Bali trip sharing - 7-9th feb09

Note: My sharing is in Singapore context, as I am a S%26#39;porean:) We got our trip for 3D2N F%26amp;E with half day tour thrown in. (~$530each)

Wife and I took Garuda Indonesia from Singapore 0705hrs in a small 737-300(Similar to Budget airlines, but at least there%26#39;s drinks and food being served) Upon reaching Bali(2.5hrs later), we got off the plane via steps, and hop into a bus beside the plane (on the tarmac), 3mins later, we arrived in the building to do our customs clearances.

Greeted by the local agent - Agus, who transfer us to the Hotel( We were worried, cos the transport was a rather broken down van, wondering is this is the REAL agent or not. HAHA) Minutes into the journey, he shared options if we want to do the half day now... or tomorrow. So we chose now, as the hotel check in is 1pm. We got 3hours on hand, why not?

Free tours are pretty standard, local markets of arts, wooden craving, local products -clothes, Bali this Bali that. NOTE: prices in these places are higher!(one Bali tee cost 150,000RP, is selling at only 79,000 in Matahari department store!)

After the tour, Bali is not what we expected. We thought Bali is similar to Bintan, resorts style, relax...etc. But in fact its just like Batam, or to be very relavant... Phuket - Patong - Shops, busy traffic, people horn or clap to you to grab attention for taxis or car.

Anyway, we arrived at our hotel Grand Istana Rama at Kuta. Which is one road across the beach! After check into our Deluxe, the room size is huge! And toilet is HUGE!!! Shower area at one corner, and Bathtub at the other corner!! Its huge huge huge!

You should be able to see my posting with pics in this hotel review.

Day 1,

After freshen up, we set off at 6+ for early dinner, there is a ';hawker center'; besides MacDonald for early dinner, we settled for some Chinese dishes (Zi Cha) 3 dishes, 1 TomYum, 2 rice, 2 drinks... only 135,000(SIN$18.50). We headed off to Kuta Square(about 10mins walk) - a shopping street with lots of fake brands, fake watches(Very tempted to get one About 550,000 ~SIN74), real brands...etc. These are in shops! Not stall cart... wonder how can they do it? We went in this Mall call Matahari...similar to our Metro/BHG/Isetan...etc. According to my wife, bras are cheap! But panties are near sg price. Things are cheap in this mall is Tee starts from SIN2.7!!! Ladies shoes from S8.70!

Went for a foot massage for $SIN6.70 for 1hour!

Headed back to Hotel. Sadly, the hotel is rather far, about 15mins walk.

Day 2

After Hotel Breakfast. We took a cab (though the blue cab have meters, u have to ask the price and bargain!! Cos they can do either or) to Water Bom (Water theme park like Wild Wild Wet, but MUCH better!!!) Entry is USD23... Gurada Indonesia and SQ boarding pass offers 10% off.

they give you a barcode tag, so drinks, towel, locker can be charged to this ';account';. Of course u will need to put some $$$ in. They will refund u whatever balance end of day. Only boring (but relaxing) is lazy river. Its worth the USD23!!!

Went opposite side to Discovery Mall for our late lunch in A%26amp;W, shop/walk abit there.

Took a cab down to Jalan Legian, at 20,000(SIN2.70), also a market/shopping street... We started from Legian Paradiso walked down south. Few kids actually walk along with us to push us to buy their items... suddenly, few kids here and opposite side scurry off quickly... hahah... a police car was on the road. Shops sells more of clothes and accessories of locals and international brands along Legina,

We cut into Poppies II lane(street markets) to get to the beach for sunsets. Wow... they say if u been to Bali without watching sunset... u are wasting ur time in Bali! HOW TRUE! An ';egg yolk'; sunset!

Took the same chinese stall for our dinner and call it a day(night) - my shoudlers are burnt by the sun during Water Bom. OUCH!

Day 3.

Laze in the hotel pool. After checking out at 1230pm. We headed to Kuta Square again for our final shopping spree. Wife got somethings from Body%26amp;Soul, and we got into Matahari again... and out with few more shopping bags!! Went for same chinese stalls and reached back at hotel just before 1730hrs for the transfer to airport. (Our flight is at 2020hrs)

2255hrs... Changi Airport... Home Sweet Home:)

Things noted in Bali;

1) Don%26#39;t think Bali is a relax resort place, unless u are booking those villa resorts costing thousands and far away from Kuta and other hot spots! Bali is busy... busy to buy buy buy that is! hahaha.....

2) Car horn cars as a courtesy manner, taxi horn people/tourist to get your attention.

3) We saw more Japaneses dudes with surf boards than Caucasian do! They actually bring all the way into Bali!

4) On tourist nationality, other than Aussies people, Japaneses are 2nd!

5) 90% of the shops using very very low air conditioning!!! Its Warm and humid outside already...! We to ';look very interested'; to step in to a cool shop to ';cool ourselves down'; hahha...

6) It legal for them to sell Fake designer brands in shops! hmmmm....

7) Sunset is a MUST!

8) There%26#39;s no maps in the airport. Thank God that I printed a copy from the net!! Do a Google for ';Kuta Map'; under images and print! Or search for ';kutalegian.jpg'; the one i printed - note... few locations/shops have shifted/changed (there is no more Matahari and MacDonald along Legian), but it served us well that we did not got lost... :)

Cheers!

Hope these helps!

Bali trip sharing - 7-9th feb09

Thankyou very much for sharing your holiday experience with us. It was very interesting.

I do have to correct you on one point though. BALI is not busy, busy, busy......KUTA is busy, busy, busy. Maybe if you get the chance to go back you might consider staying in another area to get a more balanced perspective on what Bali is really like.

Really glad you liked your accommodation though.

Bali trip sharing - 7-9th feb09

Thanks for your correction. You are right, I was exposed to Kuta during this trip. I was too quick of my mind.

I%26#39;m sure you have been staying in the quiet side?

Thanks;)

It is sad that you have formed an opinion on Bali but only got to see the Kuta area.

Maybe if you come back for a longer relaxed holiday away from Kuta you will get a completely different view of the island.

Every so often I have to go to Kuta for some business. I am yet to do the trip with any feeling of excitement. What you have listed as 1 %26amp; 2 are the exact reasons that Kuta turns me off.

You may even find out that it is possible to buy 10 watches for 550,000.(74 Sin).

Hi,

Interesting post. You are absolutely right to say that it is in the Singapore context. Good for those who think along the same lines as you do.

Like the rest here though, I have to disagree that Bali is busy. Kuta is busy and it is, in my opinion, NO WAY like Batam, and Kuta does not equal Bali.

That%26#39;s like people telling me that they have been to Paris for 3 days and say that they have been to France. Paris is very different from France. Any French person who lives in the countryside will tell you that. Likewise those who think that one day in Orchard Road = I have been to Singapore and know Singapore. Technically, you may have stepped onto Singapore soil but you have not seen Singapore at all.

I don%26#39;t think the sunsets in Bali are very nice. My best sunset was in Thailand and up till this day, when I show pictures of it, people still ask if the picture was doctored. Also, I love the sunsets in Perth, esp when you%26#39;re driving down from The Hills to the city and see the sunset above the city skyline.

Personally, I think the part of Bintan with all the typical resorts is just another little Singapore enclave. Prices are catered around Singaporeans.

Am sure this post will definitely help other Singaporeans.

Thanks for bothering to post a JBR! :-)

jade,

I think the Bali sunsets are very nice.

I think your last line was a bit harsh.

KongLeng

thank you for sharing your trip with us and describing it as you saw it.

Hi KongLeng,

It is a pity you didn%26#39;t get out of Kuta. We only ever go into Kuta for a few hours of shopping and then have to get away because we can%26#39;t stand it. If you do go back you should try the east coast and see the other side of Bali - Sanur, Padangbai, Candidasa, Amed, Amplapura, Seraya, Ujung, Tirtaganga - I could keep going on!

Hi aww,

Why was my last line about thanks for bothering to post the JBR harsh? Sorry, I don%26#39;t understand. I really meant it. There are many who don%26#39;t post JBR (which are normal) and then there are those who take time off to post them, which, I think are great. I wasn%26#39;t trying to be sarcastic. I really meant it.

Plus, as I mentioned, I think this JBR is very good in the Singaporean context (which the poster had mentioned). I have even put it in my saved files and am planning to give it to a Singaporean friend who is planning to go to Bali next month.

As for the sunsets, well, that%26#39;s my personal opinion. I%26#39;m glad you think that they are nice. You%26#39;re not the only one to do so and I have many friends and family who also don%26#39;t think that Bali%26#39;s sunsets aren%26#39;t that nice. A lot of all this also depends on the weather conditions. I once went to Myanmar and people raved about the sunset at a particular place and I thought that it wasn%26#39;t fantastic at all, but that%26#39;s to each his own.

I hope this clears up any misunderstanding. :-)

Wow... what a feedback

OK, here%26#39;s my say on the words I%26#39;ve mentioned.

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; ';Like the rest here though, I have to disagree that Bali is busy. Kuta is busy and it is, in my opinion, NO WAY like Batam,'; %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

As mentioned, this is in sg context. Comparing Bintan and Batam... Bintan is relax resort with very few roads that leads to straight to resorts only and no place to shop other than a town miles away. As a matter of fact, most of my friends thought Bali/Kuta is like Bintan, that is after arrival, transfer you straight to the resort - a relax place and no ';busy'; life. But Batam is known to many Singaporeans, is a town full of shops and traffic. And I%26#39;ve also close that line saying it is similar to Patong area. Am giving a prospective that Bali/Kuta is not a relax place like Bintan, but with full life of a town.

I mentioned ';Bali is busy... busy to buy buy buy that is! hahaha.....'; Can%26#39;t you see I am referring to ';Shopping'; with the words ';buy buy buy';?

Sunset are created by elements of clouds and sky conditions. You may seen to best combo of sky and clouds in Thailand and I have seen my best combo of clouds in Kuta. I bet till you see the next best sunsets... Thailand wouldn%26#39;t be your best sunset, rite? Yes, it is a personal view.

Dear all, you have to understand that many Singaporean cherish their annual leaves very carefully. So that is why (in my views) that we only choose the more ';happenings'; place of that country for short stay. I do envy alot of travelers here staying for weeks at a place/country. Of course some do take up those 10days tours in Europe, USA...etc.

To all that encouraged me to travel to other part of Bali, I appreciate your good suggestion. Maybe next time when we come back here, we may give it a try:)

Jade, thanks for passing this info to your sg friend:)

Kind regards to all;)

Hi Kong Leng

Really appreciate you taking the time to write a trip report. I am a fellow Singaporean and must say not many of us will bother to write a lengthy report like you did. We will be going during the Jun hols. It is my family%26#39;s second trip to Bali and this time we will be venturing to Sanur, Ubud and Tuban. Tuban, because of my 10 year old daughter who wants to stay in Bali Dynasty for the kids club. Most Singaporeans will inevitably stay in Kuta or Nusa Dua area for their first trip in Bali. Most importantly, regardless of where you stay, you enjoy the holiday.

Thanks for taking the time to write this; I do disagree that Kuta is like Patong, I found Patong to be sleaze central. In my opinion Kuta isn%26#39;t as sleazy, although it%26#39;s probably as busy, so I can see the comparison there. I can understand your disappointment if you were expecting a pristine Bintan-like resort, I%26#39;m intrigued as to why you chose Bali and what research you did? I%26#39;ve used various guidebooks to research destinations, and have found some to be misrepresentative which then leads to expectations not been met.

Of all the sunsets I%26#39;ve seen, sunset in Perth has to be my favourite, but the sunset behind Tanah Lot has to be the most magical.