Travel Ethos (AKA Travel Ideas & Thailand / Bali Direct)

The Travel Ethos charitable reservations site (previously known as travelideas, Bali direct and Thailand direct) is scheduled to be closed down on January 8th / 9th 2009; for details of why I the managing director have done this, please see further down.

I wanted to leave something though for the users of Travel Ethos and also to help the best accommodations providers. Here are a list of the hotels and villas in Bali and Thailand that stood out (as ethical, exceptional value, authentic, pro-Balinese / Thai, etc.), together with their own web site links so you can still book with them directly. Below them are hotels and villas who owe the charities we supported money, have not paid and simply ignore requests for payment to be made (perhaps you may want to avoid them).

Good Hotels / Villas in Bali
Kuta: Suji Bungalows, Rama Beach Resort, White Rose, Flamboyan
Amed: Anda Amed, Bayu Cottages, Blue Moon, Dancing Dragon, Puri Wirata, Hidden Paradise / Coral View
Sanur: Griya & Puri Santrian, Tamukami, Swastika (Hindu lucky symbol), Laghawa, Diwangkara
Jimbaran: Puri Bambu, Ayo-Udayana
Tanjung Benoa: Rumah Bali
Nusa Dua: None, they are all mostly actually owned by the Suharto family and unlawfully deny the Balinese access to the beaches; dreadful hotels, dreadful people.
Seminyak: Villa Kresna, Villa Wilsana, Villas Subaliku
Lovina: Rambutan, Celuk Agung, Bali Taman, Villa Agung, Villa Pondok
Pemuteran: Taman Sari
Ubud: Artini Cottages, Nick's Hidden Cottages, Tegal Sari, Gubah Luxury Villas, Klub Kokos
Elsewhere: Agung Bali Nirwana (Sambirenteng), Puri Lumbung (Munduk), Lembongan Island Beach Villas, The Villas Nesa Lembongan

Good Hotels / Villas in Thailand
Friendship Beach Phuket
I will add more later, I promise

Hotels that will not pay the money they owe from Travel Ethos to the charities:
Bali's hall of shame:
Kuta Seaview Cottages Hotel (part of Ramayana Group) owe $1,982.53
Le Meridien Nirwana Tanah Lot owe $808.17
Villa Palm Indah Seminyak owe $497.30
Santika Beach Hotel Tuban-Kuta owe $432.64
Hotel Saphir Bali Seminyak Beach owe $307.05
Hotel Intan Bali owe $303.28
Kind Villa Bintang Resort Hotel Tanjung Benoa owe $252.43
Puri Benoa Suites Hotel owe $233.71
Cahaya Dewata Resort Hotel Sayan Ubud owe $209.91
Hotel Karthi Tuban-Kuta owe $205.75
Thailand's hall of shame:
Central Hotel Group: owe in excess of $2,500
Similana Resort Hotel Khao Lak owe $2,681.71
Pee Pee Island Village Koh Phi Phi owe $1,019.29
Dusit Resort Hotel Pattaya owe $628.14
Lai Thaiu Guest House Hotel Chiang Mai owe $366.30
Layan Resort & Spa Phuket owe $357.21
Sun Garden Resort Hotel Koh Samui owe $316.00
Siam Residence Deluxe Koh Samui owe $225.00
We have only published those owing above $200; regretably there are twice the above number of hotels who owe the charities between $100 and $200, and no doubt more under $100.

Why Did Travel Ethos close?
Because certain people in Bali were not happy with my having anything to do with the island, not even to support a children's charity and promote the decent, ethical, pro-Balinese hotels and villas which are in the minority on this Indonesian island. Please read the pages on this, my blog. I had enough of the accusations and non-payers (to the charities I supported). As far as I am concerned, all the while it is a part of that hate state of Indonesia, ruled over by the dregs in Jakarta, you can keep Bali. I am just sorry for the decent people of Bali and also Thailand who got involved in the campaigns against me. Instead of my donating money to good causes in Thailand and Bali, I now donate to organizations for West Papua and other provinces lawfully seeking independence from Indonesia and those involved with human rights campaigning against Jakarta. I believe by being an enemy of the state of Indonesia, I am a friend indeed to the Balinese.