Vacationing in Bali & Taipei

See a shadow puppet play in Bali. Very cool. It's exactly what it sounds, but some of them are wonderfully done, and very unique.

Also, when in Bali ... no matter how hot you are, no matter how thirsty you are, when you see locals selling iced drinks - stay away! Trust me. If it has ice in it, do not get it. I speak from experience.

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Thanks for understanding, I was afraid I would get weird reactions like we get from our friends/family ("why would you want to do that", "you could buy two new computers with that!", etc).... but we have been saving and making sacrifices during the last 18 months to be able to afford this so we are really excited!

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Thanks for the recommendation! We will definitely look for one. Is it something we should find & book in advance or can you just look for one on the day?

Also thanks for the tip about ice. I'm currently investigating recommendations for immunisations, etc... I think I'm going to pass on everything "suggested" but I am not positive.

I went to Bali for my honeymoon and it was the BEST. We stayed in Ubud up in the hills and it is much better than staying near the beach. There are cheapers places and much fewer tourists. I suggest seeing the Kechack (sp?) dance as it is spectacular. They even dance on fire. I do think it is better to hire a driver but just be aware that each driver will have their own agenda and will want you to patronize their friends and family's establishments. Not a bad thing just something to be aware of. The people are delightful and I just absolutely adored the entire thing. Smell some Frangipani flowers for me. Enjoy!
Wendi

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Thanks, Krisnic! That's us, too. Travelling is very important to us. We lived abroad for 18 months and that was great, we were able to do a lot of travelling for a lot less too when we lived in the UK. We hope to do it again sometime in the future.

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Thanks, I am very excited!! The museum sounds excellent. I have to admit Taipei is very intimidating to me. I am a bit more nervous about that bit of the trip. Did you find any trouble if you only spoke English?

Jealous. So jealous.

Have fun, mama!

Bali really is super cheap. Hiring a driver is cheaper if you have a lot of things you want to get done in one day or you're going on a long day trip but if you're just going to one place and back then the cabs are great and very cheap.

I'm not sure how long it's been since PP went to Bali but Ubud is no longer less tourist-y. I was most recently there in April. My recommendation would be mainly to stay out of Kuta if you cannot stand high density tourism. Areas like Candidasa are loads quieter and in my opinion, more beautiful but the thing with Bali is that it is touristy. That's the basis of the island. If you can take it at face value, then you'll have a wonderful time.

Do you need accom recommendations? I can give you some to suit all budgets. I have spent a fair amount of time in Bali as I have a good friend who lives there.

As far as things to avoid, I'd say forget about Jimbarin Bay and the fish dinner on the beach. It's an overpriced gimmick and really doesn't do anything for most people I've spoken to.

If you've got any specific questions, do ask and I'll try my best to come up with a useful answer.

Hi, I'm Indonesian but I don't live in Bali, I grew up in Java island, the island next to Bali. When we had a vacation in Bali, my dh rented a car (actually it's a more of a jeep) and he drove while I read the map (and shamelessly asking for directions along the way! Many Balinese speaks English). I bought the Periplus map. You can read the Lonely planet book for suggested places to see. In the market there are lots of bargaining for handicrafts. Please expect to get higher prices than the local's because tourists are generally seen as quite rich.
Yes, Ubud is very nice and cool. Bring long pants or long skirt and sleeved shirts if you want to visit the temples. They have dress code. And yes, watch the Kecak dance or Barong dance. Some part of Barong dance can be quite funny.
Enjoy

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Thank you!! That is fabulous information. We have a hotel for one night in Ubud, then we leave for a 3-day tour on the North Coast (friends recommended it, it looks awesome) that includes 2 nights' accommodation in Tejakula but other than that we need recommendations. Also recommendations for *where* to stay. We'd like to do a mix of beach and "culture" stuff, but locations are still up for grabs.

Here are the things we're doing on that trip:
Tirta Empul, one of Bali's most famous purifying temples
The rice terraces of Tegallalang
Lunch on the caldera of the active volcano Batur and its pristine blue lake
Early departure to the small village of Banjar, home of the famous Holy Hot Spring ''Air Panas''
a panoramic walk through the hills will take you to the Vihara Buddhist temple
Lunch is served with a breathtaking view in Mayong
Lake Buyan and Lake Tamblingan
Coffee, clove, cacao plantation
Amazing rice terraces
Visit of Pura Ulun Danau Bratan
Pause at the famous Bedugul market

I'm not really sure where most of those places are
But We are open to suggestions. We're hoping to average under $75/night but of course are happy to spend less - I'm pretty interested in having our own bathroom/sleeping space for the most part rather than shared accom. style hostels, but other than that we're flexible - we'd rather spend money on doing things and seeing things rather than a fancy bed to sleep in.

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It sounds to me that between the tour and Ubud, you'll have most of the cultural stuff covered. You should probably do the monkey forest when you're in Ubud - most people agree that it's horrible but you gotta do it. Be careful though - the monkeys will steal anything that isn't firmly attached!

I would recommend staying in Candidasa. The beach is gorgeous and not as crazy as Kuta and Legian. You shouldn't have a problem finding a lovely hotel for less than $75 - The Puri Bagus (google it) comes to mind as one of the nicer ones - but there are plenty around that start at about $35. You should definitely scour the cheap accom websites like priceline and expedia. They always have fabulous deals. There is soooooo much accom in Bali that the prices have to be cheap.

I have to run but I have more to say so will be back later....

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Thank you! I had heard about the monkey forest, I'm sorry to hear it isn't a nice place.

Thanks for the Candidasa recommendation. A friend of ours has suggested Seminyak, and Lembongan Island (I hope I am spelling these right) but she also suggested a $350/night hotel : so I am wary of her suggestions!

Are Priceline and Expedia still good sites for overseas? I guess I will start looking there for a hotel in Taipei too if so. Thanks again!

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Well, when I was there I spoke some Chinese (Mandarin), but most people in their forties or so and down will speak at least some English. It's taught in all the public schools, and anyone who works in tourism will speak at least some. Many signs are in Roman letters as well as Chinese, so you should be able to get around. The people are really nice, don't be afraid to ask for directions etc.

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Seminyak is great. I was going to get to Seminyak in the next installment. Seminyak is where all the REALLY REALLY great shopping is. It's also where all the expats live (my friend lives there) and hence is more expensive than the majority of the island. You must at least spend half a day shopping there. I wouldn't go mad trying to stay there though because whilst there are loads and loads of hotels, the cheap ones are much crappier than cheap ones on other parts of the island.

Nusa Lembongan is also a great overnight trip if snorkeling and diving are your thing. There is one international hotel there that I suspect is very expensive and all the other accom is just very average losmen (guesthouse) style. Unless you stay at the expensive hotel, Lembongan isn't a sun-baking for hours kind of place. The beach is ordinary but the diving and snorkeling is fantastic.

You could also consider spending a couple of nights in Lombok (a large island just off Bali) where you can have a slightly more authentic cultural experience. It's very cheap to catch a boat to Lombok or it's a 25 minute plane flight which only costs about US$40 - but be warned...the planes are old and scary. I've done it a few times but don't like the thought of doing it again...until I think about the amount of ferry's that sink in Indonesia Also off Lombok are the magnificent Gili Islands! We spent 4 nights on Gili Trawangan in April and stayed in a gorgeous 4.5star hotel (Hotel Villa Ombak) for less than $70/night. The Gili's are very cool...no cars, no police, no real shopping - just indulgence, food and more indulgence.

I don't know how you feel about the pampering aspect of Bali...massage, facials, manicures are a dime a dozen. Until my most recent trip I never felt very comfortable having any of that stuff done for me by poor Balinese who really have no interest in my grotty feet except that attending to them will pay for their kids dinner (yes, i realise everyone in Bali is somewhat exploited by the tourist trade and no one is paid a fair wage but having such personal services really irked me) This trip, I did indulge but I only felt comfortable doing it by giving the workers BIG tips...and I really enjoyed it too. I'd never had a facial or a pedicure before and I loved the spoiling. It was good for my soul.

A previous poster recommended you buy the Bali and Lombok Lonely Planet - I second her recommendation. I don't go anywhere overseas without the relevant Lonely Planet.

And yes - all those cheap accom websites are great for Bali - I live in Australia and have used a US based one and an Australian based one before.

Hope this is helpful...feel free to keep asking questions.

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Thanks, I am going to be picking up a Mandarin phrasebook but I don't know how much I'm going to get from it. I looked for a Taiwanese phrasebook but the library doesn't have one.