Vivien D
Google
Puri Dajuma is informal, barefoot and relaxed, but for some reason, it doesn't feel very Balinese - it's not like The Watergarden in Candidasa, or The Damai in Lovina, or other long-established smallish hotels you have to make an effort to get to. It's certainly not the grounds that are at fault - they're fabulous and the gardeners are in a class of their own. So maybe it's the architecture of the new villas and cottages, which are a bit weird, like lock-up beehives. Or the main dining room where it's all a bit noisy and lacking in atmosphere. Or the narrow top pool with its slide and splash. I can't put my finger on it. ||There's no pretence here, it's a mid-range resort that's idea for families and groups of friends. If you read carefully about the hotel and the locality, you'll know whether or not it's for you as it will suit some travellers better than others. ||Puri Dajuma has been on my radar for many years. First of all, it's in an area I love - away from the urban sprawl that is Canggu down to Kuta. It's on the west coast, a good three hours up from the airport (but that's because of the crazy traffic that's choking Bali's old resorts). But it's no longer a pleasant drive, as the only way to Pekutatan is up the main road that carries all the traffic heading west across Indonesia to the ferry port of Gilimanuk. So you're not meandering through quaint villages and rice fields any more, you're driving up a chokey, fumey road, past motorcycle repair shops, car dealers, autoparts, garages, and machinery shops. It's a relief when you turn off to drive through the lovely little villages you'll end up exploring when you stay at Puri Dajuma.||The new villas, which front the long and narrow swimming pool at the top, are quite small rondels, with open air bathrooms and narrow terrace gardens at the front. We paid to upgrade as we were staying there for ten days, and we'd have gone crazy in such a little space. But the duplex next door, with a sitting room and kitchen downstairs and, upstairs, a bedroom, balcony and indoor bathroom, suited us better. ||There are two pools, and - beyond the dun-coloured sand and rocks - the sea. You see some fishing boats coming and going - some water buffalo herded down for a splash about - and lots of local kids (without exception cheerful, polite, interested and friendly) on motorbikes, doing wheelies and speed racing on the sads. There's some washed up refuse on the beach, and the ubiquitous remains of partying, but it's not anywhere near as bad as poor Seminyak, or Kerobokan.||The downside in all this is that there are few places to head off to if you get bored with the food, and, if you're vegetarian or pescatarian, you will. It's bland - it's so dumbed down for 'western taste' that your tastebuds will cry out for chillies and some fine nam pla and a heavy hand with the ketsap manis, and beautiful fresh vegetables rather than the ubiquitous mix of identically sliced carrots and beans and stuff that doesn't belong on a plate anywhere, let alone in Bali. My omnivorous husband too had exhausted the Indonesian dishes in three days, and really didn't fancy a pizza or pasta as I cook those just fine at home. We found late in the day that there's a lovely hotel further south on the coast, about a mile away, call Kelapa Resort and Spa that has an excellent restaurant which can offer alternatives. It's a nice walk, and very chic, but only in daylight as you can't see where you're going once the sun's down.||Being up in the west gives you the chance to explore a few things you'd otherwise miss - see the pleasant nearby temple, visit the turtle sanctuary (well worth the trip), go up to the surfing beaches. But don't bother with the 'showpiece' market that's just been built in Negara. All the pretty, smelly, noisy, chaotic stalls have been shovelled into three floors of concrete cubicles, and it's pretty soulless and sad. ||So on balance Puri Dajuma is a pleasant place to stay, with lots of stuff for the kids to do, but maybe not for more than five days, if you are a bit of a foodie. If that's not something that bothers you, then you'll love it.
