BALI. ...is this the correct forum?
 

Hi...it was suggested Bali questions would be better answered here than the Australian forum.
We're spending 5 days in Ubud, Bali at the end of February. I have my guide book, but am interested in hearing first-hand suggestions for places to visit, foods, and those hidden gems. Thank you in advance. Cheers!

Other than Ubud, i think you should visit Kuta and other part of Bali (Nusa Dua, Legian, etc) too. Spending time on one area is not enough to truly experience the real 'Bali' :p

But while in Ubud, you should watch Bali's Legong Dance at Ubud Palace ('Puri Ubud') and on Monkey Forest Road at the Bale Banjar Ubud Kelod. Or maybe take a nice cycling trip around Ubud's rice fields.

You could find out more about it here: http://www.indoneo.com/blogs/indones...s-legong-dance

It's an intriguing dance and worth to watch when you visit Bali.

Yes, Bali is located in Indonesia, which is part of Asia. If you search here, you will find literally hundreds of posts about Bali.

Five days is not a lot for Bali as there is so much to see and do. Ubud is the cultural center of Bali and you may wish to stay there if you are primarily interested in culture. If you had longer, I might suggest splitting your time between Ubud and a beach. I do not recommend Kuta beach as it's the "party beach" and is packed with drunk adolescents. There are a number of nice beach areas you could visit, I like Sanur.

The Legong Dance is one of a number of dances you might choose to see. The Barong dance is another.

I'd suggest you hire a driver for at least a few of your days to get you to places you want to see. Be aware that each of the little towns on Bali has its own craft speciality - wood working, stone carving, silver work, etc.

Thank you Tontorino and Kathie. Very helpful and I've made notes. Can anyone suggest a day trip to a beach from Ubud? We would like very much to see a beach and my boyfriend would lover an opportunity to fish. Thanks again.

Ubud is inland Bali and almost in the middle of the island.Its set among rain-forest, terraced rice paddies and temples and is a centre for Balinese art and culture. A trip to any beach from there is a day's excursion.Some of the more frequented beaches are the south-western coastal areas, such as Kuta, Seminyak, Legian, Cangu and Jimbaran, whereas the Nusa Dua and Sanur are to the south east.

These are not the beaches that are photo-shopped and shown travel brouchers/mags that inspire flocks of tourists that throng Bali.For great beaches you'll have to go to some of the islands.

For a day trip try Nusa Lembongan. There are a number of cruise companies which offer day trips from Sanur. Or simply take a fast boat.

Nusa Dua, IMO, is a fright of a place.
An enclave of "chain" type properties as isolated from the real Bali as can be imagined.

Get a map. Get a driver. Spend a couple of days in Ubud, then go to Candidasa, Seminiak, Sanur for a different view of Bali.

Eschew anything that looks like an Amerian or other International chain hotel.

I agree with Bokhara - I always recommend that people avoid Nusa Due (a sterile tourist enclave) and Kuta.

Boy, I just love the responses on this forum! Everyone is so helpful and all the points of view, though sometimes different, are welcome to make one's own decisions. Thanks so much!

Check out this map for some great options in Bali. It helped me a lot: http://www.baliunbound.com/bali-map/