Indonesia forum

Between Bali & Kuala Lumpur...few days!

smillertime-
78

motodop
Posts: 21

Hello! A friend is planning to meet me in Bali and travel to Kuala Lumpur after; she has a total of 2 weeks between the destinations. (She will likely meet me 3/15 or 3/16, and my exit flight is fixed from Kuala Lumper to Melbourne on 3/30, although I could likely change days). We would like some serious time in Bali (maybe 7 days?) and I was thinking between 4-5 days in Kuala Lumpur, but we were trying to maybe hit up something in between for a few days.

Couple of questions:
1) Is this possible? Of course we would likely fly or take the quickest transport between destinations, but I'm not sure if the timeframe is too aggressive.

2) I have read that Jakarta is not that great, and I honestly don't really want to visit. Am I missing out if we skip Jakarta? If so, what would be a better in-between destination?

3) Does 7 days in Bali and 4-5 days in Kuala Lumpur sound reasonable? I do love my beach time

Thanks for your help!!
Sarah

#1 Posted: 15/11/2010 - 00:01
glomer

beach masseuse
Posts: 86

There are many wonderful places between Bali and KL. Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Mt. Bromo, the tea plantations around Bogor in Java, as well as Danau Toba and Bukit Lawang in Sumatra. Read up on Indonesia and see what appeals to you.

#2 Posted: 15/11/2010 - 02:21
busylizzy

under-employed
Posts: 1470
Located in:
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If it were me, I would sacrifice time in KL for more time in Bali and surrounds - esp if you are a beach bum.

This is personal opinion, but KL as a city just doesn't excite me... I had 3 days there on my way through late last year, and it was 3 days too long! I'm not a shopper and we didn't stay in the nicest of areas which may have clouded my opinion. And I have a soft spot for Bali.

You could quite happily spend a month just getting around Bali at a nice leisurely pace if you wanted, there is so much to see and do - although most people do it in much shorter time. From Bali, you can easily get to Lembongan, one of my favourite places, just a quick 45 min boat ride from Sanur (Bali). (I really must stop telling people about it or it's going to become overrun with tourists!) You can also take a 4-5 hour boat ride to the Gili Islands or Lombok for a few days.

Or.. if you can drag yourself away from the beaches, head into Java for 4-5 days and go to Yogyakarta and Mount Bromo (as suggested by glomer above). You could then fly to KL from Yogya ( think Air Asia does this route).

Don't bother going into Jakarta... it's just another big city!

#3 Posted: 15/11/2010 - 02:59

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mooball

tuk tuk driver
Posts: 127

As above, the obvious answer is to spend longer in Bali and/or go to Java. Bali isn't just about beaches -- it also has a ton of stuff to do right around the island and a month here could easily be spent cruising around from place to place and exploring the different attractions on offer. Then there is Java... A sample itinerary after beaching it up in the south of Bali could be to head to Ubud for a few days, then to Lovina in the north, then west to Pemuteran for the best snorkelling going and then onto Java for the volcanoes, Yogya and the Dieng Plateau. You could do this in two weeks and then fly out Yogya. That's what I'd do.

#4 Posted: 15/11/2010 - 15:00
smillertime-
78

motodop
Posts: 21

Wow! Thanks for all the great feedback!! I'd actually been wanting to spend more time in Bali, but I was planning to come from beaches in thailand first (I have approx 2 months budgeted for all of SE Asia, which of course is never enough!).

The original plan--after doing a month in Northern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam--was to head back down to a beach in Thailand before heading to Bali. Do you think it would be worth skipping a beach in Thailand to spend more time in Bali? Granted, it would only be about a week longer, but these posts are getting me excited about Bali and the surrounds

Thanks, guys!

#5 Posted: 15/11/2010 - 21:08
mooball

tuk tuk driver
Posts: 127

I've never been to the Thai beaches, but I have been to most of the Bali ones and I can safely say that Bali isn't what I'd consider a traditional beach destination whereas Thailand may be. So maybe it's a good thing to get beached out in Thailand so that when you arrive in Bali, your beachtime is spent snorkelling or surfing rathing than lounging around -- people do it, but there might be better things to do with your time!

In Bali, I'd be taking a different approach. I'd be hiring a car or bike and getting out of Kuta once you've had enough of partying and heading for other tourist destinations that aren't so crowded. That basically means the rest of the island. People talk a lot about the culture in Bali, but it's hard to experience it when you're competing with thousands of tourists for the same experience. A lap of the island with your own transport is easy to do!

#6 Posted: 17/11/2010 - 14:20
peter27

flashpacker
Posts: 31
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Alsorecommend spending more time in Bali. It has a stunning beauty. It isa great destination with never ending enchantment. This small islandhas a long list of attractions for travelers like beautiful beachesto enjoy water sports like surfing, cruising, diving, fishing etc.;adventurous tours to its visitors like water rafting, cycling andtrekking, etc.; golf courses and so on. There are also good shoppingareas offering quality products at quite nominal prices.

#7 Posted: 19/11/2010 - 13:17
smillertime-
78

motodop
Posts: 21

Thanks for everyone's insight!! I think based on what everyone is saying (and my personal preferences...basically low-key beaches with culture...NOT a lot of partying) I might just stay longer in Bali, and then possibly have some more time to spend in Java If anyone has housing/hostel/guesthouse recommendations for these areas I'd love to hear!

Thanks again for the input; you've all been so helpful!! And if you find yourself in any of these areas in March, drop me a note; I'll buy you all a beer (or two)

Sarah

#8 Posted: 21/11/2010 - 00:10