Bali

We visited Bali in 2002. Having been to the Far East on a number of occasions we had a good idea of what it would be like. We flew via Singapore with Singapore Airlines and they were excellent. On arrival in Bali we were taken to our hotel, The Grand Bali Beach in the resort of Sanur.

Sanur is the original resort in Bali where tourism began. It is quite a busy place with lots of traffic on the main roads. But once you get into your hotel, Sanurs secret unfolds. Our hotel like many others was beachfront. Along the edge of the beach is a path. This path passes by all the other beachfront hotels, and delivers you straight to the local shops, bars, restaurants, and market stalls. This makes it particularly good for families, as it is safe. Here you can buy just about anything, have a drink, a meal or get your clothes laundered. This for me is what makes Sanur special. You don’t get to see or hear the traffic unless you go out of the front of the hotel. The beach itself is a lovely broad expanse of golden sand. The sea contains lots of coral which makes it tricky when entering the water. The locals are very happy to serve you and always carry a smile.

Our hotel had a sister property in the resort of Nusa Dua . This is a purpose built resort and although the beaches here were far nicer, the resort didn’t have the same traditional feel as we got in Sanur. It is a more modern resort, more upmarket and would appeal to couples. We also visited the resort of Kuta. Kuta sits on the western side of the island and this is where the young free and single head for. The beach here is full of surfers, many from Australia as Bali is only about 4 hours away. This area is much more commercialised and has shopping centres and department stores. Kuta is also home to the islands waterpark. This is the most tropical waterpark we have ever been too with the slides hard to see between the trees.

Out and about in Bali we were able to visit temples, rice fields or other islands and things are very reasonably priced. We took a two day trip to the island of Lembongon. We stayed in a round villa with a thatched roof set in the hillside overlooking the sea. If you want to be alone, then you will be happy here. We took the opportunity to snorkel in the clear waters of Lembongon. In comparison to other places in the Far East, Bali has retained much of its character without becoming too commercialised. Although it does have areas of neon lights and discos it is still more laid back than Thailand for instance. It also takes about 16 hours to get there, so a stopover is a good idea, making 2 centre options very appealing. If you are interested in Bali or the Far East and have any questions please call or email me. I will be happy to help.