Asia - How to best spend 4.5 days in Bali?

Have 5 nights and 4.5 days in Bali later this month. Get in to DPS late evening (1030 pm from HKG) and was planning to stay at the Laguna Resort in Nusa Dua (the SPG property) for definitely the first night.
Also want to spend time Ubud and maybe some in Semanyak.

Objective is to get some beach time but also see some of the sites of Bali

Questions:
* Is it worth staying at Laguna for 2 nights? What are beaches like there?
* Is 2 nights in Ubud enough? How far is Ubud from Nusa Dua?
* I really like sound of the Komaneka properties. Which one is best one? Monkey Forest or Bisma?
* Is it worth going to Semanyak? W the best place to stay there? Nice beaches?

Thx for all advice!

Without a doubt - Two days at Amandari and two days at Amankila.

Second choice - Two days at Komaneka Tangayudda and two days at the Oberoi.

Have stayed at bunch of other places also. There are a lot of good choices in Bali and it's hard to go wrong.

One other thing.... it's worth negotiating on the rates.

Hi, I note that you stay at the Aman resorts, which is way above my pay scale, but what caught my eye was your suggestion I should haggle with them on the rates. Can you help me on this, who did you speak with and was it worth it. I am often told I saved 30000 on this deal or that, but you hear that all the time, it's not until these people get home that they realize they were talking about two or three dollars. I know the Komenaka give a local rate, but that's usually only a saving of $20, but they cut out the massage and that is the part I love

Do NOT stay in Nusa Dua. Tourist trap and it has nothing to do with Bali. Stay 2 days in Seminyak and 2 in Ubud. Forget those overpriced resorts. They are specifically for Americans who spend a fortune on a short holiday. In Ubud I recommend Tegal Sari and in Seminyak it is more difficult to find 'good value' accommodation. I would use the money you saved by going to Tegal Sari and book the Samara or the former Sofitel.

I beg to differ with above posters.

The best few days you've ever spent in a resort will be the few days you should spend in Candidasa. There's a small mum and pop resort called Damuh Bali.

The mum and pop are a young couple who run a tight yet beautiful ship. It's all rotan, atap and bamboo, lovely.

I was there with my girlfriend a few years back, but we're thinking of going again this year.

It's serene, breathtaking, affordable and generally awesome.

See www.damuhbali.com. But take care, because you'll be smitten :)

Hi, I note that you stay at the Aman resorts, which is way above my pay scale, but what caught my eye was your suggestion I should haggle with them on the rates. Can you help me on this, who did you speak with and was it worth it. I am often told I saved 30000 on this deal or that, but you hear that all the time, it's not until these people get home that they realize they were talking about two or three dollars. I know the Komenaka give a local rate, but that's usually only a saving of $20, but they cut out the massage and that is the part I love

I usually book close in and not usually during the really busy periods. I email the resort directly and I usually can get pretty significant discounts. Also I wouldn't call it haggling... more just asking politely for a better price. It helps if you have some flexibility on where you want to stay.

I beg to differ with above posters.

The best few days you've ever spent in a resort will be the few days you should spend in Candidasa. There's a small mum and pop resort called Damuh Bali.

The mum and pop are a young couple who run a tight yet beautiful ship. It's all rotan, atap and bamboo, lovely.

I was there with my girlfriend a few years back, but we're thinking of going again this year.

It's serene, breathtaking, affordable and generally awesome.

See www.damuhbali.com. But take care, because you'll be smitten :)

Is it luxerious? Looks like it is very quaint and cute, but I like my luxury...

Without a doubt - Two days at Amandari and two days at Amankila.

Second choice - Two days at Komaneka Tangayudda and two days at the Oberoi.

Have stayed at bunch of other places also. There are a lot of good choices in Bali and it's hard to go wrong.

One other thing.... it's worth negotiating on the rates.

All these look amazing, but more than what I want to spend.
Komaneka Tanggayudda seems most affordable. Is it better than Monkey Forest and Bisma locations?

wrong thread

Is it luxerious? Looks like it is very quaint and cute, but I like my luxury...

The funny thing is that it is luxurious. But in a Flintstones kinda way. The bathroom is immaculate, pristine wash bassin faucets, little bars of scented soap here and there, a large tub, a wooden scrubber and a large wooden ladle (not sure what that's for).

The kicker: The bathroom is open concept, as in, no one can see in, but you can see out. Quite different.

In the morning, when you take the steps down into your lounge from your kelong chalet, the table is all set with fresh fruit, juice, some warm croissants, a simple yet enjoyable breakfast, especially with the green setting and the surf reverberating in the background. Utterly tranquil.

Some drawbacks: It's a few hour's drive from Kuta. There's not a lot to do but laze around (which can be a good thing too, mind you) and when we were there, we only had a fan and a klambu around our poster bed, no aircon. Sure, it was nice to hear the cikcaks, the surf and the wind in the coconut trees, but it was a bit warm. Then again, that was a few years back, so the rooms may have aircon by now.

All these look amazing, but more than what I want to spend.
Komaneka Tanggayudda seems most affordable. Is it better than Monkey Forest and Bisma locations?

Haven't been to the other ones, but was told by someone who had been to all that it was the best.

I beg to differ with above posters.

The best few days you've ever spent in a resort will be the few days you should spend in Candidasa. There's a small mum and pop resort called Damuh Bali.

The mum and pop are a young couple who run a tight yet beautiful ship. It's all rotan, atap and bamboo, lovely.

I was there with my girlfriend a few years back, but we're thinking of going again this year.

It's serene, breathtaking, affordable and generally awesome.

See www.damuhbali.com. But take care, because you'll be smitten :)
Hideous reviews on tripadvisor

Hideous reviews on tripadvisor

I think you mean to say "a few bad reviews amongst a whole plethora of glowing reviews on Tripadvisor."

It's ok, I'll set it right for you.

Not sure what happened when the bad review guests stayed there, perhaps the hosts had an off-day, perhaps those guests were expecting lots of stars.

In any case, I had an awesome time there. My review stands.

Any experiences people have at Tegal Sari?

Any experiences people have at Tegal Sari?

I am also thinking of staying here when in Ubud. Seems brilliant for the cheap pricing. They could and should charge double for those rooms, but I'm not complaining.

I want to know also if anyone has stayed here recently?