BALI - 8-day schedule - please help me

[mesje]

I am going to Bali in May and due to my "pressed" schedule I would like to see and enjoy most of the things. But I need some advices from people who were there - so please help me and comment this schedule:
1. day - arrive (around noon), then visiting Uluwatu temple and "playing" in big waves there. In the evening transfer to Menjangan.
2.-3. day - snorkeling in Menjangan
4. day - transfer to PadangBai - I would like to join the transfer and visit of some sights (Ubud and Mas village, Batubulan village with Barong dance, Monkey forest, Goa Gajah - is it possible to deal with the taxi driver?
5. day - diving and snorkeling in PadangBai - here I am considering between staying in PadangBai or Candidasa - which place is better - for snorkeling and a quality of its beach?
6. day - a day trip to Tulamben and snorkeling at Liberty wreck - is it enough to snorkel to this wreck (because my wife is a nn-diver and I would like to save diving to Padang Bai) ?
7. day - diving and snorkeling in Padang Bai. Where are best dive spots here for mantas and sharks ? Is it worth to make a dive/snorkel trip to some near islands (Nusa Penida, Lembongan and others)?
8. day – a day trip to Ulun danu and Besakih temple
I would like to ask also about local flights between Jakarta and Bali – I have read that the Lion air, Air asia and others are cheaper than Garuda, but very unfaithful and their flights are often delayed... which choice is better?
Could somebody to recommend me some good and cheap hotel near the Jakarta airport for the overnight staying (between arrive of my international flight and the departure of the local flight)?
Thank you for every information

 

[Wisnu]

Mesje,
We just returned from Bali 10 days trip - our schedule was more relax since I traveled with my wife and daughters 7 & 11 years old (non diver; except the older daughter got her jr. OW in Tulamben) so I had to compromise the schedule with them.
Our trip was 4 days Tulamben - Mimpi Resort (diving wreck, Drop off, coral garden, batu kelebit, amed/jemeluk for myself while my wife and younger daughter were snorkeling and the other took Jr. Open Water), 3 days Menjangan - Mimpi Resort (diving Menjangan for myself + mydaughter and snorkeling for my wife + daughter) and finally 3 days at Kuta - Hard Rock since they wanted to learn surfing.
Since we rented a car (self driven) we have flexibility to visit various topside objects around the area. Please note - I do not recommend you to self driving in Bali.

Re. your schedule, it's cramp but doable. If I am you, I'll amend as follows:
1. day - arrive (around noon), then visiting Uluwatu temple and "playing" in big waves there. In the evening transfer to Menjangan. Just remember it take 3-4 hours to reach Menjangan.
2, 3 day - Menjangan for diving and/or snorkeling. If you like muck diving - you can dive puri jati, secret bay. Finish day 3 at 15:00 then travel to Tulamben (2.5 - hours). You can stop at beautiful budhis Monastery on the journey just before Lovina or stop at Lovina; if not and you still have lot of energy you can enjoy night dive at Tulamben.
4, 5 day - Tulamben for diving / or snorkeling - leave Tulamben to Bali south; you can visit Tirtagangga, on the trip to the south; I recomend to stay at either Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran or Benoa.
6,7 day - day trip diving biaha, gili mimpang and nusa penida (Bali Hai cruise is an alternative)
8 day - Bali day tour (Ubud and Mas village, Batubulan village with Barong dance, Monkey forest, Goa Gajah ect)

For flight, I still prefer Garuda although they had a accident recently; air Asia is the second choice if can meet the schedule.

To myknowledge - there's only two hotel around Jakarta airport, ie. Sheraton Bandara and Jakarta Airport hotel - both are not cheap. Other choice is Citraland hotel located in a big mall 25 km from airport; it will cost you approx. USD 60 - 70

 

[Leejnd]

Wisnu, I would love to get a more detailed report of your recent Bali trip! I'm especially interested in your impressions of the Mimpi resorts. I'm currently booked into the Mimpi Menjangan in September. I'd originally planned on doing 3 days at the Mimpi Tulamben, and 3 days at the Mimpi Menjangan, but my research seemed to indicate that the diving is much better at Menjangan than Tulamben, and also that the Mimpi is much better in Menjangan as well. Did you find this to be the case? Do you think it's worth it to visit both, or would you have been happier to just do Menjangan?

Thanks!

 

[Wisnu]

LeeAnne,
Both Mimpi Menjangan and Tulamben are nice resort with very beautiful garden, scenic mountain view, very friendly staff.
Mimpi Menjangan is more luxury and larger – it has two swimming pool + two hot spring pool – I love dipping in this mineral hot water pool after diving – so relax - so peaceful. And the food is much better than Tulamben. In fact the Menjangan is slightly more expensive than Tulamben. If you’re looking more luxury resort, probably you can consider the Wakasorea and Matahari Beach Resort (at Pemuteran)
No TV in standard patio room, but we didn’t bother.
For diving in Menjangan you have to use small boat to Menjangan island, approx. 40 minute – the snorkelers can stop at the beach; and the divers will have more choices either shore diving from post II or boat diving for others. Menjangan is wall diving with no or mild current; clear water 15 – 30 m viz or can be more; rich beautiful coral, abundant fishes, bat fish everywhere, small sharks in the deep, nudibranch, ect. Easy and fun diving. There’s small wreck in Menjangan but in my opinion is not very interesting.
If you like muck diving you can dive at Puri Jati by car from the resort.
Mimpi Menjangan does not have reef house – their beach is not suitable for snorkelling or diving; it’s muddy mangrove beach.
The house reef of Mimpi Tulamben is nice, just step away from the restaurant.
Both resorts has nice exclusive spa’s too, but in Tulamben you can get a beach massage from the freelance lady for as low as $ 5 – sure, initially they will offer for 10 – 20 bucks, you should bargain. The Tulamben swimming pool is small and no hot spring water pool. The liberty wreck, coral garden and drop off are within walking distance from the resort so diving and snorkelling can be done anytime. – don’t worry you don’t have to carry your diving gear. You’ll be surprised when a tinny lady carry two set of BCD + tanks on her head easily walking on pebble beach.
For wreck diving, best is in the morning before crowd – last time we dove in one turn we met more than 20 different divers.
They can also arrange transportation if you wan to dive Amed/Jemeluk.
For the resort, yes Mimpi Tulamben is much better than Menjangan; we met people staying in Mimpi Menjangan not diving and snorkeling; just to enjoy the ambient and the hot spring water. For diving ican be debatable – myself still prefer Tulamben ; that’s why we allocated 3 days menjangan and 4 days Tulamben.

 

[kosmo]

So how was the trip Where did you end up staying in Pemuteran? Did you like it there? It seems that Pemuteran is very very small - I am only finding a hadnful of hotels and am having a difficult time identifying the differences among them. Mimpi seems completely isolated though with no beach - is that correct? We want to dive but can't afford to every day so would like to do some relaxing and snorkeling too.
Thanks for your input!

 

[highdesert]

A suggestion to maybe help ease your sightseeing ... all of Bali is beautiful, and monkeys are pretty much the same everywhere, but if I was on a tight schedule, I would personally pass on the Monkey Forest. Yes, it's a nice stand of trees, sort of like an urban park, but if you're in a hurry to experience Bali, watching tourists throw bananas to monkeys might move down your list a bit ... just a thought. But then, if you are in Ubud, you can navigate your way thru the Monkey Forest in 20 minutes if you choose to. As far as seeing a traditional dance during the day, I would definitely approve of your choice of the Barong at Batubalan (sit up close!).

 

[PDiver]

I am just back from two weeks in Bali. We spent the first one travelling around: temples, Ubud, trek on volcano. We managed to see a lot of the island, but I would definitely advise not to pack your schedule too much, once you are there, you will want to sit back, relax, and possibly fit in a few massages here and there!

We were in Pemuteran the second week and absolutely loved it. It is very small, very quiet, but that only makes it nicer. We stayed in the Villa Amertha, a resort of villas, with private pool, great restaurant and nice beach, for about 130USD per night. Well worth it!

The diving at Menjangan is great, there are about 8 sites around the island so you can go there a few times without getting bored. Beautiful coral, lots of nudibranches, lobsters, pipefish, crabs, turtles, there is lots to see! I also recommend a night dive, we did ours in the bay in front of our diving center.

Enjoy it. I already want to go back

 

[Bali-Freak]

7. day - diving and snorkeling in Padang Bai. Where are best dive spots here for mantas and sharks ? Is it worth to make a dive/snorkel trip to some near islands (Nusa Penida, Lembongan and others)?

No Mantas around Padang Bai ... the only place they are regularly seen is Nusa Penida.

 

[lovinadive]

Bali Dive, especially in north bali will be perfect choices try this BALI DIVE - Lovina Diving!