Bali Recs

[wise_rita]

I've booked flights to Bali early next year and I need you to tell me where to go, what to do and what to see.  What would your itinerary look like flying in on a Tuesday early afternoon and flying out late Sunday night?

I want to avoid the bogan (Australian white trash) beaches and party scene, though I'm not opposed to a day at the beach.  From previous posts I see that Ubud is the place to be.

We like seeing cultural/natural sights, eating and drinking all the things, and learning about stuff.

I like the idea of hiring a guide/drive to cart us around to see everything we should see.

TIA!

kpol Brit pagas babygirlpriest SJ ashap 

[Brit]

We stayed at the W in Semanyak and it was fantastic. We hired drivers to cart us around each day, which worked out nicely.

eatrunbrit.com/2011/11/27/bali-day-1-attack-monkeys/

I thought I blogged more about it, but Google says no.

[kpol]

We wanted a really relaxing vacation so we didn't do too much, but it was perfect for us. We stayed 5? days at the Intercontinental in Jimbaran. We upgraded to the club level so we had use of the club pool which was much quieter than the main pools and the beach was well kept and quiet too. We had some great meals at the seafood restaurants on the beach and awesome drinks at the hotel's sunset bar.

We then hired a driver to take us to Ubud and stayed 2 nights there at the Ayung Resort. The Ayung has great reviews but we were just "meh" on it. The views are incredible from the main restaurant but it's quite far from Ubud center. In Ubud, we did white water rafting (so fun) and just explored the city center. There are so many shops and restaurants, you're sure to find something to fit your needs.

[wise_rita]

Sept 22, 2014 17:13:11 GMT -5 kpol said:

In Ubud, we did white water rafting (so fun) and just explored the city center. 

What company did you use, do you remember?  I definitely want to do this!

Question (Brit also): how do you go about hiring a driver?  Is it something you can/should do while you're there, or book online in advance?

[rupertpenny]

I haven't been to Bali, but some of my friends raved about the Gili islands. I don't think they are technically in Bali, but are easy to get to from there.

[Brit]

Sept 22, 2014 17:28:20 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

Sept 22, 2014 17:13:11 GMT -5 kpol said:

In Ubud, we did white water rafting (so fun) and just explored the city center. 

What company did you use, do you remember?  I definitely want to do this!

Question (Brit also): how do you go about hiring a driver?  Is it something you can/should do while you're there, or book online in advance?

We hired drivers when we were there. I think we hired one from the hotel, one through the hotel but not a 'hotel driver', and one independently - the second one may have connected us to the third one?

[wise_rita]

Sept 22, 2014 13:11:32 GMT -5 Brit said:

We stayed at the W in Semanyak and it was fantastic. We hired drivers to cart us around each day, which worked out nicely.

Did you eat at the Potato Head Beach Club?

My friend is raving about it, and it looks very near the W.

[kpol]

Sept 22, 2014 17:28:20 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

Sept 22, 2014 17:13:11 GMT -5 kpol said:

In Ubud, we did white water rafting (so fun) and just explored the city center. 

What company did you use, do you remember?  I definitely want to do this!

Question (Brit also): how do you go about hiring a driver?  Is it something you can/should do while you're there, or book online in advance?

I have no idea what company we used. One of the guys at our hotel in Ubud had a friend (they all do) that gave us a discount if we booked through him. The hotel's rate was something like $50-70 more than the rate we negotiated.

As for the driver, we did the same thing as Brit; hired a driver from the hotel, but not a hotel driver. 

[Brit]

wise_rita - We didn't eat there, but we did have some awesome meals in that neighborhood. No idea of the place names though.

[msamyfarrahfowler]

I really enjoyed my stay at the Ubud Village Resort and Spa. You get a huge villa and private pool. The hotel offers a shuttle every hour to its sister hotel in downtown Ubud, so you don't need to hire a driver for dinner and activities. The hotel also offers private guided tours, but the drivers/tour guides are mediocre.

My favorite restaurant was Three Monkeys. It's on the main strip and has a view of a small rice paddy.

Definitely see at least one dance. The fire spitting dance is amazing. Ask your hotel for recommendations.

[cheezer]

This place was fantastic for dinner: www.mozaic-bali.com/

We hired a driver to take us to Ubud for the night just for dinner and it was well worth it.

We stayed at the Luxury Collection in Nusa Dua and were not very impressed. The St. Regis was beautiful (we ate dinner there) and a friend just stayed there on her honeymoon and loved it.

[toutsuite]

We also stayed at the W Hotel in Seminyak for 7 days in a private villa. It was awesome. We went to Potato Head Beach Club. It was a great experience but I don't know if it was way better than any of the other places we went. Ku De Ta was also really good and scenic. We hired a driver - the first day the hotel got us a car and we just asked the driver if he did it privately without going through the hotels and he said he did. We used him as our driver for the entire time we were in Seminyak...I think we paid him the equivalent of $50 a day...You could actually probably find someone for a lot cheaper.

Across from the W there is an awesome restaurant, I want to say it's Biku Tea Lounge/Restaurant/Cafe/Something (I forget which). I thought the food there was awesome and definitely an alternative to some of the pricier places in the resorts. The place is cute, there is a little shop with books just inside and then the restaurant itself is pretty small but popular. The service was great. There is also a really good Mexican burrito place near the W which we often got lunch at. I never expected to have a decent burrito in Bali, but it was probably one of the best, if not the best I have ever had - surprisingly!

We did stuff on most days such as the monkey forest, elephant sanctuary, rice patties tours, river rafting, silver village, batik factories, Tanah Lot Temple, Seraswati Temple, etc. On other days we took it easy. Every day I went to a spa - it was amazing and cheap.

We spent an additional 7 nights in villa at the Komaneka at Tanggayuda resort in Ubud. The room and service here was phenomenal. It was a smaller resort but the staff got to know us the first day and made tailored Balinese dishes based on our preferences. Everyone had learned our names within the first day. I highly recommend going to Ubud and staying there for few days. Ubud is more the cultural center of Bali and is closer to many of the popular inland tourist attractions. I recommend seeing on of the traditional Balinese dance shows in Ubud - there is no shortage of them and there are a few pretty good ones offered close to the center of the town.

I had some jewelry commissioned as well as artwork when I was there. If you are looking for that type of thing, don't do it in the silver village - ask a local - maybe an Indonesian you meet in a restaurant, etc. who is not affiliated with your car service or hotel, where they would have something made. The stores in silver village jack up the prices for the silver and stones for foreigners and there is a double pricing system. There are some reputable smaller stores that you can have stuff made for half the price you would pay if you got it in the silver village area.

Finally, we ended up meeting up with another couple when we were there. The husband was taken out for a few days by a parasite - getting a prescription of Cipro or something for when you go there may be a wise investment. That said, neither DH or I had any issues. Just be cautious with what you drink and if you eat salads/fruit make sure its from a decent place and not a hole in the wall shop. Also, unless you are in a 4/5 star resort - hold off on the ice.

I could go on and on - but I will spare you.  In sum, Bali is awesome - enjoy your trip!

[wise_rita]

toutsuite thanks so much! It sounds like you were there for quite a while. Unfortunately we don't have quite so much time, but we can do what we want in the 5 nights we're there.

I might come back to you with more specific questions when the time is closer.

[wise_rita]

toutsuite thanks so much! It sounds like you were there for quite a while. Unfortunately we don't have that much time, but we can do what we want in the 5 nights we're there.

I might come back to you with more specific questions when the time is closer.

[toutsuite]

wise_rita - sure thing! Once you know where on the island you plan to stay I could probably give you some decent restaurant (and spa!) recommendations specific to that area. DH and I enjoyed our time there so much that towards the end we were considering purchasing a villa (you can do that for fairly cheap there depending on the area) to use as an investment property - and, of course, a vacation getaway. Safe travels to you and your DH - enjoy it!

[ashap]

Sorry I'm seeing this so late!! We hired a driver from Amertha Dana Driver was Komang and he was AMAZING.

Dinner at Moziac was absolutely not to be missed, we're considering flying back there because dinner was that good. Oh yeah and Bali is pretty awesome all on it's own :-)

[wise_rita]

toutsuite dragging up this old thread to solicit restaurant/spa recommendations from you!

We'll split our time between Ubud and I'm thinking Seminyak, or somewhere that's more touristy/beachy even though I don't much care for that sort of thing.

I'll take whatever you've got. TIA!

[Cicero]

There is a restaurant called Sardine in Seminyak that is fantastic. They serve really fresh seafood (a lot of it is in a tank out front) and have a great lounge/bar out back that almost goes directly into rice paddies. Good food and great atmosphere for relaxing after dinner.

[toutsuite]

Hey there! I'll Send you some tonight - I'm out right now and will look through all the cards and things I got from there when I get home. I'm so excited for you! Bali was such an amazing trip and I hope you have the same experience.

[toutsuite]

K - here you go - A bunch of restaurants I mentioned previously but there are a couple new ones. Everything (meals, spas, activities) I found to be way cheaper in Ubud. Most of the spas and restaurants I have listed below are around the areas we stayed in Seminyak and Ubud.

Seminyak - Biku Tea Lounge - This place was awesome. It's unique and not so busy like Ku De Ta and Potato Head Beach Club. The food was great as was the service. It's family owned and run. The ambience was wonderful and quite unlike any of the other restaurants we went to. I got something akin to a mango salad with spicy peanut sauce and it was to-die-for good. We went there twice it was so good. It's not that expensive, though there is no view like with Rock Bar, Ku De Ta, and Potato Head.

Mojo's Flying Burritos - cheap, good, and quick lunch which was near our hotel. We went there a few days for lunch it was so good!

Rock Bar at Ayana (in Kuta) - Out of this restaurant, Potato Head, and Ku De Ta, Rock Bar was probably my favorite. Get reservations and wear comfortable shoes. You need to take this elevator like thing down to the restaurant area. The food was awesome, service was awesome, and the view was stunning. Try to go right around sunset. Get reservations too otherwise you will be waiting for a long time.

Potato Head Beach Club - Good view, good food, good service. Get reservations as this is one of the must "go to" restaurants for tourists.

Ku De Ta - Great restaurant and view. I like this one more than Potato Head but both are good. Can be pricey. Get reservations if you can since it can be pretty busy.

Baba's and the Living Room (they are near each other and also near the W) - I wouldn't recommend - one of our friends got really sick from one of these and was out of commission for a few days.

Sundari Day Spa - Highly recommend.

Prana Spa - My favorite spa in Seminyak. Would definitely recommend. The facility is absolutely gorgeous and the services are top notch. While pricey, it's not bad compared to the resort spas.

Amo Spa - decent prices, great services. I went here a few times since it was right by the W. No complaints and I would definitely recommend it. (I had my hair done here, nails, massage, and a facial).

W spa - It was awesome but really pricey. I had a hot stone massage and also got my hair and makeup done there. I would definitely recommend it if you were staying at the resort otherwise you can find better prices for the same quality (if not better) outside the resort.

Spa at the Ayana (I went there before going to dinner with DH at the Rock Bar) - pricey but good services. I would recommend if you are staying at the hotel, otherwise I would recommend Sundari or Prana instead since I found the quality of their services to be comparable. I had a message (see a pattern yet?) and got my hair and make up done.



Ubud - I think someone mentioned Moziac - I definitely second this recommendation. The food and ambiance is fantastic - this was the best meal we had in Ubud. Get reservations for this since it can fill up pretty quickly. It is pretty expensive

Locavore - Great food and service. Can be pretty pricey. This, along with Mozaic, are two restaurants for "foodies." Get a reservation (your hotel will do that for you). If you aren't in Ubud for long, I would choose between either this and Moziac. While this was good, I would still recommend Moziac first if you can get in there.

Naughty Nuri’s Warung & Grill - Hot spot for expats and tourists. Food is awesome though.

Taco Casa - cheap, tasty, and easy. For some reason there are a bunch of Mexican restaurants in Bali. Lemonade is another good one. We got lunch there one of the days and it didn't disappoint.

Swept Away at the Semaya - Food was great, location was great, the service could have been a bit better. I think it was because we had a new server. Get reservations for here and request a table by the river (most have views but the ones next to the river are really nice.)

Spas - I had a massage at my hotel on three occasions and also got my hair done there. I would recommend it. Overall, I would recommend my hotel the Komaneka at Tanggayuda. It was smaller and we didn't run into anyone else there. We had a villa with our own pool that overlooked the rice patties. It was absolutely beautiful and not horribly expensive.

Nurs Salon - I had a Balinese message, facial, mani, and pedi. I would definitely recommend it. My friend got the papaya message and also thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mango Tree Spa - You can get cheaper deals elsewhere but the views with this are fantastic. I loved this one and didn't mind paying extra for the views and overall experience.

In Ubud you must do the water rafting. It was so much fun! At the end you get a traditional Balinese meal which I found to be alright. The rafting made up for anything the food was lacking. One word of caution, don't look up when you are climbing the almost 450 stairs back up to the road. There are certain insects that appear to be larger than life that seem to just chill in the trees as you are climbing back up.

I'm assuming you will probably go see the main tourist attractions - temples, monkey forest, rice paddies, etc. If you have free time and are looking to go to the Batik stores/factories, or get artwork or jewelry commissioned let me know. We bought a few batik pieces which were beautiful - we got a really good deal on them. Don't buy them in the factory - there are villagers who make them for a living and you can get better prices from them there. We commissioned several things while we were there: a traditional balinese mask made out of wood, two paintings, and a bunch of silver jewelry made. Don't buy any jewelry in the silver village though. If this is something you are interested in I will get you the name of the jewelry maker I used who was reputable. You can pick out any stones you want through the jeweler and they will make you whatever you want based on any inspiration pictures you have. The prices were also way reasonable and much cheaper than you will find here.

I think that's about it, did I miss anything wise_rita?

[wise_rita]

Jan 30, 2015 22:39:01 GMT -5 toutsuite said:

K - here you go 

Thank you so much!  I'll take this into considering when planning.  We leave in 9 days...and are moving first.  I'm going to need some serious Bali relaxation after that!