karore

Hi,

We will be in Bali during June for 2 weeks and would really appreciate help with our itinerary. We like the outdoors, snorkeling, hiking and culture, music and dance. We spend most of our time outdoors so our accommodations tend to be on the cheaper side, with an occasional splurge for relaxation.

So, I have tried to cover everything. I would really appreciate your comments on adjustments to itinerary, selection of hotels and activities.

My wife will arrive on May 28th for a conference and I join her on June 6th.

June 6th - Sanur
June 7th - June 9th - Drive to Pamuteran and stay near Lovina (we are thinking of Kubu Lalang hotel but would love a recommendation)
June 9th - Drive to Bratan Lake and stay at Enjung Beji Resort
June 10th - Drive to Amed and stay at Apakabar Villas
June 11 - 13th- Take the ferry to Lombok, stay at Sheraton Senggigi
June 13th - Return to Denpasar in time for the start of the annual cultural festival. Stay the night in Denpasar (not sure where and would like some ideas on this)
June 14 - June 18th - Stay in Ubud at Puri Saren Agung
June 18th - Nusa Dua Conrad
June 19th fly back home

Thanks

marmot

karore, it seems to me that you're doing an excessive amount of moving around for a two week trip. I'd pick a maximum of four destinations and make day trips to places that you want to see.

I don't know the Kubu Lalang so can't compare, but we like the Taman Sari Cottages in Pemuteran.

I wouldn't recommend that you actually stay in Denpasar proper. It's not that far from either Sanur or Seminyak (or Ubud for that matter).

The Conrad and Sheraton Senggigi seem the odd man out in your choice of accommodations. Is there are reason that you've chosen these? If you're looking for luxe + beach you could do better.

JohnFitz

I second the advice not to stay in Denpasar and to think about less movement.

Denpasar is not pretty and in 20 mins from Sanur or Seminyak etc you are there . I like visiting the Market in Denpasar , I used a tailor there for years and bought some objet from some local shops but beyond that it is not interesting .

As for moving around I find each hotel move loses you half a day or sometimes more as you are out by 10 , 11 or 12 and cannot checkin until 2pm or later and suddenly the day is gone .

But if you really want to stay in Denpasar have a look at www.balidiscovery.com and click on South Bali Hotels and then Denpasar . The others on offer around the Island may be of interst to you as well as those on Lombok .I have used them in the past to book and they were fine.

Gpanda

I agree, don't move around so much. I would suggest Ubud, Sanur and either Lovina or Lombok. In any case, do not bother with Nusa Dua. It's a sterile environment. Think the worst of Cancun.`

Kathie

Yup, way too much moving around. I'd choose two locations on Bali and one on Lombok. I think the Ubud area is a must-do, and I like Sanur. Avoid Nusa Dua, and there is no reason to stay in Denpasar. You can visit all the places you want to go on Bali from two bases. The distances on Bali are not all that great, though the travel is a bit slow due to narrow, twisty roads.

On Lombok, let me recommend Qunci Villas - just lovely and the beach is lovely too. Well-priced (about US$70 a night including breakfast). The Sheraton is not a place I'd consider staying, and Senggigi is pretty awful.

karore

Thanks a lot for the advice. The moving around is with some purpose, I wanted to stay at Bratan Lake for an early morning paddle across the lake to see the temple at sunrise. The stay at Amed is for a diving trip to Tulamben (avoiding the crowds).

I do agree the rest is a bit too much. So, Lombok is out (I was trying to use my Starwood points) but looks like its not worth it. Ideally, I would have to Lombok for a trip to mount Rinjani, but we just don't have the time.

Conrad is for the Hilton points (since it was only one night) but I think I'd try something in Sanur or Seminyak instead.

Here is the revised itinerary, let me know what you think.

Marmot, thanks for the tip on Bali Taman Sari.

June 6th - Sanur
June 7th - June 9th - Drive to Pamuteran (stay in Bali Taman Sari)
June 9 - June 11th Drive to Bratan Lake and stay at Enjung Beji Resort
June 11 - June 13 Drive to Amed and stay at Apakabar Villas
June 13 - June 18th - Stay in Ubud at Puri Saren Agung
June 18th - Sanur or Seminyak??
June 19th fly back home

skittle

We went to Bali for 2 weeks in April. We stayed to first 3 nights at Amed at Anda Amed Resort. We wish that we could have stayed longer as it we so relaxing and beautiful. The resort organised snorkelling trips for us cheaper that we could get them for ourselves on the street and had fantastic advice about the best places to go. For snorkelling the Japanese wreck was brilliant. If you stay in Amed ask to be taken to this place as the reef is great and there were more fish than I have seen anywhere.

rhkkmk

conrad is very nice....but the sheraton, as kathie says, is not....qunci is fabulous and they have just opened a whole new section as well---another property really... #5 is really nice

marmot

I think you’ve done the right thing in narrowing in your focus. Plenty of mountains to climb on Bali!

Seminyak or Sanur? Sanur is quieter, more modest. Seminyak livelier, more recent development. I like Seminyak because of the big waves and sunsets. Some nice neighborhood-y places to stay in the Petitenget area.

For some off the beaten track ideas while you’re in Ubud:
Visit the Kubu Bingin mask museum in Tengkulak Tengah, an astonishing collection of masks and puppets from all over the archipelago.
Take a tour of the Green School for futuristic bamboo sustainable architecture.
See the kecak dance performed at Junganan village

JohnFitz

As far as Seminyak is concerned you might want to consider staying at Villa Lumbung , which is actually a small boutique hotel that is highly recommended . About US$90 a night rack rate . Not on the beach but said to be quiet and charming .

Or up the beach at Petinget , The Grand balisani Suites . Quiet location on the beach with a nice pool and easy enough to get anywhere you wish . I booked it on asiawebdirect.com last year and got a suite with breakfast for US$146 a night but I know a standard room is much cheaper .

karore

Thanks a lot everyone for some great suggestions. I am down to the final decision on a place to stay in Seminyak. It is our last night so we are ready to splurge a little bit (breaking the $100 barrier).

Please let me know if you have any comments on these hotels:
The Kayana Villas http://www.thekayana.com (expensive but I like the pool villa idea)
Grand Balisani
Hotel Kumala
Sunset Suites www.balisunsetsuite.com/

JohnFitz

karore , I have stayed at Kumala Pantai and Grandbalisani ( the latter twice and most recently with both last June )and I recommend a suite at the former if you are prepared to pay around the 150 mark as I mentioned in the earlier post and if you want to really splurge their top accommodation , of which there are 2 , have their own small pool and are elevated on the beach front so you can sit and look at the surf .

The Kumala Pantai is a true budget hotel ( cheap package deals )very well located but you need to be careful where your room is located .

The first time I stayed they had not built the new wings which face each other , about 3 stories high , across a pool with pool bar . Standard inoffensive rooms but we disliked them a lot for two reasons -
1.you look into other peoples rooms and at them if sitting on your balcony and they at you ; and
2.it was noisy as the pool bar operates all day and kids scream , music blasted and it made it unpleasant / impossible to take an afternoon nap even with ear plugs.

But the rooms and suites in the old wing ( including a nice pool surrounded by greenery and shade )are good so a standard room at about $50 a night is great value as was the suite we had as it gave us a separate lounge room and the ability to spread out a bit over a week long stay .Breakfast is very ordinairy .

The standard rooms at Grandbalisani are fine especially if you pay for an ocean view room up on level 2 or 3 .

The suites are large .Huge bathroom . A bit faded etc but heh for 150 a night we were very happy .A lovely quiet pool area with actual beach frontage - no access road in front as at Kumala and a quiet stretch of quite wild beach .It is dangerous to swim / surf at it .A lot of Europeans , mainly Scandinavian , staying when we were there .An ok breakfast.
Walk along the beach to Ku De Ta for breakfast which is excellent for little money .They call a taxi if you want to go further afield but we walked some days to the main road and browsed some shops etc .Not hard . Nice staff .

Kayana is in a nice position and looks the pick of the bunch .

karore

Hi JohnFitz,

Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation, I think we will go with Grand Balisani.

Cheers

JohnFitz

I hope you enjoy it .And it is good if trying to watch the $ and as you say largely out and about .

karore

Hi,

Does anyone know about Adu Assri Cottages in Pemuteran. http://www.adiassri.com/