lynn

We're thinking of possibly adding Bali to our trip to Thailand and want to know the ins and the outs. <BR> <BR>Opinions seem to be all over the board. <BR> <BR>We're not big beach people but would enjoy a short time relaxing on the sand, perhaps some rafting on the river and a visit to a few of the major sights. We love good food and shopping but are not interested in spending $500 a night. $100-$150 per night is about love Thaiwhat we want to spend on hotel. <BR> <BR>We land Bangkok and Chiang Mai. <BR> <BR>Hopefully, this gives you an idea about our interests. <BR> <BR>Looking for opinions! <BR> <BR>Thanks <BR> <BR>Lynn <BR

lynn

Looks like I did something strange in my above typing but I think it's still pretty clear. <BR> <BR>Lynn

Mark

Hi Lynn, <BR>Although Bali is a heavy tourist place, There are still places which make the trip worth. (Ubud village, the rice terraces) The beaches are not like caribean or maledives but it depends whether you just want to relax or get some people around you! If want to relax on a nice beach I would recommend the Bali Intercontinental Resort. Though this is a very large hotel they offer good value for money ($120/night) and have a nice sunset-beach shared with the neighbouring Four Seasons Hotel. Another good choice is the Ritz Carlton. Yes... they have very good prices/packages ( $ 150) and the hotel is a newer one, meaning rooms haven't suffered that much under the high humidity. Despite you price concerns my favourite place on bali is the Four Seasons Hotel at Sayan near Ubud. If you cannot affort to stay ther, go for a lunch or dinner, it is just stunnig and tops everything you have seen before

phil

I found Bali disappointing. I did alot of reading about the island before going and maybe my expectations were to high. <BR> <BR>I did not find UBUD to be the spiritual and artitistic oasis that it had once been. Rather, it had the same tourist crap for sale as every other part of Asia in a central market. <BR> <BR>I also found Kata to be exceedingly touristy. <BR> <BR>Don't get me wrong, it was a nice place to visit and the people are very friendly. However, you can clearly see the impact that tourism has had on their lives and attitudes. The need to cater to the walking wallets that are Westerners, Japanese and Aussies, has no doubt impacted their culture.

Moira

I found the beaches quite awful, Ubud was 'ok', but the constant harrasement almost evrywhere on Bali was something I just cannot handle.People say ignore it, don't make eye-contact etc, but when I go on my well-earned vacation I don't want to have to spend the whole time worrying about being hassled. It simply is 'too much'.

phil

The comment Moira made expresses what I was sensing when I was there. Unfortunately, the need to cater to tourists for economic reasons has clearly changed the Balinease culture. <BR> <BR>I wasn't expecting it to be the untouched paradise of 50 years ago. But, more than any place I have ever visited, you could feel the impact on a culture and a way of life from tourism. <BR> <BR>In some way I felt sorry for having contributed to this deterioration.

lynn

Wow. Thanks for the info everyone. Some interesting comments here. <BR> <BR>Actually, I didn't realize that it had gotten so "commercialized." Sounds like Phuket in Thailand although I haven't been there either for many of the reasons cited above. <BR> <BR>I think we're leaning heavily in the direction of Siem Reap and visiting Angkor Wat instead. Like people say, before it gets overrun with hotels and the like. <BR> <BR>Thanks for the replies. <BR> <BR>Lynn <BR> <BR <BR>