Bali ( Part One )



Tanah Lot area

Be sure to check my newest post about Bali from Nusa Ceningan & Blue Lagoon, Nusa Lembongan, The Hidden Paradise, Amed, Bali Cliff & Green Bowl Beach, Padang Bai, and one of my favorite coffee shops in Ubud Coffee Studio Seniman :)

        Good friends of mine and some of the readers asked me “So when are you going to post about Bali ?” You know when it comes to topic traveling to Bali, there’s a lot to explain here on the blog, promise will do my best to give you all the info. This time I will post about Kuta, Nusa Dua and Ubud. Anyway I go to Bali regularly, either for business trip or short holidays. I like Bali better couple of years ago before they paved the paradise to put up a parking lot and hotels. But still whenever I return there, my favorites are watching the cultural ceremony, Kecak dance performance at Uluwatu, local women dress up in Balinese traditional costumes, chatting with local people, walking along the beach, watching the sunset while having drinks with good friends.

Let’s start the journey from the airport. If you’re planning to stay in low budget hostels in Kuta area, take a taxi ( cost you Rp 50.000 – Rp 60.000 / $ 5- 6 ) from airport to Poppies lane - a street next to McDonalds in Kuta where you can find many hostels with the prices range from Rp 150.000 ( $15 per night including breakfast ), I’d like to recommend you to check Sari Jaya Cottage and Berlian Inn located at Gang Sorga - poppies lane just behind the McDonalds. Don’t worry, the rooms are clean and  staff are friendly and helpful. Kuta mostly full of tourists and surfers carry surfboard during summer time, even more interesting in the evening at Legian, this street and the night clubs are packed with tons of people wearing Bintang singlets with bottle of Bir Bintang in their hand, clubbing marathon from Sky Garden, Bounty night club and more of night clubs. To eat in the local restaurant will cost you from Rp 10.000 / $1, like my favorite one just near the Kuta market, there's a javanese restaurant sell chicken satay and fried chicken, tastes so good and cheap.

Poppies lane

Opit at Sari Jaya Cottage @ Gang Sorga, Poppies - Kuta

If you have more budgets for accommodations, staying in Hard Rock Hotel for couple of nights can be a good option too. Chillin at Centerstage of Hard Rock Hotel or go to Hard Rock café for dinner and drinks, Kuta offers you lots of great restaurants and bars you can try out during your stay there. Or, move to Seminyak area, my favorites are Potato Head Beach Club and Ku De Ta. Also would love to recommend you to go to Rock Bar – Ayana Resort Jimbaran ( www.ayanaresort.com ), having calamari and lemon tart martini, perfect for sunset drinks session with good friends ! And speaking about dinner and seafood, do not miss the great sensation of dinner at Jimbaran, delicious seafood with live music performance by the beach.

Special thanks for Ben Wilson from InstaTravelHub for a gorgeous shot from Rock Bar Ayana Resort.
You can check his blog and photos collections at www.instatravelhub.com and facebook.com/instatravelhub

Dinner at Jimbaran

Forget about Kuta if you’re looking for a quiet place to relaxing. Hotels in Nusa Dua, like Club Med and Novotel can be good options to stay. While you’re staying in Nusa Dua, do visit Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Dreamland beach, Blue Point, Padang-Padang beach, Uluwatu just before 5pm to see the Kecak Dance Performance ( ticket to see the dance performance should be around $5 – 7 ) . They're all located close to each other, would be much easier if you rent motorcycle or car for a half day tour. Stop by at Tanjung Benoa for water sports activities like parasailing, banana boat, jetski, and fly fish. The price to do parasailing starts from Rp 60.000 or $6.  

Club Med Bali, Nusa Dua

Club Med Bali, Nusa Dua

Garuda Wisnu Kencana

Parasailing at Tanjung Benoa

Swimming at Kelapa Restaurant @ Dreamland / New Kurta Beach

Josh and Drun walking along Dreamland

Taking Josh to Uluwatu

Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot

Make sure to visit Ubud too. You can take shuttle bus ( Rp 50.000 / $5 ) from Legian street in Kuta to Ubud, check www.peramatour.com to find out the bus schedules.  Check out Ubud exotic nature, the monkey forest, burn some cash on shopping at  Sukawati and Ubud market, also do some food tastings as they have sooo many wide selections of culinary in Ubud, like Bar Luna, Nomad, Cafe des Artisted, and Indus Restaurant. Food price starts from $3 per person. Ubud has some low budget hostels, you can find them easily just next to the Ubud market with the price range from Rp 80.000 / $ 8 per night including breakfast. Go rent bicycle and ride around Ubud in the morning, sign up for cooking and yoga classes, or just simply read books in coffee shop, Ubud is a perfect place to relax and being lazy. Feel free to check out my previous post about Ubud Writers Readers Festival 2011, it was a great festival to attend if you’re a fan of books and literature.

Ubud Market

Eat.Pray.Love !

For the next post, I will talk about Nusa Lembongan and Lovina Beach to see dolphins in Bali. Also, another recommendation of places to visit while you’re in Indonesia – Belitung Island ! It’s almost the end of the year, I definitely had the best 10 months in 2012, everything happened this year was actually more than I’ve expected and of course looking forward for a greater and better days and year. Just wonder if you guys have made some plans for end of year trip ? Travelagys will take you to 11 days trip in December, where … ? Stay tuned for more travel info, in the mean time feel free to follow my little adventure on instagram, @travelagys and you're all more than welcome to post and share your travel photos with us at www.facebook.com/instatravelhub.

Happy travels