Surya Shanti Villa

The room had a lovely, premium feel, and the food was outstanding. We also enjoyed the breathtaking views and the hotel's activities, which were great and very reasonably priced. The chef's Balinese cooking class was a real highlight, and the team were attentive and glad to share local recommendations. Everyone welcomed us warmly from the moment we arrived. We loved every part of our stay in Sidemen. Our only regret is not booking more nights. Thanks to the whole team for making it so memorable. We'll absolutely be back one day.

We loved the morning yoga and the food, and the room and views were great too. Joel and his family made us feel very welcome and were helpful throughout. The whole staff crew was professional and friendly. We had a really lovely two nights and a wonderful time.

My wife and I were in Bali with our 9-month-old daughter and had planned a few quiet days in Sidemen. We booked Surya Shanti Villa expecting somewhere peaceful and family-friendly. The view was undeniably beautiful. Sadly, that was the only good part of our stay. The property felt overrun with animals and reptiles. Lizards, large geckos, frogs, and snakes moved around the hotel grounds, and stray dogs and cats were loose there at night. I saw a rat in the restaurant being chased by a cat. My wife came across a snake that didn't seem afraid of people. It was small, but that didn't make the risk of a venomous bite irrelevant. When we raised safety concerns about snakes, especially with an infant, the staff brushed them off. There wasn't much protection from the outdoors in our room. The bathroom was open to the outside, with no windows or roof, and the front door didn't close tightly. Large geckos covered the walls and made loud noises all night, so sleep was nearly impossible. Frogs even jumped into the room through the open bathroom. With a baby, this felt unsafe and unhygienic, not like a controlled nature experience. We tried to accept it, telling ourselves we only had three nights there. On the second day we ordered our daughter plain chicken breast and fruit. Soon after eating, she became severely ill with food poisoning: repeated projectile vomiting, inability to keep fluids down, a fever, and rapid deterioration. Seeing our 9-month-old like that was every parent's worst fear. The hotel is very remote, and no taxis were available. It took about 40 minutes for a hotel employee to arrange transport. During that wait she got much weaker and was barely responsive. We went to the nearest hospital, where staff spoke little or no English and, in our view, lacked the ability to manage acute food poisoning in an infant. Afraid for her life, we decided to continue to another hospital in the middle of the night. Our insurance eventually arranged an ambulance transfer to Denpasar, where proper care was available. We did not feel safe relying on the local facilities. While we were exhausted and terrified in hospital with our sick baby, the owner, Joel, repeatedly called and messaged us about payment. He said he could send our luggage to the hospital with a card machine so we could pay. I explained that our daughter had been put in a life-threatening situation at his hotel, that we had stayed just one night, and that the rest of our vacation was spent sleepless in a Denpasar hospital. I said it seemed reasonable, and decent, to pay only for that one night. He responded coldly and arrogantly, with no empathy, and demanded the full amount for the stay. He ultimately received it. We came away with a ruined vacation, emotional trauma, and a seriously ill baby. Families, especially those with young children, should choose another place. No view is worth this risk.

Joel and his team were so lovely. They even surprised me with a birthday breakfast, cake and a gift, which was really sweet. We also loved the moped tour of Sidemen and trip to the waterfall that the hotel arranged. The property is stunning, with gorgeous views from the pools. Our spacious room had a beautiful view too. I'd definitely love to visit again. Thank you :)