Frequently Asked Questions about bookings at Villa Natalie.

This list will never be complete - and for those who think it's too long already then we apologise! It's just some of the more frequently asked stuff pertaining to your stay. If you think that we're missing something really crucial then please let me know.

1. What comes included in the basic price?
2. What doesn't come included in the basic price that will be charged to me?
3. How many people can comfortably sleep in Villa Natalie?
4. We're not sure of our dates, or the airline can't confirm our flights. How long will you wait for us?
5. How do we arrange payment for the villa?
6. What's your policy on cancellations?
7. Can I arrange for a few provisions for the fridge/cupboard before I arrive?
8. What entertainment facilities are there at the villa?
9. Have you got internet connection at the villa?
10. What is there to see and do around Villa Natalie?
11. What else do we need to know before we arrive?
12. Liability at the villa.
13. We've got a question of our own, can you answer it please?

1. What comes included in the basic price?

Naturally you get exclusive use of the entire villa to yourself (along with the 3 housemaids, gardener and night security). The price remains the same whether you occupy one or both of the guest suites so if you want to share the costs with friends or keep the luxury to yourself the choice is yours. Return airport transportation is included in the price (one car, up to 7 people maximum with small luggage - if two cars are needed we may add a surcharge of USD30 each way). A daily breakfast of fruits, toast, jams and tea and coffee is also included to get you going each day. We'll handle your basic laundry requirements during your stay but take no responsibility for any damage incurred (and ask you give us 36 hours turnaround). Dry cleaners are available in town should you require them.

2. What doesn't come included in the basic price that will be charged to me?

Outside of your return airport transfer then transport is charged extra, at cost, to our guests. The cost is USD50 per vehicle, per day, and includes rental of the appropriate vehicle for your party and personal driver. Petrol for longer journeys (i.e. one complete day-trip out) is charged at cost. The driver (look for the Villa Natalie sign at the airport) works an 8 hour day but rarely overly clock watches. Any evening trips (after 6pm) are charged at full day rate. He also would like to be back at the Villa before 1am. Car or scooter hire and taxi's are readily available from the villa - maps are provided onsite to get you home! Villa Natalie is now well signed from the main road and also from the top of our driveway. Subject to confirmation with the driver it may often be possible to provide a half day car rental for USD30 - ideal for a trip to town for shopping - this covers 4 hours rental. Our drivers are freelance, but trusted by the owner's family, and if tipped are done so separately.

Our head of the house, Ketut, is a superb cook and will happily prepare lunch or dinner for you and your guests if needed. A professional chef can be made available if needed for larger groups and charged at USD40 per day of use. All guests rave about Ketut's cooking (as you can see here) though, so let her take care of you!

All food and provision receipts, with or without the chef, are kept by the staff and settled (in cash) with the manager at the end of your stay. For all these bills we will add 10% charge at the end. This is a token for Ketut and her team to cook and source the provisions you need. We do not charge our guests service charge. As a quick aside then if you're too lazy to even think what you want for dinner then look for the copy of Hello Bali and pick out what you want - a huge variety of food is available for delivery to the door of Villa Natalie. There is also a superb local restaurant that can deliver from a wide range to our door from just down the road - look for the Cafe Ombak menu.

ATM's are widespread in Bali and most people with Maestro/Cirrus/Visa symbols will be fine. Usually you can withdraw up to 5 million Rupiah (sometimes in several go's) or you can change any foreign currency at the local banks/money changers. Remember also to bring USD for the Visa on arrival, more information shown below on that one.

Massages, manicures, pedicures and other pampering can be arranged within the comfort and privacy of the villa. Normally only a few hours advance notice is required to make the booking with payment (at preferred rates) being made directly to the employees concerned.

Several guests also ask us if we can arrange what's termed as Express Airport Clearance when you arrive at Denpasar Airport. This means that someone will be waiting for you and your party before immigration, take your passports and Visa Fee and then meet you over at baggage reclaim with all the stamps and so on done for you. We ourselves use this facility sometimes and when needed it can take a chunk of time off the wait (if immigration is packed - it's hit and miss). If you want this arranged then it's Rupiah 200,000 (give or take USD20) per person (including children/infants) and is paid to our manager at the end of your stay (not to the person who meets you). Once it's been arranged then it's not possible to cancel - so if you do take it and there's no queue then please don't duck and dive!!!

3. How many people can comfortably sleep in Villa Natalie?

We have two identical bedroom suites and an additional 'lumbung' (or rice barn) room above the entrance area. Each bedroom suite has a king size bed. In addition we have one baby cot and two 'day-beds' that can be comfortably converted into single beds. The lumbung room has twin single beds (with a ceiling fan, no aircon) and spectacular views. This room has been used by guests with domestic helpers, teenage kids and the 'extra person' that pops up from time to time! All bedding and mosquito nets are provided for you. The most we've accepted is a booking for is 10 (e.g. 2 couples, with 2 young children each or 2 domestic helpers). If the composition of your group contains more babies then please contact our friend Gabi over at www.balibaby.com and let her know what you want! They have cots, strollers, car seats and other baby necessities and will drop off and pick up from Villa Natalie to suit your dates - payment is usually made directly to them via their website.

If your party exceeds what seems to be our comfort zone and you wanted somewhere locally to put up (or have friends who are having a hard time making the journey home!) then our friends at Villa VIP are a 5-10 minute walk towards the beach. They have 4, comfortable, one bedroom villas and a three bedroom house available for rental, for a reasonable price. If you need help with them or any other arrangements then please just drop us a line. We're often asked to refer other villa's when we're booked for the dates you're after. We can try to help out but don't really like taking the responsibility if it's not up to our own standards!

4. We're not sure of our dates, or the airline can't confirm our flights. How long will you wait for us?

We know where you're coming from with not being able to secure flights! We go through this rigmarole ourselves with almost every flight we try and book, Bali's a popular place! In answer to your question we'll wait for you as long as we can. As we only have the one property we can only rent it once, and certain periods (Chinese New Year, Easter, Christmas/New Year/peak periods and school holidays) are often booked a long time in advance. If you are waitlisted for flights, or have more than one date range in mind then we'll put you as 'pending' on our booking calendar and let you know as soon as another potentially clashing enquiry comes in. We hope you understand that we can only hold for so long but we'll keep in touch with you along the way and hope all turns out the way you wanted it to. A confirmed deposit of 50% of the value of your stay into our account closes the calendar to other prospective renters, the balance due no later than 30 days prior to your arrival.

5. How do we arrange payment for the Villa?

All payments have to be made via Telegraphic Transfer, in US Dollars, to our account in Bali. We also ask that you bear the costs for the banking 'agency charges' - it's possible that any shortfall that occurs as a result of banking charges will be added to your bill upon departure. A deposit of 50% at confirmation will secure your booking with us, with final balance payment to be made 30 days prior to your arrival. Alternatively you can pay in full naturally, also saving on two sets of banking charges. Last minute bookings (under 30 days) are often available with payment required in full at time of confirmation. We will forward you a separate page with all the required information for you to complete the TT upon receipt of your confirmed booking - please note that putting your surname on the TT form under 'reference' will really help us with tracking down your payment. We'll email you upon receipt of funds.

The day before you checkout of the Villa you'll sit down with our Manager and settle up the food and other miscellaneous bills that you've incurred during your stay. All the receipts are kept for you to go through. Discretionary tips can also be passed to the manager (and only the manager please) at that point in time. Most guests leave a tip which is distributed appropriately amongst the team of 7 by the manager, however if you feel that one particular member of staff deserves particular credit then please mention it to the manager at the end. If you wish to tip your driver then this is the only one that is handled separately.

6. What's your policy on cancellations?

We try to be as fair as possible to both sides when it comes to canceling a booking. Once you've paid your deposit at the outset then we guarantee your stay and also block out your date range to other prospective enquiries. This gives you the peace of mind that your holiday is confirmed and also allows us to plan our bookings calendar accordingly. In the unfortunate event that you need to cancel your booking then your deposit (or final payment if it's been made) is non-refundable. We will however allow you to make a booking for an alternate (but same duration) date range up to 12 months in advance, provided we have availability (and provided non-peak bookings are not taken during peak dates). We thank you for your understanding and we'll try to be as helpful as possible! 

7. Can I arrange for a few provisions for the fridge/cupboard before we arrive?

Absolutely, in fact it's one of the services we specialise in! Email us your requirements for mixers, fridge fillers, basics for kids meals or any little treat you'd like in stock and we'll do the shopping for you and have it all ready and waiting for you. The staff will happily pick up provisions for you during your stay too either locally or from one of Bali's many multi-nationally stocked supermarkets and Deli's. Specialist requirements and alcohol purchases are often best made by you - just inform the driver on the way from the airport and he'll stop at Bali Deli, Carrefour, Cafe Mocha or the newest addition to the local fare at Canggu Deli (a 5-10 minute drive from the house).

8. What entertainment facilities are there at the Villa?

Our swimming pool forms the heart of the compound. Maxing out at 1.8m depth and looking over the padi fields its the perfect place to base your days around. There's plenty of sun-loungers, hammocks, day beds and so on to soak up the sun or get comfy in the shade too. There's a selection of pool toys and we've recently constructed a pool fence over the exposed (non infinity) side of the pool - this will not be installed by default but can be arranged if needed.

The living room has an LCD TV, connected to Astro Satellite feed, with most of the international channels (sports/movies/news etc) there for you to surf through. Located next to the TV is a modified Xbox system with over 20,000 MP3's on, a whole host of Xbox games and several movies too. A library of books and board games are also found here in the living area to keep you entertained. A Pioneer Surround Sound DVD system hosts all the sounds for the living and dining areas.

Each of the bedroom suites also has a CD/Radio system (with ipod connecting lead). Also available with a refundable deposit is a large (Ipod hosting) boom box for use around the house - we try and keep all the adaptors in one place, but if you've got the ones for your model then please bring them along just in case!

9. Have you got internet connection at Villa Natalie?

We have broadband WIFI connection at Villa Natalie. As you're in Indonesia then please remember that it's not guaranteed. The password for this connection will be provided by our manager and the staff know how to reset the modem in case of it 'falling off'. 3G reception at the property is also usually good, but remember that charges are often high for surfing in such a manner. If it's all down then Echo Beach Bar (a 10 minute walk on the beach) has free wifi (with a beer!) and Global Extreme on the road to town has excellent overall connectivity and facilities.  

10. What is there to see and do around Villa Natalie?

The list would never end, but lets start locally. 5-10 minutes stroll up the driveway and to the right is the beach. Rated as one of the top ten fun surf beaches in the world you'll find a healthy community of surfers there enjoying the morning waves. If you are a surfer then do let us know and we'll 'hook you up'. It's not considered a swimmers beach due to the rips and under-current (as with many beaches in Bali) but is a joy to stroll on and stock up on shells - if you're up for it you can walk to town if you keep going! Sunset there is out of this world too.

Heading 20 minutes north you'll find Tanah Lot temple (alongside Le Meridien Hotel, with excellent golf facilities). Driving down into town you'll pass through the restaurant and shopping areas of Oberoi, Seminyak, Legian and finally Kuta. There's a great waterpark in Kuta for a day out too. White-water rafting, surfing tuition, Safari Parks, Bali Zoo, Cycling tours, diving and many other 'day out' activities are also available, with information on these located in the Villa. Several companies will arrange to collect you from the Villa.

As for a touch of retail therapy then again you're spoilt for choice with the Seminyak and Legian areas in particular offering some spectacular local products that are now featuring on the global stage. Kuta is a maze of shops and boutiques and on the outskirts of this area you'll find 2 large shopping centres, several supermarkets and a newly opened Carrefour hypermarket.

Getting out for the day with the car and driver is an absolute must, especially if you've not been to Bali before. Day trips to all parts of the island can be arranged and you'll find some guide books in the villa when you arrive, alternatively check with our manager to see what he recommends. Details on the weather and what to see and do in Bali are available on far too many websites to list here, but one good place to start is the Wiki Travel guide.

11. What else do we need to know before we arrive?

Indonesia operates 'Visa on arrival' at immigration for many non-APPEC citizens, details of which can be found here (as of April 2010 its USD 25 per person for up to 30 days). This can be extended by another 30 days but please tell us if that's your intention and we'll advise accordingly. You must ensure that your passport has AT LEAST six months validity remaining and AT LEAST two clean pages left. Airport tax on departure is 150,000 Rp each, payable in cash just before you proceed to immigration.

Whilst there's no specific health risks in Bali we do advise that you bring some mozzie spray. We do our utmost to keep a control on them around the Villa, but being in the heart of padi fields and fronting a river there are likely to be some. Similarly sand flies on the beach can be a problem, but a good repellant cover will keep them from having their feed on you. All of the beds at Villa Natalie are equipped with mosquito nets. Should you need medical facilities whilst you're there then there are several internationally recognised clinics. A whole heap of information for hospitals and embassies can he found here.

Several guests ask whether Bali is a safe place. There's no denying that the tragedy of the two bombing incidents has affected the tourism industry in Bali and the beautiful Balinese people. Naturally everyone has to form their own opinions regarding world safety now, but these two articles (here and here) give other opinions on travel safety to Bali.

From the perspective of the Villa Natalie family then your safety is paramount to us (as it is when we stay there with our own two young children). Our compound has an infra-red alarm system that covers the perimeter and we have rotating guards throughout the night. In addition we always ask guests do to their part with securing their own valuables by always keeping them contained in one of the two safes (one large, one small) in each of the bedroom suites.

12. Liability at the Villa. At Villa Natalie we have our own insurance to cover the contents of the Villa (as in those that you find when you arrive). However we do advise that you have your own travel insurance prior to your visit. The owners accept no liability for personal injury, sickness, loss, damage, additional expense or inconvenience, directly or indirectly caused by, or arising from the use of the property or it's facilities. We also accept no liability arising from weather, local practices, airlines or similar travel arrangements or any other matter beyond our control. We make every effort to ensure that Villa Natalie is presented as advertised and even try and improve on that where possible. Any driver that the Villa (or guest) appoints to use on behalf of their guests is not an employee of the Villa and therefore is beyond our remit of control and responsibility. We try, within our powers, to ensure that all guests have the holiday, and more, that they planned for and additionally endorse all guests to take care with personal belongings, personal safety and personal health.

As of May 2009 we have installed a pool fence to secure the open side of the swimming pool. This is not a mandatory requirement in Indonesia and is not 'approved' by any government body - nor do the owners accept liability for any fault that may arise during it's use. It is, to the best of our knowledge, appropriate for the required purpose, but at all times we remind those in the charge of our younger guests to observe over them. Our staff are not responsible for watching over your children.

13. We've got a question of our own. Can you answer it please?

I'm glad you said that, of course we can. Click here (or tfsdan at gmail dot com) and we'll get right back to you!