Any unique tips for Bali trip?
Apr 6th, 2003, 04:38 AM
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Any unique tips for Bali trip?
We're taking our second trip to Bali, leaving in 3 weeks. I'd like to know if anyone has some "don't miss" interesting activities.<BR><BR>Last time, we stayed in Nusa Dua, spent a day in Kuta (and went bungee jumping), spent a day in Ubud, visited the monkey forest, and went Kayaking. Dinner at La Lucciola, cooking class at 4 seasons.<BR><BR>This time, we're scheduled for several day in Legian, then on to Ubud for a few nights, one night at a village near Mt. Batur, then a couple nights in Candidasa. Evening at Tanah Loth, visit to Uluwatu, dinner at that place with a fire dance and a cave (can NEVER remember the name), cooking class at Bumbu Bali, Kintamani Crater Rim Drive, and visit to fishing vilage in Candiasa are what we have planned this time.<BR><BR>We can't change the itinerary (we're going with a group), but I'd love to hear about other people's trip highlights. Anything we should add? Unique activities? Special restaurants?<BR><BR>Thanks!
Apr 6th, 2003, 10:10 PM
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One great activity you can do easily while staying in Ubud is white water rafting. We did a half day trip with a company called Sobel, and it was one of the highlights of our stay in Bali. Sobel offers lots of other private guided tours. They took us on a whole day 4 wheel drive jeep trip to some of the villages in East Bali and it was wonderful. We hiked through rice paddies, visited homes where women were weaving ikat (we bought some amazing pieces of songket, the beautiful ceremonial ikat that is woven with gold thread and very hard to find) and had lunch in Sobel's beautiful open air pavilion overlooking a river. The guide gave us so much great information that helped us better understand the religion and culture of the Balinese people.<BR><BR>Watch your personal possessions at Ulu Watu!!! I can't stress that enough. The monkeys are trained by the locals hanging around there to steal your glasses, jewelry or anything else they can grab. Then you have to pay the guys hanging around the temple to call the monkeys with food to get your possessions back. Huge scam!
Apr 7th, 2003, 08:46 AM
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Try to be at Uluwatu for sunset. Men or women should wear long pants (or women a long skirt), or you will be asked to "rent" a sarong at the entrance. If you go for sunset, bring a flashlight as the temple has no lighting and it is very dark unless there is a full moon.<BR><BR>The Ubud area is great for biking (you can rent) and walking. There is a map called the "Bali Pathfinder" which you can find in tourist shops in Ubud that shows good walking trails through the rice fields and villages. You can walk for a few hours or the better part of a day. Great for bringing a picnic, or some of the trails have restaurants along the way. There is a White Heron reserve just outside Bali, as I recall the map shows you where this is. The map also shows main roads which you can use for biking. One caveat on biking: none of the roads seem to connect, so you basically can turn around when you have gone far enough and then go back. My favourite is the road to the village of Batuan, as it is mostly flat and takes you through small villages full of painters, woodcarvers and basket makers.<BR><BR>There used to be a children's troupe which performs dances and includes a full gamelan orchestra. I am not sure they still exist, but if they do, they perform on Thursday evenings at a temple on the same road as the Kebun Indah Hotel (From the Palace on the main street, keeping the Palace on your left, go down the main (Jalan Ubud Raya) take the third right, the temple is about 3.4 of a mile on your right. <BR>Curious to hear about the cooking classes, Bumbu Bali is one of my favourite restaurants.<BR><BR>In Mt Batur, I assume you will be going to the village of the dead on the lake (where corpses are buried in wall cliffs), if not, try to do this, kind of gruesome but interesting.<BR><BR>In Candidasa, if you aren't staying at the Amankila, definitely go there for drinks and/or dinner.<BR><BR>If you are looking for fiction based in Bali, there is an old book called "Island of Bali" by Miguel Covarrubias. It is dated his description of the life and people of Bali seems timeless.<BR>
Apr 19th, 2003, 08:01 PM
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Thanks so much for all the ideas! Any other suggestions? <BR><BR>I'm not sure where we're staying around Mt. Batur, but we'll check out that village. And we're definitely not staying at the Amankila, but I've added it to our list of must-do places for drinks & dinner. (This is a group trip of our paragliding club organized on an adventure budget!)<BR><BR>Any other ideas? We have a planning meeting Monday night & leave Thursday!<BR><BR>Thanks!
Apr 20th, 2003, 01:02 PM
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Have a seafood dinner in Jimbaran Bay in Kalang Anyar Cafe. Wonderful seafood.<BR>In Ubud I recommend you Cafe Wayan and the Mosaic. Have a gret time. I was there last July and enjoyed it very much.
