I will always recommend all
my friends, colleagues and associates to visit Bali during the dry
season in May-July, the best period to visit Bali in terms of weather.
However, preferences may differ depending on the type of tourist you
are, surfers like it bright and sunny while explorers and newly-weds
prefer the weather to be cool. During May-July, the beaches in the
western part of Bali is known to have beautiful waves which surfers
like! My best recommendation is to check on the weather forecast for the
days when you'll be visiting Bali and plan accordingly. I noticed that
most Aussies travel to Bali during Christmas and May-August during
their school breaks. Europeans normally in June-July. However, no matter
who you are and where you're from always remember to book your flight
tickets and accomodation early so that you can get better prices. Do
visit BALI HOTELS REVIEW to get
UNBIASED & HONEST hotel reviews in Bali.
With the mentally spiritual destination in Bali lying in the mountains,
the tourist heart of the island lies in the south, where major tourist
destinations in Bali are located. They are Kuta, Legian, Sanur and Nusa
Dua. This is the main destination or at least the embarking point for
the majority of visitors, especially those arriving by air. Those
staying in any of the above-mentioned areas will find it quite easy to
make day trips to most of the popular tourist destinations, including
Gunung Agung and Besakih temple, Kintamani, Lovina Beach, Candidasa, and
Ubud, the main art hub in Bali and for the Balinese. However... Please
do make sure that you allocate at least 2 days for UBUD, to get a real
feel of the Balinese culture, arts and attractions. Ubud is the main
cultural heart for Bali.
Bali's timezone is +8 hours, same as Singapore, Bangkok and Malaysia's
timezone and 1 hour ahead of Jakarta, Indonesia's capital. Bali's main
currency is Ruppiah (IDR) with denomination notes of Ruppiah 100,000,
50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 1,000 denominations. USD or United States
Dollar $ is also widely acceptable in Bali. Normal changing rate is IDR
10,000 for USD $1.
What Should I Do In Bali?
I say..
you MUST watch the Balinese Dance,
a pillar and famous Balinese Culture. Balinese Dances have historically
played an important role in Balinese society. Through this art, people
learn about the tales of the Ramayana, Mahabarata and other epic stories
from Balinese history. Balinese dance never fails to awe the audience
including myself, a native Balinese and they never fail to put a smile
on my face :) A place i'll recommend is Lotus Pond Restaurant in Ubud.
The settings of the garden in Lotus Pond Restaurant (Jalan Raya, Ubud)
is a beautiful environment where you can watch TRADITIONAL &
ORIGINAL Balinese Dance. The Thursday night performance by Balinese
kids from the age of 9-18 is DEFINITELY charming and enchanting.
Entrance fee is Rp 50,000 for a 75mins dance show which starts normally
at 7.30pm. The only problem is during the rainy season when a sudden
downpour may mean they dash up to perform in a hall at the back – but
trust me, that’s interesting itself and you still get to experience the
beautiful Balinese Dance.
Next on the list, I normally bring my visiting friends and associates for some monkeying around in Bali's Monkey Forest - Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (Jalan Monkey Forest, Padangtegal, Ubud; 62-361-971304; www.monkeyforestubud.com).
The monkeys, being Ubud's most beloved residents, live in a dense
forest to the south of Ubud, complete with their own temple. If you go
to the Monkey Forest, just be careful, particularly with regards to your
children. The monkeys go for 'bright' - glasses, cameras, watches,
jewellery and can rip bags of peanuts out of your or your child's hand.
Not to forget.. leave your bananas and never buy bananas on your way to
the Monkey Forest. While this can be amusing for your kids, it can also
be distressing if the monkey escapes with your goods or worst still, an
experience that my own brother will never forget whereby he got attacked
by the playful but fierce Monkeys which leave his arm torn and bleeding
badly. He ended up getting 12 stitches on his arms and vow that he'll
never bring banana's again, even if it's for the monkeys.. Hehehe...
Admission is 10,000 rupiah, or about $1 at 10,000 rupiah to the dollar.
My favourite activity in Ubud itself is to experience Ayung River..
Wanna know why most of the expensive luxury hotels in Ubud are built
along this river? Just one answer and that is, THE VIEWS ARE SIMPLY
AWE-INSPIRING AND GORGEOUS!!! See it for yourself and click on that
cameras so that you can boast to your friends and family that will
definitely make them wanna visit Bali! Don't forget to get yourself wet
in these naturally beautiful clean river in Ubud which will definitely
gives you good memories of Ubud! Hehe.. Do climb aboard a rubber raft
while you're in Ayung River and watch the waterfalls with thick vines
along the low-flying swallows go by. Bali Adventure Tours (0361-721480, www.baliadventuretours.com) runs 90-minute trips down the river starting at $60 for a morning trip that includes a basic lunch of rice and egg rolls.
After some monkeying around and getting wet in the rivers of Ubud, you should pamper yourself with a Balinese Massage (Do read What Is Balinese Massage to get an idea of a Balinese Massage) Don't worry, it won't burn a hole in your pockets.. My elders always remind me that
four hands beat two hand :) so why not book a four-handed massage at Spa Hati
(Jln Raya Andong no. 14, Peliatan, Ubud; 0361-977-578), a massage
salon with stone and thatched-roof compound at the edge of Ubud. I
recommend you to try the four-handed massage packet with "Lulur", a
traditional Javanese body scrub using blends of rice flour and secret
herbs — 90minutes massage packet for only Rp 225,000. After the massage,
the unhurried staff lets you relax for as long as you want in the hot
tub, listening to little frogs make big noises in the rice paddy next
door. And about that cheap labor: spa profits help support the Bali Hati
Foundation, a non-profit organization that runs community programs and
help the needy Balinese, including building a school for the local
less-privileged kids.

Now,
for the best show in town guys! Head for Seminyak beach, to the north
of Kuta by 5.30pm so that you can get the best front-row seats in
"Breeze" an elegant and sleek beachside bar & restaurant at the Samaya Hotel
in Jalan Laksmana(Seminyak), for the MOST DAZZLING ROMANTIC SUNSET in
BALI and Indonesia!!! Don't forget to order yourself a glass, or if you
must, a bottle of WINE. The decks are so close to the surfs that you can
almost feel the foam from the breakers!
Besides witnessing the Sunset in Bali, you should experience the beaches
in Bali. Bali have many beautiful beaches that is good for swimming,
surfing, or just reading and chilling on the sand. Some hotels and
villages groom the beaches and ensure their cleanliness. Also, the
quality of a beach can change drastically between seasons, depending on
the location of the beach and the direction it faces. To be sure and get
more useful insights into the beaches in Bali, do visit Bali Beaches Guide.
Bali is not complete if you don't have a night out in the club :) Night
life in Bali starts late, which means around midnight. Tourists normally
wonder why the expats and locals only start partying at around 1am –
even in Kuta where most of the top clubs are, clubs only start getting
crowded after midnight. Do visit Ku De Ta, a modern and trendy spot that faces the surf where young Balinese adults especially the beautifully-flashin

g babes hangs out (Jalan Laksmana 9, Seminyak; KuDeTa).
It's a shockingly sceney — a DVD is sold showing highlights of the high
season. Get yourself seats by the beach with sights of the beautiful
waves crashing in, illuminated with the help of floodlights from the
club. After Ku De Ta, head on to Double Six Club
(Jln Double Six Blue Ocean Boulevard, Seminyak; 0361-733067 -
www.doublesixclub.com; Ruppiah 70,000 for admission), with a gigantic
dance floor and bungee jumping, YES you heard me right - bungee jumping,
on weekend nights. But don't show up before 3 a.m. For more information
on Bali Nightlife do read Bali Nightlife - Bali After Dark
After you're done with having fun and getting a feel of Bali and
Balinese cultures... it's time to do some shopping for souvenirs and
more! You can go shopping for handicrafts and arts such as antique
furnitures, balinese paintings, delicately crafted Balinese gold and
silver, wood and stone carvings, masks, woven and dyed fabrics and etc.
in many shops in the Kuta/Legian area, in Sanur, in various handicraft
villages and the Sukawati market on the way to Ubud and in Ubud itself.
Please forget the idea of DUTY FREE SHOPS and do not visit them by all
means! Local-made goods are over-priced and sold at ridiculous prices in
DFS. Imagine, just one bottle of HATTEN Rose wine which is made in
Sanur costs US$11 in DFS outlets. That is way more expensive than in
most local restaurants! It's worst if you're looking for a beautiful
French made blouse, a designer handbag, some jewellry or a dress watch
for your partner to wear at a special occasion in Bali, you'll totally
waste your time and MONEY!
PLEASE DO BARGAIN ON THE PRICES NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE AND WHETHER YOU HAVE LOTS OF CASH OR NOT!
Bali is the best place to master the "Bargaining Art". Unless the
product is price-tagged, bargaining is a must and you shouldn't be
ashamed of it! Trust me, it's gonna be fun and bargaining is an exciting
thing to do! If you have never bargained before, the bargaining masters
will find it exhilarating, especially when a good deal was struck. Many
come to Bali with a 'shop until you drop' attitude, so you would
probably end up buying a few things anyhow. There are numerous
western-style department stores and shopping centers in Denpasar,
Kuta-Legian, Sanur and Nusa Dua that offer a range of clothing, shoes,
leather goods, sports gear, and toys. The service is generally good, and
the low value of the rupiah ensures excellent prices. Balinese arts and
crafts are the most popular purchases but you can also get
value-for-money goods such as clothing, music, musical instruments and
watches.
I've specially made my own youtube video on the beautiful sites in Bali. Do watch it to visualize the beautiful Bali Islands.