| J Czekirda |
28 August 2005 |
Stayed at Melia Bali Villas and Spa Resort - Bali, Indonesia.
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Melia Hotel is situated in Nusa Dua. You can find restaurants and shops outside the complex of Nusa Dua but these are limited. To travel elsewhere means taking a taxi. We booked a car and guide (via the hotel - Bali Taksu) and visited the Volcano Batur as well as the Barong Dance, Celuk village , Batuan painters, and Sebatu rice terraces. The guide - Made - was really a great source of info but allowed us to do change the itinerary if we wanted. This is a great way to see Bali if you do not know where to go or what to see. It can be more expensive than hiring your own car but was good for us as we had not been to Bali before.
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| D Lecoq |
23 July 2005 |
Stayed at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Majapahit - Surabaya, Indonesia.
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Don't forget to have a look on the chinese district. Zoo is ok althought maintenance could be improved. Surabaya is not a touristic place as Yogyakarta or somme other places on Java.
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| A Lim |
20 July 2005 |
Stayed at Balisani Padma Hotel - Bali, Indonesia.
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The hotel location is strategic as there are many shops around the hotel. It is just few minutes walk to reach the shops and Legian Beach. There are many taxi just outside the hotel. You can easily get taxi to the place you like. At night, you can have dinner at Joni Restaurant, just 5 minutes walk from Balisani Padma Hotel. It is a pool side restaurant and they have a life band. Therefore, you are having dinner and enjoying the performance of life band at the same time. It is very nice!!!!
Tanah Lot Temple and Uluwatu Temple are 2 temples must go to visit. Dreamland beach is nice for surfers. Kintamani Volcano scenery is really really GREAT! Do not forget to try Crispy Duck and Babi Guling (pork). For people who likes to shop, Denpasar and Ubud pasar are a must! Things there are really cheap (don't forget to bargain)!!! The shops along the road on the way to Kintamani have lots of nice and cheap stuff.
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| Guest has requested to remain anonymous |
18 July 2005 |
Stayed at Melia Purosani - Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
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Take the Full Day car rental (included driver) at the hotel. The driver is well trained and could take you from Borobudur to Prambanan to Traditional dances and shopping. For US$50 net it was well worth it. For a local tour near the hotel area, take the becak outside the hotel with the "Melia Purosani" painted on the side. Very friendly and helpful.
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| M Mallinson |
16 July 2005 |
Stayed at Qunci Villas - Lombok, Indonesia.
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Lombok looks like it has seen better days. Many buildings in the Senggigi area look vacant and are a bit run down and there seems to be a growing problem with the amount of trash scattered around. Having said that, Lombok is a big island and once you get away from the "touristy" areas, you will find beautiful beaches and lovely scenery. We stayed at a great little hotel, Qunci Villas. If you are looking for white sand and a beautiful beach, this is not the place for you as the beach is small in front of the hotel, has darker lava sand, and has been overtaken by some fairly aggressive beach hawkers. But if you enjoy sipping two-for-one priced happy hour drinks at the pool while watching the sun set behind Bali's Mount Agung, you might want to reconsider! Good trade-off would be to stay there and then take some day trips to more secluded beaches and islands. A visit to snorkel around the Gilis is a must, and we heard from other travelers that mountain biking the island's interior was a great experience.
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| J Bacas malo |
01 June 2005 |
Stayed at Melia Purosani - Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
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The hotel has easy access to Borobudur, Prambanan, Mt. Merapi, etc.. On the other hand, people in this part of Java are very friendly and helpful. The scenary around Borobudur, Merapi is spectacular and stunning. Definetely, if you are thinking of visiting Indonesia, you should come to this area.
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| J Feldt |
01 June 2005 |
Stayed at Inna Sindhu Beach - Bali, Indonesia.
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Bali is getting westernized little by little with all of the bad habits. Recommend that newbies only use Blue Bird cabs and learn the real price before negotiating with street cabs. Also go to Matahari or Hardy's and check the max price for art goods then you are prepared for the markets like Sukawati.
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| A Soota |
24 May 2005 |
Stayed at Melia Purosani - Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
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Found the palace disappointing. Lots of batik, silver etc but should always try to bargain. The highlight was the temple at Borobudor -- we took the Sunrise tour the hotel offered....although it seems more expensive than what one would find outside, they provide torches so you can see clearly as you climb. Worth getting up early for ! Also do visit the nearby Amanjiro hotel, its unique !
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| J Mortensen |
31 March 2005 |
Stayed at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Majapahit - Surabaya, Indonesia.
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Anyone going to Surabaya with some free time should check out the Muslim Quarter. It's a great place to explore and while there are hawkers, they are much less aggressive than in Bali. We also enjoyed getting around by cyclo although you really have to bargain with them!
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| D Kho |
17 March 2005 |
Stayed at Grand Mercure Phoenix Yogyakarta Hotel - Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
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Yogjarkata is a relative safe place to travel despite of the warnings issued by certain paranoid countries. Occasional annoyances such as usual touting at major tourist attractions and sales talk from strangers on the road. However, was never in danger at any time and we were traveling as a family with an infant. Places/Things not to miss: Ramayana Ballet at Purawisata, Becak ride around city, Imogiri, Yogjarkata Kraton, Evening stroll along Jalan Malioboro, Prambanan Temples, Borobodur, Candi Sukuh.
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Traveller's Tales: Places to go and see in Indonesia
