Taking the Whole Villa: Planning a Family or Friends Trip to Ubud

A three-bedroom villa changes the shape of a trip. Instead of meeting in a hotel lobby, a family or a group of friends shares one living room, one kitchen and one pool, and the day starts when the house wakes up. Ayawana is a three-bedroom timber villa among rice fields in Kedisan, Tegallalang, about 12 km by road from central Ubud. Here is how booking works, what to ask before you confirm, and how to plan the days on either side of the stay.

Whole villa or one or two bedrooms

There are two ways to book Ayawana, and for a group the difference matters.

• The whole villa. When you book the complete three-bedroom villa, it is private: the villa is for your group only.
• One or two bedrooms. These are available on request under a shared-villa arrangement. Other guests may book the remaining rooms for the same dates, the villa team assigns the bedrooms, and a specific room is not guaranteed. The Master bedroom is normally sold last.

If your group needs all three bedrooms, or wants the pool and living room to itself, book the whole villa. A couple or a small group that is relaxed about sharing can look at the one- and two-bedroom options, knowing that other guests may be staying in the rest of the villa.

What to ask the villa team

The villa team confirms availability and final prices on request, so one complete message saves several rounds of questions. Include:

1. Your dates, and whether they are flexible.
2. Guests and bedrooms. Say how many people are coming, including children, and how many bedrooms you need, and ask the team to confirm that the villa suits your group.
3. Meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available, and breakfast is included in the With Breakfast rate. Say which rate you want and which other meals you would like at the villa.
4. The final price, including any taxes and service charges.
5. Check-in and check-out times, which the villa team confirms when you book.

The FAQ covers the same points and explains how to reach the team.

Sharing the living room, kitchen, pool and yoga spot

With the whole villa booked, the shared spaces are where the trip happens. A few habits help a group use them well:

• Living room. The natural meeting point, with a 32-inch TV for a film night and Wi-Fi for planning the next day.
• Private kitchen. Handy for coffee, snacks and simple meals between villa meals and dinners out. Agree early on who shops and who cooks, and pick up snacks and basics for the first evening on your way.
• Pool. Set a few rules if children are with you, and make sure an adult is watching whenever they swim.
• Yoga spot. A good place for a group session before the day warms up. Ask the villa team what is there, or bring your own mat.

Settle who sleeps where before you travel, so nobody negotiates bedrooms on arrival. The villa also lists CCTV and 24-hour security, plus a parking area, which helps if you rent a car.

Arrival day: allow for the drive

Ngurah Rai International Airport is about 48 km by road from the villa, and travel time depends on traffic. Treat the arrival day as a travel day:

• Ask the villa team to confirm the check-in time when you book, and plan your flight and the drive around it.
• Arrange transport that fits everyone and the luggage. Ride-hailing apps such as Gojek and Grab are common in Bali, but a larger group may need two cars.
• Send your driver the map pin from the location page.
• Keep the first evening simple: a swim, dinner at the villa and an early night.

Plan the departure the same way, with generous time for the drive back to the airport.

Splitting a longer Bali trip

On a longer trip, days among the rice fields pair well with somewhere else. Two ARM-managed options fit naturally before or after Ayawana:

• A beach leg. Bale Bali Batu Belig, between Seminyak and Canggu, is about 43 km by road from Ayawana. Its one-bedroom wooden villas each have a private terrace and full kitchen, so a group would need more than one.
• A last night near the airport. If your flight leaves early, a night in Denpasar takes the long drive out of departure day. The Rooms Apartment is about 11 km by road from the airport, with studio and two-bedroom apartments around a garden courtyard and pool. Cozy Stay Bali, with studio, one- and two-bedroom residences, is about 0.8 km from it.

Reservations for Ayawana and these properties go through the same central ARM reservations team, so one conversation can cover the whole route.

A group trip runs best when the practical questions are settled before anyone packs. Send the villa team your dates, guest count and meal plans, ask for the final price, and leave the rest of the planning for the slow days that follow.