My husband and I will be going to Bali this fall and have a few free days. Anyone have any suggestions for what to do with them? TIA

Do you play golf...?

If so, you cannot miss playing at the Nirwana Tana Lot golf course.... it has the best view of the temple, and is a great course as well.

Also, where are you staying...? If you will be in one of the normal resorts, you may consider taking 2 days in an alternative lodge, like the Kampung Cafe in Ubud. Its a totally different feel.

Stay either at Sanur of Lavinea area (sp) on Norlth Bali.

Depends on what you're looking for-check out www.balitravelforum.com-it's (http://www.balitravelforum.com-it's) a good one;and bring an empty bag(or buy a Bali bag there cheap)for the cheap,cheap shopping ie sarongs,board shorts,beautiful wood carvings,etc,etc.

Do the river rafting trip, I really enjoyed it and it is more of a relaxing rafting trip (very little whitewater)then some, at least when we did it. It took about 3 hours and ended at our hotel-the Amandari.

The large stone statues were a bargain in Ubud, even with shipping they were about half the cost of same in California, shipping took about 3 months, I'm sure longer if you don't live near a shipping port.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by Gaucho100K:
Also, where are you staying...? If you will be in one of the normal resorts, you may consider taking 2 days in an alternative lodge, like the Kampung Cafe in Ubud. Its a totally different feel.</font>

We're spending about two weeks in the Nusa Dua area, what I'm looking for is something different (i.e, not a touristy resort hotel :-)) for the three days we don't have commitments. I'll look into the Kampung Cafe, thanks.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by Tango:
Stay either at Sanur of Lavinea area (sp) on Norlth Bali.</font>

Thanks. Do you mean Lovina? I've been looking at places there. Do you have a specific one to recommend?

I really enjoyed Ubud. We stayed at the Taman Harum guest cottages.
http://www.tamanharumcottages.com/
The staff was really friendly, and it was pretty quiet when I was there (beginning of March) You can see the monkey forest, and enjoy the incredibly inexpensive spa treatments http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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Have a great day!!
~~Missy~~

[This message has been edited by missydarlin (edited 07-03-2001).]

You might check out my trip report, posted about 14 months ago:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/000823.html

I stayed in a pretty nice place just east of Lovina. Also I mention a few other places that are off the tourist track.

We were there a couple of years ago. Things are much cheaper away from the major hotels. We were able to hire a driver and guide for the day for about 20 dollars total, and this was before the big currency devaluation. This a terrific way to get around even if you do have to make the customary stop at various craft stores which contrary to many other places are fairly interesting.

I strongly recommend you staying at the le Meridian Nirwana Tanah Lot. It is a beautiful property with a lovely golf course.The staff is very helpful and kind. There are so many things to do on Bali. River rafting, mountain biking, snorkeling and swimming with dolphins are some of the activities that you can engage in. Kuta is to be known for great surfing and shopping...I am not sure about that as it looked pretty dead to me. Ubud is a nice cultural center and a good day trip. Once there be sure to pay a visit to the monkey park. Have a great time!

Bali is nice, however if you have enough time I would suggest to combine Bali with a few days on one of the small islands off Lombok (the neighbouring island, some 20 minutes by air away).

Bali is rather touristy island, with Nusa Dua among the most developed parts. Bali is great to explore by car, plenty of sights etc. But - if you want something less developed, less crowded and more laid-back, you should consider splitting your time.

Last year, we spent a week on Bali and another on Gilli Air, off Lombok, an island without much in terms of roads or cars. Great swimming / snorkeling / diving, too.

Please e-mail if you need further info.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Arnur:
Bali is nice, however if you have enough time I would suggest to combine Bali with a few days on one of the small islands off Lombok (the neighbouring island, some 20 minutes by air away).

Please e-mail if you need further info.</font>

Thanks, Arnur, I'd really appreciate more information about Lombok and the Gilli Islands. I haven't been able to find much information about hotels in those areas. I couldn't find your email address, so am posting this in hopes you'll email me. :-). Thanks.

The two Four Seasons properties in Bali are hands-down the two best resort hotels in the WORLD.

Stayed there last summer and had the best vacation of my life.

If you're looking for something off the beaten path, we visited a bizarre animal park on the road to Lovina Beach (from Jimbaran, I don't know the name of the road, if it had a name)

For a $1 admission price, the staff allowed us to infuriate the crocodiles by poking them with a stick; we saw a "show" where the performers ate glass, wrestled crocodiles, got squeezed by a boa constrictor; we saw live baby ducks eaten by kimodo dragons (not for the faint of heart), with the standing offer that any creature we wanted to touch could be let out of its cage. Truly bizarre!

Jan,

I've spent a lot of time in Indonesia over the last 10 years ('92, '94, '96, '98), including about a month on a part of my honeymoon in '98. Each trip took me through Bali.

To be helpful to you, it might be helpful to know a bit more about you and how you like to travel. Where are you staying on Nusa Dua? What kind of budget are you working off of?

Here are some thoughts.

Ubud - Great, enchanting little town that is getting bigger and more touristed, but still incredibly charming. A visit to Bali wouldn't be complete without a few days visit. It is very relaxing and has great food, shopping and nearby attractions. Consider staying at Ibah (expensive) or Pita Maha (super expensive). Both have website. There are some fabulous restaurants in Ubud. Don't miss the famous Cafe Wayan and the Dirty Duck.

The chain of Aman Resorts originates in Bali. They have some of the most amazing accommodations you will find anywhere. Check them out at www.amanresorts.com (http://www.amanresorts.com)

Consider scuba diving around Cemaluk (Amed) along the east coast of Bali. (I've had better luck here than on the north coast at Mengangan.)

Lovina - This beach town was getting rundown when I was there in '98. Most of the resorts are a bit run down and hurting for business. I would definitely spend time in Ubud over Lovina.

Lombok - I don't know if 2-3 days is really enough to visit Lombok, given you have to either take a ferry or fly there, each taking up at least half of your day. To get to the Gili islands (a bit redundant as Gili means island)you would need to take another boat from Lombok off the north coast. The Gili islands have fairly modest accommodations. There is some nice beach and snorkeling, but the crowd is decidedly young and there isn't much otherwise to see if you are looking for "sights". I love Gili Trawangan, but I also don't mind staying in a bamboo hut with a squat toilet and a mandi out back.

The rafting trip is good fun. I would highly recommend it.

To help you understand my suggestions, I'm currently in my mid-30's, live just down the road from you in Sacramento, and have traveled by backpack extensively throughout Southeast Asia and Europe. I utilize the Lonely Planet guides and the Moon Publication "Handbook" series as my primary sources of information for Southeast Asia.

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Happy Travels,

Rhinochaser

I'll be spending about 3 nights in Bali next month unfortunately by myself. I think I'd like to stay around Ubud. I'm looking for a luxury resort to hang out, get massages, and relax.

From what I've read here and elsewhere my choices should be 1.) Amandari, 2) Four Seasons Sayan, or 3.) The Pita Maha.

Could someone give me some recomndations or pros/cons?

Thanks!

Nobbi

GO with the Amandari, a truly great hotel that is not to be missed. The 4 seasons are all good, but its the type of hotel common to ritzy SE asian destinations.... The Amandari seems more unique to Bali.