands of rupiah (IDR 10,000 = approximately USD 0.64). It turned out to be 425,000 IDR (~USD 32), much more expensive than I anticipated. Alcohol, especially beer, tends to be pricey in Indonesia due to religious factors.

Back at the hotel, I enjoyed my snacks while watching YouTube. I tried bakso-flavored instant noodles (a light, comforting meatball soup flavor) and found them delicious. My husband had curry-flavored noodles, which had a strong spice aroma that may not suit everyone. Personally, I preferred the bakso flavor.

Buffet Breakfast for Two Included in the Stay

With my flight to Lombok departing at 11:20 AM, I had plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast. I expected the dining area to be crowded, but it was surprisingly empty, possibly due to the early hour or the fact that it was Ramadan.

The breakfast buffet offered a variety of options, but many dishes were unfamiliar to me. I started with a traditional Indonesian salad, which surprised me with its strong herbal and tangy flavors—completely different from what I expected. After that, I played it safe with more familiar items and enjoyed a satisfying meal. The highlight was the freshly made noodle soup, which had a comforting, homey flavor reminiscent of Vietnamese pho.

Final Thoughts

Staying at Anara Airport Hotel was a practical choice dictated by my flight schedule. For USD 58 per night, including breakfast for two, it offered excellent value for money. If you’re transiting through Jakarta and need an overnight stay, I highly recommend Anara Airport Hotel for its convenience and comfort. Just be sure to plan your route to the hotel in advance!