Bali

[lenny101]

Thinking of going, is it worth it????

I have heard it is a beautiful place but I have also heard it described as the Aussies Magaluf.

I am not far form there so the flight is pretty cheap so is it worth a trip?

[jbob]

Avoid Kuta and surrounds if you want to avoid the shitty part. Ubud is wonderful for food and cultural activities, and much of the East and north coast is stunning and relatively undeveloped (if that's what you want). There's also some smaller islands, such as Lembongan, close by if you want to really get away from it.

[adsr]

I come from Bali so I naturally would recommend it.

Please just stay away from Kuta. I know so many people that go to Bali and see little past Kuta and come away saying it's a dump. Visit places inland like Sangeh, Basakih and Lake Batur. Seafood at sunset at jimbaran beach. If have a couple of days/maybe a week free make the effort to get over to the Gili Islands just off the coast of Lombok. There are loads of tiny travel agents that will do you a combined bus/boat ticket for very little cashmoney. You wont regret it. If you end up staying around Kuta then the areas just north of it (Seminyak) are a lot more bearable.

Also, if you are feeling particularly brave. Head into Denpasar and go to a night market and try eating some weird wobbly shit.

[Brainaddict]

I'm thinking of going to Bali. Some people claim it's a horrible tourist trap, but my research indicates that the island is 150km long, 100km from north to south, and home to 3 million people. I am fairly convinced there will be some non-touristy areas :)

[jbob]

There is of course, a non-touristy side to Bali. But there are better, cheaper and more interesting places in Indonesia.

[purves grundy]

Bali's bloody wonderful. I've been a few times. Re all this "Avoid Kuta" advice: Kuta can be great fun if you know what you're letting yourself in for. It's a bit like the oft-heard Kao San Road advice - very popular, lots of western stuff, great fun with the right people... so STAY AWAY!!! No, just go there if you want, know that it's just an island within an island, and go to other places too.

there are better, cheaper and more interesting places in Indonesia.
Yeah I'd agree with that. Bali is especially good to get to after making your way through the Nusa Tengarra islands - culturally and ecologically fascinating, beaches infinitely better than Bali, but uncomfortable. Get to Bali and chill...

[derf]

There is of course, a non-touristy side to Bali. But there are better, cheaper and more interesting places in Indonesia.

I have yet to visit Bali but I do agree that there are many interesting places in Indonesia.
I'm in Central Java and it's fantastic. I could plan out a route and rough timetable for anyone wanting to visit the place and get an idea of what the area is really like. Anyway I suggest this area is a natty destination.
If you do come make sure you visit a small village or two. People tend to be very welcoming here and you will get a good idea about how real people live.

If anyone is intending to visit I'll be happy to offer advice and a rough price guide so you don't get ripped off too much.
I'm looking for a bit of something to do here. Maybe a tourist guide.
I'll work cheap and show you the best of the place while tailoring your stay to suit your pocket.

As a starter a bottle of water should cost about RP1,500 but make sure that the cap hasn't been refitted.

Essential tourist info from DERF :):)

[jbob]

Bali's bloody wonderful. I've been a few times. Re all this "Avoid Kuta" advice: Kuta can be great fun if you know what you're letting yourself in for. It's a bit like the oft-heard Kao San Road advice - very popular, lots of western stuff, great fun with the right people... so STAY AWAY!!! No, just go there if you want, know that it's just an island within an island, and go to other places too.

I would say there's quite a difference between Kuta and KSR (which I have a fondness for). I didn't like Kuta itself, the bars were rubbish, with terrible music and it seemed to be very laddish. The beach is kinda average (for Indonesia), not for swimming, and hawker central. Seminyak's a touch more upmarket, and there's a couple of designer type bars, which were incredibly expensive, but quite a relief after the wet t-shirt type shennanigans of Kuta itself.

I find KSR quite a decent place to have drink, and that cheesy nightclub (Susi's?) down a little alley is good fun. Yeah, it's silly with all the fake dreads and so on, but it's more laid back than Kuta, which I found had quite an unpleasant undercurrent.


Yeah I'd agree with that. Bali is especially good to get to after making your way through the Nusa Tengarra islands - culturally and ecologically fascinating, beaches infinitely better than Bali, but uncomfortable. Get to Bali and chill...

Yes, totally agree, Lombok's an interesting place (and the Gili's are close by for a bit of hedonism).