Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Anyone been?
What's it like???
Tips and info appreciated
xxx
What's it like???
Tips and info appreciated
xxx
Bali???
- Thread starter Smiffy
- Start date
2blue
Journeyman Pro
Caught me.... thought it was a problem with me mate, Balvinder ...... haha.
All I know is... it's a long way away.
All I know is... it's a long way away.
andycap
Head Pro
Fantastic place , expensive to get to but so cheap once your there , very much a backpackers destination mainly Aussies ,but there are nice hotels , recommend doing lots of research and staying in multiple places , Gili islands are great ,some areas of Bali are very good for surfing , others snorkelling and scuba , inland it is beautiful . Quite busy roads and thousands of mopeds , but taxis are cheap even over long distances .We went in May and the weather was fantastic . Balinese are lovely chilled people , no hassle , no haggling , very welcoming . We flew via Singapore and had a day there either side of the holiday (nice place ) but there are many options .
stefanovic
Medal Winner
Has anyone been to both Bali and Bintan Island? Latter by ferry from Singapore.
Never went to Bali but when visiting Bintan I was told that the main beach there was just like Bali.
And I was told there was only one Australian on the island. Real plus there.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Went to Bali in May...did we enjoy it - Yes. Could we have hated it - Yes!
Tip #1. Avoid the south coast and around Denpasar like the plague.
We had three nights in Ubud in a lovely little hotel the other side of the Monkey Forest from the main town. Ubud is not the cutesy cultural place you might imagine - and would have been - but we did enjoy our stay there. Ubud is busy but we were tucked away in a little village on the outskirts and it was fine. Then four nights in a 'boutique/expensive' hotel in the hills above Lovina Beach about 3miles from the north coast. We were pretty jiggered from our 3 months of travels in NZ and Oz so didn't venture far from it. We didn't really explore the island - though we did have an excellent day tour from our place in Ubud - plus the drive from Ubud to the north coast was spectacular - our hotel driver took us a little tour. And I had a little wander around Ubud and along the beach - black sand.
All that said, and as busy and touristy as some parts are - Bali is a fascinating place (Hindu temples everywhere - every home has one) and the people were wonderful. And I did rather enjoy having Nasi Goreng or Mie Goreng for breakfast...
Happy to answer any specific questions you might have to the best of our knowledge and experience.
Tip #1. Avoid the south coast and around Denpasar like the plague.
We had three nights in Ubud in a lovely little hotel the other side of the Monkey Forest from the main town. Ubud is not the cutesy cultural place you might imagine - and would have been - but we did enjoy our stay there. Ubud is busy but we were tucked away in a little village on the outskirts and it was fine. Then four nights in a 'boutique/expensive' hotel in the hills above Lovina Beach about 3miles from the north coast. We were pretty jiggered from our 3 months of travels in NZ and Oz so didn't venture far from it. We didn't really explore the island - though we did have an excellent day tour from our place in Ubud - plus the drive from Ubud to the north coast was spectacular - our hotel driver took us a little tour. And I had a little wander around Ubud and along the beach - black sand.
All that said, and as busy and touristy as some parts are - Bali is a fascinating place (Hindu temples everywhere - every home has one) and the people were wonderful. And I did rather enjoy having Nasi Goreng or Mie Goreng for breakfast...
Happy to answer any specific questions you might have to the best of our knowledge and experience.
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
Question, can you flush toilet paper down the bowl?
backwoodsman
Tour Winner
Best place I've ever been to. Culturally brilliant. If you get to go, make sure you see as many music & dance performances as you can.
Avoid the far south - the Nusa Dua area is full of the main hotel chains & is rather sanitsed. (It's bland & you could be anywhere in the world)
Ubud well worth a visit. As SILH says, it's not cutesy, but is is the cultural heart of the island. North coast worth a visit. Culture oozes out of every home & property (we happened across a small procession of people marching round an empty shop with drums, gongs & dragging ribbons, decorations and a dead chicken. Turns out they were just celebrating the opening of a new business).
And if you get chance, go to attend a funeral. (I kid you not! They are "public" affairs and the more attendees there are the better.) When we went there happened to be two funerals heading to the crematorium at the same time. Both had pall bearers carrying a bier with the body on top, both followed by a loud gamelan orchestra, and a large entourage, all making a noise & racing to get to the crematorium first. The cremations are open air affairs with large crowds, and people selling snacks & things. Possibly the most fascinating "cultural" thing I've witnessed.
Been twice & would love to go back.
Avoid the far south - the Nusa Dua area is full of the main hotel chains & is rather sanitsed. (It's bland & you could be anywhere in the world)
Ubud well worth a visit. As SILH says, it's not cutesy, but is is the cultural heart of the island. North coast worth a visit. Culture oozes out of every home & property (we happened across a small procession of people marching round an empty shop with drums, gongs & dragging ribbons, decorations and a dead chicken. Turns out they were just celebrating the opening of a new business).
And if you get chance, go to attend a funeral. (I kid you not! They are "public" affairs and the more attendees there are the better.) When we went there happened to be two funerals heading to the crematorium at the same time. Both had pall bearers carrying a bier with the body on top, both followed by a loud gamelan orchestra, and a large entourage, all making a noise & racing to get to the crematorium first. The cremations are open air affairs with large crowds, and people selling snacks & things. Possibly the most fascinating "cultural" thing I've witnessed.
Been twice & would love to go back.
Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
Me and Missis T were there in March 2018. As it happened and purely through luck it was Hindu new year, or Nyepi as they call it. Check Google images. March 25th and 26th next year. It was brilliant. In essence the local villages build massive evil gods and parade them, then they take them to the beach and burn the evil to make way for the good gods. Absolutely loved Bali. We stayed in Nusa Dua in one of the Sultan of Brunai's hotels. 5 star luxury. As has been said, yes it is a million miles away from the real Bali. But you must get out and about. Ululawatu temple is a must. Some of the best photos I took were of a monkey chewing on a flip flop, sat on a wall which is on the edge of a 300ft cliff, stunning. Took a cab from the Hotel to the north of the country. We arrived at this restaurant which had a 200ft drop. you sat facing the volcano which was a couple of miles across the valley. Except you couldn't see 100 yds for the rain, mist thunder and lightning that was going off. We were there an hour or so and then it cleared. The views were just awesome. The volcano that cleared its throat a couple of years ago. We never saw it until the last day, mainly because it is that big it creates its own weather. Travelling back to the airport on the last day we saw it for the first time. It is absolutely massive.
We only went B and B because we wanted to eat out, we did some tripadvisor reviews on the local eateries and some of the food was fit for royalty at peasant prices. Brought back a wooden sculpture that filled me hand luggage Mr
" Barong" he is the good god. Sits on me back garden every summer and reminds me of Bali.
Get it booked.
We only went B and B because we wanted to eat out, we did some tripadvisor reviews on the local eateries and some of the food was fit for royalty at peasant prices. Brought back a wooden sculpture that filled me hand luggage Mr
" Barong" he is the good god. Sits on me back garden every summer and reminds me of Bali.
Get it booked.
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Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
We booked ours through a company called secret escapes/THG holidays. In essence we did Borneo first to see the orangutans, sun bears, probiscus monkeys etc. Staying at sandakan. After that a few days in Kuala Lumpar then off to Bali. All transport and Borneo trips were in with the price.
Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Thanks for all of the replies (and photo's) lads. Very interesting and a definite possibility.
Love the sound of the Gili Islands, just looking to chill out for a couple of weeks.
The other two places on the radar at the moment are Goa and Mauritius.
We "did" Cuba this year and loved it, would go back but now Thomas Cook have ceased trading there are no flights going out of Gatwick.
Not looking to go until 2021 so plenty of time to browse and get information.
Thanks again
Love the sound of the Gili Islands, just looking to chill out for a couple of weeks.
The other two places on the radar at the moment are Goa and Mauritius.
We "did" Cuba this year and loved it, would go back but now Thomas Cook have ceased trading there are no flights going out of Gatwick.
Not looking to go until 2021 so plenty of time to browse and get information.
Thanks again
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
woody69
Journeyman Pro
Amazing destination. Would go back in a heart beat.
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
One of my golf mates has just come back, and where he was, you couldn't. Not interested in going to places with poor plumbing.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
I guess it'll depend upon where you stay. We stayed in really nice accommodation in Bali as we'd just had four weeks in a very basic (toilet free) camper van in Australia.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Oh well. Plumped for the Dominican Republic in the end. Two weeks booked. Long time to wait, just hope I'm still around then ???
