“Paradise Found”

My husband and I had the opportunity to stay at both the Baraza and its sister property, The Palm, for 4 nights after safari. The rooms at the Baraza are absolutely amazing - incredibly large and luxurious. The bedding is lush, the bathtub is inviting and the sitting area is comfortable. All of the rooms have a wonderful patio with a large plunge pool. There is hardly any reason to ever leave your villa. Of course, when you do, you see that the rest of the resort is just as new and beautiful. The spa is gorgeous but I found the services were only "ok". Same with the food - there are a lot of choices and it is definitely good but not great (not as good as The Palm). The resort is pretty quiet at night (but more happening than The Palm). The beach area is nice for relaxing and enjoying the sun but the water is not great for swimming. Unlike The Palm, you do not get a private cabana, but you do have chairs reserved for your villa. Overall, I thought this was a wonderful resort and I hope to return again. For those of you who are trying to decide between The Palm and Baraza, each has some benefits over the other. If you are looking for exclusivity, The Palm is definitely it. There are only 6 rooms, dinners are very private, and you have a private cabana at the beach. The villas at both are very large and luxurious but have very different looks - Baraza is very newer and has a cleaner look with a lot of white and good; The Palm is decorated with dark wood and has more of a "Balinese" feel. The spa at the Baraza is much nicer and offers more services but the massage that I had at The Palm was better. The Baraza has a bigger and nicer communal pool - but you will be sharing it with more people. One thing to note, The Palm does not have a true plunge pool because it is covered by the porch. The beach area at The Palm is nicer than Baraza. Food definitely is better at The Palm but dinner is a set menu so you do not have the same options that you have at Baraza (which has both a set menu and food stations). Overall, I slightly preferred Baraza but my husband preferred The Palm. I don't think you can do wrong at either! Guest nationality: American Reviewed August 25, 2011