Help with planning Bali trip
 

After getting great advice & knowledge for my April trip to Thailand, I now need help for Bali. I am going in July - My Step-Mom owns a home in Bali so I am all set for sleeping . My first decision is how long to stay? I am intersted in the culture, water sports, eating, shopping & any kind of spa treatment.

Bali has several different areas, Ubud (the cultural center), the beach (actually many beaches), North Bali and East Bali. All are within easy driving distance. Ubud deserves at least three days. Perhaps perusing a guide book would give you a sense of the different areas and we could advise how best to .access

How long to stay? How about as long as you can!

Bali has much to see and do - temples and ceremonies, traditional dance and arts and crafts - as well as the more usual beach, spa and shopping. My first trip to Bali was two weeks, and I've been back several times since.

Also, consider using Bali as your base to explore some nearby islands. I especially recommend a side trip to central Java (Borobudor, Prambanam and much more) and you might consider a side trip to Lombok (a very different culture than Bali, better beaches than Bali and much less crowded).

Yogyakarta & Solo City are worth to visit.
Try to get a hotel closer to Jalan Malioboro, the major shopping street & the centre of Yogyakarta's tourist district.
Lombok is a Muslim Bali, not as friendly and way back behind.

Lombok is not Bali. It is predominantly Muslim, as is most of Indonesia. I found the locals very friendly on my several visits. Some say that Lombok is as developed now as Bali was 50 years ago. I don't know... I was in Bali 20+ years ago, and it's less developed than Bali was then. It's laid back and quiet. There are some lovely places to stay that are much less expensive than Bali for comparable quality. My favorite is Qunci Villas.

Cat, given that you like Nusa Dua and Kuta on Bali, you and I are clearly looking for different things! Those are the two places in Bali that I warn people to stay away from.

Kathie, diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks!

where is the house....?? then we can advise better....on a major trip you want to make ubud a main stay place, adding on sanur for the beach and also some seminyak also for the beach...hire a driver or have a family friend drive you around to the north and east and the south....there are many nice places to stay...

i am going back next spring for 2 weeks, after having spent 2 weeks there last year and a week there about 3 years ago.. there is tons and tons to do and see.....go for as long as you can and do side trips, like to lombok or other areas of indonesia and malaysia and even singapore...using air asia you can get around very cheaply