Bali: Beyond Basic Questions

[beckerman]

Hello! Thanks to everyone here, gf and I have our Bali trip planned with diving and accommodations. We are looking forward to posting a full trip report of the two weeks when we get back!
In Bali from 5-Nov to 20-Nov we will be spending about two days in each of the following places, Pemuteran, Tulamben, Padang Bai, Nusa Lembongan and Ubud.
We will be mostly doing two tank morning dives with an occasional night dive and don't want be confined to the hotel for the remainder of the day.
Any suggestions on restaurants, bars, things to do and other hidden topside gems would be extremely appreciated!
Thank you again for all the help!

 

[highdesert]

If you stay within the heart of Ubud, you could go crazy right fast from the traffic. The beauty of the place, IMHO, is the people and surrounding countryside. You can always lay in a hammock and read a book, or ...

- Take a half-day bike tour. You get picked up in the morning and driven north, with the countryside running slightly uphill as you go. You get fed breakfast, take a back-road, downhill bike ride back to Ubud, and have a nice lunch at the owner's house. We had a great time doing this.

Banyan Tree Bike Tours - Bali Cycling, Bali Trekking & White Water Rafting Tour

Alternatively, there are two (actually many more) great walks to do. You can get by without a map, but the "Bali Pathfinder" map is available locally with walks around Ubud and is really worth it. Ask at your hotel where you can get a copy.

- Just west of the main intersection (market and palace here), start walking north up Jalan Kajeng. In 10 minutes you'll be out of town and up into beautiful rice fields. There will likely be some women harvesting in some of them. If you follow this road (more like a path) for a while, you can do a loop that will bring you right back into town. Allow a half day.

- From the same intersection, walk west toward the Campuhan Bridge. Just before the bridge, take a right, cross an old bridge, walk up past the deserted temple, and follow the footpath up onto the Campuhan Ridge. This is a beautiful walk on a grassy ridge between two rivers. You'll pass a few local artists, some farms, local homestays, and come to a small village where you can get a snack and drink. Another half-day outing.

In the evening, go to a Balinese dance. May choices available. One is the Kecak & Fire Dance at the temple about a five-minute walk north up Jalan Suweta, starting at the main intersection.

You also have to eat in Ubud. Plenty of good choices. We like small, more local-feeling places. Here's one of our favorites ... it's out of the way, so don't go for fancy atmosphere, just really good food.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/indonesia/362942-great-food-ubud.html

Have a good trip!

 

[beckerman]

Thanks for he input! We also like the small, local spots, do they even exist in Pemuteran, Tulamben, Padang Bai or Lembongan?

 

[Tiggin]

Nusa Lembongan is a great quiet spot and somewhere I know well enough to chime in a bit. Not a whole lotta night life but we did find the place with the pool tables stayed until we were ready to leave (which was VERY late haha). Who are you diving with there?

There are a fair few restaurants to choose from and I think I have eaten at most of them now. The new version of scallywags - think its ocean beach club or something now but the menu etc is the same - is nice but a bit more spendy than the small warungs. Great food, lovely view and they will come pick you up as its a bit of a trek to get there. I highly recommmend it for an evening. Warung 99 was ok for chinese type lunch but a bit greasy imo. Made's warung was good as well last time. The new pondok baruna restaurant (linked to the hotel I stay at) has nice food at a reasonable price and a cozy atmosphere. For afternoon drinks and nibbles I tend to go to scooby doo's - right on the beach and a cool little spot (had brilliant fish as well).

For stuff to do - well its somewhat limited (fantastic diving!). Rent a scooter (the traffic is very mild and even I, the moto chicken will ride there) and do a wander around the island, or you can bicycle if your slightly insane and like sweating. There are not a ton of roads so its difficult to get lost. The views down dream beach way are pretty spectacular. I haven't been over to nusa cenigan rope bridge and the underground house but I hear they are worthwhile.

Enjoy your trip! Sounds lovely. I will be heading back to bali first week of november myself.

 

[Mortizia13]

I really love Ubud!!!!

Don't be worried about find good food in this charming city!! There's a lot of small restaurants everywhere with very nice regional food.

If you need a relaxing night drink, please, find and small chill out in front of the football camp opposite Monkey Forest Road. I think the name was Marrakech!! Big pillows on the floor, great music, low light, good food and free wi-fi!!

 

[beckerman]

Tiggin- Thank you for the input on Lembongan! We are diving with World-Diving, on that note, I have read that the waters are running cold right now- Good for pelagics, but we only have 3mm full suits each- will that be enough to handle the waters?

 

[highdesert]

When we were diving the Lembongan area in November, there were a couple of dives where we were cold with 5 mil suits plus hood. I'm pretty average in terms of how cold I get. I would not have wanted to do those dives in a 3 mil, unless I had a good hood, vest, gloves, and booties ... and then I think it would still be marginal, for me anyway.

 

[scuba_max]

I second everything said about Nusa Lembongan -- loved that place when I did a couple of dives back in late November 2009! We didn't go with the -- in my view somewhat 'overdeveloped' -- World Diving but had a great time underwater with a small local joint, named Nusa Lembongan Dive Adventures as I recall it. That way it was just me my girlfriend, and a local diveguide who confined himself in pointing things out. We had checked out World Diving earlier, but as I said, too many divers, too much restriction in terms of who goes in which group and depth restrictions. Stayed at Linda's Bungalows at the other far end of the beach, great budget place! Make sure you check out Made's warung if she still runs it -- follow the road which passes the lighthouse for about 1km until you find two small warungs on your left. Maybe the best food I had on that trip! Besides, we went to Dream Beach and/ or Sunset Beach every afternoon to spend the rest of the day after the dives ... Man, I love that island!

I'll be in Padang Bai from November 8 for about a month, so stop by the diveshop Blue Bubble Bali if you feel like it!

 

[Wisnu]

While staying in Pemuteran, you may visit Budhist monastery near seririt or stop by at pura (temple) Pulaki and Melanting.
Hungry after diving in secret bay Gilimanuk, try ayam Betutu mbak Lina not very far from dive site - guarantee will burn your stomach.
If you like jungle tracking, west Bali National Park is another alternative.
30 minute from Tulamben, you'll find beautiful water garden - Tirtagangga,

cheers

 

[Bali Diver]

In Tulamben a nice place in the evening to have a nice meal or drink is at Paradise by the sea.On the main road near Paradise is the Safetystop bar and restaurant,very nice to hang out there and serve very good western food as well as local and the coldest beer in tulamben,Hiring a bike in this area is a must as the scenery in this area is wonderful with mount Agung ect

Nusa Lembongan a bike and lot's to enjoy and agree 100 % with Scuba Max about World diving just interested in money not service these days and too many divers on boat.no personal service anymore and if you want to see more of the better sites you are better off with more smaller outfits especially for a more personal service.

Ubud surrounding area is wonderful and seeing Balinese dancing in the evening is always a wonderful experience.