We spent five nights at Maya Ubud over Christmas, and honestly it was just a really lovely break for us. One of those trips where you arrive and immediately feel like, “Yep, this was a good choice.”
We were in Villa 518, which has its own little pool and sits above the river. You can hear the water the whole time, which is really calming, even though you can’t actually see it from the villa. There’s another resort across the river but it’s tucked away behind trees, we barely noticed it, and never saw a single person over there, so it didn’t bother us at all.
The villa itself was very peaceful. We didn’t hear neighbours once. Plenty of space too, big bedroom, a proper lounge area, and a big bathroom. I really liked the outdoor shower, especially after getting out of the pool. The indoor shower‑over‑bath setup wasn’t great for us (we’re not as flexible as we used to be), and even after someone came to look at it, the hot water never quite got to “hot,” more like “warm-ish.”
Everything inside the villa was in good condition. We had a tiny hiccup with the A/C one afternoon but it was sorted quickly. The TV remote had a mind of its own, but we don’t really watch TV on holiday anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal.
Because the villa is at the far end of the resort, it’s a bit of a walk to get to the restaurants, but the butlers were always happy to pick us up or drop us off. WhatsApp made it super easy, we’d message and someone would appear not long after.
One of the unexpected highlights was the wildlife. We saw water monitors wandering around, fireflies at night (which was magical), monkey families with babies, skinks, squirrels, bats, and heaps of birds and butterflies. And ants, of course, it’s the tropics. It really felt like we were in the jungle, but surprisingly we hardly saw any mosquitoes.
The resort has two pools, the main family one and the riverside pool that’s meant to be 16+. The riverside pool is gorgeous and looks straight over the river. The only downside was that there were kids using it even though they weren’t supposed to, and the staff didn’t step in even after we mentioned it. Not a huge drama, but a bit disappointing.
Food and drinks were very good, and the Christmas entertainment was much better than we expected. The riverside spa is absolutely beautiful, honestly one of the nicest settings we’ve had a massage in.
The staff were a real standout. Our butlers, Gus and Rupa, were fantastic, genuinely lovely people. We also want to mention Rupa and Gangga, who were always friendly whenever we bumped into them. Dewi at the restaurant was wonderful too. Actually, everyone we dealt with was warm and helpful. Nothing ever felt like too much trouble.
All up, we’d happily recommend Maya Ubud to anyone wanting a quiet, nature focused stay with great service. We’d definitely consider coming back.
Probably not the best pick for a very active young family, though.
