Bali

mulberry
I booked via the Alila ubud website. as for air tix, I booked with Valuair. but be prepared for flight delays. My flight home was delayed for 6 hours.

T&P
We stayed only in Ubud, did not go manggis. My package includes:
- accomodation in superior room
- US$150 spa voucher per pax x2. Quite a good deal as my husband and I got to enjoy 3 spa treatments each.
- breakfast on all days
- 1 trekking trip including lunch. The trekking trip was very very tough, must climb from one mountain peak to another including crossing river barefooted. I had to brave through forest where there are no walking treks. Like the jungles you see in survivor. I got badly sunburned till I had blisters on my shoulder and my leg got badly cut by grasses and bushes. But at the end of the trip, it was very rewarding cos you get to see nice paddy fields and enjoy a picnic lunch by the paddy fields (also provided by the hotel).
- 1 dinner
- to and fro airport transfer
- welcome drink.
- drinks and nuts will also be served whenever you are at their famous infinity pool
Here's the website of Alila ubud where you can check out the package http://www.alilahotels.com/Ubud/
 


hi cat, hehe thanks for the reassurance..

have a gd trip to bali!!
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my hb also the bargaining king lor.. i suck at bargaining!
 
my hotel in Ubud also has similar trekking activities too...din know it was tat tough hehehe..heng i din join :p
 
Arrggh, Garuda Airline got accident again today. My friend already warned me the plane old and service non-existent, now this...
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Don't dare to tell my mum what airline I'm taking.

On the bright side, they are likely to step up inspection and safety for the time being. But, I'm making sure to buy my travel insurance...
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hi cat,

i flown in Garuda b4...13yrs ago to Bali..find they r quite alright leh. at least dun hv flight delays like msia airlines
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garuda is alrite lah...not very fancy like SQ but still ok. But lots of delays...the last I took it was maybe 3-4 yrs ago. Delayed for 4 hrs...I decided never to take it again. haha..
 
Urgent! Can anyone confirm if they only take new US notes? Told my hubby but he don't believe. Now the USD I have are all b4 2004 series.

I'm leaving this afternoon!
 
Hi Srumpee,

Can i check with u on the Alila Ubud? is the spa voucher total USD300 per couple? What is the average pricing for each spa session?

Thanks for your help as I couldnt find the info on the web.
 
hi all

i m planning for my honeymoon & Alila resort is one of my consideration

can i jus check whether its cheaper to book with the hotel direct then air tix separately or book all with the tour agency?

i asked for quotes for other resorts @ Hua hin (direct & frm a travel agent) it seems tat travel agent offer better package (flying by SQ or Thaiair)
 
hi, wanna check if vaccinations or any medications must be taken b4 going to bali? anyone knows?? problem is that i am expecting, not sure if these vaccines and meds are safe for my baby.. going to bali next wed already! hope someone can help!
 
hi jules,
no need lah, bali is not some ulu place. also so far, never heard got bird flu cases there...usually it's the more remote places in Indo.
enjoy ur trip next week!
 
Hi people, I'm back from Bali. No problem with my USD. If you are changing money, ask your driver to bring you to the bank. I visited P.T. Central Kuta. The bank does not charge 'commission', nor give different rates for different denominations or old notes. Transaction is conducted in the safety of the bank premises, and an official receipt is issued.
 
Hi Midas, think my earlier feeling that Dewa might not be for me is correct. He is down with the flu.
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He managed to show us around the 1st day, albeit with a very bad runny nose, but he got to get his cousin Nyoman to substitute for the next.

Dewa is okay. He can hold a conversation, and will engage you during the ride. However, put it this way, I spent the most money on my day with him...
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He brought us to a restuarant up in Kintamani (didn't ask us which one we will prefer...), and didn't inform us that ala carte is available other than the buffet. Then the coffee plantation price is XXX...though we did buy a pack, since we did drink those free samples.

His cousin Nyoman is young, and tends to keep mentioning that you are rich and he is poor...which tends to make one uncomfortable. His English is not so good, but reasonable. But he is friendly and eager to please. The Jimbaran bay restuarant he brought us to is nice, New Langsam Place. And the last day when I Tell him (he doesn't takes a hint...) that I have not enough money to visit other places except Uluwatu for my morning trip, he brought us to Nusa Dua where we can enjoy the sea for free. Nice guy, just treat him like your younger brother.
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Saw on our trip other driver cum guides showing their customers around and explaining. Dewa & Nyoman are basically just drivers. They bring you there and drop you to roam around. My husband was complaining to me that I should have engage a guide like those we saw, but I have no idea where to find one like those...Most 'advertising' you see are for drivers. Ah well.
 
Accomodations wise, we stayed at Casa Padma in Jalan Padma, Legian Beach. The area has a couple of art markets, and plenty of restuarants and shops lining the streets. If you are up to it, you can walk to Kuta Square or Seminyak by along the beach or Jalan Legian which is lined with shops all the way. We walked from Kuta Square back to our hotel twice, as we asked to be dropped off in Kuta Square and Discovery Mall after our 'tours'.

The goods you see in Bali tends to be similar, except some arts and craft stuff which might be limited to an area. You got to bargain drastically, without qualms. And some goods you will find cheaper in Bangkok, unless you really haggle I suppose. The 'brand' shops kept repeating along the street all the way.
 
WARNING for those visiting Uluwatu. The monkeys there are 'trained' to snatch your glasses. Then the men loitering around will offer to get them back for you for a 'tip'.

I got my glasses snatched, and as my husband very nearly got the monkey himself, the men 'helped', and passed the glasses back to me b4 asking for 'tip'. My husband gave them a note, which he roll his eyes at and pushed to the floor! Since he don't want it, I got it back and we walked away. He then started shouting 'TIP' very loudly after us.

Luckily, there was a group of Taiwanese tourists there and we tagged along with them for the rest of the temple. The Taiwanese ladies were horrified that the monkeys will actually 'attacked'. The critters jumped on you from behind and attempt the snatch whatever loose-ends you have hanging. One of the Taiwanese ladies also got jumped on by a monkey. Their guide mentioned that they expect a 'tip' of at least Rp10,000. I suppose it depends on what the monkey snatched from you...

This is in the area immediately upon entering the temple grounds. There's a lookout to the left where people will cluster to get a look of the temple on the cliff. The monkeys will 'attack' then since most people got their backs to them then. This is also why you see a lot of locals around Uluwatu branishing a 'broom'. It is used to chase away monkeys.

If like us, you do not wear contacts and cannot see without your glasses, you might wanna give Uluwatu a miss. You cannot avoid the monkeys as they are along the road that you must walk to get to the temple.

For that 'temple off the cliff' photo, you can get from the other side when you descend after climbing to the top. The view is better there too, and no/less monkeys around. Just make sure you got someone watching your back. Swiping a branch will help, but the locals might object to you actually hitting the critters.
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hi cat,

welcome back...

we went to the coffee plantation too..it wasn't in our original itinerary but Dewa say its free entry so we juz go there look see...hubby did bought some tea from them though..i used the toilet there FOC. as for the kintamani restaurant, our only requirement is dine with view of the volcano so we r pretty satisfied with the one he brought us to...we knew all restaurants hv ala carte coz there is menu mah. as for the tour guide thingy...they cost more than a mere driver..i also duno hw to find them..maybe at a local agency? for me, guide is unneccessary..they juz bring u walk to standard places n tell u stories u wun remember..i'm not paying extra for tat.

wah...uluwatu monkeys r really tat bad ah? i heard from Dewa they will snatch ur cameras n glasses so must keep away b4 u enter tat place. but we din know got those man who ask for tips for helping u get it back...maybe we shld gv uluwatu a miss then.
 
Hi midas. The Kintamani restuarant when we enter only see the buffet spread. And they only show us drinks menu. So we blur blur think only got buffet. Later in the car we ask Dewa izzit only buffet no ala carte, he hesitated then say yes, although he was the one who asked us if we had buffet or ala carte...
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The coffee plantation we went cos Dewa said he was looking forward to the ginger tea to help with his cold. We are not coffee drinkers, so we basically went so he can get his drink. Noone will coerce you to buy, there is no pressure. My husband simply bought a pack as gift for his office, although he know it is $$$. Rather regret when we saw those nicely packaged, and cheaper...

We will have enjoyed a guide. We like learning about the history and culture of places we visit. And my husband especially full of questions one. It is not the same reading from a guidebook and hearing it from a local. I tend to forget what I read...
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But Dewa is engaging during the drive. If not for his cold, it might have turned out better. Just take note that he will quote you slightly higher prices when asked about costs. Cannot blame him for not wanting to affect the earnings of his countryman.

Regarding Uluwatu, I was warned already by my sister-in-law, and Nyoman did warned us about wearing our glasses. But we both do not wear contacts, and my husband can't see without his glasses. Lucky it was me who was hit on. We had made precautions to wear our old glasses, and have our regular ones in backup. But I let my guard down when taking pictures. As mentioned, keep your back guarded, although they might just dropped down on you from overhead...
 
hi cat,

i see...i tot u paid to enter the coffee plantation hehe. ya, hubby also realised tat it is cheaper to get the item elsewhere when we were in kuta later tat day..but too late liao..at least we drank some free samples there.

perhaps u shld hv gotten a local day tour pkg at a local agency in kuta instead of having a driver like Dewa...coz u needed the guided tour service where the driver is driver n the tour guide is another person who wld bring u walk around n talk about tat place of interest. usually tis type of pkg is inclusive of entry fees n some even includes lunches...n off course u gotta pay much more than wat u r paying Dewa though...n they will also bring u to places to shop for things tat u may not want for extra commissions..standard practice for all tour agents in planet earth
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it all boils down to ur needs n budget..
 
Aiyoh Midas, you got see any reputable day tour agency in Bali while you were there? You think like Australia?
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Fact is, we all dunno where to find such guides. Dewa does fine enough given that fact.
wink.gif
We're cool with that.
 
hi cat,

yalor...i also duno hw to find, unless we book the land tours via sg agency, but hor will cost even more lor. anyway, me dun need guide so pretty ok with Dewa..

hey, did u kena harrassed by those Time-share agency pple in kuta? we met one leh...they r juz like sg one..at first say do a survey n then lucky draw win a 7days stay in big hotel..then ask us go to a 'exhibition' then claim the prize hehehe...heng our hotel is in Ubud, after they hear liao almost faintz hehehe they tot can juz pick us up from hotel the nxt day but Ubud too far liao..
 
Hi gals,

I intend to stay at the Ritz Carlton Bali for 3 nights and intend to book via website.

There are 3 websites that I go to:
- Asiarooms
- Hotelclub
- Hoteltravel.com

And hotel travel.com offers the cheapest rates. Has anyone tried booking via hoteltravel.com before? Is it safe?
 
Hello!
I just booked a F&E package with Diners World Travel & staying at a relatively new resort called Aston Sun Island Villas & Spas.
Anyone got feedback abt the resort and/or the Diners World Travel?
I heard the resort only started operating In Oct 06. It's located at Seminyak
 
I have always dreamed of solemnization in Bali. The only problem is that essentially, the guests have to pay to attend the solemnization. Most of the guests on my side have to travel anyway so it's not an issue, but my fiances guests are all local and I have a feeling that there will be more than a few raised eyebrows when they find out we are doing destination solemnization. The thought of a traditional wedding makes me cringe, so I don't know what to do. What is the etiquette on this?
 
Hi Banska,
what do u mean by ur fiance's guests are local? as in they're S'poreans huh?
well.. most couple who go for destination weddings pay for immdiate family members accomodation OR airfares.
As for friends, really depend on how close u're to them.. but most won't expect to enjoy a free holiday..
My suggestion is that u may want to assist in sourcing for reasonably priced accomodation & recommend to them? another way is that.. if u've a close fren whom u noe may not be financially capable to pay for the trip, and u really want his/her presence at ur wedding, then pay according to how much u're able to do so..
 
Hi Gals,


Im considering going Bali for wedding Anniversary in May, most likely 3D2N.

Pls share with me your experience;

a) itineary (not visiting temples) if can advise on local market/flea market etc be best
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b) booking via agency/ direct is better?

c) Hotel recommendation

d) Spa recommendation

e) Shopping recommendation

f) Driver/Tour pkg which better & charges?

g) Went phuket many yrs back, is Bali similar?

h) Currency: USD/Ruppiah better?

Thks in advance!
 
hi miralyn,

i just came back from a 5d/4n trip to ubud, bali. stayed at kajane mua villa(had our own private pool- shiok!!) and had a wonderful trip just relaxing and doing nothing..

in ubud, there was only 1 main market for shopping.. pasar ubud. it sells clothes, wooden carvings, bags and other small accessories. must bargain +++ - cut quoted price by at least 80% then bargain upwards..

for me i got a pretty good deal booking from the hotel directly. can negotiate for added perks like free airport-hotel-airport transfer, massage and spa, etc. we spent abt SGD 1800 for 2 pax for 5d/4n, including hotel stay, air tix by SQ and food spent on shopping, and food (ate at restaurants every meal- abt SGD 20 each time). this is way cheaper than booking from agencies or taking the free and easy packages. for eg, i saw an agency offering a 4d/3n package at elysian villa (also with private pool) for abt $900 per pax.. not even including taxes yet, not to mention food and shopping.

Currency : best to bring more USD there.. then change at bali to ruppiah. exchange rate is MUCH better over there.. i exchanged ruppiah at a rate of 1SGD-5950 ruppiah in singapore. went to bali, and realised that if i changed to USD first, then changed to ruppiah there, my exchange rate wld haev been 1SGD-6200 ruppiah! and this rate was quoted to us by the hotel! so imagine how much higher it wld have been if we changed at the money changers along the road..

for us, we didnt venture out of ubud, and we had free chauffeur service provided by our villa within central ubud (ie just need to call and let the hotel know what time we wanted to go where, and they will drive us there and pick us up again when we wanna go back to hotel). so no need for driver also..

cant help with the rest of ur qns.. but hope u found the above info useful!
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Hi Jules,

I'll be booking with Kajane too for our June honeymoon trip, as they quoted us quite a good deal too..however would like to chk with you when we use the free car transfer to central ubud and from thr we wanna travel to Jimbaran or kuta can we easily find transport there? Then when wanna go back to the villa time, u call the driver 1hr before or you already arrange with the driver before hand when dropping you guys at central ubud? thanks for enlighting..
 
erm we didnt venture out of ubud at all.. so cant really help u there. kajane does do drives up to jimbaran or kuta, but the rates are exorbitant. u might want to consider hiring a driver like midas recommended b4 if u wanna go to kuta or other places further from ubud.

wrt transfers within central ubud, usually we either fix a time for pick up with the driver before getting off the car, or if we went somewhere for dinner, we will ask the restaurant reception to call kajane for us to get them to come pick us up after we have finished eating.
 
Hi all,

I'm going to Bali in June. But having problems with accom. I want to stay in Legian area. Don't know which accom to choose. Can help?
 
Hi all,

Have anyone of you booked through asiarooms.com?

I'm contemplating between booking straight from hotel or asiarooms.com as the hotel seems to give more perks such as complimentary afternoon tea, etc. whereas asiarooms only include breakfast.

Please kindly advise. Thanks! =)
 
i've booked a room with asiarooms.com for my coming trip in july...so far so gd. need to wait till check-in to know if everything is alright...
for ur case, if the hotel is offering similar prices, u might as well book with them direct...if hotel is more ex then u need to consider whether the free afternoon tea is worth tat price anot lor..
 
Hi Ladies!

I'm going to Bali in Oct too but kn nothing abt Bali can anyone share? Like which area to stay is better?

Hi Jules!

Read abt ur stay... can share with me more? Tks! U can email me at [email protected]
 
Hi Ladies!

I'm going to Bali in Oct too but kn nothing abt Bali can anyone share? Like which area to stay is better?

Hi Jules!

Read abt ur stay... can share with me more? Tks! U can email me at [email protected]
 
Thank you midas! I've just booked Mecure Kuta & Maya Ubud from Asiarooms.com from 10-14 June. I'm still waiting for confirmation. Hope the rooms are available *pray hard*.

Oh, and really a big thank you to you, midas! I manage to email Dewa 'cause I would want him to drive us for the airport transfer and from Kuta to Ubud. =)
 
Hi Moon Moon,
I'm also going to Bali in Oct for my honeymoon.
We already booked the hotel called Aston Sun Island Villa and Spa at Seminyak.
We have our own private villa and gotten an upgrade coz we're honeymooners.

Most honeymooners prefer Ubud area coz quieter & more rustic environment.
But my FH & I opted for seminyak coz near to shopping, makan & beach. hehe..
Location depends on ur preferences.
 
Hi Jess!

So hw much u pay for it? I yet to book the hotel or villa leh.... me prefer something more cosy... is bali shopping gd? I never been there before so which area to stay is best??? ;)
 
Hi All,

We just came back from our honeymoon in Bali in end May and just want to give some feedback. We didn't book a package but just bought Jetstar tickets that were on promotion and headed there.

1. The Elysian

We took a 4D3N honeymoon package directly with the hotel. The Elysian has about 20 villas all of which has a private plunge pool and high walls (privacy for those who needs it). What we really love about the place is the service, the whole villa layout and all the little perks such as a pre-loaded ipod for your use during your stay. Elysian is located in Seminyak and about 10 minutes walk to the beach. =)

2. Ubud Hanging Gardens (UHG)

We then moved to UHG for another 4D 3N for our villa stay in Ubud. In terms of scenary / view, we felt that UHG reigns (even better than Four Seasons Sayan and Kupu Kupu Barong). But apart from the view, we were really unhappy with the service. And they charge for almost everything. We really regretted staying at this property.

3. Driver

We also hired a personal driver to drive us around Bali. We found him through reading recommendations from Trip Advisor. And we're really glad to use him. For more information, you can read: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g297701-i8984-k1030906-l7416157-Best_Driver_for_Exploring_Bali_Shopping-Ubud_Bali.html
 
Hi Moon Moon

My wife and I thought Bali shopping is only so-so. We didn't really buy alot of stuff. Depends on what you're looking for - like household stuff, furniture, paintings, handicrafts - lots! You can try the markets or Ubud for those. We found the prices for the exact same bag cost S$10 more in Kuta than in Ubud. Seminyak is slightly more up-class but has alot of nice, chic boutiques. We both love Seminyak. Don't forget to check out Ku De Ta and La Lucciola and the gorgeous sunsets!
 
Hi Moon Moon,
I paid abt less than $1500 in total for the two of us. Accomodation & air-tickets.. got 2 hr spa for the two of us oso.
As for shopping, beachwear and those surfer wear are cheap. But other than that, I think so so..
like wat jarbebe said.
I haven't been there tho'.
all info are supplied by my fren who works there. hehe..


Hi jarbebe,
can email me some of ur pics oso?
The sights over at seminyak & ubud.
thanks!
[email protected]
 


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