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WHAT TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION SHOULD I CHOOSE?

Bali is WELL known for their luxurious villas, but is that what would suit your family? I'll throw you through some of the pros and cons of the different types of accommodation available in Bali....on our last trip to Bali we stayed in beautiful pool villas, family resorts in a suite, a traditional lumbung (Balinese beach hut) and a big chain luxury hotel! I can't pick which one we enjoyed the most because each came with their own unique qualities! I'll let you decided for yourself...

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PRIVATE POOL VILLA
One of the main reasons most end up choosing Bali for their holiday is to settle into one of their luxurious pool villas! This is one of the reasons we decided to "give Bali a go" Most accommodation we have stayed in around the world has been hotels, amazing facilities, great pools, awesome bars...this was fine when it was just my husband and I, but now travelling with 2 little people in tow, it was a nice thought to have our own little oasis to hang out in, go for a swim in peace and enjoy a Bintang in a sunlounger once the kids went to bed. The very thought (as we have done many times) of being  stuck in a small hotel room once the kids were asleep, simply did not appeal to me for our first international trip! And thus we chose a villa!

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Once you start googling villas in Bali, you are going to be spoilt for choice. There are literally thousands to choose from....budget ones (still with a private plunge pool) starting from around $45pn...to magnificent 10 bedroom mansions with a pool and estate bigger than our house here in Australia for around $5000pn. For that price you may even get your own private beach to laze away endless summer days. The choice is really yours and your budget will pretty much judge what villa you will be able to call home for your holiday. We budget around $1500 per week for a villa...this would be classed as "middle range" in Bali, but remember what they call "budget" over there is pretty much the equivalent of our local Crowne Plaza, so the villas within our range were FAR from middle range to us...but absolute and utter luxury!

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PRO'S

  1. Absolute privacy! After exploring all day, walking the busy streets and day trip adventures...there is absolutely NOTHING better than being able to come back to the peace and quiet of your own villa!

  2. Most villas come complete with a household of staff. Housekeeper, pool attendant, villa manager and often...your own private chef! Instead of having to put on something suitable to attend the breakfast buffet before it closes...the staff will work in on your time. ANYTHING you ask...will arrive at your villa promptly. Each morning our beautiful chef Liza cooked us a feast of bacon, eggs, toast, banana pancakes, an array of tropical fruits and freshly squeezed juices...and of course COOOFFFFEEEE! It's a luxury to jump out of bed to be handed your espresso coffee and a big breakfast waiting for you, all in the comfort of our pyjamas! If your villa does not include breakfast (as did ours on the last visit) the chef will show you the receipt for the cost of groceries (usually a total of about $10AUD) and then ask for around about $10AUD for her service...we left her with extra each day as a tip because her in comparison...where can you get a big breakfast for 4 for $20 in Australia??

      3.   When you get a villa, you get a home away from home. But a seriously cool one, with palm trees lining your private pool or a hammock on your deck. If you want to be budget conscious, you could seriously stock your villa with a weeks worth of groceries (including beers and alcohol) for about $100 and cook your own meals for the family!

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CONS

  1. If you are one to laze about the communal pool, meet fellow travellers and exchange stories of your adventures over a few long island ice teas...then maybe a villa is not for you. What I would suggest instead is what we did on our first trip to Bali was to get a villa that was situated within a resort...that way you get the best of both worlds...room service promptly (although the villa managers at the privately owned ones are too at your beck and call) a main pool to gather and meet people, but then you get to go back to the comfort of your own villa when the annoying person parked next to you keeps talking when you're trying to fall asleep in the sun! Only a small amount of resorts actually offer private pool villas...and they're sometimes a tad more expensive as you are not only paying for your villa but the use of all the resort facilities too. Regardless, if this is your first time to Bali and unsure whether you want a villa or a resort, I would go with this option! I will name a few recommendations in the Seminyak section!

  2. Room service- as mentioned above...if you are used to dialling "9" everyday to reach reception to demand pool towels, a refill of your shampoo or you want 10 bacon burgers delivered to your room...then maybe its not for you. The villa staff will be in the vicinity and only a phone call away to get you ANYTHING you want...but they will have to source it first and then deliver it to your villa. This opposed to dialling "9" and having someone at your door within minutes may deter some! Instead, I always choose a villa based on location...restaurants, mini marts and day spas right out the front door...so if we do need anything, rather than demanding the villa staff to bring me orange juice....I can just get off my lazy bum and walk out the front to get it myself.  What we liked about staying in a private villa this year as opposed to the resort last year is that it forced us out to seek dinner instead of being complacent and ordering room service and thus got to experience some absolutely amazing restaurants!

  3. Can your kiddies swim confidently? This would maybe be the biggest con. Pretty much ALL the private pool villas available do NOT have a pool fence. You can however hire them for them for the duration of your stay for a small cost. I can't comment on the quality of the pool fences as we have 2 little confident swimmers that we feel are absolutely safe around water and hence have never had to hire them. I (maybe??) don't expect it to be up to Australian standards...we have a pool at home and know  first hand the VERY strict guidelines that govern having a pool...so if you feel that your wee ones are not yet competent swimmers, maybe stick to the hotels and resorts instead. Just for peace of mind.

CONS

  • Small hotel rooms, limited space to relax when you want a bit of privacy

  • Neighbours literally on the opposite side of your wall

  • And honestly, you can stay at a big resort anywhere in the world....if you feel like you may miss out on a social connection...you won't! You'll be far too busy making new friends at one of the various pool clubs situated all around Bali.

RESORTS AND HOTELS

PROS

  • Who doesn't love a good hotel and resort? And Bali has some absolutely spectacular ones. Numerous bars and restaurants situated within the complex, kids clubs, 3 pools to choose from...cocktails delivered to you while you lay beside the pool watching the kids play!

  • Most of Balis big resorts line the beach, so if you don't feel like getting out and about then you can just watch one  of the sensational sunsets from the comfort of your own pool

  • Service with a smile...I've pretty much covered room service in the villa section so no need to repeat!

Laksmana Hideaway Seminyak

Laksmana Hideaway Seminyak

Photo- Courtesy of The Padma Resort Legian

TRADITIONAL LUMBUNG

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On our last trip to Bali, we stayed in a traditional lumbung (a beach hut) and let me tell you this was definitely such a great experience. Beautiful thatched roof, bamboo structure, huge outdoor daybed underneath that overlooked the crystal blue sea! If you're someone that cringes at the thought of camping...maybe this may not be your style. But if you'd like to literally feel like you are lost in paradise...then give it a go!

Photo- Hai Tide Beach Resort, Nusa Lembongan via Travelonline

PROS

- Immersing yourself into island life! If you've ever watched "The Blue Lagoon" and imagined yourself waking up to the bright blue ocean at your doorstep and palm tress surrounding then here's your chance to live out that dream!

- Don't be fooled by the exterior, the lumbungs are fitted with all the mod cons! Ensuite bathroom, air conditioning, phone, fridge and tea and coffee making facilities!

- Get the best of both worlds, pretend you're on a deserted island getaway...but have the convenience to have room service delivered to your lumbung. Feeling to relaxed after your daily massage on your king sized daybed underneath the lumbung to go to the restaurant lunch? No worries, call from your daybed phone and your grilled prawn salad and icy cold Bintang will be delivered with a big smile within minutes!

- Enjoying the outdoors...spend your afternoons with the ocean breeze gently cooling you through the humid sun and watching the island activity from your balcony!

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CONS

-Lack of privacy...look, yes the lumbungs are situated about a metre a part, you're basically sitting next to your next door neighbours in your daybed below and in the still of the island night you can hear a whisper and cough over the waves lapping on your steps, but you do get used to it and after half an hour of wondering whether the neighbours can see your front bum you so strategically hide when dipping into the pool...you simply do not care. And neither do they. In fact, we met a load of travellers and locals during our stay and have a lot of fantastic memories of the conversations we had with them!

- Not a fan of getting into the raw energy of nature? Then a lumbung is not for you...however our kids revelled  in catching geckos, watching butterflies fly past and having the sand as our floor in the underneath lounge room.

- Mosquitoes, Bali is a tropical destination..and with that comes mozzies! So we did have to take the time with each application of sunscreen was also a spray all over their bodies with insect repellent. The resorts daily turn down service also included releasing all the mosquito nets and fumigating the lumbung. The kids did get a couple of mozzie bites, but, we think in fact these were from our villa in Seminyak. I am actually allergic to insect repellent...and I didn't get bitten once!

Villa Lataliana, Seminyak. Photo via Ultimate Bali

I'M READY TO START SEARCHING!

WONDERFUL!!!!

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Here is a list of some of the companies we and friends use to book our holiday in Bali! You too can book through an agent...although they mainly promote the big chain resorts and you will miss out on being able to find that special somewhere that will be just perfectly suited to you!All these companies we have used and highly recommend. They promote a lot of the privately owned villas that you would otherwise not find when using a travel agent! And...really, half the fun of booking your own holiday is the search and deciding on your accommodation!

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HAPPY SEARCHING FOR YOUR VILLA, RESORT, HOTEL OR LUMBUNG!

(Or maybe all of them if you choose!)

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  1. Cantik Bali Villas. These guys specialise in private villas (derrr hence the name) their search engine is easy to use and you can search villas categorised into areas you'd like to stay! Sign up to their emails as they often will have a sale frenzy with up to 70% off the normal price! http://www.cantikbalivillas.com/

  2. Bali Villa Escapes. Again the name gives it away! All prices are in AUD and helpful customer service! https://balivillaescapes.com.au/

  3. Booking.com and Agoda! Surprisingly, both these popular search engines have a MOUNTAIN of unique Bali accommodation to choose from and usually comes with a discounted price with inclusions as opposed to booking with hotels and resorts directly! Neither are Australian owned, they do have "Australian contact phone numbers" I do put that in inverted commas because when I have needed to contact them for an enquiry I have been diverted to America, India and even Japan. Download the apps for free on your phone and enjoy searching for your villa in between all the mundane activites like putting a load of washing on! Booking.com- https://www.booking.com/ and Agoda https://www.agoda.com/

  4.  AirBnB. I used to think this company was for BnB's only and never used it. Or maybe like STAYZ...that when you search says from $50pn (yeah, $50 when its winter time, doesn't include linen and you have to pay per kw of electricity used) but AirBnB has now developed into a huge market offering unique accommodation that would not otherwise be advertised on the popular websites. Want a self sufficient eco lodge with its own water wheel hidden in the middle of the Ubud jungle? No worries, AirBnB will take you there! Find them at https://www.airbnb.com.au/

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These sites will just get you started on your search, but there are so many you can choose from to help plan out your Bali holiday. Throw Bali accommodation into google if you wish and have fun searching. xx

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