Mr & Mrs Smith

Bali is a long way to go for some cookies, but our foodie initiation to this appetising Indonesian isle begins with a crunch. When the Gangsa’s shuttle driver meets Mrs Smith and me in Seminyak in a van with a minibar and international newspapers, it’s on the hotel’s home-made cornflake cookies that we zero in. Twenty minutes later, we’re fully informed about the Gangsa’s luxury villas and the area – and the only evidence the driver’s welcome treat ever existed is a few crumbs and our contented grins. Our addiction to these omnipresent biscuits has begun…

Tucked away on a demure side road in Sanur, the Gangsa languishes on the south-east shore of the island. Sanur is Bali’s oldest upscale resort and isn’t known for its all-night parties, which suits us perfectly. We meander through the gardens to our beautiful two-storey, One-bedroom Villa. Forget high-tech, these secluded, trad stone villas suggest an enchanting past. The living room, dining room, kitchen and bathroom exist half indoors, half out. Stone, wood and neutral hues complement the overgrown vegetation in the private courtyard. But though it feels like we’re getting lost in an old-world relic, it’s far from old-fashioned: unable to connect to the internet I’m loaned a notebook computer, free of charge.

As the late afternoon rolls by, we’re so chilled out we almost miss the chance for a massage – the spa closes in the early evening. Thirty minutes’ deep kneading of backs and shoulders later we leave the spa limber and delighted. Intrigued to see Sanur’s beach, we explore outside the resort for dinner. The Gangsa shuttle – minus cookies – drops us at a local restaurant, but since we’re not fans of white plastic seating or karaoke, we keep walking to find something more suitable. It’s a reminder that the Gangsa is a sanctuary in a long-touristed corner of the island. After our off-site adventure, our on-call driver promptly transports us back to the villa. Mrs Smith and I don’t feel like we’ve experienced authentic Bali, but this relaxed, family-oriented area is definitely the quieter side of the island. Sanur’s charm lies in discovering the kindness of the people. And later that night we discover how comfortable the king-size bed is as we’re lulled to sleep by peaceful pool views.

A refreshing jump in our pool kickstarts a proper awakening the next morning. After our dawn dip, a classic breakfast of toast, marmalade, scrambled eggs and tea is brought to our villa. I enquire about the Gangsa’s roster of interesting activities, including rice field tours and hideaway picnics. But instead, we opt to poke some fish, taste our first tongue-tingling sambal, and chop up a storm with the hotel’s chefs.

Our Balinese cooking session is the highlight of our trip and ideal for a typically tropical rainy day. Led by Chef-Son, we follow our noses to the local market, a whirl of exotic colour and smells. Mounds of just-caught fish, bright and sparkly, fill the space. ‘Prod their eyes,’ Chef-Son tells us. The more resilient they are, the fresher. We get prodding before selecting ingredients for three main dishes and a soup: prawns for lumpia goring udang (prawns rolled in a spicy sauce), a blue-scaled fish for pan-frying with coconut milk, pork ribs for iga babi panggang, and eye-catchingly tiny eggs for the soup soto ayam (the less we know about these the better). Our haul also includes galangal, turmeric, lemongrass stalks, palm sugar, lime leaves, coriander seeds and lemon basil.

Back at the hotel’s outdoor kitchen, Mrs Smith is so excited to start cooking that the air is thick with English, German, and flying hand gestures. We peel, crack and fillet the fish (tip: cut from the back, not the belly). The meal is unforgettable, especially the iga babi panggang: imagine barbecued pork ribs pan-fried in spices. I feel like Obelix sucking the bones, making that ‘zwack!’ sound. A friend of ours joins us and the celebrations flow into the evening. The chef even whips up a cake at short notice, and we make full use of the night-owl butler service.

The Gangsa’s villas are sufficiently spacious for big gatherings yet cosy enough for intimate getaways. The attentiveness, warmth and enthusiasm of the staff is incredible and we feel very at home cocooned in our ultra-private hideaway. There are a few downsides: you can hear the sound of kids at a school next to the Gangsa and there’s some dusty new construction in the area. Inside the villa, appliances aren’t state of the art; Mrs Smith finds the lighting system has too many switches for too few lights. Nevertheless, remembering the experience puts a smile on our faces to this day. Not knowing when we’ll be back, we take away the amazing recipes and are still enjoying the delicious memories at home. Especially those cookies…