Bali

        The Island of the Gods.  Bali! One of the most exotic places on earth, the island of Bali lies between the Indian and Pacific Oceans in the largest archipelago in the world composed of over 13,000 islands that make up Indonesia.

Bali is one of over 13,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago and is located just over 2 kilometers from the eastern tip of the island of Java and west of the island of Lombok. The island home of approximately 4 million people is less than 90 miles from east to west and 50 miles from north to south.

The islands varied landscape of hills and mountains, rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides provide a picturesque backdrop to the colorful and deeply spiritual culture of this 'Island of The Gods'.  Surrounded by a golden rim of beaches, an irregular landscape of verdant green terraced rice fields and deep ravines, the island is home to a diverse, exotic culture and gracious people.

We traveled with Goway.Com.  Our agent was Christopher Hummell at 1-800-387-8850  ext. 5113

Like many other Asian currencies, the value of the Indonesian Rupiah has moved violently since summer 1997 – from 2,400 Rupiah in July 1997 to 17,000 Rupiah for one US Dollar, back to around 7,000 Rupiah, then to 11,500 Rupiah and back to around 9,350 Rupiah – and nobody can predict tomorrow's exchange rate! Therefore, as long as the rate keeps changing, please check the current exchange rate when converting Rupiah prices to your own currency.  When we were there we got a rate of 12,350 Rupiah.

 LAX airport Hotel is a good cheap hotel by the airport to spend the night if needed.  $50 for one, $65 for two.

 The airport   DPS is the International airport.  There are a couple of other small airports on the west side of the island for small airplanes.

We  stayed at the Hotel Aston Bali  Location: Situated in Tanjung Benoa village on Nusa Dua Beach.

Transportation in Bali was always cheap by any standard. The metered radio taxis start with a flag fall of 5,000 Rupiah (plus 4,000 Rupiah per kilometer), and most trips cost Rupiah 35,000 to 60,000. Most reliable and polite are the drivers of the blue taxis, and you should avoid most other taxis as they often refuse to use their meter and over-charge foreigners.

If you brought an International Driver's License, you can rent motor bikes from Rupiah 35,000 to Rupiah 45,000 per day, and five to ten year old self-drive cars (Jimmy or Toyota "Kijang") cost from 150,000 Rupiah to 350,000 Rupiah per day. Newer models are more expensive, and luxury cars such as a Volvo limousine or a new Toyota "Land Cruiser" will cost US$150 to US$250 and more per day. Gasoline prices have been raised several times in the past, and Premium leaded gasoline is now 6,000 Rupiah per liter (per May 24th, 2008).

Everywhere in tourist areas you'll be offered "transport, transport", and the rates are negotiable. However, the cars of many of these guys are quite old. Radio, tape and even the air-conditioning are often out of order. Although most drivers initially seem to be very friendly some are real con artists and waste hours of your precious vacation by bringing you to shops you never wished to visit because they want to earn a commission on your purchases.

 

Places I visited on Bali.

 

Southern Bali         Central Bali          Western Bali          Northern Bali          Eastern Bali

Islands

bullet Nusa Penida — is an island southeast of Bali island, Indonesia. Administratively, the island is a sub district of Klungkung regency. There are two small islands nearby: Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. The Badung Strait separates the island and Bali.
bullet Nusa Lembongan — is an island off the southeast coast of the main island of Bali. The water is quite clear; good for diving and snorkeling. Surfing is crowded but nice waves. Nice coral sand beach. Learn about the cosmetic seaweed farming industry.
bullet Nusa Ceningan — is the smallest of the three islands and is rarely visited. Waters around Nusa Ceningan are crystal clear, hosting colorful coral and sea creatures, making it an ideal location for snorkeling and for any other water sport activities.
bulletGili Islands -- in Lombok.  Excellent for scuba diving.

 

 Food and drink at Bali's top hotels cost about the same as in the same category of hotel anywhere else in the world. Breakfast is US$8 to US$30, lunch and dinner US$20 to US$80 or more per person – and that does not include any wine which can be very expensive. On the other hand, restaurants outside the large hotels are often 40% or 50% cheaper, and at the open food stalls you can still get a tasty meal for a few thousand Rupiah.  We found a restaurant across the street from the Hotel that had  good meals for 45 to 60,000 IDR with a glass of good local wine for another 30,000 IDR.

 

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