Bali advice? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**worldwidemike** · 11-12-2003, 10:34 AM

Hi everyone,

Well, the glow from Myanmar is subsiding...it is time to start planning my next trip: Bali (flights permitting, of course).

Anyone have advice, impressions or interesting snippets about the island? I'd love to hear from you.

My friend and I are planning on staying in the Ubud area, at least for part of the time...

worldwidemike

**joanofarc** · 11-12-2003, 03:15 PM

well, i was in bali for a week while travelling through indonesia in 1996 - it was very beautiful, but i heard a lot of great stuff about some other islands very near to bali (like 30min. to hour long boat ride) that are less touristed and supposedly more beautiful (ie; clearer water).

lombok, that's one...but you need shots i think for that one.

then there is a small group, maybe three islands, i think they're called the gili islands - yeah, that's right... and one that is said to be the most beautiful is gili air - but some of those gili islands are supposed to be party spots, which aren't to my taste. anyway, something off the beaten path for you.

my main advice though - TRY THE GRILLED PRAWNS!! damn they are delicious - also, but this is mostly a javanese thing i think, but you should find it in bali - make sure to try some SATE AYAM with LONTONG (lontong is a compressed sticky rice cake tube, sounds weird but is delicious).

and if you have the nerve, i heavily encourage a visit to the mainland - java is beautiful!! so is sumatra for that matter - but - it's a totally different world/culture from bali, i think bali (though beautiful, and maybe i shouldn't say this) isn't really indonesia - i guess like tijuana isn't really mexico.., i don't know.

TUI · 11-12-2003, 11:00 PM

I think I had one of those sticky things in Korea, was definatly a change of taste

TapSiLog · 12-16-2003, 11:49 PM

hi guys...

i will be doing a side trip to Bali this january... it will be a 4-day trip and i'm just starting to browse the net for Bali infos.. so if you have some valuable infos, i would really appreciate it!!!

my first concern would be the accomodation.. i am hoping to find a cheap but good enough type of hostel/hotel... or any sort of budget accomodation that is near the beach...
any suggestions?? thanks in advance.. :D

And if you're not too busy to give me some "must-do" and "must-see" lists in bali considering that I will only be there for 4 days... it would be great!!!

**worldwidemike** · 12-17-2003, 09:57 AM

I honestly think you'll save money if you DON'T have a reservation. We got a 3-4 star hotel room for $25 a night in Kuta not far from the beach --just walking up. Tourism is down, down, down in Bali. In my hotel is Kuta, there were perhaps a half dozen other guests at most. In Ubud, we were the only ones in our hotel. Ask for a "discount," have your driver/taxi wait and if the price doesn't strike your fancy, go next door to the next hotel.

As for things to do, I will be posting my travelogue to my web site in the next couple days...check it out and feel free to ask any questions about different sites...

worldwidemike

TapSiLog · 12-17-2003, 08:41 PM

hey WWM...

thanks for the tip!
i will definitely checkout your travelogue.. i have visited it a number of times before..

a good read!

**worldwidemike** · 12-20-2003, 08:01 AM

Okay...travelogue on Bali's finally posted. Enjoy! And feel free to ask any questions or clarifications you may need...

worldwidemike

TapSiLog · 12-23-2003, 12:16 AM

hey mike..

just checked ur awesome site..

i'm sorry for the initial blunders and those scam bugs!!

damn.. even young innoncent girls huh? ... sign of poverty and hardship, i guess... but at least u had met a great balinese family before u left the island.. cheers to that!

let's see how many times i will get scammed though i'm kinda used to these things as i come from a third world country myself and i don't think i would be a target (i hope) for the locals as i probably look like them.. hehe :D

thanks again bro... i'll throw in some questions once i can think of sumthn..

**worldwidemike** · 12-23-2003, 05:32 AM

Thanks, Tapsi!

I'm not so sure how much of the scamming is due to poverty. The tourism industry in Bali is definitely down, right now, but the difference between Bali and my recent trip to Myanmar was very striking.

In Bali, the locals are riding around on motorscooters and talking on cel phones. In Myanmar, they're pedaling bikes or riding in ox carts (in the countryside). Compared to other SE Asian countries, Bali is quite wealthy, I felt.

I hope your trip goes well. In the end, I was able to get past the scams and enjoy Bali. It is definitely a worthwhile travel destination.

worldwidemike

TapSiLog · 12-24-2003, 01:04 AM

i would have to agree with you..

Bali would be relatively wealthy compared to other SEAsian towns/cities... probably comparable to phuket in thailand, another very popular tourist destination.... but i never experienced anything bad with the locals though so it's all good..

thanks again mike! lookin forward on the next entry on your travelogue!! no wonder they call u "TRAVEL GOD" !!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!