The hotel matched the pictures exactly, and the balcony view was wonderful. Breakfast was simple yet delicious, featuring two pancakes and fresh fruit. On the first night, a major outage caused a loss of hot water, but the host immediately offered us the chance to shower in another room, which we greatly appreciated. Up to that point, the entire stay had gone smoothly. The situation deteriorated when we booked transport to Ubud with stops at the Fiji waterfall and a temple. About 30 minutes before the waterfall, the driver stopped at an unofficial roadside spot and insisted that we had to buy tickets there. The basic package (two waterfalls, scooter ride, and local guide) cost 400 000 IDR per person. When I asked to go to the official entrance, he claimed that cars still couldn’t pass, even though a car‑towing rope was passing us right then. He reluctantly agreed to continue, saying the price was the same everywhere. After only 10 minutes of driving, we reached the official ticket office where the same package was 200 000 IDR per person. The driver was clearly upset, saying he “doesn’t like this road” and demanded extra payment for having to drive further. This clearly showed he knew about the official point and the earlier stop was a scheme to extort a commission. Additionally, the driver’s wife joined us on the trip. We didn’t mind her presence, but throughout the drive we felt rushed—as if the couple were using the opportunity to run their own errands in town, forgetting that we had hired transport for tourism. After the ticket issue, the host stopped communicating with us and was clearly annoyed for the rest of the journey. Ultimately, the driver left us near another hotel, dumping our luggage on the sidewalk without waiting for us to gather everything. Although the waterfall and views were beautiful, being treated merely as a source of easy profit left a bad taste. I write this as a warning to other guests: beware of transport arranged through the property and make sure the driver takes you directly to the official ticket offices.
Zuzanna·Een maand geleden