Where to stay for the Buffalo Races in Negara?

Negara is a long way from Kuta, the last thing you want is to drive all the way there, spend a day in the hot sun, then have to drive all the way back. Much better to stay overnight close by, ready for the 9am start.

When I saw the Mekepung (buffalo) races, a couple of years ago I spent the night in a small local guest house. The one thing I remember about it was mosquitoes, and the large cockroaches in the bathroom. Arriving just before sunset, I asked the manager if he had a mosquito coil, to clear the room. He told me to go back to the room, and he would bring something much better. A couple of minutes later, he shows up with a hand pump, attached to a container of pesticide. Without waiting, he starts pumping the thing, blowing clouds of noxious fumes under and over the bed. “Don’t worry,” he said “this kill everything.” Hopefully you won’t stay in that guest house when you visit Negara.

Negara has guest houses like the one I stayed in, but they are not that nice. The best hotel in town in Wira Pada Hotel, on Jl. Ngurah Rai (0361) 41161, they have fan or AC rooms. Another option is staying in Medewi, the surf spot to the east. There are a few hotels there. Like I said I only saw 2 other westerners at the buffalo races, so unless you have a large group you won’t have to book in advance. I would not really want to drive from Kuta area in the morning and then back again. That would be a 6-7 hour round trip, minimum, not counting the races, much nicer to stay closer to the races, as they start around 9am.