bali accomodations
 

the rhk's and gpanda's hope to visit bali next may...

fodorites have made wonderful accomodation suggestions in the past, but i never wrote any down.....could you repeat them here please?

not particularily interested in the 5* variety, i.e. four seasons, etc.
would prefer 4* type or unique....must have a/c...

walk to outside restaurants near to the hotel is a plus

beach is a plus

ubud suggestions especially welcome...

northern beach locations also welcome.. or other beach locations...someone posted about a wonderful small hotel in sanur which of course i cannot remember the name of.....have stayed at bali hyatt on a past trip so know it...

the thought is to spend a day or two near to the airport, then move on to ubud and finsih up at the beach....

lombok suggestions also welcome...

thanks...

boston GTG oct 13---don't forget

Bob, I've already sent you my Lombok recommendation, but I'll repeat it for future readers. We loved Qunci Villas. The beach there is very nice. Accommodations are nicely designed. It's a small place - 20 rooms. We paid about US$75 several years ago. The price included tax, daily breakfasts and airport transfers.

I wouldn't spend any days near the airport. It's just an hour to Ubud.

Right in Ubud, stylish but still reasonably priced with a fantastic location you will love is Komaneka Resort.

As much as I love Alam Sari and the unique experiences they offer, I don't imagine you being happy 20 minutes drive from town. It also might be borderline too rustic compared to what you are used to.

Ulun Ubud is individual cottages set into the hillside just outside of Ubud. It's walkable for some, but not a pleasant walk along the road. A car would take 3 minutes or less, and they always seem to have one on standby. The setting of this place is stunning, with other hotels with similar views charging much more. A lot of stairs.

The Kajane Mua is another place that's right in the middle of Ubud. The villas are beautiful, if a bit crammed into the sight. It's very popular with honeymooners.

The Tjampuhan hotel is right at the edge of town overlooking the river. This place is well known and for a good reason...good rooms, good service, nice spa, good views, good location. The only thing I'd suggest is not selecting the lowest grade of room as their views are not as nice. A lot of stairs.

The Uma Ubud has quite a few who love it, but it was not our style at all. We visited friends there, and found the staff and service stiff and the feeling of the place a bit crowded. The rooms are very nice though, and the pool is nice. Location is near Ulun Ubud, pretty much across the street from the Mozaic restaurant.

A really interesting place to stay in the northern part of the island is Puri Lumbung. They have a great program for culture and crafts. Munduk is isolated, about 40 minutes to Lovina (which I would skip...it's like Hampton Beach after a 10 year tourist drought and I really don't think you'd enjoy it). http://www.purilumbung.com/index.html

There is an Anantara being built in Seminyak t hat you might enjoy...modern style. The Sofitel Seminyak was redone last year and should still be in pretty good shape for next year. Unless the Oberoi gets some attention, I'd not recommend it. You migiht really enjoy Seminyak for the restaurants, and it's less tacky than Kuta and Legian...I remember you didn't like Samui's Chaweng...if you didn't like that, you'll really not like Kuta/Legian.

In Sanur, maybe Tandjung Sari is the place you are thinking of?

thanks for those quick responses.....

kim, that might indeed be the place....i was hoping that you would see this post as i know you have done tons of research on bali and enjoyed your trip or trips there...thanks..

kathie i have booked marked that from your previous mail....thanks again...
any comment on the sheraton there? did you visit?

bookmarked...duh

On Lombok, I looked briefly at the Sheraton - a brief look was all it took to know for sure I'd never stay there! We also looked at the Novotel on Lombok. It's located at a glaringly white beach at what many consider to be the hottest spot on Lombok. It has some thatched roof villas, four around each shared pool that are nice, but rather close together. They also have rooms that are in a motel-like buidling that really looked awful to me. The public spaces look nice, and they have a nice infinity pool by the beach.

By the way, there are photos of Qunci Villas at www.marlandc.com Look for the Lombok section.

As you're probably aware I'm a great fan of the Legian in Seminyak. I think you get the best combination of beach, walkable restaurants, spas and shops, beautiful tranquil surroundings and excellent service.

The rooms are large and well designed and all have roomy balconies with sea and sunset views. The pool is not the biggest but it is one of the most beautiful I've ever encountered with an infinity edge overlooking the sea.

The beach is kept clean and the resort grounds offer shady respite to watch the waves. This area is known for its aggressive surf so it's better suited for walking than swimming.

The food is great for breakfast and lunch and their seafood barbeques are very popular. There are zillions of choices for dinner in the area. Both La Lucciola and KuDeTa are easy walks and the Legian will provide transport to other Seminyak eateries.

In Ubud I favor the Alila and the Kayumanis. (I've visited the Kayumanis several times though I've not actually stayed there.) Both are on the rim of the Ayung River valley and offer spectacular views. I personally like to get out of Ubud as the Bali nights on in the countryside are magical and many of the dance performances and festivals are in the area.

If you prefer the town of Ubud itself I like Komeneka and Ketut's. Both offer a high degree of accessibility to Balinese arts and culture. Ketut himself is a favorite of the expat community here in Jakarta and many people just turn their itinerary over to him on arrival!

I've stayed at the Sheraton in Lombok and although the beach was one of the best on the island I found the resort very commercial. The Oberoi on Lombok (not Bali) is especially nice -- secluded with lovely grounds and a nice beach and pool. Good food and spectacular sunsets.

We are leaving for Bali and Java in a few days and I will let you know about the accomodations upon our return. We selected the Oberoi for 2 nights upon our arrival because we will be travelling for over 24 hrs, arrive at 10:30pm, and didn't want to be more than a few minutes from the airport. Although there have been some negative comments about it, we will see, we'll be there only one full day. I didn't pick the Legian because the beds are only queen size and that would make us uncomfortable (I even wrote to the hotel to confirm because otherwise it sounded wonderful). Then we fly to Java for 3 nights at Amanjiwo, then back to Bali for a week at a villa outside of Ubud. Does that interest you at all? (we will be with another couple, that's why we decided to go that way rather than a hotel).

what are anyone's thoughts on the Inter-Continental Jimbaran? i've heard good reviews, especially about Jimbaran but worry about ICs...thanks

DC---what is the name of the villa you will stay in and how did you reserve it?


marmot---thanks i knew i could rely on your comments

bob

Centrally located on the beach in Sanur, Griya Santrian is very nice and has good reviews.

Based on great reviews and much research we chose the Ibah Luxury Villas in Ubud. Unique 4* boutique (15 Villas)that is on the very edge of downtown yet totally secluded in a quiet tropical setting on a lush river bank. Only 3 minute walk to the Ubud Palace (Ary's Warung, Cafe Lotus) or free shuttle on-demand to anywhere in Ubud. Intimate feel, Balinese architecture and details throughout with luxury appointments and very convenient. Nice spa, restaurant, even afternoon tea. We loved our stay and will return here again.

Someone recently mentioned a hotel in Eastern Bali on the grounds of the Water Palace in Tirtagangga, Tirta Ayu Hotel which looks really cool and very unique. Reportedly a 3 minute walk to local shops, cafes and restaurants and a 15 minute drive to an undeveloped white sand beach. I looking forward to staying here.

A possible alternative to Lombok to consider is Yogya/Borobudur if you've never been.

We too are thinking about Bali for next year, most likely February or March. Where are the best beaches? I've read on the forum that you don't really go to Bali for the beaches. Is that true? We would want a nice hotel (4 or 5 star) and someplace close to a town for restaurants and the like. Overbuilt, a la Patong, however, is not for us.

We would combine a beach with some place like Ubud.

I've also seen good reviews of the Intercontinental and the Conrad. And, the Ritz Carlton seems to be in the same price range, although there may be two of them there. Anyone been to these properties? We will be two adults and two pre-teens.
Thanks.

And, is flying time from BKK to Denpasar about two hours or so? And, is it easy/quick to get from Ubud to the beach areas? Thanks

We started out by looking at villas recommended by a friend who had stayed at one but she had considered several others. She also had a friend who had stayed at another. We ended up at the latter because of the configuration, we need 2 master suites because we are two couples travelling together. But I saw lots of pictures of these two and I did look at many others on the internet. The ones we seriously considered are very luxurious looking and reviewed that way by our friends as well, but the prices are incredible. Ranging from $200-$300 per night for two couples including breakfast, staff and in the case of the one we chose, a driver as well. Downside is that they are not walking distance from anything, no internet. But these were not important considerations for us.

This is great, keep them coming. We're hoping for dream accomodations to make up for spending time with Bob.

After hearing from people who had good experiences renting villas in Bali, we decided to go that way for a few reasons. First, I have a villa in Anguilla which we rent out, so I am not wary of staying at a villa elsewhere, know what kinds of questions to ask, etc. Second, I knew that it would save alot of money and that would enable us to splurge on the Amanjiwo without feeling too bad about it. Third, I knew we could stay at a villa without sacrificing BEAUTY of the surroundings. Finally, as long as we could have two master BRs, I knew we would be able to share a place without either one of us resenting that the other had a better room (there is always sibling rivalry of some sort between my sister and me).

rhkkmk,
I think you saw my trip report a while and wanted to recommend the places we stayed, some have already been mentioned. We stayed in great places that were all smaller boutique style.

We stayed at Tugu in Canggu (north of Seminyak) which was on a black sand beach that is not swimmable. It's a beautiful boutique style place with a lot of Indonesian character and great food.

In Ubud we did Kajane Mua, which is close to everything but manages to make you feel like you are far from the hustle and bustle, the plunge pools are huge if you are interested in that. The breakfasts there were not great (they didn't have a restaurant at the time), but there are plenty of amazing places to eat nearby.

I also second Kathie's recommendation of Qunci in Lombok. The place is a great value. It's sleek has a nice pool, great service and amazing sunsets. Getting there can be a bit tricky (was for us), but the beaches on the island are worth it (much better than Bali).

We booked Tugu on luxurylink.com,
Kajane directly thorugh the hotel, and Qunci on asiarooms.com

Here are pics again if interested:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...=0&y=frfzz

You'll have a great trip.

DC...you posted a very nice answer but would you be willing to share the name of the place you stayed....it is just what we might need---are there locks on the bedroom doors (gpanda roams at nite)??
would also be interested in any other places that you considered...
thanks
bob

thanks all great info....keep it coming.

ag..22.....i loved seeing your pics again.....thanks...

Tengo to answer some of your questions:
I love the beach in Bali, but it’s definitely not of the white sand, clear calm water pristine variety. In South Bali there are several beach areas: Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Sanur and the long connected beach from Kuta-to-Seminyak. They all have distinct personalities with many repeat customers so it really depends on what you’re looking for.

There are beaches on all sides of Bali (it's a fairly small island) and those in the Northwest, Northeast and far North are less developed, but are either more cove-like -- as opposed to long and sandy -- or black sand. So it’s a trade-off.

Nusa Dua is an enclave that is really just international hotels and resorts. The beach is good but the water is very shallow at low tide. The Conrad is at the far end of Nusa Dua in Benoa. This is a newish property and is built around a series of swimming lagoons. It is very stylish and I would think would be lots of fun for kids. The drawback is that the beach is fairly dismal, mostly manmade and overrun by jetskis.

Jimbaran Bay is a sweeping arc with a good swimming beach, although it’s recently suffered quite a lot of erosion. There are several seafood barbeques on the beach which are popular. The Intercontinental is an older property with lovely grounds but not especially distinctive rooms.

The Ritz is on a cliff overlooking the beach. This makes for great views and lovely sunsets, but to get to the beach you have to climb down (and eventually UP) many, many stairs. The beach itself is small and private – good sand and water but scorchingly hot. The resort is self contained and quite isolated, which can be good as there are several pools and restaurants on the site, or annoying if you want to go anywhere else.

Sanur is on the eastcoast with a long sandy beach that’s excellent for swimming. Many of the resorts have been around for years and years and, in my opinion, are showing their age, but the area’s very popular with families. Plenty of restaurants nearby.

The westcoast beach stretches for miles from Kuta to Seminyak and beyond. The beach is wide and sandy and the surf can be aggressive. Lots of fun if you like big waves, but definitely better suited to strong swimmers. The upscale resorts keep their beaches clean; the public areas are less so. Kuta is the most developed and has a well deserved reputation as the “wild-side” of Bali. Still, a lot of families like it because there’s a lot of action and a lot to do.

I personally prefer the Seminyak area for the beach, the shops and the restaurants. Here I’d recommend the Sofitel and the Legian Seminyak.

The Thai non-stop is about 4.5 hours from Bangkok to Denpasar. The driving time from the beaches to Ubud area is between 1 to 2 hours depending on from where to where. Transportation (private car and driver) is readily available and not expensive.

Bob, I sent you a personal email about this. Let me know if you did not receive it.

thanks DC...i sent something back to you....bon voyage!!

Puri Santrian in Sanur is great, stayed twice in the last 3 years and enjoyed it. Definitely UBUD but Sanur first.

Marmot,
Thank you for the info. It saved us tons of time and research.

Another question please:
Checking room rates it seems like the Spring, or at least February/March rates, are much lower than summer rates in Bali. Is this because of school vacation worldwide or, is February-March-April not a good time to visit Bali weather wise?

Also, the Legian looks incredible, if expensive. Pictures of the Conrad also look beautiful.
Thanks again.
RK

tengo -- jan, feb, march into april are if you check weather sites, the rainy seasons in Bali, so prices are going to be lower. that said, we went in mid january and only had one day with a huge downpour -- tropical rain also tends to be brief and intense, not necessarily an all day affair. it's going to vary year to year, I think march this past year was very wet.
that said, fewer people and lower prices during the "off season" and from what I heard, prettier with all the green/vegetation.

Tengo, Since the foremost travelers to Bali are Europeans and Australians the heaviest traveled months are August and December. After that, it's Easter, Lunar New Year and the international school holidays, then the Islamic holidays after Ramadhan which will be in mid-October this year.

The rainy season is roughly November through March though it's the tropics and it rains all year. You can get long sunny dry spells and long (2-3 day) grey and rainy spells at any time. Mostly, however, as Jen says, storms come and go quickly and dramatically.

Bali is entering a period of excessive development right now. Villas are everywhere and there are far more of them then there are tourists. Aside from the big name properties, all rates are negotiable. Persist.

If you like the Legian and the Conrad, take another look at the Sofitel. It's a good value with a great location and excellent facilities.

mar....if you had to name one beach area as the best of bali, with wonderful white sand, not lots of people, few touts and salespeople, but yet convenient to restaurants and nice accomodations---WHAT WOULD IT BE??

in short the best.....legian??

Bob, the Legian's still my favorite and I've stayed there maybe 200 nights in the past 12 years.

Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect. There is not one beach in Bali that offers clean white sand, clear calm water and deserted vista. Seminyak beach can get crowded and, depending on how the tides come in from Java, somewhat laden with flotsam and jetsam.

The Legian's beachfront is quite wide and sandy. They keep it raked and tidy. They can't keep the touts off the beach but they keep them moving.

The resort grounds are green and shady. You can sit all day in a beach chair almost on the beach without actually being on the beach. If you want to get closer there are bales right on the beach. The pool and beach attendants are very attentive.

I guess that's what I like best: if you want to get involved in the lively beach scene, it's there. If you want to withdraw you can move back under the palms or camp out on your balcony.

If you want to walk or run you can go miles in either direction which is especially compelling at sunset or early morning.

The Legian is beautiful at night with the torches lit around the pool. They have jazz cocktail hour on weekends and beach barbeques once or twice a week.

Unfortunately, the restaurant dinner menu is overpriced and underwhelming. Since the last time I was there they have a new chef so maybe things will improve. There are so many choices in the area (La Lucciola being my favorite) that this is hardly a handicap.

The Legian spa is quite nice, but I think also overpriced. There are plenty of other choices, including beach masseuses.

I think as a group GHM which includes Legian and Chedi is one of the best managed in Asia. They are related to the Aman group and the Alila group and they have real commitment to service and aesthetic. And despite my constant honking on their behalf I'm not on the payroll :) I represent an East Coast fortune 500 company and over the years I've sent scores of colleagues to the Legian. These are sophisticated, well traveled executives and I don't think I've ever had a complaint.

thanks Mar......can always count on good advice from you....

in sanur what place do you like?? and how about ubud....??

thanks again...

i think we need to try legian, so i can see if i can come up with a complaint...haha

which fortune 500?

Re. a Bali hotel: The Tandjung Sari in Sanur Beach area is the most spiritual hotel I've ever stayed in. When I arrived, no one asked for my passport or credit card right away. Instead, they lead us immediately to our villa and sounded a gong to announce our arrival. This is a small hotel--food and restaurant are wonderful. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Bob, I have a hard time with Ubud accommodation. Everything's either too this or too that. I always stay at the Alila because I LOVE the so-called "suites". They are actually large rooms with wrap around terraces hanging over the river valley. The regular rooms are a bit cramped (but still well designed.) The grounds and public areas are lovely and the pool is spectacular.The service is good and the organized cultural activities and nature trekking excellent.

Other than that in the Ayung River area I'd recommend Kayumanis for an upscale villa with plunge pool and Alam Sari for a family-like Bali culture experience. The latter is owned by two New Zealanders who are longtime residents of Jakarta (they teach at the international school) and they really take good care of their guests.

In the town of Ubud I like Komeneka which is owned by the scion of the museum family -- very stylish and very arts oriented. I'd also highly recommend Ketut's. This is a family run outfit which is really like being in a Balinese compound, everybody gets involved. My son recently stayed there with a group of his college friends and even though he's well versed in Indonesian culture he said he benefited a lot from Ketut's events planning. He even had the boys cooking a Balinese meal with the grandmother!

I'm also a great fan of the Amankila over on the East Coast but that's a whole other cost structure. I get a resident discount, so it's not TOO bad but otherwise it's wildly pricy. Right next door is the Alila Manggis which is a very nice property -- lovely grounds, OK beach, great food. I understand that Alila guests have access to some of the Aman's facilities, but I'd double check that information.

I haven't stayed in Sanur for some 20 years (I'm a sunset fanatic) but most of the places that I stayed in then are still around, so they definitely have ardent fans. Although I appreciate history as much as the next guy, in Indonesia and the tropics in general, new is generally better for resorts as maintenance and housekeeping are very demanding; otherwise mold and mildew move in fast.

I like the Four Seasons in Jimbaran (again a bit pricy) and there are several new villa operations, like The Bale, in the Bukit that look lovely. The Bukit is the cliff area between Nusa Dua and Jimbaran and although you don't get easy beach access, you get fabulous views.

I'd rather not name my employer, but it's an East Coast retailer and believe me these people are discerning (read: picky!).

Bob -- just a quick note to say I hope you and the Pandas have a great time in Bali -- knew I couldn't add anything formative to the hotel discussion from my personal experiences and you'd be in good hands with marmot's suggestions.

I did find some great shopping opportunities if there's anything specific you were thinking about hunting down - would be happy to share.

jen---always interested in shopping....what were your two best finds....karen did buy tons of straw/ratan stuff last visit...

mar---thanks so much for all of that info.....do we have a large retailer left on the east coast?? ha ha i understand your feelings...

Bob-
Putu Arnawa who you recommended to us took us to some very high quality shops.

The two best jewelry stores were Prapen in Celuk (large, good selection) and Alamkara on Monkey Forest Rd (small, unique and stylish items).

The best (and very pricey) workshop for wood carving is the world renown Njana Tilem Gallery in Mas. Worth a visit to see the magnificent pieces even if not looking to buy and view the archived pieces in the gallery.

Say Hi to Putu for us.

Why would you want to spend some days near the airport? When I arrived at the airport, I just got a private driver to drive me directly to Ubud. There was a board up with the prices on it of different locations. I stayed at a place called "Prada" in the heart of Ubud...December 1998. It was $45/$50. then including breakfast. I liked that it was at the corner of the main drag, but it wasn't noisy. There were only about 6-8 rooms at the place and it was new then. Happy Travels!

Oh, I forgot to add that Prada was the good place where I stayed. The bad place was across the street from Prada. The staff at the bad place even recommended that I move to Prada and made my reservation and carried my luggage over there and all. Happy Travels!

bookmarking.

In Ubud we tried the Royal Pita Maha and enjoyed it. Large villas, wonderful view, large private pool. A lot of stairs to climb though...