| Y Joe |
11 August 2002 |
Stayed at Mercure Rekso - Jakarta, Indonesia.
|
The traffic is very crowded, and the security is still not so well.
|
| T Meyer |
11 August 2002 |
Stayed at Taman Sari Bali Cottages - Bali, Indonesia.
|
fortunately far from all the tourist centres!
|
| B Smart |
09 August 2002 |
Stayed at Hard Rock Hotel Bali - Bali, Indonesia.
|
Elephant safari ride was well worth the money.
water park also good fun.
|
| N Nimpuno |
04 August 2002 |
Stayed at Alila Jakarta - Jakarta, Indonesia.
|
Be careful with what taxi you take at the airport. I would recommend a silver-wing (or blue-wing) taxi. If you take a private one you run the risk of getting ripped off...
|
| S Rutherford |
30 July 2002 |
Stayed at Novotel Yogyakarta - Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
|
Dieng plateau is a must. The city itself has very nice character, although many locals are agressive when it comes to transportation.
Watch taxi prices. Be careful of handicrafts on Malioboro. Look deeper and go to the places where they are made. Prambanan temple is magnificent, on par with Angkor Wat but with less tourists.
The BEST restaurant in Yogyakarta is easily "Gadja Wong"
|
| S Buell |
29 July 2002 |
Stayed at Jimbaran Puri Bali - Bali, Indonesia.
|
If you have the time, I would recommend spending most of your time on the beach and a few days in the northern countryside. They are equally beautiful and although Bali is a small island, it's very slow to get around. We did a bicycle tour through Sobek tours, and it was fantastic. We started at the top of a mountain overlooking a volcano and lake Batur and rode downhill through small rice farms and villages. It really gave you a feel for what Bali is. We hired a car and driver for three days which was economical(US$30/day) and practical - we didn't feel as though we could handle the driving through the cities.
|
| F Serena |
28 July 2002 |
Stayed at Melia Bali Villas and Spa Resort - Bali, Indonesia.
|
We hired the driver who brought us from the airport to the hotel thru' a pre-arranged airport transfer. It is cheaper to hire the driver thru' private negotiations than thru' the hotel. For the entire day-tour in his car for 2 adults, ie. 9am to 7pm, we paid 300,00 rupiah. He brought us to Celuk (silver producing village), Mas (wood carving/carpentary village) and Ubud ( craftsmen village). We had lunch at a restaurant in Kintamani which was perched on a mountain top overlooking the volcanoes- it was really awesome and the air was nice and cool! The driver also brought us to Amandari Hotel in Ubud for tea. Sitting high above overlooking the paddyfields was really something else!! Subsequent trips to Kuta and Jimbaran Bay (for dinner at the beach which was an experience in itself!) were also arranged thru' the same driver. Really convenient.
|
| A Scalera |
28 July 2002 |
Stayed at Swiss-Belhotel Resort Bali Aga - Bali, Indonesia.
|
It is very close to the Balau village which has some very quaint and inexpensive restaurants for dinner (which are also very good). I highly recommmend hiring a private bemo and venturing to see the rest of the island to get a true taste of Bali.
|
| M Joing |
27 July 2002 |
Stayed at Puri Bambu Hotel - Bali, Indonesia.
|
Be sure to ask for the "cheap" menu when going to the seaside restaurants at Jimbaran Bay; they have a separate menu for those guests for whom they provide "free" transportation to and from the restaurant, which lists higher prices. Bargaining is also accepted at the above restaurants.
Bemos are difficult for tourists to negotiate for a fair price; furthermore, often multiple bemo transfers are required to get to certain destinations (i.e., to Ubud from Kuta) and the fare goes up along the way for each segment for unsuspecting tourists. An alternative is to hire a taxi (metered) or to hire a car for those who have international driver licenses and nerves of steel. Tourist shuttle buses are another option, but are generally more expensive on the return portion of the trip.
Overall, Bali had a lot of natural beauty to offer. Unfortunately, the atmosphere was somewhat ruined by the blatant attempts to exploit tourists for their money, as well as by the aggressive, rude, never-ending touts lining the streets.
|
| H Hsieh |
23 July 2002 |
Stayed at Bali Holiday Resort - Bali, Indonesia.
|
You can by their suttle bus in front of Hard Rock.(9:30am.11:30am and afternoon--I forgot what time.)
|
Traveller's Tales: Getting around in Indonesia
