Greetings Snowman x

I consulted various people with different interests and perspectives thus

covering most aspects of what is considered a good vacation (hopefully) :D
The following recommendations are suggested by Noah (honorary hipster-indenial), Sonja (Scuba diving/nature enthusiast), Adrian (Balinese local and food
enthusiast) and Angus (water sports/dragon boating surfer).
I've added in links for visual reference to those that are highly recommended, the
rest are descriptions by friends and cousin mentioned above. Words that are in
red are names of regions. This applies throughout.

NIGHTLIFE/BAR
1)
2)
3)
4)

Potato Head (Seminyak) -> Must go! In the evening.

Kudeta (Seminyak) -> Beach Bar.
Huu Bar (Seminyak)
Rock Bar -> MUST GO! Worth considering staying in the resort for 1 night.
Go to the rock bar for sunset watch! Come early, its long queue.

http://www.ayanaresort.com/rockbarbali/wp/
5) Bali Joe (Gay Bar - very entertaining) -> I think you'd love this one
6) Sky Bar -> Mulia Hotel
7) Sakala Fine Dining Restaurant -> Newly Opened - Beautiful
Establishment!
8) Sky Garden (Legian) -> not your kinda place, only if you're in the party
mood.

WHERE TO EAT
1) The Bistrot (Seminyak) - Must Go! Lovely French Cafe. You're welcome in
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)

advance!
Mades Warung (Seminyak) - Balinese food.
Sardine (Rice Field) - Good Scenery
Naughty Nuri (Batubelig) ----> Must Try!
Beach Walk (Kuta Beach)
Bu Oka (Ubud) -> it's quite far but it's super famous in bali.
Nasi Pedas Ibu Andika (Kuta) -> Street food that opens 24 hours!
Ultimo - Best Pasta in Bali
Pak Malen (Seminyak) (Babi Guling)

SIGHTSEEING
1) Kuta - famous for it's bars and night life (Rowdy)
2) Seminyak -it's a classier part of Bali where you see a lot of indie
3)
4)
5)
6)

boutiques and classy beach bars and restaurants.

South Kuta -is great for the beaches
Tanjong Benua -is famous for the water sports
Canggu -for surfing
Ubud -is well known for it's quietness, go here if you just wanna chill

and be in touch with the nature.Taman Ayun (Balinese Temple)

7) Lovina- dolphins and black sand beaches
8) Gili/Lombok- Must Go! 2 hours away from Bali by boat - Stay in Gili Air
more days, Gili Meno has fewer people. Snorkelling, diving, beautiful
beaches
9) Tanah Lot - Must Go! For sunset watch.
10)
Uluwatu - Pura
11)
GWK - Graha Windu Kencana
12)
Lembongan
13)
Laluciola - Restaurant with a view

ACCOMODATION IN BALI:
1) https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/1446450?checkin=29-072014&checkout=03-08-2014&guests=2&s=ZC48
2) https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/2256844?checkin=04-082014&checkout=09-08-2014&guests=2
* For hotels www.agoda.com, other accommodations which I prefer
www.airbnb.com

THINGS TO BRING:
1) Very lightweight comfortable clothing
2) Hiking/running shoes
3) Flip Flops, Swimwear, Sunblock ;)

4) An extra bag small-med sized that's easy to carry + don't mind destroying
5) Mosquito repellent (can be purchased there, but you may have a
preference to home brands)

Other notes by Jess:

I've attached the map of Bali for easy reference and will highly suggest moving
around every 3-4 days to different areas, meaning having 3-4 different bases
throughout the trip to minimise travelling time

The southern and eastern parts of the island are generally quieter compared to
western and southern counterparts. Depending on the activities you'd like to do
more, it may be better to stay in a certain areas longer than others.

Bali is culturally homogenous, so there are minimal (if any) differences between
different regions. Ubud may be the best area to learn about Balinese culture, or
we can just go off-road and visit some villages away from tourist-y areas, get
fruits from local markets and share them with some tamer monkeys (No, I am not
joking :))

Since Lombok/Gili is 2 hours away by fast boat (my apologies for the confusion.
Its 30 minutes by speedboat. Unwise since Angus' belongings fell into the
ocean :D), it may be less of a hassle/more efficient to head there nearing the end
of the trip (1 Aug-9 Aug). Noah's latest trip to Gili was entertaining: the one sole
security guard was indifferent to the man standing next to him smoking a joint.
Ah, island life recognizes no laws :D

Fast Boat Company:

http://www.bluewater-express.com
Sonja recommends 2 diving companies. (Both located at Gili Islands)
1) http://www.gili-paradise.com/gilis-information/dive-the-gilis/
2) http://manta-dive.com/dive-courses-gili-trawangan/adventure-diver/
Angus and Sonja have numbers of good surfing instructors. Will ask them for
contacts nearer to the date if you want to pick up surfing :)
Hiking up a volcano is a good idea too. There's one that's spewing ash, so
perhaps a different one :D Did this 3-4 years ago with Angus. We hiked up Mt
Bromo during the night (may or may not be dangerous... silver lining is: story of
your death will not be as boring as a heart attack or cancer :D) and managed to
reach the top at dawn. Made a bonfire and grilled some buttered corn while
watching the sun rise... yes, after this you can die happy :)
In terms of transport, if you can ride a scooter that will be ideal. If not, I'll drive
but absolutely cannot guarantee your safety :D Of course there is no need to do
all the above activities, just giving you an idea of what to expect and find out
which areas are more/less attractive to you :)
Since July-August is peak season for Bali. It is wise to plan and book early to
prevent hiccups during the trip. Looking forward to hearing your feedback :)

With love,
Jess