Thinking of going to Bali with the missus in September.

Where are the good/unspoilt bits? Any hidden gems?

Equally -where are the bogan package areas to definitely avoid?

I went to Bali for 8 days at the end of March. I'm not sure there are any unspoilt bits - if there are they would be on the north or east coast of the island I think far away from the main tourist spots. I'd find it hard to believe they would be 'unspoilt' though.

We stayed in Seminyak which is alleged to be the more upmarket end of the main tourist drag - which basically goes Kuta > Legian > Seminyak heading from the airport up the coast. In Seminyak it's all about private villas and there are a couple of very high profile beach clubs which are open all day for lounging & cocktailing (great places actually and there are all types of people there). The infrastructure of the place is an absolute disaster though! You can tell that zero money is spent on roads, pavements etc. There are plenty of decent & inexpensive restaurants.

The beach at Seminyak was grim, really filthy...but I think this can be common on Bali's west facing beaches near the end of the wet season (when we went). Having said that the beaches at Legian & Kuta were actually far better...particularly Kuta.

To be honest I didn't find Kuta as offensive as I was expecting or led to believe - caveat that I'm not massively turned off by touristy places. At least it was easy to walk around, unlike Seminyak, and as I said, the beach was in good shape. There are certainly an abundance of people walking around in clothing, every day it seems, that must bear the Aussie flag...often with some slogan that lets you know they're proud of it too! Why!???

I'd also say don't listen to any cliches about Ubud being 'the real Bali' - it's just the same as the other places I've talked about minus the beach!

I didn't hate Bali but I doubt we'd go back.

Many years ago I went to a place on the North of the island that was pretty undeveloped - can't remember the name. I'm sure that's not the case now though

Have a look at Lombok

I have never been, but my wife has and from what she says, stay away from the beach areas and head in land.

Cheers for all the responses. We potentially might be meeting some friends there, who say they are staying in Nusa Dua. From what I can make out, that is a gated tourist resort which sounds fairly horrific (for us anyway)

Lombok and Sumbawa sound like they might be nicer, might check those out.

Any more info/recommendations from anyone much appreciated.

Yes, essentially it's a string of larger, often well known chain hotels along a decent beach with limited opportunity to escape your resort to eat elsewhere etc. It would be the most sanitised (read bland) experience on the island I'd guess.

OH and I are going for a week in late July.

Half the time in Ubud at Komaneka Bisma.

Remainder of time at Colony Hotel in Seminyak.

Have to say I am going with a very open mind. Last went to Bali over 30 years ago Back then it was either Kuta or Sanur.

A couple of recent articles in The Age:
http://www.theage.com.au/travel/blog...318-2g9zf.html

http://www.theage.com.au/travel/bali...429-2ioay.html

HTH

Hey .... I did it over new year. It was my first time and a bunch of us flew in from around the world for it. I think if I did it on my own for the first time I'd be pretty disappointed but it was good to get a good crowd involved. Stayed in Seminyak and had a bunch of events organsied like cycling in the hills. I'd recommend getting a moped to get around. Its a bit hairy the first day but once you get into the swing of it, it opens up a lot of opportunities.

Ubud was nice for us.
Be VERY careful about drinking any open bottled spirits and the like. Please read up on this, I believe over 20 deaths from contaminated drinks (and for those who don't die, blindness and other symptoms).
Tripadvisor has got a nice and active Bali forum.
I don't think you are going in peak season and if so, you should be able to get great prices.

Enjoy and safe travels.

Gosh: old memories! We were there forty years ago, on holidays from New Hebrides. Paid $2 for a decent room a short walk from Kuta. We took buses around the Island. I told of a minor incident from the journey last September in a post to my blog about travels on buses. I said it happened in Java, but now think it must have been Bali. The whole post is scarcely worth reading unless you're my age(!), but here's the end of it, in case any of you intend to go anyway by peasants' bus.
Neither of us ever got motion sickness, that I can recall. Just as well, because bus drivers all over the world make no concessions to passengers who get sick. Many years later, we had a bus trip in Java that stands out in my memory. It was stinking hot – really stifling – and Linda sat up on the front step while I grabbed a window-seat just in case. I was fine, as it happened, but the man next to me had to reach across from time to time to throw regurgitated rice from his hand out the window. Most of it got there safely, though not all.

We liked Sanur 20 years ago - friends who went there this year thought it was good.

We just booked to go to Lombok as Jetstar are now doing direct from Perth.Just have to book somewhere to stay.

As BC World says - could have been written by me.

I may try again with girlfriends but definitely not with hubbie.

However, I couldn;t fault the villa we stayed in - excellent value for money considering what we paid in Port Douglas a few months earlier. villa was
www.spaceatbali.com

I wouldn't do Bali now but did go about 25 years ago as a teenager. 2 different people have said to do Lombok for a few days then get a boat to the Gili Islands where you have to relax as there is nothing else to do. Quite basic but gorgeous apparently.....

Bali suites certain people but hardly like leaving Australia for me. The mystic of the place many decades back has largely disappeared.
Was in Lombok many decades back. Came across one other westerner all two weeks there, a Frenchman and that was only on the boat on the return journey to Bali.

To those not familiar with Bali they will of course see it through different eyes. Ubud is still pretty ok. The beaches are ok but can be dangerous as a lot of SE Asian beaches can be with tidal rips.

Still an ok place for a short respite and the beauty as well as the curse is it is only hours flying from Perth.

Far better places in Asia though.