Karma Kandara is a unique resort in Bali. It’s probably the only resort on the island to claim that it has a private beach, and for that to be sort of true.
You see, it’s illegal to designate beaches in Bali, private. The public must be allowed onto any beach here, and this is true of Karma Beach. However, because the only way down to the beach is a glass elevator owned by Karma Kandara, the public can’t access this beach without some serious swimming.
So, given that not only do they have a private beach, but a beach club all of their own too, our review team couldn’t wait to try out Karma Kandara in Uluwatu, Bali, and this is what they learned there.
Our In-Depth Assessment Of Karma Kandara
Every resort on our site is reviewed in the same fashion using the same criteria. This means we treat every property fairly and that our reviews follow a standard format, which makes it easy to compare any two (or more) properties.
Hotel Type: Luxury Villas
Area of Bali: Uluwatu
Star Rating: 5-Star
Typical Minimum Price per Night: 12,000,000 IDR (approx. $750 USD or $1,200 AUD) per night, with the proviso that rates change by room and by season
Karma Kandara Address: Jl. Villa Kandara Banjar Wijaya Kusuma, Ungasan, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80362, Indonesia
Karma Kandara Website: Karma Group
Room Types: One Bedroom Garden View Pool Villa, Two Bedroom Garden View Pool Villa, Three Bedroom Garden View Pool Villa, Four Bedroom Garden View Pool Villa, The Residences
Facilities: di Mare, Sarang Lounge, Veritas Wine Bar, Karma Beach, Samudra Ganesha, In-Villa Dining, Spa, Gym, 3 Monkey’s Kids’ Club, Schooners Sports Bar, Watersports, Muay Thai, Various Activities
This resort was one of our reviewers’ favourite resorts in Uluwatu.
Cleanliness and Maintenance
Villa complexes are a major challenge to keep perfectly clean, and while the team here does a very good job, it’s not perfect, and we could find dust occasionally in hard-to-reach places.
Similarly, with maintenance, they do a very good job in general, but occasionally you run across something that could have done with just a little more love and affection. This is particularly true of the famed glass elevator, which appears to be out of order rather more often than it’s working.
Sleep Quality
The rooms are very comfortable, and while there is some construction noise that occasionally leaks in during the day, there’s no such thing at night.
This area is very peaceful, the beds are super comfortable, and the air flow is great. You will sleep like a dream.
Staff Attitude And Service Culture
This is a 5-star hotel resort in Bali, and as you’d expect, the service is absolutely excellent. You will be made to feel like one of the family throughout your stay.
We should note, though, that the marketing team may harass you during the course of your stay, on multiple occasions, trying to get you to upgrade your villa (for a fee, of course).
Check-in/Check-out Experience
We felt that the check-in experience was just fine, and given that this isn’t a huge resort, you won’t need to spend too much time hanging around waiting to get into your villa.
Bathroom Quality & Functionality
The bathrooms are excellent, big, spacious, clean, with nice toiletries and towels.
Value For Money
If they just worked harder on the details, this resort could be excellent value for money, but for the moment, it’s just good value for money.
Food And Beverage Execution
We found a lot of the meals here to be quite samey, and while they were fresh and tasty, they were also hugely overpriced for Bali, even for a high-end resort.
Location & Immediate Surroundings
The private beach is nice, and this area is super safe. But there is absolutely nothing really within walking distance. That means you need transportation to do anything of interest.
We should also point out that this area is home to a lot of wild monkeys, so you need to keep your windows and doors closed at all times, or the monkeys may steal things from your villa.
Facilities & Amenities Vs Promise
We already mentioned that the glass elevator is broken as often as it is working, and overall, we felt that while everything they list in their marketing material is present, it’s often not very well maintained.
Overall “Personality”
At times, there may be a hint of “Fawlty Towers” about your stay at Karma Kandara, but overall, there’s no doubt this is a gorgeous resort with plenty to remember it fondly by.
Summary: Our Overview Of Karma Kandara
Karma Kandara has so much promise, and we wish they’d just tighten things up a little, because if they did, it could live up to that promise easily.
As is, it’s a decent resort with some unique features that you’re bound to enjoy if you choose it for your holiday, but it’s not the best we’ve ever seen, far from it, in fact.
Grading: Very Good/Happy to Return
You might also be interested in Alila Villas or The Korawai, both of which are in this area.
FAQs
Is Karma Kandara Family Friendly?
Yes, Karma Kandara is a family-friendly resort. The luxury villas are quite capable of hosting families and providing everyone with their own bedroom.
There is an on-site kids’ club (3 Monkeys) which provides lots of activities and fun for children and a chance for them to make friends.
There’s also a beach club with watersports, a cool glass elevator to ride down the cliff face onto the beach, and other little touches for families.
The only fly in the ointment may be the price, which is pretty reasonable for villas of this quality in Bali, but still likely to be beyond some family budgets.
Also, some care is needed if kids play in the ocean here, as there is a reef directly offshore, which means that there may be sharp rocks and pieces of broken coral on the seabed. Sea shoes are highly recommended.
Final Thoughts On Karma Kandara
Karma Kandara is a very nice resort, and the on-site facilities are extremely good. Sadly, this part of Bali is a massive building site at the momennt and there is going to be some noise carried to the site for the foreseeable future.
If you don’t mind this minor inconvenience, you will find that Karma Kandara is a good choice for a family vacation. Though if your hearts are set on exploring more of Bali, the location on the southernmost tip of the Bukit Peninsula isn’t the best for that.
Overall, this is a very nice villa complex, and we’d be happy to recommend it to most people, with the proviso that there are plenty of other options in this price category and you should be sure that Karma’s facilities are best suited to your holiday tastes.
