Hi ppl, I would like to share my experience of visiting Bali for the first time. My wife, son of 7 years old and myself left Kuala Lumpur on the 25/11/06 by AirAsia< delayed for 3 hours and arrived in Bali about midnite. My guide/driver Putu Gede ( recommended by Beast ) was on hand to pick us up. The charge was Rp40k. The hotel was saphir Mabissa Inn at Legian was nice, though I think its quite old. The bed sheets were dirty and also the bathhroom, but they did it up the next day.
Travelled to Kintamani, beautiful view and cool air; Gunung Kawi - very similar to Angkor Wat in Cambodia and temples of South India, recomend for buying local clothings - cheap. Gua Gajah is also a must = careful of guides. I think the Barong dance is not a must, expensive and quite boring.
Travelled to Basakih - very beautiful, one can walk up the short distance ( maybe around 400meters only ) of the hill instead of taking a hitch on bikes by the locals and they claim its a 2 km walk. Tirtha Ganga is a must for those who believe in cleansing the soul by taking a bath in it - bring along your bath clothes - 2 charges are imposed - 1 for the entrance to the site and another to bath. A long drive to Uluwatu - the temple was beautiful located on a cliff and a pretty coastline/view. The Kecak dance is a must. Beware of the monkeys - I think they are trained to be naughty by picking up items from tourists. Recommend a seafood restaurant on the way to Uluwatu temple beside the main road witha sign board of Ikan Bakar and Ayam Bakar - cheap and good food.
Travelled to Bedegul - beautiful temple and views, visit the market - good bargains for local stuffs; the Monkey forest - a must visit and go down to a temple there which has holy spring - very refreshing. Tanah Lot - what can I say about this place - words cannot describe my feelings for this wonderful place - visit in the evenings, the tide would be low and you can get belssings from the priests there.
The cost for each day of travel was Rp300k. Putu Gede is a good driver and knowledgeable person. Hp is 08123924521.
Anyone like to comment or share their experiences of other countries in the region they have visited please email me at Taiwah4@yahoo.com. I have also visited Angkor Wat, CAmbodia and planning my next trip to Nepal. Tq.