Bali Travel Tips: My 3 Favorite Guest Houses in Bali

Ubud – Bali

Bali Travel Tips: My 3 Favorite Guest Houses in Bali

I’ve been visiting Bali, Indonesia regularly since 2000. I generally stay 2-6 months each time. My favorite spots around the island keep changing from year to year.

Back in 2000-2002, I immersed myself partying and tanning at Seminyak (before it got over-run by the Kuta sprawl). From the start, I’ve always included an extended stay at lovely Sanur beach in south Bali. I’ve enjoyed culturally-rich Ubud off and on.

More recently, I spent three seasons scuba diving in Amed, Bali’s remote northeast coast. In between, I’ve explored most of the island and its more remote attractions over the years.

Hindu ceremony in Bali

Needless to say, I’ve stayed at guest houses, homestays and hotels around the entire island. I have particular places I visit in many different locations. But following are my absolute favorite 3 guest houses in Bali. I have several others to recommend, so perhaps I’ll write a follow-up post on alternatives.

It might be good to note here what I look for in accommodation:

Nice atmosphere of some sort. Nature of some sort at the room, be it gardens, beach, mountains, great views. Quiet and relaxing. Private room and bathroom. Clean- it doesn’t have to be immaculate, but it can’t be a dump either. Friendly staff and/or owners. Price up to about $10 US / 100,000 rp in Indonesia. Nowadays, I also need wifi or internet access via my own modem.

Those are my main qualifications for great accommodation. Here are my best picks in Bali:

pristine Sanur Beach – Bali

Sanur

Sanur is the only place in south Bali that I ever stay. It’s a great alternative to the horrid Kuta/Legion/Seminyak sprawl.

Originally a fishing town and home to many of Bali’s priest and artist caste families, Sanur offers a 5-km stretch of beautiful beach backed by upscale resorts and boutique hotels. No traffic mars Sanur beach as there’s only a simple walking/cycling path running the entire length. From the beach there are gorgeous views of nearby islands, Bali’s south coast and – in clear weather – stunning Mt Agung volcano.

Sanur’s main town road, Jl Danau Tamblingan, is full of small boutiques, restaurants, cafes, bars and, yes, souvenir shops. But it’s much more refined than Kuta. Sanur is just as close to the airport as Kuta but infinitely less trashy or rowdy.

Yulia Guest house – garden – Sanur – Bali

Yulia Guest House

I discovered wonderful Yulia Guest House way back in 2000 on my first visit to Bali. I’ve been going back ever since. The guest house, set around a lush tropical garden full of flowering bushes and fruit trees, is run by a local Sanur family who live there also.

The owner, Ketut, raises a variety of song birds, which he regularly takes to competitions. His office is stuffed with dozens of trophies that his birds have won over the years. The colorful birds are placed around the garden in various cages. The lovely songs of award-winning birds fill the garden in mornings and evenings.

Over a dozen traditional-style Balinese rooms are spread around the leafy gardens. Most are fan rooms with cold water showers, but Yulia also has a few a/c rooms with hot showers. All rooms have balconies over-looking the gardens. A few upstairs rooms have views over Sanur’s rooftops and down into Yulia gardens.

a few of Yulia guest house rooms

Although Yulia is located right on Sanur’s main road, Jl Danau Tamblingan, once you enter the Yulia compound, the traffic and commotion become a very distant buzz. Yulia is generally very quiet.

Yulia is very conveniently located about one block from Sanur’s wonderful night market and 5-10 minutes’ walk to graceful Sanur beach. Of course all sorts of shops, boutiques, restaurants, bars, internet shops are nearby.

Yulia guest house balcony view

Ketut and his staff are very friendly and welcoming. Breakfast is included in the price. They can help arrange transportation to other parts of Bali, rent bicycles and motorbikes, and offer laundry service. They also have free wifi now, which seems to be standard these days in south Bali, even for guest houses.

Unfortunately for me, Yulia is now beyond my budget! I only stay on occasion when I feel I can splurge. When I started visiting in 2000, rooms were 50,000 rp. The price later increased a bit to 70,000, which is what I paid until a few years ago. Since 2008, however the prices have sky-rocketed. Yulia now charges 160,000 – 250,000 rp / night. That’s a mid-range price for me.

But if you can afford it, Yulia is a wonderful little retreat in south Bali.

* If Yulia is full (which often happens during high season) there are several slightly less expensive guest houses just next door, including Luisa, Coco and Little Pond (at the bend in the road).

Address: Jalan Danau Tamblingan 38 / Sanur / Bali 80228

Contact: 0361-288-089 / from overseas: 62-361-288-089

Prices in 2012: 160,000 – 200,000 – 250,000 rp

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Ubud Water Palace in central Ubud

Ubud

Ubud is the artistic and cultural heart of Bali. It’s home to Bali’s most illustrious dance and gamelan troupes, which perform regularly at several venues around Ubud. The town is also home of many of Bali’s most famous painters, museums and art galleries.

Over the years, Ubud has become a mecca for western artists, musicians, culture affecionados, writers, fashion designers and other creative types. It’s also become a mecca for various healthy living practitioners: yoga, massage, cleansing routines, spas and health food cafes. Today Ubud is a rather bustling town full of boutiques, cafes, restaurants, guest houses, galleries and museums. But Balinese culture, religion and art are equally apparent throughout Ubud.

room at Dani Homestay room – Ubud

Dani Guest House

I just discovered this great little guest house in Ubud this year. Like Yulia, Dani’s consists of a collection of rooms with balconies set around a lovely garden within a family compound. The friendly, slightly shy and quiet family lives there, too, in their own section. A small pond with flowing water adds the soothing sound of water to the garden.

Dani’s Guest House is tucked back a tiny brick alley off Jl Peliatan, one of Ubud’s main roads, which runs north-south just east of central Ubud. Because Dani’s is located down an alley, it’s is supremely quiet. Generally the only sounds are of flowing water in the garden pond, twittering birds, nearby roosters, family members sweeping the garden paths, distant children playing, and ocassional barking dogs.

Dani’s Homestay consists of just 4 Balinese-style rooms. They all have tiled floors, spacious rooms, big beds, furniture, and en-suite bathrooms with hot showers. * Hot showers are a unique feature of Ubud’s budget guest houses. In SE Asia it’s rare to get hot showers with budget rooms!

Dani has both fan rooms and a/c rooms. The room price includes a huge breakfast of tropical fruits, tea or coffee, and a main course, which Dani changes every day. Sauteed noodles, banana pancakes, egg & cheese jaffles, ciabata egg sandwich, spring rolls…

Dani himself is a great host who’s always around to help his guests out with any questions, freshly-made tea or anything else they might need. He cleans the rooms daily. Otherwise, he pretty much leaves you alone to your own devises.

Dani Homestay breakfast

Just one thing… I have to warn people that Dani’s is difficult to find the first time. But never fear- just call Dani and he’ll be more than happy to drive out to meet you at a convenient landmark nearby. That’s how I found the place. An Ubud friend recommended Dani’s place. Dani came over to meet me and then escorted me back to the guest house. Once you know where it is, Dani’s is actually quite easy to find.

Rooms: 100,000 – 120,000 fan / 150,000 a/c

Address: Br. Teruna / Peliatan / Ubud

Contact: 085-238-870-176 / from overseas: 6285-238-870-176

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sweeping mountain views in Munduk – Bali

Munduk

Munduk is a small Balinese village perched on a steep ridge-line in northern Bali, about 20 km south of Seririt city. For some reason, the villagers started opening guest houses for foreigners and it took off.

Nowadays, Munduk has a dozen or so guest houses and small hotels within the village. But it’s far from touristy! It’s still mainly a traditional Balinese villages with some guest houses tossed in.

Munduk is famous for walks in the surrounding mountains and valleys. You can walk to terraced rice fields, waterfalls, mountain villages, and to a massive Banyan tree on a nearby ridge.

cozy hallway at One Homestay in Munduk – Bali

One Homestay

Most of Munduk’s accommodation is priced mid-range to upscale. Prices mostly start at 200,000 rp / night. ( > $20 US) which is beyond my budget.

So I was delighted to find One Homestay after searching through the entire village.

One Homestay is set about 100 M off Munduk’s main road and the rooms face out towards the surrounding lush valleys and ridges. Views of nearby mountain peaks, steeply terraced rice fields, and dense clove plantations fill the horizon from the rooms.

It’s important that One is set off Munduk’s main road. Even though Munduk is a tiny village in somewhat remote mountains, there’s a continual stream of motorbikes and cars racing up and down the narrow road. Beats me why there’s so much traffic! I find it quite ironic and very annoying to visit a beautiful mountain village, surrounded by nature, yet have to deal with roaring traffic!

One Homestay has only 4 rooms. Two are rather spacious and have en-suite bathrooms with hot showers. Two are rather small – just enough space for a bed and table – and share a common tiled bathroom with a traditional ‘shower’. To bathe, scoop water – icy water – out of a large tile container and splash it over your body.

A fun, traditional breakfast is included in the price. It consists of tea or coffee and Balinese sweets. Each day the owner serves a different kind of sweet: sticky black rice, Balinese donuts, sticky rice cakes.

Room price: 100,000 rp larger rooms / 70,000 rp smaller rooms with brk

Address: Jalan Selau / Munduk / Singaraja 81152

Contact: 0852-3718-8980 / 0896-8565-2375 / one_homestay@yahoo.com

* Be sure to mention that Lash recommended you when you visit any of these guest houses. It will be great for me to hear that I’ve sent you their way!

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Interested in being guided around Bali by an expert of the island?

Come join me on my 2-week small group tour of Bali in June, 2014. Four to ten guests will accompany me on a fun culture and nature immersion tour of the Island of Gods: Bali Nature & Cultural Tour

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You might also like to read these Bali Tips:

10 Tips and Cautions for Visiting Bali

Costs of Budget Travel Around Bali in 2012

5 Best Scenic Drives Around Bali

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