How to find a place to stay in Bali

Never ever ever ever book ahead unless:
 A) you are arriving at midnight with kids in tow on a holiday 
 B) you just want to guarantee a room for the first night 
 C) you like to over pay for things!

Bali has so many budget homestay and guesthouses your head might explode from all the choices.  We booked our first night in Bali ahead of time since we would be arriving at midnight on New Years Eve. We really got ripped off.  But we had 3 toddlers in tow so we needed a guaranteed place to stay.  Turns out our room wasn't guaranteed at all.  But that's another post.

Bali is filled with so many choices all one needs to do is walk or drive around.  Ubud, for example, you can start out on the northwest corner of the soccer (aka football) field (Monkey road & Jalan Dewi Sita) and walk either east or west.  If you walk west you have several homestays with pools that will run you around $20USD that includes breakfast.





We stayed at Gayatri II the first night we arrived in Ubud.  Our neighbors who booked online payed $60 per night.  We just showed up and negotiated a rate of $20 per night which included breakfast. The place was decent but certainly not worth $60 a night, not sure it was even worth $20.  We moved to Pering Bungalows and negotiated a rate of $20 a night including breakfast.  Nice place but we found out our neighbor was paying $17.  There were several other homestays that quoted $15 however they did not have a pool.



If you head east on Jalan Dewi Sita you will find an endless number of guesthouse and homestays for around the same price.   With or without air con, pool or no pool but most all included wifi and breakfast.  The lowest we found was $10USD a night with pool next to the soccer field. Think we will try that one next time we are in Ubud.


We found this to be the same through out Bali. Just arrive in some town, have your family wait at some restaurant and one person spend 20 minutes walking around checking out the different places to stay. Whatever price they say, cringe like you just were punched in the gut. Always start super low and don't be afraid to walk away. Check the comfort of the beds, water pressure in the bathroom and remember to ask if they have wifi. And know for sure if you do book ahead and you haven't previously been there then you are most likely overpaying!

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How to find a place to stay in Bali

Never ever ever ever book ahead unless:
 A) you are arriving at midnight with kids in tow on a holiday 
 B) you just want to guarantee a room for the first night 
 C) you like to over pay for things!

Bali has so many budget homestay and guesthouses your head might explode from all the choices.  We booked our first night in Bali ahead of time since we would be arriving at midnight on New Years Eve. We really got ripped off.  But we had 3 toddlers in tow so we needed a guaranteed place to stay.  Turns out our room wasn't guaranteed at all.  But that's another post.

Bali is filled with so many choices all one needs to do is walk or drive around.  Ubud, for example, you can start out on the northwest corner of the soccer (aka football) field (Monkey road & Jalan Dewi Sita) and walk either east or west.  If you walk west you have several homestays with pools that will run you around $20USD that includes breakfast.





We stayed at Gayatri II the first night we arrived in Ubud.  Our neighbors who booked online payed $60 per night.  We just showed up and negotiated a rate of $20 per night which included breakfast. The place was decent but certainly not worth $60 a night, not sure it was even worth $20.  We moved to Pering Bungalows and negotiated a rate of $20 a night including breakfast.  Nice place but we found out our neighbor was paying $17.  There were several other homestays that quoted $15 however they did not have a pool.



If you head east on Jalan Dewi Sita you will find an endless number of guesthouse and homestays for around the same price.   With or without air con, pool or no pool but most all included wifi and breakfast.  The lowest we found was $10USD a night with pool next to the soccer field. Think we will try that one next time we are in Ubud.


We found this to be the same through out Bali. Just arrive in some town, have your family wait at some restaurant and one person spend 20 minutes walking around checking out the different places to stay. Whatever price they say, cringe like you just were punched in the gut. Always start super low and don't be afraid to walk away. Check the comfort of the beds, water pressure in the bathroom and remember to ask if they have wifi. And know for sure if you do book ahead and you haven't previously been there then you are most likely overpaying!

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Is Bali Safe?

I'll admit I was concerned when we first started considering a visit to Bali. I only knew two things about Bali
1) My wife always dreamed of visiting the island
2) There was a terrorist bombing there a few years ago

As I did more research into Bali, I heard over and over that it is safe to visit. It is a favorite vacation spot for Aussies, especially those from western Australia. But the bombing kept nagging at the back of my mind.

Well, I bit the bullet and went along with the plan. We landed on New Year's Eve and watched the fireworks lugging our baggage through the airport. Check out the video here.

The plan was to spend a month in Bali. So we rented a car to see the island, staying in Kuta, Sanur, Ubud, Uluwatu, Amed, and more.

The island is spectacular and I am so glad we had the chance to see all that Bali has to offer. We made it out alive too!

But is Bali Safe?

Bali is definitely a third-world place. There is a high level of poverty and daily life for the Balinese is much more difficult than what we're accustomed to. From what we saw, the people were some of the friendliest, good-natured and generous we've ever met. I couldn't imagine a Balinese person becoming hostile enough to harm a tourist.

In retrospect, renting a car to drive the island was not safe. The roads are not well marked, super narrow and very windy. Motorbikes are everywhere and love to pass from all sides. Our toddlers were in booster seats, buckled (most the time). Instead of an actual carseat, we had to use a baby seat made for a  bicycle. I was white-knuckled the whole time I drove. We should have hired a driver to take us from city to city. It probably would have been cheaper too!

We made it 29 days without any significant incident. OK, I may have left some paint on a few parked cars and we had to pay off a cop in Sauur, but both are to be expected, I suppose.

On our last full day, I was walking back from dropping off laundry in the morning. I stepped out to cross the street and heard some shouts. As I was turning to see what it was, I felt a motorbike hit my ankle and saw the driver fly by! I guess I should have looked both ways before crossing the street (I only repeat it ad nauseum to our kids). For the record, he was going the wrong way down a one-way street (and pretty fast too).

He got the worst of it. But we were both fine and gave each other a thumb's up before going our separate ways.

Do you think Bali is safe? Let us know below...

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Is Bali Safe?

I'll admit I was concerned when we first started considering a visit to Bali. I only knew two things about Bali
1) My wife always dreamed of visiting the island
2) There was a terrorist bombing there a few years ago

As I did more research into Bali, I heard over and over that it is safe to visit. It is a favorite vacation spot for Aussies, especially those from western Australia. But the bombing kept nagging at the back of my mind.

Well, I bit the bullet and went along with the plan. We landed on New Year's Eve and watched the fireworks lugging our baggage through the airport. Check out the video here.

The plan was to spend a month in Bali. So we rented a car to see the island, staying in Kuta, Sanur, Ubud, Uluwatu, Amed, and more.

The island is spectacular and I am so glad we had the chance to see all that Bali has to offer. We made it out alive too!

But is Bali Safe?

Bali is definitely a third-world place. There is a high level of poverty and daily life for the Balinese is much more difficult than what we're accustomed to. From what we saw, the people were some of the friendliest, good-natured and generous we've ever met. I couldn't imagine a Balinese person becoming hostile enough to harm a tourist.

In retrospect, renting a car to drive the island was not safe. The roads are not well marked, super narrow and very windy. Motorbikes are everywhere and love to pass from all sides. Our toddlers were in booster seats, buckled (most the time). Instead of an actual carseat, we had to use a baby seat made for a  bicycle. I was white-knuckled the whole time I drove. We should have hired a driver to take us from city to city. It probably would have been cheaper too!

We made it 29 days without any significant incident. OK, I may have left some paint on a few parked cars and we had to pay off a cop in Sauur, but both are to be expected, I suppose.

On our last full day, I was walking back from dropping off laundry in the morning. I stepped out to cross the street and heard some shouts. As I was turning to see what it was, I felt a motorbike hit my ankle and saw the driver fly by! I guess I should have looked both ways before crossing the street (I only repeat it ad nauseum to our kids). For the record, he was going the wrong way down a one-way street (and pretty fast too).

He got the worst of it. But we were both fine and gave each other a thumb's up before going our separate ways.

Do you think Bali is safe? Let us know below...

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Breakfast on the Beach in Sanur

 

Our favorite little breakfast place is entertaining and cheap!  (Really, our criteria for any meal.)  Just down the street from our favorite homestay, Little Pond, is Luhtu's.  It's right on the beach at the end of Jalan Pantai Karang to the left.

The kids love to play and explore the beach while we sit and enjoy our coffee.  For 60,000 Rupiah ($6USD) we got two American breakfast.  Pot of coffee, Juice, fresh baked bread, omelette and fruit plate.  Enough for all of us to share.

We especially loved going during low tide.  The kids got to explore the boats, saw fish, squid and crabs and explored the tide pools.  The turtle sanctuary is on the opposite side of the road.

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Pering Bungalows, Ubud, Bali

We stayed at the Pering Bungalows on 3 separate occasions so it must be a decent hotel, right?  Pering Bungalows is located near the northern corner of the soccer field off Monkey road in Ubud.  The location is quiet and perfect for exploring Ubud.

The accommodations are a bit dated but the beds are comfortable and the rooms are big.  Our favorite room was #4 downstairs.  We had a double bed and an extra mattress on the floor for the kids.  The rooms downstairs have aircon while the rooms upstairs get a nice breeze and are fan only.  We stayed a couple nights in the fan only room upstairs and did not need aircon.  Although it was January and the nights were a bit chilly.


All rooms are big with larges terraces to enjoy afternoon coffee or tea.  A large breakfast is served on the terrace every morning.  Breakfast was a fruit plate with coffee or tea and choice of either a banana pancake or eggs and toast.

The bathrooms are huge but also a bit dark and dated.  Water pressure was fine but could always be improved.  Wifi was excellent last time we stayed however the two previous times it was hit and miss.  Their is also a pool that the kids loved playing in a few times despite being so cold, but it was January so maybe it warms up in the summer.




Pering Bungalows seems to get people who stay long term year after year.  We paid $20 USD a night however our neighbor paid $17 a night so negotiate everything.  The people who run the hotel are incredibly nice and accommodating.  We really enjoyed staying here and would probably stay here again.  I know there are better places but you get a lot for your money here!




http://www.peringbungalow.com/

Anyone recommend another place to stay in Ubud?  Please share with us

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How we got dysentery on our Gili Islands adventure

The Gili Islands are stunning and we had the best time ever!  Or should I say, we SHOULD have had the best time ever!

Let back up just a bit.  We start our journey on the beautiful island of Bali.  We decide to catch the fast boat from Ahmed since it was only a 40 minute ride.  We've heard stories of rough seas and wanted to avoid everyone getting sick.  We roll into town late, book a boat for early the next morning and find a crowded restaurant to have dinner.  Crowds always mean the food is good, right?  The pink chicken should have tipped us off that something wasn't right. But, the food was great and some of the best fish I've had so far.
They offer us a room for super cheap (like $10 cheap) so we crash there for the night.

Everyone falls asleep quickly and Nick goes out to have a beer with the captain.  While having drinks Nick overhears the owner of the place mention he just brought his kids home from the hospital and they had dysentery.







Fast forward 24 hours and we are in the pristine Gili Islands.  Now cue dysentery. Well, I'm sure you don't need details. Everyone was falling like dominos.  Parents were on a rotation of sorts taking the healthy kids out to play.  That is until one parent went down.  Thank goodness one remaining parent never got sick.

We tried to make the best of a bad situation. Hopefully, we can make it back one day to experience the islands.

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Things to do in Sanur with kids

Sanur was the perfect place to slow down and catch our breath as we were exploring Bali. Sanur has a beach, a night market, things to explore and dirty cops!  Perfect for us!

Peekaboo - is a huge indoor and outdoor play area with so many things for kids to play on and do.  They even have a toddler and baby area, yet with the kids running everywhere there was no separation.  Our kids loved running wild both indoors and out.  We loved the air-conditioning and the fast wifi and the break from the kids.  There is even a cafe with excellent lattes.  A bit pricey, but 85000 rupiah gets you 3 hours of playtime for one child and one adult.  Socks are required.  http://www.peekaboofun.com/

Breakfast on the beach at low tide - We got to sip our coffee with an awesome breakfast while the kids explore the beach and played in the low tide.

Swimming - Our kids loved swimming in the hotel pool and the ocean everyday.  They have become such great swimmers being in a pool everyday.

Night market - Sanur has such a great night market.  The kids spent most of their time hovering  around the man selling little hermit crabs while we sat and ate some yummy and cheap food.


Sea turtles - There is a sea turtle rescue area right on the boardwalk. The kids loved watching the baby sea turtles swim in the tanks. Although touching is forbidden, we happened to be there when they were taking pictures for some Bali tourism magazine. The kids got to pick up the turtles and be in a magazine!

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Leggie's in Uluwatu

Everyone seems to say the best hotel in Uluwatu is The Gong, but Leggie's was so much better!  Leggie's is at the top of the stairs leading down to Bingin Beach.  It's a great homestay with big clean rooms and a great pool!

As with all the Uluwatu beaches, you have to hike down lots of stairs (seriously) to reach the beaches but the beaches are well worth the hike!

We took a room with a double and twin bed and fan for $15USD.  We wanted air con however they wanted $25 so we settled for the fan.  Plus the air con didn't work that well so why waste the extra money.  They also have a nice pool which is key for us since the kids live in the pool.

We loved Leggie's for the room price, but not the food price.  Leggie's is self-contained so you don't need to leave for any meal.  Meals start about $2.50 but they can add up quickly if you are eating all your meals there.  The food is good, except don't order the beef burger and expect to get real beef.

Over all the rooms were clean and beds were comfortable to sleep in.  Water pressure was not the best and they only have cold water.  But after a day at the beach and climbing back up the stairs you will appreciate the cool shower.

Tip: Try and get an upstairs room for better breeze.  Also, go to the store and get food to make your own sandwiches. For a family of five, our food bill was more than the room bill!

Anyone have any other hotels they recommend in Uluwatu?  We are always looking for a new place to stay.

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Leggie's in Uluwatu

Everyone seems to say the best hotel in Uluwatu is The Gong, but Leggie's was so much better!  Leggie's is at the top of the stairs leading down to Bingin Beach.  It's a great homestay with big clean rooms and a great pool!

As with all the Uluwatu beaches, you have to hike down lots of stairs (seriously) to reach the beaches but the beaches are well worth the hike!

We took a room with a double and twin bed and fan for $15USD.  We wanted air con however they wanted $25 so we settled for the fan.  Plus the air con didn't work that well so why waste the extra money.  They also have a nice pool which is key for us since the kids live in the pool.

We loved Leggie's for the room price, but not the food price.  Leggie's is self-contained so you don't need to leave for any meal.  Meals start about $2.50 but they can add up quickly if you are eating all your meals there.  The food is good, except don't order the beef burger and expect to get real beef.

Over all the rooms were clean and beds were comfortable to sleep in.  Water pressure was not the best and they only have cold water.  But after a day at the beach and climbing back up the stairs you will appreciate the cool shower.

Tip: Try and get an upstairs room for better breeze.  Also, go to the store and get food to make your own sandwiches. For a family of five, our food bill was more than the room bill!

Anyone have any other hotels they recommend in Uluwatu?  We are always looking for a new place to stay.

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Bali Night Market in Sanur

Cheap eats and lots of entertainment for our kids,  That is our ideal dinner!  The night market in Sanur has it all.  We got a huge plate for noodles for only 10,000 Rupiah ($1USD).  Cooked fresh and it was delicious.  There are lot of food stalls to choose from.  One of our favorites was the smoothie guy who had fresh mango / dragonfruit drinks for only 7,000 ($.70USD).  We also loved the chocolate milk pancake lady for dessert for only $1.  Plates are big enough to share.  Grab a big bag of baked and fried treats too for only $1 for breakfast.

The night market starts at 6pm which is a little late for us but still worth it.  The kids were enthralled with the crab man the entire time we were there.  We bought our kids a hermit crab and house ($.50) while we were at the night market and it was well worth the 24 hours of entertainment it brought the kids.  Of course, we seemed to repeat the purchase each night due to some unfortunate accident.  Poor crabs.

Where is your favorite cheap night market for dinner?

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