Category — Bali

If you’re thinking about a holiday in Bali Indonesia, I have a tip that you can use to save money on accommodations and also most likely enhance your visit. What if there was a way to stay in a place that is more comfortable than a hotel room with most of the comforts of home, that is also cheaper than a hotel or villa too? Well there is a way to do this and it is actually very simple: look into renting Bali apartments rather than thinking hotels are your only option.

Most of the tourism in Bali is located in the south end of the island, in areas like Kuta and Seminyak. The shortage of land here has become rather acute in recent years, so much so that developers now build higher rather than limiting themselves to one- or two- story buildings. Just like anywhere else experiencing a property boom, apartments and condominiums have increased greatly in number. For many people they are more attractive places to live, especially among ex-pats and local Indonesians who may not live in Bali all year around.

People like Bali apartments because maintenance is much easier than in a house, and apartments will tend to have security staff, as well as all the amenities of a three or four star hotel: swimming pools, weight rooms, good attached restaurants, etc. It’s also much easier to simply lock the door of an apartment that you may own in Bali if you have to leave for an extended period of time.

All the attractive features of an apartment can be yours as a tourist in Bali if you simply do a little legwork for you leave home and find one of these absentee owners who will be renting out their apartment during your visit. You might deal with the owner or you might be talking to a local agent, but either way getting plenty of information about the unit and making your reservation should be no more difficult than booking a hotel room.

You might be surprised at just how comfortable you and your family will be in an apartment in Bali, with your own cooking facilities and a lot more room than an hotel. Chances are very good that you’ll have a maid to clean up after you, just as you have room service in a hotel room. You also will most likely be in a better location compared to renting a villa, as they are sometimes a little bit isolated out in the rice paddies.

All in all Bali apartments are a wonderful art alternative to renting an expensive villa or staying in a small hotel room. If you can have it all for less money why not take a look at this additional option next time you visit Bali?

If you decide to make the trip all the way to Bali, Indonesia, you really owe it to yourself to get up to the North Coast of the island. It’s in many ways a step back in time, before large-scale commercial tourism started to drive most of the development that you see on the southern part of the island.

A visit to Lovina, for instance, a laid-back little beach town with calm ocean waters, cheaper prices and a decidedly more relaxed local population, is a real pleasure. There are some real gems to be found in Lovina hotels as well, affording you accommodation at 1/3 to 1/2 the prices that you find in a place like Kuta, except that you’ll probably be much closer to the water’s edge.

Bali’s north coast is roughly five hours by car from the airport, up over the volcanic mountains in the central part of the island. it’s very easy to find a driver with an air-conditioned taxi to take you- most likely they will find you! Be sure to bargain hard, in 2010 you shouldn’t have to pay any more than about 350,000 rupiah for the trip, one-way.

Upon arrival in Lovina, be sure and find a room away from the main coast road and right near the water’s edge. Being on the north side of the island means that you are away from the large waves of the Indian Ocean on the island’s south side, and so restaurants and hotels are truly waterfront.

An activity you don’t want to miss, especially if you have young children, is waking up very early one morning and getting a boat out to see the dolphins that are quite common in the placid Bali Sea. It’s another benefit of the calm waters up this way, and by the way you’ll also feel much more relaxed about your children playing in the water because of this.

The Singaraja/Lovina area is a part of Bali most tourists never see. It’s too bad because between hotels in Lovina and great beachfront restaurants, as well as a much less hectic pace of life, you might just find that Bali’s semi-secret north coast is exactly what you had in mind for your peaceful tropical vacation.

Bali is well known for its exotic beaches and is the perfect holiday destination for anyone who’d like to escape to a tropical island and spend their days swimming in the sea, lounging by the pool drinking cocktails and relaxing in pampering spas. However many of the popular tourist areas and beaches in Bali have become a victim of their own success and suffer from overcrowding, litter and constant hassling by sarong sellers. If you’re wanting to get away from the drunken crowds at Kuta, you’ll want to seek out a Bali beach for your holiday with a more tranquil atmosphere.

Lovina beach is situated on the North coast of Bali and was once a fairly busy tourist resort, but the crowds have declined in recent years leaving a peaceful town with lots of accommodation and restaurants to enjoy. The sand on Lovina beach is black due to the volcanic rock it’s made from and the sea is very shallow, allowing you to walk out a long way into the sea. Lovina is famous for the schools of friendly dolphins that swim around the coast and you can take a boat out early in the morning for an encounter with these dolphins yourself.

Padang Bai is another beach in Bali that is often overlooked by the typical holiday maker. Padang Bai is a small fishing town with a great relaxing atmosphere. The best beach in Padang Bai is the Blue Lagoon – a small strip of white sand with crystal clear water. There’s great snorkeling opportunities here as the coral reef lies just off the coast. A daily ferry leaves from the town daily to the Gili isles, making Padang Bai a great stopover on the way.

Candi Dasa, a little further north from Padang Bai is also a great choice for a peaceful few days stay. Unfortunately most of the original beach washed away after the coral reef was destroyed for lime but there are still a couple of beautiful beaches here to enjoy. Candi Dasa is home to some very nice hotels and restaurants so there’s no reason not to stay here for a few days at least.