Oh dear, do you have to stay in Nusa Dua? It is entirely a tourist enclave. I consider it the place to stay if you don't want to be in Indonesia. There are plenty of lovely beach areas that aren't like that.

Sorry, I can't help you with Alam Indah.

Kathie, could you suggest some other beach areas - we are not surfers so would be looking for calm waters for swimming.
Thanks

I like Sanur. It's a small town, so there are restaurants and shopping you can walk to. Marmot likes Semiyak. Avoid Kuta, as it's the party beach for late adolescents.

i have stayed a few times at its cousin alam shanti which is fantastic in every way, and has 100% a/c which i prefer... food is excellent (breakfast) and staff are all very nice..
you would be happy there i think... we love gangga and yumma rooms especially..

i highly suggest you have a/c, for bud teterent if nothing else

Thanks Kathie. It's so good to get input from people who know Bali.

Hi rhkkmk - I've just had a look at Alam Shanti and it looks wonderful. Were the staff able to help you plan your various trips in and around Ubud? Any restaurants you would recommend nearby for dinner? Any other suggestions of things you did and would say are definite 'to do's while there?

I don't suggest staying at a place that means you'll be walking through the Monkey Forest. The place is a nightmare. Or I should say the monkeys are a nightmare.

There are plenty of authentic feeling accommodations away from the center. I like staying in Penestanen. There are any number of villas to be had complete with cook/housekeeper.

We have stayed at Alam Indah, and enjoyed the ambiance very much. We had the room bordering a gorge and looking across the gorge was a small village. The rooms are all at different elevations, so requires some up/down walking, but not bad. There is a pool.

Staff is helpful and the food is good (breakfast). Staff changes the flower offerings and bouquets at each room daily. Very Balinese. Hotel can arrange a car and side trips too, though we had made our own arrangements.

Walk through monkey forest is enchanting.....nothing to be scared....lots of traffic, but keep an eye out for the monkeys. Town center and shops are just on the other side of the Monkey. Forest.

i have some things for you and will add tomorrow...tons of good restaurants

Thanks for your feedback magical - It sounds as though you were in Hibiscus which is unfortunately already booked for June next year (unbelievable but true)

The monkeys don't worry me either as, where we live, we encounter baboons fairly regularly.

Thanks rhkkmk - I look forward to hearing from you

we like to hire putu arnawa for a few days to drive us around the island.. he is reasonable and knows all the sites and back roads..

restaurants in ubud:

nomad
siam sally
cinta
arys warung
terazo
cafe lotus, opposite arys with view of ruins


all are fab, some owned by same firm..

unusual shopping: threads of life, jalan kajeng 24--textiles, jewelry, gifts.. high quality...near the end of a dead end lane...other shops nearby too..

fantastic silver: prapen (outside town) jalan jagaraga 66, celuk--take a taxi and have him wait... location is lovely too---very inexpensive..

food is very inexpensive we found..

putu: putuarnawa@aol.com

btw, we have also stayed in the indus room at shanti and liked it very much but our fav is gangga...

also the queen bed is a king

OMW - thanks so much for taking the time to send me all this info - I really appreciate it! It helps so much with all the planning to get info from other travellers.

Unfortunately Gangga and Yamuna are already booked for the period we will be there. Indus and Narmada are available so I am going through the options with my husband this evening (Hibiscus & Mawar at Alam Indah versus Indus & Narmada at Alam Shanti). rhkkmk - How would you describe Alam Shanti - peaceful & serene? Are Gangga & Yamuna the only ones with rice field views?

Thanks again

no, the newer bldgs 1000' away overlook a small rice paddy.

AS is quiet, peaceful, green, green and more greenery, with statues, carved wood objects, etc all around... you feel like you are at a private estate...

there is a 2nd swimming pool sharred by the rest of the rooms, across the driveway--it is newish and very nice too..

pick indus on the ground floor. it has a large front lawn/garden which you enjoy from your large porch.. order breakfast delivered to your room daily... order everything... yum!!

Hi
Not to confuse you, we have stayed at Alam Jiwa, another sister property run by the same group. Most rooms there have paddy views. It's a gorgeous place, a little older perhaps than Shanti, but stunning. We have swum in the pool at Shanti and had massages in the spa by the pool. Highly recommended. The communal pool is probably nicer at Shanti, but the view from the Jiwa rooms is pretty special. Most rooms overlook a stream flowing in a gorge below and then expansive rice paddies beyond.
We also checked out Indah. Indah and Shanti are only 5mins walk apart and closest to the Monkey Forest. Jiwa is about a 10min walk from Shanti and Indah.
All the Alam properties have the same beautiful decor, breakfasts and overall balinese vibe. Service is impeccable at all of the properties too.
Indah is set on a hillside overlooking quite stunning, steep terrain across a gorge.
My choice would probably be Shanti if you can get rice paddy views and otherwise Jiwa. Both are currently similarly highly rated on TA.
It's a tough choice, but whichever property you end up at, you will not be disappointed, that's for sure! Just get in quickly. We have been disappointed so many times, because we’ve left it too late.
My restaurant picks would be Cafe Wayan, also run by the Alam group. I would also recommend Sari Organik, which is a little walk through the rice paddies off one of the main streets... once you're there, the views are over rice paddies everywhere, particularly beautiful at sunset. The food is delicious!
Good luck and enjoy!

Thanks rhkkmk and baliaddict for all this info - I'm falling in love with Bali before we've even arrived! It sounds like a little piece of heaven.
We've booked our rooms and, as has been mentioned, it fills up quickly! We have secured the last rooms at Alam Shanti being Indus, Narmada, Gayatri and Purwati - there wasn't a choice but we are really happy with these four.
I must mention that it has been such a pleasure dealing with the staff at these properties, they're replied to my emails so quickly. We are so looking forward to our time there just a pity that we now have to wait until June next year to get there.