In November of this year my son Donald and I will be cruising from Sydney to Singapore by ship. (For further information about us, see October 2001 on this Forum).
After flying from Hamilton, N.Z.(where we now live) to Sydney, we embark on 24th November, cruise up the east coast of Australia calling at the usual ports of call, then stopping at Komodo, Lombok and Padang Bay (3/4/5 December), taking in the Krakatoa passage before disembarking at Singapore on the 10th.
Has anyone made a similar trip? I cruised out of Bali on the Bali Sea Dancer in 1995, but my last holiday in Bali was in 2004 with my other son and grandson, so don't really know what to expect.
Can anyone who has seen Bali from a cruise ship fill in some details?
Shore trips from the ship tend to be very 'touristy' and expensive and I usually prefer to make my own arrangements.
I hope to see two families of Balinese friends, (perhaps take them to lunch in Tanjung Benoa) but apart from that I'm open to suggestions. My usual driver is Wayan Merta - should I contact him and engage him for the day? Decisions! decisions!
Any constructive comments would be appreciated.