Six Senses Uluwatu

We’ve found another place that proves our theory about how to enjoy hugely popular tourist hotspots by checking into somewhere fantastic. Uluwatu is most famous for the cliff side temple but also for the jaw dropping waves and you’ll certainly get your fill of that beautiful ocean at Six Senses Uluwatu. Perched high upon the cliff tops, the view of the ocean is vast and satisfyingly dramatic at times. If you want to venture outside the resort and dip your toes in the sea then you can still do that, as well as visiting the culturally important Uluwatu Temple nearby. The traffic in Bali may be patience testing and stress inducing but we guarantee that you’ll get to repair your mind and body by returning to your own slice of paradise at Six Senses Uluwatu. We should probably let you know at this stage that we’re already big fans of Six Senses because as well as being luxurious, they’re all about sustainability and wellness which are two things that are close to our hearts. Luckily Six Senses Uluwatu lived up to our expectations and more.

The Vegan Food

Wow, the vegan food is good here. We’re tempted to just leave it at that because words can’t really describe the mind blowingly good creations of Chef Wayan and his team. In a total incidence of small worldism, we’ve actually eaten Chef Wayan’s food before, when he worked at Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives. We were staying there; he cooked us a vegan version of Indonesian ristjafel; the rest is history. Now he’s back home in the country of his birth, living near his old neighbourhood and surrounded by all the ingredients to make the food of our dreams. Six Senses Uluwatu had only just opened when we visited meaning the only location for dining was at Rocka, the all day dining restaurant which boasts enviable ocean vistas over the infinity pool. By the time you read this, guests will also be able to dine at Crudo, the fine dining restaurant and also at The Cliff Bar which itself has incredible and far reaching views.

Let’s start with breakfast. Tea is loose leaf, served in a pot at our table with cute little woven basket tea strainers which won us over instantly. Coffee is equally as satisfying, served with tiny shots of sparkling water and a slice of lemon inside. Then there is the juice menu which puts all other ‘fresh tropical juice’ menus to shame; juices here would make juice fanatics happy. One of us falls in love with the ‘Yellow Power’ juice made from turmeric, young coconut meat, coconut water and lime; the other is more of a ‘Full Potential’ kind of person mixing it up with carrot, beets, pineapple, ginger and kaffir lime. One of us tries to convince the other to try their juice so they can create it at home on a daily basis but to no avail. Such is life. We eat the most delicious coconut yoghurt, so thick and creamy and hypnotically good to eat. Topped with strawberries or vegan granola and tropical fruits; coconut yoghurt goals were set. We grilled Chef Wayan for tips on how to make it and he made it sound so simple that in our heads we are already artisan vegan yoghurt makers living on that creamy, tangy coconut deliciousness on a daily basis. Only time will tell though.

There are some vegan classics at our breakfast table too; a tofu scramble, served with a fresh sambal (more on sambals later so hold all sambal related questions please) and avocado on toasted sourdough that is so pretty that all other avo toasts on the internet will surely be seething with jealousy.

Pretty food is the norm here though we have to say. Lunch of a jackfruit ceviche is simple and yet perfect in presentation, the mushroom parcels seriously tasted even better than they looked (which was hard to believe) and the simple and funky sounding ‘Beets and Tempe’ was like a colourful food fashion show with edible flowers, beautiful tableware and thoughtful plating.

All this is good of course, but it’s actually just what we’d expect from this luxury brand, where food is always made with quality ingredients and you always feel better for eating it. We are used to checking in to a Six Senses Resort, eating amazing vegan food, then leaving with new commitments to drink infused water and make beautiful plant packed healthy food. But Chef Wayan, how can we say… knocked it out of the park with his ‘Menu Nusantara’. The word ‘Nusantara’ sounds all mystical and magical to those of us not hailing from these parts but it’s actually the word the locals use for the Indonesian archipelago; a simple way to string all 17,508 islands together into one unity. The concept behind this menu is to showcase dishes from all over the country; in essence you get to go island hopping whilst sat at your table. Dinner started with the arrival of a whole array of ingredients, accompanied by Chef Wayan who proceeded to pound them all together, into fresh sambals to accompany our meal. We’ve come to realise from our travels in this country that Indonesians are obsessed with sambal, and so they should be. These wonderful spice pastes, some cooked, some raw, are the nation’s mealtime condiments but vegans need to be aware as they commonly contain ‘terasi’, or shrimp paste. Lucky for us Six Senses Uluwatu is so darn vegan friendly that we could sambal until our hearts content safe in the knowledge that no shrimps had been pasted for us. Fun fact, there are 6 sambals which regularly feature in the ‘Menu Nusantara’, whittled down from a whopping choice of over 100. They held a huge staff sambal tasting session and people picked their favourites to share with their future guests. Man we wish we’d been at that party. Savour the aroma, delve in, then discuss which is your favourite with any passing member of staff who will definitely have an opinion on the matter.

As for our meal, where to start? It is literally impossible for us to tell you about all the individual things we ate as we just had too many (and we were overwhelmed in a state of acute Chef Wayan fandom). You will be better informed though as the menu actually has a description of dishes, including where they originate from, allowing you to pick and eat in a kind of Indonesian-tapas style. The experience no doubt will be the same though, we predict you’ll struggle to guess all the ingredients. There will be moments that you’ve think you know what you’re eating but then you’ll find out that something you thought was from okra is really the seedling of a particular kind of mini banana that is found locally. Foodies will be in heaven.

The Vegan Essentials

As you would expect from Six Senses there are no plastic water bottles in your room (or in fact within the whole resort) but your water is filtered on site and provided in glass bottles. The water is free of charge in your villa but has a small charge in the restaurants with the proceeds going towards providing clean water for local villages. Bathroom amenities are in reusable containers (again, no single use plastic) but we were unable to be sure if the ingredients were vegan, our bedding was feather free with both the duvet and pillows being from synthetic fibre. The onsite Six Senses Spa has many vegan friendly treatments; with wellness being at the core of your stay, why not enquire about the signature treatments or visiting practitioners who will guide you through a series of fitness, wellness and nutritional programmes during your stay?

The Vegan Food Quest Verdict

Check in to Six Senses Uluwatu to enjoy this iconic location in laid back luxury style. Enjoy leisurely and healthy vegan breakfasts then go out of your way to ‘Eat With Six Senses’ by experiencing the wonder of the ‘Menu Nusantara’ at dinner. This truly is a special resort in a unique location where you will be mesmerised by the dramatic ocean views, nurtured by the kind and attentive staff team and pampered during your visit to the Six Senses Spa.

We were guests of Six Senses Uluwatu but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.

Six Senses Uluwatu
Jalan Goa Lempeh
Uluwatu
Bali 80361
Indonesia

Telephone: +62 361 2090300
Email: reservations-uluwatu@sixsenses.com
Cost From: £800 / $1000 (Aug 2018 )