Bali Beach area - Seminyak or Jimbaran?
Oct 30th, 2006, 07:01 PM
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Bali Beach area - Seminyak or Jimbaran?
I originally posted asking about Sanur v. Jimbaran. Based on responses I received, we've decided against sanur and are now trying to decide between Seminyak (Sofitel)and Jimbaran (Intercontinental) for the beach part of our Bali trip. We had initially thought of Jimbaran because the beach seemed prettier & whiter and the area seemed more laid-back & more my image of Bali, though I'm having trouble finding photos of either area other than hotel photos. Marmot & KimJapan have both suggested Seminyak because of the nice shops & wide choice of good restaurants, and it is nice to be able to take a walk from the hotel to do some shopping & browsing without having to make it a day trip. On the other hand, we want to feel like we are in Bali & not a generic beach resort that could be anywhere. Can anyone give me more of a feel for these two areas? How commercial and "western" is Seminyak?
Oct 30th, 2006, 07:59 PM
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Jimbaran Bay has by far the better beach. Seminyak Beach is not as safe in terms to rips etc. Jimabaran Bay has far less shopping - but is not far (nor expensive) by cab) from Seminyak. Try the Pansea. Nice little self contained bungalows and quite luxurious compared to the impersonal nature of the Intercontinental. I'm surprised you can't find pics. There are dozens of them of all the properties you mention. These are good Bali restaurant guides: http://www.balieats.com/ and http://www.baliguide.com/restaurants_guide.html
Good luck.
Good luck.
Oct 30th, 2006, 08:01 PM
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Here's some links to tripadvisor reviews. There are 91 candid photos of the Intercontinental. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...aran_Bali.html
and 12 photos of the Sofitel, including one very good picture of the beach in Seminyak, showing the dark color of the sand. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...nyak_Bali.html
and 12 photos of the Sofitel, including one very good picture of the beach in Seminyak, showing the dark color of the sand. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...nyak_Bali.html
Oct 30th, 2006, 08:35 PM
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Those trip advisor reviews can really make your head spin -- from heaven on earth to worst ever!
I think the major difference between the two resorts is size: The Sofitel at 120 rooms vs the I-C at 425. I've never actually stayed at either though I recently hosted a business group at the Sofitel and they really liked it. The management which is French is very hands on.
Both hotels are older and showing their age in spite of renovation. Both have lovely, spacious gardens.
A beach to beach comparison is a toss up -- some good points, some not so hot. We like Seminyak because we like long walks/runs on the beach. Certain surf areas are rough, but my understanding is that the Sofitel beach is fairly benign for swimming (but not as shallow and calm as Jimbaran). Same glorious sunset at both places.
The shops, clubs and restaurants of the "town" area of Seminyak are not actually on the beach Therefore you have the option to go to them in a short taxi ride (5 minutes) or just stay on the beach. Right on the beach and within walking distance or a very short taxi are several really nice laid back restaurants, like LaLucciola, KuDeTa, Living Room, Hu, Gado-Gado. Seminyak is lively but nowhere near as frantic as Kuta.
Jimbaran has the beach seafood barbeque restaurants that are a lot of fun and a great value. Other than that most of the restaurants are in hotels. It's about 30-45 minutes by taxi from Jimbaran to Seminyak. I think the shopping is somewhat limited as well.
All of southern Bali is commercial and Western -- these are afterall beach resorts with commercial intent. You can't entirely escape it.
However, bits and pieces of Bali do manage to shine through. I don't think I've ever stayed in Seminyak without seeing a procession and ceremony on the beach. Most likely the same is true of Jimbaran. Plus there are the fishing boats (or fishermen, the ever present gamelan, the attention to aesthetic detail like offerings on the beach hidden temples plus and the wonderful Balinese hospitality. It's a resort atmosphere for sure but it's not generic.
Good luck and wherever you end up I'm sure you'll enjoy.
I think the major difference between the two resorts is size: The Sofitel at 120 rooms vs the I-C at 425. I've never actually stayed at either though I recently hosted a business group at the Sofitel and they really liked it. The management which is French is very hands on.
Both hotels are older and showing their age in spite of renovation. Both have lovely, spacious gardens.
A beach to beach comparison is a toss up -- some good points, some not so hot. We like Seminyak because we like long walks/runs on the beach. Certain surf areas are rough, but my understanding is that the Sofitel beach is fairly benign for swimming (but not as shallow and calm as Jimbaran). Same glorious sunset at both places.
The shops, clubs and restaurants of the "town" area of Seminyak are not actually on the beach Therefore you have the option to go to them in a short taxi ride (5 minutes) or just stay on the beach. Right on the beach and within walking distance or a very short taxi are several really nice laid back restaurants, like LaLucciola, KuDeTa, Living Room, Hu, Gado-Gado. Seminyak is lively but nowhere near as frantic as Kuta.
Jimbaran has the beach seafood barbeque restaurants that are a lot of fun and a great value. Other than that most of the restaurants are in hotels. It's about 30-45 minutes by taxi from Jimbaran to Seminyak. I think the shopping is somewhat limited as well.
All of southern Bali is commercial and Western -- these are afterall beach resorts with commercial intent. You can't entirely escape it.
However, bits and pieces of Bali do manage to shine through. I don't think I've ever stayed in Seminyak without seeing a procession and ceremony on the beach. Most likely the same is true of Jimbaran. Plus there are the fishing boats (or fishermen, the ever present gamelan, the attention to aesthetic detail like offerings on the beach hidden temples plus and the wonderful Balinese hospitality. It's a resort atmosphere for sure but it's not generic.
Good luck and wherever you end up I'm sure you'll enjoy.
Oct 31st, 2006, 01:13 AM
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Marmot, Thanks for your descriptions.
Mitch, Kim -- Yes, I've found tons of picture of the hotels, but what I can't find are pictures of the two areas (e.g. street scenes) other than the hotels.
Mitch, Kim -- Yes, I've found tons of picture of the hotels, but what I can't find are pictures of the two areas (e.g. street scenes) other than the hotels.
Oct 31st, 2006, 05:12 AM
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Try www.webshots.com and search for Jimbaran or Seminyak. Lots of nice pictures!
Oct 31st, 2006, 08:16 PM
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Yeah... it's a tough decision. It all depends upon what you're interests are. We stayed in Seminyak last Nov and we're going back in Dec. We LOVED Seminyak as we love the seclusion of our villa... yet still being able to walk to many restaurants and not having to worry about getting a taxi. We stay right on Laksmana (aka "eat street"
. The restaurants are FANTASTIC!!! On one day trip, we did stop for lunch at the Four Seasons @ Jimbaran. The beach area was quite nice!
Oh yeah.. I would not classify Seminyak as western/commercial... just my $.02.
. The restaurants are FANTASTIC!!! On one day trip, we did stop for lunch at the Four Seasons @ Jimbaran. The beach area was quite nice! Oh yeah.. I would not classify Seminyak as western/commercial... just my $.02.
Nov 3rd, 2006, 12:55 AM
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I just replyed to your other post. The Intercontinental is a mega hotel. Lots of families and meetings. It felt very impersonal. I only walked through it it took forever to get from one end to the other. I would personaly go for something with a balinese feel to it.
Nov 10th, 2006, 09:27 AM
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I just got back from Bali and spent2 nights in Nusa Dua beach hotel, 2 nights at Komenka resort'(so nice) in Ubud and finally 2 nights at Sofitel Seminyak.The only thing I can tell is that Seminyak is the ugliest part I saw of Bali,sand is black ,shopping is the most expansive of Bali and population is not really balinese.Be careful if you want to swim in the sea,my son who is a good swimmer had to be rescued hopefully by a surveyor in front of beach the beach of Sofitel.The only thing we liked in Seminyak was the Sofitel itself which has 2 very good restaurants51 is japenese cuisine-excellent)
Do not miss Ubud and do not hesitate to rent a bike or a car from mount Batur and ask yor guide to drive you down to Ubud through nicest villages and rice fields with the most warming and welcoming people
Do not miss Ubud and do not hesitate to rent a bike or a car from mount Batur and ask yor guide to drive you down to Ubud through nicest villages and rice fields with the most warming and welcoming people
Nov 10th, 2006, 12:38 PM
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Try here: http://images.search.yahoo.com/searc...p=jimbaran+bay
you will find a lot of resorts, but if you click through the pages you will find plenty of Jimbaran Bay. Yahoo images is always a great place to start.
you will find a lot of resorts, but if you click through the pages you will find plenty of Jimbaran Bay. Yahoo images is always a great place to start.
Nov 28th, 2006, 02:37 AM
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We just got back from Bali. We stayed in Jimbaran Bay at the Intercontinental, which we loved! We also ate several times in Seminyak, which is about a 15 min cab ride from Jimbaran (about $10 round trip if you bargain with your cab driver to wait for you.)
We loved staying at The Intercontinental, it was really quiet while we were there, and the beach and pools were beautiful and so relaxing. It was very modern, and very comfortable (except for the beds, a little hard). We enjoyed staying in that part of town, but found that it was about a 15 min cab trip to get anywhere. There is nothing to actually do in Jimabaran bay, except eat Lobster at one of the beach restaurants. But there is no shopping in that area, you ahve to go to Ubud or Kuta.
In Seminyak, we really recommend two restaurants, CuDaTe, an amazing place!!! Make sure you stay for drinks on the beachfront bar! We also had dinner at La Lucciolla, which is just down the way from CuDaTe, it's Italian, and wonderful (much better priced then CuDeTa!).
Have fun!!!!!
We loved staying at The Intercontinental, it was really quiet while we were there, and the beach and pools were beautiful and so relaxing. It was very modern, and very comfortable (except for the beds, a little hard). We enjoyed staying in that part of town, but found that it was about a 15 min cab trip to get anywhere. There is nothing to actually do in Jimabaran bay, except eat Lobster at one of the beach restaurants. But there is no shopping in that area, you ahve to go to Ubud or Kuta.
In Seminyak, we really recommend two restaurants, CuDaTe, an amazing place!!! Make sure you stay for drinks on the beachfront bar! We also had dinner at La Lucciolla, which is just down the way from CuDaTe, it's Italian, and wonderful (much better priced then CuDeTa!).
Have fun!!!!!
