thank you for that good information you left on another thread....i am planning a trip in june, 2004 for 1 week to bali as part of a larger trip...we have settled on the hotel bali hyatt in sanur for the stay.....do you think that this is a good location for visiting other parts of the island with a driver?? most people say you should stay in ubud also, but we would prefer to stay in one location and do day trips....in your opinion is this a mistake??
thanks for your help
bob

I know you weren't asking me the question, but you have given me much valuable advice on Bangkok and Hua Hin, so I wanted to reciprocate. We have been to Bali twice and stayed at the Grand Hyatt, which is very close to the Bali Hyatt. I would suggest staying in one place and taking day trips. You can hire a driver very cheaply for the day. Over a period of a few days, you should be able to see all of the island. Enjoy the rest of the time relaxing by the beach. Any other questions, please ask and I will try to help.

Bob, I also have enjoyed reading your posts on Bangkok and we seem to have similar tastes. I cannot emphasize strongly enough that if you go to Ubud for the day you will NOT like it. You will only see the shops and the people and the touts and won't understand what this part of the island is about. You won't get a chance to see sunset over the ricepaddies, or take a long walk along trails up through rice paddies into the hills. You won't get to see the evening dance performances. You wont' get to take a raft down the Ayung river and jump in for a cold swim as the current carries you to shore. You won't understand the quiet and magical beauty of this place. I think you should consider adding at least 2 days in Ubud. I have been to Bali numerous times and lived there for 3 months (all in Ubud) and so hope this carries some weight with you.

Bob - The person you are trying to reach, "kuluk" is most likely the owner of Kuluk Gallery outside of Ubud. She does have a helpful perspective on traveling in Bali. While I will not reveal her real name or personal e-mail, you might try contacting her at info@(no spam)kulukgallery.com. Obviously, leave out the (no spam) part.

Richard, The Bali Hyatt and the Grand Hyatt are not at all close together. The Bali Hyatt is at Sanur, the Grand Hyatt is at Nusa Dua.

thanks for your comments....we just hope we have made the correct decision to stay at the bali hyatt...originally we were going to the grand hyatt but with a very favorable rate and less issolation we decided that the bali hyatt would fit the bill for us....ubud is still up in the air...i appreciate your comments cicerone (i have followed your thoughts too on these pages and have noted your suggestions about ubud in the past)....today i have found myself thinking that we might not go to laos this trip and instead put the time into more bali, but i have 11 months to decide about this....

I do agree with the other posters, but as I mentioned before, I live in Ubud so have a somewhat biased viewpoint! Obviously, the beach areas are the most famous, but in Ubud you will likely experience a more traditional type of life. Also, if you base yourself in the southern areas to take day trips to other areas you will be adding at least 45 minutes to your travels each way. On the maps Bali looks quite small but due to road conditions and other traffic (soup carts, animals, etc) it will take a while to get anywhere...

In either case, if you do get out and explore more of the "out of the way" areas changes are you will have a more memorable vacation. Have fun..

I thought the two Hyatts were closer than they actually are, looking at the Hyatt map. Checking a more detailed map, Kathie is right. They are not that close, but relative to the entire island, they are similarly located in the Southern part of the island. As Kuluk said, you would be adding 45 minutes each way to go to Ubud, but I enjoy the ride in unfamiliar places, and still would rather spend the day in Ubud and come back to the beach. It depends whether you think 45 minutes each way is too long and you would rather pack up and change hotels.

thanks for the responses everyone....we have decided to stay put at the bali hyatt and have engeged Craig's (the famous craig from fodor's.com) driver to take us around....so i think the 45 minutes will be ok as we don't have to do the driving...

bob