Bali
 

so i've had to knock the idea of going to NZ on the head this year :( due to timing issues...so now i'm looking at Bali....If anyone can recommend a resort/hotel that'd be great (somewhere where it's bustling with bars/decent restaurants and touristy things to do). Is it worth going on an all inclusive basis or is food/drink fairy cheap out here. Muchas Gracias :)

Re: Bali
 

Kuta is awful. Seminyak is more your thing. Nusa Dua has the big hotel/resort complexes but is quiet.

Split your time between Seminyak and Ubud. Maybe try go to the Gilis if you can?

Re: Bali
 

Intercon Jimbaran bay is OK, between Kuta for loud and Nusa for fake, Ubud is over-rated, East side of the island is great.

Re: Bali
 

thank you - what about Denpasar?

Re: Bali
 

Thanks :)

Re: Bali
 

Denpasar is just a non-touristy city for the Balinese. No reason to stay there. Or even go there outside one or two limited sights.

East of the island, as suggested by Iknownothing, has pebbly beaches, not sandy ones. It's very quiet over there, FYI, for it was only recently developed and is still mostly small bungalows and cheap hostel type accommodations. Not many options when it comes to restaurants etc, especially if you don't have a car to get around, although you can always book a taxi or scooter driver. The nicest part of staying on the East Coast is the drive from Ubud, where you go through rice paddies and see a couple historic temples/gardens/'palace' complexes.

There's also Nusa Lembongan, which is an easy boat ride from the Sanur side of Denpasar (Sanur itself has lots of accommodations and restaurants and even a Starbucks (!) but people call it snore for good reasons, and it loses out on the sunset views, which is the one saving grace of Bali. Nusa Lembongan isn't much as islands go but has some nice beach areas and water is gorgeous and brill sunset viewings and a cluster of decent drinking / dining options and inexpensive but nice(ish) accommodation.

Bali, by the way, is filthy. Rubbish everywhere you go. It's better in the touristy areas but cross over that thin invisible line dividing the local areas from the touristy areas the rubbish appears everywhere (and in the local areas you can't get a decent diet coke to save your life either, so don't spend too much time there).

Re: Bali
 

Thanks DXB very much appreciated :)

Re: Bali
 

What about Vietnam if timing is the issue with NZ? EK fly to Saigon direct now, similar flying time as Bali I guess, and there is a lot to do around there. I recall Scamp went there a few years ago and somewhere there is a long thread full of advice and suggestions including about blowing stuff up.

Re: Bali
 

...and we flew via Doha as it was same price to fly into South and out of North. :thumbup:

Re: Bali
 

Kuta - shit hole but OK for a night out
Seminyak - OK, I suppose but didn't think it was all that.
Uluwatu - some nice resorts and beaches. Good to watch the surfers but quite quiet.
Ubud - didn't go.
Padang Bai - Was OK as a stopover on our way to Lombok.
Lombok - OK to drive through but you are warned not to go too far off the beaten track.
Gilli T - Wicked

All in all Bali didn't really float my boat on either of the occasions I have been there. Expensive, dirty, not a friendly as the Thais. At least in Thailand the locals have the good grace to smile when they are ripping you off. I did like Gilli T though. Chilled but a good nightlife. Probably ruined by now though.

Re: Bali
 

Summarises it perfectly.

Mission - I'll say this about Bali, the water is gorgeous. It's a beautiful blue. There's also some decent snorkelling (diving is much better if you can dive). It can be a laid back, relaxed place, or it can be trash Aussie style. The countryside is scenic in parts of the island. There's some cultural things to do and see. There's some excellent food, particularly in Ubud. Sunsets are spectacular. But, and there is that massive, great big but, as the other posters on here have alluded to, it is not paradise by any stretch of the imagination and suffers from over promotion and unrealistic expectations. A lot of it is little more than Benidorm for the Australians. If you go to Bali knowing that it won't be perfect and a bit trashy and are relaxed about that, you may have a quite decent time.

I'd definitely recommend trying to get over to the Gilis for a few days if you do go to Bali.

You could also include a few days in Yogyakarta to see the temples. Easy to fly there from Bali, cheap, fun, more 'Indonesia' and worthwhile.

Re: Bali
 

thanks, but for some reason Vietnam just doesn't appeal to me....i would struggle without proper food to eat :lol: I don't eat any pig meat, nor eat anything that is not halal and so certain countries just put me off from going there:p

Re: Bali
 

Oh ma'an that's just totally put me off :(
I thought Bali was dead cheap and awesome?

Re: Bali
 

It's Australia's Magaluf.

Re: Bali
 

oh gawd....i am now seriously having 2nd thoughts :(
I want to go somewhere, where i don't have to worry about being a female on her own....somewhere with activities to do during the day and a great night life during the evenings