There's Something About Ellie's

Last weekend, we celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary. It was actually 2 weeks late but we were  busy with Eid & Father's day still. It's Michael's turn to come up with something this year so he took us to Nusa Dua to celebrate.

Nusa Dua is easily the poshest place in Bali, with all the big 5 (or more) stars hotels & resorts surrounding the area along with the shops & restaurants that charge ridiculously for even a bottle of mineral water. So posh, that you have to drive through a security check at the main entrance of the popular Nusa Dua area itself.

Waaaaaaaaaaait!

We DID NOT stay at one of those posh hotels lah. :p We did not even have to drive through the security check. Which means? It's a cheap cheap place in Nusa Dua mah! :)

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait again...

It is however, ranked #5 of places to stay in Nusa Dua (as per Trip Advisor) called Ellie's.

Simple as its name, a complete opposite of the super modern, crazy busy & elegant Haven. Tucked in a very small street in the middle of the busy Nusa Dua bypass, it definitely represents the quieter & more charming side of Bali. It screams Balinese the moment you drive into the entrance of what's more like a Guesthouse than a hotel. It's actually like a big 3-storey Balinese house with a few rooms to 'rent', complete with rooftop balcony that gives you an excellent view of Nusa Dua. There's a lot of chill out area too with lots of books, magazines & dvds to borrow. It's a definitely cool place to stay with a bunch of people and book the whole place. They give group booking discounts too! It has its own private swimming pool and a breakfast area (included) and truly, with its very welcoming owner & staff, it really really feels like you're one of their personal guests.

So what did we get up to at Ellie's?

Eat our complimentary cake upon arrival :p Very lovely gesture!

Checking out the view from the rooftop terrace

View from the top

Pool area,  our room's the left one on that 2nd floor

You know any of our trips wouldn't be complete if we didn't check out the beach, right?

We went to Jimbaran beach, very close to Nusa Dua, famous for its seafood + sunset dinner. Rows & rows of restaurants along the beach offering incredible BBQ dinners for  you to choose from. A friend whom we just met that day at the beach suggested the Mentaga Restaurant (who happens to be a chef at the Four Season's nearby!), so we were eager to try but that place was mega packed with group bookings, we couldn't find a place to seat! So if you happen to get to try this place, let us know if it's THAT good kay.

Jimbaran beach

"Can you make me a bigger castle this time?"

Wonderful ladies that sell fried goodness at the beach

macam-macam adaa!

the BEST ever!

"Noooo! Who says we're sharing??"

Sunset 

The next day, Michael took Squeaky for a stroll at Nusa Dua beach where you can have a glimpse of those expensive pools & hotel rooms from the pathway along the beach. It's actually a nice walk there and super fun for Squeaky who's enjoying the ducks at the pond.

walking around the Nusa Dua beach-resorts area

waiting to feed the ducks..where are they?

Where was I? 

Enjoying my anniversary gift at Div Spa, one of the BEST I've ever had.  If you're in Nusa Dua, Kuta or Jimbaran area, TRY this place as they offer free pick ups from these area.  If you stay at Ellie's, you get 30% off. 

Being in Nusa Dua, the price can be considered extremely reasonable. The surroundings, the ambience and most importantly the service & quality are top notch. So the overall value for money is quite unbeatable. 

This place came highly recommended by David, the cool owner of Ellie's. He told us the Spa owner once worked at the Maldives for a few years and has worked at the Bvlgari Hotel, Bali - probably the most super extravagant expensive hotel in Bali.

If you come here, you'll definitely meet this wonderful lady, Komang and her family as their house is actually in the Spa itself. She'll greet you at the gate like you're one of her special guests visiting her home and welcome you with drinks and some homemade treats (if you're lucky and she happens to be cooking!). There's a few beautiful huts outside her house, made into their Spa room. Very lovely indeed.

I tried the 2-hour green tea rejuvenation treatment that comes with an hour aromatherapy massage and it was just heavenly. Komang also gave an option if I wanted to have more massage time and less bath time (of course lah more massage). And overall the treatment took about 2 1/2 hours with no extra cost! Normally a body treatment comes with a Balinese massage so this was my first time with aromatherapy. And lucky for me, my first time was, according to Komang, the only one in Bali that's similar to the one that Bvlgari Hotel offers. So if you're like us and going to Bvlgari is like a never never going to happen kinda thingy, just go to Div Spa and get a Bvlgari treatment for a fraction of the price. If you don't need a body scrub or wrap then just go solely for any aromatherapy massage in their menu and ENJOY! We are definitely taking our future guests here for their ultimate massage experience.

That night, we had a very lovely Italian dinner at Pepenero. We really couldn't fault this place. The place & ambience are so very beautiful, from going up the steps to the eating area as well as a magnificent view from the top.  

thank God we were there early, it was packed when we left!

The menu is very extensive and super impressive. We took a long while to choose what we wanted cause everything sounded so yummoo! The food was totally excellent. We were served straight away with various complimentary bread & breadsticks with dipping olive oil AND a super yummy bruschetta as well. 

The price - surprisingly pretty reasonable, about RM15 for a full plate of  homemade tagliatino in prawn & cuttlefish creamy sauce. Definitely one of the best value for money experiences we've ever had.

Squeaky totally loves it!

Thanks guys, for one of the most amazing anniversary celebrations I've ever had. I don't know how I'm going to top this off next year. Squeaky, help! :p