The Cave Hotel

The staff were helpful and responsive, and the price worked for me. I’d recommend staying here if you want a decent room with a great view without being overcharged. On a clear sunny day, you can see Mt Batur, Mt Abang, and Mt Agung without obstruction from this cliffside location. The rooms are neat, and I liked the unusual bar top balcony. Ants crawl along the balcony, which is normal when you’re close to nature and not something the hotel can prevent. The location isn’t perfect, and there’s sometimes a dung smell, as you get near farmland. The noisy extraction fan was the only real drawback. Reception is one level down, so visitors need to take a flight of steps to register. That’s normal for some cliffside hotels, lodgings, and homestays, but this place won’t suit anyone using mobility aids, crutches, or a wheelchair. Look elsewhere for lift access.

The people were really friendly, and the location and view are beautiful, quite incredible. I went for two nights, and the rooms were lovely with a big terrace. There is a smell of rot and dampness, though, so go for it if you don’t mind that.

The rooms are humid, with some cracks from the dampness, so this may not suit you if you’re very sensitive to humidity. For a short stay, though, it shouldn’t matter. The view is absolutely the best, and the price is affordable. It’s a great location, not far from the main street. Each room has a sliding door facing sunrise, which is so pretty, and a long wooden table on the balcony where you can sit with coffee or tea and watch the sunrise. There’s also a small restaurant or cafe looking over the mountain lake. To reach reception you go down one floor, then the rooms are another floor below.

If you’re staying near Mount Batur for a trek or to explore, this could be okay for one night. Colosseum, a nice restaurant, is nearby, and there’s also a shop, spa, and several local restaurants within walking distance. But we weren’t satisfied with the place, even though we travel a lot and live in Thailand, where we’re used to budget rooms that can be a bit inadequate. The view of Mount Batur was beautiful, and the cave room had a unique design, stayed naturally cool without air conditioning, and let a refreshing breeze in through the open doors. Still, it didn’t feel worth the money. The room smelled bad, especially the bathroom, and felt dirty, with marks and stains on most walls and furniture. The windows were so dirty they looked cloudy, and the cream rug seemed like it hadn’t been cleaned in years. The bath didn’t work, had no taps, and was stained. The shower curtain was disgusting. Ants were all over the sink and crawled through our bed at night. Cigarette smoke was overwhelming in the hallway. It looked like staff spent time smoking and eating in a room behind reception. They were friendly, but their English was limited. One night, some guys returning to the hotel made lots of noise around 1am. The hotel restaurant was oddly bare and didn’t stay open late.