Heaven on Earth

1) Great shopping. Western items (clothing, jewelry and cosmetics) at very low prices. Additionally, beautiful artwork and one-of a kind furnishings to bring/send back home. 2) Experience the wonderful local cuisine. 3) Enjoy the pristine beaches.

Quick Tips:

1) Carry toilet paper or facial tissue with you on excursions as you may not find this important item at public toilets. 2) Have respect for the local religious customs. Guidelines can be found at all temples. Ladies, please don't enter the temples during your menstrual period! 3) Drink only bottled water or risk the dreaded 'Bali Belly.' Also refrain from having drinks with ice in them unless you confirm the ice was made from boiled/bottled water.

Best Way To Get Around:

Hire a driver for the day (about US ). Safer and more economical than taxis. Your hotel can suggest a driver for you.

At least once in your life, you should experience the type of personalized, full service luxury offered by the Bali Four Seasons'. They have managed to incorporate all of the Western amenities one could hope for (idyllic spa, private plunge pool, excellent gastronomy), with local decor, furnishings, and staff.

We opted to have a Four Seasons representative greet us at the airport. After standing in line three hours to get through immigration, we spotted our driver at about midnight. He drove us to the resort and told us of the many things to see and do in Bali.

Upon arrival, we checked in at the open-air lobby overlooking Jimbaran Bay and changed some money. As in any other country, this could have been done at a much better price at a local currency exchange. We collected literature on the hotel and area attractions and were driven to our villa in a 'buggy,' the motorized golf carts used to transport guests around the vast grounds.

Our villa was fabulous! The villa is entirely surrounded by a high stone wall so you have complete privacy. Howvever, the villas are staggered in height, so each offers a mesmerizing view of the ocean. Upon entering, there is an open air 'dining pavillion' with a thatched roof which houses a loveseat, dining table, minibar, and cocktail table. The stone paved walkway leads to a private (nonchlorinated!) plunge pool with fountain. The bedroom is quite large, and has a king size bed surronded by mosquito netting, spacious closets, CD player, VCR (where you can play movies from the on-site library), and cable TV. The indoor bathroom has an oversized clawfoot bathtub and a separate marble shower, and there is an additional outdoor shower in the back garden, which always smells of frangipani.

We immediately grabbed the room service menu, disrobed, and jumped in the plunge pool. Starving from the 20 plus hour flight, we had a hard time deciding what to order - even the limited 24 hour dining menu had a wide range of vegetarian and vegan choices. We settled on the fresh fruit plate, homemade limeade, spaghetti pomodoro, and balinese vegetable satay. We played in our pool while waiting for our order, and when it arrived, we threw on our Four Seasons provided Batik print robes, collected our order, and went to town eating while looking at the moon and stars from our dining pavilion.

After our delicious dinner, we took a moonlit walk to the ocean and played some more. When we returned (about 4am), I decided on a soak in the big tub (with fresh flowers from our garden thrown in), and my companion opted for an outdoor garden shower.
Scrubbed clean and smelling of flowers, we retired from our perfect arrival night.
Later in the stay, we would enjoy the wonderful spa, dining, beaches, exercise facilities, and gift shops offered by the Four Seasons.

Kura Kura is located inside the gorgeous Oberoi Hotel. While they have a wide range of cuisines available, we stuck with our favotie - Indian. Whatever type of cuisine you decide to eat, don't miss the lentil soup.

They make a to-die-for masala dosai, and the lemonade is home-made.

Excellent spot for vegetarians and vegans alike, with plenty of cruelty-free items on the menu, and a chef who will accomodate almost any special request.

A bit pricey, but the superb food and high level of service are well worth it.

After dinner, take a romantic moonlit stroll around the perfectly manicured grounds and along the sparkling beach.

The Bali Kopi restaurant has excellent food at ridiculously low prices. The menu encompasses food from all cultures, and they have dozens of tempting options for vegans and vegetarians.

For some reason, many Australians seem to dine here, and we met a nice Australian couple and dined with them. We ordered all of the Indian entrees and shared them. Our total bill was under $20 US.

After dinner, there are numerous shops on this strip to visit.

This review is for the ladies.

Don't miss shopping at Matahari for gift purchases as well as the all-important presents for yourself. If you are petite, Bali is the place to shop as clothes are cut for the smaller women of Bali. All clothes are proportioned for us in this Petite Universe!

Matahari also carries a wide variety of cosmetics - including all Western brands - at a fraction of the US cost. No worries, the cosmetics are not old or reproduced. They are the fresh, real thing.

Downstairs you will find the grocery, where you can purchase quite a few gift items, such as spices or coffees in ornate hand-carved wooden boxes which can be used decoratively long after the contents are gone.

For those who are on their way to Bali, you may want to take the following information with you:

Domestic calls can be made from the blue coin-operated payphones. These phones accept 110Rp. coins and charge according to time and distance. Many stores also sell prepaid phone cards in various amounts. Domestic calls can be made more economically from the Wartels, 24 hour communication offices all over Bali. International calls can only be made from your hotel room or a Wartel, not from the pay phones. The number for directory assistance is 106 for long distance, and 108 for local. For operator assistance, dial 100 or 105.

Area codes:
Bali (south): 0361
Bandung: 022
Jakarta: 021
Lombok: 0370
Manado: 0431
Medan: 061
Palembang: 0711
Ujung Pandang: 0411
Yogyakarta: 0274

Yes, you need to dial the "0."

Other important numbers:
Police: 110
Fire: 113
Ambulance: 118
Taxi (local): 723-366
Taxi (airport): 751-011
Search and Rescue: 751-111 (I'm very happy to say I can't tell you about this one!)

US Consulate: Jalan Hayam Wuruk #188, Denpasar Tel. 233-605

Garuda Indonesia Airlines (for inter-island flights): Jalan Melati #61, Denpasar, Tel. 227-825

Bali Tourist Office: Jalas S Parman, Denpasar, Tel. 222-387 (load up on the pamphlets here early in your trip to plan your time efficiently)

Bali is a wonderful place to buy unique furniture for your home at a fraction of what it would cost you in the US. Most of my home is furnished in handcarved, wooden furniture that also functions as art that I purchased in Bali and had sent home. My favorite piece is a huge, gorgeous dark wood wardrobe. It was carved by a local artisan and took him almost a year to make it. I have seen manufactured wardrobes in the US that try to copy this look in the US for upwards of $5000, but I was able to buy this original in Bali for about $1000.00. To ship large items home from Bali, I have had great success using a company called Ritra Cargo. They pack your items very carefully, and offer insurance should any misfortune occur. For a fee, they will go to whatever merchant you purchased your items at and pick them up there for you. I usually send my items by sea, which is the most economical method (but can take 3-4 months to arrive). Air shipping is also available, but carries a high price tag.

The Bali branch of Ritra Cargo can be contacted at: 62-361-702240. They are located in Denpasar.