Maldives or Bali?
 

I am not sure where to go for vacation next year. I was all set on Bali, but so many flyertalkers are saying Maldives is just awesome...HELP! Need some ideas of why people think the Maldives is so awesome. It looks great, but do you just sit around all day?

which bali resort had you selected, and when?

I guess it depends on what you want to do during holidays. Maldives is beach and water based activities, Bali offers culture and shopping opportunies as well.

Can you snorkel in Bali? I was looking at Four Seasons both resorts in Bali doing the split between properties...

You can't snorkel at FS Sayan obviously as it's located in the hills of Ubud. I've stayed at FS Jimbaran Bay once, and I don't remember it having very good snorkeling and I believe the beach is not exclusive to the resort. They could probably arrange a boat trip out to a snorkeling site for you, however.

If snorkeling is one of the top priorities, then I would say Maldives is a better choice.

I would not go to Bali if I wanted snorkelling. Instead - if Maldives is still no option - you could do culture/shopping in Bali and then fly from there to Amanwana at Mojo island (also Indonesia and a good combination with Bali) where snorkelling is (or at least was when I was there 6 or 7 years ago) very good.

Good to hear - going to Amanwana combined with a trip to Amankila this New Year's holiday!

philfna, if snorkeling is important, then you should also consider Amanpulo in the Philippines. Depending on where you're flying from, it could be closer than the Maldives and the snorkeling/diving there is world-class, on top of it being one of the very best private island beach resorts in the world.

Which airport do you fly into to get there?

Which resort are you referring to? For Amanpulo, you fly into Manila, take a 10 minute complimentary Mercedes transfer to the domestic airport, and then take a 1 hour flight on the hotel-owned private plane to Pamalican island.

For Amanwana, you go from Bali and take a 65 minute floatplane flight to Moyo Island.

Well I have been to both in the last year.

Maldives.....you are on an island which usually consists of only the Resort you are staying at. I stayed at the W a fantastic place but other then laying around and the water and walking around the island which took 15 min not much else.

Bali.......Lots of choices towns and nighlife plenty of shopping and well golf for me.

Do you want quiet and secluded or lots of people and going out in public?

I think you can find some great snorkeling in Bali but not near the Four Seasons.

I apologize for probably a really dumb question, but can someone explain to me why they feel Aman Resorts are so special? Are they all inclusive and exclusive having been a religious stayer of Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons -- is the Aman experience going to make my stays at these other properties seem poor in comparison? I am just curious.

How long have you got..lol.
The amans in indonesia are exceptional. Do a search on the couple of aman specialised posts here and you will read in great detail about the Aman experience.

There is no decent snorkelling at FS Jimbaran. Although boat trips can be arranged.
I loved the snorkelling at Amanwana on Moyo. You can snorkel directly off the boardwalk.It is a perfect combination with amankila or amandari and either of the Four Seasons would work well too.

My wife and I just returned from a trip that included stops in the Maldives and Bali. We stayed at FS Sayan in Bali, and in the Maldives, three islands - Baros, Banyan Tree Vabinfaru and Banyan Tree Madivaru. All four resorts were in the luxury class, and all were over $1000/night.

For service, the Maldives weren't even in the same category as the FS Sayan. As much as it is the credo of the Four Seasons, service seems to be a much greater component of Bali (as I've heard great service stories from other properties in Bali). To get an idea, here's a link to the FS Sayan portion of my trip report.

We thought the Maldives were gorgeous, but after the service and jungle feel of our resort in Bali, we found ourselves wanting for the service we experienced there. For photos and a trip report for the Maldives, click here for Banyan Tree Vabinfaru, here for Banyan Tree Madivaru and here for Baros.

If we go back, it will be to Bali. We loved the culture, and we love how well we were treated, and how special we felt as guests in Bali.

Wow, getonline33, that makes me less excited about possibly going to Maldives. Mr. Megatop and I love the Bali feeling. And while I would not have expected to find a similar calibre of service and cultural warmth many other places, it is disappointing to hear that we won't find it in Maldives. We've been to Bali three times. Maybe we'll just have to keep going back.

I've been to Bali once (Ubud, Kintamani and Nusa Dua) and to Maldives eight times. Personally, I prefer the Maldives (Meedhupparu, Kanifinolhu, Farukolufushi, Meerufenfushi, and Summer Island). While we found the Balininese to be warm and friendly, we found the island to be in horrible condition. We saw a tourist get seriously hurt falling through a giant pothole on the street. Both Kuta beach and the beach in Nusa Dua were in deplorable conditions with lots of garbage floating around. The rain washes all the garbage from the village into the river which then spills into the ocean. At low tide it felt like you were walking into a garbage landfil. Venturing into Denpasar, you must be vigilant not only for the constant approach by people trying to sell you souvenirs but also against theft.
Your experience in Maldives will have less to do with how much you pay per night and more to do with whether or not you get a genuinely friendly resort.
Add to that perfect weather (December-March), miles of crystal clear water with no waves, amazing snorkeling and diving, and an impeccable safety record and you got pretty much heaven on earth.
We're going back again in February.