A few people have been asking on the Baliblog Forum about good and reasonably priced accommodation in Bali. Of course there are over a thousand places to choose from but at the moment with the high increase of tourists to Bali it appears this form of accommodation is at a premium. I have always stayed at the Prawita Cottages on Jalan Legian in Kuta mainly because it is a Balinese family-owned and run premises but also a friendly one. It was quite strange how Candika and I stumbled upon this place. It was in 2003 when we returned to Bali after having ten glorious and interesting years in Yogyakarta, Central Java. We stayed at a place in Seminyak at first that was owned by a friend of mine from Yogyakarta, and although it was a nice place, it was a tad expensive and far from the centre of activity. To be honest, Seminyak just wasn’t my scene. So one very hot day we started walking from Jalan Dhayana Pura and headed south checking out the various losmens and hotels along the way. By late afternoon, I was perspiring like a stuck pig at a luau and damn tired. I was just about to give up when Candika said one more and we entered the Prawita Cottages.
It wasn’t because I was hot and tired and ready to give up that I agreed to obtain a room there. Simply, I fell in love with the place, the staff and the grounds. You could walk right past the Prawita without even noticing it mainly because the front of the cottages is actually the restaurant thus giving it the appearance of being just that. It’s not until you enter through a small gateway and up to the reception do you realise it is a hotel. Walking through the gardens set around fish ponds to check out the room, I was immediately struck by the silence. There we were, just walked off the busy and noisy Jalan Legian into the rear of the cottages and it was so peaceful and the only noise being that of children playing in the adjoining gangs.
The Prawita Cottages are owned by the family of Ayu Agung Oka and they live on the premises adding to the charm of the place.
The fishponds, banana trees and gardens full of orchids are only one of the attractions of this peaceful place.
The cottages are on three levels and set around the sparkling pool (cleaned twice daily) however the top floor is only used when times are busy like during holiday periods in Indonesia. The rooms are basic and clean, TV, air-conditioning and every room has a balcony looking over the pool area. I particularly liked this because I can just hop over the balcony, take two steps and dive into the pool.
A continental breakfast is included in the cost of your accommodation. Like all Balinese they are open to bargaining and so when you inquire about the tariff then go for it. Bargain like mad!
Prawita Cottages,
Jalan Legian 63
Kuta
Ph: (0361) 751838, 752464
Fax: (0361) 751838
