We are planning a trip for my wifes 40th in September. It started out with Bora Bora, then morphed to Italy, and now she has decided on Bali. Any advice or opinions on visiting there? tia

You mean, other than "Take lots and lots of money", right?

Isn't Bali pretty cheap... expensive and long to get there though. How long is the trip and what connections do you have?

Kuta beach is good, if you like bars and good food. Stayed at the Hard Rock hotel and surfed a couple of days.

Rumor has it that the northside has probably some of the prettier, honey moon-like hotels.

Also try Lombok, the island next to Bali. The south of that island is pretty quiet and more for honey-moon type couples.

Thanks for recs and advice, keep'em coming. We will likely pick a villa in Jimbaran or Nusa Dua. Wife made the plane reservations today ob Eva Airlines. Did any of you get Bali Belly? Have difficulty with language? Bali is predominately Hindi as opposed to Muslim Lombok, right? So the drinking may be easier and better in Bali? And to think we backed off of Bora Bora because of price.

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton right after it opened. Labor is so cheap, they had so many staff people, that you could get waited on by a dozen people in some fasion between your room and the pool. Someone to open every door, landscapers that would stop and bow, one person to bring you a towel, another a drink, and yet another some suntan lotion.

Kuta beach wasn't particularly attractive. Except for the Australian girls, and the five dollar massages on the beach.

Go to the Monkey Temple, and make sure you're not wearing sunglasses, and your wife isn't wearing jewelry - the monkeys will take anything they can grab.

I was under the impression that the Australians treat Bali the way we treat Cancun. And that's very evident in the clubs at night.

We've gone to bali a few times in the last year and I highly recommend getting a villa. We've had great experiences with our villas while we were there and would just search for them on the internet.

An example:
http://www.baliluxuryprivatevillas.com/

I loved Bali and would go back in a heartbeat. We went up to the north part of the island for lunch at the four seasons, and man was it beautiful. It is built in to the middle of a valley with a river that runs through it. One of the most beautiful places that I have ever been.

Bali is not expensive, unless you stay in the top 3 or 4 resorts.

I recommend you stay AWAY from any resort on Kuta beach and definitely DO NOT STAY at the Ritz. It is an overpriced place not close to much. I stayed their last year in a private villa and hated every minute of it. If you like Cancun, then go to Kuta beach. It's a similar vibe. But why fly 24 hours to go to a place you can go to just south of Texas?

Bali is an amazing place, very unique. But you have yo get away from the tourist trap areas that cater to Australian and Japanese package tourists.

I HIGHLY recommend you stay in the Ubud area, which is more in the center of the island. You can still drive to the beach if you want for a day. Ubud is amazing.

Take a look at this short video I shot and produced last year during a trip to Bali. It will give you some ideas:

http://www.infinity-studios.com/travel/Bali.wmv

Curious. Why did you hate the private villa? I understand people are different and I just would like to know.

The villa was nice. But I hated the fake service and high prices at the Ritz. Plus I felt like I was not staying in Bali. It could have been anywhere in the Caribbean.

The point of flying 3 hours to LA, then 18 hours to Singapore (non stop), then two more hours to Bali, is to experience Bali. You can't really do that in Jimbaran Bay or the Kuta area. You have to go inland to Ubud or a few other areas away from the tourist coast to see the true magic of Bali.

If you want to go to a pretty beach and chill, skip Bali. Go to Bora Bora or Moorea in French Polynesia. There are few places on earth more romantic and beautiful than an over the water bungalow off one of the motus in Bora Bora. If you can't afford Bora Bora, consider Moorea. There are some good options there (stay on a stunning beach in a private cottage for under $150/night for example).

Well s**t! The plane fare and villa are booked and paid for September.

The damn Swine Flu picked up a month before we went to Mexico in May. We survived that, hopefully we will this also.

This place rocks

http://www.bulgarihotels.com/home.html?param_id_lingua=6

Nikko Bali is the best place to stay.

Also, addressing above, Bali is CHEAP, but you still need to bargain with locals! If you want to experience Bali 25 years ago, go to Lombock.

ttt
6 more sleeps, any last minute advice is much appreciated. We are staying in a villa in Jimbaran. Is there a decent place to run without getting run over? Should my wife and I run together? Is decent wine as scarce as we've heard? tia

Reading the table of comments thread reminded me of the trip. here are a few pics.












[This message has been edited by WimberleyAg (edited 1/21/2011 12:24p).]

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Long time since I have been there but went quite often and would go back in a heartbeat.
You have to decide if you want beach ie north side or Chande Desi, highlands ie Ubud or Kentamanti, quiet , brightlights ie Kuta or Saneur.
Also you can spend alot or like when I was there I lived on one dollar a day. Truefully.
Indonesian is easy. My favorite expression is when people bug you say Makan Angin or I am eating the wind or just walking around. By law all Indonesians have to learn Bahasa Indonesian but all Balinese speak their local dialect.
The Balinese are great people and love to bring you into their homes. First thing you need to do is buy a sarong and a selandan which is a sash that allows you to get into some temples. My favorite is Ulu Watu on the tip of Nusa Dua. Tanah Lot used to be nice but I hear it is developed now.

Have Fun

Stay at the Bvlgari Hotel. You will NOT be disappointed.