Ted from Sanda Butik Villas

The owner of Sanda Butik (not Bukit!) Villas in the highlands of Tabanan, talked to me about who comes to stay at his hotel and how you would book. I tell you when I first came to Sanda in 2003, I was kind of amazed that a place like this existed, as the surrounding area is either Balinese villages, or forested / farmed land. Ted is a talker, and a very interesting one. Retired, the hotel is part house and part business.

The staff are relaxed, pleasant and wear traditional Balinese attire. When I was talking with Ted, he said “We get these people coming through once in a while, they walk in, look around, and I know exactly what they want.” I was imagining the bathroom, but Ted brought out a Tupperware box, containing a notepad and a yellow plastic duck. This is a ‘GEO caching‘ box, and people try to find it, using their hand held global positioner. I reckon the people must be glad the person who left it, had good taste and led them here.

Operating a hotel in an out of the way place (an hour from Tabanan, 2 hours from Kuta), means being resourceful, having patience and using what you have. Ted told me about paying bills, telephone connections and internet. Its all possible, if a little frustrating. After chatting with Ted, I got back into my wet poncho, and decided to head back the same way, rather than do a tour of the mountains. This was a great ride though, and if you want to spend time exploring the mountains, there is no better base, than Sanda Butik Villas.

Sanda Butik Villas
Desa Sanda,
Pupuan
Tabanan 82163
+62 (0) 828 372 0055