Hary's Homestay: Indonesia's BEST Kept Secret (Paradise Found!)
Hary's Homestay: My Jaw Dropped (and Yours Will Too) - A Review That's Actually Real
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because you’re about to get the real deal on Hary's Homestay – "Indonesia's BEST Kept Secret (Paradise Found!)". I'm not gonna lie, the marketing almost turned me off. "Paradise Found?" Seriously? But after spending a week there, I'm eating my words… and a whole lotta amazing Indonesian food. This place? It's legit. And I’m about to break it down for you, good, bad, and utterly glorious.
Accessibility: Listen, I'm not wheelchair bound, but good accessibility is always a win in my book. And let me tell you, Hary's? They're trying. There's an elevator (praise be!), and I saw ramps in some areas. Definitely ask for specifics if accessibility is a MUST-HAVE, but they’re not ignoring it, unlike some other places that just pretend it doesn’t exist.
On-site Bliss: Restaurants, Lounges, and the Like: Okay, picture this: sunsets that paint the sky in fiery hues, a gentle breeze carrying the scent of frangipani, and a cocktail in your hand. Hary's nailed the atmosphere game.
- Restaurants: Loads! Asian cuisine is the star, of course, and it’s divine. Think fragrant curries, spicy noodles, and fresh seafood that practically jumps off the plate. I'm a huge fan, and their vegetarian restaurant is phenomenal. Even my meat-loving friend was singing its praises. There's also Western cuisine, if you're feeling homesick (or just craving a burger). Breakfast is a buffet, but also, you can get breakfast in your room, and they do take-away.
- Lounges: Killer views. Seriously, the rooftop lounge overlooking the pool is where I spent most of my time, just chilling. They do a great Happy Hour, FYI. Poolside bar? Check. Coffee shop is also a great spot.
Wheelchair Accessible (sort of): As mentioned, they're working on it. Call to inquire, but it's a work in progress.
Internet Chaos (or Glory?): The free Wi-Fi in all the rooms is a lifesaver. You can get a speed test. Sometimes it's speedy, sometimes it crawls. However, you also have Internet LAN access, so if speed is your lifeblood, bring your own cable. They’re also got Wi-Fi in public areas, and overall, the internet services were better than expected for such a remote location.
Things to Do & Ways to Relax (My Happy Place): This is where Hary's really shines. They’re not kidding when they say "Paradise Found."
- Swimming Pool: The infinity pool is a must-see.
- Spa: This is where I went from a stressed-out travel blogger to a chilled-out island goddess. They have a Sauna, Steamroom, Foot bath, Body scrub, Body wrap, and Massage. It's pure bliss. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
- Fitness Center/Gym: Yup, they've got it. I confess, I skipped it in favor of more time lounging.
- Things to do:
- Pool with a view: Yes.
- Sauna, Spa/sauna, Steamroom, and Massage: Did I mention the spa? Go. Just GO.
Cleanliness and Safety: A Sigh of Relief: This is crucial, especially these days!
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Yes.
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Yes.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Definitely.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Yes.
- Hand sanitizer: EVERYWHERE.
- Individually-wrapped food options: Yup
- Sanitized kitchen and tableware items: Absolutely!
- Safe dining setup: Yes.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: YES!
- Sterilizing equipment: Yes.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking (aka, Where All My Money Went):
- A la carte in restaurant: Delicious!
- Alternative meal arrangement: No problems with my dietary requests.
- Asian breakfast & cuisine: Stunning.
- Bar: Great for pre-dinner drinks.
- Bottle of water: Provided daily.
- Breakfast [buffet] & service: Pretty good.
- Happy hour: Essential.
- Poolside bar: Again, essential.
- Room service [24-hour]: Perfect after a long day.
- Snack bar: Quick bites.
- Soup in restaurant: Warming and delicious.
- Western breakfast & cuisine: Good for a change.
Services and Conveniences (Nitty Gritty, But Important):
- Air conditioning in public area: Yes, thank god.
- Audio-visual equipment for special events: They do events!
- Business facilities: Okay for working, but not amazing.
- Cash withdrawal: Available.
- Concierge: Helpful and friendly.
- Contactless check-in/out: Yup!
- Convenience store: Handy.
- Currency exchange: Sorted.
- Daily housekeeping: Spotless rooms.
- Doorman: Always a friendly face.
- Dry cleaning & Ironing service: Yes.
- Elevator: Thankful.
- Essential condiments: Supplied.
- Facilities for disabled guests: Ask about specific needs.
- Food delivery: Not tested.
- Gift/souvenir shop: Typical tourist stuff.
- Indoor venue for special events & Outdoor venue for special events: Good spaces.
- Invoice provided: Yes.
- Laundry service: Easy and efficient.
- Luggage storage: No issue.
- Meeting/banquet facilities & Meetings: Standard.
- On-site event hosting: Seems popular.
- Safety deposit boxes: Secure.
- Taxi service: Convenient.
For the kids (I don’t have em, but they seemed happy):
- Babysitting service
- Family/child friendly
- Kids facilities
- Kids meal
Access (Security):
- CCTV in common areas and CCTV outside property
- Check-in/out [express] & Check-in/out [private]
- Fire extinguisher
- Front desk [24-hour]
- Safety/security feature
- Security [24-hour]
- Smoke alarms
Getting Around:
- Airport transfer: Worth it!
- Car park & Car park [free of charge]
- Taxi service
- Valet parking
- Bicycle parking
- Car power charging station
Available in All Rooms & a Deep Dive into the Perfect Room:
Okay, here's the thing. My room? Incredible. I stayed in a “Bali Villa” – I’m not ashamed to say I splurged a little!
- Air conditioning, Alarm clock, Bathrobes, Bathroom phone, Bathtub, Blackout curtains, Carpeting, Closet, Coffee/tea maker, Complimentary tea, Daily housekeeping, Desk, Extra long bed, Free bottled water, Hair dryer, High floor, In-room safe box, Interconnecting room(s) available, Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless, Ironing facilities, Laptop workspace, Linens, Mini bar, Mirror, Non-smoking, On-demand movies, Private bathroom, Reading light, Refrigerator, Safety/security feature, Satellite/cable channels, Scale, Seating area, Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens
- Additional toilet: Bonus!
- Balcony Views: The views were amazing!
- Room Decorations: Thoughtful and stylish (not cheesy, like you might see elsewhere).
- The Perfect Bed: The bed situation. OMG. Extra-long, cloud-like, and so comfortable, I wanted to move in permanently.
- The Little Things: They thought of everything. Slippers, fresh towels, a lovely selection of toiletries… even an umbrella.
- The Soundproofing: Completely effective.
The Imperfections (Because Nothing's Perfect):
- The occasional power outage: They're on an island, so it happens. But they're quick to fix it.
- The trek to the beach (sort of): It's not right on the beach, but the walk is lovely.
- Getting around the island: The local transport
Okay, here we go. Buckle up, travel friends. This isn't your glossy brochure itinerary. This is… me. In Indonesia. At Hary's Homestay. Good luck.
Hary's Homestay: A Messy, Beautiful Adventure (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Gecko)
Pre-Trip Panic (AKA the Day Before I Left)
- Morning: Coffee. Lots of coffee. Because suddenly, remembering I'm about to be thousands of miles away with (checks passport) approximately zero Indonesian language skills, is… terrifying. Booked a last-minute Indonesian phrasebook. Probably won't have time to actually, you know, learn anything.
- Afternoon: Packing. Or, rather, the Art of Stuffing Everything I Own Into a Backpack. I swear I have approximately four changes of clothes. Probably. I also spent an embarrassingly long time agonizing over which book to bring. Settled on a biography, a trashy novel, and a book on Indonesian cooking. (Let’s be honest, that last one I'll maybe glance at).
- Evening: Existential dread about being away from home. Tears. Called my mom. She told me I'd be fine. (She always says that). Ate a sad takeaway pizza.
Day 1: Arrival & That Freaking Gecko (and Maybe I'm in Love)
- Morning: Flight. Turbulence. Slept through most of it. Woke up drooling on a stranger. Mortifying.
- Afternoon: Landed! Heat hits you like a wall. Smells like… incense and spice and something wonderfully unfamiliar. Found my driver. (He held a sign that said "MR. [my name]"). He drove me to Hary's Homestay. The drive? Epic. Rice paddies, scooters buzzing… a sensory overload in the best possible way.
- Late Afternoon: Hary's! It's… perfect. Really. Bamboo walls, a little porch with a hammock. Hary himself – grinning, welcoming – offered me a cold drink. He's got a warmth that just melts your anxieties away. (And the internet works. Praise the gods!)
- Evening: Dinner with other guests. I was so tired, so overwhelmed, that all I could manage to say was "Nasi goreng, please!" Felt like a real winner there. Fell asleep early. Then… the gecko. He’s HUGE. And he's making little clicking sounds. I screamed. (I'm not proud.) Woke up everyone in the building. Now I feel like the tourist everyone's judging. Still, the gecko… I’m kinda charmed. He is now my roommate.
Day 2: Rice Terraces, Rain, and a Banana Incident
- Morning: Walked to the Tegallalang Rice Terraces. It’s… stunning. Instagram can't even touch how gorgeous it is. The air is so fresh, the colours vibrant. I think I actually teared up. (See? Emotional.) Took approximately 700 photos. Then had a bit of a clumsy moment: I fell in a muddy puddle.
- Afternoon: Decided to brave a cooking class at Hary's. Hary himself guided us. I, however, am convinced I'm a culinary disaster. The ingredients were all so vibrant, but when it came to the actual cooking… disaster. I somehow managed to set the rice on fire. Thankfully, no one was severely injured. The resulting dishes weren’t exactly Michelin star quality, but they tasted amazing! (Probably because Hary did a major rescue operation).
- Late Afternoon: The rain. It just. Came. Down. Monsoon style. Got utterly drenched trying to find a cafe. Ended up in a tiny shop sheltering under a banana tree. Bought a banana. Ate the banana. Dropped the banana. More mortification. But the store owner, bless her, just smiled and shrugged and handed me another one.
- Evening: Another guest, a cheerful Australian named Dave, invited me for a drink. We sat on the porch, watching the rain, talking about life, the universe, and why geckos are so damn loud. (Also, he knows Bahasa Indonesia. Jealous much?)
Day 3: Temple Hopping and Inner Peace (or, Failing at Posing)
- Morning: Visited Tirta Empul Temple. Holy crap. The water is so clear, people are bathing for purification. I tried it. It was… cold. And probably mostly spiritual, but it did feel refreshing.
- Afternoon: Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. It was picture-perfect. I tried to take some "artsy" photos. Failed miserably. I’m just not good at posing. Always end up looking awkward. But the temple itself? Breathtaking.
- Late Afternoon: Yoga class! Trying to find my inner peace. Failed miserably. I am not flexible. Or good at holding poses. Ended up giggling the whole time.
- Evening: Dinner with Dave again. We had a lively discussion about the best way to eat Nasi Goreng (it apparently involves chilli, lots of chilli!) He also helped me order my meal in Indonesian. I managed to say "Terima kasih" (thank you!) without sounding like a complete idiot. (Small victories!)
Day 4: The Volcano Hike (and Maybe I Can't Do This)
- Pre-dawn: Woke up, bleary-eyed, and ready for Mount Batur trek! The idea of watching the sunrise with the volcano… totally worth the early wake-up call.
- Morning: Hike. Holy hell. I swear this thing was mostly vertical. Did I mention I'm not exactly a mountaineer? I was huffing and puffing and feeling like I was going to collapse. Dave stayed by my side, encouraging and (let's be honest) dragging me up. The view from the top? Absolutely worth the pain. Absolutely. The sunrise was… indescribable. The colours! The silence! You just… stare. My body ached. My lungs screamed, but the feeling of completing it was amazing.
- Afternoon: Breakfast with a view. Banana pancakes that somehow tasted like heaven. I swear I ate three. Couldn't quite believe I'd done it. Dave went on to describe the experience as ''absolutely incredible.''
- Evening: Back at Hary's. Sore all over -- but absolutely elated. Feeling the glow of the sun and the sense of achievement. Ate way too much food. Slept like a rock. Maybe I can do anything.
Day 5: Farewell… and Maybe Not (and the Sudden Realization I Don't Want to Leave)
- Morning: Started the day in a daze. Packing (more like shoving things into my backpack) was an actual ordeal. I realized I didn't want to leave. I don't want this adventure to end.
- Afternoon: Goodbye hugs. The warmth of Hary's smile. The generosity of everyone. It hit me then, the moment of departure. The trip was amazing.
- Late Afternoon: Flight. More Turbulence. More drooling. Watched the sunset from the plane. I had a strange mix of sadness and happiness. I have so many happy memories.
- Evening: Home. Jet lag. So much laundry. The gecko is already strangely missed.
Final Thoughts (and the Future):
Indonesia. Hary's Homestay. Pure magic. The food. The people. The geckos. (Okay, maybe not the geckos all the time). I’m already planning my return trip. Next time, I’ll learn some Indonesian. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll master that cooking class. And this time, I will remember bring enough clothes.
And Dave… well, let's just say I’m hoping he’ll be joining me on the next adventure. This trip wasn’t perfect. It was messy. It was often ridiculous. But it was the best, most imperfect, most gloriously human, adventure I've ever had. And I can't wait to keep going, to keep exploring, to keep getting gloriously lost. (And to buy a gecko-proof mosquito net).
P.S. If you go to Hary's, tell him hello from the woman who almost set the rice on fire. And tell him I’m still working on my Bahasa Indonesia.
Riviera Paradise: Uncover Eden Palace's Hidden Secrets!
Online Dating: The Unfiltered Truth (Or at Least, My Version)
1. So, like, Is Online Dating Even *Worth* It? (Brace Yourselves…)
Ugh, the big question. And honestly? It *depends*. For every fairytale story you hear, there are a thousand dumpster fires. I've had both. Let's start with the good (briefly, because the bad's more interesting): I met a guy once. Seriously, a *really* good guy. We went on, like, a million dates, and he was everything you'd want. But…it fizzled. (Insert sad emoji here). He just, you know, wasn’t *the* one. And the *searching* for the one… that's the killer. The endlessly swiping and wondering and the constant, nagging voice in your head whispering, "Is this it? Am I missing someone better?" That's the price you pay, folks. But hey! I'd say it's better than going home to my cats again… wait no, that's not fair to the cats! Let's be honest, the cats are very happy to see our familiar face every evening.
2. What are the biggest Online Dating Red Flags? Because, Yikes.
Oh, this is a goldmine. Okay, buckle up. First, the guys with the photo *only* of them and their car. Or worse, their car *and* a vague hint of their face behind the steering wheel. Like, dude, show me YOU. I’m trying to see if I'm going to date a handsome human… or a souped-up Honda. And the "tall/handsome/loves to travel" bio? Groundbreaking, Captain Obvious. Next up, the guys who *immediately* start with the "I'm looking for a wife" line. Run. Fast. And if they’re *obsessed* with their ex? Run farther. Because you *will* hear about her. Constantly. I dated a guy once who, on date *one*, launched into this epic story about how his ex-girlfriend was a *terrible* cook but a *great* listener. No joke. I’m pretty sure I spent the whole date trying to figure out if I had a chance to be a good cook *and* listen. My head nearly exploded. So yeah, red flags are a minefield.
3. What's the Deal with Ghosting? Seriously, WHAT. IS. THAT. ABOUT?!
Ugh, the ghosting epidemic. Let's be real, ghosting is the worst. I mean, you have a lovely conversation, you exchange phone numbers, you plan a date…and then, *poof*. Gone. Like a magician’s assistant. I get it, rejection stinks. But a simple text? "Hey, I'm not feeling a connection, but wish you the best," is all it takes. I *beg* people to do this! I once got ghosted *after* a second date! We had a lovely afternoon, we even watched a movie together. Afterwards, nothing. For a week. Then, a mutual friend mentioned she had seen him with another girl. Ouch. What gives?! This is the digital age. It's so easy to send a text! It's not like you're delivering a carrier pigeon. It's just common decency. Okay, I'm calming down now. Sort of.
4. Best App in the World? Or…Is It All Just a Bunch of Lonely Hearts Searching?"
This is where it gets super subjective. I've tried them all. Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, Coffee Meets Bagel…and a couple of niche ones I'm too embarrassed to admit. They each have their pros and cons. Personally, I find Hinge the most enjoyable, because you have to answer prompt and actually talk about yourself. OkayCupid gives you a lot of control over information (so the profile is always amazing), but it's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people and also because the other person also have too many choices, some people get ghosted easily. Bumble forces women to make the first move, which is great in theory, but sometimes you just want to be... chased, right? The app doesn't really matter though, it relies how well you are at online dating.
5. Okay, So... How Do I *Actually* Get a Date?! (Help.)
Alright, the million-dollar question. The secret, my friend, is to be *yourself*. (Yeah, yeah, I know, sounds cheesy, but it's crucial). Be authentic. Even if "yourself" is a slightly awkward, wine-loving, cat-obsessed individual (like me). Be honest. Don't pretend to love hiking if you'd rather cuddle on the couch. Be witty. A little humor goes a long way. And for the love of all that is holy, fill out your profile! Don't leave those prompts blank. Those are opportunities! I usually go with the 'tell it like it is' approach. I like to mention that "I can't cook. At all." or "I love my cats, but I will trade my cat for a slice of pizza". I’ve gotten some truly terrible opening lines because of it, but hey, at least they’re *conversations*. Also, pictures are key. And seriously, *smile*. Your smile might just be the key to unlock someone's heart on the other side of the screen.
6. What are some of the craziest stories you have?
Oh boy, where do I begin? This is my favorite part of online dating. I've had the guy show up with a bouquet of white roses (creepy). I had a guy who "forgot" his wallet on date one and date two and kept taking me to places that would make me have to pay. I had a guy who only talked about his ex from start to finish. Oh! I can't forget the guy who showed up 45 minutes late and reeked of cigarettes, despite his profile saying he "didn't smoke." But the *absolute* winner? (And this one still makes me shudder) The guy who brought his *mother* on the first date. Yeah. His *mother*. She sat there, on a blind date with him, and gave her verdict on me... I swear I wanted to run away to another state that day. Seriously, I haven't seen anything worse.
7. Any Final Thoughts? (Because I Need a Drink.)
Look, online dating is hard. It's emotionally draining, sometimes soul-crushing, and often downright hilarious. You will meet some amazing people. You will meet some…interesting…people. You will get ghosted. You will probably cry, laugh, and question your sanity at least once. But! It's also an adventure. It's a chance to put yourself out there, to meet people you might never have crossed paths with otherwise. And hey, even if you don't find "the one," you might find a few good stories. And if nothing else works, you can always laugh at your cats. They're always there for you. They don't judge. Except when you're late feeding them. Then, *that* is a problem... *That's* a real problem. Cheers!
