Bali is so diverse that everybody will find something to suit their wishes and needs. Parties, yoga, wellness retreats, affordable luxury, massages, surfing, diving, fishing, trekking, stylish bars and roadside warungs, upscale resorts and homestays… the list goes on and on.
This time we were looking for a quiet and relaxing beach accommodation. We chose to go up the East coast to Amed and stay somewhere there. Our first try was not really successful but we kept looking and ended up at Amed Dream Ibus Beach Club. We booked 4 nights there and then extended our stay for 4 more nights because we fell in love with this place. Disclaimer: we were not paid to write this review; we paid for our stay in full and are happy to share our opinion with you.
The hotel is quite new. In google maps you will see the construction picture (at the time of writing this post). It has only 17 rooms and during our 8 night stay, there were a couple of nights when we felt we were the only guests. The area is very quiet and relaxing. If that’s what you are looking for, this will be the right place for you.
We stayed at Deluxe room and this review is based on facilities provided for this room option. The hotel also offers Family rooms and from the photos it looks like those rooms have a bigger refrigerator and a kitchenette feature.
What we liked
* The view. Spectacular. All rooms offer sea view. You will not be able to see sunset, this is not the right side of the island for it but you will be greeted with the best sunrise. Exactly in front of you on your balcony if you wake up early enough.
* The restaurant terrace. The sea breeze is always there.
* The pool. Especially in the evening when they turn on lights.
* The beach. Very private, secluded, with both white and black sand. You can go snorkeling and explore the coral world just a few meters from the shore.
* Massages. Very affordable and given in a small hut on the beach. Relax and listen to the sounds of the sea!
* The quiet and relaxing vibe.
* Staff. Very polite and friendly.
* Our room. Clean, with a nice balcony and huge shower area.
* Internet connection.
* There were no mosquitos there, at least at the moment of our stay (May/June).
What we didn’t like
These are things that we wish we had known before. If we stay at this hotel ever again, these disadvantages will not cause any problems.
* No shops or ATMs nearby. The hotel accepts credit cards but if you book any external services that require payments in cash and you’ve run out of it, the location of the hotel is in your disadvantage.
* Expensive taxi service. To go to the centre of Amed (about 5 km) costs 150 000 IDR one way. You can avoid this by renting a scooter, which is much cheaper. I was there alone with 2 young children. The road is pretty narrow, goes up and down, and has lots of bends. The local women have no problem riding scooters with their kids as passengers. I was not so brave as I don’t have any experience with riding a scooter. If you are traveling as a couple or as a family of 2 adults and kids, you’ll have no problem as there’s always possibility for one person to go to the centre of Amed to get some food from the shops or cash. The good thing about this is that the taxi drivers are local people; you pay directly to them (in cash) thus helping them provide for their families.
* Food. At the end of our stay we had mastered this section. Breakfast is included in your room’s price and you can choose from several a-la-carte options. If I may suggest, go for the Indonesian option. It was the tastiest and most filling as well. Continental breakfast consisted of a pile of bread, which the kids were happy about. Fresh orange juice was not freshly squeezed, pinaple and watermelon juice was just fine. The kids liked their Pizza Margarita but spaghetti weren’t tasty at all. If you stay a night or two, this will not be a problem. Food is available and you will not starve. However, for a hotel this nice, the restaurant is the weakest link. Prices are pretty high too for the food quality offered.
What to do while staying there
* Relax (pool, beach, massages, meditating or having a drink on your balcony)
* Snorkel or dive (rent snorkeling or diving gear at the reception or go to one of the many diving businesses nearby)
* Walk to the Japanese Wreck point
* If you have a scooter or a car, drive to the Sunset Point or explore the area
* Go on a fishing trip or boat ride with Dede (contact me, I’ll give you his phone number)
* Work if you’re a blogger, writer, digital nomad or if you do anything requiring a quiet space and reliable WiFi connection
* Recharge your batteries if you arrive exhausted
* Spend quality time with your family
* Spend a relaxing honeymoon-type holiday with your spouse
We booked this accommodation via booking.com (here) because it was slightly cheaper than booking directly with the hotel. The price for our room was roughly 48-50 EUR per night, which is a very good deal for a nice beachfront accommodation.
All pictures taken by me. Find more stories about our stay at this hotel on my Instagram.
Our favourite cafe in Amed was Gusto.
2 Comments
This sounds like a dream! I’m in desperate need of a getaway and I could totally picture myself being here through your words. Too bad about the food though… I hate when the food sucks!
Haha, it only took me almost 2 months to reply to this. 🙂 Still in need of a getaway?