Fathers Guesthouse- Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Address: At the top of the hill overlooking the Tanah Rata town (ask anyone as it is a popular place for travellers)

Website: http://fathers.cameronhighlands.com

I came across this guesthouse while researching about places to stay in Tanah Rata, which is the main town in the Cameron Highlands. There were a lot of positive reviews about it so I got the bus driver to drop us off here. It's situated on top of a hill on the edge of the town, but it's still a convenient place to stay as they have a 'short cut' of steps going down to the road which takes only a few minutes. Due to its elevation, there are nice views to be had here of their large vegetable patch, the English style apartment blocks which are quite common in this town and the surrounding cloud-topped mountains.

There were two types of housing available at Fathers Guesthouse- you could stay in a more expensive, nicer room in the main house which is a large, stone house next to the cafe and reception building for around RM80 per night (A$26) or in the Nissen huts, which are apparently remnants from WWII and are a series of cylindrical shaped shelters just down from the main house for around RM25-35 per night (A$8-12) where a dorm room was also available.

We stayed in one of the rooms in the huts which had two other rooms next to it (there are around three rooms in each 'hut'). It was extremely basic; the beds were very simple with quite old, lumpy mattresses, and there was a very dirty sitting chair with stains on it, as well as a rusty writing table and chair. One of the first things that hit me was the coldness of the room- in the Cameron Highlands, temperatures are much cooler than the rest of Malaysia due to its altitude, ranging from 18-25 degrees celsius during the day. The nights got pretty chilly, and the absence of any insulation in the buildings made the room freezing at night, even with the stained blankets that they provide. The walls were also so thin that we could even hear people whispering next to us which was quite annoying. There were also regular visitors in the way of random insects flying into the room through the ineffective windows and the gap under the door.

The shared bathrooms were in a nearby block which had showers and toilets both Asian and Western style. The hot showers were tempermental at best which is a non important issue because the nights get very cool, dropping from the low twenties to just under. The whole area was also dingy and slippery so one would have to always tread carefully to avoid a fall.

For internet users, there were some computers up at the tv room but for wi fi, they charged RM 5 for the length of the stay which was only accessible near the main house. The electrical sockets were only available up here as well which made it quite inconvenient.

We stayed almost a week and at the end, we realised that our small, itchy red bites that had appeared over the course of our stay were actually from the dreaded bed bugs!!! This was despite me checking the mattress initially for them and not finding any. It definitely put a smear on our stay here although nothing could take away our time in this beautiful and interesting part of the country.

Overall, the main advantage of staying at Fathers Guesthouse would be the scenic views over the valleys and the wide variety of flowers that are planted around the guesthouse, as well as taking in the fresh air in this peaceful area. As the conditions of the room and facilities weren't as favourable, the overall experience would be difficult to balance out.

Rating: 6/10

Stardust Guesthouse- Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

Address: 370-D Lebuh Chulia, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

Website: www.stardustguesthouse.com

This place is only a few doors down from the previously mentioned hostel but on the other side of the road so it's still a very central part of town. The reception was manned by a young girl (the daughter of the owner) who was very friendly and welcoming. She showed us two rooms, both with clean rooms and beds (I've started lifting the bedsheets of every place we go to to check for bed bugs hiding in the mattresses). We chose the second room which was the larger of the two, with an extra electrical socket for RM 25 per night (A$8) for a few days.

There are 7 rooms spread over two levels in the guesthouse, with the bathrooms on the second level consisting of three showers and two toilets which were cleaned daily. The showers had a gap between the top of the wall and the ceiling which allowed natural light to come through which was pretty cool if one had a shower during the day. The stairs leading up to these levels from the cafe downstairs is extremely steep so we had to hold onto the bannister to ensure that we didn't ensure a catastrophic death! The wooden floorboards added a genuine atmosphere of 'guesthouse' that was quite charming.

Our room had a fan, a writing table and a chair. It was closest to the bathrooms which for the most part weren't a problem...except for the one bad thing about this guesthouse: the mysterious, GHASTLY odour that would come wafting into the room late every night (and sometimes for a period of time in the afternoon). We determined that the smell came from the bathrooms as the second time we stayed here in another room further down the corridor, the smell wasn't as strong. As far as we could tell, it must have come from some open sewer pipe and let me tell you, it was the most foul smell I have ever come across in my life!!! There is no way of getting around this smell which is unfortunate because other than this, our stay at Stardust was perhaps one of the best we've had so far.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this guesthouse. You can't find much fault with clean, decent sized rooms, clean bathrooms, friendly owners, a convenient location and free wi fi. The only thing to be aware of is the evil sewer smell which will inevitably creep up upon you.

Rating: 8/10 (9.5/10 if the horrifying stink was removed)

Day and Night Backpackers Guesthouse- Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

Address: Tebuh Chulia, Georgetown (next to Banana Guesthouse and opposite 7 Eleven)

Website: none

After getting off bus #101 from the bus terminal down south of Penang, the Day and Night Backpacker Guesthouse was the first one we encounted, so we went in and enquired about room rates. We were slightly apprehensive that other hostels might be full after comparing costs with the Banana Guesthouse next door which charged more than double of their nightly rate of MYR 24 (A$8) that we decided to take a room just for one night and wander around town looking for a better one later on.

We should have been more patient...

...as the room was quite dirty and worn, with unsightly sheets and table which enjoyed plenty of rust. There were also no mosquito-proof netting outside the open window panes, which immediately stood out to me. The shower and toilet were quite unattractive as well.
After going out and finding not one, but several decent and much nicer guesthouses closeby (the main tourist centre of Georgetown is pretty much centred on the one street, Tebuh Chulia), we groaned and headed back to Day and Night to pin our hopes that the guy would agree to refund us and let us to elsewhere instead, even though chances were slim. At least we tried- the guy who had checked us in had gone and an older man who was probably the boss denied that there were any mosquitoes around (when we mentioned the open windows) and confirmed that we had to stay there, at least for the night that we'd paid for already.
We went back to the Stardust Guesthouse where we'd inspected the rooms and for about the same price were infinitely better, and booked us in before returning and setting the alarm clock for an early wakeup tomorrow in order to get out of there sooner.

Overall, one would not have any good reason to stay at the Day and Night Guesthouse as it is very easy in Georgetown to find nicer and cleaner places to stay for the same price. The room was dirty, and the toilets were dirty. Fullstop.

Combo Guesthouse- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Address: 69 Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Website: none

This hostel is right in the middle of the busy Bukit Bintang district of Kuala Lumpur, famous for its outdoor restaurants, shopping centres and cafes. It's very easy to get to if you're arriving by bus at the Puduraya Bus Terminal, as it's only a 15-20 minute walk up Jalan Pudu, left at the traffic lights, along the famous food street of Jalan Alor and just around the corner. Nearby are convenience stores and convenience stores along with plenty of other backpacker hostels.

We'd booked a room with shared bathroom facilities on Hostelworld (Rp 56 a night = A$15) but as we'd booked it only the night before, they hadn't yet printed out the confirmation so the guy ended up giving us a double room with an ensuite bathroom which intentional or not, was very nice! The room itself was quite small; it only fit pretty much the bed and us. There was a tiled shelf off the wall which took up more space but the most important thing about the room was that it was extremely clean. The bathroom looked almost new, with a great hot water shower and toilet, but with a bit of off-putting mould on the wall that could almost be ignored if one tried hard enough. It was again quite small, similar to one in an aeroplane but it worked fine. The bed was just two soft mattresses staced on top of each other and was probably the worst thing about this air conditioned room- as it was very unsupportive and just sank down. It was probably a major contributor to the back ache that I developed a few days into our stay.

The hostel also had free wi fi which had great connection with no drop outs. The staff were originally friendly enough, but were quite weird after that, not smiling or acknowledging us whenever they'd see us. Instead, for the first few days one particular guy kept asking us whether we actually had a room there as we'd either leave or enter the hostel. It was quite irritating but I guess it's good in terms of security...although a few times, we saw that the entrance was unmanned. Oh, did I mention that the rooms were located on the second and third floor of the block so that there are at least a few flights of stairs to master everytime one comes up or down from the rooms? There was also an outdoor space over the roof of the lower levels in the centre of the the level of rooms with steel grids around them that don't do much to hide the huge rats that were commonly seen running around the roof area. Lovely. But I guess it's understandable in this steaming, humid city of KL, and didn't impact much on our stay.

Overall, a very nice week at Combo Guesthouse. The air conditioning was very much appreciated, and the rooms were extremely clean and modern. The staff were good for the security issue, and it was very conveniently located for tourists to explore the various types of food available in the capital as well as the lively nightlife in this area.

Rating: 9/10

Tony's Guesthouse- Melaka, Malaysia

Address: 24 Lorong Banda Kaba, off Lorong Bukit Cina, Melaka

Website: none

Tony's Guesthouse is about a 5-10 minute walk from the Dutch Square, where all the famous Dutch architectural buildings are, and also where the bus no. 17 from the Melaka bus Sentral will drop you off (for RM 1), making it a convenient place to stay. It's situated near the opening of a residential street, where a brightly painted yellow wall welcomes you to this guesthouse. Tony is a quiet and pleasant man, with many comments online about also being a helpful and friendly guy. He is also happy enough to leave you to your own devices if that is your wish. We were shown into a room on the second floor out of three, the ground floor being his residence and his little cafe.
The room with shared bathroom (a nightly rate of Rm 12/A$4 per person) was also brightly painted in red, yellow and blue which along with slightly old and rustic surroundings, created a sort of atmosphere that a typical backpacker might like. The room was decently medium sized, with a writing table and chair, as well as a clean clothes horse for hanging up your washing which was quite useful. After an initial scare of seeing a few bed bugs crawling on the wall near the bed head, we were able to relax as the bed itself didn't house any of the bugs itself. The bed was lined with clean, matching pillow cases and bedsheets, and was quite comfortable. With a very effective fan (at full power, it dried out our washing in a few hours, despite the humidity), the room was nice and clean, with the small exception of the floor which still had hair from previous occupants.
The shared bathroom was just around the corner, with one on each level. With only three or four rooms, the facilities were quite enough. The Western style toilet and hot shower worked well enough, though the water pressure of the shower often lacked. It was relatively clean although a bit old, with both doors needing a replacement. There were also some bowls and plates for guests should they choose to eat at the simple sitting area outside their rooms.
It is quite apparent that Tony enjoys having a guesthouse and takes pride in what he does. The plethora of little laminated signs containing tips such as how to prevent a snatch thief from attacking, to ways to keep the guesthouse clean are little ways in which it shows. There's also a board on the level with pinned up maps of the city and where the tourist attractions are, as well as a place where previous travellers have left behind used and loved brochures which are there for future travellers to pick up at their disposal. All this gives Tony's Guesthouse a nice, communal and casual atmosphere which any simple traveller will appreciate.

Overall, a safe and clean guesthouse very conveniently located to the city's attractions. Tony's effort in providing the simple necessities of a budget accommodation choice makes it the best value place to stay in town.

Rating: 8.5/10

The Hive Backpackers Hostel- Singapore

Address: 624 Serangoon Road, Singapore

Website: www.thehivebackpackers.com

The hostel gave excellent directions on how to get to their place on the confirmation print out after we had booked a week's stay here at Singapore on the Hostelworld website, so after an hour or so of travelling on the city's efficient MRT system from the airport, we arrived at the hostel. It's located within sight of the Boon Keng MRT station, and directly across a football field so it's quite easy to spot when you first arrive.

It was a delightful stay, from the time we stepped into the airconditioned lobby and were greeted by the friendly staff to when we left with our luggage to head to the bus terminal a week later, which is only about 10 convenient minutes away.
We were shown into a Japanese styled block of rooms, with about two or three bathrooms per level of private rooms. The dorms were located on the ground floor near the reception. Our room (the Sakura room) was a room with airconditioning and windows facing Lavender Street (bewarned for those who sleep lightly because this room is quite noisy as it is closest to the busy intersection with Serangoon Road which has traffic all night long and only stops in the early hours after midnight). The windows were only covered by a light straw/bamboo style hanging so the sun rising also happens instantaneously in this room. The room itself was meticulously clean, even down to the bedposts. We later saw the cleaner wipe these down, which showed a level of effort rare in budget accommodation, which made it all the more admirable. They also use vacuum cleaners to clean the floor. The room also had an IKEA like table which was useful.

For around S$25 (A$25) per night and airconditioning, this was a great choice as the breakfast, although simple enough, was plentiful. Cornflakes, toast with jam/butter and coffee/tea made a great start to the day, as one would need as much help as possible to survive the huge and numerous shopping malls to Singapore! When one would run out during the breakfast hours, the staff were only too happy to refill. The free wi fi connection would occasionally drop out during the peak night time hours however that was pretty much the only complaint about the place. Oh, and besides the toilet in the nearest bathroom that would remain regularly stubborn and refuse to flush. The bathrooms themselves were quite clean and provided toilet paper.
The hostel also had four or five computers in the lobby for those who didn't bring laptops with them which was quite nice of them, and also had free tourist brochures and maps, as well as a nice hang out area with cable tv as well. As it was located on Serangoon Road, the region of 'Little India' was just a short walk away, with its well known temples, the Mustafa shopping plaza and the many sari and restaurants close by. There were also several bus stops nearby which made it handy to get to various parts of the city.
Overall, the best place that we've stayed at by far. The staff were friendly and nice, the rooms were spotless, the bathrooms were great and it was in a good location for , with even a foodcourt about five minutes away which we went to numerous times for dinner. Two thumbs up.

Rating: 9.5/10

Bali Manik- Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

Address: Jalan Benesari, Kuta

Website: none

The block of rooms are built in traditional Balinese style, with three levels of rooms. We stayed for three nights and tried to bargain with the manager, who is the most unfriendly, reluctant person you could find, however he wouldn't budge with the price of Rp 100 000 (A$14) per night for a twin bed room (even after quoting us cheaper two weeks ago, saying that 'the price had gone up' since then).
We were shown to a room on the third floor, up the steep narrow staircases and into a room with white tiles and a wardrobe with no rod to hang clothes in. One of the single beds had clean white sheets and pillow cases however the other one had clear, significant stains on it. Luckily I had my own bedsheet which I now hastily pulled out. The bathroom had a noticeable dip in the tiled floor which meant that water from the shower would remain on the floor for a considerable amount of time, thus contributing to the damp smell that would occasionally leak out into the room. The toilet, shower head and sink would do well with new replacements, but it was functional enough, with cold showers to look forward to as part of the room.

Breakfast was taken up to the seats and table located just outside of the room, and were quite decent. A small, thin banana pancake, a small plate of pineapple and banana, and tea/coffee would be served as we'd take in the quite pretty view over the nearby shops and inns.
Bali Manik is located within 10 metres away from the convenience store, Circle K, and on not one but two occasions, we were woken up at 4am by a crazy women sitting outside the store drunkenly shouting and singing loudly. The street is usually non stop with car and motor bike traffic, but usually dies down at around midnight. The hostel is also around the corner from the markets on Poppies Lane II, and is about 10-15 minutes walk to Kuta Beach, making this area a popular place to stay for surfers and tourists alike. There are also plenty of restaurants, cafes, tourist booking centres and convenient shops nearby.

Overall, a standard kind of budget accommodation to stay at in Kuta, with what you pay for and nothing more. Obviously stained sheets shouldn't have gotten through the cleaners like this, but the breakfasts were good enough and the location convenient. Don't expect warm gestures of friendship from the manager and you'll do fine at Bali Manik.

Rating: 6.5/10

Hotel Elen- Senggigi, Lombok, Indonesia

Address: Jalan Raya Senggigi

Website: none

We were dropped off by the shuttle bus at the edge of town, in front of an affiliated tourist information centre and told that this was the centre of Senggigi to scare us. As from what anyone could see, it looked tiny and deserted. Most of the passengers on the bus had the smarts to ignore their 'advice' and start walking. We did, soon enough. And we found the 'real' centre of the town, where a young teenager and an older man approached us and strongly suggested 'Hotel Elen, Hotel Elen' to us for budget accommodation. We let them guide us to a narrow, dodgy looking alleyway next to a convenience store which initially I was very hesitant to go through, but it turned out legit as this was where Hotel Elen was situated, behind this block.

We managed to negotiate the nightly price for a bed room down from Rp 100 000 to Rp 90 000 per night (A$12) for a week's stay with one of the co owners and checked in. Our room was one of a rectangle of rooms outside, opposite a koi pond with a small waterfall as well as a poor bird entraped in a tiny birdcage. It had two seats, a table as well as a clothes hanger which was quite useful for drying off swimming costumes after a day at the beach. The room was simple but clean enough, and the bathroom had a Western toilet with a flush. The shower was cold water but it worked relatively well. There was also a cupboard with shelves to store our belongings as well as a fan to replace the old, broken air conditioner.
After a few days of having some food tied up in bags, the room would attract a noticeable amount of ants, but nothing much more menacing which was good.
The staff would say hello everytime they saw us, but would thankfully keep pretty much to themselves, besides tending to the property and gardens. The owners paid significant attention to make the gardens attractive, with a large fenced up cage at the back containing birds and rabbits. Another magnificent bird was kept in another small cage but in bad conditions, with the interiors needing urgent cleaning. The animals do give a pleasing element in the surroundings but the owners may like to pay greater attention to their upkeep to keep their viewing pleasurable by the guests.
The breakfast was extremely simple- one thin plain pancake with either bali coffee or tea, and a cup of sugar. We used the sugar to add taste to the sole pancake, but would sometimes need to substantiate our breakfast later on.
Overall, a decent place to stay in a town severely lacking budget accommodation. Rooms are clean enough, with nice surroundings but prepared for a very simple breakfast.

Rating: 7/10

Unknown Inn- Padangbai, Bali, Indonesia

Address: Unknown; in a lane off the main road in Padangbai (Jalan Pedabuhan Padangbai).

Website: unknown

We had just spent over an hour on a shuttle bus going from Ubud to Padangbai, and had just escaped the clutches of an overeager owner of a new inn who ushered us in to see his rooms which were brand spanking new and extremely nice but which was still being built, when we happened along this hostel unnamed and unknown. This little laneway running parallel to the main street along the shore of Padangbai had most of the hostels in this area within a few metres, and which we spent a night there. We had originally planned to stay a week in this town but due to several horrible situations that we found ourselves in, we'd quickly decided to move on and get the hell away from this place which seemed to act as a deep and menacing hole to which we were being pursued in an unexplainable but evil manner.

The hostel seemed nice enough, and indeed it was the best choice there was after inspecting several other places of budget accommodation. Indeed, I heard a fellow traveller from another room remark to her friends that this place was the fanciest place she'd stayed in so far.
There were two levels of rooms (beware, the flight of stairs were very steep and very narrow) and our room with hot shower was negotiated to be Rp 80 000 per night for a week's stay (down from Rp 100 000). The room was nice enough, with white tiles on the floor and a functional bathroom, if a bit icky feeling (it also had a cistern-less toilet). The bedspread looked a bit old though, but the fan worked which was all we asked for.

But it would soon prove useless because...

There was a 3-4 hour period that night from around 8pm-midnight where the electricity was cut off in the whole town. We were sitting in a restaurant eating when all the lights, everything went out and it was pitch black. It seemed to be a regular occurrence as without batting an eyelid, the restaurants swiftly lit their candles and continued on with the dinner service. We went back to the hostel, thinking that it'd all be fixed soon enough but having no idea that we'd have several hours of waiting ahead of us. Without electricity, that meant the fan was useless and the room very soon got extremely, EXTREMELY HOT. It felt like it was literally 50 degrees, and after lying there sweating our of our ears, we took the possible mosquito bites over slow death and sat outside on the edge of the balcony. Even though it was still warm outside (this is the tropics), it was much better than remaining indoors and we sat there (surprisingly mosquito free) until midnight when our room had significantly cooled down from the night air we'd let in.

The breakfast was made by a guy who although was asked for an egg and tomato jaffle from the menu (and was even pointed to the item by a finger), made a tomato jaffle. Yup, two pieces of toasted bread with a piece of tomato in it and nothing else. Does that make sense to anyone? I understand that his English wouldn't have been exactly fluent but the pointed finger would have definitely made inroads with another average Indonesian. Anyways, it came with bali tea or coffee, and surprisingly, the tea was quite nice. A plate of pineapple and bananas came with the breakfast which was quite nice.

So it wasn't really the hostel's fault that we had a nightmarish night so I'll exclude the uselessness of the fan for half the night in my review, and say that it was a decent place to stay (if one doesn't happen to stay in this town for the one night of the month where they cut the town's electricity for half the night, as an employee in the hostel told us when we went downstairs to ask what was going on).

Rating: 7/10

Sudana Homestay- Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

Address: Jalan Gautama/Goutama/Cootama, No. 11, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

Website: none

I came across this homestay soon after arriving at the Bemo/Taxi station, near the centre of Ubud. It's located on the first street coming from that direction, and is in a narrow street constantly busy with cars and motorbikes. Plenty of other homestays can be found on the same street but Sudana's Homestay offered the cheapest rate with breakfast for a week so we went with this one. The homestay is family owned, with children who are as friendly as their parents and offer a friendly smile everytime passes them. Madi is the main contact and has a smile that can almost literally light up a lightbulb, and is friendly and welcoming. Breakfast is included with the accommodation, and has a menu of either:

- a tomato and egg jaffle
- a scrambled/boiled egg or omlette with two pieces of buttered toast
- a banana/pineapple pancake

The food also came with a small plate of papaya, pineapple and banana, as well as a choice of Bali coffee (very strong black coffee) or black tea.
We ordered the scrambled egg with toast for most of the week until we realised that the tomato and egg jaffle was much nicer. I also tried the banana pancake which was extremely oily but chewy and doughy which was the sort of pancake I personally like, but which most others probably don't. It was evident that Madi put a decent amount of effort into making her breakfasts, but a common factor were the black specks of dirt of something which came on the utensils, plates and cups. The coffee or tea would be accompanied with a small jar of sugar, but so would the noticeable ants that would be crawling around in the sugar. Seeing the semi-outdoor kitchen where the plates and cutlery would be washed and kept to dry explained all this, but still, it wasn't exactly nice to see with your food first thing in the morning.

There are separate buildings containing the rooms at the back of the main house where guests stay. Each room comes with its own little verandal/outside seating area where breakfast is served, and the rooms are fan cooled. Each has its own toilet without a cistern, so a bucket and hose is provided. All open windows were covered in nets to prevent mosquitoes from entering the room.
We originally negotiated a week's stay in their cheapest room which was the first one on the right hand side- (a discounted rate of Rp 70 000 per night, about A$9 per night) a double room with a cold shower however this was quickly regretted as the room dingy, with a definite depressed atmosphere about it. The bedside table was old, rusty and dirty and the toilet was a shocker. There wasn't a bucket as such provided to wash the toilet down, but a small heart shaped, pouring tool that was nowhere sufficiently large enough to contain enough water necessary to do the deed. Soon after having a shower, we discovered a huge cockroach on the floor which made the whole experience even worse. I refused to enter the bathroom after that which made it quite impossible to stay another night in that room, and after sharing our thoughts, we agreed to request an upgrade to another room.

We didn't mention anything of our reasons for making the change to Madi, but she let us know that one of the other rooms with a hot shower would become available later that day for us. What a difference Rp 20 000 can make. At a negotiated Rp 90 000 per night (A$11) for a remaining week's stay, the room was brighter, larger and airier. The toilet appeared cleaner, with a large bucket provided to take care of the absent cistern, and there was of course, the hot water (which actually stopped working halfway through the week until we let Madi know, and were told that it was due to the gas heating tank being broken but it was quickly fixed).
The room came with a shelf built into the wall, as well as a bedside table (sufficiently newer and cleaner than the previous one) and some hooks on the wall. I came to know the room quite well, as I became sick soon after our arrival in Ubud and had to spend pretty much the rest of the week holed up in bed. A cockroach was seen in the bathroom a few days into our stay which put a damper on things but overall, the room was a hundred steps up from the 'nightmare room' of our first night.

Overall, a nice, affordable homestay in a great location. Being the cheaper kind of homestay, it may show in things such as cleanliness (it seemed that the bedsheets were never washed/changed, and the bedsheets were not really bedsheets), but presided over by the friendly family, it'd be a good bet for one on a budget in Ubud.

Rating: 6.5/10

The Galaxy Hotel- Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia

Address: Jalan Abimanyu, No. 9A, Seminyak

Website: www.galaxyhotelbali.com

The hotel looks like it's situated right near the beach on the website but it's actually on a busy road in Seminyak, an upmarket area in Bali, surrounded by boutique clothing stores and nightclubs. It was in a convenient location, with restaurants and a few warungs nearby, and a convenience store almost directly opposite.
We'd booked an ensuite room for seven nights in early September, 2009 for A$194 in total, which is quite expensive considering you can find an equivalent room in Kuta for around A$12. However the cost fits the area and the hotel was quite pretty, built in the traditional Balinese style. The doors were two narrow double doors Balinese style again, but had a slight gap in between which one had to be aware of when one was in the room with the lights on.
The room was quite decent sized, with a writing table and two chairs, and the bathroom had a hot shower with a Western style toilet. However at times, it smelt a bit damp as the floors retained water which was annoying. The air conditioning was great after a day's sweaty walking but would occasionally stop working, and there was nothing to fix it but to stand up on the bed and repeatedly press the on button in the hopes that it would start up again.
We'd sometimes have food tied up in bags and left on the table, but this wouldn't deter a few ants from finding their way in.
The hotel came with free wi-fi which was very convenient, but the signal would be quite weak when using it in the rooms so you'd have to either stand outside on the common balcony where it would slightly improve, or go next door to the adjoining bar where the strength would be the strongest.
The owner, an Australian man, was helpful when we asked about transport and gave us some idea of how much taxis would cost to go to Kuta, for example. However, it was his co owner wife, who inadvertently gave us the best advice by hiring a motorbike/scooter as it would work out easier and better value. However the rest of the local staff didn't know much English and therefore weren't able to provide us with useful local information if they were asked.
Overall, a nice place to stay for the beginning of our trip, with the nice little luxuries of a place that wouldn't necessarily come with a place cheaper. One would possibly then 'downgrade' to a hostel in Kuta where it'd be closer to all the action later on, but no major complaints here at the Galaxy.

Rating: 7/10