My brother picked out Tegal Sari on the net, and it looks good for the 3 days that 5 of us will be travelling together. Does anyone know how far a walk it is into Central Ubud from there?
My husband and I will have 4 days before the rest join us. Any suggestions for a different hotel that also has air conditioning, but with a more Balinese style than a big western style hotel. I'm thinking that we'd stay in Ubud for pretty much the whole time and do day trips from there.
However, if there's a must-stay kind of place NOT in the beachy,touristy areas, with great views or close by activities that would be better than stationing ourselves totally in Ubud, I'm open to that too.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Tegal Sari is a fairly good value but there are a few things I don't like about it. When I visited there, I didn't find the staff to be very friendly, but that could have been just an off moment or bad timing. What I really don't like is that they require you to pay in full when you book, and they are absolutely insistent upon this. The place just didn't feel special to me. It is very popular with Australian tourists.

Alam Sari is my favorite place in the Ubud area. It's in the village of Keliki, and really is a special place that is unlike any other. It's a bit farther from town than Tegal Sari (10 minutes by car, no problem any time of day or night), but you won't mind that a bit. The staff are lovely, and the activities you can choose to participate in are varied and excellent. If you e-mail the owners they will answer any questions you have and will happily arrange virtually anything you like. The village walk through Keliki (with Dewa if possible, he's lovely) will change you and how you see and think about Bali. It's wonderful.

www.alamsari. is full of information. Check the activities, courses and tours sections to see all that you can do from there...and if you have another idea, they'll be happy to help you in any way they can I'm sure.

We spent 10 days there over Christmas/New Year 2004/2005 and could have easily spent months. I don't think that spending your entire week or 10 days would be a mistake at all.

I've just returned from a trip that included 3 days in Ubud. We stayed at the Alila, which was a bit far out, but very lovely. The hotel had a free shuttle into town(about a 10-15 minute ride) every 2 hours until 6PM, and a return shuttle from town alternate hours until 7PM. The cab ride from the hotel into town at other times was 60,000 Rupiah(about $6.75USD), and a return cab ride could be bargained for 40,000(about$4.50USD).

Our rate included one fifty minute massage for the two of us, and breakfast every day. A high point of our stay was sitting in the Balinese-style open air dining room for breakfast while watching a family of monkeys cavorting right next to us.

The grounds are set back from the road, in the rice paddies, perched above the river gorge with a fabulous view from our balcony. Service was impeccable, and we would certainly stay there again.

The other side of the road from the Alila is the Komaneka Suites. I think it's a bit smaller than the Alila, but very nice. It's all villas perched on the steep slops of a valley. Same transport deal as the Alila - in fact they sometimes share the van with Alila, but I remember no problem arranging a pickup at 8 or 9 at night.

Komaneka has a sister property right in the middle of Ubud, called Komaneka Resort. If you don't like the idea of being so far from town, I'd stay there.

Heaven on Earth is the Four Seasons-Sayan in Ubad. in a deluxe room (no need for a suite). It is pricey but worth it. The food there is excellent and there are 4-5 restaurarants off-site that we really liked. A day trip with a guide and driver if NOT acquired through the hotel should be $60-$75 dollars with gratuity for an 8-9 hour day. That is for an English speaking guide plus a driver and a comfortable van with A/C.Cannot be beat. Since it is 3 days the cost diffewrence from others less expensive if not significant on the total cost of your trip, in my opinion. But stay away from Aman resort there. we tayed there in 2002 and did not enjoy it and it was 1/3 more than FS.

Based on the Tegal Sari choice for the other days and the mention of wanting air conditioning, I was guessing that susncr was looking for a place in a similar price range. There is certainly no shortage of stunning properties in all price ranges though.

I think there is a considerable cost difference between a place that costs say $400.00/night and a place that costs $50.00/night. Over 3 nights, you spend $1050.00 more...the price of a plane ticket from the US to Asia.

I could go higher in price, but I'm not inclined to go luxury, as it seems like there are a lot of nice, but moderately priced places to choose from.

On the other hand, I'm open to listening to any pitch! Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

We stayed at the Alam Sari in July (following Kim Japans recommendation!). Not the most luxurious place, but very comfortable ans the staff were so friendly and very helpful and the food was good and there is a very wide range of activities. we had a very nice room with great views over the rice paddies. The people in Keliki village are very friendly and there is a fantastic walk through the village, paddies and valley all the way into Ubud (highly recommended if you enjoy walking - about 7/8 miles). Also highly recommended is the cycle ride where they drive yoy to teh top of the volcano and you ride back down through the villages to the hotel (2/3 hours). It is far enough out of Ubud to be peaceful but close enough to get into town if you fancy a change of scene/food etc.
Kim Japan - Thanks for the recommendation!!

crellston...I'm so glad you enjoyed your stay at Alam Sari. It's not luxury in the way of the 10 times more costly Four Seasons, but it has everything you need...hot water shower, air con, comfy bed, spa, good food, excellent staff, wide variety of activities that are not grossly overpriced. We can't wait to go back!

Thanks for the info Kim and Barb. I am planning to do the cycling trip near Gunung Batur(if the weather cooperates!

Looked into some of the other hotels mentioned and there seems to be a big jump in price between the moderately priced and the next tier. Since I'm someone who does not spend much time in my room (prefer walking, walking, walking) I don't know if it's worth it. However on another thread the Royal Puti Maha was mentioned. That's more than I want, but another hotel, the Puti Maha (not Royal) was also mentioned. Does anyone know anything good or bad about that one?

The Pita Maha is owned by the same group that owns the Royal Pita Maha and the Tjampuhan Hotel. The Pita Maha is a lovely property, with nice views, and the rooms with private pools are quite stunning. The price is in the $200.00 - $500.00/night range, higher prices for nicer rooms. Location is just outside of town...walkable in about 30 minutes, car in about 5 minutes.

I took a tour of the Pita Maha last time I was in Bali and liked it a lot. Staff was gracious and professional. Spa looked excellent. Unless you could get a very good price for this place, though, you might get more value in some of the other upscale places that are in the same price range.

Actually, if the Pita Maha seems like the sort of place you are looking for in terms of location and style, try the Ulun Ubud. We stayed there 11 years ago, and toured it again 1 1/2 years ago. It's better now than it was 11 years ago, and it was great then. It's location is just outside of town, too. Easy drive, intermediate length walk. Transport easy to find anyway. The price is very good as well. www.ulunubud.com

susncrg, I've never visited the Tegal Sari so I can't comment, except to say that it is right in the middle of Ubud proper. Some people like that because it makes it very convenient to shops, restaurants and performances, but for me the appeal of the Ubud area is getting out of town to the country side.

All of the resorts provide transport into Ubud so you can still take advantage of the town when you want to, but the hiking, rafting, bird & monkey watching, village temples and festivals are more accessible if you're on the outskirts.

I personally like the Alila (even though the design is more contemporary than strictly Balinese). It's very well designed and has spectacular views, a lovely pool, and a very good restaurant (but a bit pricey). The trekking guide, Sanputu, is one of the best I've explored with.

I'm also very fond of the Alam Sari -- not so much for the aesthetics, though it's in a lovely location -- but more for the sincerity and personal attention.

Thanks Marmot-
I did go to the Alila website and it looks beautiful. However, our land tour on Bali is really a weeklong adjunct to our real reason for being here-a10day liveaboard dive trip, which we depart upon after our on-land trip. Because that is quite expensive, and because we spend very little time in our rooms (we love to hike and explore), I can't wrap my head around the prices for the luxury hotels in Bali. Are the moderately priced ones still well appointed and nice? Are the really expensive ones that spectacular?

I will admit that I really did enjoy the Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok and the attendant luxuries, but even that was considerably less expensive than the Bali luxury hotels. Worth maybe splurging one night and going moderate the rest??

Since you said you enjoyed the Peninsula in Bangkok, I think I can give you a pretty good answer, as we also have enjoyed the Peninsula very much (3 times, booked for a 4th).

When we were last in Bali in Dec 2005 Jan. 2006, we wanted to find a nice, small, well appointed place with good service and something unique. We didn't really have a price range in mind, so looked at all of the options. I sent dozens of e-mails to various places, describing what we wanted and asking what they could do for us, and also about children as we have a daughter who is now 9 who depends a lot on making friends on holiday. We got dozens of answers back, most very nice. But the most personal ones were from Alam Sari and Klub Kokos, both quite inexpensive. Over time, we worked out our dates and what we wanted to do, and Aprile, one of the owners of Alam Sari, really did a lot to arrange a lot of activities for us...consequently, you'll see our pictures on their website under "courses" and "kidz." And, no, I don't work for them, benefit from anyone going there on my recommendation, or anything like that, we just loved our time there.

Alam Sari is not the Peninsula, nor does it pretend to be. It's a whole different kind of place. The rooms are clean, beds are comfy, showers are hot, air con is cool, food is great, drinks are varies and great, pool is beautiful, staff is warm and friendly as well as good at what they do.

The service is just as good as any 5 star place, if not better in a way, because not only do you get your coffee fresh and hot, but you get to talk about the waitress' daughter who is at home, the driver's family and how he met his wife... When you ask about maybe taking a trip somewhere, you don't get the standard answer of "we offer an 8 hour tour to ______ for _____ rupiah." Instead, you are asked what you are interested in seeing or doing, how much time you want to spend, suggestions are made, many of which you hadn't even thought of. It was so nice, and so personal.

I'll be the first one to admit I love posh hotels. I really do. I love the atmosphere. I love the facilities. And I think I would be unhappy in most of the places in Bali that are under $100.00/night. I really do. But Alam Sari was special for us, because of the service, because of the people we met there and the things we experienced, because of the friends we made, because of what we learned.

If you are not interested in doing some of the activities and getting to know the staff there, then I don't think your experience at Alam Sari would really be much different from your experience anywhere else. But if you want to try and tap into just a bit of what Bali is like on the village and personal level then it is perfect.

There are so many places that offer a room at a low price in Bali, but that is all they offer. The high priced places can offer you an EXQUISITE room with an EXQUISITE VIEW with the same amenities. The higher priced places will lack the resident lizard in your room, though.

If the aesthetic is your primary concern , then the luxury places are for you. If you would rather get into the culture as much as possible and be a participant rather than a spectator, then Alam Sari is for you. If you want to have an inexpensive yet comfortable place to stay and you are not concerned so much with aesthetics or getting into the culture, then any of the places around $50.00 a night would be fine.

The difference between $50.00 and $500.00 a night? The looks and the view. The room decoration. The lack of lizards. And in most places of around $50.00 a night, I would not expect anything near to the service we had at Alam Sari, nor would I expect anywhere near the level of service you'd get at the Four Seasons. In some cases, you will find that the English language skills of staff in lower priced places is not so good.

We will go to Bali again, and we will stay at Alam Sari. Would I like to stay anywhere else? Honestly, no. But for our next trip, I've already booked the Four Seasons in Singapore, the Peninsula in Bangkok, and we are looking at the Anantara Golden Triangle...same trip, we'll stay in a guesthouse in Siem Reap for under $30.00/night, and balance that off with a night or two in Hotel de la Paix. I expect very different things from each place.

So at the end of this tome, I suppose the point I want to make is that you have to first decide what you want your stay to be...luxury and gorgeous, culturally educational, comfortable and affordable...once you know what you are expecting you will be able to choose easily I think.

As usual I agree wholeheartedly with Kim's comments. [Except the part about the lizards. Even the Aman at a zillion rupiah per night comes with lizards -- and frogs and spiders. At the Alila, I've even had a snake in the bathtub and a monkey on the windowsill .]

Balinese people are in general clean and wonderfully hospitable, so wherever you stay you can expect a high level of basic hygiene and a very high level of friendly and personal care. There is also an elevated sense of aesthetic that is inborn and is evidenced in so many charming touches -- the flowers on the statuary, banana leaf under the appetiser -- and that make you overlook the occasional lapse.

I think the major differences between the higher and lower priced resorts is the level of comprehension of Western ways and needs and the attention to maintenance. You may or may not get consistent hot water or air con. Your shower may have been designed by someone who's never taken a shower, e.g. you can't reach the soap dish. The cook may not know how to boil your egg; housekeeping may not know how to press your shirt; room service may not know the difference between a Chardonay and a Cabernet.

When you ask a question, you may get the "indirect no" meaning "To tell you I can't do it would be considered inhospitable so I'm going to dodge the question until you figure out the real situation."

All of this can be extremely charming or extremely frustrating depending on your tolerance level.

I'm so glad to hear the Alila comes with resident wildlife...it's one of my favorite parts of Bali!

Thanks to you both!

I think you got my drift. Like most people, I love luxury, but that's not why I travel; and I've traveled fairly extensively in some really funky places. I am more interested in the culture than the comfort, but of course would love the best of both. So thanks for the suggestions and comments!

Having so much trouble choosing a resort in Ubud -- the web sites all look great & there are so many good reviews of so many places on trip adviser it almost seems like you can't go wrong.. but here's our wish list:

*smallish resort, Balinese syle, not modern/minimalist -- would prefer individual villa units

*beautiful views & landscaping

*spacious & beautifully furnished room & bathroom (would love an outdoor shower) and a nice terrace, patio or verandah

*Not particularly interested in a plunge pool and would prefer a beautifully landscaped hotel pool instead

* great spa on premises

* nice buffet breakfast and good restaurant so we have the option of eating at the hotel if we want rather than going out

Here's what we're considering:
Pita Maha
Komaneka Resort
Komaneka Suites
Alam Sari

Kim, The Alam Sari appeals to us because of the village and cultural options, the warmth & charm of the people, and choice of activities, but not sure how nice the rooms/bathrooms are. On the website the beds look a little hard with thin mattresses on a wooden platform-type bed. I think you said you looked at the Teratai Villa. How is the master bedroom? How was the spa & the spa treatments? I know you liked the Oasis Spa in Chiang Mai (which I also loved). How does the spa at Alam Sari compare?

Michael -- The villas at the Komaneka Suites look lovely, but it's hard to get a feel for the place from the web site. Is it too isolated & quiet? Can you compare it a little more to Komaneka Resort? What is the "feeling" of the Komaneka Resort? Are the rooms at the resort crowded together or spread out amidst landscaped gardens? Does it feel like a hustling bustling kind of place because it is right in the center of the tourist area of Ubud or does it feel more like "an oasis" in the midst of the activities nearby? What about views & landscaping?

Would love everyone's opinions.