I am leaving soon for my first trip to Thailand and actually Asia. My final itinerary is shaping up as follows:
Arrive late in BKK from NY
BKK - 3 1/2 days
Chaing Mai - 3 days
Chaing Rai - 2 days (if I can figure out a flight since Thai Air no longer does it)
Bangkok - 2 days
Hong Kong 3 days
Bali -
Seminyak 3 days (surfing)
Ubud - 2 days
Lovina and North - 2 day
South Bali - 1 final day
HOME

I can't really adjust the number of days in Hong Kong, Bali and in total Thailand, but I can change the amount of time spent in each area within Thailand and Bali. Am I really missing out by not going to Ko Samui or Phuket given that I am going to Bali? Or is this itinerary good? Also, i am travelling alone for the first half and meeting my boyfriend in Bali so I like running around and being busy in Thailand. I am into crafts and am interested in seeing the different cultures.

Also, we really wanted to stay at the ritz in Bali but it looks sold-out. is there anything of comparable price/quality range that anyone would highly recommend in the same area of Bali?

Thanks for ALL the help!!!

i think you are fine without samui this trip...you will be back...

you might look at the conrad in bali it is fantastic and near to the airport...i used this southern area for my entire week on bali and we saw most of the island from there....

do you have a driver??/ putu is fantastic and you would love him....a driver makes things so easy...it about $40 per day inclusive

Your trip looks great. No reason to go to the southern thailand beaches. With your interests you are better off where you.

Thanks for the feedback and all of the help along the way. I will definitely check out the Conrad a the Ritz is sold out and we are looking for a place. Thanks so much!

cindy, To me the best beach resort in Bali is the Legian in Seminyak. (That is the regular Legian, not the Club/villas.) It's not a big as the Ritz (or the Conrad) but is really lovely and has a good beach -- for surfing, walking, swimming if you're hardy, people watching -- and the best location for restaurants and shops. The Conrad is a beautiful resort with extensive lagoon swimming pools, but the beach is miserable.

http://www.ghmhotels.com/hotels/hote...p;section=home

When are you going to be in Bali? There are certain periods, primarily the Australian holidays, when it's very difficult to get a room, anywhere! The Sofitel is also supposed to be quite nice (I've never stayed there, though) and it's on a very good beach. There are zillions of new villas all over the beach area, mostly in what they call the Bukit around the Ritz, so you should be able to find a villa. Where are you staying in Ubud?

Since you only have a week in Bali, I'd reconsider going to Lovina. There is just so much to do in the south and in the Ubud area, that, in my opinion, you'd be better off choosing two places.

I'd also recommend as a place for lunch or sunset, The Blue Point Resort at Ulu Watu. They have a beautiful pool and you can swim and watch the best surfing in Bali. They also have rooms, but I've never stayed there so I can't give you any personal comments; however it's just a fun place for a meal or a drink.

http://www.balihotels-bali.com/hotel...nts/index.html

I also think you need to cut out Lovina in Bali. There is plenty to do in Ubud and you can do a day trip to the north if you want. The lake district is particularly worthwhile.

Marmot - we are going 14th of august to the 22nd. I was just reading about the Legion -- I'm going to check their availability. We are thinking about staying at the Ibah in Ubud but would be open to other suggestions as well. I would liek to stay at a place where there is a fitness facility. It's not a must but it is a preference.

We were thinking about booking our first 5 nights and then "winging it" to see if we just would prefer to be by the beach or explore more of the island. Is the trip from Ubud to Lovina very long? Craig - is there a place in the lake region you would recommend?

Any place you drive in Bali will be scenic. There are basically two places you can go in the north. Mt Batur and the lake region. The lake region consists of the following: the town of Bedugal where there is a market that is worth visiting (you must bargain hard!), and Temple Danu Bratan (very photogenic "floating" temple on Lake Bratan). There is a botanical gardens in the area but it is not worth visiting. Further on are Lakes Buyan and Tamblingan and Munduk Waterfall. I prefer Munduk over the more popular Gitgit Waterfall as Gitgit is very commercial. You would have to discuss with your driver about whether in a very long day, you could return via Mt. Batur. Here's a link to a road map of Bali:
http://www.langsing.net/gunung/agung/peta.jpg

I don't recall if I posted the link to my 6-part trip report for you. If you are looking for some additional ideas on things to do, check it out:
http://www.balitravelforum.com/archive200307/11747.html

Thanks Craig. That is great and Ihad not seen your report before but I can't wait to read it.

cindy, August is a BIG month in Bali for Australians and Europeans on holiday. It would be best to have reservations.

I like the Alila and Kayumanis in the Ubud area,but I don't think they have fitness centers. On that topic, the Four Seasons Jimbaran has really nice health facilities.

Personally, I think the far north of Bali is overrated. It's not a particularly long drive (maybe 2-3 hours from Ubud depending on the route) and it has some spectacularly beautiful parts, but so does just about anywhere you go within 30 minutes of Ubud.

Thanks marmot. we just were looking at the Alila hotel - and thought it looked interesting. No fitness center, but I can go for a jog...Actually, is it safe to do that around Ubud?

There are lovely places you can walk or jog through the rice fields...actually, running might be a bit difficult with the uneven terrain.

Safe like will you be bothered...or safe like will you get injured? Bothered...probably not. I went out quite a bit on my own and found it safe as well as an interesting way to meet people. You may want to keep off the roads as they are quite narrow, and drivers are quite unpredictable at times, and there are dogs. The dogs never bothered me, but I wasn't running...I've found that sometimes dogs chase runners.

You can go off into the rice fields and just stay on the paths in between them and wonder if you like. There's a nice walk on the Tjampuhan Ridge behind Indus...you get there from past the Ibah hotel...and it goes up toward a cute place called Klub Kokos (they have amazing juice drinks).

About North Bali...with your limited time, I'd also say skip it. And add the days onto Ubud. I'd also skip moving from Ubud to south Bali for the last night, as Ubud isn't far from the airport...45 minutes to an hour. There is so much to see and do in and around Ubud that 2 days just isn't close to enough imho.

KimJapan, thanks for your feedback. I meant safe as in be bothered -- dogs can be a problem - not wild about bites from random dogs!!! even if they are playful...Since we are booking late, we are left with only a few options. Among htem, however, are the Oberoi and the Maya. I have searched some of the threads and it seems like they have mixed reviews. Are they at least well located and is there anything I should know before booking? Thanks!

The Oberoi is great I've heard. It sure looks lovely at least.

The Maya...I had nice correspondence with them, and they were very honest in telling me that they seldom had elementary school aged children staying there...which ruled it out for us.

Though it sounds like you are looking for a luxury experience from the places you've chosen, you might find more availabity at some of the less expensive options. In and around Ubud, look at Ulun Ubud, Tjampuhan, Tegal Sari, Bali Spirit and Alam Sari....there are so many lovely places in the $100 or less range, really.

We had an absolutely perfect stay at Alam Sari last Christmas...room was nice...for luxury, get the master bedroom of their villa...but their standard rooms are very nice. The staff at Alam Sari helped make our holiday an experience.

Apropos jogging/running in Bali, there are three primary hazards: dogs, heat and traffic. My husband, the runner, isn't too bothered by the heat (although you should be very careful if you're not used to it!) but he is very conscious of dogs and cars.

The worst dogs, in his experience, are on Jimbaran beach and in the town of Ubud. They don't actually attack (unless they're diseased, which is rare) but they can be aggressively territorial. He usually carries a big stick to discourage them which for the most part they respond to.

The roads of Bali are narrow and driving habits are erratic. Local walkers and local drivers seem to know how to avoid each other as I don't think I've ever seen a pedestrian accident; however, it is very, very annoying to run on Balinese roads as there is no real shoulder and drivers are constantly passing and honking. I do not recommend it.

My husband's favorite running spots are Kuta/Legian/Seminyak Beach and the Alila road.

The Alila road is paved and lightly traveled. It's about a mile (guessing) from the resort to the main road with slight inclines. It's very scenic through the rice paddies with a nice mountain view in the early morning.

Frankly, the Alila Ubud has received mixed reviews on this board. We've stayed there for 10 years and have been generally satisfied, though I wouldn't give any resort in Ubud perfect marks. We always get what they call a suite which is a large room with a wraparound balcony overlooking the Ayung River valley. The restaurant is excellent (though a bit pricy) and the pool is lovely.

The Alam Sari is a very special place, but you should know that it's quite remote.

I'm not a fan of the Oberoi. I feel it is a bit tired and could use a thorough renovation, but the beach and location is good.

We stayed at the Maya Ubud in a pool villa and it was fine. The hotel is about a 5 minute drive from the center of town. They have a shuttle which operates on a regular schedule during the day. I don't believe they have workout facilities but there are plenty of paths for hiking/jogging so running on the road with traffic is not necessary.