Watergarden Hotel – Bali
One of the top of hotels available for accommodation while I was visiting Bali is the Watergarden hotel. Its bit far from the airport but its worth going all the way to Candidasa. Candidasa is a small fisherman town outside the urban Bali areas surrounding the airport. It is a great base to explore the east side of the island. Watergarden hotel is not a five star resort but arguably one of the best hotels in the area.
The town is filled with restaurants among the main road. This is an excellent location to explore Tirta Gangga, Tenganan, East coast diving, etc. The prices of food and drink are affordable compared to southern Bali. The beach is across the road around 50 meters away. The beach is not a sandy beach. The place has offshore rocks where I had experience of awesome snorkeling which was arranged by the hotel. It is advisable to take a local fisherman while going for snorkeling.
The hotel is situated on the eastern side of the and fairly remote side of Bali. It is off the main street, which has only a few shops and restaurants. The hotel has its own hotel and a small gift shop. The garden rooms have front porches next to lovely water ponds and the ponds outside the rooms of the hotel are filled with large Koi fish. They are maintained well and are fed at least once a day. The best thing is that hotel staff does allow the guests to feed the fish while the staff is feeding the fish.
The hotel is a very small property set on the side of a hill with around or so12 cottages which are set in and surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens and not the usual lawns. Each cottage is almost a world unto itself quite, discreet and relaxed. The cottages are large, very clean and well appointed. The complex is well designed such that each cottage feels totally private. One of the most amazing features of the whole setup is the waterfall which gently rolls down the hill into the private lily ponds that are outside the each cottage’s front door. The verandahs are large with plenty of furniture to relax, read and just enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The verandahs are the perfect place to enjoy breakfast or a drink in the evening and I was never tired of watching the fish or the native birds or just listening to the surf. Due to the location of Bali and the proximity to the water bodies, it tends to be quite humid in rooms. It would better to switch on the air conditioner if one is comfortable with the humidity.
It has an open air restaurant and a nice pool to laze around. The path to the pool and restaurant unwinds through an astonishing array of plants such as orchids. The pool is very pretty and has a great mountain view. In fact, the hotel is everything that one would require for a quiet get away.
The rooms are clean, spacious and the staff is helpful and courteous. The moment I arrived, the staff brought a beautiful fruit platter to our door and every night, they turned down our bed leaving a lovely little offering of frangipani on our pillow. I had taken a mid range room – the room was not of high design but simple and comfortable. I had eaten out on few occasions but honestly say that we should have just stayed in. The food is excellent, had quite a good variety to choose from and I had some of the best snacks here. The cocktails were all good and the service prompt and friendly. The pan fried Mahi Mahi on green Papaya salad is one of the best seafood dishes I have eaten anywhere.
There are no radios, TV or clocks and it provides the perfect environment to simply unwind and relax. The internet connection was giving me a problem and the owner did everything to make sure that it was fixed and running.
The location of the hotel is convenient for walking through the town, having a stroll on the beach and visiting other restaurants. The staff and owners are only keen to tender customer needs, offering trips around the island and also in addition, trips are tailored to meet our exact requirements. The hotel bungalow complex is one of the most secluded and intimate places that I have ever had the pleasure of staying in.
I used the Watergarden hotel as a base to go diving. The dive shop Aquamarine was first rate. They are based in Kuta but they provided the service of picking up me at the hotel. The dive guides were knowledgeable and friendly and they ran a very safe and organized operation. The beauty of the place is that it is small and very personal. The owner is English and is only to please to assist where ever possible. The hotel is only 1.5 hrs from Kuta now with the new highway.
Finally, this is a recommended place for honeymooners and nature seekers and not for physically challenged and senior citizens. Another tip for the travelers would be to avoid the streets as cars occasionally drive at great speeds. I had a great time and hope fellow travelers too have a good time.