I'm going to Bali in February. I'd like to stay at a hotel that offers something "native" - like detached huts with thatched roofs, but I want it to be upscale also. I've found the Pansea Puri and the Oberoi - these seem to fit that description. Anyone know of any others or stayed at one of the two I've mentioned?

You can get a lot of great info from the "Travel Forum" at http://www.balivillas.com

How long are you staying in Bali? Do you plan on staying in only one place? The 2 hotels you mentioned are in different areas, the Pansea Puri (cosy & romantic, the showers are outdoor in your own private garden) is in Jimbaran, where other 5 star resorts are located, i.e. the 4 Seasons, the Ritz-Carlton, & the Inter-Continental. In the same area is the Villa Hanani, smaller than the Pansea Puri, but equally nice. It has 4 villas (each with private swimming pool), but only 2 of the villas are right on the beach.

The Oberoi is in Seminyak, about 35-40 minutes by car from Jimbaran. Traffic between the 2 can be heavy at times. I think there are 4 rooms per building at the Oberoi, as opposed to the Pansea Puri, which each cottage/villa is by itself. The ocean at Seminyak can be rougher at times while at Jimbaran there is a reef. In my opinion, the Oberoi is more of an upscale resort hotel, while the Pansea Puri is more upscale boutique hotel.

If you plan on staying in Ubud, try looking into Puri Wulandari or the Pita Maha

too many choices in all. here are more links for further research:

www.wakaexperience.com
www.hotelsbali.com
www.villasemana.com
Ibah (Ubud) - do a search
Komaneka (Ubud)
Alila (Ubud)

Thanks for the info. We will be staying in Bali for 8 nights, so I was thinking of staying in only one spot - and I definitely want to be on a beach, so Ubud won't work. Do you think that the ocean is usually OK for swimming in Seminyak? Also, have you stayed in both these hotels - which did you like better? Would you say they are about equal as far as how upscale they are? The outdoor showers at the Pansea sound great, but overall from the pictures the Pansea didn't look as nice as the Oberoi. Am I wrong?

Seminyak can get rougher than Jimbaran, since the latter is more or less protected by a reef. Both locales face west so you'll experience some beautiful sunsets from the beach. You are correct in assuming that the Oberoi is a nicer property than the Pansea, it's also larger, almost 4X larger (the hoel grounds). Compared to the Oberoi, the Pansea is little more family oriented, evidenced by the children's pool (horrors!), the Oberoi just had more of an adult feel to it. I believe the smallest rooms at the Oberoi are the Luxury Lanais and they measure 55 sq. m. (590 sq. ft.) If within your budget, try for one of the Villas, they are huge, at least 200 sq. m. (2150 sq. ft.)

The Oberoi gardens are unbelievable, and the food is much better than at the Pansea. Note that hotel dining is very expensive in Bali. There are comparable and better restaurants not attached to a hotel that will always be 1/4 to 1/3 the cost of dining in-house. Some of these will provide complimentary R/T transporation from your hotel.

I've been to Bali five times and although I haven't stayed in either hotel you mentioned, I have tried to visit each hotel zone (Sanur, Nusa Dua, Legian, Seminyak, etc.) each time to plan my next stay there. The last time I was there was September 2001, in fact I departed LAX on the first EVA Airways flight to Asia once flights resumed after 9/11. Needless to say, everything was ridiculously inexpensive in Bali at the time.

To me, the beaches in Bali are so-so, you will be constantly approached by vendors, beach masseuses, etc. This will not happen in the Nusa Dua area as they have rules prohibiting beach vendors from approaching visitors. You'll see them strolling around, but they won't approach you unless you summon them first.

Hope you have a good time and please write a report when you return.

[This message has been edited by Mr. Roboto (edited 07-31-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Mr. Roboto (edited 07-31-2003).]

For a cheaper stay, I stayed at the Griya Santrian in Sanur, which was very nice. Sanur is a bit more real than Nusa Dua, and not so commercial as Kuta. The hotel had detached bungalow with mat lined walls and carvings on balcony - albeit made out of concrete! Very nice pool too, which was next to the beach so there was the option of doing either.