Lotus Bungalows Bali

Fantastic experience at Lotus Bungalows. The staff were beyond incredible. They couldn’t do enough for us. We celebrated our son’s 11th birthday there they made two cakes, decorated our room and made such a fuss of him. It was also my husbands birthday as we left at 6am but they still knocked on our door with a cake to sing to him. They made our stay so special. Candidasa is a beautiful, calm place of Bali. It offered tranquility. The room as stunning, the pool was amazing looking over the sea. Food was delicious. Plenty to do even though it is a quiet area of Bali. I couldn’t recommend this place enough. Thank you Lotus for all you did for us.

It is only fair to start with the positives. The staff here are absolutely lovely. It was nice to see all the same faces from before Covid are still here. People mostly come here for the diving. I'm happy to report that the dive operation is still very good and dive guide Wayan is the star of the show. While still on the positives the intenet is better now and they have finally replaced the extenal loungers and furniture. There is no longer onsite Spa or massage facilities but they have an arrangement with a good local Spa (Andre) with transportation provided. Sadly that is it for the positives. We were last here Pre Covid and the management has now changed and there is no evidence of any improvements, renovations or redecoration. The beautiful structure (Bale) on the sea front which was a lovely serene area also used for massages and yoga has been destroyed by the weather and not been replaced yet still features pictorially on their website. Our first room (114) is the closest room to the adjacent hotel with beach party music booming into your room from 10am to 10pm. We spoke to the manager who contacted next door and the music ceased but this should never have been allowed if management were patrolling the hotel. Other guests could hear this music around the pool. This hotel used to be a very tranquil place and as serene as the website photos show. The harsh reality for us, back in 114 where the walls are paper thin was a family of 4 next door with 2 small children, all sharing a standard double bed in a room that's barely large enough for 2 adults. This should not be allowed. Why should I have someone elses children playing on my veranda at 7am. When I questioned this apparently locals do this and give the hotel bad reviews if they are held to account. At the weekend locals come to the hotel to use the pool and on one occasion brought a dog which was running loose around the sun loungers. It is so sad that this hotel has declined so much from the fabulous facility that was built up by Jan and Henri that we, along with many friends, used to visit every year. When an alternative room become available we were relocated as we were close to checking out and taking a financial loss. Room 101 was much better but still no different to when we stayed there in 2019. We would love to come back (for the diving) so please let us know when you have embarked on the long overdue refurbishment program. I leave you with one example. Everywhere we are told that Lotus is saving the Planet by saving water! A good start would be to fix the constantly overflowing toilet cistern in 114 and in both rooms fix the plugs in the hand basins so they retain water and replace the 1970s hairdryer.

From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with big smiles and genuine kindness, which made us feel right at home. The birthday surprises for our group were such a thoughtful touch, and we were genuinely touched by the effort your staff put into making our day special. I look forward to returning to Lotus Bungalows and enjoying more of your exceptional hospitality and breathtaking dives at Gangga Divers in the future.

The service and accommodations were excellent. The staff was friendly and professional answering any questions or requests with a smile. The food was very good with a buffet breakfast. Lunch and dinner menus were very good with a variety of delicious foods. I will definitely return on a future vacation.

We stayed with Lotus Bungalows over the weekend and we truly had the most amazing time. We did boat dives for two days and our guide Wayan was one of the best we ever had! He was very careful with safety regulations and he was the best at finding critters. Robin, the dive shop manager, was also super kind and helpful with everything. The resort itself was perfect! We loved our room with the outside shower, it felt so serene. The premises have a lot of trees and plants, which makes it look really beautiful. The staff at the resort and restaurant were also so kind! The food options were plentiful. We hade the rice table for two the first night, what a banger! And the service of the restaurant staff was also really good. They are all so kind and they really make sure you have everything you need. We also loved the pool area with the stunning views of the ocean and the Nusa islands. Overal, we can recommend Lotus Bungalows and Gangga Divers to all of our friends! We hope to be back another time this year.