Headed to Indonesia - travel recommendations

[Irishgirl]

Just booked a flight and heading to Indonesia the following week which has me on a tight timeline to conduct much research on the area. I will be staying with locals in Jakarta then traveling to Bali.

Looking for recommendations on places to see, things to do, and places to eat.

Also any inlut on if and where I could rent a bike would be helpful too.

Thanks!

[mastaliu]

Bali: Skip the bike, rent a small motorcycle/scooter (Vespa!), get a road map, and hit the road. A bit scary at first, but I visited Bali and Lombok this way and loved it.

[Likes2ridefar]

The potato lounge in Bali is pretty neat. I took a white water raft somewhere inland that was fun and very scenic. I stayed in Denpasar in a resort on the Indian Ocean. Fantastic.

The traffic is awful so be prepared for long delays for even short distances. I had my bike there and rode every day. If you stay away from crowds it’s pretty nice riding. I just rode out of my hotel and visited a seaside cliff with monkeys, and did not travel to ride. I’d probably not bring my bike if it’s just for that type of riding, but I had it with me already after a race so...

My race started in Jakarta and i didn’t see much of it. The ride from the hotel to the race was crazy. The traffic there is even worse than Bali. I can’t say I was impressed with that area, super polluted and chaotic, but I’m sure there are some great places to see with local knowledge or more time...

[Likes2ridefar]

I also got the most amazing 24 hour bug, my one and only from many south east Asian adventures.

So if you wake up and your stomach is on fire...maybe it’ll go away in 24 hours like mine :confused:

[jh_on_the_cape]

I spent a month in Bali while living in NZ. Get out of Denpasar immediately, it's a total craphole full of drunken pale Aussies looking for hookers and drugs. also lots of resorts. like Cancun.

I was with my 3 little kids so FWIW

We spent a week each at an amazing airbnb in
Ubud: touristy with lots of yoga and all that but we stayed in a super cool place and went for hikes and had fun
Lovina: north shore, pretty chill. beach is OK. we did some fun day trips, snorkeling on the north west point. not too touristy
Gili Meno: a hassle to take the boat there but super chill snorkeling and great little places to eat and hang. no cars.

people are super nice. great food.

[weisan]

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/tsunami-warning-magnitude-7-earthquake-sumatra-indonesia-11777040

JAKARTA: A strong earthquake struck off Indonesia's islands of Sumatra and Java on Friday (Aug 2), triggering a warning of a possible 3m tsunami.
The 6.9 magnitude quake hit at a depth 52.8 kilometres, some 150 kilometres from Labuan, southwest of the capital Jakarta, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).


Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/tsunami-warning-magnitude-7-earthquake-sumatra-indonesia-11777040

[Mustangski]

I would second staying in Ubud, very cool place. My family and I spent a week there in an AirBnB, you can live like royalty there for next to nothing.

I recommend hiring a driver, too cheap not to do this. Some very cool temples in the area and the Kecak Fire Dance is a must see. If you have kids, the second largest water park in the world is in Denpasar. We had to drag the kids out of that place. We used the AirBnB host for airport pickup, he hired the driver for us, and had a wonderful woman named Tini that made us breakfast and coffee each morning. I can send you a link to the AirBnB we used if you want, had our own private pool, outdoor thatch covered dining area, wonderful view.

Very nice people and beautiful culture to see and experience.


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[scopes]

We are also heading to Bali in October (honeymoon!) so following along intently

@mustangski, would you mind sharing the airbnb info?

[Dasarbule]

Selamat Datang!
I live here in Bali :)
As somone else pointed out, be CAREFUL in Jakarta. If you are riding around there, even just noodling about, make sure to be with a group.
The rental scene here in Bali consists mainly of poorly maintained crap MTBs. There are a few companies offering guided ebike tours or bus up/coast down mtb tours.
If you want a beach experience, there is lots of choice but avoid Kuta. Ubud area is nice, lots to eat, nice countryside, generally pretty quiet at night.
If you give me an idea what you'd like to do during your stay, perhaps I could make some suggestions.
Feel free to PM me also.

Have a great trip!

[Mustangski]

We are also heading to Bali in October (honeymoon!) so following along intently



@mustangski, would you mind sharing the airbnb info?



Sure thing, here’s where we stayed.

https://abnb.me/TcDazyt4PY

The gentlemen’s name is Guru, he locked on everything else for us. Was a great trip!


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[Likes2ridefar]

I spent a month in Bali while living in NZ. Get out of Denpasar immediately, it's a total craphole full of drunken pale Aussies looking for hookers and drugs. also lots of resorts. like Cancun.

I was with my 3 little kids so FWIW

We spent a week each at an amazing airbnb in
Ubud: touristy with lots of yoga and all that but we stayed in a super cool place and went for hikes and had fun
Lovina: north shore, pretty chill. beach is OK. we did some fun day trips, snorkeling on the north west point. not too touristy
Gili Meno: a hassle to take the boat there but super chill snorkeling and great little places to eat and hang. no cars.

people are super nice. great food.

Interesting, had to edit as I realize I had the towns mixed up. I stayed in an exclusive four and five star resort area 20 or 30 minutes from the craziness you describe.. I found it sleepy and isolated with annoying security that scanned our car before entering for bombs. Felt uncomfortable. The resorts were ultra luxe and very private....I stayed in the party area on the water for one night and definitely experienced the drunk aussies tripping on mushrooms...oddly legal there considering everything else will land you in jail for life.

[Likes2ridefar]

One last comment, hate to be the Debbie downer or whatever, but of all the places I visited in Southeast Asia Bali was one of the most disappointing especially considering its exotic tropical paradise reputation it has. I saw most the island and came away with thoughts of dirty food with flies all over, terrible infrastructure that is heavily polluted, a people that are significantly disadvantaged where visitors boast how one can live like a king with a hired driver while little kids try to sell you trinkets for pennies in usd in their funny money.

I was there for a race on someone else’s dime so couldn’t complain, especially after the race in the five hundred a night resort where women would sneak onto the beach and literally walk up and try to start massaging you for money before security would come chase them off.

[jambee]

Avoid the south side of Bali. It's awful.
Head in-land and to the north of the island.
Get some surfing onto your todo list and eat Gadu Gadu.

Have fun. Indo is interesting.

[Irishgirl]

Get some surfing onto your todo list and eat Gadu Gadu.



Have fun. Indo is interesting.


Great suggestion...I’ve never tried surfing. My one fear sharks and being mistaken for a tasty seal by a shark. Are sharks a concern in Bali?




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[Irishgirl]

Thanks everyone for the input/suggestions/recommendations! Really looking forward to “disconnecting” and the adventure.


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[scopes]

Sure thing, here’s where we stayed.

https://abnb.me/TcDazyt4PY

The gentlemen’s name is Guru, he locked on everything else for us. Was a great trip!


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Thank you!!