Sharing the Suluban Cliff Villa experience .
Think 5 excited girl friends at the beginning of vacay and you
know you get a chatty, squealish pack. Right?
So then you can imagine what it would
take to shut all 5 of us up simultaneously. This view did it:
As we entered the villa through the sleek living and dining
area, we were unprepared for how astonishing the view would be. The beauty was
commanding no matter where we looked, reducing us wide-eyed and slack-jawed.
The staff, probably used to gawking
first timers, promptly served up a round of welcome drinks to lift us from our
stunned stupor. We quickly organized ourselves into the 4 bedrooms, which were
more like standalone villas.
The villa was staffed with a manager, a chef, and other staff
who would sweetly cater to our every whim. It sounds like a big crew to take
care of 5 girls, but they managed to stay unobtrusive yet ever present. We
could have our meals whenever we want, wherever we want – in the cushy dining
room, at the dining bale by the pool, at our loungers, and everything was
delicious.
We needed pre-order our food and
snacks for the next day so that chef could get it ready, and therefore any
spontaneous cravings may not be satisfied. That was really the only downside
about not having booked with a large commercial resort with a well-stocked
kitchen.
After breakfast and ready to start the day!
The days were languid. The toughest
whether we should read a magazine or take a nap by the pool; have a massage now
or take lunch first; order the nth portion of keropok or have an avocado shake
with palm sugar…
Have I mentioned the infinity pool? Always
inviting, never too cold to swim in (even at night), and has a brilliant glass
wall at the end so you could see the magnificent view while underwater! I don’t
have enough superlatives to describe just how awesome it is, so I’ll just show
you these:
When the sun begins to set, we’ll sit in silence and watch the
sky turn a thousand hues. Only when the last sun ray disappears behind the
horizon do we collect ourselves and prepare for dinner.
Late
at night, we would gaze at the stars and wait for the shooting stars, wishing
the vacation would last a little longer.
Clear cloudless skies, the most gorgeous panoramic sea view,
breathtaking sunsets, cold Bintang with addictive keropok, fabulous massages
everyday, and deliciously cooked-to-order meals – that pretty much summed up
our holiday.
Vacations always leave a lingering
bittersweet aftertaste for weeks upon one’s return to reality, some more than
the others. I’m no stranger to post-vacation-withdrawal, but the Suluban Cliff
Villa left me with a uncommon amount of the blues.
Can’t wait to be back.
