Orcas

DH is going to Singapore for work in August and I am tagging along. We have 5 full days in Singapore and then 6 days remaining. We are trying to decide where to go for the remaining time. We have to return to Singapore on day 6 for an early morning flight home.

As I look at travel guides, 5 days seems very short! We have not been anywhere else in Asia, besides Singapore and Japan, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Major interests are culture, history and arts/crafts, as well as natural wonders. Unfortunately, DH has a troubled knee, so major hiking or long walks are out. We prefer to sleep in one place and journey out. Any suggestions?

Penang and Bali are possibilities. I've been researching Bali and have a lot of questions. We like sleeping in one place and traveling from there. If we go there, where should we stay - at a place like Sanur (or other beach area) and then take day trips? The Ubud area sounds the most interesting to us. Should we stay there? If so, in town or in the rice fields? It would be nice to be able to walk out to evening entertainment, but also, it would be nice to enjoy beautiful views from the place we are staying. Decisions, decisions - need to make them soon as the hotels I am looking at are booking fast.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

rhkkmk

both would be good locations and easy to get to from singapore..

it is high season in bali then..

my fav hotel is alam shanti outside ubud---gangga or yamma rooms.. they have free transport around town incl pick-up..
small hotel.

sanur is nice as well.. you might like the bali hyatt..

the conrad is also lovely.

we use putu to see some of the island each time we go there (4). google him at "my bali friend".. very reasonable.

we loved penang... we stayed at clove hall, a small botique hotel on the edge of georgetown..

click on my name if you wish to read my trip reports

rhkkmk

google is not good...try: [email protected]

Craig

Between Bali and Penang, I'd pick Penang - more exotic, more interesting. Stay in Ubud. If we were to return, we'd probably do Alam Shanti (we stayed at Maya Ubud previously). I don't think commuting back and forth to town is a big deal and it really is nice be out next to the rice fields...

From Ubud you can get pretty much anywhere on a day trip, although for some parts of the island it would be a loooong day...

Do book Putu - I think we were probably the first on this forum to use him, many years ago...

Kathie

They are both wonderful places. I think Craig is also voting for Bali in spite of what appears to be a typo. I agree that Bali will feel more exotic, but both locations are worthy of your time. If you go to Penang, stay in Georgetown. We loved the E&O. Craig stayed at a newer boutique property, the name of which eludes me.

JohnH

I've been to both and based on your interests I would choose Ubud, Bali hands down over Penang.

Craig

Thanks, Kathie for catching that. It is indeed a typo - I do favor Bali. However in Penang, we stayed at the same place as Bob (rhkkmk) - Clove Hall which is not as lux or well-situated as the E&O but friendly and helpful as one might expect from a B&B...

Orcas

Thank you so much for your helpful information. I wish we had more time! So we decided on Bali. I've poured through websites and books. A few places that look intriguing are already sold out. I am looking at some very different hotel options - the Komaneka at Bisma, Komaneka at Tanggayuda, and the Villa Sabandari. The first two would be more "holistic" experiences at the resort itself, I think, with amazing views. The latter would be a great base for other trips...Not sure what I will want when we get there - a bit of each, perhaps.

The K at Bisma has appeal as it is fairly close to town and that very long infinity pool looks amazing. I saw a video of the rainforest on youtube and it blew me away - so beautiful.

The K at Tanggayuda has a fantastic rating from TripAdvisor and people just rave about the service. It is farther out of town. It is less expensive than the K at Bisma.

Finally, the Villa Sabandari is a small B&B in town. It looks really lovely, but it doesn't have the valley views the other two have- not a full service resort hotel. It gets great reviews on tripadvisor. We plan on doing some visits around Bali and I know the owner there would be of great help in planning.

Any help would be appreciated.

marmot

I'm sure I wrote a response yesterday. . . I wonder where I posted it? Anyway it appears you have some good choices.

I'm not a fan of the town of Ubud -- too congested, too many bus tours -- so I'd favor the Komeneka at Tanggayuda. It's the only one of the three that I've visited, and though I'd rate the design just okay, the setting is lovely. Not as spectacular as the views on the Ayung River but still lovely. There are plenty of resorts in the area if you get tired of the food at KT. Lots of nature and culture activities nearby.

You'll probably spend the same amount of car time whether you stay in or out of town, but, to me, mornings and evenings in the countryside outside of Ubud are magical.

bombayteddy

If you have 5 or 6 days, Bali would be a good choice for a restful getaway. I havent been to Penang so I cant comment.
In Bali, you might consider staying at The Oberoi at Seminyak . Its a beautiful, old-world, small hotel with chalets in a gorgeous garden; and an authentic, classic Balinese atmosphere. Right ON the beach, with great restaurants nearby.

StanKase

There is Bali Center and then there are lovely quite hotels that are 10 minutes outside center city and you would almost not know much about the hustle and bustle. One example is The Chedi Club.
We use Putu as well and will be using him again this Dec. for 1 or 2 days. He can be quiet so sometimes you have to ask questions and then he is a treasure trove of information. Last year we paid 550,000Rp. for 10.5 hours day. and 350,000 for 5 hrs.