Has anyone stayed at either Bali Pavilions in Sanur or The Villas in Seminyak? Both seem quite pricey options and I want to make sure it's worth the cost!! My husband and I are thinking of coming to Bali in September: is this a good time of year? Will it still be hot?! We want to spend some time in the South and are also thinking of Alila Manggis on the east coast and then need to find somewhere in Ubud. How far is Candidasa from Ubud? Thanks for your help!! There's a minefield of hotels out there!

Bali is hot year round.

There have been a lot of reviews of the Villas at Seminyak - do a search on this board.

It sounds like you are considering staying at three different locations on Bali. How much time do you have?

I highly recommend The Legian Suites in Seminyak .Check it out as I found it to be a wonderful hotel and better than villas. It has a sister / brother hotel in Ubud . The Amankila Hotel at Candi Dasa is consistently rated one of the best in the world ( see Conde Nast Traveller about 3 months ago ) People rave about it and its staff etc .It is about a 1 hour drive from Seminyak . Beach elsewhere on that coast has all been washed away and when I last looked the town and other hotels were not very appealing although Alila has been well rated .Also check out The Dusun Villas at Seminyak .Not on beach but lovely and I know a few who have stayed there and been happy .

We stayed at Alila Manggis and enjoyed it. It is a fine hotel and well run with excellent food, The cooking school is worth while. Do not expect a nice beach. In fact you can only walk on beach at very low tide. The water was not clean with lots of trash and debri floating around. They have a very nice large pool. It is a great location to explore all the sights on the East side of Bali. Water palaces are especially worth a trip. It took us about 2 hours to drive to Ubud from Candidasa but the driver took a scenic route through the mountains and we were stopped for a 1/2 hour for a very large funeral procession but that was very cool to see.

In Ubud, I stayed at the Komaneka Suites last April. It was wonderful, among the best rooms (villa actually) I've ever stayed in. It is similar to the Alila, which is just up the road. Komaneka also have a resort in the middle of Ubud, which would probably be more convenient.

A few years ago, I stayed at the Villa Lumbung in Seminyak. It was not on the beach (kind of isolated in fact) but was very nice otherwise. Beach (La Lucciola) was a 10 minute walk away.

Travel and Leisure Australia has in its April 2006 edition voted Como Shambala Estate Bali the best Spa. It says ''This stunning estate, set in a jungle environment at Begawan Giri , is designed with local stone and traditional ylang- ylang roofing ( thatch for those who don't know ).It's a remarkable , memorable place the jury said, one that combines high-gloss luxury with airy simplicity.'' Sounds pretty good .No idea how much but sure it will pop up on your search engine .Interestingly another person in the same edition raves about The Legian . Stayed there and it is fantastic.

We spent two heavenly weeks in Bali last May. We stayed at the Legian two nights (#431) and it was wonderful. We stayed at Amankila and it was exclusive and over the top (actually the exclusivity, privacy and fawning staff were off putting to me.) But my favorite place was Kayu Manis outside Ubud. Only eight suites (much less costly than Amankila), all beautiful, serene. We sat on our terrace each afternoon looking at forests in one direction and rice fields in another and listening to the river below. It's a ten to twelve minute drive into Ubud with a car at your ready. I loved staying there (5 nights) because its living in a village where I went on a photo walk each morning: I was invited in to the houses of the villagers and made to feel an honored guest. Also many people skip the north, a pity. We spent two night at Damai Lovina overlooking Lovina beach. The rooms were elegantly simple and the feeling of the place sublime. The Australian manager is very friendly and accommodating; he took us to a special dance performance and had us sit with him and some of the town big wigs. Bali depends on tourism and it is has not recovered from the recent bombings and the Kuta disaster in '02. They are suffering. I do not think they will be insulted if you suggest paying a price that is 30-40% below their rack rate.Negotiating and bargaining is a way of life there. The only place that will not reduce their prices, even if the place is nearly empty, is the Aman resorts. I wish I could go back again soon.

We stayed at the other Komaneka, a boutique hotel in Ubud itself. The advantage of this is that you can walk out of the door and be within easy access of all Ubud's many attractions.

Here is an extract from my review:

At right angles to the main street in Ubud, lies Monkey forest road. It is lined with shops and art galleries selling Balinese crafts and paintings. Its steep hill leads down to the forest and the monkeys. We stayed at the Komaneka hotel. Komaneka means the fourth son of Neka. The hotel is set back from the road, just behind the Neka art gallery and shop. It proved an excellent base, convenient for restaurants, shops, cultural activities and travel hire. Our room had a bed draped in white, a small garden and a bathroom with a sunken marble bath. The breakfast menu was extensive and the staff very attentive. They will even loan you a temple sash, in case you wish to visit any of Bali's many temples. In the afternoon, complimentary green tea and Balinese delicacies can be served by the pool, or in your room. Although the hotel is in the centre of Ubud, it is surrounded on three sides by paddy fields and overlooks a very narrow, river valley. The gardens are full of exotic plants and flowers. Here, even the creepers on the trees are worthy of a photograph. The hotel has an excellent spa and also offers trips to the Neka Museum and the nearby village of Petulu, where hundreds of white herons fly home to roost each evening. We wished our stay could have been longer.

You can read the full review at
http://www.epinions.com/content_166057447044

We actually picked the best of both worlds-- a stay in the centre of Ubud and then some days in a luxury hotel (The Alila )twenty minutes drive away.

It depends on how much time you have and whether you want to explore the town, relax in the spectacular countryside or both.

Best wishes,

Gill.

Be careful of The Villas in Seminyak there's been reportings of people drowning in the pools. It's small and low quality all I remember from the breakfast was the powder mix orange juice. Got out of that S**T hole the next day

Have stayed at both Villa Lumbung and Komanek Suites in Ubud. Loved them both, but I would probably go for the Komaneka Resort in the middle of Ubud next time.

About weather - Bali is SOUTH of the equator, which means the cool season is June to August. September is still relatively cool.

I just got back from Bali last night, and it was really, really, uncomfortably hot!

Ubud to Candi Dasa is 54 km only.

Bali Pavilions and the Villas doesn't have a beach. They have many hotels for the same budget on the beach.

If you like Alila Manggis then try Alila Ubud, but more central will be Ibah.

We were at the villas in Seminyak three or four years ago. We loved the privacy of our secluded pool and vila. Don't remember any powder oranje juice, only the nices breakfast, freshly prepared in out open air kitchen (in our villa), freshly made coffe and the nicest juices. Also good transport possibilities and great room service and spa. If we go back to bali we would stay there again, although I can see on their website that they had some refurnishing. In the north we stayed at the Bali Agung Nirwana (if I'm not mistaken this was the name). Only three (very large) villas right on the beach, great massage/spa facilities, big pool, very private! Have a good time! Dorenda