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