Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Back from Bali & Java (and Bangkok)

The plan for the following day was Prambanan temples in the morning and then a close-up view of Mt. Merapi in the early afternoon. Never made it to Merapi because it got too cloudy later that day.

The main temples at Prambanan (about a 25-minute drive from Yogyakarta) are fenced off and undergoing renovation and restoration due to damage from the 2006 earthquake. As of June 2007, you're still able to get close enough to feel that you've "seen" the temples, and there seemed to be quite a few workers involved in the restoration work, so hopefully it will be completed quickly. There's also an photo display showing "before" and "after" earthquake damage, and photos of the famous carvings that are inside these temples.

I also visited a couple other temples at the complex, including the Buddhist Candi Sewu, about half a mile from the main temples. It's still possible to go inside all of these other temples... and, they were all completely deserted on the day I was there. Candi Sewu is a very large complex also, and in amazingly good condition. I had heard it was possible to rent a bicycle to explore the grounds, but saw no information that day about bicycles, which would have been really convenient as it was extremely hot to walk around in the open sun.

Also stopped at Ratu Boko about 2 miles away on a hill overlooking the Yogyakrata area. I wouldn't especially recommend visiting here unless you have a very vivid imagination or a degree in archeology. There's almost nothing left except the foundations - although here too, some restoration was in progress. There is, however, an AWESOME view of Mt. Merapi from this hill, and I was told it's popular at sunset.

Spent the afternoon back in Jogja wandering around the narrow residential streets near the Kraton. It was nice to see local people just going about their normal lives and to be away from the main tourist strip.

BALI - SEMINYAK
The last three nights were back in Bali, at The Samaya in Seminyak. My first reaction to Seminyak was sort of like, "what happened to Bali??" I really missed Ubud. Where were the temples, the crafts, the local people on the street? (I got more used to it, but still I found Ubud to be much more interesting.)

The Samaya was by far the most expensive hotel of the trip ($275 per night), and the one I was most looking forward to. It was overall a bit of a disappointment. Perhaps if I had been on a honeymoon (like every other guest there) it would have been a different experience. They seemed confused to have a single guest, which only made me feel uncomfortable: the driver at the airport was expecting 2 people; there were 2 welcome drinks waiting in the room... They describe the villas with words like 'elegance' and 'luxury' but the pool villa I had was...fine. Nothing wrong with it really, but certainly not luxurious, and just a little bit worn around the edges. The location is spectacular though, directly on the beach (the pool area that is - not the villas, which are set further back). Service was overall very good. But in general, I felt I was paying mostly for the location (and the small plunge pool, which I didn't care too much about one way or the other).

When I came back from dinner I was curious to see how they would transform the atmosphere from day to night (as Komaneka Hotel so magically did). Here...nothing. Not even a lit candle!

In Seminyak I ate at The Breeze at Samaya (excellent food & right on the beach, but very pricey), Mykonos (Greek, cheap and good) and Made's Warung (great Indonesian food).

Also arranged two more half-day trips with Herry, the driver: one to Uluwatu Temple and Padang-Padang beach (bring a bathing suit - it's a beautiful and not too crowded place to swim, just south of more popular Dreamland Beach). Second trip was on my last day in Bali, to Tanah Lot Temple, Pura Taman Ayun near Mengwi, and to the beautiful temple on Lake Bratan. There was a big celebration at the Lake Bratan temple, which was a really nice way to end my trip!

Obviously I really liked Bali and would love to return. A few things I would do differently, especially since I've seen some of the major sights, is
- spend a few nights in eastern or northern Bali and do some trekking/hiking
- not plan so much driving
- avoid the more touristy beach areas
- bring more money and a larger suitcase! Both the quality and variety of shopping was absolutely amazing

OK, that's it - Thanks so much to everyone here who helped me plan this trip!