Essentials
• Location: Jalan Jaya Amed.
• Hotel website: santaibali.com
• Hotel phone: +62 (0)363 23487
• Check prices for Santai Hotel
The pool with superb seaviews is very inviting at Santai Hotel in Amed.
Santai Hotel – Traditionally-designed bungalows and uncommon beach frontage.
Facing a clean – but very rocky – beach with no boats to spoil the views, the Santai offers extensive views and a refreshing breeze. The spacious two-level bungalows are distant from the road and alongside a rocky path lined with bougainvillea. Designed like traditional houses found in the Indonesian province of Sulawesi, these bungalows feature lofty thatched roofs, stylish rattan furniture, and open-air showers (but the design does ensure the need for constant air-conditioning). The lower level contains a futon mattress for relaxing, which can double as a bed for two small children. And from within the delightful tropical gardens, which are dotted with gazebos, is the continuous sound of crashing waves. Located on a flattish road and flanked by more cafés and shops than many other similar hotels in Amed.
See Also
Santai Hotel – The Location
- Area: In a more developed region, with enough places to shop, eat, drink, and arrange dive trips within walking distance.
- Address: Amed Bunutan Village, Karangasem. Along Jalan Jaya Amed, the only road in Bunutan village. In the northern section of the laidback area known as Amed, which stretches about 10 km along the east coast of Bali.
- How to Get There: No taxi from the airport will come this far, so organize transfers by car through the hotel – which takes about 3 hours. Many people stop at Amed on the way to/from the Gili Islands, which is connected by speedboats run by Freebird Express and Gili Sea Express. Book at travel agencies at either end, or compare schedules and book online.
- Handy to: Snorkeling spots and scuba-diving agencies.
Santai Hotel – The Basics
- Guests: Caters well for all, but most guests seem to be couples and small groups, often under 40.
- Beach: One of few resorts in Amed to directly face a beach, which is clean but typically rocky. There is no sand on the beach or in the water, so it’s difficult to walk along or even lie on. But still scenic, with no fishing boats spoiling the views, and decent snorkeling just offshore.
- Views: Bungalows offer views of the sea or gardens.
- Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Not expected or provided at this sort of midrange resort in Amed.
- Parking: Some limited free and secure parking on site, but think long and hard before driving anywhere in Bali.
- How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
- Phone: +62 (0)363 23487
- Email: info@santaibali.com
- Website: santaibali.com
Santai Hotel – Amenities
- Pool: The pool is particularly inviting, with plenty of shade and ocean views, but could get a little overcrowded at times.
- Spa: The Channa Spa offers massages but little else. The hotel does offer free transport to the nearby sister resort, The Griya, where the complete works are available.
- Fitness Center: Nothing at the Santai, but guests can use the gym at The Griya, but free transfers are not available for this.
- For Families: Families are encouraged with good-value packaged deals, but there’s nothing really set up for the younger ones.
Santai Hotel – Food and Drink
- Restaurant & Bar: The Coconut Restaurant is hugely popular among those staying in the general area, not least for the happy hours. No real sea views, but intimate setting under a traditional-style roof, and exquisite food, specializing in Indonesian cuisine such as beef rendang.
- Breakfast: Not generally included. Can be paid for as an extra when booking or on the day.
- Room Service: Limited service available during restaurant hours from about 7 am to 8 pm.
Santai Hotel – Rooms
- Room Types: Ocean View Bungalow • Garden View Bungalow • Ocean View Suite • Garden View Suite • List of all Rooms
- Smoking Rooms: Not permitted in the rooms or public areas, but allowed anywhere else.
- Best Room: The 2 spacious Ocean View Suites are a little further back from the sea, but provide optimal views and a lovable traditional design.
- For Families: The 2-story bungalows can accommodate 2 small children on the lower floor.
Santai Hotel – Local Transport
- Note: All cars/buses enter Amed from the north (via Culik) because the road from the south (via Ujung) is too windy, narrow, and steep for anything but motorbikes.
- Walking: Generally, Amed is very spread out, and the road often steep, but there are enough facilities within walking distance of the hotel.
- Public Transport & Shuttle Bus: No reliable public transport anywhere through Amed. Perama, the main operator of tourist shuttle buses throughout Bali, offers a couple of services daily to Kuta via Padangbai and Ubud – but, inconveniently, leaves from northern Amed. Other local companies connect to Lovina. Get shuttle bus tickets through the hotel or a nearby travel agency.
- Cars, Motorbikes, & Taxis: No metered taxis anywhere, so charter a car with a driver through the hotel or a travel agency. Renting a motorbike is a terrific way to explore the east coast. Nowhere to rent a car, which is not recommended anyway because of the condition of local roads.
Santai Hotel – What’s Nearby?
Unlike other hotels further to the southeast, a reasonable range of facilities are within walking distance and (gratefully) along a flat road.
Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars
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These places are easy to find within 150m of the hotel in either direction:
- C’est Bon Restaurant – Wide range of Indonesian dishes and seafood, with a raised setting for views and breezes.
- Warung Ary – Typical Amed eatery: elevated, quaint, and affable, offering simple food at cheap prices.
- Titi Sedana – Little classier than neighboring rivals, and a more imaginative range of meals.
- Peace Bar – Reggae theme and regular live reggae music.
Nearby Shops
- A few minimarts selling basic supplies in both directions, but nowhere really in Amed to shop.
Nearby Attractions
- Amed is not close to anything, which is part of the attraction. But the main reason many come is snorkeling, often accessible just offshore, and scuba-diving, which can be arranged at any of the numerous agencies dotted along Amed.
Santai – The Hotel
The Santai Hotel is located in a reasonably developed area of Amed which stretches about 10 km along the east coast of Bali.
One attraction for some is the ample and secure parking available.
The resort is unusual because it faces a beach. Like almost all others in this part of Bali, however, the beach is rocky, but at least views are not obstructed by rows of fishing boats.
The shady setting makes the pool more inviting than many others in the region.
Coconut Restaurant is popular among guests and the general public for the fine food and intimate setting, particularly at night.
The restaurant also features traditional lesehan seating, where diners sit cross-legged (often on cushions) and eat at a low table.
There are plenty of areas around the hotel grounds to enjoy the views and breeze.
All bungalows feature a traditional design, often reminiscent of other areas of Indonesia.
Bungalows are dotted around lush gardens with stone paths and fish ponds.
Rare among the many rival hotels throughout Amed is the traditional design of the bungalows at the Santai.
The porch in each bungalow is packed with outdoor furniture.
The décor, such as the rattan walls, is very traditional.
Another attraction of the Santai is the location among simple but decent eateries, including C’est Bon.
Among several friendly and family-run cafés close to the hotel is Warung Ary.
Also within 150m of the hotel, Titi Sedana is classier than rivals, with a more imaginative menu. Check rates and availability: Santai Hotel
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