Airbnb Bali – How To Choose The Best Villa (And Best Area)

 

Since moving to Bali, a lot of people have asked me if I’ve used Airbnb while here, and what my experiences were staying in rooms or villas rented on Airbnb Bali. The truth is, I’ve booked pretty much every night of my stay for over two months here in Canggu using Airbnb. Be it a single night before flying out on an early morning flight, booking a cheap room near the beach and finding an entire villa to rent for a month, using Airbnb to find a place to stay in Bali really is amazing.

You can get $30 off your first stay by signing up to Airbnb here.

The sheer number (and quality) of properties available makes Airbnb Bali way better than using Airbnb anywhere else. I’ve stayed in a few crap Airbnbs over the years, but any previous negative feelings I had towards the site have been erased since arriving here.

To help you pick the right place to stay, I thought I would give you some tips on what to look for in a perfect Airbnb rental (such as facilities, location, accessibility and Wifi connection) and then I will talk you through the best areas in Bali to rent a place as well as show you some of my favourite Airbnb villas in Bali.

Airbnb Bali – Picking the right area

If you’re travelling to Bali on holiday, backpacking or a digital nomad planning to stay a few weeks or months, it’s important to pick the right area to stay in before booking your accommodation.

Most people on holiday will visit Ubud for a few nights as it is the cultural capital of Bali, and home to many temples, healers, yoga retreats and of course the famous terraced rice fields you have probably seen all over Instagram. If you want a very peaceful holiday, or place to live, Ubud is the place for you. You can get cheap massages, lots of delicious local and international food and there are so many places to explore from here.

If you want to be near the beach, the you have a few choices. For higher end places, and water that is the shade of blue you’ve been dreaming of, you should head towards Nusa Dua, Uluwatu os Sunday’s Beach on the very Southern tip of the island of Bali. This is where you’ll find those dreamy white sand beaches and turquoise waters. Uluwatu is also a popular surfer hot spot.

If you are a digital nomad or backpacker, then Canggu is the place to go. It’s one of the main areas for surfing in Bali, has a very chilled out, laid back vibe, and the beach is lined with funky beach bars and picture-perfect sunset beach clubs. There are endless vegan and organic-only cafes and restaurants, plenty of Crossfit gyms and co-working spaces if you’re looking to get some work done online.

If you want good surfing, a great nightlife area and lots of boutique, higher end shops to browse, then picking an Airbnb around Seminyak would be ideal. Both Canggu and Seminyak are nicely situated, in that day trips to Tanah Lot, Uluwatu and even Ubud are easily doable.

Finally, if you are just here to party the nights away and get drunk on the beach and maybe do a little surfing, then Kuta (a hub for Australians in Bali) is the place to stay.

Airbnb Bali – features to look out for

When booking your ideal room or private villa using Airbnb, there are a few things to look out for. For example, I rented an entire apartment for a week when I was in Seoul, South Korea and it turned out there was NO INTERNET installed. As you can imagine, I nearly died.

If you want ultimate privacy, them make sure to rent and ENTIRE VILLA / HOME instead of just a single room. Otherwise you will be sharing with other backpackers or the local family that owns the house.

Look at the photos carefully, as I found many people said there were two bedrooms or even just two beds, but when you look through the photos you see only one and maybe a crappy sofa bed or couch. Be sure to clarify when making your booking, telling them how many guests are coming and how many beds there are. 

Check through the list of facilities to make sure they have everything you need. Many villas have very limited cooking facilities, while some that rent out rooms won’t let you use the kitchen at all. One option is to do a cooking class and then cook your own food, or you can even hire a chef!

Before booking, make sure you read the reviews. This will give you a good idea if there are any problems to look out for and if the property is really as good as it looks.

Finally, and Airbnb will kill me for saying this, but if you want to rent long term it’s much cheaper to book the first 3 or 4 nights using Airbnb, then talk direct to the owners. The price will be significantly lower. For example, I booked a room in a villa for a week using Airbnb, paying €20 a night. My friend who extended his stay direct, not using Airbnb, only paid €9 a night. That’s more than half the price!!

Many villa owners offer large discounts on Airbnb for weekly or monthly rentals. This means that sometimes booking for 7 days can be the same price, or even cheaper, than booking for 6 days!

Airbnb Bali – Rooms and Villas in Ubud 

EKA Bali Guest House Ubud 

EKA Bali Guest House is a beautiful villa /homestay in Ubud with delicious pancake breakfast and location close to all of Ubud’s main attractions. Near all the shops and restaurants, and the owners can arrange scooter rental. Perfect for a short stay in Ubud. Price:  $30 a night. Don’t forget your free $35 sign up credit here.

Budi House Villa

Another great option in Ubud is Budi House. There are rooms with balconies or entire bungalows for rent, and there’s a beautiful pool and free breakfast each morning. From just $20 a night. Link here.

The Suris Ubud

This would be ideal for a couple or two friends wanting a little privacy. You will get served an amazing fresh fruit breakfast by your private pool and have a secluded room/ bungalow with views of the rice terraces all to yourselves. Price: From $35 per night. Link here.

Airbnb Bali – Best Villas in Canggu

 Apartment with pool near beach

This apartment / villa looks great if you just need a private room and want to be near the beach. It’s walking distance from Old Man’s Bar – one of the most popular nightlife spots in all of Canggu!

Villa Kiwi – Entire Villa

If you want an entire villa to yourselves close to the beach this airbnb in Canggu looks like a great option. There’s sun loungers, a private pool and what looks like a really decent kitchen for making meals. Great if you want to stick around a little longer than 2 or 3 nights. Price for entire villas from $80 per night.

Most Luxurious Airbnb’s in Bali – For The BIG Spenders!!

Want a private gym, and infinity pool, a villa with cooks and cleaners and those that can give you a perfect Balinese massage? You’ll either need a lot of money or a very big group to be able to afford these incredible luxury Airbnb villas in Bali!

Villa Pakuk Designer Villa

This stunning designer villa in Canggu is drop dead gorgeous. The villa has been decorated the highest standards in interior design, surrounded by lush gardens, frangipani and palm trees. Throw in the stunning pool, sun loungers, high ceilings and large common areas, this Airbnb is ideal for a group of friends or a family. Price: $300 per night.

Modern 5 Bedroom Villa

Located less than 5 minutes walk from Pererenan Beach, this large, airy and super-modern 5 bedroom villa is perfect for a group or a family vacation. The villa comes with a large pool, amazing sound system and staff to help with your every need. Large garden ideal for parties and games with friends or kids.

Canggu Beachfront WATER Villa

This villa is one of the only properties in all of Bali that can be considered a water villa. The rooms are almost entirely surrounded by water and you can walk out of your bedroom, down some steps, straight into your luxury private pool.  So famous, this property has been written about in many magazines and online travel sites! It’s also a stones throw from Echo Beach and all the best nightlife spots!