A morning at Villa Sembilan
We get the same question on day one: what should we do in the morning? The honest answer is “whatever you want”, but most guests, after a long flight, want a script for the first morning. So here’s ours.
5:45am, the first cliff
If you’re going to do one thing only, do this. Walk down the path to Bingin viewpoint with a coffee. The cliffs face east of southwest, so sunrise is a slow side-light. The surfers are already in the water. The road is empty.
Five minutes there, twenty minutes sitting, five minutes back. You’re back at the villa before anyone else wakes.
7:00am, pool first, breakfast second
Skip the breakfast call until after a swim. The pool is at its quietest before 8 and the water is its warmest right after dawn. Twenty laps, then towel off on the deck.
Ask Pak Komang to bring breakfast at 7:30, pancakes, eggs benedict, fresh papaya, a pour-over. He sets up on the covered terrace if it’s already too hot, on the pool deck if it isn’t.
8:30am, yoga (optional)
Three days a week we have a teacher come in. Open-air yoga deck, mats provided, an hour of slow vinyasa or restorative flow depending on what you ask for. Tea after.
If yoga isn’t your thing, this is when most guests do their second swim. Or sit on a daybed with a book. Or nothing at all.
9:30am, make the day’s plan
By 9:30 the heat is starting. This is the moment to decide:
- Drive somewhere (Pak Nyoman drives, you don’t think)
- Stay at the villa (do nothing on a daybed)
- Walk down to Bingin Beach for a swim and a beachside lunch
- Spa session at the villa (Pak Wayan calls and the therapists are here in 90 minutes)
Tell us at breakfast and the rest of the day organises itself.
What to skip
Don’t book activities for day one. You’re tired. Day one is for the villa. Save the surf lessons, day trips, and dinners-out for day two onwards.
Don’t try to hit Padang Padang at sunrise on your first morning. It’s a real spot but it’s also a real hike. You won’t enjoy it half-asleep. Day three.
Don’t worry about missing breakfast. Breakfast is whenever you want, until 11. We’ve served breakfast at 11:55 before, on a slow Sunday. Not judging.