Melnq8

I feel like I might be stepping on a landmine, but here goes...

We're Americans who've lived on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia for close to three years. What little we've seen of Indonesia thus far hasn't been particularly pleasant, although we realize much nicer places in Indonesia do exist!

We're debating on whether or not to try to fit in a trip to Bali before leaving Indonesia for good. I've been reading threads on Fodor's and have talked to a few expats locally, but I just can't get a feel for whether or not Bali is for us.

We're not beachgoers and we're not fans of the steamy weather that we get here 24/7. We're also not big shoppers, although I do love batik.

My husband scuba dives and I'm sure he'd love to work that into a trip, although diving wouldn't be our main focus.

We enjoy peace and quiet, hikes and walking, good wine and food, and independent exploration.

So, my question is this - would two non-beachy, non-resorty, crowd and humidity intolerant people enjoy Bali?

I'd very much appreciate any insight as well as suggestions for what to see and do. Also unsure of what time of year to visit, although we'd aim for low or shoulder season.

KimJapan

I love Bali...really, really love it.

There are plenty of places that are not beachy...in fact, I don't go to Bali for the beach at all. We go for the very accessible culture and welcoming friends.

It's as resorty as you like. Of course there are resorts, lots of them. There are also some of the loveliest small places I've ever stayed...very personal, very special.

Shopping, I hate it. But in Bali I have bought some selected pieces of textiles and wood carvings and paintings. Didn't shop for them, though...got them from friends or friends of friends.

Humidity...doesn't bother me in Bali, but drives me nuts in Japan. Plenty of air conditioned places if you like, or hang out in the shade with a cool drink and watch the world go by. You might like to go in May - October to have the weather just a bit less humid, though we didn't find much difference between August and January.

Have a look at Alam Sari - www.alamsari.com. Small place, they take great care of you, and can introduce you artists and musicians and people with whom you can learn how to do things like batik, painting, dance, music...We did Bali as typical tourists and liked it the first time we went. The second time was what really impressed us though. Our stay at Alam Sari showed us an entirely different and very special place. I chose the place by e-mailing many that looked to be unique and special, and got the most personal reply and most helpful dialogue with the owners of Alam Sari. Together, they helped me work out a great plan for our 10 days there, which in the end, turned out to be too short...we could have moved in. We will go back there, definitely.

Another place further north is Puri Lumbung...haven't stayed there myself, but friends have and they loved. At these places, there are no crowds, they aren't resorts - though they do have every facility you'd need, the staff is warm and will talk with you on a personal level and welcome you genuinely rather than just because it's their job. The surrounding area of each place is small village, so it's quiet and you see everyday life, not resort life.

There are plenty of more upscale places, and I'll be the first one to say I love luxury hotels and all the service and facilities that come with them. I'll also say, though, that I have never felt as welcomed and as at home and comfortable than I felt at Alam Sari.

Melnq8

Thank you for your thoughtful reply Kim - I'll take a close look at your suggestions.

Cicerone

You don’t say where you have been in “Indonesia” which you found not to be pleasant, so it is a bit hard to give advice. However, I would say having traveled in parts of Sumatra and most parts of Bali, that they are quite different culturally, and that Bali may be a pleasant surprise for you. The Hindu religion makes for quite a different cultural base, and is, IMO, the reason for the allure of the island (it certainly ain’t the beaches as far as I am concerned). I think it would be kind of a shame to have spent 3 years on Indonesia and not have experienced the very different culture of Bali. There are many, many activities beyond beaches and shopping. Dancing and painting, mentioned above, are just two. Walking and biking are another (you kind of have to like hills, but you live on Sumatra so I assume you do). Good restaurants abound in the tourist parts, if you go to remoter areas you won’t find Italian-Asian fusion like you will at say Ku De Ta in Seminyak, but will find perfectly fine Indonesia fare (you can make selected jaunts into civilization for restaurants, there are many in Ubud and you can stay outside Ubud to avoid the tourist crowds). You can find good wine, although whether you want to pay for it is of course another issue.

In my experience, there are two Balis. One with tourist hotels with dance shows in the evening, and air-conditioned fusion restaurants; all of which is perfectly fine if that is what you want. A lot of people only see those, Ubud for a day, and the volcano at Mt Batur. And they have a great vacation and love Bali. There is also another Bali of home stays and small family hotels and local restaurants in smaller villages up in the hills. That is another way to see and experience Bali. You might also consider renting a house, you could then really have privacy, no tourists ad control your itinerary. If you really want to avoid tourists, then head to the drier (relatively) north west parts of the island which is generally undeveloped and has several national parks. Good restaurants (in the form of western-style food, service, ambience) may be a bit thin on the ground, as is good wine, but the scenery, remoteness etc may make up for it. ( If you really want good wine, you are in the wrong region anyway, IMO, go to Italy and do some great walking in vineyards.)

I am not sure you will find the humidity issue to be any different between Sumatra and Bali (you may get some relief closer to the sea in Bali when you get a breeze, or up in higher elevations of Bali; without knowing where you have been in Sumatra or elsewhere that is hard to say). But if you are going to travel virtually anywhere in SE Asia you are going to have the humidity issue, I would not say it is any worse in Bali than elsewhere, and is better than a city like Hong Kong or Bangkok in my experience. (I live in Hong Kong where mold grows on everything.)

Melnq8

Thank you for your input Cicerone. We live in Riau province, 90 minutes inland from the Strait of Malacca and about three hours drive from Pekanbaru. We tend to measure distances here in time rather than mileage, as it takes so long to get from one place to another. For instance, we're only about 100-150 miles from Singapore as the crow flies, but it takes us between 7-9 hours to get there. We're a similar distance from Kuala Lumpur, and it took us 11 hours to get there.

As far as humidity - it's oppressive here. We're from Colorado, so the humidity has been a real challenge for us. Mold grows like crazy.

I realize I'm in the wrong neck of the woods for wine - in fact, the best part of living here has been access to Australian wine!

crellston

We stayed at the Alam Sari on Kim's advice and loved it. if you are into walking the walk from the hotel into Ubud through the villages and rice paddies is fantastic. (about 5/6 miles). The humidity seem to be a lot lower here because of the altitude. (we went in July) We also did a cycle ride from the volcano right down to ubud which was great and, obviously downhill all the way!

For diving we went to Permuteran and stayed at http://www.balitamansari.com/. The bungalows are very spacious and some have roof gardens with day beds etc. They have there own dive school and run trips to Menhangan Island where there is some excellent diving, good coral lots of fish and very little current. The more adventurous dive sites are to the east of Bali with Tulamben wreck and dive schools run trips there from all over Bali.

chimani

I found Bali nice enough. If not quite as wonderful as I'd been lead to expect. It's all relative after all, and may depend on previous experience.

But it's absolutely true that there are two Balis - the resort scene and the non-resort scene.

I enjoyed Ubud but my best day on the island was travelling from there to Lake Batur via an assortment of bemos. It was shrouded in fog on arrival - but the view from my balcony when the sun broke out late in the day was heartstopping.

Candidasa is another fine destination with things to do roundabouts that you can get to on public transport.

if you are into the resort thing, can't help much but I am sure you will enjoy.

rhkkmk

i can't imagine you not loving bali....choosing the right place to stay can make all the difference...

we personally like being in a town and sanur fits that bill for us...

no getting around the heat however...

july/august are the in season there...

Mitch04

I'd look at doing a package with the Alila group, which has a lovely hotel near Candi Dasa on the eastern end of the island, and an excellent hotel in Ubud.

Candi Dasa is cooler and very quiet, and has some wonderful walks. The Alila at Candi Dasa can provide a private boat for snorkeling. The beach is limited, but the pool is great. It's well off the beaten track, so is also quiet and tranquil. I believe it has reciprocal rights to the Amankila (pure luxury) and a day at its beach club is wonderful - rather like heaven on a stick!

The Alila at Ubud used to be known as the Chedi, and is also quiet with wonderful walks and views. They tend to be in the upper mid range price-wise.

Guenmai

I never saw a beach while on Bali. I stayed in Ubud. Happy Travels!

Melnq8

Thanks for all the responses - just goes to show how incorrect one's perception can be - here I thought beaches and big resorts were the main draw.

cmenoni

Also, check out Tegal Sari on the edge of Ubud. They have wonderful rooms with verandas overlooking the rice paddies, facing the west for sunsets. While you can easily walk to town, they used to run a free shuttle at the guests request, including after dinner pickups in town. The Dirty Duck restaurant and a shop with lots of Australian wine is just across the street. Ubud also has a great choice of restaurants all over the spectrum in terms of food and prices. It is also a great base for exploring many of the places mentioned by others above. ENJOY!!

JohnH

I recently returned from my first trip to Bali and though I'm certainly no expert, I thought it was fascinating. Especially Ubud and the areas to the north and east. The southern beach/resort areas were the least interesting (to me) of anyplace I saw.

I think you would easily find all of the types of activites that you say you're interested in. It was humid but significantly less so (and cooler too) up in the mountains.

jenskar

You've gotten some excellent suggestions already -- a few other observations:
The weather in the mountain areas is significantly cooler than the coast -- there was a bike trip that started from the top of one of the mountains and was all downhill into Ubud. There are informal rice terrace walks in the countryside near Ubud.
I loved many things about Bali, but what I loved most was the people and the constant state of ritual that infused every activity: the daily offerings to house gods, the evening ceremonials, the temple blessings that seemed to pop up everywhere, the young girls' dance class we happened on, the puppet maker and ceremonial costume maker I met.
I think Bali can be as resort-like or not as you want it to be, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world -- and even though we stayed at 2 5* resorts I found the staff open and friendly in a way I've never experienced anywhere else. I'm still emailing with one of the women from guest services and the driver we used.
We went in January and it was decidely steamy, so I would take the advice of others who mentioned less humid times of year.

marmot

Bali is like the elephant described by the blindmen: It can be different things to different people.

I know a golfer who's in heaven at Amanusa -- a 5* resort surrounded by a golf course. A surfer who's never ventured more than 100 yards from the beach. Parents who swear by the Hyatt's Kids Camp. A college professor of religion who's written books on the rituals. A musicologist who's cataloged performances for the Smithsonian.

All of us repeat visitors find our own private Bali. For me it's a combination of beach and inland. I love the ocean and don't agree that it isn't an integral part of the Bali experience. Bali is, afterall, a small island. The sea and everything it represents is very significant in the ritual and mythology.

I do agree, however, that the mighty heart of Bali beats stronger in the inland areas with Ubud being the nexus. You'll find plenty of "peace and quiet, hikes and walking, good wine and food, and independent exploration."

Is Bali over commercialized? Hey, tourism is the number one industry. Of course everyone's trying to sell you something -- it's their livelihood. Some just do it more charmingly than others.

As far as the weather goes, I've been to Bali in every month of the year and personally don't find much difference. It's always hot, it's always humid, it always rains -- sometimes a lot, sometimes not so much. If you don't like the tropics you won't like Bali.

The quietest times are when the Australians and Europeans are not on holiday so avoid December and August.

I also live in Indonesia and although I love Bali, I also greatly enjoy opportunities to get out of Indonesia. It's a wonderful country but the intensity can wear you down. Bali probably has more in common with Sumatra than the occasional visitor would expect. But, for sure, it's the tourism facilities that are super-imposed over the fascinating native culture and religion that makes Bali so accessible and variable.

Bokhara

Hi Melnq8,
At the risk of being shot - have a look at www.balitravelforum.com

It seems to me to have lots of Bali regulars who aren't into the "crazy Kuta"/beach or 6 star "compound" categories.

(Of course you will also see a lot of the repetitive "how much is a visa/hairbraiding/taxi?" questions (LOL) ... just like all forums)

I've been 6 or 7 times and love the place - it has a lot more to offer than I (wrongly) thought before I was almost dragged there kicking & screaming about 10 years ago.

As you're in the area & have the opportunity, I think it would be a shame not to explore Bali before you leave.

Melnq8

Thanks Bokhara - I'll take a look.