Batur lake view

This was my favorite place in Bali. The view was amazing, but what stood out most was how friendly and accommodating the staff were. With no grabs in Batur, they drove me themselves to the main hot springs. They also arranged a guide for the hike at exactly the time I wanted, several hours after the tourists who leave in the middle of the night. The grilled fish was SO FRESH, clearly straight from the lake. Nights get chilly, so the cozy camp fire and super hot shower water were key. No complaints, highly recommend.

Bungalow 4 was unfortunately noisy because of the water pump. Owners, it'd be great if you could fix it or build a small house around it to reduce the noise. Guests, try for bungalow 1-3. For the price, this is bang for buck: super nice people, pretty, totally functional bungalows, and an amazing view. The food they make is really good too. It's a perfect spot for an early hike at 4am. They offer tours with a 5min drive, a 2 hour hike up the mountain, breakfast, a crater tour, and then the trip back down. Totally recommend.

The flies from the lake were really bad, and we couldn't sit outside, so we had to stay in our rooms. Mowgli was understanding and sorted out our double booking.com error, thankfully. Just be careful not to confuse this with Batur Lakeview hotel, which is a 20mins drive away.

The room was ordinary, but the coffee mugs were dirty and the bed linen was torn. There wasn't enough hot water for two people, it ran out before I could wash, leaving the second person without a shower. Repairs began early right outside the door, with very loud knocking and drilling. Breakfast was very bad, fried cabbage with one lost egg, and it wasn't even clear if there was an egg in it. You could spend one night here if you're in the area and the other hotels are occupied. For the same money, though, hotels elsewhere in Bali are much better.