Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hjkorea]

i'm debating whether or not to go to bali. i only have a week vacation. also, i'm wondering if this is too long for bali alone. should i plan on moving around to other islands in indonesia? i'm just interested in doing the usual vacation things...exploring the culture, eating good food, relaxing on the beach, maybe some diving or surfing, little bit of shopping, snapping some photos etc...

also, any advice on places to stay, places to eat, sights not to miss in bali would be appreciated. i am not set on a budget yet so all suggestions are welcome. in the past i have backpacked and stayed mostly in places from $2 (india)-$10 a night (vietnam). this trip is going to be with someone special so i don't mind springing for something a little more expensive, as long as it is not too exorbitant.

the reason i chose bali is because i have already been to most of the countries in south east asia already. indonesia never really struck me as a place i had to visit, but lately i have been wanting to begin exploring it.

thanks.

[osangrl]

Bali is fun for 3 days... go to Lombok.... not travelled as much, just a boat ride away!

[captain_radar]

I've been to Bali a couple of times and loved it. The main touristy thing people get up to is the Ubud Monkey Forest, which is about two hours into the mountains. The beaches are OK, but I found myself spending more time at the Hotel swimming pool. No people hassling you if you just want to relax.

Last time I went, I went on an island tour called "Ocean Rafting 3 Island Tour" (or something like that). It can be booked through most hotels and is a pretty good day. Snorkelling, a bit of culture at the seaweed island and lunch. There are a lot of tours like that that operate out of Nusa Dua, but the ocean rafting was a little different in that it was an inflatable (fiberglass bottom) boat with 4 250Hp engines, so it was pretty quick. Good photo opportunities.

The WaterBom park is great if you want to release you inner child and spend the day on the water slides. Again, bookable through your hotel.

If you want shopping, you basically have to go to the Kuta part of Bali. Most resorts are there anyway. Get as close as you can to the Bali Bomb site which is in Legian. Shopping, nightclubs and good restaurants at your door.

As for the time, I spent ten days there and was looking for reasons not to go home.

Last time I went I stayed at the Bounty Hotel, right in the middle of it all. Fairly cheap, two swimming pools (24 hours swim up bar), buffet breakfast every morning and a tour agents that can book your stuff.

I can't wait to get back there now that I wrote all that!

[Not Angry]

If you are planning on going during late July or August it would take a miracle. Couldn't find a ticket to save my life for less than a million. But I second osan girl with the Lombok idea. If you can take a little more time you might want to check out the island of Komodo. But even 9 or 10 days might make that a bit of a rush.... if you can get there have a great time!

[hjkorea]

i appreciate your input.

captain radar, it sounds like you had a really fun trip. i will definitely follow some of your suggestions. i have a little more information now after looking on the web and picking up a book on bali.

not angry, i went ahead and booked two tickets last week to be safe. maybe i got lucky because they are less than 700 each. i went through top travel in jongno.

[Yaya]

A great site for finding good accommodation in Bali is indo.com.

[chris_J2]

The Gili Islands (Air, Meno, Trawangan) are coral atolls off Lombok well worth seeing. Just get in & out of Bangsal as quickly as possible. Ubud is a better choice than Kuta / Legian, too.

You could also do Bromo Volcano, in East Java.