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Hello. We are going to Ubud this July and I am trying to decide which hotel to book – there is a lot of choice! We are 2 adults and 2 teens, budget is GBP 300-400 a night. I currently have flexible bookings at the Alaya and Adiwana Suweta. Has anyone here been to either of these and have an opinion? All other suggestions welcome! We are open to staying in the centre or no further than 15min drive away from the centre.
We then have 7 nights booked at the Oberoi Lombok – any comments on this resort from those who have stayed there would be welcome too. Many thanks.
Ubud can feel overwhelming because there are SO many stunning places: whichever
you choose will be amazing! I think I’d base it on location: Adiwana S. is a little
more rural (but still walkable to the Royal Palace in 30 mins.), whereas the Alaya
has shops/cafés right on the doorstep.Talking of the Palace, when you go to a dance (tickets sold on the day), make sure you
enter to sit down at LEAST 45 mins. before the start time, and preferably an hour, as it’s
first-come, first-served seating. It’s v informal so you can bring in water/snacks, and
as there are 4 of you, two could come in, save seats, then swap over, etc.Bebek Tepi Sawah great for duck (and a lot more)!
The Oberoi in Lombok is fairly remote in terms of amenities and tourist-focused places nearby. We originally looked at it but then decided to plump for Senggigi as there was more going on, and after riding around the NW part of Lombok (including a trip to the Oberoi to see for ourselves), we’re very glad we did, as we didn’t want a holiday where you are only reliant on the hotel.
Most travellers head to the Gilis which are easily reachable from the Oberoi as it’s a short trip round to Bangsal for the ferries and private hire boats. If you get bored at the Oberoi then definitely spend a day or two doing the 3 Gili islands there.
Staying in the centre of Ubud is a negative these days considering the traffic. It’s a shame that such a nice place is overrun with tourists. Outside the city (it’s more of a small town), hotels are likely to be spacious and might be easier to get out for day trips.
Thanks all. @BBbetter do you think Adiwana Suweta would be better location-wise compared to Alaya, as Alaya is central so might be noisy due to traffic?
@Michael C thank you for the tips. I will add Bebek Tepi Sawah to my list!
@Kuestrian thanks for the advice. I had the same concern about Oberoi but proximity to the Gilis is one of the reasons we are planning to stay there as my husband is a keen scuba diver. Where did you stay in Senggigi?If you want something a little different in Ubud, we really liked https://www.firefly-bali.com/ . It’s a 15 minute walk from the start of the shops/restaurants in Ubud, or 5-10 mins walk through the rice paddies then a quick taxi/bike on. Stash the kids in one of the birds nest rooms, then take a more normal room in the main building?
I really like Madani Antique villas – it’s < 10 mins to drive to the centre of Ubud, and the private pool with views over the rice terraces is amazing.
Personally, if snorkelling/scuba is a priority, I would recommend staying at one of the gorgeous hotels on the Gilis themselves – there’s loads going on to keep the teens occupied!
Madani Antique Villas looks great! But unfortunately their Family Villa can only accommodate 3 people – nothing for 4 people. @Gagravarr – Firefly certainly looks different!
@FH2 We stayed at the Sheraton but there’s another hotel at the other end of the beach called Merumatta which seemed more modern/contemporary, and worth a look. The Sheraton was fantastic for location and amenities – the only downside was the rooms needing a refurb, although they were perfectly reasonable for the price.
As for Senggigi itself the beach is great and has a selection of beach bars/restaurants of various cuisines. There are shops, mini-markets, bars and restaurants in the main part behind the beach too.
The other plus point is Senggigi pier is right on the beach, where you can get the Eka Jaya across from Bali and is quicker, cheaper and more fun than flying. From the pier you can also hire a private boat to the Gilis (£50 for the day) or a bus/ferry ticket to the Gilis via Bangsal for £4.
Just a sidenote on Lombok it was VERY quiet in terms of tourists. I don’t know if it was busier pre-Covid but a lot of places were empty or only had a few customers in. The upside of that is you do get great service when you go in. Hopefully it will get more popular in the next few years as it’s a fantastic island.
@FH2 We stayed at the Sheraton but there’s another hotel at the other end of the beach called Merumatta which seemed more modern/contemporary, and worth a look. The Sheraton was fantastic for location and amenities – the only downside was the rooms needing a refurb, although they were perfectly reasonable for the price.
As for Senggigi itself the beach is great and has a selection of beach bars/restaurants of various cuisines. There are shops, mini-markets, bars and restaurants in the main part behind the beach too.
The other plus point is Senggigi pier is right on the beach, where you can get the Eka Jaya across from Bali and is quicker, cheaper and more fun than flying. From the pier you can also hire a private boat to the Gilis (£50 for the day) or a bus/ferry ticket to the Gilis via Bangsal for £4.
Just a sidenote on Lombok it was VERY quiet in terms of tourists. I don’t know if it was busier pre-Covid but a lot of places were empty or only had a few customers in. The upside of that is you do get great service when you go in. Hopefully it will get more popular in the next few years as it’s a fantastic island.
Many thanks – I will look into these hotels. We are fine with Lombok being quieter – we will have been in Singapore and Ubud beforehand so the idea is to have a relaxing week on the beach!
I would recommend one of the fast boats across to Lombok if staying in Ubud before, as getting to Padang Bai will be much easier than the crazy traffic to the airport and you can get a boat to either Senggigi or Bangsal depending on where you stay.
Boat tickets were about £20 and is a better holiday experience than having to take a flight from DPS-LOP.
These vloggers have a good video about the fast boats…
I would recommend one of the fast boats across to Lombok if staying in Ubud before, as getting to Padang Bai will be much easier than the crazy traffic to the airport and you can get a boat to either Senggigi or Bangsal depending on where you stay.
Boat tickets were about £20 and is a better holiday experience than having to take a flight from DPS-LOP.
These vloggers have a good video about the fast boats…
Thanks. I think we will likely fly DPS to Lombok as my daughter gets seasick and I gather that the fast boat from Bali to Lombok can be quite bumpy!
We stayed in Qunci Villas in Lombok back in 2017 and loved it. Not sure if it’s still the case but the breakfast was a la carte and probably the best we’ve ever had. Easy access to the Gilis too.
We stayed in Qunci Villas in Lombok back in 2017 and loved it. Not sure if it’s still the case but the breakfast was a la carte and probably the best we’ve ever had. Easy access to the Gilis too.
This looks really lovely! Thank you.
I would recommend one of the fast boats across to Lombok if staying in Ubud before, as getting to Padang Bai will be much easier than the crazy traffic to the airport and you can get a boat to either Senggigi or Bangsal depending on where you stay.
Boat tickets were about £20 and is a better holiday experience than having to take a flight from DPS-LOP.
These vloggers have a good video about the fast boats…
Thanks. I think we will likely fly DPS to Lombok as my daughter gets seasick and I gather that the fast boat from Bali to Lombok can be quite bumpy!
It will depend on the weather of course but even in rainy season the crossing was silky smooth. Can understand why you’d be reticent to try, though!
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