bali

hi my daughter has gone to australia for a year and i would like to meet her around june somewhere , shes told me bali is about 7 hours for her to travel from perth not sure how long from uk though as no nothing at all about bali but it sounds really nice from reading a bit on here.would welcome any information whatsoever especially hotels to stay as feel like im booking blind. also is it expensive or does it depend what part you go to ? is june a warm season or rainy ?

look forward to your replies regards Anita.

bali

From the UK, you%26#39;re looking at an 11-12 hour flight to Singapore, then another 2 and a half hours to Bali. You can travel via Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, etc, but Singapore is probably the most direct route, though not necessarily the cheapest (although Singapore Air have an excellent sale on at the moment for flights up to 15th June).

There are two seasons, wet and dry, and you%26#39;ll be pleased to know that June is at the start of the dry season.

It%26#39;s not expensive at all, you can get decent accomodation in little hotels from 拢20 upwards (per room, per night, inc breakfast), the bigger the hotel and the more facilities, the more expensive. Also beachfront adds to the cost. Cost of living is cheap, expect to pay maybe 拢2.00 for a decent meal, 拢1.00 for a beer.

Depending on your likes will often depend on your resort, do you like beach, culture, chilled out, lively? What do you intend doing when you%26#39;re there?

bali

Hi Anita,

Bali is a wonderful place, the balinese culture is unique %26amp; the people are so friendly %26amp; welcoming.

You could look at flights with airlines such as Qatar, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines %26amp; also Air Asia who recently began to fly from Stanstead to Bali via Kuala Lumpur.

Alternatively you could book flights via a travel agent. Some I have used are:

www.trailfinders.com

www.dialaflight.com

www.ebookers.com

I usually book in October for a flight the following August, so they may be more expensive now for June unless there are any special deals.

I book hotels either directly with the hotel or via an agent such as Bali Discovery. I compare the hotels own price with those offered by agents. Noodles has suggested some other agents you could try. Prices are usually per room %26amp; not per person.

Once you get there everything is so much cheaper than here in UK. Imported alcohol has risen in price due to new import laws %26amp; charges but still cheaper than here.

Each place in Bali has it%26#39;s own charm %26amp; can be quite different. Maybe research some here on the forum until you find what suits you.

Tuban/Kuta/Legian/Seminyak are one long beach %26amp; are good for surfing. Tuban is nearest to the airport then Kuta, then Legian, then Seminyak. Kuta is very busy %26amp; commercialised. Legian is not quite as busy %26amp; Seminyak is less so %26amp; more upmarket.

Nusa Dua in the south has lovely beaches but has been developed for tourism so a good place to relax but doesn%26#39;t have the balinese atmosphere of other places.

Sanur, south east coast is smaller than the above places %26amp; has more of a village feel to it. There is a pedestrianised walkway along the beach, a main road with shops %26amp; restaurants, many beachside hotels.

Ubud is in the centre of the island %26amp; the artisitic %26amp; cultural hub of the island. Shops, restaurants %26amp; lots of accomodation in the centre or the outskirts. Each village around Ubud tends to have a different artistic focus such as gold %26amp; silversmiths, masks, stonemasons, kites, puppets, painting etc. dance shows are performed daily at several venues.

Quieter %26amp; on the east coast are Amed, Candidasa %26amp; Padangbai. Amed is very good for snorkelling %26amp; diving.It is uncommertcialised, the locals are very friendly %26amp; it is a great place to chill out %26amp; relax.Very few shops %26amp; no ATM%26#39;s here.

In the North are Lovina %26amp; Pemuteran, again much quieter %26amp; uncommercialised.

So if you give us an idea of which places you might like to stay %26amp; you%26#39;re budget per night we can recommend some accomodation for you.

Cheers

Ursie

hi thanks for the information you ve sent, been reading about Legian as like nice beaches and a hotel next to a beach would be nice. just wondering about the booking as have only booked the whole holiday with travel agents before when gone abroad, and it seems like your saying to book flight and accommodation separate ? can that not be done as would like to stay for 2 weeks and not sure about booking each night separately ,cant you tell im not an experienced traveler lol.not too sure where we d be going once there as would like to chill out for a week then maybe see a couple of sights. think im a bit nervous of doing my own booking on the net but if you can point me in the right direction will have a look, thanks Anita.

Don%26#39;t be afraid to book this trip yourself. The main rulle is check, recheck and check again with regards your dates etc. This site is an excellent place to get started with your search, as you can also check the traveller reviews to seee what other people thought of your choice before you spend the money. When you find something you like through one of the booking agencies then check the hotels own website to check who is offering the lowest price. If you do it yourself, print out any confirmation emails you recieve and remember to take them with you, just in case. A week or 2 before you leave, contact the hotels and just double check that they still have your booking.

If you are going for 2 weeks, why not stay in a few places. You could do Ubud for say 4 nights, a quieter beach area for a few nights and then the rest of the trip in one of the more southern beach areas like legian, Seminyak or Sanur.

If you have the time to do your own searches on the internet, you will save heaps and it%26#39;s one of the things I love about travelling. The research is half the fun, as when you do it yourself you then know more about the place you are travelling to and it adds to the excitement.

Oh and by the way, tell your daughter it%26#39;s only a 4 hour (maybe less) flight to Bali from Perth. It%26#39;s about 6 hours from Sydney.

Hi Anita,

Where do you live in UK? If you look at websites I suggested, decide on approx dates, type in airport nearest to you, the code for the airport in Bali is DPS %26amp; you%26#39;ll get some prices to compare. If you get stuck, send me a PM, your approx dates, the airport nearest to you %26amp; i%26#39;ll have a search for you.

You can book flights %26amp; accomodation with a travel agent in UK but tends to be more expensive %26amp; you don%26#39;t get a wide choice of hotels.

Once you%26#39;ve booked the flights you can look at accomodation. Any idea of your approx budget per night?

If you want a beachside hotel I%26#39;d suggest Legian, Seminyak or Sanur, depends whether you want quiet or more lively place. Maybe a few days in Ubud as you can%26#39;t go to Bali without staying in Ubud....there%26#39;s so much to see %26amp; do in the area.

I love Amed on the east coast because it%26#39;s uncommercialised %26amp; everyone is so friendly, but for some people it isn%26#39;t lively enough.

You%26#39;ll find people here on the forum really friendly %26amp; helpful. If you post asking for suggestions of accomodation in a particular area, providing you give a budget per night you%26#39;ll get lots of recommendations. Google the hotels, get the website, if you like the look of it send them an email enquiry re availabilty on your dates %26amp; ask them for their best price. Maybe try the websites Noodles suggested plus Bali Discovery %26amp; compare prices. Some of these agents ask for payment upfront, Bali Discovery debit your account 2 weeks prior to your stay in the hotel. If you book directly with hotels, some ask you for credit/debit card details but you don%26#39;t actually pay until you check out of the hotel in most cases. Others don%26#39;t ask for card details.

Just give me a shout I%26#39;ll be happy to help.

The first time I visited Bali my daughter managed all the bookings, next time I did it myself after probably hours of research on the internet. Wish I%26#39;d used the forum more as I%26#39;d have saved myself hours %26amp; hours of research.

Ursie

wow cant believe have helpful you all are ! need to speak with my daughter about things and cant get in touch while sometime next week with her . if you stay at say ubud then legian is it easy to get one from one to the other as always stayed in the same place before. I live in a small town in notts and manchester is my nearest big airport but not sure if they do flights there as know my daughter had to fly from heathrow. also what sort of price per night do you have to pay to get something nice ie nice room near beach not the luxury end but middle maybe, like a bit of comfort ha. have a wedding on 20th june so looking beginning of june. Anita.

hi me again just been looking at some hotels on here and there seems to be some nice places averaging 拢32.00 a night , is that per person ? looks like it might not cost an arm and a leg after all as others ive looked at are 拢100- 拢500 per night and out my league im afraid lol.

Getting around Bali is the easiest thing to do. Whenever you leave your accomodation you will be bombarded (politely) with offers of transport. You just have to have a look at his car and haggle a price that suits you both. If you aren%26#39;t sure of a price ask the staff at your hotel how much a taxi wuold be and work it out from there. For short trips take a taxi (blue bird taxis are the best and most honest). Alternatively, ask your hotel to arrange a driver for you (this will be more expensive.) If you and your daughter want to go out on day trips to see more of the island hire a car and driver for the day. If you go to the ';before you go'; tab to the left of the screen you will find a comprehensive list of our recommended drivers. Pre-booking these drivers is a must though, as they are busy as a result of repeat business and being on the TA recommended list.

The price you found for accommodation sounds right and that is per room, not per person. For that price you should get a good room in a small to large resort with good services and activities. It is possible to find cheaper as well. Bali caters to all budgets so you will not have a problem finding something in yours.

Once you have decided on what areas you want to stay in and what your budget is, let us know and I%26#39;m sure a few of the regulars will have some great recommendations for you.

Hi.

Having a problem with my internet so haven%26#39;t been online...sorry! Am at a friend%26#39;s at the moment.

I always fly from Manchester, depends on which airline as to whether you have to fly to Heathrow 1st. Maybe you could fly from East Midlands to Heathrow if need be.

Accomodation is as Whinnie says per room per night %26amp; so cheap compared to here. You%26#39;ll be spoilt for choice!

Will check when I get back online again %26amp; see how you%26#39;re getting on.

Ursie

hi still waiting to hear from my daughter but will keep going on here to keep in touch as find it very helpful and will appreciate all the help i can get once i can tell you when and what part i want to go.Anita.

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