The Grand Mirage: The Playful Side of Paradise

Bali is a couple’s paradise.  With its inviting blue waters, friendly locals, white sandy beaches, spicy cuisine and fascinating cultural and religious dimensions, it has forever won a place in our hearts.

Inside the lobby at the Grand Mirage: a waterfall.

Inside the lobby at the Grand Mirage: a waterfall.

The Fighting Couple spent lot of time fighting about where to stay on our first visit to the Island of the Gods.  On one hand, the cultural and handicraft mecca of Ubud called out to us.  On the other, the remote northern part of the island seemed to offer off the beaten path peace and tranquility.  In the end we decided to spend the majority of our time in tropical paradise of Nusa Dua beach, in the lively village of Tanjung Benoa.

Our next task (see fight) was picking the right place to stay.  A location with outstanding ocean front views was non-negotiable. We also wanted a place that had everything: world-class accommodations, amazing food, and of course a spa!  Bali vacations fit the bill perfectly!

The Grand Mirage Resort offers a number of different stay options including a VIP all-inclusive, bed and breakfast, or lodging only.  Simply pick the one that best meets your budget.

The Grand Mirage has two sister properties in the area, the Club Bali Mirage and the high-end Samabe Luxury Villas.  The entire resort system offers a price point for everyone from a pensioner to a princess.

Getting There:

Nusa Dua overlooks the Indian Ocean on the southeast part of the Island and is roughly 30 minutes away from the airport in Denpasar.  You can easily take a taxi or arrange for a private transfer with the hotel.   This is Bali: almost everything is affordable with the favorable exchange rate from the States or Europe.

If you chose to drive, please check out our 7 Steps to Driving in Bali.

First Impressions:

One would be impressed with just the lobby of the Grand Mirage without ever looking at the turquoise saturated ocean, tropical pool area, or spacious and well decorated guest rooms. The open air, three-storied lobby with marble floors accented with intricate inlaid flower designs, anchored by a waterfall in the center of the building, is a showcase. When you enter, you know you are somewhere special. The staff is attentive and kind. In fact, there is more staff than rooms. We felt welcome at once. At the Grand Mirage, every need, every experience is ready to be met.

The Grand Mirage is its own community. You never have to leave the resort.  Board games, pool, indoor theatre for movies, karaoke, kids club where little ones can engage in fun activities sans parents, elegant spa, restaurants, are all on site. It’s a place to make friends or spend alone time as a couple. You literally never have to or want to leave.

A room with a view!

A room with a view of the pool and the ocean!

A Room With A View:

Our room at the Grand Mirage was nicer than our home. The corner room showcased two balconies with views of the ocean on each corner perfect to watch the sunrise and sunset. The rooms also overlooked the pool area. The entry way was framed with Balinese sculptures with low-level spot lights. There was a living room, bar area, and separate bedroom with two beds. Hooray for two beds on vacation! The bathroom hosts a giant soaker tub big enough for two and a mosaic tiled walk in shower.

I want a bathroom like this at my house.

I want a bathroom like this at my house.

Follow the Grand Mirage:

twitter:  @GrandMirage

Facebook: GrandMirageResort

Outdoor Activities:

During our stay, we enjoyed several of the activities. The entire Nusa Dua area is a watersports playground.  You can take out a sea kayak on your own or join one of the many sea kayak tours offered by the resort. (Don’t forget to pack the sunscreen!)  If sitting by the beach and enjoying the sea breeze is your deal, you will not be disappointed.  The resort offers lounge chairs and seaside cabanas with drink service if you wish.  These do tend to fill up quickly, you may want to stake you claim early, or have them hold one for you. Grand Mirage offers tennis courts, an aptly equipped workout facility, bike rental, yoga, beach volleyball and every water sport imaginable. Every day there is a list of activities for the guests to enjoy. Don’t know what to do? Just look at the activities menu! During our stay, Luci walked the beach, while Mike played tennis. Don’t worry if you don’t have a partner. The Grand Mirage has an excellent tennis player on staff who would love play with you!  Mike’s backhand has now been proven ineffective on two continents!

Mike lost again.

Mike lost again.

Pool Party:

Luci’s favorite part of the resort was the pool. Surrounded with lush vegetation, the pool is shaped like a figure eight with varying depths. The kids side, separated by a bridge, features a basketball hoop and shallow wading areas. The other side has a waterfall where guests can sit and feel the refreshing water fall upon your shoulders. It’s a perfect place to spend the day swimming, drinking, swimming, reading and basking in the Bali sunshine.

The beach view

The beach view

The Thalasso Spa:

We saved the best activity for last.  Connected to the hotel is a little part of paradise, the spa.  The entire spa menu revolves around the sea.  The hallway floors within the center are covered with sand and small stepping-stones lead the way to the 16 tastefully decorated themed treatment rooms.  Even the ceiling has an ocean motif.  The moment you walk in, you feel you are peacefully drifting on a warm wave.  The spa menu has both depth and breadth.  The highly trained staff offer a number of modalities including: Swedish, Balinese, and Thai.  Check out this amazing spa:  www.thalassobali.com.

Grand Mirage Spa

Entry into the stress free paradise!

What to Eat?

Buckle up!  There are a host of great food options.  The resort puts on a wonderful spread of breakfast items every morning.  They offer a wide array of fresh fruits and veggies, meats, salads as well as made- to-order omelets. The pancakes, French toast and four types of accompanying syrups were our favorite. There are five restaurants on property for every taste at any time. The Grand Café is where guests have breakfast overlooking the pool. Other options include the Jukung Grill which offers fresh seafood and Australian barbecue; La Cascata with mouth-watering Italian; eat at Chopsticks for Chinese or swim up to the Coconut Bar in the middle of the pool.

Couples Retreat:

Bali is made for couples.  The resort offers an on-site, on-beach wedding chapel.  Where you can tie the knot or renew you wedding vows.  There are even full-time staff members who can assist with all the details from securing a photographer to capturing the picture perfect moment to finding the freshest local flowers.  The Thalasso Spa also has as special room for couples!  Why not splurge for a couples massage or do like we did and try the couple water treatment? (Loved it!).   What is more romantic than a moonlit stroll on the sandy beach?  The hotel can also arrange a picnic lunch if you wish to head off on your own adventure.

Our short stay in Bali was truly made an impact on us.  We are counting the days till our return.  If you have questions about Bali or the Grand Mirage resort, feel free to drop us a line. We highly recommend it!

Lobby of the Grand Mirage

One more view of the lobby, because we loved it that much!

We partnered with our good friends at this Bali resort during our recent visit.  Does this change our opinion of their great service and rates?  Nope.  Not one bit.

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6 Responses to The Grand Mirage: The Playful Side of Paradise

  1. Illia and Nastia July 15, 2014 at 4:13 am #

    We love Bali and this looks like a gorgeous place!

  2. The Fighting Couple July 15, 2014 at 8:25 pm #

    It really, really is. The next time you head to Bali, its a must stay.

  3. Brad Christensen July 20, 2014 at 9:50 am #

    Ok, enough of our boring, average vacations… time to take on something amazing like Bali.

  4. Mike July 20, 2014 at 8:55 pm #

    Brad,

    You are the man! You would love Bali.

  5. Jessie January 24, 2015 at 2:59 pm #

    Hi! Is there scuba diving available nearby?

  6. The Fighting Couple January 24, 2015 at 3:07 pm #

    Jessie- You bet there is. We understand that there of even some battleship wrecks that you can dive on. Your hotel can make arrangements for a provider.