aussiebrims
It has been 22 years since our last trip to Bali. We loved the Ubud area. My husband and I are now retired, selling the house in America and plan to stay in Bali for 3-6 months prior to returning to Australia for retirement. (we are a America-Australian couple).We would like any suggestions as to how to find simple but clean accomodation on a monthy basis. We want easy access to town (Ubud), internet and be around other expats. (we spent several years as expats in the Pacific Islands years ago).Thank you in advance to any suggestions.
sherm
twenty-two years? That's a long time between visits and things change sometimes for the worse. I would recommend finding temporary hotel then start looking and asking when you get there. It will not be the place you remember.
aussiebrims
Yes, 22 years is a long time. We have been lucky enough to have traveled a good part of the world and whenever anyone ask "what is your favorite place" my thoughts always goes back to Bali. As we are moving from America to Australia, we thought it would be wonderful to spend a few months in Bali while we await our shipment.Again, any suggesions will be most welcome.
davita
@ aussiebrimsWelcome to the forum...I'm sure you will get lots of advice from members living in Ubud but I agree with Sherm...try a hotel for a few days while looking around for your longer-term stay.I note you are located in AZ. where I was a snowbird from Vancouver for many years. The heat there now must be stifling so you'll be delighted that Bali is cool and breezy... right now 26Deg C...the best time of the year. Where do you live there?...I lived in Scottsdale on Santa Fe, between the McCormick Ranch 36 hole golf courses.
aussiebrims
Davita,We are in Tubac, great place just south of Tucson. It has been a great place to live, but, it is time to move on and have a few more adventures in our lives. Once the house sells, we plan to travel for a year or so before returning to Oz to be near family. We may spend a bit of time in Mexico before heading to Bali.The suggestion of hotel to start of with is good. How is the Ubud Inn, just up from the Monkey Forrest? I had stayed there many times when visiting in the 90's.
davita
Davita,We are in Tubac, great place just south of Tucson. It has been a great place to live, but, it is time to move on and have a few more adventures in our lives. Once the house sells, we plan to travel for a year or so before returning to Oz to be near family. We may spend a bit of time in Mexico before heading to Bali.The suggestion of hotel to start of with is good. How is the Ubud Inn, just up from the Monkey Forrest? I had stayed there many times when visiting in the 90's.[/QUOTE]Goodness...I thought anywhere south of Tucson WAS Mexico...hehehe!I'll leave any suggestions about Ubud to others as I've only visited friends....and been to the Jazz Club there.
Markit
Dear people, it falls to me to try and break through the "nice" BS that my fellow members have spun you. Ubud has turned into an absolute nightmare, just in the 8 years I've been here, so Hanuman knows what it will have been like in your addled memories from 22 years ago. Don't they have fake Gucci bags or D & G sunglasses in Arizona? Well you can stock up in Ubud while you are going through all the cheap "new" DVDs that won't work anyway. That's if you can fight your way past the Mongol hordes of Chinese tourists all sucking on the same litre bottle of water from the last warung and the touts every 2 meters demanding your business for their taxis/restos/sisters/etc. Beginning to get the idea? I'm pretty sure if you trip down memory lane you won't find any of the above. Think Atlantic City with Nasi Goreng. If you want the memories to remain rosy then don't go back, is my advice. But what do I know?
aussiebrims
If not Ubud, where would you suggest. Looking for what Ubud was 20 years ago. NO Kuta Beach.
Markit
Good move - I'm sure RonB will moan that I've trashed Ubud but he lives there and knows when and where to go to avoid the hordes and hawkers. Ubud is fine between 7am and 11am but then get out. [B]MARKIT TIP: [/B]to avoid the attentions of the ubiquitous taxi hawkers take an old bunch of car keys with you and walk with them swinging in your hand. The hawkers will see these and leave you alone. Dare I say it the east of Bali is still lovely and the people are friendly and kind without the cannibalistic traits that seem so prevalent down south and in Ubud. Lovina is also nice but very tourist oriented (not so much "real Bali" but nice for hotels and restos). Amed is good for the old Kuta feel pre 80s and fun to snorkel and dive if that's your bent. Pemuteran in the west is dry and boring with the only attraction being the white Balinese Starling - which are all gone but you can see some really neat pictures of them before they were worth $5000 each. Sanur is also good and convenient for all the usual attractions but very "big city".Hope this helps.
davita
Re post #7.I was very interested in what the words "Hanuman knows" about Ubud as I'd only heard that word in reference to yoga.[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman[/url]....he was a Hindu god that had monkey-like features...a bit like a Bonobo.However, on further reading wiki says.... "In the 3rd chapter of Kishkindha Kaanda of Valmiki Ramayana, Rama describes many attributes of Hanuman's personality. In summary....Ablest sentence maker.Know-er of all Vedas and Scriptures.Scholar in nine schools of grammars.Possessing faultless speech and facial features."Now, I'm impressed that he knows so much about Ubud....:highly_amused:
aussiebrims
Markit,Thanks for the info. Any suggestions for Amed or Karangasem monthly rental? Budget of $1000.00-1500.00aud per month.
Markit
How long is that piece of string? Get here and see what's on offer and what the "feel" of each place is like. At the rate the dollar is rising you could probably buy half the island by then for that much.
davita
How long is that piece of string? Get here and see what's on offer and what the "feel" of each place is like. At the rate the dollar is rising you could probably buy half the island by then for that much.[/QUOTE]Post #11 referred to a budget of between $1,000 and $1,500 AUD. I cannot see below where the rate of the AUD to IDR has risen by any significance overtime.According to XE.... on this day in 2012 one AUD bought IDR 10,013; same day 2013 it bought IDR 9,225; last year it bought IDR 11,014 and today only IDR 9,914.
Markit
Why would Americans have kangaroo bucks? OK, my bad - you are right Davita. Bask in the glow and let it go to your head.
davita
OK, my bad - you are right Davita. Bask in the glow and let it go to your head.[/QUOTE]Wow! I'm thinking of how to 'bask in the glow'. Fock it...I'll just start the weekend early and open a box of Hatten's finest Rose...:icon_wink:
mugwump
Hi Aussiebrims,As has been suggested as answer to this question many times. Stay in a homestay or hotel to your liking somewhere for a while and get a feel for the area and your requisite needs. All people have their preferences and biases, but to ignore West Bali is a mistake. If you dislike congestion, windless high humidity, persistent hawkers, and seek genuine folks for which Bali is justly famous go northwest past Tabanan where there are numerous lovely sparsely populated beaches and beautiful vistas.The rub has always been the remoteness and slow 2 lane highway, but a new toll road is destined to begin construction this month and hopefully completed in 3 years which will cut the time of travel by perhaps three- fourths the present time.
no.idea
Hi Aussiebrims, but a new toll road is destined to begin construction this month and hopefully completed in 3 years which will cut the time of travel by perhaps three- fourths the present time.[/QUOTE]The word destined in the key here. Meanwhile people in that region will have to keep their eyes open for flying pigs. It will be great if it ever happens. That is a great area but the current road really is a killer.
Markit
Just went that way for the first time in years headed to BanguWangme with a fella that travels it often and he said that the road is now wonderful? Compared with how it was - we were in Negara from Ubud in 2 hours... even with beerstop. I do agree that the Tabanan area is also wonderful but the coast south of that I always consider to be south Bali too. West for me is the Negara and Pemuteran area where I wouldn't send even Davita.
davita
Just went that way for the first time in years headed to BanguWangme with a fella that travels it often and he said that the road is now wonderful? Compared with how it was - we were in Negara from Ubud in 2 hours... even with beerstop. I do agree that the Tabanan area is also wonderful but the coast south of that I always consider to be south Bali too. [COLOR="#FF0000"]West for me is the Negara and Pemuteran area where I wouldn't send even Davita.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]FWIW...Davita has been west of Negara a few times...especially when going to the ferry at Gillimanuk/Banyuwangi to take a train to Lawang (family home). A train trip I recommend is from Banyuwangi to Surubaya....it should be particularly interesting now as the track goes south of Mount Raung to Jember.I agree with Mugwump and Markit that the Bali west coast has been slightly overlooked as the beaches there are better than the north shore, where the sand is black....who to hell wants to sun on black sand?The road from Kerobokan thru' Mengwi to Negara, and onwards, is reasonable as most trucks are now forced to take the north route to get to the south.I particularly recommend Mengwi for touring as it has many historical features...also, the new Ogoh Ogoh museum at Soka Indah pull-out is a great stop on the route for lunch/pee and a look at the grotesque statues...i've heard comments that some expats from Amed posed for the uglier Ogohs....:icon_e_biggrin:That coast line is prime for future development and I've been told much of the sea frontage land has already been acquired, by world-class resort groups, for that purpose.BTW I'm also told the Mengwi traffic police dept. is the easiest place on the island to get a sim A/C.....sshhh!
JohnnyCool
...we were in Negara from Ubud in 2 hours... even with beerstop...[/QUOTE]In [B]two[/B] hours? That's impossible even [I]without[/I] "beerstop".Would love to hear how your "fella" managed that.:icon_question:
