Korean Job Discussion Forums

[conbon78]

Can anyone recommend anywhere to stay in Bali? I don't want to spend a fortune, but I also don't want to sleep in a crap hole either. Does anyone have suggestions about what to do or where to stay? Thanks!

[jmuns]

if you are going to be staying at kuta beach, you can just walk around and find a place to stay. there are hundreds of hotels and hostels for you to choose from. my friend and i stayed in a place that was three US dollars a night for two beds and a bathroom. pretty clean as well. no tv, no a/c though. but cheap and 2 minutes from the beach.

[peter07]

[Arthur Dent]

http://www.balitravelforum.com/index.html

http://www.bali.com/

I would recommend these two sites. You can sign on the forum site and ask your questions. Lots of Aussies use the site and were quite helpful in providing information.

I went last February and rented a motorbike to cruise around the island. Cheap. Fun. Away from the main tourist sites.

A good strategy is to reserve a nice place for the first night or two and have them pick you up from the airport. This is free. You can then spend a little time shopping around as other posters have suggested. If you are hiking around with your bag - tired and grumpy from the flight - you will be less able to make a good decision.

There are some places with pools for a reasonable price. The beach around Kuta is not so clean for swimming. Don't be afraid to shop around and see what you can get for a couple of days - then go cheap after two nights in a nice place.

Good idea to head up to Ubud and take some of the tours. You can do it by yourself, but the tours are quite cheap and usually very interesting.
If you are looking for some quiet time with a little swimming or diving, check out Amed on the Northeast coast.

Lowina Beach on the North coast seems like a good mellow party place with a chance to head out on fishing boats to see dolphins.

Anyway, you can check out the Bali forums page for more information.

[re:cursive]

[bixlerscott]

If going to Ubud, the places families rent out on Hanoman street are lovely. Expect to pay about $10 US a night for a decent guesthouse room in the NW area of a family compound property with the family temple just across the way from you in the NE area of the property which has something to do with the traditional building plan. A nice little sitting area with free tea and coffee and a decent breakfast is usually offered. It's often a glowing soft orange stone looking place with gray ornately sculpted detailing and nice old wood doors painted red and gold. Very classical and beautiful. Very friendly people. Bali is lovely. Kuta has kooties crawling all over it though. I paid $25 for a terribly moldy hotel room in Kuta with rude workers. 5 minutes after check in, KFC delivery insisted at my door I ordered American chicken and that I was an American who just need to stuff my fat American gut after flying so far as if I were wilting away from not over eating. I was yelling mad. After I left Kuta, the real Bali revealed itself to me and I had the time of my life. Love the music, dance, nature, and Balinese people. Remember, Kuta locals yelling, "hey bossman," are usually from Java or Lombok, are Muslim, don't like you, want to scam you, wants to sell drugs and sex, and don't hold Balinese values and religion. If not surfing Kuta beach, don't stay more than 2 nights. Better if you go directly to Ubud from DPS.

I would recommend Warini Bungalows in a small alleyway off Hanoman behind a coffee shop. There are also the Artini places too as well as others. Just walk up Hanoman if you didn't find a place upon getting off the bus. The Balinese seem very atuned to your needs and do excellent work, you are simply NOT a walking ATM like is common in other parts. Go eat out and see a show or see a show and then eat out. I would nominate Ubud to be a great culinary capital of the world, but an understated one at that. It's very artsy, but not expensive. You are a person who deserves a great experience, because you earned it to be accomplished enough to make it there to meet them. It doesn't require unrealistic financial wealth to enjoy. Bossman have a great trip. Peace out.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

I didn't mind Kuta. I liked the tourist cheez, the pirate software, the restaurants, and the bikini girls. It's been a while, but I stayed at the Aquarius Hotel in Kuta which was about $10 a night at the time with pool and breakfast. It's probably more now but they have a website and might have deals for pre-booking.

My advice is use Kuta as a home base for a while until you find what you like and you burn out from the incessant sales pitches. Nearby Jimbaron has quieter beaches and has incredibly good fish dinners on the beach. Spend a while in Ubud, but to be honest I was bored after three days. I had fun just going on day trips in taxis in the Kuta area.

Pictures: http://keneckert.com/pictures/pictures.html

[aldershot]

balian, in the northewest. authentic little hindu village, only a handful of guesthouses, a real balinese experience. we helped the village men slaughter a pig for a cerememony where we met the village guru and shared babi guling with him. and the drive up there is nice.

nusa lembongan. a little island off the east coast. amazing corals that you can swim to from the beach. its economy is based on the seaweed harvest. relaxing as.

both destinations require a waxed-up stick.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

[jmuns]

[aldershot]