12 Full Days in Bali. How would you use them?

[nycdive]

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I are headed to Bali in mid-May for 12 full days (I'm not counting the travel days on each end which, from New York, are extensive). We both love diving, but are still novices really.

My initial idea was this: off the plane to Ubud for half a day and night, travel northwest for 1.5 days near Menjangan for diving, travel day to Amed on the North Coast taking in some sights with a driver on the way, 3 full days in Amed diving there and Tulamben, travel to Padang Bai to stay the night, wake early to go to ferry to Gili Trawangan for 1 day, 2 full days on Gili Trawangan, travel back for a day and night in Kuta/Jimabaran/Nusa Dua, then start heading back.

Wow, after writing that, it sounds really busy. Is it worth hitting all of the places I mentioned? Is it realistic? Would there be a place to base ourselve where we could get to a lot of these spots, but still be able to relax? I obviously want to make the most of our time there, so any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Diving tips especially.

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[Bora_Horza]

Well, a few random observations...

I've not dived around Bali itself, so can't say much about that.

Going by ferry from Padang Bai to Gili Trawangan takes TIME (done it myself a couple of times) - say you get on the ferry at 9am, it does'nt leave till 10am, then its a 5-6 hour trip, then it can sit around in front of the harbour for an hour or so waiting before you actually dock and can get off at Lembar... Then you get one of the shuttle buses saying you want to get to the Gilies. Takes about an hour to get to Mataram, where there's a stop to stock up on Rupiah (no ATM's on the Gilies), then on to Sengiggi. At this point it's hit and miss whether you'll be able to get to the Gilies that day (the boats don't travel in the dark), so you may have to overnight in Sengiggi before getting a boat the next morning to the Gilis... Not much great coral in the Gilis, but lots of turtles and sharks. The nightlife on Trawangan is good though, and the white sand beaches are nice. I enjoyed my time there!

Alternatively, catch a flight from Denpassar Bali to Mataram Lombok (not expensive, and less than an hour), then make your way to Sengiggi or Bangsal for the crossing to Trawangan.

Even taking shuttle buses around Bali takes more time than you think. I started in Kuta at 10am, and arrived in Lovina (N. Bali) mid afternoon.

If I had 12 days, I'd focus on maybe 3 spots, using the rule of thumb:1 day travelling, 3 days chilling, diving and exploring the surrounding attractions (or something).

Another option you might want to consider is arrive in Denpassar, then book a flight to Labuan Bajo, Flores with a travel agent, and do 5-7 days diving in the Komodo National Park? More info and a trip report HERE including details on options on travelling to Flores. Have fun, its a great destination!

 

[kneptoon]

You may fall in love with Menjangan. One and a half days might not cover the experience there. For me the Liberty wreck is so so. Like the wreck of the Rhone in the BVI, so so.

 

[TravelSimone]

My initial idea was this: off the plane to Ubud for half a day and night, travel northwest for 1.5 days near Menjangan for diving, travel day to Amed on the North Coast taking in some sights with a driver on the way, 3 full days in Amed diving there and Tulamben, travel to Padang Bai to stay the night, wake early to go to ferry to Gili Trawangan for 1 day, 2 full days on Gili Trawangan, travel back for a day and night in Kuta/Jimabaran/Nusa Dua, then start heading back.

Wow, after writing that, it sounds really busy.

You are right... it is REALLY busy. I feel like I am reading the Bali version of the Travel to Europe Ad- 10 countries in 7 Days! IMO, you are trying to see and do way too much in such a short time. This trip will not be relaxing at all. You might get in a few nice dives, but the rest of your sightseeing is going to be more "drive by and snap a photo from your window". You also are probably not considering the time and hassle of getting to each of these places. While Bali seems like it isn't very big, it does take longer than you might think to travel around. There will always be someone who will tell you that a certain destination is only 2 hours away, but you need to plan on that 2 hour journey taking 4 hours. The pace of things in Bali is fairly slow (except for the crazy drivers). The roads aren't good and are often barely two lanes wide. When driving through the center of the island it is quite likely that you will get stuck behind trucks or other slow moving traffic (all the while hoping that some crazy motorcycle doesn't crash into you).

I also agree with the other poster who suggested to fly to Gili T. IMO it is a much, much better way to spend your time. However, this being said, your trip is just too short to make the trip over to Gili T worth your while. Gili T is a fun, laid-back little island, but the diving is not fantastic (it is enjoyable, but if you want to really get in some great diving Gili T is not your best bet).

I have been traveling back and forth between San Francisco and Bali for the past few years (my husband has been working in Seminyak), and have traveled all over Bali. I really don't think you are being very realistic with your planning.

 

[Bora_Horza]

I have also heard that Menjangan has some great diving (though I've not been there myself). I also liked Padang Bai - a nice sized little town with good resteraunts, shops, some decent beaches at bays near by, and apparently some good diving!

Try a search for a poster here called dutchpickle, he has a really useful and interesting website with lots of info about Bali and Indonesia.

To get around Bali I almost always use Perama, they operate shuttle buses going all over Bali, and are very reliable. They are probibly the biggest and most established tourist travel agency in the area. Their website is http://www.peramatour.com/

Oh, another very good overview of Bali can be seen here: Tales of Asia

 

[Moloch]

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I are headed to Bali in mid-May for 12 full days (I'm not counting the travel days on each end which, from New York, are extensive). We both love diving, but are still novices really.

My initial idea was this: off the plane to Ubud for half a day and night, travel northwest for 1.5 days near Menjangan for diving, travel day to Amed on the North Coast taking in some sights with a driver on the way, 3 full days in Amed diving there and Tulamben, travel to Padang Bai to stay the night, wake early to go to ferry to Gili Trawangan for 1 day, 2 full days on Gili Trawangan, travel back for a day and night in Kuta/Jimabaran/Nusa Dua, then start heading back.

Wow, after writing that, it sounds really busy. Is it worth hitting all of the places I mentioned? Is it realistic? Would there be a place to base ourselve where we could get to a lot of these spots, but still be able to relax? I obviously want to make the most of our time there, so any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Diving tips especially.

Thanks so much in advance.

I will also be on Bali for the fifth time this May. It really depends on whether you are the travelling type or the resort type.
Normally I cannot be bothered to change rooms`n`places too often when on vacation. But this time we have decided to do Manjangan, Tulamben and Nusa Penida. Still far more relaxes than your busy schedule. We got three weeks.
In any case I would advise you to visit Gili Selang for a dive (North East Bali). Lovely place to dive.

 

[nycdive]

Thanks to everyone who responded. I kind of figured that the scheduling was too crammed/not realistic. That's why I asked. Sounds like everyone likes Menjangan, I could probably skip the Gilis and that I should settle on two or three places. Would Menjangan, Amed then Lembongan still be a bit too hectic in your opinions? Thanks again.

 

[Cacia]

Ubud is wonderful. The shops, the food, the people.

Check out Kajane, a hotel that has private villas with pools looking over the rice paddies....around 120/ night.

 

[Wisnu]

Our trip to Bali in April 2007 will start from Menjangan (3-4 hour from Airport) for 3 days, Tulamben/Amed (2-3 hr from Menjangan) for 4 days and then (I've to compromise w/ my family) Hard Rock Cafe Kuta for another 3 days. To be mobile we'll rent a car and move from one site to other site after 2nd dive. Not recommended if you are not familiar w/ Bali unless you enjoy driving in Bangkok or Jakarta or Hanoi.
With 12 days you may reduce topsite portion and insert Padang Bai/Candi Dasa where you can also dive Lembongan and Nusa Penida.

 

[nycdive]

I don't think we'll be driving if that can be avoided. I see that a lot of dive operations offer dives all over Bali, but its seems like to travel time to and from would be pretty taxing. Is it really realistic to dive Nusa Lembongan and Penida from Sanur, Pedangbai or Candi Dasa (and would you)?

Another question is, we get in at 1pm after traveling for 20 odd hours. I'm thinking we may not have it in us to head straight to Menjangan in a car from the airport. Does anyone have any ideas about where we could head within a reasonable distance from the airport on the way to Menjangan to relax for half a day and a night? I guess Ubud isn't really on the way, right? Please forgive me if I'm asking stupid questions, but it's literally on the other side of the globe for us. Thanks.