Bali - 3 weeks in August
 

After a failed attempt in 2007, we're finally off to Bali this August. FIRST TIME. Tickets are booked and paid so this is it! :-)

The wife (37) and I (39) We land in Singapore at dawn on 3 August and take off from Singapore late on 22 August.

I guess we'd stay a two or three days in Singapore (a while back KimJapan had said the FS was the only place to stay, is that still the case?) and then take an AirAsia flight to Denpasar.

I'd like to stay in 3 locations, Ubud, somewhere on the south coast (sanur or seminyak/legian) and then either north or east coast Bali OR Lombok. Somehow feel I can't be bothered to add the additional hassle of moving to Lombok but perhpas i'm overreacting (:-)))

Would 4 nights Sanur or Seminyak, 5 nights Ubud and 4 nights north/east or Lombok seem like a good breakdown?

A few months ago had read a few repeated reports of a newish place in Ubud but can't fid it again... Pita Maha looks nice and wonder whether the cheaper prices of the Alam Shanti or Alam Indah mean they are really not as nice?

Any suggestions for hotels in those three locations, we are more for quiet places with nearby restaurant options rather than bars/nightlife types...
At the end I wonder wether we should fly back to Singapore just to catch our flight back to Europe or whether we should use it as a decompression chamber and spend a day or two there again.. Or take a day to go to Melacca or Bintan (but then again Bintan might be a waste of time after Bali??)

Am really looking forward to this and as tickets were just booked today am starting to look into various mountain climbs and other trekking options... (best not forget my walking shoes!)

hi b.c.////

i love alam shanti and will return there next spring for a couple of days...i doubt you can get a res at this late date, but try....we thought the place was worth twice the cost..., but it is slightly out of town but they provide free transport...

all of the upscale places are really nice i feel...

sanur...we also love it there....we had the family bungalow and will have it again at tandjung sari....great location...

the bali hyatt at sanur is good too but the rooms are a bit old, but perhaps they have revamped them....the grounds, beach, pools etc are fabulous...

lombok is really nice....the qunci villas are fabulous... very different from bali....we spent 4 nites there and it was just perfect....#5 is a nice villa..
they also have a new property right next door...the food at QV is outstanding and reasonable...

I think it sounds like a reasonable plan. I agree with Ubud and Sanur and I, too, would encourage you to consider Lombok. We visited Lombok as a day trip from Bali in 1999 and really liked it. We went back in 2004 and stayed at Qunci Villas. I've been recommending them ever since. You can look at our photos if that might help in your decision - www.marlandc.com

Thanks Katie, Thanks RHKKMK

am increasingly getting hooked on the Lombok idea, also as I see Silk air fly direct from Lombok to Singapore! How does one get from Bali to Lobok? Boat?

RHKKMK, did you ever stay or see at Alam Shanti's sister hotel on Gili, the Alam Gili? Are the Gili islands maybe too small to spend 4 days on them?

Any views on Singapore hotels? And/or whether adding on Bintan or Melacca makes any sense (meaning cut time out of our time on bali/lombok)

Thanks again

SilkAir one way from Lombon to Singapore is $600 and not even the right days hahahaha

get me back to airAsia :-))

There are about hourly flights between Bali and Lombok. The tickets are cheap (as opposed to the Silk Air ticket!).

I would not recommend Bintan - I've actually never heard anyone say anything good about it. The Gilis are tiny, and the people I've talked to who stayed there wouldn't recommend it (maybe an overnight, but that's it).

Melacca is perhaps worth a couple of days... but if it were me (and it isn't) and I wanted another place that would be a short flight, I'd head for Penang - not for the beach, but for historic Georgetown. The E&O Hotel is there, a fabulous place worth the trip all by itself, you are right in the middle of old town and right in the middle of the world-famous hawker food. If it sounds at all interesting to you, tak a look at my trip report (click on my name and you'll see a list of my trip reports). Also, there are lots of Penang photos to tempt you on our photo site.

My favorite hotel in Singapore is the Fairmont. I love the location - right above an MRT stop and across the street from Raffles Hotel and Chjimes. I don't think one can ever go wrong choosing a Four Seasons, but I don't like the location.

THanks Kathie

not so keen on internal flights on indonesian carriers as every single airline registered in Indonesia was safety-blacklisted by both the FAA and the EU in 2008... will look into boat practicalities.

Just been checking the Fairmont and it looks great.

Am rapidly giving up on the Bintan idea... :-)

I second the Alam Shanti. We found it to be magical. A walk into town through the Monkey Forest is great. Don't know if anything will be available, but try.

Thanks Gpanda! Have written to them and await reply

Any other Sanur suggestions? Place like the Legian and such look stunning but well over our planned budget... :-)

The boat trip between Bali and Lombok can be rather rough, and it doesn't always run. Actually, Indonesian ferries are more dangerous than their airlines.

In Sanur, I've stayed at the Bali Hyatt a number of times. It's an old property. I always stay in the Regency Club, which gives you nice benefits (breakfast, evening cocktails and canapes in the lovely Club). The grounds of the hotel are gorgeous and have won many awards. The only question I'd have (since I haven't been there for years) is whether the rooms have been recently updated. Usually, the prices are very good.

the airline we used from bali to lombok was maperti of some similar name... qunci booked it for us.....not cheap...maybe $120 r.t. US.... 15-20 minute flight...

i looked at the gili place but thought maybe it was toooo rustic for us....no a/c as i remember and remote to get to...

if AS offers you a different hotel of theirs, make sure your room will have a/c....some only have fans...

Aarggh! mail from Alam this morning "Very sorry, all rooms at Alam Properties are fully booked above dates including rooms at Alam Shanti" :-(

In Ubud, ahs anyone stayed at Pita Maha or Maya Ubud? or eslewhere?

thanks

Kathie thanks again for the Sanur tips

I've stayed at the Uma Ubud and quite like it. Sister hotel to the more grand, but 1/2 hour out of town, Como Shamabala estate. About a five minutes walk to the Mozaic restaurant.

http://www.uma.ubud.como.bz/Default.aspx

yikes there all full! (Uma, Pita-Maha, the Alams...)

Maya Ubud has space, has anyone been there?

August is high season in Bali which is why it may be difficult to get reservations. Take a look at the Komaneka properties. We're planning our first trip to Bali next July or August, and they have received good reviews.

thanks CFW Komaneka (all three properties) also full!

might bring a tent! :-)

how about seeking help from a TA like bali discovery tours...??

are you using a driver like putu or someone else?? if so ask for their assistance....

We have booked into the Kajane Mua for our next trip. Have not been there yet , but if you look on this sight and trip advisor it gets some good reviews. It is at the end of town(Ubud), but set back on a rice patty...but then every thing in Ubud is set on the edge of a rice patt. Good luck

> are you using a driver like putu or someone else??

that's a point... had'nt got round to the driver issue yet. I guess it's good to have a driver for a few days around Ubud (assume hotels can arrange transfer from one place to next). Any suggestions? Is Putu on email?