BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi Everyone

I am heading to Bali for the first time by myself at the end of October and looking for some travel tips. I am staying at the Novotel Nusa Dua and am only there in Bali for one week.

The only thing on my list to do is to try and learn how to surf - am a total beginner and would love any tips on good places to do this. Also, is it better to just hire a car or transfer/taxi everywhere?

thanks!
Karen

Karen,

While the Novotel is a nice hotel, it would be nice if you could spend a night in Ubud or somewhere in East Bali such as Candi Dasa or even Amed.

Best bet for you is hire a car with driver. This can be arranged quite quickly at road side car rental places in Tanjung Benoa, Kuta, Legian etc. You should really ask about the car rental price first, offering maybe 150,000r per day for a regular type Kijang or Teruna, then offer 60,000rp extra per day for a driver. You pay the petrol.

This works out well and on overnight trips give the guy 20,000-30,000rp to find a room, and meet up again in the morning. The car means you can also explore the beaches Bukit peninsula including Dreamland, Padang Padang and Balangan.

Learn to surf on Kuta / Legian beach with a reputable surf school.

thanks Nick! will definitely look to spend a night on the East! Is it best just to taxi to the hotel first and then go on a search for car and driver?

We have been to Bali twice, two weeks each time. Make arrangements before hand to be picked up at airport to take you to the hotel. Its a mad house around the airport.
I would be careful on who I hire for a driver - you want a driver/tour guide. Not someone who will drive you, drop you off and knows nothing of the area. We have used Merta both times and found him to be reasonable, reliable, trustworth, and best of all knowledgeable. I highly recommend him.
mertagct@telkom.net
I would also be hard pressed to rent a car. Driving/parking/insurance, the whole idea is too much for a vacation. Let someone else have those worries. John

quote:

mertagct@telkom.net

Thanks John!

Hi Kaz!

Since you're already staying by the coast, you must make an effort to go into the heart of Bali , to Ubud, the cultural center of the island. In the other post, I listed my highlights which were mostly found in Ubud. To me the beach and nightlife were not what I went there for (we have better of both here in the PI) so it was the culture and arts I was after, and the true locals. They say most of the Indonesians along the coast and particulary in Kuta are Javanese and not Balinese.

I have written a few posts about my trip on my blog if you'd like to know more. Otherwise, I'd be happy to answer questions here as well.