In Reply to: Will I or Won't I - Villa JBR ? posted by Colleen on Friday, 23. April 2010 at 02:32 Bali Time:
Sorry but there is a lot to tell so it's gonna have to be in a couple of posts.
Gee it's hard to know where to start there were so many things wrong but here it is warts & all.At the end I will say what the few good things were.If you don't wanna hear bad stuff about a villa in Bali then don't read any further.
I suppose the original enquiry is a good place to start.The website was VRBO & as many of you already know we stayed in the Canggu area out at Pererenan beach,a bit north of Echo beach & south of Tanah Lot.Villa Mango Sunset was our hell hole.Will post details of the websites here later if can or forward links of the 2 websites it is promoted on.
I booked 4 weeks prior to arriving & we paid 50% deposit via Paypal.AIt all seemed pretty safe.All emails promptly replied & everything stacked up - the place sounded perfect.We were both so excited at returning to Bali especially after a difficult year healthwise.The owner sounded like a lovely person who cared about her property & guests.She told me that she was an expat American who lived in Ubud.
I advised her the time of out flight arrival,said we would be doing grocery shopping & changing money on the way to the villa= 1 hour maximum.I was told travel time to the villa & we arrived just 5 minutes before our expected arrival time.Aristo our good friend of very many years had picked up at the airport & his neighbour was our driver.We arrived at the villa & the whole place was locked up & secure.Not a soul in sight,no notes anywhere with instructions or a phone number posted anywhere.The 4 of us all called out,honked the car horn,knocked loudly on doors = nothing.No one any where around.A great start after a long flight & little sleep !
We are thinking we have no where to stay,have been conned,have lost our deposit & have to drive back all the way back into town to find somewhere to sleep for the next week.Okay we expect we will be able to get our money back via Paypal or our credit cards but we needed somewhere to sleep for the next week & were feeling frazzled around the edges by now.
Went to the cafe next door,they knew nothing.Fortunately we had not used our laptop at the airport prior to departure or on the plane so had some battery life left -I managed to find the owners phone number in an email.Yes I know I made a stupis mistake & I should have had it written down BUT many emails had been shared over 4 weeks & someone should have been there especially since we arrived only 5 minutes before we said we would & this was over 45 minutes later ! I called & the owner she said Oh,someone should be there,my comment well of course they should but they are not.No apologies - just I will see what I can do,just wait there.She then says Oh,a key should be hidden in such a spot,I look it's not there,Ah try this place for it.Finally we find the key & then then the darn door is very hard to open.Eventually get into the house & the whole place is swarming with flies.Look at the pool & it's a lovely shade of green - picture the river next to the markets in Denpasar.I am not lying - it was not nice.We were tired & hot & just wanted to unpack & go for a swim in what should have been our clean private pool.
We also did not have our own phones set up or own Bali sim cards at this stage because another local friend was going to drop them off at night for us because she works for Telkomsel.Fortunately we had been kindly allowed to use our drivers phone.Meanwhile Aristo is trying to calm me down while I am getting further aggro & almost have steam coming ut of my ears.
Part 2 to follow of the many multiple problems.