We understand congrats are due Mark (BTW, we like your new forum very much). Just made an enquiry with your (ex) villas, Agung Bali Nirwana and found out you and Putu are no longer anything to do with them anymore , also that the Experience Paradise special we have known and loved is no longer available

Sad day or happy to be out of it?

Rich and Sue

Thanks and yes you are right guys, a couple of weeks ago in fact. Papers signed, honours done, money in bank (non-Indonesian). Now I can honestly say neither myself nor my wife (Putu AKA Suci) (or our / her family) have any finincial interest in / legal connection with Agung Bali Nirwana villas. Chandra is still the MD there though, so apart from the new owners wanting to charge more (and change the menu I believe), I doubt very much will change though. Maybe if you ask if the Experience Paradise rate could be extended to you / returning guests, you might get lucky, but I do not know / can not say. Sad? Not really, the trials of having a business in Bali and not being prepared to deal with certain a holes / pay bribes is something I will not miss. Also, it means the nasty mafia police of Bali can not get their hooks into us financially; we even sold it for a decent profit and without the "services" of a local agent (real estate agents and travel agents in Bali are clear evidence Darwin was right). I hope the new owners / Chandra will have a quiet and enjoyable and profitable time of it, but we are REALLY glad to be out of it, that is a fact. I understand the new owners / Chandra will maintain the philosophy of being eco-friendly, 100% legal and of giving every last cent of service charge to the staff, which makes them unique in Bali in my book. So if you want some great uncommercial / impartial advice people, forget the hotels with their sardine can rooms and profits to people like the Suharto's, go to one of the few Balinese friendly quality acts on the island: Agung Bali Nirwana

I also noticed that the cost of the Villas has risen significantly, but overall they still represent great value. Let's hope the service, etc continues at its high level.

Mark, we had been intending to get to Villa Agung Bali Nirwana for a couple of years and didn't yet In your honest opinion are things still great there of have I left it too late. I understand if you can't make comment.

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Smile and the world you are travelling in will smile back at you

I think things are as they were, pretty much. I do not want to meddle too much in someone else's baby though. I think despite the BS coming from the travel industry and the Indonesian Bureau of Statistics (or is it "What Shall We Say This Time"?), business is veyr quiet in Bali and I do know that Chandra the director / operational manager there (as he was before) can cut walk-in deals if it helps; not that there are many walk-in tourists in that area. I was actually shocked to see someone had built an illegal villa next door!!! Originally it was to be a fish farm but a certain person made sure the facts were known and he did not get his permit (what a joke, a fish farm next to a protected coral reef). So he went and built a villa instead without a building permit. None of my business now of course but I know what I would do! Anyway, I think that he has built everything now; he was completing the pool which is immediately adjacent ABN when I checked it out earlier this year. Sure, I still think this is a great place.