Alang Alang Balinese Cottages O.k., let's see if you can spot the insect eater!
Well, in the middle of the night, when you hear a noise like a bird shivering. There will be a brief pause and then "Gecko, gecko, gecko, gecko......." Each subsequent "Gecko" getting softer and softer. For many, this sound is so evocative and appealing, they will forgive the odd Gecko dropping or dropping in! There is even folklore attached to him. If he sings "Gecko" 7 times, it is unlucky. 11 times, very lucky. There are other, even smaller, beautiful green lizards you will spy, and the occasional furry friend! Oh yes, be aware, due to the fact the seal between the roof and the wall is, well, not as "watertight" as tile roofs. Sometimes, if you are very, very lucky, you will get the odd mouse (or even larger close relative) popping in! Now don't panic. Even the larger variety, o.k., o.k., they're rats, are very rare indeed. Especially in the towns. This is due to them being truly rural animals, and that town hotels tend to be owned by non-Balinese. Why is that important? Because the Balinese are not likely to deliberately kill a rat (which they see as we see squirrels), due to their religion. But will they hurt you? No, of course not, and they are more frightened of you than you of they.
Tile Roofed Bungalows
Standard Hotel Block / Wing Rooms Getting the best hotel room deal! But that isn't always true. It will happen, that your confidence is not always good enough. Not only that, some hotels absolutely do not give "on the day" special prices, for fear of upsetting the other guests or starting a trend. If you live in Europe, Australia or the USA, and you book a room inclusive holiday through a travel agent there. The chances are, you will get better combined flight / room rates (due to the cross subsidies and volume discounts they command), plus have your money protected by either the credit card company or the travel agent's governing body, in the event they go out of business. The trouble with booking an inclusive package is that you are often booking into a specially designed tourist hotel. You also tend to be stuck then, in the one area / town, reliant on day trip tours to "see" the rest of Bali. Well, let me assure you. In the main, those prepackaged 3rd party tours are going to remind you that you are a tourist and often make you feel like a sardine with a wallet! So, what if you want to book a hotel in an area the travel agents have never heard of, let alone have hotels in? Well, then you can scour the Internet for the right place (or simply turn up on the day and see). If you are going to use the Internet, is is wise to choose both hotel and reservations company very carefully. Not only that, ask your bank and they are bound to say, you should also be very cautious about giving your credit card details over the Internet. Even with secure server technology, the problem isn't always the Internet communication itself, but what happens to your credit card details once they are received the other end! The last thing you want to find when you get back home, is that someone has bought their new living room with your Visa card number! So a word to the wise. If you are unsure or uneasy about sending details by the Internet. Insist that you be allowed to fax the information. If you are unsure or uneasy about booking with a 3rd party Internet agent, look around for the hotels' own sites or direct reservations sites. Here is a summary of these; Indirect Reservations Sites Unfortunately, in recent times, we have seen the expansion of "Buyer Beware" syndrome creeping into the reservations market. Certain travels agents are increasingly getting themselves a bad name. This may be simple copyright theft, where web-sites use copyrighted photographs from other sites without permission. To outright deception, such as offering reservations for hotels that the agent is not authorized for, and at lower rates then authorized agents. This is for "Bait & Switch" purposes. Once the agent has your credit card details, they then inform you the hotel you requested is full (even though it is not / they never asked), but they have a better hotel deal for you with the "better" XYZ Hotel (which is only better for them, as they earn large $ commissions with their favoured hotel). Another worrying occurance is the ability for people to set up travel agencies in Indonesia without actually securing a permit from the government. These people call themselves "Hotel marketing representatives" or similar. Things is, most hotels will honour a real travel agent's voucher. But heaven help you if you pay a "marketing representative" in advance and turn up at the hotel! You can find some "Switch & Bait" and "Marketing Representative" companies who have stood out (in the wrong way) on our Name & Shame page. Hotels Themselves Direct Reservations Sites. A list of hotel reservation agents (both types);
Accommodations Bali Again, with special thanks for dropping Waka Hotels off their very extensive / renowned reservations site. Bali Paradise Another good, informative site. Asia Travel And another (you can send electronic postcards from this one). Please note, we will not list any agent that offers rooms at the Waka Hotel Group (please read Name & Shame section to see why). Bali Villas
Compagnie Van Bali Nice web-site and I know the owner / agent (Mark Valentin) looks after people. Villa Balianders One Alex Poortman (forum user) recommended this place be included. Bali Images Certainly worth a look! Villa Atas Ombak Wow! (Both the villa and the price) Villa Bulan Madu Lovely villa and really nice people! Taman Wana Villas In the rural west of Bali Copyright © Travel Forums Org "Real information & help for hotels & villas within Bali & Lombok."
|
Well,
it sure looks nice, doesn't it?
Bali web site owners, have you checked out our 
This
little chap is called a "Gecko". Yes, he's a lizard, with
feet that (mostly) allow him to stay firmly attached to the roof,
upside down. Mr Gecko is quite small, extremely shy and strictly nocturnal.
So you would never know he is there, right?
One
of the real delights of most traditional Balinese Alang Alang cottages
are open garden bathrooms.
