A Memorable Solo Month in Singapore, Java, and Bali
Jul 20th, 2016, 10:59 PM
#163
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@ sartoric: Thanks for joining me for the ride! I look forward to “our” next trip – but I now face the daunting task of deciding which of so very many appealing destinations to choose. At least narrowing down my options will give me time to replenish my annual leave bank and my actual bank. 
@ thursdaysd: Thanks! I’m glad to think my reports might prove helpful to others – just as your wonderful reporting has served me, and <u>so</u> many others, so very well.
@ thursdaysd: Thanks! I’m glad to think my reports might prove helpful to others – just as your wonderful reporting has served me, and <u>so</u> many others, so very well.
Jul 24th, 2016, 06:49 AM
#164
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 4,287
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for your report, especially the Singapore part, lots of good tips. We are going to Singapore for two weeks in the first quarter of 2017 and have decided to splurge and book ourselves into Raffles for a few nights, just to see what it's like to stay there. As we too find the heat and humidity a challenge, we opted for a longer stay than most here would choose, figuring we'll see one main sight per day and then relax in the hotel pool, a tea salon, or someplace else cool and/or refreshing.
Aug 13th, 2016, 08:55 PM
#166
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,005
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kja, I finally managed to read your trip report, and you AND the report are truly amazing. You are gutsy and organized, and most importantly, you manage to enjoy yourself. I do have a question for you....
I am thinking of going to Indonesia next September, and the award flights on Cathay can take me to Denpasar, Bali, as a starting point for my trip. I don't do beaches on trips, but Ubud sounds fascinating. However, were the tons of tourists there a turn off? Were there tour groups there, such as those in annoying big buses? What is it about the place that drew you there? Did the cultural performance seem authentic to you?
Also, why not Sumatra? That may be another destination for me on my trip.
I am thinking of going to Indonesia next September, and the award flights on Cathay can take me to Denpasar, Bali, as a starting point for my trip. I don't do beaches on trips, but Ubud sounds fascinating. However, were the tons of tourists there a turn off? Were there tour groups there, such as those in annoying big buses? What is it about the place that drew you there? Did the cultural performance seem authentic to you?
Also, why not Sumatra? That may be another destination for me on my trip.
Aug 13th, 2016, 10:23 PM
#167
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@ CaliforniaLady – Thanks for your compliments! But I must admit that it wasn’t at all hard to enjoy myself – there was SOOoooo much to enjoy in the places I visited!
I liked Ubud very much and am happy to recommend a visit there. As I wrote, I was ill-prepared for the number of tourists in Ubud, but mostly because of the contrast to places I had visited in Java and a few ill-founded preconceptions. But they weren’t bus-trip tourists, rather people staying in Ubud, and they weren’t inundating the place, rather just in greater numbers than I expected and a bit less aware of their surroundings, interpersonal and otherwise, than I would have liked (e.g., refusing to make space for others who share the same sidewalk, walking through offerings that Hindus had placed before their places of business, etc.) Tourists did not turn me off to Ubud; they turned me off to <b>them</b>.
Ultimately, that may be a sign that I hold unreasonable standards, rather than a legitimate criticism; I leave it to each reader to make a judgement. Ubud struck me as a place that has almost completely given itself over to tourism, but has retained an essential part of its cultural heritage, and it draws tourists – including me – because it offers some very interesting things to see and do, is a local center for arts, and has some very good restaurants and hotels and spas. (JMO, of course. And I'm sure that one-time tourists, like me, would have different impressions than people like marmot who live in the area and can comment with much greater knowledge and awareness.)
There were several things that drew me to Bali. In no particular order: I’ve never visited a place that was predominantly Hindu, and for various reasons (safety, the time of year when I could travel, etc.), Bali seemed an option worth considering, particularly because I had a strong interest in visiting Java. And although I have no desire for beach time, I do have a strong interest in traditional arts, whether performing or otherwise, and had a long-standing interest in Balinese dance and Indonesian textiles (including ikat, Bali’s traditional textile). Once I began plotting out options for my trip for the year, the combination of Java and Bali, which I expected would – and indeed did – include some amazing contrasts, quickly rose to the top of my list. As I said at the start of this trip report, and near the start of my planning threads, “I plan my trips with an eye to maximizing the diversity of my experiences. I … enjoy art, architecture, historic ruins, museums, religious structures, parks and gardens, natural scenery, buildings of state or defense (e.g., palaces and fortresses), markets (for their atmosphere, not for shopping), picturesque villages, good food and wine, folk traditions, and the chance to see and experience other parts of the world.” Except for my interest in wine, this trip filled the bill extremely well!
I’m no expert, but the cultural performances I saw in Bali seemed authentic to me. From what I was able to learn (and I did ask this question) many young Balinese have taken a serious interest in sustaining their cultural heritage, and the venues and performances I selected were among those considered best. For example, there are different dance troops, so in addition to the information I had in advance, I sought information at the main Tourist Information office in Ubud and from hotel staff and drivers. The particular dance troop that I saw at the palace in Ubud seemed very skilled. And the kecek performance I saw in Junjungan Village was no Broadway show, but it wasn't a summer community theater effort either. It seemed to me something that the people of that village take seriously. (I think I heard that it has been performed every Friday for something like 30 years, and virtually every man in the village -- and some women, too -- take pride in it.) I definitely enjoyed it! I’m sure there are amateur, and amateurish, performances; I’m also confidant that an informed tourist can identify the better options. (BTW, the cultural performances I saw in Java spanned a wider range of competence, from the excellence of the Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan to the seemingly novice performance of the lead act at the Taman Sriwedari in Solo.)
I would love to visit Sumatra and Sulawesi and other parts of Indonesia (and Borneo, Indonesian or otherwise, and many other places in the area), and I hope to visit them on a future trip. My planning for this particular trip grew out of a desire to see Borobudur, Prambanan, and the performing arts and textiles of Java; my interests quickly grew to include Bali. Once I fleshed out a workable itinerary for those two parts of Indonesia, I didn’t feel that I had time to do justice to any other parts of that vast country. The upside to that decision was that it left me enough time to visit Singapore in the way I wanted.
I hope these ridiculously long (sorry!) answers help you as you plan, and again, thank you for you kind words!
I liked Ubud very much and am happy to recommend a visit there. As I wrote, I was ill-prepared for the number of tourists in Ubud, but mostly because of the contrast to places I had visited in Java and a few ill-founded preconceptions. But they weren’t bus-trip tourists, rather people staying in Ubud, and they weren’t inundating the place, rather just in greater numbers than I expected and a bit less aware of their surroundings, interpersonal and otherwise, than I would have liked (e.g., refusing to make space for others who share the same sidewalk, walking through offerings that Hindus had placed before their places of business, etc.) Tourists did not turn me off to Ubud; they turned me off to <b>them</b>.
Ultimately, that may be a sign that I hold unreasonable standards, rather than a legitimate criticism; I leave it to each reader to make a judgement. Ubud struck me as a place that has almost completely given itself over to tourism, but has retained an essential part of its cultural heritage, and it draws tourists – including me – because it offers some very interesting things to see and do, is a local center for arts, and has some very good restaurants and hotels and spas. (JMO, of course. And I'm sure that one-time tourists, like me, would have different impressions than people like marmot who live in the area and can comment with much greater knowledge and awareness.)There were several things that drew me to Bali. In no particular order: I’ve never visited a place that was predominantly Hindu, and for various reasons (safety, the time of year when I could travel, etc.), Bali seemed an option worth considering, particularly because I had a strong interest in visiting Java. And although I have no desire for beach time, I do have a strong interest in traditional arts, whether performing or otherwise, and had a long-standing interest in Balinese dance and Indonesian textiles (including ikat, Bali’s traditional textile). Once I began plotting out options for my trip for the year, the combination of Java and Bali, which I expected would – and indeed did – include some amazing contrasts, quickly rose to the top of my list. As I said at the start of this trip report, and near the start of my planning threads, “I plan my trips with an eye to maximizing the diversity of my experiences. I … enjoy art, architecture, historic ruins, museums, religious structures, parks and gardens, natural scenery, buildings of state or defense (e.g., palaces and fortresses), markets (for their atmosphere, not for shopping), picturesque villages, good food and wine, folk traditions, and the chance to see and experience other parts of the world.” Except for my interest in wine, this trip filled the bill extremely well!
I’m no expert, but the cultural performances I saw in Bali seemed authentic to me. From what I was able to learn (and I did ask this question) many young Balinese have taken a serious interest in sustaining their cultural heritage, and the venues and performances I selected were among those considered best. For example, there are different dance troops, so in addition to the information I had in advance, I sought information at the main Tourist Information office in Ubud and from hotel staff and drivers. The particular dance troop that I saw at the palace in Ubud seemed very skilled. And the kecek performance I saw in Junjungan Village was no Broadway show, but it wasn't a summer community theater effort either. It seemed to me something that the people of that village take seriously. (I think I heard that it has been performed every Friday for something like 30 years, and virtually every man in the village -- and some women, too -- take pride in it.) I definitely enjoyed it! I’m sure there are amateur, and amateurish, performances; I’m also confidant that an informed tourist can identify the better options. (BTW, the cultural performances I saw in Java spanned a wider range of competence, from the excellence of the Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan to the seemingly novice performance of the lead act at the Taman Sriwedari in Solo.)
I would love to visit Sumatra and Sulawesi and other parts of Indonesia (and Borneo, Indonesian or otherwise, and many other places in the area), and I hope to visit them on a future trip. My planning for this particular trip grew out of a desire to see Borobudur, Prambanan, and the performing arts and textiles of Java; my interests quickly grew to include Bali. Once I fleshed out a workable itinerary for those two parts of Indonesia, I didn’t feel that I had time to do justice to any other parts of that vast country. The upside to that decision was that it left me enough time to visit Singapore in the way I wanted.
I hope these ridiculously long (sorry!) answers help you as you plan, and again, thank you for you kind words!
Aug 14th, 2016, 02:55 AM
#168
kja, I accidentally came across your TR as I was searching for alternatives to our long haul to Europe and considered Singapore Airlines (and stopover) .... and I saw you flew Qatar (as we did last month) and had a massage break in Doha, wow, what a great idea! As you know, our long hauls are just awful, we did the near 14 hours to Doha and then about 6 hours to Milan, a massage in between would have been heaven, never thought of it. (My other half said "never again" so am looking at a stopover in Koh Samui on the return leg next year.)
Anyway, what a trip you had. As always, a fabulous write up too.
Anyway, what a trip you had. As always, a fabulous write up too.
Aug 14th, 2016, 08:08 AM
#169
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@ Adelaidean: A friend who has travelled to Indonesian frequently for business suggested Qatar Airways specifically because of the option to get a massage in Doha -- brilliant! It was still a long, painful flight, but that definitely helped. There must be other airports with something similar...? I'm glad you enjoyed my write up!
It was still a long, painful flight, but that definitely helped. There must be other airports with something similar...? I'm glad you enjoyed my write up!
Aug 14th, 2016, 08:15 AM
#170
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,005
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you, kja, for the detailed reply. I would not expect anything else from you. I notice that often post reply very late at night, and that you are on the east coast. Don't you ever sleep?
In any case, I guess I'll spend a bit of time in Ubud since I'm landing in Bali anyway. It's all Julia Robert's fault, for her movie, for making Ubud famous. On the website Travel Fish, the title says, "Ubud, Eat Pray Traffic."
I do enjoy dance performances quite a bit, so that should make it worth it.
In any case, I guess I'll spend a bit of time in Ubud since I'm landing in Bali anyway. It's all Julia Robert's fault, for her movie, for making Ubud famous. On the website Travel Fish, the title says, "Ubud, Eat Pray Traffic."
I do enjoy dance performances quite a bit, so that should make it worth it.
Aug 18th, 2016, 02:39 PM
#172
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Early Friday morning greetings from our fine home of Singapore to you, kja -- and thank you again for such an enjoyable trip report. You are a brilliant, gifted writer.
Loved your impressions of Bali. I was fortunate to initially experience Bali as youth, travelling with my parents and siblings. Your writings brought back a rush of good memories, from earliest visits to present. Well done.
For a potential future journey for you, will put in a slightly biased promotion of Nepal. Recently returned from trip number ~12 to Kathmandu; always a joy to reunion with some climbing Sherpas and their families. (The latest trip also entailed meetings concerning a potential hotel property that would be beneficial to the post-earthquake Nepalese economy. Hope she transpires.) Would be honoured to offer Kathmandu / Nepal dining, lodging, recreation suggestions.
Keep up the great work, kja. All for now, as will be flying - via our Singapore Airlines, yes - later this morning to Melbourne for a wedding and a few days of meetings. (MEL also happens to be the home of the late, great "dogster", one of my all-time favourite writers and Fodorites; miss that gentleman.) Early and warm weekend wishes to you and all,
robert
Loved your impressions of Bali. I was fortunate to initially experience Bali as youth, travelling with my parents and siblings. Your writings brought back a rush of good memories, from earliest visits to present. Well done.
For a potential future journey for you, will put in a slightly biased promotion of Nepal. Recently returned from trip number ~12 to Kathmandu; always a joy to reunion with some climbing Sherpas and their families. (The latest trip also entailed meetings concerning a potential hotel property that would be beneficial to the post-earthquake Nepalese economy. Hope she transpires.) Would be honoured to offer Kathmandu / Nepal dining, lodging, recreation suggestions.
Keep up the great work, kja. All for now, as will be flying - via our Singapore Airlines, yes - later this morning to Melbourne for a wedding and a few days of meetings. (MEL also happens to be the home of the late, great "dogster", one of my all-time favourite writers and Fodorites; miss that gentleman.) Early and warm weekend wishes to you and all,
robert
Aug 18th, 2016, 06:09 PM
#173
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@ AskOksena: Thanks for your compliments, robert – I’m glad that my impressions of Bali brought back some good memories for you. I would love to visit Nepal, and when I do, I’m going to hold you to your promise of recommendations! Until then, safe travels.
Sep 6th, 2017, 11:39 PM
#174
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,386
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kja - Really great report... it actually took me almost an hour just to reach Bali!! I hope it won't be as hot as you experienced (we go in November)... I tend to wimp out in high heat. I will certainly keep this bookmarked as we travel Bali for restaurant ideas, etc. Your descriptions of the various temples were also very helpful.
Sep 7th, 2017, 04:10 PM
#175
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@ kawh: I'm glad you found some helpful information in my report! And I hope you realized that you didn't need to read the parts on Singapore and Java if you didn't want to -- the report is searchable, or you could have scrolled through to find the bold headers....
Sep 8th, 2017, 04:27 PM
#177
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@ kawh: I'm glad you found those parts of my report interesting, even if not of immediate relevance! If you ever have the chance to spend some more time in Singapore, or to visit Java, and think you will find that there are rewards to doing so.
Sep 17th, 2017, 09:40 AM
#178
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kja - thank you for this report - I haven't been on Fodor's for a long time and only remembered it was a tremendous source of information last weekend when my original plans for a cruise in that area ceased to materialize and I am now planning Singapore/Java/Bali and Bangkok for this fall. You give so much outstanding information! Thank you for always guiding me along!!!! Your TR helped me crystallize some of the things that are important to me to experience and I am, as always, very grateful!
Sep 17th, 2017, 12:55 PM
#179
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@ HippyChic: I'm so glad to know that you found valuable information in this report and that it helped you crystallize some things -- and thanks for letting me know! Singapore, Java, and Bali offer a wealth of delightful opportunities, IMO. I haven't been to Bangkok yet, so maybe I'll be able to learn from you.
Mar 13th, 2018, 06:51 PM
#180
kja, just found your report. Yes, I'm following you around the globe, lol. Thanks for the report. We will be in Bali in early April for 11 days, staying in Ubud, in the mountains up north and in Sanur.
I'm in the packing stage. Are there mosquitoes during the day, necessitating light weight long sleeve shirts and full length pants, or shorts and Tshirts?
I'm in the packing stage. Are there mosquitoes during the day, necessitating light weight long sleeve shirts and full length pants, or shorts and Tshirts?
