Posted by Kim on Friday, 9. October 1998 at 00:20 Bali Time:
Hi!
Bali was fantastic, I did it alone for $2500CDN, and spent two weeks.
-Blue taxis: are the only way to go. Ask them to start the meter (say "meter!"). Somehow the ones the hotel sent for were always new kids wet behind the ears- terrified drivers. If you have a few minutes, step up to whatever street you're at and flag the next one down. There are that many. Bring a few numbers from this forum for guides and call them- they'll often have 4x4s and are the best way to sight-see. Don't plan to drive yourself- you don't see as much and its insanely dangerous driving (added to which, you'll note in an earlier posting some happy tourists had their tires flattened).
-Jimbaran Bay: I stayed at the Aston (Nusa Dua)and checked out Lovina and Club Med's beaches (and a few others) but preferred Jimbaran Bay baech to any of the others. A trip to Bali is incomplete without beautiful Jimbaran Bay. Ask to be driven to Cafe Indan and the driver will know it. Its one of a series of cafes set up on the beach in a small fishing village with the requisite kiosks selling sarongs, etc. The people are happy to talk & discuss life & the day & their catch & their kids with you. When you want to go home face the ocean and turn *left*. Walk about 100m beyond the cafes and you'll come to 5-star resort heaven. You can use any of their loungers on the beach and they'll be happy to call you a blue taxi.
-Aston Bali Hotel: is beautiful, and 50 people including myself contracted Bali Belly while I was there. The doctor confirmed the numbers. A wonderful couple I met had to cut their vacation short because she was so sick- they simply walked away from 2 more days in Bali & 4 days in Singapore. DON'T drink the juice (incl. the complimentary "Welcome Drink") but I don't know what else to recommend except that as soon as you show symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting, high fever, headache were mine), call the hotel doctor- she's either at the hotel busy with other guests or 2 hours away (slow car/ donkey?) in Denpasar. She's great but insanely busy and appreciates tips. No, I hadn't touched anything but bottled water and had ONLY eaten the Aston's free breakfast & packaged cookies up to that point (4 days). I had planned on venturing out for dinner for the first time the night I got sick.
Bumbu Bali restaurant: just outside the Aston Bali make a *left* and walk (!) about 100yds. Beautiful floor show, for heaven's sake dance with the girl when she invites you to join the floor show- isn't that why you're *going* to Bali? Excellent (I finally made it & it didn't nuke my very delicate & recovering stomach) food and *inexpensive*. Complimentary hors d'oeuves- deep fried potatoes. Banana-leaf steamed turkey is $3, other entrees up to $5, all include rice (white, saffron & red)& salads (I didn't eat). Including fresh jasmine tea & black glutinous rice (supposed to be a great dessert recommended in this forum- too sweet for me & I have a notorious sweet tooth)my bill was about 80000Rp. Without the $3 rice, I'd have paid about $7CDN.
There's a seafood place (with the Aston or the Bumbu Bali at your back head to the *right* about 100yds from the Aston & cross the street *carefully*) whose name I don't recall- I didn't get a chance to eat there but was told several times it's inexpensive, safe & delicious.
Hemmingway- pub/restaurant in Nusa Dua with excellent reputation, I could cry I didn't get the chance to try it.
In Nusa Dua shop at the Tragia department store,3rd floor for MataHari-like great deals, supermarket on the main floor. (This is where the locals shop). Try the snake fruit- it's scaly peel protects you from wee beasties & the fruit inside is crisp & something like a moist, tart apple with a nectarine's texture. Excellent thirst-quencher.
I bought prescription glasses at the Nusa Dua Galleria's store (ask a local at your hotel to accompany you & you'll get about 50% off, which I didn't do) for $200CDN. The frames are German designer and the special high-density plastic lenses were $21CDN (NOT a typo). At home my frames were $400 (I like something funky) and the lenses alone were $200.
I mentioned below in response to "Tina" not to bother with the Gray Line tours- don't pay for them if you can avoid it. That said, the busses were clean and almost too well-air-conditioned, and the tours included free bottles of drinking water.