Bali Sunrise Villas & Restaurant

The mountain tour was the highlight. It starts at 3:30 with a challenging walk, then a rewarding view and breakfast. The guides are very good and will take you on an extra tour if you’re up for it. It’s better to arrange pickup from another hotel or a city. Our room was quieter than some other reviews suggested, the temperature was fine in March, and the welcome drink and towel were a nice touch. The restaurant was okay for us, and breakfast was actually fine to good, though the choices should be more flexible. The room and villas had plenty of problems. The main door handle was hanging off a nail and needed fixing right away, dangerous nails were sticking out of the floor, and bottled water was missing from the setup. WiFi worked poorly, perhaps because of the area. The room smelled of mildew and the toilet of sewage. The toilet isn’t fixed to the floor, so it can tip. After cleaning, staff left the room light on, which attracts bugs, and they had no bug spray. There was no fridge either. If renting a scooter here, check that the horn and signal lights work before paying. One of ours had a poor engine, and the other had a broken horn and signal light. That’s unsafe. Take pictures before riding so you aren’t blamed for damage. The arranged driver drove so fast he nearly hit us, a dog, and someone on a scooter. This wasn’t normal Balinese driving. Do not use that service. Staff were friendly, but reactive rather than proactive. They didn’t arrange laundry at the excellent place a few minutes down the road by scooter.

There’s very noisy traffic, so don’t expect a peaceful night’s sleep. The villa itself also feels run down, as if nobody cares, and needs maintenance, especially the floorboards. Staff speak very little English, and service is almost nonexistent. Often nobody was around, and reception was unattended when we left. Breakfast was limited and the portions were small, so we went across the road to Susan Warung for extra food. WiFi didn’t work in the rooms and was unreliable in the common area. Be prepared: the card machine and nearby ATM are both out of order. They offer PayPal, but it costs more, so bring enough cash for the area. I know businesses have suffered from covid, but the place still needs attention.

The restaurant has a nice view over the lake, and the accommodations were clean with nice staff. Our large, detailed villa cost 85k, and I loved the big soaking tub with bamboo growing through the ceiling in the corner. Breakfast was included and tasted good, though there were lots of flies. The second coffee cost 20k, but it was really good. I slept through the night; my travel companion heard a rooster crowing in the middle of the night.

The local Indonesian food was decent, but the rest of the restaurant food was terrible. The soup was awful, and when we asked for steamed or boiled potatoes, they came out almost raw. We ordered chicken wings and got one tiny wing, not even enough for our 5-year-old. We also asked about hiking and were quoted double what other places offered. This was the worst restaurant experience we had in two months in Bali.