You can also try Kupu Kupu Barong and the villas at the ARMA resort - both are a short ride from town (different directions) and very nice properties. There is usually a discount package on Luxury Link for KKB and you can check the ARMA site for special pricing.

[email protected]

Wow, thanks, the Kupu Kupu Barong looks nice and not all that expensive (comparatively....). I see they also have a beach resort in Tuban and wonder if anyone has been there (or is too near Kuta??)

Putu can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected] . those are the two addresses we use. Good luck.

Looks like things will be as follows:

6-11 August Alila Manggis (near CandiDasa)
11-16 August Maya Ubud or Alila Ubud
16-20 August Intercontinental Resort Semyniak

Do you think this is appropriate breakdown of available time?

Still unsure of where to book in Ubud but so many places are full.

A little unhappy about the Intercontinental Resort in Semyniak as not keen on big huge resort but with IC ambassador card will get upgrade to club and everywhere else in Semyniak is either too expensive or full or nowhere near the beach. Had also found a room at Tadjung Sari in Sanur but have read so many contrasting reports about Sanur and its beach (have never set foot on Bali) that concerned...

:-)

brussels, I like the Alila group and have stayed at their resort in Ubud many times since they opened 14 years ago. The architecture is contemporary and you either love it or hate it, but the public areas --grounds, pool, restaurant, spa -- are really nice. The view is the same one that you get for twice the price at the Aman or Como. The food is very good -- albeit pricy for Bali -- and the overall aesthetic is serene.

I'm not a fan of the Maya as they seem to cater to big Asian tourgroups, but I have to tell you honestly a lot of people don't like the Alila either. The current manager is competent, but they've had some that took their eyes off the biz.

I've never stayed at the Alila Manggis but I've been there several times and have stayed at the Aman nextdoor. Nice grounds, excellent restaurant. East Bali has a lot of cultural attraction, but the beach is just so so. Five days may be too long.

Unless something's happened that I'm not aware of the only Intercontintal is in Jimbaran. Jimbaran Bay is a nice swimming beach and people like the seaside BBQ restaurants. The I-Con is an older property but has nice grounds. Jimbaran is somewhat out of the way. Some restaurants & shops, but not as many choices as Sanur or Seminyak.

For something in the same price range in Seminyak you might look at the Sofitel -- excellent location, good beach, nice grounds, stylish clientele.

Marmot, thanks for tips

Sorry yes I did, of course, mean the IC Jimbaran. What are your views on Sanur... I know some here rate it highly but elsewhere i read that the beach is not so nice and the town a bit rundown... ? My concern had been that the IC is such a huge place that you might end up feeling like you could be anywhere (bali, yucatan or hawaii...) but maybe i'm wrong

Thanks again

Sanur is a nice swimming beach and there are lots of shops and restaurants in the area. This was one of the first beaches to be developed in Bali (along with Kuta) and therefore many of the properties are 15-20 years old.

Personally I prefer Seminyak. I like the sunsets, the shops, the restaurants. I like the long beach with the dramatic surf. I'd choose the Sofitel over the I-Con based on location.

Sofitel Seminyak "We are sorry, but this hotel is not available" (from 3 to 26 august!!)

:-) :-)

Other choices in the area: Anantara, Samaya, Oberoi, Elysian.
A little farther south, Padma.

Growing increasingly harrassed with the South... might skip it completely and swap it with 4 or 5 days in the north at "Spa Village Resort Tembok" which is an all inclusive SLH and looks excellent!
that would make it Manggis-Tembok-Ubud
so no south-coast at all!

OK, one thing is booked!

http://www.spavillage.com/tembokbali/index.htm


now on to find somewhere in Ubud for 5 nights and decide whether we do 4 nights in Manggis or 2 Manggis and 2 Jimabaran/Seminyak...

:-) :-) thanks again for numerous tips and advice!

i don't see anything to dislike about sanur....its a real town...it has restaurants and shops and lots of hotels....the beaches i have visited at the north, mid and south ends of the town are uniformly nice...

if your source is TA, i usually disregard most of what is said there...

brussels, It seems Bali is going to have a very good July/August: What global recession?

I think you need to determine what it is you want from the beach portion of your visit. If it's peace, quiet and solitude you may want to re-consider Lombok. If it's a lively social atmosphere with nearby shops and restaurants, then Sanur is a good choice, I think better than Jimbaran.

I wouldn't know where to put Alila Manggis in between those two. It's isolated, but the beach isn't particularly nice. The resort itself is pleasant and the area is interesting, but I don't see it as a must-go destination.

Spa Village in Tembok is a new one for me. I hope you get there so that you can give us a report.

We recently stayed at Kajane Mua - the staff is extremely friendly (too much so for my taste - as in I found myself sprinting by them at times to avoid having to have a lengthy conversation). We felt the property to not be worth the expense, particularly when there were so many other great places for half (or less) the cost.

One more note on Kajane - the villas are not really villas. They are suite-sized hotel rooms with outdoor living areas. This was a big surprise to us and a big inconvenience as the wireless only worked outside in Loji Gagga. I now completely understand earlier comments about lack of seating - all the seats are outside where it is warm and muggy.

Before anyone asks, trip report is being worked on.

I have flown on a lot of Indon carriers and am still here to respond. I would avoid Adam air for sure, but let's see now...how about Air France and their peto tubes and their crashing in Toronto a few yrs ago blaming a runway that was too short - never mind that the pilot landed half way down it in the rain, or Singapore air a few yrs ago wasting a big jet and a lot of lives? I have ferried to Lombok many times, & used the Jetboat and all were fine. Silk air is way too expensive - just fly from Denpasar - and even enjoy an old DC-3 - which I loved.

our flights to lombok were on regular jets...

Looking foward to the Spa Village in Tembok. It is a SLH and is run by the same group that run Pangkor Laut and Tanjong Jara in Malaysia so I hope it will be good. It is extremely isolated (they do full board only) so I guess that after that we probably won't be needing Manggis any more!!

I think after Tembok we'll go to Ubud and from there to some southern beach location..

Putu is only available the last three days we're on Bali by which time we'll have been to Ubud and around as well as up north/volcanos etc. Should we still consider calling upon his services? Where could/should he take us to from wherever we're staying in the South?

thanks
bc

The Alila Manggis is lovely, I stayed there less than a month ago. The Italian chef is terrific and the Sri Lankan GM very helpful; he can probably set you up with a guide/driver. I think its location is perfect for much of the south and east.
I think Merpati has cheaper air than you mentioned. I can't find my tickets or vouchers but
I booked thru Treavelindo.com in Jakarta and they had better rates than I could get on any site in the USA. Qunici Villas was great but likely full. Next door is there pool villas and on the hill above, their super lux villas; maybe they can offer a deal on the pricier accommodations.
In Ubud I've stayed at KayuManis and KupuKupu Barong, both wonderful. I'd get on as many waiting lists as will have you; last minute cancellations are rampant in the current economy and tourism climate. The man who led my walking tour in Ubud might be available for guiding; his name is Darta, phone is 62 361 975 487. Wayan (Hiddenbali.com or [email protected]) might be free and if not,ask him if Gusti from his village is free; he knows the Ubud area well. Keep us posted.

If you end up staying at the Alila -- Ubud or Manggis -- Sangputu is a very good guide both for culture and for nature.

so:

3-6 August, three nights in Singapore at the FS

6-11 August five nights, full board, at Spa Village Resort Tembok Bali on the north coast http://www.spavillage.com/tembokbali/index.htm
11-16 August five nights b&b at Royal Pita Maha in Ubud http://www.royalpitamaha-bali.com/index.php
16-20 August four nights b&b at the Alila Manggis on the east coast http://www.alilahotels.com/Manggis

20-22 August, two nights in Singapore at the IC

There goes it... in touch now with Putu about two or maybe three full days with him during our stay. Any tips for Ubud AND Singapore are welcome (for restruants and day spas)

thanks again
bc