Trust
The scams here are real.
Stolen villa photographs and operators impersonating legitimate companies have both been reported in Bali. This page is what we do about it.
If we have not been able to verify an operator, it does not go on the list.
What we check
- 01 The operator exists A verified account or a recognised platform, not a website registered last month with copied content.
- 02 The photographs are theirs Stolen villa photos are the single most common version of this fraud. A property we have not seen does not get recommended.
- 03 The money goes to the right place Deposits through the operator's own channel. Never to a personal account offered over chat.
- 04 The rate is the real rate Quoted in the currency you will be billed in, with the taxes and service charges named rather than discovered later.
Before you pay
Four checks you can run yourself.
- Reverse image search
- Run the villa photographs through an image search. Stolen sets usually show up on the real owner's listing.
- Check the account age
- A freshly registered domain or a social account with no history is the most common warning sign.
- Find a second channel
- A real operator can be reached on more than one. Confirm the booking exists on a channel they did not give you.
- Never pay a personal account
- A request to transfer to an individual rather than a business is where most of these losses happen.
How it works
What we will not do.
A trust page is only worth reading if it also says where the limits are.
- 1 Publish a rating we cannot source No invented review scores and no testimonials from couples who do not exist.
- 2 Quote a price we have not been given Ranges on this site come from published rates. A firm number comes from the operator, for your dates.
- 3 Recommend a property sight unseen If we have not visited it or booked it before, we will say so rather than let it sit silently in a list.
- 4 Give legal advice Indonesian marriage law involves your home country too. We will tell you it is complicated; a lawyer tells you what to file.
Also worth reading
The rest of the desk.
How we check suppliers, where our figures come from, and how to reach us.
- About Bali Romantic Escape Who plans these trips, what we book, and what sits outside what we do.
- Editorial Standards Where the figures on this site come from, and how often they are re-checked.
- Frequently Asked Questions Costs, booking, inclusions, timing and paperwork, grouped so you can jump to yours.
- Contact WhatsApp for a quick answer, email for a booking brief. Hours and response times.
Not sure about an operator?
Send us the listing. We will tell you whether we recognise it, and say so plainly if we do not.