seems quite pricey as they charge you on a person basis instead of an hourly rate. the usual driver rate is like 500,000 for 10 hours

don't worry. not much of a problem.

Wah didn't know tegal sari so in demand. Almost couldn't book any rooms. Had to choose a more expensive option

Finally done reading V3 & V4. Came out with the following itinerary, please comment, especially on the flow, as well as food choices. I think i've covered most of the must visits in pg 1. Really appreciate your insights

Going in mid January for 6 days 5 nights. Found a driver 500k per day. Seems a bit high but he has a Toyota Innova so I'm paying a bit more for comfort as well as extra luggage space i guess.

Itinerary:

18/1
3.05pm - Arrive at Bali. Depart to Tegal Sari @ Ubud (36.2km - 52 mins).
Night - Dinner at Bebek Tepi Sawah. Ubud market. Pizza Bagus. Massage & Spa (any nice recommendations?).


19/1
7.30am- Get ready to depart and eat breakfast. Breakfast set: Rp 40k- Rp 65k, a la carte is from Rp 7,5k - Rp 25k (+ 10% tax)
8.30am- Depart to Kintamani (Volcano + Lake Batur) 15k
10 am :
Tegalalang Rice Fields 5k
Arrival at Kintamani
Tampaksiring (Tirta Empul Temple) 15k
Kayuambe (coffee luwak & spice trees) 50k per cup of coffee
Elephant cave (Goa Gajah) 15k
6pm - Back to hotel. (next to Ubud Palace) & Naughty Nuri’s Pork Ribs. Spa. Laughing Buddha bar for live band.

20/1
Morning: Explore area surrounding Tegal Sari (cycling, Bali cuisine cooking lessons). Lunch at @ Bu Oka Babi Guling.
Afternoon: Check out, put luggage in car.
Mengwi village: Taman Ayun Temple 30k
Alas Kedaton: We stop here to see monkey forest. 15k
Pacung village: Have lunch whilst overlooking beautiful rice terraces
Bedugul and see Ulundanu temple (30k) and lake Beratan.
Strawberry Farm
Night - Check in at Yulia Hotel Beach Inn. Dinner. Bamboo Corner (cheap lobster). Check out Popies Lane 1 & 2 / Hard Rock Hotel & Cafe


21/1
9am - 6pm:
Geger beach, Nusa Dua. Padang padang beach for a swim. Water Blow
Uluwatu temple+ Kecak dance (70k)
Jimbaran Bay: Special fresh grilled sea food on the beach for dinner at Lia cafe/shops in Muaya beach, Jl Four Seasons are better in price
Night: Explore around hotel area.sate babi @ Warung mayde kuta.

22/1
Morning: Free & Easy. Kuta beach (learn surfing? 150k) & Kuta Square
Afternoon: Move to Eden Hotel. Ayam Tulang Lunak Malioboro. Bali Hawaii. Souvenir shopping at Krishna, Oleh Oleh Khas Bali (No 88, Jalan Sunset Road, Kuta). Sunset view at Tanah Lot temple (30k).
Night: Dinner @ Ultimo. Drinks @ Potato Head. Explore Legian Street area. Reggae music at Apache Reggae Club, Legian St. Bali bombing memorial.
http://www.agoda.com/eden-hotel/hotel/bali-id.html

23/1
Morning: Free & Easy. Discovery Mall.
2pm: Depart to airport.


extra question: any nice place to do pedicure & manicure for girls?

well over the 2 versions i've read, some say fake some say real. so i also dunno real or fake.

hmmm maybe not. still a student. won't wanna splurge on those.

thanks for the tips. i am also not particularly fond of the dance but will have to discuss with my friends this kind of touristy thing have to a bit la i guess?

goa gajah is quite near my accomodation in Ubud so its ok la hehe. might give it a skip as well.

slowly look at hotels listed in agoda la. lots of great deals now. if you have time should spend some nights at Ubud as well

i will be staying 2 nights in a few weeks time will let u know the condition in ubud do more research and you will know whether is it worth for you or not. different people different taste.

my driver i booked him at 500k per day. a bit on a high side.

toyota innova. so ok la 3 person for 7 seater.

buy skype credit and call them directly.

Reporting from bali. At Tegal Sari Ubud now. Really beautiful place thankfully no rain the whole day, just a slight drizzle. Walking through the streets was amazing!! Love Ubud a lot.

Btw after using simpati for 2 weeks in jakarta n Ubud. I can say their coverage for 3g pretty much sucks.

not really cheap

Sup people I'm back from my Bali trip and it's time for me to contribute back to the thread (pictures will be added in the future to further illustrate my post )

More pictures & stories at my blog soon.

So i went to Bali from the 18/1 - 23/1 for 6 days 5 nights. My flight tickets cost about RM420 as I only booked it 2 weeks before the trip. I was very lucky for this trip as it was one of the lowest season in Bali hence traffic jams were almost non-existent. Although it was a raining season, when the time I was out sight seeing there was no rain. There were some occasional slight drizzles which didn't really deter the trip but instead made the weather much more cooler, especially the highlands.

For my accommodation I stayed at Tegal Sari for 2 nights, Yulia Beach Inn (2 nights) & ended my stay in Eden Hotel. For Tegal Sari I called them straight away using Skype as I couldn't wait for their response online and managed to book a Super Wooden Deluxe, but had to move to a normal Super Deluxe for the 2nd night. The remaining hotels were booked using Agoda and I got really nice prices for 3 person.

For my driver I contracted Pak Ketut for 4 days from http://www.iketutsuwendra.blogspot.com/ through recommendations by people on Trip Advisor. He charges 500k per day on his Toyota Innova. His service is generally ok, bringing us to none mainstream touristy places but he only appeared on the 1st day. On the remaining 3 days he pushed us to his brother due to some reasons, Pak Putu instead who drives a Toyota Vios. I managed to bring down the price to 450k since it was a smaller. His service is also quite good as well but we still felt a bit bitter since Pak Ketut agreed a few times that he is available to bring us around for the 4 days.

For mobile internet i used simPATI. Coverage was quite good all around Bali.

So moving on to my itinerary. Since I wanted a rather relaxing trip, I removed almost all of the redundant touristy stuff such as the traditional dances and visits to factories etc. Probably why Pak Ketut decided to throw us to his brother since he can't get much commission from us.

Day 1

We arrived from Jakarta to Bali domestic airport at about 2pm. It was a far cry compared to the Ngurah Rai International Airport which was just recently constructed in 2013. We engaged a driver from Tegal Sari to pick us up at the airport for 250k and we were finally on our way to Ubud when arrived at about 3pm due to huge traffic in the airport parking lot.


DSC00524 by zstan, on Flickr

Tegal Sari was indeed a fantastic place to stay and the much-talked about hospitality from this place was top notch. Everybody was smiling and greeting you warmly. The Iced Lemon Tea welcome drink was one of the best I've ever tried and they even had one staff guiding us to our rooms and explaining every single thing about the room from room service to toilets. Excellent service. Rooms facing the paddy fields are equally beautiful as well.


DSC00555 by zstan, on Flickr

After settling down we then headed to the famous Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck's Diner) which was almost right in front of Tegal Sari, for dinner. The interior design of the restaurant was really amazing. From outside i thought it was just a small restaurant but it expands even more inside. Food wise it was so so, I still prefer roasted duck. However I ordered brem (rice wine + lime) to go along and it tasted great. Spent 97k for the mixed rice dish + drink.


DSC00588 by zstan, on Flickr

For the rest of the night we then walked past Monkey forest and explored the streets leading to Ubud palace. We drank a bit at the Laughing Buddha's Bar before calling it a night. They were having Latin live band performance and their happy hour deal got extended. So we had a buy 2 cocktails free 1 deal. One drink costed less than RM20 after dividing between 3 people. It's from today's experience as well that I found out the landmarks on Google maps for Ubud is not entirely accurate. Use Waze for cross reference to be safe.


Day 2

Breakfast was served to our rooms at 7.30pm. Ordered the banana cake set. Tasted really unique with added coconut flakes in the pancakes. Driver picked us up at 8.30am and our first stop of the day was Goa Gajah temple. Entrance fees are 15k but there will be people hoarding you to sell their sarungs at 20k. Ignore them as your ticket already includes the sarung rental. I almost got ripped off here. Nothing much to see at this temple. Left in about 30 minutes.


DSC00596 by zstan, on Flickr

Next destination was Tirtha Empul Temple (Tampaksiring) to see the Holy Springs. It was a nice cultural insight to see the locals bathing in the holy springs and make their wishes. The waters are exceptionally clear despite human pollution (most are fully clothed when they jump into the spring waters). The other ponds are also crystal clear and you are able to see the bottom of the pond. Magnificent! Holy springs indeed Though i really dislike the long rowssss of shops that we have to go through before we finally reach the parking.


DSC00672 by zstan, on Flickr

We then moved on to Kintamani to catch the sight of the volcano and the lake. Our driver took us straight to Tepi Danau restaurant where you can have clear view of the scenery. Highly recommended! We reached there at around 11am when there was almost nobody else. We got good seats and just sat there enjoying the edible buffet (100k ++ per person) and the amazing view. It was also pretty cloudy that day but the scene was pretty much clear. Some forummers here have mentioned they could get cheaper food further down the streets but really not much complaints about this restaurant if you are lazy to explore the area and just want to enjoy the view (like me). Don't expect too much about the food though.


DSC00711 by zstan, on Flickr


DSC00726 by zstan, on Flickr

After a relatively full lunch we then headed for Luwak coffee! Our driver brought us to Sebatu Agro Tourism where you can enjoy the coffee while facing the forest view. It was really nice that day as the winds were very cooling and we just sat there and chilled for one than one hour. Prices of coffee here are pretty standard as well. 50k for Luwak and a few other cups of free samples.


DSC00770 by zstan, on Flickr

Our last stop for the afternoon was to visit the Tegalalang Rice Fields. We were a bit adventurous so we went to track the ceking rice terrace. It was a really good exercise and the view was worth the climb! There would be some locals requesting for donations along the way and one of them took advantage of my girl friends as well by squeezing their hands (that guy did this to all the tourist who passed by). Just try not to freak out.


DSC00819 by zstan, on Flickr

By nightfall we then headed the famous Naughty Nuri's Pork Ribs. It's about 15 minutes drive away from Tegal Sari and it costed us 40k for the ride provided by the hotel. The ribs were absolutely delicious. A must try (100k for the Pork Ribs)! One of the best food i've had in Bali. After the very full dinner we decided to walk back to Anomali Coffee nearby Ubud Palace for coffee. It didn't taste as good as the original branch that I had in Jakarta though.


DSC00848 by zstan, on Flickr
We left the place around 11.30pm and walked all the way back to Tegal Sari. The streets were very quiet but there were no stray dogs following us. Probably just 1 or 2 hanging around. Quite safe, but still a bit scared

This post has been edited by zstan: Feb 4 2014, 04:28 PM

More pictures & stories at my blog soon.

Day 3


DSC00890 by zstan, on Flickr


DSC00893 by zstan, on Flickr

Today was more relaxing. I went to the Zen Bali Spa for a full body massage (100k ++ for 1 hr) while my 2 girl friends went for a pedicure and manicure session (140K ++). Checked out from Tegal Sari and went to Pizza Bagus for lunch. The Pizza Salami was really nice but the Pizza Della Nonna was so so. Prices for the pizza was really, really cheap for the portion.


DSC00903 by zstan, on Flickr

After lunch, Pak Putu came to pick us up. We headed to the Gold & Silver place, art gallery & the batik shop. Stayed no longer than 10 minutes in each place. Next destination was souvenir shopping Krisna Denpasar Branch. The good thing is that the prices are fixed so you won't get ripped off. However there are still some stuff that can't be found at this place and generally the T-shirt designs aren't up to my liking. My 2 cents: don't buy everything here, keep some of your options open.


DSC00910 by zstan, on Flickr

It was about 5pm when we finally left. Rushed all the way to Tanah Lot to catch the sunset. Driver was initially reluctant to send us there since he was afraid of the jam, which thankfully did not materialise as we took all the inner smaller roads (which can be found with Waze as well). Didn't spend anytime to look around the stalls and headed straight for the temples to catch the sunset. Absolutely beautiful. We were very lucky to catch the whole sun for awhile as it was really cloudy that day. Recommended to stay here until 7 plus when the sky turns from yellow to purple-orange. Snapped up 2 fridge magnets for 20k from a stall which was about to pack up.


DSC01019 by zstan, on Flickr

The journey back to Kuta was pleasantly smooth as well due to the low season. After checking in at Yulia Beach Inn (good location but rooms are average), we then headed to Bamboo Corner for dinner. The food here was really cheap. Don't expect anything more. They also sell 'lobsters' here at 100k which turns out to be mantis prawns (looks like lobsters if you've never had them before). Impossible can get lobster so cheap one la. I knew it was dodgy when I first heard the price mentioned here by some forummer. The taste was poor as well. Try to avoid seafood in Bali, totally not worth it. I skipped Jimbaran as well, for that matter.


Day 4


We had our free breakfast which was at a restaurant next to the hotel, Yulia's Kitchen. The food here was quite nice. Has a decent Trip Advisor rating as well. We get to choose one main course and then there's unlimited refill of toasts, eggs (sunny, poached, omelette etc) & juices.

1st stop of the day was Taman Ayun Temple at Mengwi. Nothing special here since you can't enter the temple grounds. We then moved northwards and stopped by Bali Strawberry for a drink. No strawberry picking at this time of the year though :/ There was slight drizzling now and then which made the weather absolutely cooling, something like Cameron Highlands.


DSC01155 by zstan, on Flickr

We then moved to Ulun Danu Temple and Beratan Lake. Another beautiful place to be. The cooling weather was also another big plus. Stayed here until about 2.30pm before moving to Pacung Restaurant for buffet lunch. Again, food was so-so but the view here was nice as it was directly facing the rice terrace. It rained for awhile here and it got really cold


DSC01192 by zstan, on Flickr

Last stop of the day was at Alas Kedaton. By the time we reached at 5.30pm most monkeys have went back into the forest so it was not that scary. There was a guide who brought us around. Felt a bit bad that we didnt buy anything from her shop. Thankful that she didn't push us as well.

At night we asked our driver to drop us Ultimo Restaurant at Seminyak. This Italian restaurant was recommended by an Indon friend. I made online reservations a few days before but it didn't enter their system. Fortunately there were still seats available as the whole place was rather packed. Food was so-so but the price was really cheap (pizzas, spaghettis & house wine) for this kind of atmosphere and decoration. One of the best places to have a date in my opinion. The size of spaghetti can be changed to small if you would like a smaller portion (not written on the menu but it was told by the waitress).


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After the fulfilling dinner we walked all the way back to Kuta Took us about 1 hour plus on foot to walke 5.5km and we had to navigate through some really dark roads which were home to some private villas and local houses. Nice experience and a much needed exercise.

This post has been edited by zstan: Feb 4 2014, 04:30 PM

Erm I think that budget for Langkawi ok la

Can la if you manage to get flight tickets under 300 and u stay in rm20 backpackers lodge per night and eat from convenience stores and don't visit any tourist attractions (or just visit them on foot)

Nope. Bali was very quiet

Day 5


DSC01410 by zstan, on Flickr

Moved from Yulia Beach Inn to Eden Hotel. Location wise this hotel is close to Discovery Mall as well as Water Bom, both attractions which I did not enter Waited until 11 plus to get into our rooms. Their welcome drinks was ok-ok, definitely incomparable with Tegal Sari's. I booked the Eden room which was just nice for 2 person. Adding an extra bed made the whole room rather cramped but it was suffice. Overall not much complaints. There's 2 pools in the hotel which I had no time for unfortunately. Only time i swam was at Tegal Sari.

After that we went to Nusa Dua using the new highway. They call it Indonesia's most beautiful toll. Initially we didn't want to try any water sports and just enjoy the beach but we realise it was not a place for that as the operators immediately came to us to offer us their packages. Reluctantly we took the glass bottom boat ride & Turtle island package for 400k for a boat. I believe we can negotiate for a much lower price but i sucked at bargaining. Their initial offer was a staggering 750k for locals (there's a separate price list for westerners in USD).


DSC01248 by zstan, on Flickr

The glass bottom boat sucked, can't see much. Only saw some Zebra fishes swimming around dead coral reefs. On turtle island you get to hold and take pictures with the various turtles, snake, eagles and bats etc. Kinda pity those animals being toyed around by tourists. Hopefully I didn't accumulate too much bad karma for this trip On a side note the turtles are relatively heavy, don't attempt if you have weak back.


DSC01311 by zstan, on Flickr

For lunch our driver brought us to some random Babi Guling restaurant on our request. Our siew yuk definitely much better. Headed to Padang-padang beach as well. It was rather secluded and less tourists according to the driver. Water & sand quality was so-so so I didn't had the mood to swim in it. There were quite a lot of branches and rubbish floating around as well. There was only one public toilet which you had to pay to use for showering and stuff so we just sat and walked along the beach.


DSC01318 by zstan, on Flickr

Our last stop for the day was at Uluwatu Temple, known for the spectacular views of the cliffs as well as their notorious monkeys. Before you enter there is already a big sign warning you about the monkeys. When I entered there was a guy who immediately took my tickets and lead us around. End up he charged us 50k as protection fees from the monkeys (initially it was 100k) and left us halfway lol. Wouldn't say it was a scam as I felt safe for a good 15 minutes from the monkeys. Honestly, as much as the magnificent view here, its really stressful to truly enjoy the beauty with all the monkeys lurking around to grab your belongings. One random kid was almost dragged away by the monkeys. Shocking. Wouldn't return here anymore in the future unless my travel partner has not been here before. Tanah Lot is so much better.


DSC01334 by zstan, on Flickr

As we watched the sunset till quite late (skipped the Kecak dance), we didn't go for the Jimbaran Seafood. Based on the reviews here and my friend's past experience with the place I didn't feel it was a waste to skip that place. I can probably have better seafood back in Malaysia with a sunset view as well.

For dinner we headed to Fat Chow restaurant in Poppies Lane 1. Also recommended by Trip Advisor. Food was ok but the ambience was really nice. Their gelato was also delicious and relatively cheap! For the rest of the night we explored more of Kuta and headed back to the hotel. Starbucks is cheaper in Indonesia by a few ringgit so please indulge yourself if you are a fan.


DSC01391 by zstan, on Flickr


Day 6
Last day in Bali. Went for breakfast in the famous Alleycats restaurant in Popies Lane 2. I had the English Breakfast set (with an extra hash brown) and it was the one of the most tastiest English breakfast i've ever had. The bacon and sausage was really really good and the whole set was only about 50k! That's about RM15. In Malaysia you'd probably have to pay at least RM20 for a decent breakfast set. Definitely a must try here!


DSC01434 by zstan, on Flickr


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Our last stops of the day was at the new Beach Walk shopping mall and a quick visit to Hard Rock Hotel. Must say the swimming pool here is amazing!


DSC01452 by zstan, on Flickr


DSC01455 by zstan, on Flickr


It was finally time to say good bye as we hailed down our first Blue Bird taxi in Bali and left for the airport. The taxi fare here is more expensive than Jakarta though even though it starts at a lower price (6k compared to 7k). Having said that, our ride was only 20k and this was probably the cheapest taxi fare to the airport that I've ever paid in my life.

The new airport was decent but small. After crossing immigration the only restaurant there was Black Canyon. At my departure hall there wasn't even any chairs for us to sit!

Thanks for the memories Bali! I will be back!

This post has been edited by zstan: Feb 4 2014, 04:34 PM

where got luxurious? i just spend a bit more on food only. my hotels all also ~RM80 per night per person. tegal sari slightly cheaper. now petrol price increase liao cannot get 350k driver. unless you find those desperate ones on the roads, probably still can get 200k per day (was offered that price by a random guy).

This post has been edited by zstan: Feb 4 2014, 06:38 PM