We drive on to the first hotel, which is owned by the same person as owns Tauch Terminal. I’m skeptical after the price gouging, but go in anyway. Wow. Very nice room, super clean, basically new. Full inside bath, well lit, with great ocean view. Clean pool, two guests, and the price is good: $35 for the best room, $25 for wendy’s room. Problems? Steep tall cement steps to/from the room. No railing to guard against an 8foot drop onto cement. Not child friendly. The hotel is situated on a point, the beach is relatively steep coral down into pretty large waves. Not great for kids, even if it wasn’t stormy. And the menu read like Tauch. And there are not other hotels nearby, so we’re stuck with their food. Hmm. Well, a good principle is to always check out more than one hotel, we ask to see more.

Next stop is Paradise Beach. Really dark and dumpy. Depressing to see after what must have been a hard rain. Tons of puddles and it didn’t smell good. We went to see the beach, there was a honeymooning couple from spain standing at the beach, they’d just checked in. Nice big sandy beach, kids playing soccer on it. Looking down the beach, we see Aztec-like stairs leading up to some dramatic looking structures. Since Julia and the kids are waiting in the car, I run down the beach, up the steps, past the pool, up more steps to the top of this hotel, its reception area. They get a key and we meet Wendy on the way to the rooms. Nice place, rooms are ok but a little dirty. This is Indra Puri. Rooms have Balinese wood-shutter windows. Dark. Hmm. Wendy gives a definite thumb down. Then we’re told the kitchen is non-op because this is the low season. We need to walk down the road to eat. Hmm. Ok. Back down to the beach to the other dingy hotel. Back to the car. All ready to go back. Julia asks if there are any other hotels, driver says no. I ask if I can take a quick walk through town since there are shops and restaurants ahead. Just a little way down the street is another hotel called Paradise Cottages, looks nicer. We walk in, they will let us have a two story, seaside ac bungalow for $40, wendy gets one alone for $30. Nice second story covered balcony. Wendy wants to stay at the first place, but grandy agrees to stay here because its better for the kids + there is coral right off the beach.