We are happy to have you stay with us in our family home. If there is anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable please let us know! Rumah means house and Roda was the name of Darta’s father who died in 1984. Rumah Roda guesthouse was first built in 1987 with four rooms. In 2009 the roof of the guesthouse needed repair and so plans were made to renovate. As always in Bali, one thing led to another and now the guesthouse has three floors and nine rooms! We hope you will understand that the price that you might have heard before was based on the old rooms. The rooms today are now much more elegant and therefore our price has had to increase as well.
 
During your stay at Rumah Roda you will undoubtedly meet Darta and his wife Suti. Many of you may know about Darta from friends. He is a wonderful storyteller! Many of Darta’s stories are found in the book
“A Little Bit One O’clock  by William Ingram that is sold in bookstores around Ubud as well as the Threads of Life Gallery beside Rumah Roda’s front gate.

Darta is the oldest of 5 children. You will often see the other siblings visiting as this house is considered the “family house and temple” and all must return here to occasionally share meals. The women also participate in preparing offerings for ceremonies that relate to the family temple. The other members of the family after Darta are his sister Made Sulastri who is married to Ardika, they live in Denpasar. Nyoman Suda, a brother who is married to Kadek Damayanti, they live in Ubud on Jalan Bisma. Ketut Sudi, a sister who is married to Winarko and they live in Surabaya. Putu Waemetha, a brother who lives with his wife Ayundari just north of Ubud. The youngest is Rudi, a brother who lives with his wife Putu Widyantari just up the road.
 
Other than Darta’s wife Suti you will also see Darta’s mother, Meme Tubelen or Ibu (which means mother) along with the other aunties and daughter-in-laws making endless offerings that are so essential to Balinese life. Darta often says, “Bali has a ceremonial economy.” Abut is Darta and Suti’s son and is often available to drive you on a tour of Bali.

Other than Abut, his younger sister Tutut is often at the house although she is now married and living at her husband’s house in another part of Ubud.
 
Iluh, Dekning and Deklis work in the kitchen and are the women who clean your room and make the meals. Darma is the young man who waits on the tables upstairs in the restuarant. Dek is short for Kadek which means second child. A Balinese will have many names throughout his or her lifetime. First a child is given an affectionate childhood name but the name usually changes when they start school. After they are married they are referred to by the name of their first-born. For example, Darta is known locally as Pan Abut (Father of Abut). When someone has grandchildren they are likewise called the grandmother or grandfather of the first grandchild.
 
Each room is named after the nine patrilineal grandchildren of Darta’s father and mother, Roda and Tubelen. They are (oldest to youngest): Abut, Tutut, Turia, Roman, Bayu, Rida, Egar, Jae, Gin.

Please Join our Family
You will often see the women preparing offerings for special occasions other than the daily offerings. They always welcome you to sit and watch or join in. By staying with the family you have an opportunity to learn about the Balinese culture. When there are temple ceremonies (which are often) please come with us to see what is happening at the temple. We will lend you temple dress. The Balinese always appreciate it when you make an effort to dress properly when visiting temples or attending ceremonies!