2) When to Visit
Apart from considereing the weather, you might like to consider whether it is peak season or low season. Hotel rooms are very difficult to find during the high seasons of July, August and September. And in the peak season over Christmas and New Year. Don’t try to book your hotel at the last minute. There are many visitors to Bali who have been going there every year and they book their favourite hotel and rooms 6 months to a year in advance ! That’s because in some small but nice hotels, especially in Ubud, there are only one or two of each type of room.  You will save on high season charges if you book during other months and avoid compulsory Christmas and New Years eve Gala Dinners that large hotels will charge you for if you travel during these times.

2) What to wear
Being hot, light clothing is the best. Although in some areas, dressing is conservative. So, skimpy shorts and tops with spaghetti straps that a tad longer than they should be are not advisable.  And men should likewise be suitably dressed especially in culturally sensitive areas north of the tourist towns although it is acceptable to bear those 6 pack abs when on Kuta Beach. When you enter temples, a scarf is needed and you will need to rent them to enter some temples such as Ulu watu. In general, being covered from shoulders to knees is a good idea not only to be culturally considerate but also to avoid unnecessary attention you’ll attract in certain areas at certain times of the day.

Good walking shoes are a must. Roads and sidewalks aren’t in the best condition for a tourist destination so it is a good idea to wear a pair of jogging shoes or a pair of sandals with a good strong sole and not the flip flop types. And ladies, high heels are highly not advisable.

3) Useful things to pack
If you have tasty sweet blood that attracts mosquitoes and sandflies, then be sure to pack a small bottle of mosquito repellent. Sunscreen goes without saying as the sun is very strong in this part of the world. Also pack some Activated Charcoal (Medicated Charcoal) in case you get the runs or food poisoning.  You never know.

4) Currency
The currency in Bali is the Indonesian Rupiah. US Dollars are accepted in most hotels but currency is easily exchanged at the money changer.  Remember that when comparing hotel rates, if there is a plus plus (++) after the rate, it means that you need to add 21% tax and service charge to the amount.  Book through the hotel directly and they will quote you the rate before they add 21% tax and sometimes without breakfast. Book through a Bali travel agent, and they will give you a nett rate with tax and usually breakfast included. For example the hotel might offer a room for $100 ++ which becomes $121 when you add tax. But if you go to a travel agent, they may quote you $100 net. So you will save on the tax.

5) Where to stay?
Well, most tourists have heard of the tourist town of Kuta and the famous Kuta Beach. There are lots of shops here and if you like to surf, shop and hang out in pubs, then you might like to stay in this area. But for beautiful scenery of padi fields and lush river valleys, then Ubud is the place to be. Known as the art and cultural center of Bali, there are numerous quaint shops here, good restaurants, art galleries and temple activities on a daily basis. If you are staying in Ubud center, then it will take about 1hr to 1 hr 15 min to arrive at your hotel from the airport.

Other towns in the south you might like to consider are Nusa Dua, a well known beach resort with swaying coconut trees and pristine soft white sandy beaches. Jimbaran is about 10 minutes from the airport and has nice beaches too and is well known for its fresh grilled seafood. For a luxury villa experience in the south of Bali, try Seminyak if you want to be close nightlife, good shopping and dining. But for a luxury villa with a view, you’ll only find that in Ubud.

See you in beautiful Bali !

One budget hotel we came across recently is Minami Kerta Bungalow. This is a Balinese run budget accommodation on the main Monkey Forest Road right in the center of Ubud town. You can’t get any better location than this. It is only a 5 minute walk to Ubud Market and Ubud Palace. This is sort of the drop off and pick up point for hotel guests as it is also where the Ubud Tourist Information Center is.

Minami Kerta Bungalow consists of 8 rooms located in 3 Balinese style bungalows. There are 4 room types (2 of each only) and they are very simple and basic but clean and spacious. Rooms face the padi fields at the back and you have a choice of 1st floor or 2nd floor rooms. The Rama Shita room is the most expensive of all the rooms (yes at US$37 per night!) and is air conditioned. It is located on the 1st floor facing the gardens and padi fields. All other rooms have ceiling fans.

Rooms are suitable for single travellers and you would probably be spending much of your time sightseeing and only returning to the hotel to spend the night. Room amenities are basic with a bed, bedside tables, table lamp. The bathroom has a bathtub with hot shower. What is nice are the balconies outside. They are spacious and you’ll have a pleasant view.

Click here to book this hotel and more budget hotels in Ubud.

Washing an elephant at the Bali Elephant Safari Park

The Bali Elephant Safari Park is located in the village of Taro, half and hour north of Ubud town in Central Bali. It is one of the popular places that tourists visit  on a holiday to Bali.  This 3.5 hectare park,  is home to 27 rescued Sumatran elephants.   One of the highlights of the park is a half hour elephant ride through the cool forest of Taro.

What you can do and see
The Bali Elephant Safari park offers you and your family a complete day of fun and activities.The park has beautifully landscaped gardens surrounded by fishponds and waterfalls which you can relax in.

There is an Elephant Museum which features over 1000 fun, interesting and educational exhibits including a skeletal display of a Pygmy Elephant, a 300 year old carved African elephant tusk and century old mammoth tusks.

A restaurant where you can have lunch at overlooks a large lake where you can view the elephants bathing in.

At the Elephant Talent Discovery Area where the elephant shows are held, you can watch elephants paint, play basket ball hoops, do maths, and spray water !

At the Boutique Gift Shop you can purchase elephant books, documentaries, paintings, artifacts and memorabilia.

Apart from riding an elephant, you can hand feed and touch the elephants, taking photos with them, hand wash the elephants and observe them bathing in the lake.

How to visit
If you purchase a package to visit the Taro Elephant Safari Park, a buffet lunch and transfers from South Bali or Ubud are included.  There are different prices for adults and children. Purchase the more cost effective Family Package if you are a family of 2 adults and 3 or 4 children under the age of 12.

You can also find your own way to the Elephant Safari Park if you have rented a car.  However, if you plan to hire a driver who has promoted an elephant safari package to you, you may want to check with him, which elephant safari park you will be going to as there is more than one. The main elephant safari park is a large complex comprising accommodation lodges, restaurant, museum and scheduled elephant shows and rides. The company that operates the park is Bali Adventure Tours, an established adventure tour company in Bali.

3 Elephant Safari Packages you can choose from :

• Elephant Safari Park, US$63 – includes park entry, transfers, buffet lunch and insurance.
• Elephant Safari Ride, US$86 – includes park entry, transfers, buffet lunch, insurance and elephant ride
• Safari Under the Stars, US$99 – Night safari ride, elephant show, dinner, insurance and transfers

Elephant Park Opening Hours : 8 am – 6pm
Elephant Talent Show Times : 11 am, 1 pm, 3.30pm and 6.45pm (evening show for Safari Under the Stars night safari package only)

Click here to book an elephant safari park package.

The cave is thought to date as far back as the 11th century and consists of a rock cut cave, a bathing place with holy water and a number of Hindu and Buddhist statues. The attraction is firstly the grotesque looking cave entrance which some perceive to be like an elephant. We don’t know if this is how it got the name Elephant Cave or whether it was named after the river nearby, the Petanu River (Elephant River).

The cave was carved out by Balinese priests and is laid out like a T-junction on the inside.  In one section, there are a number of niches carved in the walls which may have been sleeping quarters. As you walk through the cave you will come across a Ganesha statue and three Shiva lingga at the end. Part of the mystery of the caves are the existennce of Buddhist statues such as the Buddhist goddess of fertility, stupas and two meditating Buddhas.

If you are adventurous and want to hire a car to drive round Bali, this is one place you could stop by and visit on your way to Ubud. However, a half day tour with a tour guide might be better to avoid the stress of driving along Bali roads if you aren’t used to it.

Bali Half Day Excursion to Goa Gajah

New Kuta Condotel is a new hotel set to open in Kuta, Bali in April 2009.  The hotel is located near Dream Land Beach and is only 15 km from Bali’s international airport in Denpasar.

The 278 rooms at the New Kuta condotel are well appointed with modern day amenities. The hotel has a beautiful swimming pool, spa,  fitness center and 18 hole championship golf course.

Melasti is a ceremony held in conjunction with Nyepi Day, the Balinese New Year. It is usually carried out 3 days before Nyepi Day. During Melasti, the Hindu Balinese hold a procession from the temple to the ocean where a purification ceremony is held. The effigies of gods from each village temple are carried from the temples to the ocean, river or any holy place with water where they are ceremonially sprinkled with holy water.

The week leading up to Galungan is a very busy time for Balinese women who have to make all the necessary purchases in preparation for this important day. Each morning starts as early as 4am for some with a trip to the market. Each day, new items will be purchased to make different offerings. Dried foods and items for decorations will be purchased earlier and meats will be purchased later.

Offerings include cooked food, cakes, fermented rice and baskets of flowers known as banten. Making each part of the offering is a time consuming process requiring skill and patience. The banten need to be woven with dried coconut leaves to hold flowers and other items, each colour and item representing elements of the Hindu Triad. These little baskets of flowers make up part of a larger offering. Small parcels of wrapped fermented glutinous rice have to be made and hundreds of satay sticks.

On Galungan Day, these offerings will be brought to the temple and prayers said.

Flowers at Ubud Market for Galungan Day

The day before Galungan Day is spent finishing up the offerings and cooking. By Galungan morning, most of the cooking is done and penjors which are tall bamboo poles are up at the entrance of each household. It makes a lovely sight when walking along the village streets.

During Galungan, the Balinese will return to their ancestral home. They pray with their offerings at the family temple and at the village temple. It is believed that their ancestors descend to their family home. Therefore offerings are made for them and prayers are said at this time. Offerings have also to be given at the graves of those who have not yet been cremated.

The next Galungan Day falls on Wednesday 14th October 2009.

Tanah Lot can be visited on a half day excursion of South West Bali which will take you to other sites such as the Taman Ayun Temple of Mengwi and the Sangeh Monkey Forest, a forest of nutmeg trees and a large group of mischievous monkeys.

When tourists visit Bali, one of the places of interest they tend to visit is the Pura Taman Ayun, well known because it is one of the six royal temples in Bali. This is one of the great temples of the ancient Mengwi Dynasty built in 1637 during the reign of Raja Gusti Agung Anom. The temple was considerably enlarged and given its present form in the year 1937.  Taman Ayun Temple is located in the town of Mengwi about 19km from Denpasar.  If you are not sure where this is, Denpasar is the capital in South Bali and you can look up both places on Google Maps. Type in “Taman Ayun, Bali” and you’ll get a very good satellite image on Google earth or Google Maps.

This compound of this magnificent royal Balinese temple is located on an island alongside a river. There are 3 levels of the temple and the sacred shrines or what they call meru are found in the inner courtyard surrounded by a red brick wall and a moat. They are devoted to the mountains and various gods. A large fountain basin devoted to the demons was built over a split gate (candi Bentar), in front of the entrance to the temple.

Gate leading to inner court of Pura Taman Ayun

The temple is popular among tourists for its exquisite wooden merus, or pagoda-like shrines. Being an important temple in Bali, it is frequently visited by not only tourists but many locals especially during Balinese festivals.

You can visit the Taman Ayun Temple on a West Bali half day excursion which includes Tanah Lot, Sangeh Monkey Forest and Taman Ayun.

The 52 villas at the Royal Pita Maha are constructed in traditional style and full of Balinese art work. The hotel was designed by a member of Ubud’s Royal Family with an acute sensitivity of the environment. The resort is fully integrated into the surrounding landscape of sweeping rice terraces, river gorges and tropical forests.

With each villa having its own private garden and swimming pool, The Royal Pita Maha is truly a resort of unparalleled luxury and beauty.

• Royal Pita Maha Room Rates
• Royal Pita Maha Facilities
• Royal Pita Maha Luxury Packages
• Royal Pita Maha Location Map
• Royal Pita Maha Photo Gallery

Published rates for villas are between US$450 and US$2000 ++.
Please email us for special prices or custom packages.