2 weeks in august in Bali : please advise !

[stella]

Hi there,
we'll be in Bali from august 7th to the 23rd.
So I'm looking for good avices from expat living there : what should we visit ? and what nice little hotel would you advise for the site you think we should visit.
We'd like ideally to be based one week in one place, and the second week in a second place from which we could then drive and visit : what would you advise ? Kuta and Ubud ? Or Padangbai ?

Thank you very muc for your precious help,
Stella

ps
We don't surf, but we like it.
We dive and snorkle.
We love their culture

Stella,

Welcome to the forum.

I am not an expat living in Bali but my friends fom Holland/Denmark like to stay with Balinese family when they vacation in Ubud. It is a small nice homestay, Rumah Roda. They said the owner, husband and wife is very friendly.

If u like one with swimming pool, there is one across the street from Rumah Roda. You can hear the water flow from the river, very relaxing (forgot the name of the homestay).
My husband and I stayed there 3 years ago, since Rumah Roda was full at that time.

Both are located in a famous street in Ubud. The road was built from the donated step stones.

Roy will be able to tell you the name of this area.

hope u enjoy yr visit
dahlia

[stella]

thanks ! sounds great ! Roy can email me to stellareef@hotmail.com. thanks !

[Roy]

Stella, welcome to the forum. The road being referred to is right off the main road, Jalan Raya in “central” Ubud.

This sounds like your first trip to Bali? If so, I would not suggest a Bali homestay for your first visit. For privacy and western comforts that you are accustomed, I would suggest any of the many budget bungalows all along the side streets off of Jalan Raya or along Jalan Monkey Forest. Normally in August advance booking would be advisable, but this season, so far anyway, is proving to be far less busy than normal. The advantage to you is that you can check places out in person before booking a room or bungalow.

If it’s culture you seek, then Ubud is the place for certain. Do some internet searches on Ubud and you can find a wealth of information. Personally, I find it impossible to make recommendations or suggestions as to where to go, or what to see as there is just so much variety in Bali. Have a great trip!

[ChadM]

Hi Stella... :)

I would suggest Ketut's Place, just a bit north of the center of Ubud on Jl. Suweta. Great bed and breakfast run by Ketut, whose family have lived in this compound for 8 generations, and his lovely wife, Wayan. Nice pool, beautiful gardens, and a Balinese feast that's a wonderful experience. I stayed there recently and found it to be a terrific synthesis of Balinese homestay life and Western comfort. If you go, ask for room #15. You'll have the entire level to yourself. Runs about US$35 a night for this room, single, US$46 double. If you don't need the fancy room or air-conditioning, you can get a basic room for half that price. Check it out here: http://www.indo.com/hotels/ketut-place/. I have quite a few personal photos that I can share if you're interested.

Staying a week in Ubud, and a week elsewhere is a terrific idea. Bali is quite different from region to region, and this will definitely help give you more insight than staying in one place. The difference between Ubud and the Kuta-Legian is extreme. Both have their appeal, however. If you want any semblance of exposure to Bali life and culture, I'd advise not staying in Nusa Dua. The hotels and beaches are top-notch, but in the insular, gated enclave, you could well be at any beach resort in SE Asia. The "real Bali," so to speak, is nowhere to be found.

From Ubud, you can easily make day trips north to Gunung Batur, or east into the Gianyar and Klungkung regions... Candi Dasa, Amlapura, Gunung Agung... these are all easily reached. You can typically rent a car in Ubud for about $10-11 a day, or a motorbike (as I did) for about $3-4 per day (depending on your bargaining skills). There are some really delightful villages immediately north of Ubud, too, and I've found the people there to be remarkably friendly and gracious.

My personal opinion is that, for the most part, 4-5 nights in the Kuta-Legian area is sufficient. It's an energetic and very fun area (I stayed 7 nights in Seminyak in late May, then moved on to the relative calm of the Ubud area for another week).

[stella]

Thanks Roy for your warm welcome.

And thanks Chad for your detailed advices !
The photos on the website are terrific !

1. We are planning to spend 2/3 days in Seminyak as soon as we land to meet some friends, but if we wanted to stay a week on a beautiful beach, not too far from niec diving or snorkeling sites : which one would you recommend ?

2. How do you recommend we reach Ubud ? Should we rent a car for the 2 weeks or are there easy ways to go from... let's say Seminyak to Ubud for instance ? And afterwards you rent a bike in Ubud once you're settle at Ketut's place... ?

thanks a lot !
Stella

[ChadM]

The beaches of Kuta and Legian are widely considered to be the best, but the snorkeling there isn't good. Some of the best snorkeling is off the eastern coast of the Bukit Peninsula, and great diving is found on the northeastern coast near Tulamben. There is a sunken ship from WWII there that's very near the coast, and it's teeming with an incredible variety of tropical fish. Very, very easy dive.

Alternately, and this is highly recommended, you could arrange to take a day trip over to Nusa Lembongan and do some snorkeling there. Many tour operators can get you there and back on a nice boat, with lunch included, for under $50 if you bargain. This might be harder to do in August, since it's the high season in Bali. There is a great tour operator outside the Matahari store in Kuta Square who has very reasonable rates. If you're interested, I could probably find his card and provide you with his contact information.

As far as getting to Ubud from the Seminyak area, I've done it on my own before (and also from Sanur, which is easier), but if it's your first time to Bali, I'd strongly advise arranging transport there. It takes about an hour, and the roads are not at all well-marked in places. I had transport to Ubud, then once I got there, I found a guy renting motorbikes. His name is Made, he walks with a limp, and his shop is almost directly across from the football field in Ubud, on the left side of the one-way Jl. Monkey Forest Rd.

Anyway, here is a link to some of my Ubud-area photos, including quite a few from Ketut's Place: http://chadm.myphotoalbum.com/view_albu ... me=album04

Click there, then choose "Slideshow" in the upper right. :) Enjoy!

[Roy]

Stella....Amed, that's it.

[stella]

Thanks Roy ! I heard it's a magic place !
and thanks Chad : photos look really terrific ! I can't wait to get there !!!

Any suggestions of "must see" around Ubud ?
There are so many things my guide ... What are for you the 3 "must see" sites on the island ?

[ChadM]

I'm sure Roy could tell you anything and everything about the Ubud area. I've only been there a few times; he's lived there for several years!

If you do wind up staying at Ketut's Place (or even if you don't), make sure you go and see the village's Kecak dance on Jl. Suweta. Ketut is the head of his banjar, and he and his 14-year-old son, Nyoman, are both performers (not in every performance, but in some). It's a wonderful dance and the story it tells is terrific.

I could never, EVER hope to tell anyone going to Bali just three must-see places. Just go with an open mind and heart and enjoy. Interact with the people and absorb the culture, for that's where the beauty of Bali truly lies. Memories can be made there at every turn and I discover more and more with every visit there. I expect that one day, I'll be buying a one-way ticket to Bali... and that's why I found this forum! :)