Bali

[Analyst]

I'm going to Bali next week and was wondering if anyone could share their experiences there i.e., nightlife, restaurants, spots, etc.

This is going to be a PG-13 trip, and I'm staying at a villa in Seminyak.

Thanks in advance.

[ken shinoda]

depends on what you are goin for. seminyak is more for the older, matured crowds. Drinks are more pricy, but places are better.

kuta is for the OZ backpackers, drinks are cheap, or you could just hit the circle k and drink first since they have one store every 2-3km. I think you'd enjoy kuta more, since they have like foam parties etc. oh, and go to double 6 for bungee.

[lenn]

the northern part is really nice, you can experience the 'normal' life there, away from all the tourists. i rented a nice villa right by the sea, it's recommendable. kuta is ok for a few days, seminyak is more luxurious. watch out for the monkeys at the temples btw. they steal your shit.

[lufc_girl]

I miss Bali. I haven't been there in a few years now but I used to like Ubud area. Take a boat to one of the small islands for the day like Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan. If you're brave enough to try Balinese food try Bebek Bengil in Ubud, Nasi Campur Bali in a very small stall almost like a hawker place in Sanur Beach, and Babi Guling. I agree for young people maybe you should go to Kuta.

[Analyst]

I've been kicking myself for not coming to Bali sooner, despite being in Southeast Asia for the past few years.

I'm staying at a private villa in Seminyak, an area littered with excellent restaurants, hotels, bars, etc. directly north of Kuta. So far, I haven't ventured into the backpacker's haven quite yet as hanging out with crunchy backpackers doesn't seem very enticing.

Last night, we went to Ku De Ta, one of the most notable night spots in Seminyak, which has spawned its own CD series and clothing line ala Hotel Costes. Nevertheless, the food there is well prepared, the service is top notch and the talent is plentiful. Perfect place to have a Cohiba and watch the sunset.

Tonight, we ventured to Jimbaran, about 35 mins by taxi from Seminyak, and had dinner at Menega Cafe, home to what is supposed to be the best grilled seafood on the island. While I would recommend the food there (white snapper, king prawn, lobster), I felt the service was poor given that the Cafe draws a huge crowd every night and is a extremely understaffed. Definitely get a table far as possible from the kitchen as smoke from their grill seems to bellow endlessly until about 9pm, when the crowd finally slows. And reservations are a must.

The Four Seasons is also an easy walk from Menega Cafe's beach front. Nice place to get away from the seafood crowd and watch the sunset before dinner.

Tomorrow, we're going to go diving, hopefully finding the elusive mola mola i.e., sunfish, and check out Ubud, near the center of the island.

[ghostdeini]

10 characters

[rirawin]

Getting married in Bali in September and having the honeymoon there too. Will be moving about a bit, wedding will be in Nusa Dua, then we'll be going to Seminyak, and then finishing off in Sanur. Leaving the Northern part, Ubud, etc. for another trip.

 

Does anyone have any must sees and must dos in those areas? Not looking at nightlife or clubbing, more restaurants, activities, etc. The Honeymoon has been left for me to plan and at the moment I've only planned white water rafting 

Edited July 29, 2016 by rirawin

[kicks79]

Congrats on getting married homie !

[raddy]

@rirawin --

 

Ku De Ta if only for desserts and vibe. Mamasan for drinks / dinner. Get local style BBQ somewhere -- shit is amazing.

 

Sights -- Tanah Lot. Super beautiful area. The various monkey infested areas are fun as well. (Have her not wear earrings!)

 

Surfing -- http://www.baliwaves.com/surfing-in-bali/surf-spots/

 

As far as beaches, I'm not sure. We wandered around the resorts, drank beer and ate peanuts at various bars out on the beach, jumped in ocean, got some coconuts, repeated at various spots -- none really stood out to me. 

[bennie dope]

about to visit bali next week with my girlfriend.

 

anybody got some suggestions where to go?

 

We're looking for spots with good food, relaxing spa's, a little bit of shopping and dope photography spots

 

We plan to sleep at the following places:

- Seminyak, staying at Kusuma Resort

- Gili Trawangan, staing at Tamoa Boutique Hotel

- Ubud, staying at Tropical Grden

- Uluwatu, staying at Sal Secret Spot

 

Hope y'all can help us out.

[bennie dope]

anybody?

[rirawin]

My biggest tip for anyone considering to travel to Bali is to avoid Seminyak (Eastern Bali) and Kuta (Southern Bali) full of Aussie expats and European tourists. The Wife and I walked down a strip in Seminyak one evening to head to Mamasan, and it was just full of drunken Aussies everywhere. I know drunken Brits abroad are bad, but drunken Aussies are just as bad. While I don't have anything against Australians, it's not something I really want to experience when I go on holiday to unwind and relax. Also it completely ruined the dining experience at Mamasan.

 

Sanur (West) and Ubud (North) are far nicer areas. Quieter, more relaxing and less spoilt. Having said that Sanur is still a little touristy, but nowhere near as a cluster fuck as Seminyak and Kuta.

 

I highly recommend hiring a driver. I personally recommend http://www.balirentalcarwithdriver.com/. We hired Ketut Yudi, who took us to Ubud for the day. 

 

We did use Uber quite a few times when in Seminyak and Sanur. While it is extremely cheap, a lot of the drivers are part time, so there aren't many in certain areas of Bali such as Ubud (hence hiring a driver) and especially during the day time. 

 

The night markets were disappointing, but maybe I've been spoilt having been to the night markets in Taipei.

 

My top three places were:

- Monkey Forest

- White Water Rafting on the Ayung river. Book and go with http://www.raftingbali.net/bali-adventure-rafting/. Scenery was spectacular, and if you have a GoPro be sure to bring it with you

- Locavore Restaurant (http://www.locavore.co.id/) - one of the Top 50 Restaurants in Asia

 

Next time I'm there I'd like to go to the Volcano and do more island hopping.

Edited October 15, 2016 by rirawin