BALI - Anyone been?

[Cehrabehra]

that website you posted, agoda, is freaking awesome... never heard of it before, but it's bookmarked!

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Oh i quite literally laughed out loud when i read your last paragraph!! I think we would make quite good mini-mee's as well but the jury is still out on that decision! Thank you though.

Agoda is very good, i tried out a few different sites and they seemed to be very well priced plus the information provided and client reviews were an added bonus. I tend to use trip advisor to read reviews and look at other peoples photos. 'Real' photos give you a better indication of the hotel standard than the professional hotel photos do. The real photos on tripadvisor are usually on the top right hand corner of the page if you want to have a look at more.

A lonely planet book or similar would be very helpful. I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to live in China and for it to be a mission to find a book in English!

I've gone through my bali photos from my last 2 trips and i will post some more you. I didn't realise but we really didn't take many photos on our honeymoon! I guess that's what happens when you have travelled to the same place more than a few times.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Sorry about the photos being very random. I am uploading them as they are saved alphabetically.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Nusa Lembongan has a fantastic view of the largest volcano on Bali, Mt Agung. Bali also has one of the largest tides, you can see in the bottom left of this picture the seaweed bed, when the tide goes out the locals pick the seaweed to be dried out and then shipped off.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Some more photos of nusa lembongan

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

This photo was taken from the roof top of the mecure hotel in kuta, looking towards south kuta (tuban) and then on to the airport. If you look closely you can see a plane out on the runway.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

A view from Tanahlot

 

[Cehrabehra]

OMG! Those pics are amazing!!!! My daughter would LOVE the bats - she actually wants to be a zoologist specialized in bats... lol

I love your pictures!! My husband and I are going to sit down tomorrow and try to crunch it all out.

Oh, and the book was a total BUST - the only english book I found on tourism at all was about the city I live in and I already own two copies of it lol I did see an adorable copy of The Little Prince that had english, french, AND chinese lol

I'm going to arrange to go to the more expensive areas on the corporate dime for the days we want to just lounge and chill... then we can pick something cheaper for the days we want to explore since we won't really be hanging out there anyway.

Tough!!!

 

[Cehrabehra]

I wonder if that pizza hut is any good - the pizza huts here are NOT american pizza... my driver was saying no this is american pizza, not italian pizza and I was like yeah NO - this is CHINESE pizza.

As a side note, mcdonald's big macs are different all over... in ireland there is a slight bit of curry in the special sauce and I found it revolting. I have no idea what they put in it in paris but the bigmac I had there (we went to get a picture of the sign saying royale with cheese lol) the best burger I've ever had in my life... and here in china they put a little mustard... it's pretty good actually. I'm not a big mcdonald's fan, but I do find it curious to see the differences, and here in china you just get so sick of chinese food I've eaten at mcdonalds more in the last year than I did probably in the 5 or 10 years prior.

Oh, and they harvest seaweed here by the tons, though after the oil spill not so much. Before that you could see trucks so laden with the weed that it would drag on the ground on 3 sides. Blech.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

That is a great idea about choosing accommodation that it is a little cheaper for when you know you will be out and about exploring. It is similar to what we did last time as well come to think of it!

That's a shame about the book too, I saw a Lonely Planet pocket book on Bali today and I thought of you!

LOL on the pizza, i wouldn't know but something tells me it won't be the same as American pizza. It's funny that you mention McDonalds, the last time we were in Bali was the first time I had actually eaten it there. It was home delivered as well. We didn't have any menus to order from and I was naming all of the burgers that i could think of and the poor indonesian guy had no idea what i was talking about, apparently all the burgers have different names. They do have cheeseburgers though and they were pretty good! I don't think the flavour was too different from home but I do remember seeing satay burgers on the menu another time which is very Indonesian!

Did you have any success figuring out your plans over the weekend?

I have 3 friends who are also trying to decide if they should go for a week or so just after Christmas as well.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Too funny on the satay burgers! lol Here CHICKEN is king.... and they like the legs and wings, you can get legs and wings at mcdonalds here... KFC is HUGE - I can think of THREE for one mcdonalds. Ironically - the few times I've been in the KFC there hasn't been any actual CHICKEN lol And forget ordering a bucket - they just don't do that here. I was never a huge fan of that either, but griefs, sometimes you just get tired of chinese food lol And it's not even southern chinese food like we have in the states (hong kong) it's dong bei (north eastern) chinese food so it's more stewed and lots of potatoes. I loved it when I got here but now it's all a blur.

No, haven't made plans darnit - my driver accidently gave me my christmas gift early and one or the other of us has been distracted by it lol Tomorrow my ayi is off, my kids have taikwando, and the dh and I have 2.5 hours of total quiet. I imagine cuddling is out because we've got to focus focus focus!!! Crap, I just remembered I have to arrange for chinese lessons on thursday evening...

 

[Cehrabehra]

Okay HOT! We got the tickets....... 10 nights there and one in kuala lumpur 16 hour overnight layover.

Now I have to find a place to stay! Dh wants to rent a house for the whole time but I'm torn, I kinda would like to try different areas. We have about 2500 for hotel (5 people so 2 rooms) plus car for 6 nights, 7 days, then the rest is on us and mama wants some new boing so we want to go cheap for that part.... I'm not to proud to have frugal accommodations but would like something beautiful on their dime, it is possible a house or villa? Will suit that... But things are booking up. Worst case we go to the north east, not booked up there!

How much does a car run? We need to fit 5 plus driver so like minivan if they have them... Do they? We're gonna try to figure it out tonight

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Woo!!!! How exciting!! Let me go do some research and I'll be back in a bit!!

ETA: What date do you land in Bali? It will help with finding available accommodation.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Ok, unfortunately you will be there in peak season which runs from 20th December to 5th of January. There are many 2-3 bedroom villas around the $350 a night mark, (350x6) = $2100. Is that too much? $400 is going to be more than enough to cover your general transport needs.

I just put it on facebook and an Indonesian friend says a car that size will cost you about AU$25 a day. (We travel on a moped for a cost of about $20 a week so i wasn't too sure). So even if you doubled it to US$50 a day it will still only be $300. Plus you wont need a car every day anyway. I was also thinking too, if you choose to go and do things like the safari park and elephant rides etc, if you book them through one of the many tour companies there, all transport is included and they will pick you up and drop you off from your hotel / villa.

Also, depending on where you find you accommodation will factor into how much transport you will need as well. If you find somewhere close to everything you can do a lot of walking but if you are out in the rice paddys somewhere you may need a car more often.

I can't tell if any of these are available but do you see anything you like?

http://www.baliluxuryprivatevillas.com/price/villa-rate-less-usd300/

There are a few in the Seminyak / close to seminyak area.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Argh! I tried to edit my last post but I obviously took too long and by the time I hit submit it would no longer accept it! Now I just have to remember what I wrote.

There are sooo many villas to look at it's not funny. Unfortunately I can't see if any of them are available without emailing directly.

I think the easiest thing for you to do would be to email a few different companies directly and tell them your budget and ask if they could send you a list of available villas for your required dates.

There are a few things to keep in mind when searching through all of the choices as well..

Make sure to read the fine print! I saw a few villas that seemed reasonably priced but when I looked into the conditions they all had a 50% surchage on the rate due to the peak season!

You also need to check if the listed rates are inclusive or exclusive of the 21% government tax and service charges. Some will include them and some wont.

Some places require a minimum number of nights booking over the peak period also.

Here are a couple of sites I have come across with nice looking villas.

http://www.villarentalbali.com/bali-villas/villa_result.php?page=1&bed2=3&bed1=2&prise2=300&prise1=100&dest=all&envir=all

http://www.mutiarabali.com/detail-photo-gallery.php?product_id=1

The mutiara was where we stayed as our 'cheap' hotel on our honeymoon. They have a complex of villas as well as the hotel. It was in a great area, on a back road which meant it was very quiet but also right in the middle of the best restaurants in Seminyak.

Another thing about transport, many hotels will have complimentary shuttle buses that will drop you off in town if you are a little out of thr way.

 

[Cehrabehra]

we couldn't find the time to do it tonight and we are exhausted... looks like tomorrow while the kids are at taikwando again! I have a bad headache too the past hour so I can't even read your posts right now, I'm sorry! I promise I will read them tomorrow!!! thank you I was kinda looking forward to a bit of banter, you are fun to talk with. I can't wait to share with YOU after I've been there so we can truly compare!

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

That's ok! I am getting sleepy too and I need to go to bed. I will have a look again tomorrow when I get to work. I hope you feel better soon! Take care.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

One more!

I put in the search parameters, 2 Bedroom, 5 people, under US$200 a night and came up with 27 matches!

http://www.cheapvillasinbali.com/search_result.php

I am thinking that you will probably have to go out of the main areas of kuta / seminyak to find something in this price range that is still available. Look into Ubud, Sanur, Cannggu, Jimbaran or Umalas. These are all places that are still in fairly close travelling distance by car to the main tourist areas. Places like Lovina and Candi Dasa will be a bit too far away.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Someone else I know paid AU$40 a day for a mini van with a/c and a driver. This is probably a better indicator of the price than the $25 was because my Indonesian friend probably gets better prices simply because she is Indonesian. The amount in indo money is 350000 rupiah, remember that everything is negotiable once you are there. If you do end up in accommodation that is a little out of the way and you do require a car every day you should be able to negotiate a price for the whole week that will be less than the daily rate. (hope that makes sense! I am on my iPhone so it's a little hard to re read)
I also noticed that many of the villas offer a car and driver for extra charge, this will cost more than finding transport on the street and will probably be a fixed rate, but if it is still in your budget it won't matter much and may be easier for you to organize the whole thing at once.

I guess what I am trying to say is figure out where you will be staying first and then decide on the transport.

 

[Cehrabehra]

One more!

I put in the search parameters, 2 Bedroom, 5 people, under US$200 a night and came up with 27 matches!

http://www.cheapvillasinbali.com/search_result.php

I am thinking that you will probably have to go out of the main areas of kuta / seminyak to find something in this price range that is still available. Look into Ubud, Sanur, Cannggu, Jimbaran or Umalas. These are all places that are still in fairly close travelling distance by car to the main tourist areas. Places like Lovina and Candi Dasa will be a bit too far away.

man I'm tired, I'm juggling too much this week. bu hao! And this was the *easier* choice after our plans to go to india fell through? lol

 

[Cehrabehra]

lol - posting on a diamond forum does weird things to your sense of money... I think I'm a cheapskate!

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

man I'm tired, I'm juggling too much this week. bu hao! And this was the *easier* choice after our plans to go to india fell through? lol

ha ha i think it's easier. When you are feeling better just get your accommodation organised and don't worry about anything else. Hopefully your accommodation will come with airport transfers so you will at least have someone to pick you up. The rest can be organised once you are there.

I have some friends who are going for 9 nights from the 28th and they aren't booking any accommodation until they get there which i think is a little bit crazy, so at least if you get yours organised you will be miles ahead of others!

I hope you are feeling better soon.

 

[Cehrabehra]

I haven't been posting much because (well because I'm having a party tomorrow and am a bit insane) but also because I've been surfing those amazing links you posted. You are just a godsend - I kiss you!

​

Found one that comes open on the 2nd but it's 2.5miles from beach... not sure if we're beggars or choosers after the new year though. I just can't wait to get there and breathe. Or at least have the planning done so I can get on with christmas shopping!!

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

All this talk about Bali here and IRL makes me wish I was going too! Although my friends have paid $1000 for their fare which is pretty expensive for us. I'm used to flying there for about $300 return!

My friends seem to be pretty confident that there is still *heaps* of accommodation available so maybe keep looking for a bit longer?

Where abouts was the one you found available? 2.5km from the beach isn't too bad depending on what area it is in.

Are you going to pay for the cheap place first and then have the week on the companies expense or the other way around?


Good luck for your party tomorrow, I hope it goes well!

 

[Cehrabehra]

thanks HOT the party went well and the soups were amazing - especially the cheesy cream of cauliflower, LOVED IT!!!

Now, back to Bali - hehe - we seem to have our plans worked out if not yet 100% totally finalized, but like 90% finalized. We will spend 4 days over the new year in Dua Nusa at an amazing house that's like 8000 square feet and has a dock and boat and big pool, then we are spending 6 nights in a smaller (but still like 3500/ft) house with a plunge pool in Seminyak. We are going to be about a little over budget overall (we said we'd set aside 1k for house/car for the 4 days and it's going to be like 1000 plus car). I can't wait - this is going to be the most extravagant vacation I've ever been on!

Sometimes I just feel so blessed

Oh, and I predict I will be hearing about your next Bali trip before the summer is over....

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

OMG Sara, that sounds absolutely AMAZING!!

I am thrilled that you have found some places to stay! You will love Nusa Dua and Seminyak! Oh I am just so so happy for you.

Unfortunately I can't tell you much about Nusa Dua, but I can about Seminyak. When I get a free moment in the next few days I will sit down and think about all the tips I can give you on Seminyak and Bali in General.

I think you are right about another trip to Bali being on the cards as well. My mum is taking my daughter in March and my husband is already talking about just flying over for his 4 days off so we can meet up with them and take them both out to explore!

Oh, I glad your party went well and that soup sounds divine! I love using cauliflower puree/mash as a substitute for mashed potato when we are trying to cut down on carbs.

 

[indecisive]

You will have such a great time but I really, really recommend going to Ubud and some of the temples. Bali is incredibly beautiful in many different ways and I think it would be great for you to experience more than just the beach beauty. I wish I could post pictures as well because HOT's pictures made me want to share too! I loved Tanah Lot as well but just walking around Ubud and the monkey forest is a really cool experience. The mother temple and water temple were amazing and the Buddhist gardens near the Elephant Cave were pretty. One of our favorite things was eating at the Cascade restaurant, which overlooks this amazing valley. We even saw monkey's playing in the wild one morning. We also did a cooking class with a market tour that was so fun. I loved going to the volcano as well but it is not safe to trek at this time. I know you will have so much fun and please makes sure to tell us about your trip! I am super jealous!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Oh no worries, we will definitely be spending time in Ubud as well as maybe just driving around the island and just stopping wherever. Plus I will do some research... oh, and the first place we're staying in dua nusa has a complimentary overview - they tell you a bunch of options and opportunities. That place comes with a butler too, though I'm rather tempted to stay a bit close, four nights is 3 whole days and I think I want to take the boat out one of the days, lounge at least one.... *maybe* take off for one of the days up the east coast or something... but the days in seminyak we won't stick quite as close to home... the pool there is only a plunge pool and I don't see us taking advantage of the house as much...

I would love to hear any and every idea though! Definitely going to Ubud - but are there any specific things we should do there? I'd like to go to sanur too. Plus the whole kuta/tuban/legian/seminyak... do I need a whole day per area or can I hit them all in one day?

I know our lodging lacks diversity, but I feel lucky to get what we got! I wanted to do 4 days in Ubud and then 6 in seminyak but this is what worked out for us... at this point we have an open schedule... ideas welcome! And if you could include aproximately how much time should be set aside to do an activity... that would be awesome. Like how long it takes to get to the elephant area or the safari place, We have 8 whole uninterrupted days plus most of the first day and some of the day we move from one location to another.

 

[indecisive]

Oh, don't get me wrong I would totally jump at the chance you are getting!! In fact I offer to babysit if you want to take me along . I think I would have enjoyed Semminyak more if I hadn't just spent 4 days in Ubud. We literally went from peacefully watching a wild monkey in this quiet, jungle valley to the hustle and bustle of Semminyak. I do wish we had done more shopping there though. There is a really cute pet store there where you can get all sorts of cute, unnecessary things for your pet. There is also a Joy Jewelry shop there where they assemble everything on site. They have those bracelets there that Beyonce wears for a lot cheaper (I think 1/2 price)than you can get them for in the States This is the website if you want to see what it looks like http://www.joy.com.sg/index.aspx . I also wish we had bought more wood carvings and housewares and I really wish we could charter a ship to bring back all the furniture and giant stone bathtubs we fell in love with!

Also, I don't know if you and your husband are going to be able to go off on your own but if so you should go to this "bar". They weren't open when we were there and I want to go so bad because it looks so gorgeous! http://www.ayanaresort.com/rockbarbali/wp/

In Ubud I really recommend going to the Monkey Forest, especially if your daughter likes animals, but do NOT buy bananas! The monkeys never tried to climb on us as we did not give them food. They will come plenty close without the bananas and the forest is very gorgeous. I would also really recommend Cascade Restaurant for high tea or for any meal. We stayed at the Viceroy and had breakfast, lunch, and dinner there at some point during our stay and everything was amazing and the view really cannot be beat.http://www.cascadesbali.com/en/home.php We also ate at Mozaic and had a great time but it is very expensive. We spent about $200 for a 7 course meal and cocktails and wine, which to us is so pricey but we were on our honeymoon. The same meal in DC or New York would be like $500 though so it was really special.

The market in Ubud is also a pretty cool experience. It can be a little overwhelming but maybe not so much if you are coming from rural-ish China. The coffee plantations around were very cool. My husband will not drink anything with coffee in it but even he like the ginger "coffee" and they have some really nice vanilla perfumes. You can also see the Civet cats that "make" that expensive coffee.

I also recommend looking at all the different temples in Bali and picking a few to go to. I think it is a really great way to see some of the culture of the real Bali. The temple and offerings are a huge part of life there. We really loved this water temple where you could see the spring and the water coming from the earth. People travel to this temple whenever they have a big event so they can get water to bring back for a wedding, new house, etc because it is holy. Tanah Lot was also one of our favorites but much more crowded than the other ones we went to further north. Kuta and that area is not really my thing so we did not go so I don't really have any advice except you can buy a lot of cheap stuff for cheap prices. I want to stay in Sanur next time because I was looking for something quiter and the beaches are swimming beaches, which Semminyak was definitely not but they do call Sanur Snore because it is much quieter, not as many bars, and is where many ex-pats live in Bali.

I am sorry I wrote so much!! I really think you and your family will fall in love with Bali. My husband and I want to go back so badly but the flight is so expensive/long!

 

[indecisive]

Also, since we are on a diamond/ jewelry forum I should mention John Hardy, the jewelry designer, has a house and workshop in Bali that you can visit. The house is pretty cool but the jewelry was not totally my style and out of my budget but if you like his stuff it is a really cool place to go. He has a beautiful set up there.