What a treat to spend 7 days in Bali solo! There was no agenda; it was purely 'escapism' from the usual daily routine.
With mostly overcast weather & occasional rain, there were only two true days of pool/beach weather. My time therefore evolved into shopping, spas & restaurants.
VOA
Having experienced long delays in the past, I seriously considered using VIP V*A for the first time. My decision not to however, was the right one in this instance with shortish lines at 5.50pm arrival on a Wednesday. I waited in the VOA line approx. 15-20mins after easily paying my Arrival Tax with no waiting at that initial counter.
My luggage was waiting for me, already lined up with other bags from the plane in front of the luggage carousel. For once I had nothing to declare (or hide) going through Customs. I noted with interest that all luggages were passed through the x-ray machine, which was manned by 1 person. That person was sitting back in his chair, looking at his lap & general passers-by, with no interest whatsoever in what was being scanned in the luggage.
I had secured budget Strategic flights (for a review of this airline see my posting on July 30). I therefore wanted to secure budget accommodation too.
SARI BEACH HOTEL, Legian
As a solo traveller, this fairly budget accommodation was booked on the recommendation of various reviews read prior to travel. I paid $65US for a deluxe garden view room, including breakfast via the hotel direct. (Various websites offer the same room a little cheaper, but none were available at the time of my booking).
Wedged between the Melasti Beach Resort & the Puri Raja Hotel, the Sari Beach Hotel (formerly Sari Beach Inn) is a small, unpretentious well positioned hotel on the Legian beachfront.
The hotel consists of approximately 20 rooms with typical, well-manicured tropical gardens. A long, narrow laneway leads down to the hotel entrance from the road. A low wall & gateway run parallel to the beachfront at the back of the hotel.
The Deluxe Garden View room I stayed in was room 112 & situated next to the kitchen. As a result, kitchen noise could sometimes be heard in the bathroom of a morning. More affecting however, were the whining cats & kittens who nightly would invade the roof space of my room & wake me.
The room consisted of a large canopied king size bed, dressing table & stool, small table & 2 matching chairs, TV unit housing TV & DVD player. (The DVD had a whirring noise, which required the volume of the TV to be increased). From the main room, you enter a small dressing room with cupboard/shelves & room safe. This area opens to the bathroom. In it's day, the bathroom was probably quite glamorous with a large spa bath (no longer working) with a wood surround. The wall has shelved lights, which look like candles. There is a shaving mirror attached to the wall beside the vanity.
The spa jets are in need of bleach since they have ‘greened'. The smell of mould is slight, whilst bathing. There is a hand-held shower nozzle only so bathing & holding the shower nozzle over you are the only options. The mirrors are tarnished, worn & chipped. A connecting door is located from the dressing room/bathroom to the room next door. Conversations & safes opening can be heard between the bathrooms.
On several occasions, the WC would not flush adequately; the hand basin's waste outlet would close & not reopen without manual intervention. This required the opening of the cupboard beneath the hand basin - one handle missing on cupboards & the area was damp, dirty & with the smell of mould. There was no hot water on one occasion (this was remedied after some time).
There is no phone in the room however they are available at Reception.
A walled garden in front of the room provided privacy, with a small balcony with table, chairs & towel rack overlooking the garden.
The hotel pool is clean & adequate for the size of the hotel. Two massage ladies frequent a corner of the gardens & are available to provide massages on the sun beds in the lawns of the hotel.
Breakfast is served between 7-10am daily. Eggs anyway, toast, fruit, ham, cheese, coffee/tea - basic but satisfactory. Other meals are available throughout the day from the small hotel dining area however I cannot comment on other meals provided.
A freestanding ‘sheltered hut' bar within the grounds of the hotel has ‘Happy Hour' each afternoon with drinks at half cost.
The staffs were friendly & attentive, soon knowing me by name. The main clientele quiet & unassuming - many noted were German. The menu & room instructions were written in both English & German.
With refurbishments, this hotel could be a real gem, considering it's location & the boutique size establishment that it is. Unfortunately, it's lack of maintenance & dated furnishings let it down.
I needed a ‘period of adjustment' before truly settling into this hotel & to be honest spent several hours on the internet in my first days seeking alternative accommodation, which did not eventuate during the Peak Period.
I would recommend this hotel as basic, (nearly) comfortable accommodation only if restricted by budget. Personally, I would prefer to pay more next time & stay somewhere a little more upmarket.