Go to Bali, you'll thank me!
Written: Jun 18 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great resorts, great scenery, great restaurants, great shopping!
Cons: Getting around can be slow, not as inexpensive as some countries
The Bottom Line: Don't believe the rumors: Bali is safe, clean and beautiful, and you won't be harassed by vendors or depressed because you're the only one there.
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| Girlina's Full Review: Bali |
Girlina and her travel buddy were given a great gift by Singapore Airlines - a supercheap last-minute special to Bali - and must pass it on at least in part by letting everyone know that now is the right time to return to this beautiful country. Despite taking two 24-hour flights in a week, we had a fantastic time and would go back in a second!
Our spectacular deal included round-trip airfare and five nights at the Le Meridien Nirwana for the near-shocking sum of $600. Although the hotel is a bit remote, a solid half-hour drive away from the northernmost end of the hotel strip on the West coast, the solitude and gorgeous setting is more than worthwhile.
The Le Meridien is a first-class resort, including a golf course, tennis courts, a spa, several restaurants and pretty much everything else you'd need. Note however that the Le Meridien does not actually have a beach: It's placed on a rocky cliff, and there's no beach access from the hotel. However, a series of lagoon-like pools are a great substitute, and you can see the ocean (as well as views of Tanah Lot temple) from pretty much anywhere.
Of course, we were so busy during our too-brief trip that we didn't get in as much pool lounging as we'd like! We were lucky enough to have a friend who'd been living in Indonesia as a guide, and she really helped steer us towards some great things to see and do. We spent a lot of time in the Seminyak area, shopping, eating out and going to bars/clubs. While an ePinions review is too short to convey the full experience of Bali (and I didn't get to do nearly as much as I liked anyway!) here's a few things you should definitely know:
-On the "Bali is empty and depressing" issue: I found people are slowly coming back, mostly Asians and Europeans. Our hotel was a quarter full and most of the restaurants we went to were perhaps 10-20% full. However, the closer you get to Kuta, the worse things seem to be; we ate at one restaurant there (for dinner) and were told we were the only people to go there all day.
-On the "people will hassle you" issue: I found Bali to actually be considerably more relaxing than my native New York in this respect. No one ever begged money from us, and the only time we were approached by aggressive vendors/touts was at a fairly touristy restaurant in the mountain view town of Kintamani. (We were taken there by an organized tour.) While I found stall vendors somewhat more aggressive in Ubud, no one followed me out of a store, etc. I do feel this problem is probably more pronounced in Kuta, however.
-On the "Bali is dirty/unsanitary" issue: Well of course, some countries are cleaner than others - I certainly know that Iceland and many European countries make the U.S. look like a garbage dump! However, in Bali I found roadside trash and so forth to be no worse than most places. Some toilets can be Turkish style, etc. but if you're concerned about this simply stick to resorts and Western-style restaurants and bars, which are common in all the cities (Kuta, Seminyak, Ubud, etc.).
-We actually found the transportation thing to be the one minor annoyance during our trip - probably because of our location. It takes longer than you'd think to get from one place to another due to the tiny, winding roads and tons of slow mopeds clogging the way. Transportation could also be costly from our hotel, which again was fairly remote; it was impossible to hail a street cab, so we either had to wait a half-hour to have one called or pay $23 for a hotel driver. (Return cabs to our hotel were typically around $9, not unreasonable for a 30-40 minute drive, and were unfailingly honest. Many also spoke English.)
-If you want to experience the more sophisticated side of Bali, Seminyak is definitely the way to go. It caters to an older, richer crowd than Kuta and includes many lovely restaurants that wouldn't be out of place in Miami's South Beach (we visited Kudeta, the Living Room, Made's Warung, and Hu'u). The shopping was good, with great selection, reasonable pricing and fairly low-pressure sales tactics - some bargaining was expected, but unlike the markets in Ubud people didn't start at four times what was reasonable.
-Don't miss dinner in Jimbaran Bay - you sit on little tables right on the beach, watch the sun set, and pick out your dinner from a tank. The fisherman's boats stop right at the end of the bay so everything is fresh and fantastic, and the view is incredible.
-Get as many spa treatments as you can! Because we were so busy I was only able to go once, to my eternal regret. We went to the spa in the Villas in Seminyak, which is considerably more expensive than some of the other options but less than half the cost of comparable treatments in NY. I got a cream bath - a lovely scalp/shoulder massage/deep conditioning treatment all in one - and paid around $45 for a one-hour treatment. I also got a dip in their lovely open-air hot tub, set in a Moroccan-style tiled plaza.
-Girlina is a diver and definitely wanted to squeeze that in during her stay; we used BIDP and had a great time. The boat was spotless and well-staffed, the divemaster was very experienced, and the views were beautiful. We dived Nusa Penida and found the currents to be strong but manageable; the island was around 45 minutes by speedboat from Sanur.
-If you're interested in jewelry, schedule a visit to the John Hardy studio/factory outside of Ubud (visit johnbali.com for details). John Hardy is a jewelry designer who's regularly featured in the Neiman Marcus catalogs. He's built a substantial factory complex in Bali, where the workers seem to be treated extremely well. If you visit, you'll get a tour of the facility - it's fascinating to see how this stuff is made - and the opportunity to buy some gorgeous stuff for half off US prices. This is still a fortune by Bali standards, but you'll be saving big over Saks!
That's Girlina's $.02 on the Bali issue, save one last thing - the economy is definitely hurting in Bali right now for no good reason, so you should definitely go! Security is excellent everywhere - there were guards in front of our hotel and every major Westernized restaurant who examined the bottoms of the cars with mirrors, etc. - and the Balinese people couldn't be more warm and friendly. There actually was a terrorist incident on another Indonesian island while we were there but Bali remained safe and the mood totally unaffected.
Help out these great people and this lovely island by paying them a visit - and they'll repay you with a fantastic trip!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
Girlina
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Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 247 members
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