t has been great fun reading all the trip reports. I would love to get advice from all the Bali experts - - fodorites have been so helpful for our two other Asia trips.
We will be two couples (2 sisters and their husbands)staying for 12 nights. We will not be spending alot of time lying on the beach but have spent enough vacationing time recently to know that we can't be super fast paced. Here is what I am thinking for our mid June trip:
Arrive very late (10:30pm after 24+ hours on planes), stay close to airport, probably FS Jimbayan (other suggestions welcome). Two full days there (3 nights).
Next 6 nights Ubud, likely in a villa. We need one with two master bedrooms, again, suggestions welcome
Last 3 nights somewhere in the north, thinking either Matahari resort (Relais et Chateau property) or Agung Bali Nirwana.
Last full day to drive back to airport, flight leaves 11pm.
Thanks for your help!

looks like a great plan...one other really nice hotel near to the airport and a place to really relax and unwind from your flights is the newish conrad....a lovely property....

the rest looks great...

suggest you hire a driver....putu has been used by a number of us....he lives in ubud and knows all of the island very well....he is early 30's, a very conservative guy and has fantastic english....he also drives a very comfortable suv....toyota...

he will lug you from place to place and work with you to design a touring package which can include both full and 1/2 day excursions....its by far the best way to get around...

cost about $40 per day, last i checked, for a very full, long day....lesser amounts for lesser times...

bob

If you read my report you know all about how much I loved the 4S in Jimbaran -- a great place to get over jet lag as there's food any time of day or night. I also like the way it's laid out like a Balinese village with pathways and gardens and traditional roofs and building materials, and each "room" is actually a separate villa with indoor/outdoor space, so you can float in the plunge pool looking at the stars, take an outdoor shower, etc. It feels like your own little home, not a hotel.

Bob likes Putu -- I swear by my driver Dean, I actually think they know each other and recommend each other.

On your way back from the North shore, you won't need a full day so you can do some sights on the way back -- and you've got a great amount on time in Ubud. We did quite a few day trips around the island and enjoyed that.

For Ubud I would like to suggest the Begawan Giri especially the "Wanakasa" residence. Each residence has about 4 suites but the owner's suite(master bedroom suite) of the Wanakasa residence will take your breath away. Your sister can take the nearby deluxe suite which is also very stunning. Each suite is huge with outdoor and indoor bath and you'll have total privacy even if there are other people sharing the residence(the common area are the very large plunge pool, dining area, sauna etc. When I was there 3 years ago we were able to ask and got a pretty good discount directly from the hotel so don't be afraid to ask.

http://www.begawan-giri.com/wanakasa.htm

We rented a great villa with 2 master bedrooms outside Ubud- ther is a website or can be contacted through VRBO-- Villauma.com We have photos! Our driver/guide was Wayan Sueta- he wsa terrific and I know many who have used his services before I did as well as many whom I have recommended and everyone raves about him- his English is wonderful and he loves to share his island home with others. He has a website-- hiddenbali.com.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Jenskar, I relied alot on your recent report.
I am most unsure about the North Bali part of the trip: how many days to allot, how far west to stay.
Naxos - -Villa Uma is the one we had in mind, glad to hear you liked it. The owner has not yet returned my email - - I hope it is available.
Bob,my preference is for a smaller property than the Conrad..any other ideas?

Hanuman, sorry I didn't mean to leave you out. I will check out the property also

i ahve not been to FS, but i did see it from a distance and it looked huge...maybe i am wrong...??

i do not have another suggestion....we stayed also at the bali hyatt and it is huge, not as big as the other hyatt in ND, but very big...

hi Bob -- the 4S covers a lot of ground because each "room" is a villa with it's own garden, outside living/dining area, small pool, etc. and the grounds are large, with a very palatial reception area, several restaurants with water gardens, a two level pool, etc. etc. But the feeling is very intimate within the villas. I think they've used some of the same landscape designers for several of the SE resorts -- the one outside Chiang Mai is similiar. Half the time we were the only people on the paths when we walked around -- there's just a ton of space to stretch out.
DC, the sense I got of the north coast is that it is a good place to snorkle, swim with dolphins, and really relax. The two resorts you picked out look lovely -- hard choice, and very different !! One thing I would think about for the Ubud choice is distance to Ubud and how you're going to get around -- are you getting a driver? You probably already thought of that

As an alternative to the FS Jimbaran look at The Bale in Nusa Dua .Not on water but small and beautiful with superb service. Or the Bulgari which has just openned at Uluawatu .Friend just looked at it and wonderful but big $$$.Their other property is in Milan .I also really like The Legian Suites on the beach at Legian .100 suites all large , terraces with fabulous views of surf with lovely pool on water etc and close to everything.So in the first few days you could do shops / look around and eat at Coup D'etat, Wari San , Cafe Hu'u . See www.balidiscovery.com and I think balieats.com .The first is a travel site owned by a Balinese with a free newsletter emailed weekly and the latter reviews of food throughout the island issued less frequently .And you do not get spam from them or at I have not done so .They often have good deals on accomodation and I used them once to book hotels without any trouble .Just a few thoughts.It is my favourite destination despite seeing a lot of the rest of the world. It was lovely to read jenskars report as it reminded me of why it is such a lovely spot , the people a delight and why I have been many times . It is so exotic especially as from Australia it is just 5 hours .And the food , the shopping and contrasts...next year I hope .Also look at Lombok and the Oberoi .Beautiful island 30 minutes flight away with spectacular mountains and beautiful coral reefs on the Gillies Islands just off its coast.John

FromDC, I like both the Four Seasons Jimbaran and the Legian in Seminyak but they are very different. Both are however quite close to the airport.

The 4S is all separate villas built on the side of a steep incline over looking the beach. The beach itself is severely eroded but it's okay for swimming. There are several restaurants in the complex and it's within walking distance of a group of beachside seafood barbeque spots.

The Legian is a low rise building. All the rooms have large balconies with sea views. The beach is wide and goes on for miles, but the surf can be aggressive. The Seminyak area is full of some of Bali's best restaurants, shops, spas etc. The Legian also has villas, but they are not on the sea.

I haven't been to the Matahari for many years but I didn't like it much when I was there. North Bali is to me less appealing unless you wish to scuba/snorkel.

Thanks again, everyone. I am having a more difficult time deciding about the north part of the island. We will not be diving or snorkeling but I thought it would be a good base for sightseeing in that area. Maybe that is an incorrect assumption, and it is possible to do some of the same things from Ubud with only slightly longer drives (yes, we intend to have a driver pretty much the entire time). Any thoughts about that? And I hadn't considered Lombok. I know there is an Oberoi there that looks lovely. What would be the advantage of going there over north Bali?

Kathie's been to Lombok and really liked it -- if you search her name you'll find what she said.

The drive from the North Coast to Ubud is over the mountain -- took us about 1 1/2 hours, if that helps.

John, so glad the report took you back -- I'm still amazed by how that trip is staying with me. The Bvlgari does look rather amazing -- and yes, expensive. As to Seminyak -- I can definitely see the appeal of staying there to go to restaurants, shop etc. and the beach was very attractive, but did look really rough for actual swimming.

So many choices, never enough time. I'm just looking forward to the next trip report so I can live vicariously through someone else !!

It was probably a bit naughty of me to throw in Lombok when this is your first trip but I did that in 1982 and it was memorable as a result .Of course then there was no where luxe to stay but it did not matter. Lombok is Muslim and much less developed .The main resort /hotel area is nice but not special .Scenically wonderful and I believe wonderful trekking if that is what you want and a volcano if my memory serves me correct . I stayed twice at Kuta Beach at the Novotel Coralia .It was superb.Gorgeous blinding white sand beach and crystal water protected by outer reef .As the tide goes out you wade out to lovely rockpools and paddle .Sand soft and in the morning sas you sit outside eating breakfast a cow and calf were hitched up to run a leveller over the sand from one end of the long beach to the other so we all looked nice as we walked on the sand ! True .Architecture was a modern take on traditional Lombok houses .Now this was in 1998 so I would be interested to hear from anyone who has been recently .So it is quite different and much more low key.Some intersting things to see and happily spend 3 nights there or longer but nwhich reminds me of Mexico crossed with Lord of The Rings Indionesia meets Aztec Bali me a amnunfg ghaarea n

Oops hit the wrong key . Forget reference to Lord of the R . I like the beach and sitting in the sun or under an umbrella reading so if that does not appeal then stick to Bali .Culturally different . It occurred to me that you might like a villa I rented a few years ago in Cempaka called Villa Kembali , owned by Aussies .Really lovely on a little river with 4 bedroom suites , pool , etc etc .Lots of lovely non intrusive staff , driver etc .It was about 30 mins drive from Seminyak on the way to Tanah Lot . The other option is another villa called Sungai Tinggi on the beach at Canguu .Look at www.sungaitinngi.com .It is owned by Australian business people who live in Bali and all the feed back I have had is that it is wonderful with a great cook .So as an alternative to Ubud perhaps .Lovely long morning walks on that beach or do a mix of Ubud and other spots .I am very envious .I might also add that I stayed recently at Kumala Pantai Hotel at $40 a night as I cannot always afford or justify luxe .Fine and happy with it.

I wouldn't consider Northern Bali a particularly scenic destination and the culture which is heavily influenced by Java is quite different from the rest of Bali.

To me the most profound natural beauty can be accessed easily in day trips from the Ubud area. This is especially true if you're staying at Villa Uma which looks to be about 45 minutes from Ubud proper. You will find a lot of attractions in every direction -- north, south, east and west.

Another villa that I would recommend -- in the beach area -- is Villa Arika in Canggu. It is beautifully designed and has a nice beach and pool area and is accessible to Seminyak. Great cook too.

On the subject of Java you might consider going to Yogyakarta and Borobudur for a couple of days as an adjunct to Bali. If you're more interested in culture and experiences than beaches this might be a better choice than Lombok.

I've stayed at the Oberoi in Lombok several times (though the last time was about 5 years ago). It's a really lovely property, but very isolated. In my opinion, Lombok has better beaches than north Bali, though think the diving is better in Bali.

I've never stayed at the Novotel but I've visited. It's a stunning beach but scorchingly hot and way out there. The Gilis I would avoid like the plague.

DC-- We stayed at Bali Agung Nirvana on our trip as well - 8 or 9 days at villa uma then 4 days at Nirvana and 3 days at the Conrad- the south was our least fav spot- I liked the north at Nirvana- it was an intimate resort and we like it alot and we wanted to check out the snorkeling. The beach is not picture postcard baeutiful but it was a relaxing stay. We toured alot from Villa Uma-- I cannot say enough good things about our driver /guide-- Wayan Sueta- he put in long days and took us everywhere- always prompt and his English is excellent and his love for his island is infectious- he will plan if you need him to plan or he will let you choose your routes- he is flexible. I would have stayed longer at Villa Uma- the place itself is a destination- I hated to leave (even to tour) we sat by the pool and ate meals on the veranda- Although we went armed with restaurant recs- we found the villa to be the best place to dine with the best ambience.

marmot you are so right about the heat at that beach as it had no shade at all .It reminded me of the beaches at Phuket - pre development .Of course the hotel provides umbrellas etc .There were a lot of tensions with the locals when it was built as I believe it was a member of the Soeharto family who had an interest in it and the villagers were forced to relocate from the prime land and were never properly compensated .Have the Gilli Islands gone " to the dogs " ? They were once quite lovely and unspoilt .

The Borobudur side trip was one I wish we'd had time for, as I think it would pack a good whollop in the "wow" factor department. It is very inexpensive to book from Bali once you're there -- I saw numerous companies offering it. balidiscovery's price online is very good too.

Interesting suggestion about seeing Borobudur. But I'm having trouble finding out how to get there from Bali. Any recommendations?