Five Tips for Booking Online Discount Hotels in Bali

Holiday destinations like Bali can make your holiday a memorable one. Bali is an Indonesian Island located in between the islands of Java and Lombok. The scenic beauty in the backdrops of natural ambiance like rice paddies, volcanic mountains, lush tropical forests, and fascinating beaches surround the city. If you want to explore the diversity of culture, natural beauty, and the Balinese society, then come to Bali.



In Bali, beach lovers will definitely enjoy the white sandy beaches and warm crystal clear water of the Indian Ocean. Apart from these there are many attractive colourful events that take place in Bali. So, to indulge yourself to its interesting happening events what you need is to fix a perfect hotel to stay. If you are looking for discount Bali hotel then undoubtedly you can find such cheap hotels which are pocket and budget friendly.



Before you select a discount hotels just keep in mind these below mentioned five tips for booking discount Bali hotels.



1. Make a search on the internet search engines by selecting a proper keyword relating booking discount Bali hotels online. A few best search engines must to mention here are Google.com, Yahoo.com, Ask.com, Altavista.com, Msn.com etc.

2. Get confirm about the relevancy and authenticity of the websites which display the search result of booking cheap Bali hotels. For that you can do some research works like domain age. Domain age is nothing but the lease period of that particular website. The trusted website always has a domain age of at least 2 years. If a website offers online booking then you must check whether it has secure SSL service or not. SSL gives you the authenticity and protects you from being victimised by internet frauds.



3. Then search the hotel map and see the location and availability. Location can be determined through encyclopedia or Google maps. You can also search by location and preferred language. For that, you can make changes in settings, every search engines has there own settings.



4. Some of the hotel booking sites promises many facilities and offers. Check them whether they are true or not by browsing the particular hotel website. Always compare the discount hotels rates as every hotel has their own discount offers. Also never forget to check the hotel reviews and facilities. Hotel reviews are very popular way to find out about the hotel and its adeptness’s.



5. Don’t be hurry in selecting discount hotels for you need a little research work because it is advisable to compare and contrast the rates of the hotels which are offering discountable rates. By doing these you can get the lowest discount rate hotels and on the same time reliable as well.



The aforementioned tips can be a useful advice for the travelers and definitely these five tips for booking discount Bali hotels can minimize the worries and hurries of a budget traveler.

Bali Beach Hotels- Dream Homes in the Lap of Nature

Blessed with natural bounteousness, Bali- a nature's paradise is dream destination for several romantic hearts. Bali beaches are excellent places to soak your body in the natural beauty and to indulge in the varied water sports activities. Stretch yourself along the sandy beaches or visit the century old temples and the shrines. Explore all these and a lot more during your stay in the Bali Beach Hotels.



There are several beaches in Bali that offer numerous accommodation options. The Sansur Beach, one of the most popular beaches is an excellent site to watch the sun rise. There are many luxurious resorts and hotels along the entire stretch of white sand. The Inna Grand Bali Beach is a renowned 5-star hotel. The Inna Sindhu Beach Hotel is a nice place to experience the traditional hospitality of the land. Some other resorts and hotels that are nestled in this area are La Taverna Bali Hotel, Mercure Resort Sanur Bali, theParigata Spa Villas and others. Situated under the cool shade of the palm trees, these hotels and resorts offer excellent range of facilities.



The bali Beach hotels of the Kuta and the Legian area are also excellent. The place offers you the excitement and the thrill that you may look forward during your holiday. All the hotels located in the Kuta beach cater to the needs and the taste of discerning guests. Spend your days and nights in the charming ambiance of the hotel. Located along the entire stretch there are a good number of accommodation options which include both luxurious resorts and moderately priced hotels. Indonesia is also famous for its traditional massages. There is an array of hotels which specialize in these massages.



Some of the best hotels of Bali Beaches are also located in Nusa Dua which has impressed travelers with its white sandy beaches, crystal clear water and lush greenery. It is of the top destinations of the world for surfers and water sport lovers which have transformed it into one of the most flourishing cities of the country. There are a few international hotels like Melia Bali Villas & Spa Resort, Novotel Nusa Dua Bali Hotel & Residences, The Bale Nusa Dua Bali and others.



The beach of Legian is also popular among the tourists. There are several good value-for-money hotels in this region. To meet the needs of the travelers, especially the leisure ones, there are a number of hotels in the Soka and the Lovina beach.

Bali Travel Guide and Review - Part 1

Bali is a small volcanic island covering around 5000 square kilometers, just south of the equator. Central Bali is dominated by the island's major volcanic peaks, from which the land steadily descends all the way down to sea level on the northern and eastern coasts; the southern Bali peninsula is largely flat. There are four major volcanoes in Bali, the highest being Mt Agung at 3124m.

Agung erupted violently in 1963 and although many people died in the eruption it has since been a blessing to the Balinese in providing some of the richest soil in Indonesia. The next four highest mountains are no longer alive but the smaller Mt Batur (1717m) is one of the most active volcanoes in the region, puffing regular clouds of ash into the air.

Bali, being such a small island, has little space to create rivers of any notable size. Rather it is riddled with small creeks that are channeled into the intricate irrigation system that feeds Balinese rice paddies. Nevertheless, some major rivers do flow, namely the Sungai Pakrisan ("Kris River"), the Sungai Petanu ("Cursed River") and the Ayung, Bali's longest river.

Bali Introduction : The History

Many years ago Bali was divided into eight Hindu kingdoms. These small kingdoms were powerful but prone to fighting each other, which weakened their resistance to foreign invasion. As early as the sixth century, Javanese kings conquered parts of Bali although Balinese princes often continued to rule as puppets with Javanese sovereignty pulling their strings. Nevertheless power continued to bounce between various kingdoms of Bali and Java.

As links with Java strengthened, Javanese script, sculpture and temples began to appear on the island. Late in the tenth century, ties between the islands were solidified with the marital union of a Balinese Prince and a Javanese Princess. The Javanese Majapahit kingdom conquered Bali in the thirteenth century by vanquishing the semi-demonic king of Bali at the time, 'Dalem Bedulu', and attempting to eradicate the 'vile' Balinese princes and their 'barbaric' customs.

Ironically, the supreme Majapahit ruler gave a Balinese the position of 'King of Bali', a position that gained little respect from the majority of Balinese who continued to refuse to recognize Javanese sovereignty. The Majapahit presence in Bali turned out to be short and turbulent and during the ensuing centuries, much of the unique Balinese Hindu culture and traditions that we see in Bali today were created. This was possibly a result of a community determined to protect their individuality and not be overcome by imported Javanese culture.

Contact with the west began when a Dutch fleet stumbled across Bali in 1597 and felt they had found 'paradise'. Many of the crew refused to return home but stories of a magical place leaked back to their homeland. With Dutch royalty eager to establish relations, Dutch ships bearing gifts for the Balinese kings were dispatched. However, from a trading perspective, Bali had little to offer so the opportunity to develop international relations was restricted at first. Originally, its primary export was slaves but as the world slave trade was curtailed, the Balinese Kings turned to other commodities such as coconut oil, thereby putting Bali in a position to enter the world trading market.

Dutch interest in the Indonesian islands changed into the seventeenth century and the merchant ships gave way to war ships. The Dutch had overcome many Javanese kingdoms through ancient principles of divide and conquer and the same approach was taken in Bali. As the Balinese continued to resist, the Dutch became more and more aggressive.

Stories of their barbaric tactics were not received well in their homeland and protests led them to complete their invasion more tactfully. Surprisingly, once the Dutch secured control, they protected the island from outside influences and encouraged them to maintain much of their culture and traditions. Grateful of this as we are today, their reasons were not purely benevolent: they considered the Balinese controllable with their peaceful religion but were wary should that religion change to a more fundamental variety.

World War 2 brought a new era as Japanese armies took over from the Dutch. The Japanese presence in Bali was short lived and they left without a trace as they lost the war. The Dutch tried to return to the Indonesian islands, but their desperate attempts to regain power in the colony were condemned all over the world. Together with the rest of the Dutch East Indies archipelago, Bali was handed over to a new independent Indonesian government that emerged in 1949. Bali had finally lost its liberty and fell to its destiny of economic and political dependence on neighboring Java.

Bali Introduction : The Population

Bali is bursting, with an estimated population of over three million people. Through the controversial transmigration program, Balinese communities have developed in the outer regions of Indonesia such as Sumatra and Sulawesi, in order to relieve the islands' already stretched natural resources.

to be continued.....

Bali Blinds are an excellent means cheap and enliven the appearance of the whole area and to give a face lift to your chair. Bali blinds in a variety of styles, fabrics, and the structures and give your house a random, up, and calling on the look. Among the most popular Bali, Dockers, cellular, just, Roman blind, the blind and wood species.

Plissées Bali Blinds are with the way the conditions and reasons, Tempo and beautiful natural fibers mixed. The bites are to stay and seek elected, while Give your room, the peace, freedom, in fact. Bali Stores, on the other hand, another in shallow or tear loop styles and are among the most modern and more fashionable window for the options available on the market. If you are looking for a traditional pace and vertical Bali stores are the types of stores for you.

These vertical curtains are ideal for large windows, especially for those who are the focus of a room. Long vertical boards, all with a free, and the feeling of luxury are ideal for the dining room, living room, bedroom and large impressive. Vertical blinds are so large, the privacy and the control of light and allow you to the sound of a song simply to decide in the corner of the battens. Bali vertical Stores are also in the simple structures, which allow a soft light, without compromising confidentiality. Love Bali bilnds.

Bali Villa Rental Tips & Tricks

If like me, you have been bitten by the ‘Holiday Villa Bug', you will already know that no hotel can match the privacy and luxury of a good Villa Holiday. The great news is that today there are even more villa rental options out there than ever before. Not to mention the fact that if you know how to choose the right holiday rental villa you will be saving a lot of money in comparison to the same level of service in a comparable quality hotel.

It seems that no where in the world has seen as big an explosion of luxury fully serviced holiday villas, as the island of Bali in Indonesia.

OK, I happen to be blessed with a great line of work, as a Travel Writer, and have been lucky enough to stay in some of the best tropical resorts around the world, especially in Asia. But still for me, nothing compares to the peace, luxury and delights (not to mention the cost effectiveness) of staying in a good serviced villa in Bali.

So, what makes a ‘good holiday villa'?

Like everyone else, I have learned how to choose the perfect villa through luck, some mistakes and sheer experience.

Here are my top tips for choosing the right villa in Bali for your next Bali holiday.

Location-Location-Location

This sounds obvious, but it is not always easy to make the right location decision when we are sat at home, far away from our holiday destination.

Like every other world-class holiday destination, Bali offers a range of options, from ‘central' locations, to those which offer ‘absolute tranquility'.

I personally like a balance between the two. On a Bali villa holiday, the last thing one needs is to be sooo central that you feel like you are an extension of a night club's base unit till wee hours of the morning. On the other hand, I really don't want to be more than 15-20 minutes away from where the restaurants, shops and the action is. I like my villa to be certainly quiet, preferably amongst rice fields, but at the same time accessible (within 30 minutes of the airport, and a few minutes from the action).

The great thing is that Bali caters for all of these tastes.

Those seeking a central location, with a lively night life may want to look into Legian and Seminyak, (I exclude Kuta area from this list, as there are hardly any proper rental villas left in this bustling tourist centre).

Those who don't mind a bit of a trek, and don't want to go out and about much during their holiday, may opt for areas such as Uluwatu or Canggu and beyond.

For me the perfect choice is Kerobokan and Umalas areas. Quiet rural environment, surrounded by rice terraces and real villagers going about their real daily routines (instead of trying to push you a handicraft (Kuta) or pull you into a restaurant you really couldn't care for (Seminyak)).

Quality and Availability of Service Now this is an area where villas differ from each other immensely. In Bali most villas proclaim to be ‘fully serviced'. However, how ‘fully' and how ‘serviced' range from the most basic to being totally pampered.

A good villa should provide a guest to total staff ratio of nearly 1 to 1, or at least 1.5 to 1. So, if you are a group of 8 you should be looking at, at least, 5-6 full time staff, or for a group of 4 at least 3-4 full time staff. Sounds ostentatiously high? It really isn't once you consider the effort it takes to keep a holiday villa, its gardens, and the pool in a tip-top shape.

Of course, quantity is never the only answer. The staff needs to be full-time and fully-trained at a professional level. There are too many villas out there, which are run by ‘part-time' managers and staff who actually have other full time jobs elsewhere!

Your Own Chef

One of the great pleasures of traveling to a foreign destination is to experiment with and experience the local cuisine. And what better place to experience this, than in the comfort of your own villa!

So, make sure that your villa comes with its own Chef. Once you have tasted the delights of enjoying home cooking in your own villa, you will probably not want to venture out to restaurants at all. The best thing is, having your own private villa Chef in Bali, is substantially cheaper than eating out.

However, make sure to check how the Chef arrangement works.

Ideally, the Chef cost should be included in your rental rate. In this case all you have to pay for are the cost of the ingredients which are purchased for you, typically at the local market/supermarket prices, with no mark-up. So, financials of eating at your own villa becomes just like eating at home, but without lifting a finger, and at substantially lower Bali prices.

Some villas claim to offer a Chef service, but charge restaurant/hotel prices for each dish that the chef prepares for you. I prefer to avoid these, as I can always pop out to a restaurant if I so wished anyway.

So, check to make sure that the Chef is part of your villa team, and that you will not be charged incrementally for food on a per item basis.

Your Villa Manager

A professional Villa Manager makes a huge difference to your enjoyment of your holiday. Even if you have been to Bali many times before, a good Villa Manager can be a much valued life-line, a great source of shopping tips, and a problem solver. A good villa manager can provide a wealth of directions/advice, from where to eat, to which river to choose for your white-water rafting adventure in which season, or where the cheapest golf courses are, to which temples to visit to see which local ceremonies.

Needless to say, they should also be managing the villa team, and making sure that the quality of service and cleanliness are never compromised.

Before I book a villa in Bali, I always check to see what the Villa Manager arrangement is like, and that there is a full time Villa Manager on site at the villa I am planning to rent. Typically, for good villas, you can expect to have your own dedicated Villa Manager, or have a Villa Manager who is working at 2-3 adjacent villas. However, if a Villa Manager is expected to look after 5-6+ villas, then you are most likely not going to see him for more than a few minutes a day, only during his courtesy visits (at best), so you loose out on the real benefits of having the inside-track.

Villa Quality & Upkeep

Be very, very weary of any rental villas which can not provide you with more than at least 20 recent photos of the property. These photos should show you not only the outside of the buildings, but also the living/dining areas, as well as insides of bedrooms.

If you are not provided with a sufficient number of photos giving you a clear idea of the property, then it is quite likely that there is something substantially wrong with the property, such as a building overlooking it, an abattoir next door, or at the least peeling paintwork or missing fixtures/furniture.

Remember, not all villas are created equal. But additionally, not all villas are kept and maintained equally well. It is your right to request and see these photos of the property.

Mod-Cons

OK, you are planning to stay on a tiny island, in the middle of the tropics. What mod-cons should you expect? From own experience, I would suggest that even in the middle of the tropics, good Bali villas should be able to provide at least the following mod-cons:

Air-conditioning in all bedrooms

Clean, Western style kitchen -fully equipped with a fridge, microwave, electric kettle, and a coffee maker, as well as sufficient crockery and cutlery

Safe deposit box - at least one for your private villa use, and preferably one in each bedroom

TV/Satellite/DVD Player - as there will always be someone who wants to catch the news, or children who will need entertaining

Telephone - whilst many of us live attached to our mobile/cellular phones, it is important that there is a permanent phone connection at the villa, in case of emergencies

En-suite bathrooms - if you are looking at going as a family or a group of friends, you really don't want to spend your holiday in Bali queuing for the next available slot at shared facilities!

Enjoying a fully staffed and serviced villa with your own Chef may seem like an un-attainable dream in most other parts of the world. However, renting a Villa in Bali is by far one of the most cost effective ways of enjoying this beautiful island and the company of its hospitable people.

Now armed with this check-list you are ready to plan you next dream holiday in a Villa in Bali. Like me, you will probably never want to leave, and go back to reality!

Many happy returns...

Bali Beach Hotels: Top Class Retreats Near the Beaches

Bali, a huge conglomeration of 13,000 islands, tempts the travelers all around the world with its richness ranging from mountains to long coastlines and hillsides to sandy beaches. The beach lovers throng in at Bali throughout the year and thus number of Bali Beach Hotels has multiplied in the recent years. Couples, families and even the corporate individuals make frequent visits to spend a nice vacation near the Bali beaches.


Since the island of Bali covers a huge area you find plenty of Bali beach hotels situated at every corner of the region. While Southern part of Bali has the major concentration of hotels you can still count on a number of star category hotels located in other parts of Bali. After you fly down at Ngurah Rai international airport in Denpasar you can easily get connected with your chosen hotel.


If you are planning to go for a trip to North Bali you can select from a number of quality Bali beach hotels. Apart from the luxury hotels like, Matahari Beach Resort & Spa, Damai Lovina Villas and Puri Bagus Lovina, you can also check-in at the mid-range hotels like Saranam Eco Resort. This beautiful region of Indonesia touches the heart of millions of travelers every year and these beach hotels in Bali offer you the dose of relaxation.


Candi Dasa, a noted tourist destination in the East of Bali is also gifted with a number of world class hotels. Rama Candidasa Resort & Spa and Alila Manggis Bali are among the luxury beach hotels in Bali while Puri Bagus Candidasa and Puri Bagus Manggis are the noted mid-range accommodations. You expect to receive exclusive comfort in the form of elegant rooms, elaborate arrangement of dining and wining and endless list of recreational facilities.


Coming down to the south of Bali will let you explore the blessed regions like, Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Tuban, Jimbaran, and Nusa Dua. There is a wide range of Bali beach hotels in these popular destinations. The luxury hotels like Kuta Seaview Cottage, Mercure Kuta Bali, Ramayana Resort & Spa, and White Rose Hotel & Spa await your coming and welcome you with sheer hospitality. Be it the night-life or the beach activities, staying in these Bali hotels give you a free ticket to entertainment.


Nusa Dua, considered to be a posh region in Bali, has the major concentration of 5-star hotels. If you can afford luxury the Bali beach hotels in Nusa Dua like, Melia Bali Villas & Spa Resort, Nikko Bali Resort & Spa, Novotel Nusa Dua Bali Hotel & Residences, and Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa, are ready to offer you a grand treatment. Like other luxury hotels in Indonesia, these beach hotels in Bali offer you extensive range of recreational facilities including spa, swimming pool and water sports in the nearby beaches.

Some Very Good Reasons For Staying At The Tugu Bali Hotel

The Top Bali Luxury hotel is situated right on a broad beach on the south west side of Bali, and it is called The Tugu Bali Hotel.

This is very definitely the most romantic hotel in Bali with only 22 rooms, and each decorated with priceless antiques and pictures. In fact wherever you turn in the Tugu Bali Hotel you will see artifacts lovingly collected over many years by the owner. Don't for one second think that the hotel is in any way out of date, in fact you will find the Tugu has a huge reputation for service, luxury and romance and exceptional hospitality too.

A love of fine art, and a planned wedding, means you need the perfect luxury hotel for the most romantic honeymoon you could possibly have here in Bali, and the Tugu Bali Hotel can and will certainly supply that, and more.

You will find that the Tugu is a wonderful romantic refuge from the outside world, and because it is a little out of the way, the staff who will treat you like royalty go more than out of their way to ensure you don't have any need to leave. This starts at the international airport at Denpasar where you are picked up and given refreshments during the thirty minute ride, which will then be repeated as you complete the formalities in the beautiful open air reception area.

Looking around you will immediately realize that the Tugu Bali Hotel is not only a luxury hotel in Bali, it is also going to be one of the best experiences of your life, and so romantic if it is your Bali honeymoon, then you couldn't have chosen better. All the cobble stone paths, the gardens, the Balinese and Javaneses antiques, and the altars make you feel as if you are in a friend's home and not one of the top luxury hotels in Bali.

It is the personal attention to detail that makes a good hotel into a great one, and the staff here are unobtrusive, know your name, nothing is too much trouble, and wishes are turned quickly into reality, without having to continually sign chits because the staff know who you are.

If you are able to, then stay in one of the suites with the private plunge pool, the courtyard with the huge outdoor bath tub is fantastic, and you could spend some hours in that alone!! It is like being able to step for a few days into a magical world, you'll almost have to pinch yourself.

The food at the Tugu Bali Hotel is uniformly excellent, and if you get the opportunity take part in the cooking class and the market visit. The cooking class takes place in what is like a film set with a reconstruction of a street kitchen. This one on one lesson is something you'll never forget especially as you then get to eat it!!

Another experience not to be missed is dusk on the beach at Tugu, where you can watch the sunset over the sea whilst eating a romantic grilled seafood dinner, cooked right in front of you. In fact you can eat wherever you want and this includes the 18th century temple in the grounds, and food is genuine Balinese

Altogether the Tugu Hotel Bali is an oasis, unique in that it is so tranquil in an increasingly hectic world.

Go there especially for your Bali Honeymoon or just to recharge your batteries.