Planning trips to Bali and beyond

[WanderlustNZ]

Anyone who has been following my Yellowstone/DLR/Aulani TR will have noticed that I have got somewhat off topic and have started discussing a planned 2015 trip to Bali.

I was thinking of doing a trip next Easter to Fiji, when I spotted some cheap airfares to Bali. Having never been to Bali before, I decided it would be a fun new experience and booked.

A few days later, Australia was privy to some amazingly cheap deals to Bali, and Zanzibar was one of the lucky people who managed to book on time. So now the two of us are planning trips to that slice of the world - only Zanzibar is being a it more adventurous than me and heading onwards to other parts of Indonesia.

I also know Aussie Shaz is planning a trip to Bali early next year, so perhaps she might be keen to chime in with her plans.

Anyway, I thought I'd start this thread as a PTR of sorts, but also a chance to hopefully get some great advice from the Bali veterans amongst you.

I know we can't really make any connections with Disney, but given that all of us here on the DIS love travel in general, this is still hopefully a good place to discuss our plans.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

My plans as they stand are 9 nights in Bali beginning Easter Monday. The days were booked based on airfares being particularly cheap on those days, otherwise we would have headed off a few days earlier.

I am spreading the 9 nights over 3 locations and have already booked our accommodation for the first 2 places.

Plans so far:

Our first 3 nights are in Sanur. We have booked a 2 bedroom villa at Villa Kampung Kecil. Our plans for these first 2 1/2 days are undecided, but I'd love to hear about worthwhile attractions and restaurants in the Sanur area.

Our next four nights are in Ubud. I have booked a three bedroom villa (villa #1) at Villa Agung Khalia. I have lots I want to do in Ubud including checking out the rice fields and countryside, a cooking class, a silversmithing class, and a chance to check out the markets. Plus I want to spend plenty of time relaxing by the pool and getting cheap massages.

Our last 2 nights will be spent in Jimbaran so we are close to the airport. I say 2 nights, but technically it is 1 1/2 since we leave at a crazy early hour in the morning. Accommodation is undecided, but Rimba Jimbaran is a top contender at present. It is next to the more expensive Ayana resort where I want to go for a perfume making class.

Other than that, we plan on doing a couple of day tours of the Island on the days we change accommodation.

Any thoughts or advice always appreciated.

 

[aussie shaz]

Yep, we're going back to Bali in January. Yay!

So, I had been to Bali twice before. Once in about 1996 as a travel agent, and again in about 1997 with my husband. I didn't remember too much about those trips.

I like to have a holiday at least once a year and couldn't really afford Disneyland this year and hubby doesn't like the long flights. I racked my brains about where we could go that had lots of activities, was close by, and was a reasonable price. I ended up with Bali. Hubby had stated he never wanted to go back to Bali, but it didn't take long to convince him.

So, we were just there in July. We stayed at the Safari Park, Kuta and Benoa. We had a ball, and I had actually booked our January trip before we left for our July trip!

I don't know what it is about Bali, but it just sucks you in. Maybe it's the people, maybe the food, or maybe all the options you have to choose exactly the type of holiday that suits your family.

Our last trip was full of activities....Safari Park, Waterbom, swimming with the dolphins, Segways, watersports etc.

Going back in January will be a different holiday again. We're staying at Club Med, so will have all the food and drinks we want, when we want them. There's also so many activities included such a trapeze, windsurfing, golf, etc etc. We will spend most of our time at the resort, but will go back to Waterbom, do another (longer) Segway tour, spend a day back in Kuta to revisit some of the people we met there, and will do a day trip around the beaches we missed last time. Will visit Padang Padang, Pandawa and Uluwatu beaches. We had planned this trip last time, but stuff just got in the way. I don't think there's ever enough time to do everything you plan on a holiday. That's why we go back again and again!

My youngest son (11) put Bali as his second favourite holiday, after Disneyland, and is so excited to go back. Looking forward to it again, and I'm sure if we went again, we could find another type of Bali holiday to enjoy.

 

[LisaAJ]

I've been to Bali 8 times. Love it I know some people that don't but as long as your expectations are not unrealistic, you will have an amazing time

We're hoping that we will have accrued enough points from our US trip to get us to Bali when we get home! Not looking good though...

 

[LivingforDisney]

I am one of those that don't! lol
Been twice pre kids, it was a cheap holiday, what can I say.
I wouldn't take my kids now, just know they would hate it,
I am sure you all will have a great holiday, though but it is somewhere I have no desire to re visit.
We are all different, I also have no desire in visiting any of the other Disney resorts apart from the 2 in the USA, which I have done on numerous occasions.
I have done a lot of travelling in my years, I love Europe, but Asia does nothing for me, same as Africa.
I really need to go see Tassy & the NT, only states , I haven't been to yet.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

...maybe all the options you have to choose exactly the type of holiday that suits your family.

That's what's striking me the most from my research, the fact that a trip to Bali means so many different things to different people.

The beaches and busy shopping areas like Kuta and Legian don't hold a huge amount of appeal to me and my family. Yet the quiet countryside, the cultural enrichment activities, the beautiful villas, and the food, are all things I am predicting my family will love.

I'll reserve judgement until I have been, but I can already see why some families visit frequently.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I've been to Bali 8 times. Love it I know some people that don't but as long as your expectations are not unrealistic, you will have an amazing time We're hoping that we will have accrued enough points from our US trip to get us to Bali when we get home! Not looking good though...

I'd love to hear more about your visits Lisa. Like what are you favourite areas and favourite places you have stayed?

Good luck getting enough points for another trip.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I am one of those that don't! lol Been twice pre kids, it was a cheap holiday, what can I say. I wouldn't take my kids now, just know they would hate it, I am sure you all will have a great holiday, though but it is somewhere I have no desire to re visit. We are all different, I also have no desire in visiting any of the other Disney resorts apart from the 2 in the USA, which I have done on numerous occasions. I have done a lot of travelling in my years, I love Europe, but Asia does nothing for me, same as Africa. I really need to go see Tassy & the NT, only states , I haven't been to yet.

The world is an amazing place and there is definitely something on offer to suit everyone.

I must admit, the places I tend to crave return visits to are generally the more Western ones such as the USA or Europe. Perhaps it's a comfort thing? But the traveller in me really wants my family to experience as many different cultural experiences as possible so I'm trying hard not to become settled on one particular country or place. Africa is top of my bucket list at present. I just wish it wasn't so expensive to get to.

 

[sophieflewitt]

We're just back from a wonderful holiday in Bali.

We stayed for four nights in Seminyak and another four in Ubud. We got a great deal from Ministry of Villas.

I took a surf class, went rafting, tried the Balinese massages, attended a yoga class - so there's loads to do in Bali.

Seminyak has some posh restaurants and bars that are worth exploring while Ubud is good for organic food cafes.

Don't forget to shop in the Ubud markets. They have some lovely stuff.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

We're just back from a wonderful holiday in Bali. We stayed for four nights in Seminyak and another four in Ubud. We got a great deal from Ministry of Villas. I took a surf class, went rafting, tried the Balinese massages, attended a yoga class - so there's loads to do in Bali. Seminyak has some posh restaurants and bars that are worth exploring while Ubud is good for organic food cafes. Don't forget to shop in the Ubud markets. They have some lovely stuff.

Welcome to the Dis sophieflewitt, and thanks for the feedback. Will definitely check out the Ubud markets.

 

[zanzibar138]

Thanks for starting this thread Wanderlust

Our plans are becoming more set too. We are going for our annual anniversary trip the first week in March.

I have been to Bali 3 times now - once in 1994 with my parents, once with the school in 1997 (we also visited Yogyakarta and Salatiga), and then again in 2002 just with my Dad. We have always stayed in the Kuta area, and I've seen it get more and more crowded and touristy. After my last visit, it had gotten so bad that it put me off going to Asia altogether.

Fast forward a few years when DH and I were deciding on destinations for our honeymoon, and we decided to include Vietnam. That trip changed my mind on Asia, and I decided that I really do love the non-touristy parts. I was never interested in returning to Bali at all, and I wasn't interested in the usual Thailand places like Phuket or Koh Samui either. I have just returned from a week in Thailand where we visited some beautiful out of the way places and had a fantastic time!

We just couldn't resist the amazing deals to Bali that Jetstar and AirAsia had recently, and figured that Bali might be ok if we didn't stay in the Kuta area. It was my idea to pretty much ditch Bali altogether and use it to get to other parts of Indonesia. We refuse to fly with any airline with less than a perfect safety record, which actually limits our options quite a lot in Indonesia. We either have to fly AirAsia or else another international carrier through Singapore or KL.

We have tentatively decided on Yogyakarta, but the flight schedule with AirAsia is pretty lousy, with flights only leaving early in the morning. Since our flight from Melbourne arrives in the afternoon, it would mean that we'd have to 'waste' that first night spending the night in Bali. We only have 6 nights altogether, so no time to waste! We are looking at flying into Jakarta instead and making our way to Yogya from there. If that doesn't work out, we'll look at other options including flying through Singapore. However, if we have to go through Singapore anyway, I'd be pretty keen on visiting Sumatra.

Possible activities in Yogyakarta include a sunrise tour of Borobudur and Prambanan temples, jewellery making workshop, volcanic scenery including Mt Merapi and the two tone lake, and a river tubing ride through a cave. If we're feeling extra adventurous, there is full on caving available. We'd stay at Gallery Prawiro Taman Hotel.

If we end up in Sumatra, there are some beautiful looking national parks and volcanoes where we'd probably spend most of our time.

We have booked the last 2 nights of the trip in Jimbaran (for closeness to the airport without being in Kuta) at Alindra Village in a studio villa. We'll probably organise a private tour for our full day there including Tanah Lot.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Welcome back Zanzibar.

What are your thoughts on Thailand compared to Vietnam?

Your Indonesia trip sounds great. Busy, yet exciting.

I really love the thought of visiting other areas of Indonesia and getting off the beaten path, and I did look into it briefly after you first mentioned your idea to do it.
But given that we've never been to Bali before and I do want to keep this trip somewhat relaxing, I think we're better to avoid extra planes and airports and stay put on the one Island. I am looking forward though to visiting a few different areas of Bali.

We have all our Bali accommodation booked now and I'm super excited about all of our choices.

3 nights in Villa Bojonegoro at Kampung Kecil in Sanur
4 nights in Villa #1 at Villa Agung Khalia in Ubud
2 nights in the 2 bedroom Villa (Cempaka) at The Hill Villas in Nusa Dua.

I feel in love with The Hill Villas a few weeks back (particularly the bathrooms), when scrolling through TA. But had come to the conclusion that the extra fees for a third person made them far too expensive. Then I saw Expedia had a massive discount if I booked using a mobile device, so I took it as an omen.
It has actually worked out cheaper for me to book the two bedroom villa, than a one bedroom one with a rollaway bed. The only downside is that the 2 bedrooms are in separate buildings and I don't feel comfortable about DS being alone. I have horrible visions of him coming to look for us in the night and falling in to the pool. So I will share a room with DS, and DH can have a whole bedroom to himself. It doesn't matter so much on the second night anyway, as we are heading to the airport before midnight due to a stupid (but cheap) flight time.
I had initially planned to spend the last 2 nights in a hotel in Jimbaran to be close to both the airport and the perfume course. However the Hill Villas are just as close (If not closer) to the airport and only a cheap 15min taxi ride from the perfume place. So it's all good.

 

[zanzibar138]

I think I enjoyed Thailand just as much as Vietnam in the end. It was a bit easier to get around. The roads aren't as crazy and it's easier to catch a bus. DH and I thought we'd even be happy to hire a car in some of the more rural areas.

The locals were very friendly in the non-touristy areas, and helped us a lot with directions etc. One of the highlights of the trip was one of our nights in Phimai. We were there for the Phimai Festival, where they open the temple up at night and put on an elaborate show (comparable to a Disney show). We knew the festival was on, but had no idea what to expect. When we arrived at the ticket desk, they gave us free VIP tickets. When we took our seats in the front row, we found we were surrounded by people wearing lanyards that said things like ambassador, liaison and diplomat! I didn't see any other westerners at the show, and I guess they wanted to share their culture with us. We also had our best meal of the trip in this town, at a place where no one spoke a single word of English, and they cooked up a delicious surprise meal of kind of a gourmet fried rice with heaps of big fat prawns. It was also the cheapest meal of the trip at around $3 for both of us including drinks.

Chiang Mai was probably the least enjoyable part of the trip for me (although we stayed with friends so that part was nice). The lantern festival there was too chaotic for me. We went to one of the safer areas for it and we still had to dodge random fireworks that people were letting off among the crowds. Apart from the festival, there were heaps of westerners in town, most people spoke English, and it just didn't have the charm of the other places we'd visited. The highlight of Chiang Mai for me was when our friends drove us about 1 1/2 hours out of town to an awesome waterfall and we spent a couple of hours climbing and splashing around.

FWIW, our local friends in Chiang Mai had never heard of some of the other places we went to.

 

[zanzibar138]

I agree that you're probably better off sticking with Bali. If you're finding stuff there that interests you, there's no need to change. It's different for me having been to Bali before.

Great work on booking the accommodation you originally wanted I love it when things work out like that

 

[Zosha]

Thanks for starting this thread Wanderlust

Our plans are becoming more set too. We are going for our annual anniversary trip the first week in March.

I have been to Bali 3 times now - once in 1994 with my parents, once with the school in 1997 (we also visited Yogyakarta and Salatiga), and then again in 2002 just with my Dad. We have always stayed in the Kuta area, and I've seen it get more and more crowded and touristy. After my last visit, it had gotten so bad that it put me off going to Asia altogether.

Fast forward a few years when DH and I were deciding on destinations for our honeymoon, and we decided to include Vietnam. That trip changed my mind on Asia, and I decided that I really do love the non-touristy parts. I was never interested in returning to Bali at all, and I wasn't interested in the usual Thailand places like Phuket or Koh Samui either. I have just returned from a week in Thailand where we visited some beautiful out of the way places and had a fantastic time!

We just couldn't resist the amazing deals to Bali that Jetstar and AirAsia had recently, and figured that Bali might be ok if we didn't stay in the Kuta area. It was my idea to pretty much ditch Bali altogether and use it to get to other parts of Indonesia. We refuse to fly with any airline with less than a perfect safety record, which actually limits our options quite a lot in Indonesia. We either have to fly AirAsia or else another international carrier through Singapore or KL.

We have tentatively decided on Yogyakarta, but the flight schedule with AirAsia is pretty lousy, with flights only leaving early in the morning. Since our flight from Melbourne arrives in the afternoon, it would mean that we'd have to 'waste' that first night spending the night in Bali. We only have 6 nights altogether, so no time to waste! We are looking at flying into Jakarta instead and making our way to Yogya from there. If that doesn't work out, we'll look at other options including flying through Singapore. However, if we have to go through Singapore anyway, I'd be pretty keen on visiting Sumatra.

Possible activities in Yogyakarta include a sunrise tour of Borobudur and Prambanan temples, jewellery making workshop, volcanic scenery including Mt Merapi and the two tone lake, and a river tubing ride through a cave. If we're feeling extra adventurous, there is full on caving available. We'd stay at Gallery Prawiro Taman Hotel.

If we end up in Sumatra, there are some beautiful looking national parks and volcanoes where we'd probably spend most of our time.

We have booked the last 2 nights of the trip in Jimbaran (for closeness to the airport without being in Kuta) at Alindra Village in a studio villa. We'll probably organise a private tour for our full day there including Tanah Lot.

Hi Zanzibar,
I spent one week in Jakarta and 2 weeks in Bandung (west Java) several years ago. We caught a train from JKT to Bandung and I'm sure there would be one to Yogya. It took a few hours but we had first class seats so it wasn't too bad. I have heard that Yogya is a great city. I have to say, my experience of JKT and Bandung completely turned me off the idea of any more travel to SE Asia. I have never felt so harassed in my life! As a curvy white woman I just felt like a beacon for attention - urgh, I much preferred blending in at Disney!

Have fun planning your trip Wanderlust!

 

[zanzibar138]

Hi Zanzibar,
I spent one week in Jakarta and 2 weeks in Bandung (west Java) several years ago. We caught a train from JKT to Bandung and I'm sure there would be one to Yogya. It took a few hours but we had first class seats so it wasn't too bad. I have heard that Yogya is a great city. I have to say, my experience of JKT and Bandung completely turned me off the idea of any more travel to SE Asia. I have never felt so harassed in my life! As a curvy white woman I just felt like a beacon for attention - urgh, I much preferred blending in at Disney!

Have fun planning your trip Wanderlust!

Thanks. We are thinking of flying into Surabaya and taking the train from there instead - works out better time wise, plus we might be able to squeeze in a trip to Mt Bromo

Sorry to hear about your unwanted attention. I'm a bit concerned about how I'll go now. Please don't let it put you off more travel to SE Asia though. As a blonde curvy white woman, I've never felt bothered at all in other SE Asian countries.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Hi Zanzibar, I spent one week in Jakarta and 2 weeks in Bandung (west Java) several years ago. We caught a train from JKT to Bandung and I'm sure there would be one to Yogya. It took a few hours but we had first class seats so it wasn't too bad. I have heard that Yogya is a great city. I have to say, my experience of JKT and Bandung completely turned me off the idea of any more travel to SE Asia. I have never felt so harassed in my life! As a curvy white woman I just felt like a beacon for attention - urgh, I much preferred blending in at Disney! Have fun planning your trip Wanderlust!

That's awful Zosha.
Many moons back I felt seriously harassed walking around the markets in Dubai. It was awful and had me in tears. However, that was back in the early days of tourism and I'm guessing things have improved since then.
I'm a curvy, overweight woman, and I know what you mean about blending in the USA. Of all the countries I've visited, it's the one where I feel least conscious of my body shape due to there being people around of all shapes and sizes.
However, I agree with Zanzibar, that you shouldn't let your experience put you off other parts of Asia. I admittedly haven't seen a lot of Asia, but I have travelled over many parts of China and never felt harassed. (Unless of course, you count all the people who wanted to take our photo because they weren't use to seeing big, tall, white people. Again it was the early days of tourism)
I have also been for short visits to Malaysia and Singapore and never felt harassed there either.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I think I enjoyed Thailand just as much as Vietnam in the end. It was a bit easier to get around. The roads aren't as crazy and it's easier to catch a bus. DH and I thought we'd even be happy to hire a car in some of the more rural areas. The locals were very friendly in the non-touristy areas, and helped us a lot with directions etc. One of the highlights of the trip was one of our nights in Phimai. We were there for the Phimai Festival, where they open the temple up at night and put on an elaborate show (comparable to a Disney show). We knew the festival was on, but had no idea what to expect. When we arrived at the ticket desk, they gave us free VIP tickets. When we took our seats in the front row, we found we were surrounded by people wearing lanyards that said things like ambassador, liaison and diplomat! I didn't see any other westerners at the show, and I guess they wanted to share their culture with us. We also had our best meal of the trip in this town, at a place where no one spoke a single word of English, and they cooked up a delicious surprise meal of kind of a gourmet fried rice with heaps of big fat prawns. It was also the cheapest meal of the trip at around $3 for both of us including drinks. Chiang Mai was probably the least enjoyable part of the trip for me (although we stayed with friends so that part was nice). The lantern festival there was too chaotic for me. We went to one of the safer areas for it and we still had to dodge random fireworks that people were letting off among the crowds. Apart from the festival, there were heaps of westerners in town, most people spoke English, and it just didn't have the charm of the other places we'd visited. The highlight of Chiang Mai for me was when our friends drove us about 1 1/2 hours out of town to an awesome waterfall and we spent a couple of hours climbing and splashing around. FWIW, our local friends in Chiang Mai had never heard of some of the other places we went to.

Your trip to Thailand sounds amazing. What a great score getting those VIP tickets. It's wonderful that the locals were so eager to embrace you into their culture.
I would love to go there to see the wild animals in the areas you have visited and it has now become one of the top Asian destinations on my bucket list. One day...

 

[zanzibar138]

However, I agree with Zanzibar, that you shouldn't let your experience put you off other parts of Asia. I admittedly haven't seen a lot of Asia, but I have travelled over many parts of China and never felt harassed. (Unless of course, you count all the people who wanted to take our photo because they weren't use to seeing big, tall, white people. Again it was the early days of tourism)
I have also been for short visits to Malaysia and Singapore and never felt harassed there either.

The only place I've had someone want to take my photo has been at HKDL

Although when I was a kid in Bali I had locals lining up wanting to plait my hair (because it was white blonde).

And on our recent trip to Thailand we had a little local kid randomly run up to us and give us big hugs, and lots of local kids waved to us. That was awesome though

Your trip to Thailand sounds amazing. What a great score getting those VIP tickets. It's wonderful that the locals were so eager to embrace you into their culture.
I would love to go there to see the wild animals in the areas you have visited and it has now become one of the top Asian destinations on my bucket list. One day...

Seeing the gibbons and elephants in the wild was definitely another highlight for me I bet your son would love all the creepy crawlies too

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Since I have a totally negative image in my head of Bali, thanks to parents experiences, friends, etc I am looking forward to reading about your experiences Wanderlust. Between you and Zanzibar and others maybe my mind can be changed to give it a go one day! Though returning to Japan, and visiting China and Vietnam still pip it - conventional I know!!