Bali

Old Mar 28th 2017, 10:25 am
  #1  
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
 
mission's Avatar
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Dubai
Posts: 2,843
mission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond repute
Default 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
mission is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2017, 10:35 am
  #2  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,520
DXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond repute
Default 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?

Originally Posted by mission
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
DXBtoDOH is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2017, 10:40 am
  #3  
BE Forum Addict
 
IKnowNothing's Avatar
 
Joined: Oct 2015
Location: Abu Dhabi via Barcelona
Posts: 1,478
IKnowNothing has a reputation beyond reputeIKnowNothing has a reputation beyond reputeIKnowNothing has a reputation beyond reputeIKnowNothing has a reputation beyond reputeIKnowNothing has a reputation beyond reputeIKnowNothing has a reputation beyond reputeIKnowNothing has a reputation beyond reputeIKnowNothing has a reputation beyond reputeIKnowNothing has a reputation beyond reputeIKnowNothing has a reputation beyond reputeIKnowNothing has a reputation beyond repute
Default 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.
IKnowNothing is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2017, 10:43 am
  #4  
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
 
mission's Avatar
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Dubai
Posts: 2,843
mission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Bali

Originally Posted by DXBtoDOH
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?
thank you - what about Denpasar?
mission is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2017, 10:43 am
  #5  
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
 
mission's Avatar
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Dubai
Posts: 2,843
mission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Bali

Originally Posted by IKnowNothing
Intercon Jimbaran bay is OK, between Kuta for loud and Nusa for fake, Ubud is over-rated, East side of the island is great.
Thanks
mission is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2017, 10:49 am
  #6  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,520
DXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond repute
Default 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).


Originally Posted by mission
thank you - what about Denpasar?

Last edited by DXBtoDOH; Mar 28th 2017 at 10:51 am.
DXBtoDOH is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2017, 11:01 am
  #7  
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
 
mission's Avatar
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Dubai
Posts: 2,843
mission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Bali

Originally Posted by DXBtoDOH
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).
Thanks DXB very much appreciated
mission is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2017, 11:56 am
  #8  
...we killed the flame
 
Miss Ann Thrope's Avatar
 
Joined: Jan 2017
Location: Dubai
Posts: 1,086
Miss Ann Thrope has a reputation beyond reputeMiss Ann Thrope has a reputation beyond reputeMiss Ann Thrope has a reputation beyond reputeMiss Ann Thrope has a reputation beyond reputeMiss Ann Thrope has a reputation beyond reputeMiss Ann Thrope has a reputation beyond reputeMiss Ann Thrope has a reputation beyond reputeMiss Ann Thrope has a reputation beyond reputeMiss Ann Thrope has a reputation beyond reputeMiss Ann Thrope has a reputation beyond reputeMiss Ann Thrope has a reputation beyond repute
Default 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.
Miss Ann Thrope is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2017, 11:59 am
  #9  
Account Closed
 
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 0
scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141
Default Re: Bali

Originally Posted by Miss Ann Thrope
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.
...and we flew via Doha as it was same price to fly into South and out of North.
scrubbedexpat141 is offline  
Old Mar 29th 2017, 6:14 am
  #10  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,467
jam25mack has a reputation beyond reputejam25mack has a reputation beyond reputejam25mack has a reputation beyond reputejam25mack has a reputation beyond reputejam25mack has a reputation beyond reputejam25mack has a reputation beyond reputejam25mack has a reputation beyond reputejam25mack has a reputation beyond reputejam25mack has a reputation beyond reputejam25mack has a reputation beyond reputejam25mack has a reputation beyond repute
Default 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.
jam25mack is offline  
Old Mar 29th 2017, 6:23 am
  #11  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,520
DXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond reputeDXBtoDOH has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Bali

Summarises it perfectly.

Originally Posted by jam25mack
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.
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.

Last edited by DXBtoDOH; Mar 29th 2017 at 6:30 am.
DXBtoDOH is offline  
Old Mar 29th 2017, 11:42 am
  #12  
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
 
mission's Avatar
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Dubai
Posts: 2,843
mission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Bali

Originally Posted by Miss Ann Thrope
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.
thanks, but for some reason Vietnam just doesn't appeal to me....i would struggle without proper food to eat 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
mission is offline  
Old Mar 29th 2017, 11:44 am
  #13  
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
 
mission's Avatar
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Dubai
Posts: 2,843
mission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Bali

Originally Posted by jam25mack
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.
Oh ma'an that's just totally put me off
I thought Bali was dead cheap and awesome?
mission is offline  
Old Mar 29th 2017, 11:45 am
  #14  
Account Closed
 
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 0
scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141 scrubbedexpat141
Default Re: Bali

Originally Posted by mission
Oh ma'an that's just totally put me off
I thought Bali was dead cheap and awesome?
It's Australia's Magaluf.
scrubbedexpat141 is offline  
Old Mar 29th 2017, 11:46 am
  #15  
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
 
mission's Avatar
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Dubai
Posts: 2,843
mission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond reputemission has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Bali

Originally Posted by DXBtoDOH
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.
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
mission is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.