1

Your timing is perfect…end of March and into April. That’s the very tail end of our rainy season and it’s not crowded here with tourists.

Ubud is most definitely the place for culture and religious experiences. You would do very well to stay in a homestay with a Balinese family, as your experience will only be heightened by this, and your pocket book will love it. Moreover the Balinese family you stay with will be more than happy to let you share in their religious ceremonies, which are rather frequent to put it mildly. Another side benefit is enjoying real home cooked Balinese dishes, cooked in wood burning stoves…not often experienced by your average tourist.

You are welcome to send me a PM if you want the names and e-mail addresses of two Balinese who can help you find the perfect home stay, and the other is an incredible Balian who if you’re serious about the religious side of your quest…will be an essential guide into exploring Bali Hindu Agama.

2

Bali is quite an experience and well worth a visit. Ubud is very easy to get around and you'll have no trouble finding a variety of places to stay. We stayed in a place on Jalan Kajeng for 150,000Rp (approx $16) but it was quite a long walk from Jalan Raya. Later we stayed at Suastika Homestay on Jalan Suweta. It was more expensive but quite nice and clean (275,000Rp/$31).

From Ubud you can take day trips or short trips to most of Bali and drivers are everywhere. In all our travels around Bali and Lombok we only had one scary driver the rest were very reliable and safe.

If you have time you should make a trip over to the Gili islands (we stayed on Gili Air). Its a bit of a hassle getting there but it is nice for snorkeling/beach time. We stayed at Gili Air Santay at 200,000Rp.

At the top you can "Search all forums" for advice on what to see and where to stay. Then ask more questions.

3

Hi!

I have been living in Bali for a while now. Ubud is great part of Bali to start off. Definetly avoid Kuta/Seminyak/Legian area. Traffic jams, motorbiks and thousands of tourists. From Ubud you can do lots of nice day trips to the surrounding areas. Around Ubud you can walk through the rice fields and visit local villages. You can visit the mountains and the volcanic lakes in Kintamani and Lake Batur. Danau Beratan is nice with it's temple in the lake. More north there is Git Git Waterfalls, they will be full on in that time of the year because it is still raining a lot up in the higher parts of Bali.

I would advice you to go to Amed area as well. It is a nice drive by motorbike from Ubud passing Candidasa and Amlapura. Visit Pantai Pasir Putih on the way as well, a gorgeous white sand beach just between Candisa and Amlapura. Amed is known for it's stunning coast line and volcanic black sand/rocks beaches. Excellent diving and snorkeling in that area as well! It takes about 2-3 hours to get there from Ubud. You can find some homestays in that area as well. The surroundings of Amed are amazing, Bali the way it used to be. It is also one of the poorest areas in Bali. Some great waterfalls and hikes can be done and visited as well.

Anyway, just PM me if you need more info.

T.

4

I agree with #2 about making a trip out to the Gilis while you are in the area, especially since you have a whole month. The beaches are better, and it is a very relaxed place. Gili Air, for example, doesn't have any cars, making it a quiet place to relax. If you are interested, it is also an excellent place to SCUBA dive, or take a 3 day SCUBA certification course if you haven't gone diving before.

5

Thank you for all of your replies! I am so glad to hear that Ubud is where everyone is telling me I should go. For those who have been to the Gili Islands, I've been told I should avoid Gili T if I'm not into the party scene. What do you think?

Astoria, you said go to Amed. But you also said that it was one of the poorest places in Bali. I am assuming that means I should be able to find cheap accomadations, but shoukd I be at all worried about being ripped off with prices in any way? I know the Balinese people are supposed to be some of the friendliest people in the world (please NO ONE BE OFFENDED BY THIS QUESTION!!!) but I have read that because some places are poor, that travelers need to be careful with charges and costs of different activities. I am not AT ALL trying to accuse the Balinese people of theft or anything like that. I would just like some clarification in something I read.

MadeIndra, thank you as well. I will be sure to PM you if I take you up on that. =)

If anyone has anything they would like to add at any point, please do. I love all the tips and advice and hearing how much everyone loves Bali.

6

My wife and I stayed at "GaneshAmed" ( www.ganeshamed.com ) in Amed. It was a bit pricey at 375,000Rp but I think they had a couple smaller rooms as well. It was very nice and we felt quite comfortable walking the beach or along the road to explore the area.

I just googled it and they have 6 rooms and their small ones (2) are 200,000Rp ($22/night) in the low season including breakfast. The staff were very friendly and the restaurant was decent. Snorkeling off the gravel beach was fair. While there a couple massage ladies came by each day and a very skillful one hour massage cost 70,000Rp ($8). I usually tipped her another 10,000Rp ($1.11).

I actually wish we had stayed a few more days.

As for being careful about overcharging and such you will find that you have to be aware everywhere you go. Usually when you get ripped off it is really only minor amounts. For example getting from Bangsal, Lombok to Gili Air is pretty hard not to get ripped off. When we were leaving Gili Air we were told we wouldn't have to pay to get back to Bangsal but when we arrived at the dock to leave we had to pay 40,000Rp. My wife was all set to raise a fuss until I mentioned it was less than $5. For you - take the Perama boat from Padangbai to the Gilis to save some hassles. And, yes Gili T is a party island. When you're on the Gilis you can catch a daily boat to Trawangan and explore for a day then return to Gili Air.

7

Most anywhere in Bali one can find a tattoo artist, but the two main areas would be Kuta and Ubud. Personally I think the better tat artists are to be found in Ubud. Keep in mind the Balinese are very fond of tats a well, and for them it's all about who is the best artist.

You will find Balinese temples everywhere in Bali. It is said (and it's true) that there are more temples in Bali than tourists. In addition, there are a number of important archaeological sites here in Bali, many of them located around Ubud, but not limited to that area. Do some Googling as the choices are endless.

8

With only three days and considering that you seem to be pretty young, on your first trip to Bali you might as well stay in Kuta, or the Kuta area, and not spend too much time running around. Everything that you've shown an interest in can be found in that area.

9

Hi...

Maybe Kerobokan, i see some young visitor live there who stay a month or longer. They stay at home stay, from here they can explore Bali It is less tourist but sometimes traffic but not all the time, it is happened nearby Canggu on the way to Tanah Lot - Tabanan.