Never rented a villa in Bali before and need some help?
We have all the answers…well at least most of them!
It’s really the wild west out there in Villa rental accommodation land, especially on the island of Bali. Make the wrong decision or choice and you could wind up with a lemon or even worse; getting totally ripped off by some dodgy operator.
Following are some great questions you should be asking your villa rental company to avoid any confusion and help you protect yourself against unscrupulous vendors when renting a Bali Villas.
1) Villa Location
How far is the villa from the beach, convenience stores, pharmacies and nearest shops? If you are looking for a beach style holiday and your villa is miles away inland, this could be a problem. Traffic can get really bad during peak times, especially in the Seminyak and Legian areas, so trekking to the beach every day by car or taxi could prove very time-consuming. Being stuck in a taxi is not fun as it can get gridlocked the closer you get to the main tourist beach areas. Make sure your Villa is within walking distance to the beach or at least within a quick scooter ride. If you want a beach style holiday then beachfront Bali villas are the way to go! Take a closer look at our selection of beachfront Bali villas.
If you want to be a bit adventurous, hire a motorbike in Bali, which is much quicker than a car, but this lends itself to a whole set of new issues. In any case, it’s a great question to ask. In regards to the shops and restaurants, the same goes, ideally you want to be pretty much in the thick of the action if you want to experience the excitement, shopping and nightlife that Bali has to offer. If you are after something quieter and you don’t mind being tucked further away but still want to be near a beach, then look at Villa options to the north like Canggu.
If you’re staying in Seminyak then ask if your villa is near Jalan Kaya Aya or Eat Street. This is the main thoroughfare running through Seminyak and has all the best shops, cafes etc.
“Bali Villa Escapes Tip: although it’s great to be in the centre, ideally you want to be one or two streets back or down an alley as it can get noisy on main roads with all the traffic”.
From the video below you can get a better idea about how jam-packed it is:
2) Is a driver or car service included with the villa?
Having a driver in Bali is a great idea. The positives far outweigh anything else and having your own driver for a week or two will make a huge difference to the holiday experience. Why? Because they will know all the best places to go and you never have to worry about getting lost or getting stopped by the local police who are vigilantly on the lookout for tourist driving without an international drivers license. Plus, you never have to worry about parking or car security or having that extra wine with dinner. It’s your holiday so go on and enjoy it to the max! Most drivers will expect a bit of a tip at the end of the stay so set aside say Rp 500 000 or AUD $60 for the week.
3) Is there a cook or chef included in the deal?
Having a cook is pretty much an added extra with your Villa but what an extra this is. A personal chef or cook can generally be requested and this might have to be added on to the cost of the villa. All villas have kitchens so a cook is a great idea especially if you’re going to do some entertaining. Think about it, if you have a group in the villa then this is perfect. Dinners or BBQ nights can be made for the group whilst you laze around the villa. Lunches by the pool can be organised and think of the hassle you will save if you have children with you.
Most chefs know western-style food so there will not be too much of a culture shock for the family. Alternatively, if you love Indonesian cuisine, then you are going to love what the chefs can muster up for the crew. With food, the cost is definitely additional and this would go for alcohol as well. Saying that most local supermarket chains stock beer, wine and spirits so it’s easy to stock up. If you happen to stay in a Seminyak villa, then the place to go for food and alcohol is Seminyak Square. Your villa manager will be able to show you how to get there or organise transport for you.
” Bali Villa Escapes tip: there are lots of supermarkets in the Seminyak, Legian and Canggu areas if you don’t have a chef and want to prepare some meals back at the villa. These supermarkets have everything you could imagine and the pricing is about the same as back home in Australia. The main supermarkets are Pepito, Popular, Festive, Bintang & Nirmala”.
4) Are there extra cleaning and housekeeping fees?
Most villas will come with staff who are responsible for the upkeep and villa maintenance and this includes the cleaning of all rooms and the villa. Generally speaking, this would be included in the cost of the villa rental. This is great news because the last thing you want to be doing on your holiday is cleaning a room, making a bed or washing dishes.
5) Is there WiFi in the Villa?
This is a no brainer as the last thing you want is to not have WIFI access. Sure you are on a break and don’t want to work, but it can be hard to be completely cut off from the world for many people. Wifi in my opinion is a must and this is now very common with all Villas. Please note, you are in Bali and some villa’s Wifi will not be like it is back home. So be prepared for long download times. It is just the way it is and it is not much you can do about it. Saying that I have been in some Villas that have had super fast internet speeds, so it’s just a risk at this stage I’m afraid.
**updated Feb 5th 2020 – most villas have great wifi that’s fast and reliable so you can keep busy on social media or download your favourite Netflix program.
6) Does my Villa have a pool?
All villas will have a pool – this is a must as you want to take that dip with your family or friends. Plus the pool is maintained and kept totally clean by the villa staff who are on hand. Also does, the villa have a pool fence? Most villas will not come with a pool fence, so if you travelling with toddlers is very aware of this. If you want a pool fence installed before you arrive this is doable. Just speak with your reservation manager who will happily organise this for you. Generally, this is at an added cost and will need to be quoted.
7) Is the villa safe?
Most villas will have security guards watching over the place at night. This gives you peace of mind knowing that someone is guarding the place and watching out for your security – this is a good question to ask if you have security concerns. Also, ask if there are safes in each of the rooms or at least one safe where you can store your valuable documents etc.
8) Does the villa have a villa manager?
Most newbies who come to Bali with kids can often get overwhelmed with the number of options available to them in terms of restaurants, cafes and things to do. There are places where ever you look and a lot of people are really concerned about getting the dreaded Bali belly so want to eat in reputable restaurants. This is where a villa manager is important and can help make or break a holiday. Bear in mind that Bali is part of Indonesia and is therefore still classified as part of the third world. Getting sick is easy, especially if you eat in the wrong places so be aware of this and use the local knowledge of your villa manager. Also, you need to know if the villa has in house staff to cook and clean the villa and who will be cleaning the pool and maintaining the garden during your stay? Most villas are fully staffed but you need to double-check this.
9) Is there free airport pick up?
The last thing you want to be doing is organising a taxi when you arrive in Bali. The airport can be hectic and chaotic making it hard to find decent transport. Plus if the locals see that your new to Bali they will escalate the costs! Being met at the airport and taken directly to your villa is perfect and you need to make sure that the people your booing the villa through will have this as part of the fee. I know that most operators will not have this included ( UNLIKE WE DO AT BALI VILLA ESCAPES) so again, make sure you ask this question.
10) Is there any construction near the villa?
There is a lot of construction going on in Bali all the time. New villas are being built, new shops being erected, new supermarkets and restaurants coming up and this all adds to the level of noise. So you want to know that your villa rental doesn’t have any major construction going on within 50 or so metres. The Balinese work late and work most days so you need to be aware that there may be some level of construction noise near you if there is any type of building happening nearby.
These are just a few questions to help you find your perfect holiday villa.
If you have any others please feel free to contact us here on ( within Australia ) 0402 222 605. With two offices, Bali and Sydney I’m confident that we will have all the information you need.
Steven is a die-hard Bali island addict and committed surfie. When he's not writing or taking videos of the latest restaurants or cool places, he's at Echo Beach surfing or riding his scooter around Seminyak, Berawa or Canggu. Steve is part of the Bali Villa Escapes marketing team and has been living in and out of Bali for the last 15 years.
