Bali DD Homestay

The bed is comfortable, and the air conditioning works. But the toilet is so close to the wall that it's hard to sit comfortably. The shower and toilet are right on top of each other too, which seems a little unhygienic.

The room itself was very nice, and the location worked well for going out in the evening. Even with that, we couldn't hear street noise from inside. Having stayed in a lot of guesthouses, we usually prefer them to hotels and don't expect high standards, so this one was good. There's one thing we still can't explain. On the morning we were leaving, staff came into our room while we were still asleep, well before checkout and without asking, then left. We didn't react because we were asleep, and afterward we had to leave too quickly to ask what had happened.

The alley off the busy road can get a bit of traffic noise, though honestly it wasn't too bad. In return, you're close to shops, bars, restaurants, and the beach, so the location is ideal. The room is small, but it suited me as a solo traveller, and everything was always very clean. The air conditioning and Wi-Fi worked well, and the free coffee at reception was yum. I spent about a month here last year and loved it. Whenever something went wrong, the guys fixed it right away, and I had a real laugh with them. I'm looking forward to coming back in two weeks. See you soon, fellas.

I booked this in a rush because I needed to visit The Bali Clinic, just a 5-10 minute walk away. The air conditioning worked, and the staff were polite and attentive when there was a specific issue to sort out. You may need to ask for help carrying your bags up the stairs, or request a ground-floor room. The room is REALLY SMALL, about 3x3 m², and I couldn't sit on the toilet unless I were a child. There wasn't room for my knees, and I'm only 156cm tall, with a longer torso. The electricity tripped, so I couldn't charge my phone or PowerBank overnight. It smells like chemical air freshener, bug spray, and washing powder. It's basically a chemically clean hole-in-the-wall hostel, which I can appreciate. What else should you expect in crowded cities? I didn't use the shower, I didn't dare. I 'escaped' at 7am to sit in the reception of a coworking space within walking distance of Starbucks Seminyak, which is also great. Next time I'll definitely afford somewhere better. 😆