Matahari Beach Resort & Spa in Pemuteran, Bali

By Santorini Dave

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Review of Matahari Beach Resort & Spa in Bali.

(Permanently closed.)

Matahari Beach Resort & Spa – Appealing traditional design and ideal location between the coast and mountains.

The lobby features a striking Balinese-style layout with dragon statues and stone bowls of lotus flowers. This traditional design continues throughout the alluring gardens: gazebos shaped like rice-barns, ancient banyan trees, and meandering paths dripping with bougainvillea. All categories of rooms are quiet and secluded and contain Balinese touches such as carved wooden doors, high thatched roofs, and enticing open-air showers. The beach is rocky but better shaded than others, and the mountainous backdrop adds greatly to the dramatic setting. Though it’s one of the first when approaching from Lovina, the resort is isolated from Pemuteran’s modest selection of cafés and shops.

Matahari Beach Resort & Spa – The Location

  • Address: On the main road at the eastern end of Pemuteran, an area that stretches several kilometers across the remote northwest coast of Bali. The first resort, if coming from Lovina.
  • Area: Faces an isolated area of coastline, with very few places to eat, drink, and shop within walking distance.
  • How to Get There: No metered taxis or chartered cars from the airport will come this far (4-5 hours) and there are no direct shuttle buses or any public transport of much use to tourists. The only option is to arrange transfers through the hotel. Ferries from Java arrive every few minutes at Gilimanuk. From there, take a bus towards Singaraja and get off after about 45 minutes.

Matahari Beach Resort & Spa – The Basics

  • Guests: Caters well for all but most guests seem to be Europeans on packaged holidays.
  • Beach: The sand is gray and rocky, which is typical of this area, but the beach is better shaded than at other resorts. Great for sunsets and walks, but less appealing for swimming and sunbathing.
  • Views: All bungalows overlook the gardens; none face the sea.
  • Private Pools/Jacuzzis: None.

  • Extras: Yoga lessons each morning.
  • Wi-Fi: Available free throughout the resort for all guests.
  • Parking: Plenty of free and secure parking, but think long and hard before driving anywhere in Bali.
  • How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
  • Phone: (0)362 92312
  • Email: info@matahari-beach-resort.com
  • Website: matahari-beach-resort.com

Matahari Beach Resort & Spa – Amenities

  • Pool: Quite sizeable for the limited number of guests. Children’s pool attached.
  • Spa: Parwathi is probably the finest in the region, with massages and treatments rarely offered elsewhere.
  • Fitness Center: Decent size and well-equipped.
  • Activities: Tennis, badminton, and volleyball courts. Rental of bicycles, paddleboards, and kayaks.
  • Handy to: On-site dive center.

Matahari Beach Resort & Spa – Food and Drink

  • Restaurants & Bars: Dewi Ramona – Fusion of Balinese and French cuisine in a classy garden setting. Popular for homemade desserts, its extensive wine list, and frequent Balinese music/dance shows. • Wayang Cocktail Bar – Alongside the Dewi Ramona. Packed with lounge chairs, offering signature cocktails. • Leon Beach Bistro – Casual, located near the beach and pool. Specializes in pasta and seafood. Particularly romantic in the evening.
  • Breakfast: Better-than-expected buffet breakfast included in all rates.
  • Room Service: Available during restaurant hours of 7:30 am to 9:30 pm.

Matahari Beach Resort & Spa – Rooms

  • Room Types: Garden View Bungalow • Premium Garden View Bungalow • Deluxe Bungalow • Super Deluxe Bungalow • Villa Cempaka (close by but on separate grounds, with 2 bedrooms)
  • Smoking Rooms: Smoking not permitted in the rooms but allowed anywhere else in the grounds.
  • Best Room: Super Deluxe Bungalows are twice the size of the standard versions. Gorgeous Balinese décor and furnishings, including 4-poster beds and huge marble bathrooms.
  • For Families: All standard bungalows can fit in extra single beds, and the Super Deluxe versions are large enough for 2. The sole Villa Cempaka has 2 bedrooms.

Matahari Beach Resort & Spa – Local Transport

  • Walking & Cycling: Pemuteran is several kilometers long and the limited facilities are spread out, so expect to do a lot of walking. The road is flat and wide, although busy, and reasonable for cycling. The resort offers rental of bikes.
  • Public Transport: Decrepit buses and bemos (minivans) ply the main road, linking all places within Pemuteran and connecting Pemuteran with Lovina, Pura Pulaki temple, and the turnoff to Banjar (see later).
  • Shuttle Buses: No tourist shuttle buses venture this far. They do travel to Lovina, from where it’s easy enough to catch a bus or bemo to Pemuteran.
  • Cars, Motorbikes, & Taxis: There are no metered taxis, so charter a car with a driver for trips outside the region. A few local agencies rent motorbikes (which are a terrific way to explore the north coast) and cars (but driving anywhere in Bali is not recommended).

Matahari Beach Resort & Spa – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

    Nowhere close by, so be prepared to walk, cycle, or use local transport.

  • Warung Dive Bar – Fab hangout for divers and serves excellent food. About 650m west.
  • The5 Garden Resto & Bar – Usual array of Indonesian and Western food, with super-friendly staff and garden setting. About 50m past the Dive Bar.
  • Warung Ganesh – Seats further back from the noisy road. About 1 km west of the Matahari.
  • The Prana – Traditional décor and extensive menu. A little west and opposite Warung Ganesh.

Shops

  • Minimart about 200m up the road, but there are few shopping choices anywhere in Pemuteran.

Attractions

  • Diving – Arguably some of the finest diving in Bali is along the coast nearby. All sorts of trips can be organized at the on-site dive center: Werner Lau.
  • Pulau Menjangan – Part of a national park, this uninhabited island offers world-class snorkeling/diving and rugged hiking. Organize a day trip through the hotel.
  • Pura Pulaki (1.5 km) – Extraordinary beachside temple full of monkeys that actually swim. Close enough to walk or cycle.

Useful (but decrepit) public transport can be used to reach:

  • Banjar (40 km) – Delightful village with fantastic hot springs and Bali’s largest monastery. From the turn-off (50 minutes east), take a motorbike taxi. The walk down (3 km) to the main road from either place is very pleasant.
  • Lovina (45 km) – A more developed tourist region, but beaches here are also grey – not white.
  • Singaraja (55 km) – Bali’s second city boasts a crumbling colonial-era harbor and mildly-interesting museums.

Matahari Beach Resort & Spa – The Hotel

The resort is located in Pemuteran, an isolated area along the northwest coast of Bali.

Matahari Beach Resort is in an isolated part of Pemuteran, an extended area along the northwest coast of Bali with limited facilities.

The spacious resort has several gardens.

The Matahari is spacious and welcoming, with plenty of gardens.

Pemuteran beaches have grey and gritty sands but are ideal for walks and sunsets.

Beaches at Pemuteran are scenic and perfect for walks and sunsets, but the sand is always grey and often gritty.

The resort has put up several shaded lounge chairs on the beach for its guests.

The resort offers comfortable lounge chairs along the beach.

The beach offers plenty of shade and games like outdoor chess.

The beach is well-shaded and often used for more than just sunbathing.

The resort's tropical gardens have several ponds with traditional gazebos.

The sumptuous tropical gardens feature ponds and traditionally-designed gazebos.

A bale Pavilion by the entrance features traditional instruments and cooking implements.

Near the entrance is a bale pavilion with traditional instruments and cooking implements.

The resort gardens are decorated with lumbung rice-barns for guests to relax in.

Among the gardens are buildings shaped like lumbung rice-barns, in which to relax.

The resort grounds are dominated by a magnificent old banyan tree.

Dominating the resort grounds is this magnificent old banyan tree.

Traditional sculptures surround the shaded swimming pool.

The pool offers some shade and is surrounded by traditional sculptures.

The in-house Leon Beach Bistro has a gorgeous beachside setting.

The Leon Beach Bistro is classy.

The bistro even offers tables on the sand.

Tables and chairs at the hotel bistro extend onto the sand.

The beachside bar serves both pool and beach guests.

The beachside bar is set up to serve guests at the pool and bistro.

Breakfast is served at the breezy, garden-side Dewi Ramona restaurant.

The Dewi Ramona restaurant provides a breezy garden setting and serves breakfast to guests.

The Wayang Cocktail Bar features several lounge chairs.

The Wayang Cocktail Bar is packed with lounge chairs.

The chic on-site boutique sells souvenirs and basic daily use items.

A chic boutique on-site sells an impressive range of souvenirs and a few basic items for daily use.

The elegant bungalow decor includes an appealing color scheme.

The décor throughout all bungalows is elegant, featuring an appealing color scheme.

4-poster beds with Balinese-inspired bedheads stand out in all bungalows.

A standout feature is the 4-poster bed with a Balinese-inspired bedhead.

The shady and large bungalow porches have lovely outdoor furniture.

The bungalow porch is shady and sizeable and has lovely outdoor furniture.

The Warung Dive Bar on the main road is very popular.

About 650m further up the main road, Warung Dive Bar is a popular hangout.

The5 just beyond the Dive Bar has a lovely garden setting.

Less than 100m past the Dive Bar, The5 offers a tasteful garden setting.

Warung Ganesh is a lovely restaurant 1km west of the resort.

About 1km west of the Matahari, Warung Ganesh is set back from the busy road.

The Prana, next door to the Ganesh, offers a good menu.

Next to the Ganesh, The Prana offers an extensive menu in a likeable setting.

About Santorini Dave

Santorini Dave Author Bio. Santorini Dave was started in 2011 by a guy who loved Greece, travel, and great hotels. We're now a small team of writers and researchers on a mission to deliver the most helpful travel content on the internet. We specialize in Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece and recommend the best hotels, best neighborhoods, and best family hotels in top destinations around the world. We also make hotel maps and travel videos. I can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.