Bali in March for 5 nights?
 

Will have 3 or 4 nights in singapore then thinking Bali would be great destination.
Thinking 3 nights Ubad and 2 night beach area-seminyak

is this doable? do you like the 3 to 2 set up. we want to see and do things not just sit on beach but some sitting would be nice. We want to enjoy the gorgeous hotels


Weather-rain..would this make you pick another destination?

If so what would you pick for 5 nights...then I will be going to India!!
J

Singapore and Bali are fine destinations. But I really think you need more than 5 nights in Bali. If it were me - and it isn't - I'd take a night or two from Singapore to add to Ubud. Singapore is an interesting place, but it doesn't have the cultural richness of Bali, IMO.

thanks kathie
we will be arriving in singapore from USA so i was thinking 4 nights due to jetlag..do you think 3 is good?
Then maybe another night in Ubad..4 nights ubad and 2 beach?Then we move on to India!!! we have 3 weeks total and although we were going to concentrate on India, I've have been to India 2 times already but have not experienced anything else. Dying to see other countries.
Judith

Both are delightful destinations, IMO, but your time would be too limited for my tastes. You might want to look at my trip report -- just click on my screen name to find it. It might give you some idea of what can be done in the time you have.

Hope that helps1

Maybe you could consider just transiting through Singapore this trip and carrying on straight to Bali. Either the beach or Ubud is a terrific place to recover from jetlag.

March in Bali is transitional between the wet and dry seasons. You may get all sun, all rain or (most likely) a mix. Either way, Ubud will still be beautiful, but it's hard to predict sunny beach days.

March 28 is Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence. It's a wonderful time to visit Bali, but takes some planning as the whole island closes down.

It is so hard to decide..do you see a few places and just do cursory glance or limit and dig deep. It is hard to dig deep with so little time. Thinking maybe i will do Singapore 3 nights and then 5 nights ubad and skip beaches....how does this sound?

Nothing wrong with that plan. But you will feel like you didn't have enough time in either place.

I tend to prefer to "dig deep" even with just limited time. If you continue to travel to Asia, you will likely have many opportunities to transit through Singapore, while it takes more of a detour to get to Bali.

I agree with marmot - I'd transit though Singapore this trip and spend all of my time on Bali. Save Singapore for your next trip.

Tough call, and a personal one, but I'm like Kathie -- I prefer to skip some places to be sure to see what I want to see of the places I do visit. And others have noted, it is much easier to get to Singapore than Bali, so if you are going to shortchange a place, Singapore would be the one to skim on this occasion. JMO.

thinking I will shorten singapore and stay in ubad 5 nights. We are not huge beach people. So if you could stay in any hotel in Ubad, the sky is the limit..where would you stay. Amazing food a must!

Ubud is both a small town and the name of the general area. Most of the luxury resorts are outside of town in the countryside, overlooking the river valleys. They all have good restaurants but not as good as some of the newer free standing restaurants in Ubud. And not as many really good restaurants as you would find in the Seminyak area.

For Ubud-area resorts my top pick would be Como Shambhala. The Four Seasons in Sayan has a lot of fans, but it's not my favorite. Also the new Ritz Carlton Mandapa looks fabulous (though I haven't visited yet.) Alila is one notch down on luxury, but same view and very good food. Kayu Manis and Samaya are smaller, more intimate. Uma Ubud is in town.

My favorite Ubud restaurants are Locavore (believe it or not, you need to make a reservation now!) and Hujan Locale (sit upstairs).

If wonderful restaurants are one of your goals, then maybe you should rethink splitting your time between Seminyak and Ubud.

In Seminyak, stay at the Legian or the Alila. There are many, many good restaurants, but my top choices would be Sardine, La Lucciola, Sarong, Metis.

marmot
thank you so much. I think we will try the ritz unless the rates at 4 season are way better. would you recommend legion or alila over four seasons Jumb bay?
Thank you so much for the restaurant recommendations!!! can I ask more questions about what to do and see as we get closer? Do you think 4 nights near Ubad and 2 and beach is good number/?

Thanks so much!!
J

KJA loved your trip report...very helpful!!

The Four Seasons at Jimbaran Bay is a lovely resort. It's beautifully designed with all villa accommodation on the cliffside overooking the sea. The beach has fallen victim to serious erosion, though the water is calm for swimming. The resort has several restaurants, but there aren't a lot of independent options in the Jimbaran area.

The Legian, Alila, W and Samaya are all along Petitenget beach which is the north end of Seminyak. They all have serene, spacious gardens and pools fronting a wide, sandy beach. And all are within walking distance or a short taxi from many, many restaurants, spas, shops, clubs -- a lively and sophisticated neighborhood. The beach is a big wave, surfing destination that can at times be too rough for swimming.

I don't think you can go wrong with the Legian. All of the rooms have big ocean facing balconies, the pool and grounds are gorgeous, the service is excellent, the food is good, the spa is lovely. (Just make sure you get the The Legian in Seminyak.)

Glad you found some helpful info in my trip report -- thanks for letting me know!

i amde reservations for Locovore for March 2017!!! Now thats planning!
Thanks Marmot!!!
now still investigating hotels!

Heads up on spelling, U-b-u-d.

Oo-bood, not You-bad.

Thanks....dyslexic!!!

Dinner reservations 7 months in advance! Now that's a serious foodie.

Hi marmot,
I am exploring hotels that you suggested in Seminyak. The legian seems to be the priciest. The samaya the least expensive of the 3 (Legian, Alila and Legian).
Would you go with the Samaya? Would you have any reservations about this hotel?
Also any thoughts on Komaneka? this is the lowest price and reviews seem positive on trip advisor.

Thanks,
J

The Alila is much bigger than the other two. It's right on the beach (though not all rooms have views) but some distance from the main road.

The Samaya and Legian are similar in size and location. I'd give the Legian the edge for design. The least expensive rooms are the studio suites, which are spacious with seaview balconies.

I haven't seen the rooms at the Samaya but I don't think they have ocean views.

The Komaneka group has four properties in the Ubud area--two in the busiest part of town, one on the outskirts of town and one about 20 minutes away in the countryside. So you have to consider the location that you want first.

Marmot and others another thought...what about doing the 2 oberoi properties as they have transportation between the two. The Oberoi, Bali and The Oberoi, Lombok. I know nothing of Lombok but looks beautiful. Thoughts? I don't go until March so have plenty of time to explore options (I think)
J