(Originally written on December 11, 8:34am)
I’m sitting at the writing desk inside my bungalow at Villa O’Hea in Ubud, Bali.
I just woke up. The windows and doors are open, and my view outside is unbelievable. My bungalow is next to my parents’ and I can hear their morning routines of making coffee and watching the news.
It’s windy outside and the leaves are rustling about. It just started to rain. I see flags and Bali’s version of a scarecrow in the rice paddies below starting to shift about.
—
“You’re a very lucky, girl you know,” Tante Yanthi said as soon as we left the King’s side yesterday.
“Oh, I know,” I said.
“This was all meant to be,” my aunt continued. The Gods of Bali are showing their approval the way this happened all so easily.”
—
I found our wedding venue yesterday. Even though I don’t have final a guest count, our date, or even a budget, I’m confident that the Royal Pita Maha will be the amazing destination I’ve been dreaming of.
The first time I came to Royal was almost exactly 10 years from today.
Tante Yanthi, her daughter, my mom, my brother and I came to Bali for the first time in July 2014. We’d spend a week hanging out at beach clubs, eating delicious food, shopping and chilling out.
One of my favorite memories (and maybe the one that sparked my love for travel writing) was our one-night stay at Royal. Tante Yanthi pulled out all the stops and we had the amazing opportunity to stay at the King’s most exquisite property.
I fell in love with the intricacies of the stone sculptures and the nature surrounding the property. We slept in one of the honeymoon suites above the Ayung River, the holy waters, and trees older than all of us combined. I look back at the photos I posted and I’m still amazed by the hundreds of places to get lost and soak up the scenery.
Even 10 years ago, I knew in my heart I’d get back to this magical property.
We’d spend the rest of our time in Ubud exploring museums and marketplaces before visiting the Puri, or Palace, where the King and his family lived.
Two courtyards in the palace are open to the public for photos and a nightly legong show. But Tante Yanthi took it another level and arranged for us to meet Tjokorda Putra Sukawati, the King, himself.
To our amazement, we were invited inside to have tea with him and chat about Ubud, the Gods of Bali, local art and culture, and all of the reasons we needed to come back for another visit.
I never forgot about that amazing afternoon and I mention it often when people ask me about traveling to Bali.
—
Yesterday was full of surprises. Tante Yanthi joined us again in Bali and we met up in Ubud. I scheduled some wedding site visits this week and she came early to stay with us before an event. From the moment we met up with her, our time together was full of laughter and serendipitous moments.
After our first dinner together, she took us next door to one of the King’s other hotels. As soon as she walked in, she was greeted warmly by the staff who had seemingly known her for years. She wanted to show us a few of her favorite hotels as wedding venue inspo, and I knew in the back of my mind that the Royal Pita Maha would come up.
She made arrangements for us to come back to the hotel the next morning for breakfast and I told her I wanted to show mom and dad Royal as a potential venue option. The hotel manager alerted the event coordinator at Royal about our tour request.
The magic was already beginning.
After a delicious breakfast, I ended up rescheduling my appointment at a nearby Marriott hotel. (Spoiler alert: I never made it to any of the appointments I originally scheduled ;)) We packed up, hiiighly caffeinated with local kopi, and made our way to Royal. Magically, they could squeeze us in for a visit in 30 minutes.
We arrived at the lobby at Royal, which was tucked off the major thoroughfare. Surrounded by trees and a gigantic statue, the sense of familiarity took over.
Mom waited in the restaurant overlooking the rainforest while the rest of us toured the hotel with Swetha (my new best friend ;)).
There was another small wedding happening as we walked by the waterfall. We found cover from the rain in a venue space right above the river and watched river rafters float by until we found umbrellas.
