Road Beach Villa

The beach view, low price, and puppies were the only real positives for me. Watch your step in the water, though, since coral covers the bottom and you could hurt yourself. The puppies barked all night, and I could hear mice moving around while trying to sleep. Inside, the room felt pretty gross: cobwebs covered the ceiling, the sink water was brown and never cleared, and water stayed on the bathroom floor instead of draining. There was no toilet paper, and the bathroom had used shampoo and soap. Also, don’t count on every room having a fridge.

The beach access was hard to beat, and it was easy to reach good restaurants and Legend, the best dive operator on the island. The staff were lovely, and both the WiFi and AC worked reliably. I had a great stay and would highly recommend it.

If you’re particular about where you sleep, I’d look through the Nusa Penida hotel reviews and go back to Denpasar that night after an early-morning visit. The roof has lots of holes, the bathroom smells, and there’s dust everywhere, spider webs in the bathroom, and patches of mold. The wooden furniture looks like it could break at any moment. Definitely not for me.

The weak WiFi and lack of a front desk make it hard to ask for things, but that might suit you if you want a break from the internet. For a backpacker, it’s a really good deal: a cheap bungalow with its own private beach right out front. At this price, you can’t ask for much more.