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saudara
faq's
ALLE FRAGEN ...... BEANTWORTET!
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What is included with our stay?Please check the page of your specific villa to get a complete understanding of what exactly is included with your stay. Please be mindful that each of our villa offerings are slightly different and offer a slightly different service menu. Saudara One / Three Bedroom Saudara Two / Three Bedroom Saudara Sunshine / Two Bedroom Saudara Love / One Bedroom Saudara Beach Hut / One Bedroom
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What is the role of my Butler?For stays in villas; Saudara One, Saudara Two and Saudara Sunshine, you will have the luxury of your very own full-time Butler. Those staying in our one bedroom Saudara Love will have a modified concierge service. Your Butler will be your new best friend, your god-send and your angel. She works 8 hours a day. Generally, her working hours are between 8am-4pm on a standard day, but if you want breakfast prepared earlier one morning, she will start earlier and finish earlier. Subsequently if you want dinner prepared, she will start later and work later. You works her for 8 hours in a day (and she will have a one hour lunch break half ay during her shift) Her role is also to act as a bit of a coordinator for your stay. She is a very talented woman and will start by making sure that your living space on a daily basis is nice and tidy. She will make all beds and clean all bathrooms. She will look after all the laundry arrangements of the linen and towels. She can also arrange to have any of your own personal washing taken to the laundry (for a small fee of the cost of the laundry service) She is trained in basic breakfast cooking and can prepare breakfast on the days you would like to eat in; see menu. She is also trained in the preparation of a six-course traditional banquet. See menu. Please note that your Butler is not a chef and not trained in western foods. However, if there are particular food desires you have, she is able to assist you to access these from many of the local western cafes on our doorstep. She can arrange to have these delivered or will pick them up. There is also a fantastic app called Go-Jek, which is similar to Australian Uber East. Download it on your phone and you’ll be able to access a heap of different food from hundreds of different cafes and restaurants in the area. Your Butler is not trained in the preparation of alcohol service and cocktail making. Just remember the Hindu religion barely consumes any alcohol if any, so this is a trained service (and not something that is part of their daily lives and culture), however we work very closely with an amazing service called Cocoloco who will send bartenders to the villa to host cocktail parties by the pool. Your Butler will be able to call local spas and make bookings for you, arrange drivers and suggest some lovely day activities for you. She can assist you with your children during the day, play with them and read stories (if time prevails and all her other villa duties are completed) She is able to stay on for additional hours in the evening to look after your children (small fee required as this is overtime hours) Your Butler is able to keep an eye on the kids quickly during the day if you want to nip our for lunch at the local Warung in front of the villa(around an hour) For extended babysitting where you are not present, we will need to have an extra staff member support, so that the Butlers villas duties are not compromised(small babysitting fee will occur) You can discuss with your staff on a daily basis your needs for the next day. You can work out together what you way like for breakfast and then time you will like this served. If you have any requirements from the supermarket, you can write a list for your Butler and she can go to the shops on your behalf. Please note that we also have loads of mini-marts within a minute’s walk from the villa and there is a supermarket less than 1km from the villa. You’ll need to give the staff some money for the items and ingredients you want purchased and then she will return with your items and also a receipt and any change. If you have some essential items that you would like ready on arrival (milk, bread, cheese, fruit, drinks etc) let us know and we will arrange a pre-arrival shop for you, but remember your staff will be there during the days and can do this ad-hoc as you require on a daily basis.
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What do we need to bring from home?We've really put a lot of thought and effort into your stay and tried to create a home away from home experience, meaning we like to think we have covered pretty much everything you will need to be completely comfortable and happy! We've got the adapters ready(as the powerpoints in Bali are different to those at home), we have hairdryers, some basic kids toys and pool floats. We're happy for you to use the pool towels to take to the beach(as long as you bring them back with you) We have beautiful luxury essential oil body products, so you wont need to bring anything for the shower unless you have some favourites and we a natural have mosquito repellant and sunsccreen in each villa ready for your use, but we do recomend you bring your own favourite brands of you plan to take it out with you on day-trips. Please be mindful that due to import tax, items like these are extremely expensive to buy locally, we we highly recomend bringing your own with you. We have set up a mini bar in each villa to provide some drinks and snacks to have on hand(and don't worry....they're at supermarket prices, even cheaper, so you don't need to fear having the occasional snack when the munchies prevail, but please feel free to bring some of your favourite snacks from home as well. You can buy most essential (and non-essential items) in Bali. We recommend bringing with you Milk Formula if your baby is accustomed to a particular variety. You can buy cheese, yogurt and regular pasteurised milk as well as fresh produce readily but rusks, corn cakes, muesli bars, fruit bars and sugar free toddler snacks are not easy to locate and especially the brands you will be familiar with at home. Nappies can be purchased easily; however, we recommend bringing a supply of quality Huggies or similar for nighttime use as they are more absorbent than the locally available product. It's always advised to bring your own duty-free spirits as spirits are hugely expensive in Bali due to import tax due to Government taxes Alcohol purchased within Indonesia carries up to a 200% on any imported spirits and wine and there is also a limited selection. If you would like to enjoy the wine, champagne or spirits of your choice during your stay, we recommend bringing a bottle with you from Australia. Visitors to Indonesia are permitted to bring 1 litre of alcohol into the country per adult visitor. We have discovered an excellent wine that we offer in our mini bar. The grapes are grown in South Australia, but they are then produced into a great Sauvignon Blanc and Sparkling in Indonesia, and therefore are exempt form the tax. If you are unsure about any oother items, please saend us a quick email
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What if someone in our group has a food allergy?Feel free to mention any food allergies in advance when you book and we can make these known on your booking. Please note that there is no meals included with your stay and staff will only prepare meals as instructed by you. Staff can make meals for you at any time, but we just charge you for the ingredients used for the meals required. Our staff have had training when it comes to certain allergies, therefore, you can ask them to make specific things that do not contain the ingredients where allergies are affected. Once you arrive at the villa, have a discussion with your Butler and also our Guest Relations Manager about any particular allergies you may have so they can be aware of these.
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We're bringing our kids, can we arrange pool fencing, cots and other kid friendly items through you?"Absolutely! We are probably the most kid friendly villa in Seminyak! Yes we can have a pool fence installed for the duration of your stay. We use a reputable temporary pool fence company that will come into the villa and install a pool fence prior to your arrival and then can install one with a couple of day’s notice, extra charges apply). We arrange this with a hire company who will come and install the fence prior to your arrival and dismantle once you have finished your stay. We can also access; cots, stroller, highchairs, bed rails, baby carriers, playstation, and other hireable items. Please enquire is there is anything specific you need and we will try and source on your behalf.
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We would love a night out at a restaurant without the kids. Can you help us?Yes, we can! By staying at the Saudara Villas, you have the luxuty of your own full-time Butler to help you during the days. For families with kids,this is a huge benefut to help you manage your days. This also means that your children will spend a lot of time with your villa's Butler. They will spend a lot of intimate time together and become very close. The relationship that your kids will have with your Butler will mean that you can head out at night for some meals at restraurants or cocktails as some of the amazing loocl beach bars....all child free! Your Butler can stay on after her working shift for some over time hours of babysitting. Its then an easy transition for the kids as they have a familiar face continuing to look after them whilst Mum and Dad head out. Babysitting is charged at 50kIDR per hour(approximately $5AUD) for one child, 75k(approximately $7.50 for two children, For three children we would usually require two babysittiters. For safety reasons, we do not allow children to swim in the pool unless Mum and Dad are in the villa. Babysitting hours can also entend throughout the day. Some guests would like to take a day trip and leave the kids back at the villa. This can be arranged for the standard babysitting charges. Some of our guests also like the idea of taking the Butler out for the day with them to help with the kids. This is also available, for the same charge as our babysitting rates. This is charged as we then need to arrange another staff member to workin in the villa to maintain all the daily villa housekeeping duties.
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Our flight doesn't leave until late; what are our options?Our checkout time in each villa is midday! We do not offer pre-booked late checkouts as being a villa business and not a hotel with excess rooms, therefore we have less flexibility to be able to accommodate late stayers. As our check-in time is from 2PM, this only gives us a small window to prepare the villa for the new guests arrival. However if we do not have an arrival on the day of your departure, then we may be able to accommodate some additional hours in the villa for an hourly fee up until 6PM. Any stays longer than 6PM will be required to book an extra night. We can only confirm additional villa hours on the morning of as we often will get last-minute bookings. We are able to look after your bags in our office up until 6PM when out team go home. This give you a chance to explore the region for the afternoon and meet back at the office to get your luggage and transport to the airport. Some airport hotels offer a last minute half day rate. We recommend the Novotel Airport hotel. Our team can check availability for this, otherwise you can always book a full night online. Once you checkout from us, you can then head to the airport hotel where you will will be able to access your room, pool, restaurants and then have a shower before walking over to the terminal. This is a great way to not have to worry about last minute Bali traffic and takes the stress away bat the end of your stay. Final option if you're wanting to be abler to stay in the villa right up until your flight with certainly then we recommend booking the extra night. Your driver will then come and pick up you and your luggage once its time to leave.
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What language to people speak in Bali?The national language, Bahasa Indonesian, is spoken everywhere in Indonesia and is taught in the state-run schools. English is commonly spoken around commercial centres and tourist locations. It’s great to try and learn a few basic words and phrases. The locals will really appreciate you trying. Check out our blog post that gives you some great basic words and phrases you can start practicing before your holiday
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What currency do I need to take and what is the best way to manage my money throughout my holiday?In Indonesia they work with Indonesia Rupiah and represented in short as IDR. There are a few ways to manage your money, so here are a few ideas. There are many ATMs in Bali so withdrawing cash in local IDR currency is easy. However, some of them only allow you to withdraw the equivalent of $50 or $100 cash at a time and you are subject to international bank fees each withdrawal. If yoiu are a Commonwealth Customer in Australia and you use your Commonwealth ATM card in the Commonwealth IDR ATM, then I will only pay a maximum of $2 per transaction and can withdraw up to $300AUD. This is certainly a great offering if you happen to be a Commonwealth Bank account holder. Please contact your bank before travelling to get a full understanding of their fees. We recommend bringing some Australian Dollar cash with you and using a large money changer at a more favourable exchange. Don’t change your money in Australia before you come as you’ll get a less than favourable exchange rate. Many fixed price shops and restaurants accept credit card payments, but not pay wave or EFTPOS facilities. Please have a look at our blog post in regards to this topic for further information.
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Do I need a visa to come to Bali or just a Passport?The Indonesian Government grants a free visa on arrival for 163 countries. This allows you to stay up to 30 days without having to pay a fee. If, however you wish to stay longer than 30 days, you will need to pay for a 30-day visa on arrival and then have an opportunity to extend for an extra 30 days. Please note you cannot extend a free 30 day visa. Australia is one of the countries that is offered a free visa into Indonesia. Please click here for the list of other countries that are offered a free visa otherwise please contact the Indonesian Embassy or Consulate for further details Passport must be valid for at least six(6) months from the arrival date. Please please check your passport expiry date when you book your travel. So many people get themselves into real strife a few days out when they realise their Passport does not have more than 6 months validity, even worse when they arrive at the airpot to leave for Bali and Australia will not let them leave the country. This is because Indonesia will not accept you into the country with less than 6 months validity. If this happens, you will NOT be allowed into Indonesia under any circumstances and sent home immediately.
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What is the weather like in Bali and when is the best time to travel?Any time of the year is the best time to travel in Bali. You’ll find that different times of the year have different selling points. Bali is a tropical Island and has two different seasons; Wet/Rainy seasons generally occurs around November through April (mainly around late in the afternoon and early in the evening) Dry season commonly occurs around May through October. The average temperature is 24-30 degrees Celsius. Essentially every day is hot! The only different is that in the wetter months, you may experience some rain during the day or night. The rain does not last long and it may just mean that certain parts of some days will experience times of showers. Even though it may rain, it is never cold! The drier times of the year (the Australian winter) are the most popular times of the year for Australians wanting to escape, and therefore will be busier and often a bit more expensive(flights and accommodation due to popularity)
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Can we drink the water in Bali?You may have heard in the past that you shouldn’t have drinks with ice in South East Asian countries like Bali as the ice could be made from tap water which will make you sick. These days all resorts and restaurants buy their ice from ice factories which use filtered water, so there’s really no need to worry about this. The bottled water and ice is all rgulated by the government. It’s still not advised to drink the tap water (even though the quality and filtration of this has improved incredibly over the years) so always drink bottled water only and use it when brushing your teeth and rinsing out your toothbrush. Most villas and resorts will give you plenty of bottles of water each day for free. If you accidentally forget and rinse your toothbrush with tap water or get some water in your mouth in the shower I wouldn’t get too worried.
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How does tipping work in Bali?It is customary in Bali as a whole to tip, but not mandatory. Many cafes, restaurants and larger hotels will charge what is called a “Service charge” onto your booking. Sometimes meals and accommodation can seem reasonable priced, and then at the end of our villa you can receive up to an additional 21% of charges. 10% of this is tax and then in the case sometimes, places will charge an additional 11%. This is essentially a forced tip. At the end of the month all of this is added up and split between the staff that have been involved in crating the experience for you. At the Saudara Villas, we do not charge you extra tax or a service charge. The price is inclusive. Therefore if you have had an experience that you believe as over and above,, then a tip to the staff who have made this memorable for you is gratefully appreciated. You can give this to staff directly, or pass on to your Guest Relations Manager if you would like this to be distributed to the villa team. When it comes to tipping for me personally, this is generally what I will do. If I am in a taxi and my bill is a couple of dollars, then I will round it up to the nearest dollar. Taxi drivers are generally low paid, and especially if they are working for honest companies like Blue Bird and run all the business through the meter, there are not having a change to ear much else(often dishonestly like other taxi companies or individuals) If I have been to a café where the bill is inclusive of a decent service charge, ie 6% or more, then I am less inclined to leave a tip in this instance. This is because a 'servi9ce charge' is a forced tip that is taken by the business and then divided up by all the stafdf at the e nd of the month. It makes it fair to those that also work behind the scenes, as its likely they have contributed to your mal just as much as the front of house team that interact with the customers. If I go to a local Warung and the prices are cheap, and do not include an additional tax or service charge, then I am inclined to leave a tip r a couple of dollars (if by myself) or $5 collectively as a group. If I can staying at accommodation, then at the end of my stay if I have enjoyed the hospitality shown by the staff, I will leave a personal tip of about $20 from myself(individual) for a week’s stay in a hotel room I often travel by myself, so if I was a family, with kids and had relied heavily on staff to help me during my stay in a villa, then I would be inclined to offer a larger tip. In a case like this, there is usually a few memorable staff members that have made your stay incredible. Sometimes it is best to leave a combined tip for the group... They will divide the amount as a group and at least that way, no one misses out. I often feel that sometimes the person that looks after the garden, pool, maintenance that you don’t face as often, has just as much power in creating a make or break stay for you, but can sometimes get forgotten about.
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I've heard that drinking spirits in Bali can be dangerous. What is the safest way to drink cocktails?Duty Free!!! Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, and although Bali is predominately Hindu, the laws that govern the island result in alcohol being classified as a luxury item. There are taxes between 180% and 300% on alcohol, so you should take advantage of your one bottle, 1 litre allowance per person when you are traveling into Bali. If you do need more alcohol in Bali, please be careful about what you buy. Always but from a reputable bottle shop. Smirnoff offer a locally made vodka under the “Smirnoff Label” and Captain Morgans Spiced Rum. They manufacture it in Indonesia and therefore it isn’t slapped with the import tax so is reasonably priced. Anything else….just don’t even bother. Because of the import tax, you’ll find many of the large western bars pricing will be similar to the pricing at home, as their spirits are costing them more than what we pay. Local bars are always being pressured to have 'cheap happy hours' and therefore in some cases can cut costs by using locally produced sprits. Be very careful where you buy your drinks from. I have personally had a bad experience in a Western run bar as they must have used a spirit in one of their drinks that had not been proceeded properly. We highly recommend the services of Cocoloco in Bali. They will come to your Bali villa and the team will make cocktails for you using your own Duty-Free safe spirits. They will bring all the fruits juices, mixers, safe ice, coconuts and tools required to host your fun and safe party. Please have a read of our blog post about this very issue.
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What is the difference between booking a villa and a resort/hotel?A Private Villa is an intimate experience where you can totally relax and enjoy your holiday at your own pace. Many villas will offer an in-house service option for meals and other support. Please always clarify this before booking a villa as its very much like a hotel that depending on the quality of hotel you choose; the service offerings will be very different. At the Saudara Villas you can request meals and services from in-house staff at times that suit you and enjoy a truly private environment. Meals are prepared just for you, and you wonbt be eating from a buffet shared by other guests. If it is ‘people watching’ and a chance to socialise with other holiday makers in communal areas perhaps a hotel would suit you better. Some of our guests will opt for a dual experience and spend a week with us in a private villa and then some time in another part of Bali in a resort. Just remember in a resort you do NOT have your own dedicated private staff and intimate service. You generally will also need to make a trip to the pool where as in a villa you have the entire space to yourself. So there will be no need for having to save sun lounges in advance with your pool towel! It’s your holiday, you choose what appeals to you.
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Is Travel Insurance Mandatory to come to Bali?YES!! It is mandatory that you take out a level of travel insurance that covers you for at least USD$25,000 of Covid Related Health Cover. You MUST realise this level needs to cover health matters and does NOT cover you for loss of airfares should you develop covid prior to travelling, loss of accommodation in Bali because of Covid, hotel. Travel Insurance is similar to health insurance back home. You have Hospital, plus Extras. Should you want to be covered for loss of airfare, loss of accommodation, cover for new accommodation, you'll need to be making sure you're looking at a higher level of cover that covers these.
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What do we need to do in regards to visas prior to coming to Bali?There's a few things to need to consider in advance before arriving in Bali. Your Customs Declaration form needs to be completed and then you'll need to pay for your VOA(Visa on Arrival) and Tourist Levy. Both these can be paid prior or once you arrive. For everything you need to know about arriving in Bali, please see our Blog Post which explains all Link Here
Es ist beängstigend, einen Urlaub zu buchen, besonders wenn es sich um einen Ort handelt, an dem Sie noch nie zuvor waren. Wenn Sie sich von Ihrem hart verdienten Geld trennen, sehen Sie es unsichtbar, bis auf einige wunderschön kuratierte Social-Media-Schnappschüsse, und hoffen Sie auf das Beste, dass Sie irgendwo in der Nähe des Geschehens landen, aber üppig genug, um das Gefühl zu haben, immer noch eine persönliche Oase zu haben, in die Sie sich zurückziehen können. Wir verstehen es.
Wir möchten, dass Sie alle Fakten wissen, bevor Sie buchen. Lesen Sie daher unsere FAQs, falls Sie auf Ihrem Weg einige Details zu Ihrem Aufenthalt bei uns sowie einige allgemeine Informationen zu Bali verpasst haben.
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