Checking out guests houses in Kuta Bali

Bali has many things going for it as far as a travel destination and one of the best things as far as I am concerned is the availability of affordable accommodation close to the airport and close to the action.

Let’s think about some of the major tourist destinations in the world, New York, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, Paris, Bangkok. Landing at any of them will mean travelling for at least an hour to find even reasonably accommodation (I’ve been to all the above places except Paris). Bangkok is the most visited place in SE Asia but if you want a cheap room you’ll have to take bus #38 from the airport across town to get to Khao San Rd in the west of the city which takes about 45 minutes. To get to a beach you are looking at a 3 hour ride.

We all know about hotels in London, Tokyo and the Big Apple. Kuta however is much different. You can find luxury places on the beach in Tuban, 1 mile from the airport and places in Kuta for 20,000 - 50,000 rp ( US$2.19 – US$5.50), that are a 2 minute walk from the beach. People complain about Kuta but let’s think about it for a second folks, would you rather be in a polluted city paying $100 a night?

Recently I have been updating our guide to guest houses in the Kuta area starting with Jl. Legian, Poppies I & II. What’s on offer doesn’t vary much….a simple white tile floor with 2 twin beds, shower, cold water, fan, simple porch with 2 chairs and breakfast included….maybe.

There are literally hundreds of these places hidden in the alleys in Kuta and I have a mammoth task exploring Jl. Mataran, Jl. Bakung Sari and all the other tucked away ‘gangs’ that budget tourists head for, not to mention the places Daddy Warbucks prefers.

If you are arriving in Bali and want a cheap place to stay ask the taxi driver to take you to Poppies Lane I or II. A 5 minute walk will get you to several places all in the same quality zone. Always feel free to negotiate with the staff about the rate especially if you are staying more than 1 night.

In my opinion you don’t really need AC between May and October, its nice but you can get away without it. Right now its stinking hot and without air flow its sweaty. The AC is nice at night.

For people looking for the ultimate cheap place in Kuta go to the Jus Edith Bungalows on Gang Ronta, between Poppies I & II, its 20,000rp a night.

After pounding the street for a few hours I stopped by Hotel Prawita on Jl. Legian where Barrie and Candika are staying along with Barrie’s mum. Barrie invited me to jump in the ‘gene pool’ a name that lingers after last year’s wonderful assortment of guests. The Prawita seems a decent place with bar, restaurant and a ton of Balinese carvings including the largest set of carved doors I’ve ever seen…about 20ft wide.

The Prawita is located close to the Perama bus office on Jl. Legian.
The pool was great for half an hour and I felt like I was floating on air after the hot cement.