Bali
is fabulous. Travelled there four times. The first time in 1991
and the latest in September 2006.
Here's an introduction to paradise plus some accommodation
and eatery suggestions
Sanur
The
name Sanur is from the old Balinese words; Sa = “first” and Nur
= “light”. (it’s where the sun rises)
The Good
• Amongst the Balinese, Jl. Matahari Terbit in north Sanur is
THE nightlife destination of choice in Bali (followed by
Denpasar and Pulau Serangan). The beach from Jl. Hang Tuah to
and including Jl. Matahari Terbit has dozens of great places to
eat, drink and listen to live music (Bali and Java Pop) until
the wee hours of the morning; but things usually don’t get going
until around 11 pm or so (after the people who say Sanur is dull
have gone to bed). The staff will probably have kittens when
they see a tourist walk in however. This is where the staff from
your hotel, your waiter and your tour driver go for a drink when
the working day is done. Don’t let the bevy of Indonesian gals
hanging out in front of each bar give you the wrong idea. These
places aren’t exactly politically correct; but nothing naughty
goes on. On two occasions I’ve found myself drinking Bintang
with Balinese temple priests (Pemangku’s)…….this isn’t the sort
of thing that happens in Ex-pat bars in Seminyak. Sometimes they
have live music. But as Joseph Conrad once said, “this place too
has seen darkness”. Back in the year of living dangerously in
1965 an entire village was butchered along this stretch of beach
• The beach from just north of the Grand Bali Beach Hotel to the
north end of Jl. Matahari Terbit, especially the tree lined, “no
vehicle” portion, is a real gem. This section of beach is always
busy, especially on Sundays when the Balinese all head to the
beach for their Sunday afternoon mandi. This area is very
popular with domestic tour groups from Java and there always
something going on 24/7. Very few non-Indonesians seem to make
it to this part of Sanur.
Lots of little beachside Cafes where you can have a beer and
cheap snack. This is an especially nice place to have a beer in
the evening while you look out at the heat lightning and chat
with the Javanese tourists until the wee hours. There always
seems to be something going on at the Bale pavilion at the end
of Jl. Matahari Terbit. Lots of little warungs here as well.
• A beachside walkway runs the entire length of Sanur and it
makes a relaxing walk early in the morning or after 5 pm when
the sellers have gone home.
• The night market (Pasar Senggol/Sindhu) is a good place for an
inexpensive meal, buy VCD’s or just to hang out.
Saturday night (malam minggu) on Jl. Matahari Terbit in north
Sanur. Anyone who says Sanur is dull has never been here. There
are around a dozen local Balinese bars along this short stretch
of beach road which are very popular with local Sanur/Denpasar
lads. No Bob Marley here……..just Balinese/Javanese pop music.
These places open at around 8 pm and stay open until at least 2
am. Some will stay open until the last tamu leaves. The staff
will probably have kittens when they see a tourist walk in
however. This is where the staff from your hotel, your waiter
and your tour driver go for a drink when the working day is
done. Don’t let the bevy of Indonesian gals hanging out in front
of each bar give you the wrong idea. These places aren’t exactly
politically correct; but nothing naughty goes on. A
quintessential Balinese experience is to kick back here with a
few Bir Bintang mixed with Kraetandang; the smell of kretek and
the sounds of Widi Widiana whirling through your head. On two
occasions I’ve found myself drinking Bintang with Balinese
temple priests (Pemangku’s)…….this isn’t the sort of thing that
happens in Ex-pat bars in Seminyak. Sometimes they have live
music. But as Joseph Conrad once said, “this place too has seen
darkness”. Back in the year of living dangerously in 1965 an
entire village was butchered along this stretch of beach.
The Bad
• The removal of the great cafes and restaurants at Pantai
Semawang and the transformation of once quiet, tree lined
streets like Jl. Kesari and Bumi Ayu in jumbo Ex-pat villa
ghettos has stripped Sanur of much of it’s “village” character.
• Some of the transport touts can be aggressive.
CandiDasa
Candi = “temple”; Dasa = “ten” (as in ten children)
The Good
• Some good day hikes up in the hills just outside of town
• Decent snorkelling out at the small offshore Islands
• Relatively small, very friendly town with very good food and
accommodation
• Good base to explore the many sights of East Bali. Hire a
driver/car and tour the scenic east coast. Have your driver take
you to Pantai Kusamba, Pura Goa Lawah, Tirta Gangga, the Bali
Aga village of Tenganan, BugBug, Ujung, Seraya and Amed. When
you head back to south Bali have your driver return via the
Sidemen Road.
• When busy, the “Legend Rock Café” is one of the more
interesting bars in Bali. Good bands playing a mix of western,
Indonesian and Bali pop. The clientele are a mix of tourist and
local lads getting drunk on arak.
• Very few touts
The Bad
• No beach in town
Nusa Lembongan
A
wonderful, small Island off of the east coast of Bali. It takes
around two hours to reach the Island via the public boat that
departs every morning from north Sanur (Jl. Hang Tuah). When you
get on the boat in Sanur don’t let the porters carry your bags
unless you agree to a price first. Nusa Lembongan is a great
place to relax, visit some mangrove forests, do some swimming
and/or surfing. Rent a push bike and tour the Island in a couple
of hours. You can also cross over to the adjacent Island of Nusa
Ceningan via the wee causeway. In the evening there are great
sunsets over Bali and at night you can look up at a zillion
stars. For a few years now there has been talk of large scale
development on the Island……it’s only a matter of time
unfortunately.
The name comes from the Balinese words Nusa = “Island”; Len =
“different”; and omangan = “speech” – the people on Lembongan
have a different accent/dialect than they do on the mainland.
The Good
• small limestone Island off the east coast of Bali. It takes
around two hours to reach the Island via the public boat that
departs every morning from north Sanur (Jl. Hang Tuah). When you
get on the boat in Sanur don’t let the porters carry your bags
unless you agree to a price first. Nusa Lembongan is a good
place to relax, visit some mangrove forests, go swimming and/or
surfing. Rent a push bike and tour the Island in a couple of
hours. You can also cross over to the adjacent Island of Nusa
Ceningan (Nusa = “Island”, Cenikan = “smaller”) via the narrow
causeway. In the evening there are great sunsets over Bali and
at night you can look up at a zillion stars.
The Bad
• ugly offshore diving pontoons.
• More and more development
• Seaweed farms make swimming difficult in areas
Nusa Penida
The name comes from the Balinese Nusa = “Island”; Pedidi =
“alone, isolated, separated” – It’s an Island that is
“separated” from the mainland
The Good
• one of my favourite places in all of Bali. Friendly people,
stark karst landscape, tradition and lots of black magic (don’t
leave any hair or fingernail clippings around). Visit the eerie
Pura Dalam Ped, the fantastic beach at the village of Penida,
take a motorbike ride up the limestone hills to Bukit Mundi…..from
here you can look to the west and see Gunung Agung on Bali and
then to the east to see Gunung Rinjani on Lombok. The coastal
road on the east side of the Island is especially beautiful but
not good for swimming due to the seaweed farms. Boats to the
main town of Sampalan depart every morning from Sanur (2.5 hrs)
and PadangBai (40 min). If you take the boat from Sanur then the
10 pm boat is usually better than the earlier one (look for the
boat called “Camar”) There are a couple of basic but clean
places to stay in Sampalan. Kios Dewi (look for the bamboo
front) is located on the main street and is the only place in
town where you can get a cold beer. Zero English will be spoken
on Penida so bring a phrase book in you don’t speak the lingo. A
car ferry is expected to start running from PadangBai any day
now…..this may have a significant impact on this wonderful
Island
• some of the most interesting temples in Bali
The Bad
• hard to find a cold beer
• seaweed farms make swimming difficult
Kuta
Kuta = old Balinese for “wall” and for “City”. Early accounts of
Kuta refer to a stone wall around the town
I’m not a big fan of the place but it sure can be fun in small
measures.
The Good
• best selection of hotels, shopping, restaurants,
bars/nightlife in Bali.
• hard packed sand on the beach makes it good for walking,
especially nice on a Sunday evening. You can easily walk from
Tuban to Seminyak along the beach
The Bad
• high probability of hoons, and bogans and loud aggressive
holiday makers
• touts can get on some peoples nerves after awhile
• traffic is awful
Ubud
The name is probably derived from “Ubad”, the Balinese word for
“medicine/treatment” – Historically Ubud was know for its
Balians/traditional healers.
I’m lukewarm on the actual town but the area surrounding Ubud is
wonderful and has the best historic/archeological sights in Bali
The Good
• Day tour to Monkey Forest in Ubud; Goa Gajah (11th Century);
Pejeng; Gunung Kawi (11th century tombs) and the bathing pools
at Tirta Empul. This will give you a glimpse of the early
history of Bali. In Pejeng visit Pura Penataran Sasih to see the
ancient bronze gong “Moon of Pejeng” (3rd Century) and then go
to the nearby Archeological Museum. According to the security
guard, during the night the lids to the sarcophagi open and
close on their own. At Goa Gajah make sure that you take the
path down into the forest to see the little Buddha stupas.
• Good place to rent a push bike or go rafting
• Central location makes it a good place to base yourself and
take day trips to other parts of Bali – or example, you could
hire a driver and head up to Bedugul/Botanical gardens – worth
it for the drive up alone. The gardens are a relaxing place to
walk around and many of the trees are labelled. There is also a
well-maintained path that takes you on a circular walk through
the forest. The marker in CandiKuning is also worth a visit.
When you’ve finished your walk head down to Danau Bratan and
treat yourself to some spicy jagung bakar
The Bad
• ugly, unregulated urban sprawl
• unjustified “cultural centre of Bali” label gets pretty old
after awhile.
While staying in Ubud you can always do the day tour to Monkey
Forest in Ubud; Goa Gajah (11th Century); Pejeng; Gunung Kawi
(11th century tombs) and the bathing pools at Tirta Empul. This
will give you a glimpse of the early history of Bali. In Pejeng
visit Pura Penataran Sasih to see the ancient bronze gong “Moon
of Pejeng” (3rd Century) and then go to the nearby Archeological
Museum. According to the security guard, during the night the
lids to the sarcophagi open and close on their own. At Goa Gajah
make sure that you take the path down into the forest to see the
little Buddha stupas. Unfortunately some naughty people have run
off with the poor Buddha’s heads.
Gilimanuk
“Gili” = Island; “Manuk” (Javanese) = bird
The Good
• scruffy port town and departure point over to Banyuwangi in
East Java. This part of Bali has a cool vibe to it due to the
mix of Balinese, Javanese and Madurese.
• Very good and inexpensive food (mostly Javanese)
• Good base to explore Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali
National Park) - check in at the Park Headquaters in Cekik to
see if their simple guesthouses are available. The beach here
isn’t good for swimming but you will see the occasional sea
turtle and you can look across the Bali Straight to Banyuwangi
in Java. During the day you can go on a hike into the Park or
head over to Pulau Menjangan for diving and in the evening head
into Gillimanuk for some tasty and inexpensive Javanese food.
Stop at one of the Madurese run warungs along the north coast
highway for a cup of coffee and a chat with the cute little
vendor girls.
• The wonders of East Java are only a 40 min boat ride away
(unless the ferry sinks).
The Bad
• might be a bit too scruffy for some
• very few decent places to stay
TitraGanga
From the high Balinese “Titra” = high Balinese for “water”;
“Gangga” = Ganges (as in the River in India)
The Good
• relaxing place with great views and a good place to go on days
hikes in the rice fields.
• Good, simple accommodation, especially the family run places
perched up in the hills near the town of Ababi.
• Close to sights like Pura Lempuyang, Amed, Amlapura, Gunung
Agung
• Go for a swim in the traditional Balinese bathing pools
• Ababi is the home of the best arak in Bali
The Bad
• Not much to do at night except listen to the sound of
bullfrogs
Old Denpasar
From the Balinese Den = “beside” and the Indonesian Pasar =
“market”
The Good
• Denpasar is often times overlooked by tourists, but in the old
part of Denpasar there are a few interesting sights. The Museum
Negeri Propinsi Bali (Bali Provincial Museum) has lots of
information on Balinese history and culture. Lots of interesting
artifacts. Right next door is Pura Jagatnata which is an
important Balinese temple which is pretty impressive…..usually
pretty busy here. Both the Museum and the temple are right
beside Puputan Square. On this open field on September 15, 1906,
an estimated 1,000 Balinese men, women and children where
machine gunned down by Dutch soldiers. Lots of ghosts here.
Nearby is Pura Maospahit which is a 14th century “Javanese
Majapahit” temple. When you’re done head over to Jl. Teuku Umar
for some excellent Balinese/Lombok food. And, if anyone is in
Bali from Mid-June to mid-July then I highly recommend the Bali
Arts Festival in Denpasar
• Some good nightlife in Denpasar
• Good shopping
The Bad
• Denpasar could use a few decent hotels
Other options include
....
Pantai
Kusamba – almost always something going on here, especially
on a Sunday afternoon. Go to Pura Goa Lawah first and then hit
the beach for a drink. There is usually a real carnival feel to
the beach. Back in 1849 the Dutch and Balinese had a bloody
battle here.
Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali National Park) –
check in at the Park Headquaters in Cekik to see if their simple
guesthouses are available. The beach here isn’t good for
swimming but you will see the occasional sea turtle and you can
look across the Bali Straight to Banyuwangi in Java. During the
day you can go on a hike into the Park or head over to Pulau
Menjangan for diving and in the evening head into Gillimanuk
(Bird Island) for some yummy and inexpensive Javanese food. This
part of Bali has a cool mix of Balinese, Javanese and Madurese.
Stop at one of the Madurese run warungs along the north coast
highway for a cup of coffee and a chat with the cute little
vendor girls.
Hire a driver/car and tour the east scenic east coast.
Have the driver stop at Pantai Lebih, Pantai Kusamba then drive
via Candidasa, BugBug, Ujung, Seraya and Amed. Return via the
Sidemen road……fantastic, scenic drive through wonderful
villages. If you overnight then I recommend either Amed or
Tirtra Gangga. Nice day hikes in Tirta Gangga and nearby Pura
Lempuyang Luhur is well worth a visit. The area around Sidemen
would also be a good choice. If you have the time and energy you
can also climb up Gunung Agung.
Bedugul/Botantical Gardens – worth it for the drive up
alone. The gardens are a relaxing place to walk around and most
of the trees are labeled. There is also a well-maintained path
that takes you on a circular walk through the forest. The market
in Candi Kuning is worth a visit. When you’ve finished your walk
head down to Danau Bratan and treat yourself to some jagung
baker or bakso.
Accommodation Options
Here’s some websites to explore for Legion …
Bali Accommodation Options
Prani - Legion
In Ubud
We recommend
Bhuana Villa - Cost
is from US$20 per day per room. It's 2km out of town. If you enjoy
the countryside and a bit of detachment from the busy township
then stay here and hire a pushbike, taxi, or walk to get into town.
Please realise that
this accommodation is great value for money but it is not 5
star. All websites show the best rooms and best views. All this
said the villa is friendly, comfortable, and relaxing. Breakfast
is US$3 extra pp.
Email:
info@sorgaindah.com
For the budget conscious
we suggest Gustis Bungalows #2 overlooking the rice paddies. The
owner is called Nyomen. email:
gustigarden@hotmail.com
Small hotel of about 8 rooms. Beds are firm but the location is
Quiet. Staff are friendly and helpful and the swimming pool is
very refreshing. Cost rp 170,000 per night per room incl
breakfast and airport transfers. Nyomen will collect you from
the airport any time. Would be happy to stay there again. I
think the sister hotel is called
Gustis
Garden where the rooms would be a bit nicer. Hired pushbikes to
ride though the rice paddies and explore the town.
An excellent restaurant there is the King Tarou in Jalan
Gaotamo. Their 3 course meal plus 1 beer for rp 45,000 is great
value. Delicious food and friendly staff. Better than anything
in Lonely Planet.
More hotels in Ubud then check out ...
More Ubud Accommodation Choices
Ubud Accomodation
If you want some fun go white water rafting. Heaps of safe
fun for a day. Ideal from Ubud or Sanur.
Sanur
Highly
recommended is
Sanur beach villas
I would
also recommend staying in Sanur at the new
Sindhu Mertha Hotel This was a bit expensive but a great
place to stay before we left Bali and enjoy a bit of luxury.
Very helpful staff (free airport transfers). About $us37 per
night including breakfast. The young owner, Ketut, is Australian
trained and very professional. Ask to stay at the new hotel -
has about 8-10 modern rooms. We hired pushbikes to get around
Sanur (cost about $2.50 a day). Sanur is so laid back whereas
Kuta/Legian/Seminyak is a lot more hectic. Great beach, great
food and friendly people in Sanur. Having stayed in
Bali
4 times I doubt if I would go back to Kuta/Legian/Seminyak.
Here’s some more recommended Sanur Guesthouses at good
prices
Padang Bai
For a change
from the hustle and bustle of city life I would highly recommend Padang Bai
on the
western coast of
Bali. You
can always find a taxi/driver to take you there. Or catch a bus.
Over the hill
at Padang Bai is a lovely swimming and snorkeling beach. Our
guesthouse, Padang Bai Beach Homestay, was relaxed and friendly.
Plus there is a choice of
nice guesthouses at the northern end of the village including
the Topi Inn. Great value.
Nusa Lembongan, a relaxed and cheerful small island off Bali’s south east coast.
NL is great for surf and diving but the island lacks decent
swimming beaches. Still enjoyed the island very much.On Nusa Lembongan our pick of hotels is Linda's Place email .
Rooms 1 & 2 overlook the water - cost US$12 per night incl
breakfast. Contact Wendy or Bruce Chapman Ph 081 236 00867 email
bcwcchoppers@yahoo.com
All this said if you want the nightlife scene and all the
lifestyle that goes with it then best option is Kuta/Legion/Seminyak.
It is so easy to get a taxi in Bali so if you stay away from the
noise and nightlife you can safely get "home" to your lodgings.
Our driver on Bali, Made, spoke good English, new his way
around, and works to put his kids through school. email:
padma_made@yahoo.com Mobile Ph 081 239 52267.
We always enjoy hiring pushbikes and spending the day peddling
and exploring. Cheap and cheerful fun.
LOMBOK
Getting there:
After hearing a few stories about uncomfortable cramped ferries,
extra long journeys, and lost travel time we chose to fly. I
reckon it was the best decision for us cause we got to Trawangan
a bit quicker and it was worth it. Flight cost rp300,000. We
organised it all from a travel agent in Ubud. Lion Airlines are
at Denpasar Airport and can easily organise tickets.
Lombok is quite different. Bali is Hindu and Lombok is Muslim.
On Lombok we stayed at the New Moon Bulan Baru as recommended by
Lonely Planet. It was awful. It is miles from anywhere and hotel
food was 2/10. Also the touts on Lombok are quite aggressive.
For more detailed info check out ....
Lombok Network website
In Sengigi after our awful 1st night at the New Moon Bulan Baru
we stayed at the Mascot Cottages. They were tired but close to
nice cafes and right on the beach. Hotel Dharmarie looked 100%
better and is the same price though I think they get booked out
so it's advisable to book via the net - unless of course you have
somewhere else to stay.
The
touts and/or your taxi/minibus driver will follow you to try and
get a commission so say that you have an internet booking.
Dharmarie is also right on the beach.
Both Dharmarie and Mascot are very very close to Dream Divers.
You will need to book ahead with Dream Divers. They leave at 8am
daily heading north. You can contact them from this webpage ..
Dream Divers contact form A great
cafe in Senggigi is Bumbu on the main street.
Sengigi beach is fine for swimming in a bikini (though being a
bloke I tend to prefer swim togs). The beach was never very busy
with other swimmers. The touts cruise the beach and are
particularly aggressive.
There's a fabulous craft shop in Sengigi that I highly recommend
... "Bayan Lombok" address is Jl Raya Sengigi km 8 Sengigi ph
0370 693784. And once again I highly recommend Bumbu for a very
good meal. From our hotel we booked a driver for the day and
visited lots of local places that our hotel manager suggested to
us. I really enjoyed touring the countryside and especially
visiting
Kuta
Beach in the south. Another option could be to explore the back streets of Mataram by pushbike.
As a fellow traveller has pointed out to me the city roads can
be quite hectic and maybe dangerous. Bikes are great ways to
explore. You get the sights and the smells as you travel along.
For lots of local Lombok knowledge contact Gemma at Mimpi Manis
at Kuta beach, Lombok. Visit her website at ...
http://www.mimpimanis.com/
We
enjoyed Gili Trawangan. Lots of great food and good
accommodation. We stayed at the Irish Pub there (negotiated rp
200,000 per night incl breakfast - I know ... an Irish Pub ...
how tacky when you are travelling to Indonesia). Room # 10 is
quiet. During our morning walks we discovered lots of lovely
homestays just off the main street and would probably stay with
one of them next time. A friend recommended Marta's for
150,000Rp. It is really nice w/ air con, fridge, very nice
bedroom upstairs. Also across the road is Edy's homestay for
60,000Rp. (room w/ fan, king & single beds, breakfast). A really
nice family owns it. You may not want to stay on the main drag
due to the late night parties & you won't want to be too close
to the mosque either.
If
you want a swimming pool then the dive school accommodations are
the best option. Try and get something away from the Mosque
because the early call to prayer starts at 4.30ish. The touts
will follow you to try and get a commission so say that you have
an internet booking.
Take
Note: Hold onto your bags. The touts will generously offer to
carry your bags onto and off the boat then then expect a hefty
tip. Hard to negotiate with someone who is holding your bag.
Also the touts will follow you to try and get a commission out
of your accommodation. A guest house owner told us to say that
we have an internet booking.
There
is plenty of accommodation on the island. And because the island
is so small, Dream Divers will let you (safely) leave your bags
at their office while you spend an hour checking out and
negotiating where to stay. Every place we visited heavily
discounted their prices. I suggest you check out at least 3
places then make a decision. We paid at the Tir Na Nog rp200,000
a night for a double room with aircon, breakfast, and hot water.
Beachfront is really not an issue because it's rare to get beach
views. You can always walk the 100 steps to the beachfront
cafes/bars for a drink or two.
The
restaurant next to Tir Na Nog (facing water on the right) has
fabulous deserts and we enjoyed many breakfasts at the waters
edge cafe. I must say that the Tir Na Nog website makes the
rooms look a bit better than what they are - still comfortable
though.
Getting back from Lombok we took the public boat in the morning
then travelled down to Sengigi. Once again touts will try to
hijack your bags and your transport. Be cautious.
I can't wait to return. Wishing you happy travels ...
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