Please help me with my Bali Trip
 

I would love some advice from those that have been to Bali.
I have never been and would love to book for June this year.
Looking at the different areas I am not sure where to stay. There will be myself, my husband and 18 yr old son. My husband has never been to Asia, while my son and I have been twice to Thailand.
I am quite undecided as to which area to stay. I am tossing up between Seminyak and Sanur. Although thinking about Nusa Dua too as well as Ubud.
We will be going for 7 nights.
Also, does someone have any Villas that they could recommend. Looking at maximum of $400 US per night.
I have been looking on the internet, and there is a huge variety that I am getting really confused.
We would love to do many day trips in Bali. We do like going out to dinner, and my son would love to do some shopping.

I would suggest splitting your time between Seminyak and Ubud.

Seminyak has a lively, big wave beach that appeals to teenagers. It's a great walking beach with extraordinary sunsets. Your son could body surf or take a real surfing lesson. There are many restaurants, shops and spas within walking distance or within a short taxi ride.

If you want an ocean view you'll need to go with a hotel/resort not a villa. When we travel with our son, we like the The Legian Seminyak configuration of a one bedroom suite. The rooms all have big ocean facing balconies. The price may be a little over your budget, but June is the transitional season and rates are variable.

By next June the new W Resort will have opened on a nice stretch of Seminyak beach. Samaya and The Royal Beach Seminyak are also good choices. They both have villas within the context of a resort.

There are zillions of villas in Seminyak and choices are confusing. I prefer the Petitengit area. I'd start with the Laksmana Group which are about a 10 minute walk to the beach.

Villa life is lots of fun -- lying around your pool being waited on by your personal staff -- bu I still prefer sea-side resorts because the resort beaches are generally better kept than the public areas.

In Ubud you have the choice of staying within the town of Ubud or in the surrounding countryside. I prefer the latter, but both are fun. I'd look at Kayumanis, Alila, Alam Sari.

www.komaneka.com

Properties my fav...

Ubud my fav area

Check TripAdvisor for good info hotel reviews mostly honest.

good packages sometimes

www.orbitz.com others

Happy Journey

ubud is a definate....it is the best place for all 3 of you...you and DH will love it and so will your son...

see if you can book into alam shanti...it is fantastic...the rooms are plenty big enough for the 3 of you....see if gangga or yamuna rooms are available.... they come with a private pool...only about $150 per night but lovely... a real villa feel to them....only about 6 buildings in the complex with 12 rooms total and two pools... breakfast only, but you can order in if you wish... new spa too... walk or free shuttle to town...

i also like to combine sanur with time in ubud.... a good option for you would be the family unit by the pool/beach at Tandjung Sari .... it has two suites: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and a small living room in between, plus a roof deck...

from both of these locations you can easily visit the whole island with a driver.... don't drive yourself---i did and its not fun and there is poor signs postage, plus a driver costs about the same as a rental...

I'd recommend splitting your time between Ubud and Jimbaran.

Jimbaran has a great feel at night when the beaches fill with locals and you can sit at one of the beach restaurants and enjoy delicious (and cheap) fresh seafood. The Four Season there is great.

Admittedly it might be a little slow for your teenager through the day, but Kuta is a very short taxi drive away, and you avoid all the hassle of staying right in the town.

David Robert Hogg,
Publisher of My Little Nomads

thank you very much everyone. Wonderful suggestions and I am in the process of going through them all. All though I must admit I am still confused. I do like the idea of a Villa, but marmot you made an excellent point regarding resort beaches - did not think of that one.

We love Villa Saba in Canggu, a 10 minute drive north of Seminyak. It's a 5 minute walk to the beach, but when we want to spend time on the beach, we just take a taxi to Ku de Ta restaurant and rent chairs in front -- it's kept very clean, there is a lifeguard, you can order cold drinks, rent boogie boards.. and we can break for lunch at Ku de Ta. Just in case you still want to consider staying in a villa vs. a resort, this could be a solution for you. It takes a bit more work, but the pay-off is more space and privacy, and the ability to feel like a king/queen for a few days.

I haven't stayed at the Laksmana villas, but they look very good. We considered them for this summer, but ultimately decided to return to Saba -- it's an amazing complex of villas. You also have access to a nearby country club. It's also not too far from Echo Beach, which you should definitely visit on a Sunday in order to enjoy the vibe at Echo Beach Restaurant -- fun band and outdoor bbq party every Sunday.


In Ubud, we are heading back for a third visit to Villa Rumah Cinta in Penestanen. It's a lovely 3 bedroom villa with a pool and gorgeous garden. It's situated in a great spot for long treks through rice fields. Surrounded by several cafes, and a 5 minute walk to Bintang Supermarket, restaurants, spas and shops, and a 15 minute walk into Ubud center. And there is a yoga studio next door -- Intuitive Flow.

Definitely you have to visit Ubud for several days. It's a nice home base to see the island's sights. But I doubt that you need to stay there (at least there is no sea).

Actually you don't need $400 per night in Ubud. We easily found a nice-looking new house with all comforts(but at the hotel's territory) for 70$ per night.

As a beach stay... The only thing I can advise - don't stay in Kuta - it's too overcrowded. For me it's much better to stay at a calm place like Jimbaran (we stayed in Villa Bali Jegeg here are pictures and reviews http://goo.gl/5Mpbr) and to sally to clubs, restaurants and shops of Kuta and Seminyak (thanx it's quite close to Jimbaran) but you don't need to live in that chaos. And since you like going for a dinner I can advise you to visit famous seafood restaurants on the beach of Jimbaran.

thans alec_o. looking at suggestion of Jimbaran.
We have booked our flights for the end of June and am now trying to decide the accomodation. So many choices.

Oh yes. There is a lot to choose from.
And that's the most important you not all of the accommodations listed in Internet.