One of our friends just got back from a beautiful vacation in Bali. We were a "bit" secretly jealous seeing his many vacation pictures. We were reminded that it has been nine long months since our trip to the island of the gods. Time really passes quickly and we rarely get a chance to stop and look back.
So here's looking back at one of the highlights of our Bali getaway - staying at the beautiful and quiet Dewa Bharata Bungalows Legian.
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| Dewa Bharata Bungalows Legian |
Location
Dewa Bharata's location is very strategic and is one of its main advantages. It is at the heart of Kuta, exactly where most tourists go. It is a 10-minute walk from the bustling nightlife of Jalan Legian, a 15-minute walk to Kuta Beach, and a 15-minute drive to Ngurah Rai International Airport.
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| Hotel entrance c/o Dewa Bharata Bungalows Legian website |
It is nestled down a short alley a few steps from Jalan Legian (or Legian Street), the main street that runs north-south from Kuta to Seminyak in Bali. It is such a busy street that you'll be surrounded by a sea of signs, hundreds of people, and clusters of hotels, shops, bars and dance clubs. When locating the hotel, you might miss the alley as the hotel signage is not prominent enough amidst a sea of mass signage displays by other establishments. To avoid getting lost, the most reliable landmark to note is the Bali Bombing Memorial, also known as the Ground Zero Monument, which is around 150 meters from the hotel.
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| The busy Jalan Legian |
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Landmark: The Bali Bombing Memorial
or Ground Zero Monument |
To travel to the hotel with your mind at ease, we suggest booking in advance the hotel's airport transfer service which will cost around USD20.00. Taxis are another option but Bali is known for widespread taxi frauds. Although taxi rates from the airport are supposed to be fixed based on a price list, there are a lot of drivers who cheat and may even charge you higher than the hotel service.
Reservation
Dewa Bharata Bungalows has its own website for reservation of rooms. The website promises a best rate guaranteed policy with breakfast and no additional booking fees or other hidden fees. It also provides an option to pay at the hotel.
The hotel is also listed in online travel agencies Agoda.com and Booking.com as well as the listing website Airbnb. Since the rooms are offered at low rates plus a discount coupon, we decided to book through Airbnb. With free breakfast and WiFi, we only paid PHP475.00 nett per night - by far the cheapest hotel stay we've had in all our travels.
Check-in
Our flight arrived at 7:50 AM in Bali and that's too early to check into hotels. It was a good thing that we booked at Dewa Bharata Bungalows through Airbnb as our host Hafidz, worked with us when we informed him we are arriving in the morning. He confirmed that the hotel will be able to accommodate our check-in at 10:00 AM.
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The hotel's 24-hour front desk
c/o Dewa Bharata Bungalows Legian website |
Even with the traffic we still arrived an hour earlier but the receptionist Made was quick to assist with the check-in process. We were pleasantly surprised that our room was already prepared. After filling out the forms and some quick questions about Bali, we were then escorted to our Superior Room in the ground floor.
Layout and Ambience
Dewa Bharata is a bungalow style hotel being low-rise with wide verandas. Unlike most budget hotels today where the owners build up and squeeze as many rooms as possible in as little land, Dewa Bharata is designed with such spaciousness and with separate units and structures.
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Dewa Bharata is a Hindu deity known to be
Rama's younger brother |
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| Land mark |
The property has structures built in traditional Balinese design situated among its lush gardens. There is also a large swimming pool in its center. The rooms are good despite the property being a bit old. And even though the hotel is very close to the busy Jalan Legian it is really quiet. This calmness plus the gardens, the pool, and your own little veranda make the hotel one of the perfect places to relax.
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| The bungalows |
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| The bungalows in traditional Balinese design |
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A Dvarapala standing guard in the veranda,
a common architectural design in Bali |
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| The Balinese gate to the bungalows |
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| Landscaped gardens are features of Balinese design |
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The Ganesha statue at the gate with
a small water pond |
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| Wall art depicting natural landscapes |
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| Plants to merge the hotel with nature |
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| Structures in tune with the environment |
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| Pathway to the beautiful pool |
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| Another Dvarapala in a series of gates leading to the pool |
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| The pool |
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| The pool |
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| The pool has a barrier separating the children's pool |
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| The pool from another angle |
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| Sun loungers surround the pool |
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The gazebo by the pool, a perfect place to
unwind and contemplate |
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| The beautiful gazebo with bamboo furnishings |
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| Also a perfect place for reading a book |
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| A shrine inside the hotel compound |
Dewa Bharata is also quite a distance from the beaches of Bali but the property makes up for it in charm, privacy, serenity, and rustic feel.
Our Room
We stayed in a Superior Room with Twin Beds. It can accommodate maximum of 2 persons with an option for an extra bed at an additional charge. It was basic but had all the amenities and furnishings we needed such as air conditioning, satellite TV, work desk, wardrobe, hot and cold shower, mini ref, and bottled water.
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| The Superior Room with Twin Beds |
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| The bathroom |
It also has a private veranda for guests to sit out and admire the beautiful landscaping.
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| The private veranda |
The room does not have a safe inside but there is safety deposit service at the 24-hour front desk. Another thing to note is that the plugs and sockets in Bali are the two pin socket and plug. Since the pins are round, not flat and rectangular, be sure to bring a plug adapter. Unfortunately, the hotel is not able to provide adapters should you ask for one.
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The amenities and furnishings inside the rooms
c/o Dewa Bharata Bungalows Legian website |
Dining
Dewa Bharata has a small restaurant called Gending Restaurant. It is open air and overlooks the pool, the garden, and the bungalows.
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| Gending Restaurant facing the pool |
Gending serves food at very affordable local prices and with a good and tasty choice of Chinese, Indonesian, or European dishes.
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| The restaurant's interior design is traditional Balinese |
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| The bar counter in the background |
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| A beautiful Garuda in the bar counter |
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| A quiet place to have breakfast |
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| Typical breakfast served at Gending |
Activities
The hotel has an Instagenic pool that is perfect for some quiet time and picture taking.
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| The instagenic pool |
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| Also a good place for some sun bathing |
If you're up for some sightseeing and tours, the hotel offers private tour arrangements and car rentals at reasonable prices.
If you're up for some beach fun and surfing, head to Kuta Beach which just a 15-minute walk away. You can also enjoy the lovely sunset at the beach.
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| Sunset at Kuta Beach |
For shopping, the hotel is a mere 15-minute walk to the Beachwalk Shopping Mall where you can find world famous brands and shops. But just a few steps from the hotel is Jalan Legian. Jalan Legian has a bounty of fashion boutiques, art shops, and souvenir stores. The 3-kilometer stretch is best explored on foot to find great items. And make sure to bring with you your bargaining and haggling skills to get the best deals.
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| Beachwalk Shopping Mall |
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| Jalan Legian with boutiques and shops open til late night |
Service and Experience
Although under the radar, Dewa Bharata provides good service. The staff are friendly, helpful, and incredibly warm and welcoming.
Overall, our experience at the hotel was incredible. The hotel may not come with a Bali beach front, elaborate rooms, or fancy restaurants but you'll get to love its beauty, calmness, and intimacy. We cannot wait to go back to Dewa Bharata Bungalows Legian especially to waking up lazy and enjoying a quiet afternoon dip in the pool.
For more information about the resort, visit their website here. You may also contact +62 361 751764.
If you have questions about Dewa Bharata Bungalows Legian, please leave a comment in the box below.
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