Q&A: Bali
Q: I am planning for a trip to Bali and am looking for the best airfare. Can you help me with that? I'm sure you have been there before. Any tips you can give me would be appreciated (i.e. what to look out for, what to see while there, places to stay away from, etc.)
A:
Handily
enough, last year, I created a resource
page summarizing some research I did on the topic of airfare and cheap
tickets. I'm guessing this will give you a good starting place. Qantas,
Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines are good bets for major airlines
to check for special deals across the Pacific -- I know Cathay regularly
has cheap flights to Hong Kong and Bangkok, both good places (as is Kuala
Lumpur in Malaysia) to find cheap flights onward to places like Bali.
I'll be interested to hear what you find.
What sorts of things are you interested in doing while in Bali? For instance,
I'm not a big fan of "The Scene," so got out of Kuta as quickly
as I could, but some people love the Australian party life there. By the
way, you don't have to worry about transportation at all in Bali. You
can get absolutely everywhere by bus and bemo (minivans that run point-to-point
on all sorts of routes) -- and you can even cost-effectively charter a
bemo if you're with friends.
If you like scuba diving, I recommend the quiet village of Tulamben (east
coast), where my stay at Bali Coral was delightful. There's a wreck dive
and a wall dive there worth doing, plus a lovely beach view and good food.
Another diving recommendation is to swing by Lovina (north coast), which
is a budget traveler beach resort with lots of diving or snorkeling in
the nearby national park, plus sunrise boat rides to see dolphins (worth
getting up for, despite the masses).
If you're planning to go inland, the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan temple near
Candikuning is worth a stop -- especially at dawn if you can make it --
and the nearby botanical gardens made for an interesting wander, with
some amazing sculpture and lots of local families having picnics, but
only if you're already in the area. I also took a little side trip to
Munduk (splash out on a stay at the exquisite gardens, koi ponds, and
cottages at Lumbung Bali) and paddled around a nearby lake in a hand-carved
canoe. Nice if you want to get away from the tourist crowds, but not a
lot to do except enjoy the scenery, so it's one that definitely depends
on your personal travel style!
Another traveler (whose other recommendations I enjoyed immensely) told
me to get to the remote village of Tibubiyu, stay at Bibi's Bungalows
in the middle of rice patties near black sand beaches, and stop by the
Tabanan Market, but I ran out of time.
Ubud is a great stop for the last couple days of your trip if you want
to pick up art, see dances, have a Balinese massage -- it's all there
for you, plus nice hikes through rice paddies and excursions to nearby
temples that any guide book can tell you about. Definitely leave room
in your suitcase!
Hope that all helps. I'll look forward to hearing your stories!
P.S. Just as a little disclaimer, things change rapidly in the world of travel, so my experiences, while offered up in the best spirit of traveler camaraderie, won't always reflect present reality. My top recommendation is to always decide for yourself where to stay and what to do based on current guidebooks, web research, government warnings -- and most especially feedback and suggestions from other travelers while you're there.
Copyright (c) 2004 Judy Wolf
About
the Author:
Judy Wolf (www.judywolf.com)
is a world traveler, freelance writer, speaker, and whitewater kayak instructor.
She's taken numerous, extended solo journeys around the world, traveling by
foot, bus, jeep, camel, truck, boat, train, plane, elephant, and bicycle to
over 30 countries on five continents. She currently lives in upstate New York
with her husband and border collie, where she's working on a book-length travel
narrative about her most recent adventures…that is, when she's not plunging
off waterfalls or entertaining the dog.
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