Indonesia forum

"I'm hoping to be somewhere a little quieter, preferably close to a beach, and with good access to the rest of the island."


I'm a big fan of the Balangan-Dreamland beaches on the Bukit peninsula but although they are pretty close to the airport, access to the rest of the island is not great on account you have to traverse through the airport- Kuta complex and traffic is a joke.
So I'd be going for Sanur beach - a long beach where most sections are pretty nice, way better than the Kuta strip and much quieter. Sanur had easier access to most Bali locations than Kuta or the Bukit - the exception may be the west coast but there are fewer tourist attractions up there. You don't say your budget but Sanur has a full range of accommodation although backpacker standard places are more limited than in Kuta.


I checked Rinca on Perama's Hunting Komodo By Camera trip - a 3 (or 4 if you want to see Komodo instead) cruise between Lombok and West Flores. This budget priced cruise was one of the best few days I've spent in Indonesia in about 20 visits. Perama have an office in Sanur on the short road that leads down to the small harbour, west end of the 3km beachfront foot/bike path where you can book the whole thing including transport from Kuta. They have another office in Kuta on Julan Legian between Poppies One and Two lanes. Their website will give latest prices. Perama can also get you to most Bali tourist locations on their travelers' shuttle buses. Although if you are not a budget traveler you will save a fair bit of time using the car and driver combinations offered by "transport guys" hanging around outside accommodation all over Bali.

quiet, close to the beach, and good access to the rest of the island, I would deffinatley say Lovina area. I just spent the last month traveling around Bali and Lovina area is great for what you are looking for, stayed in Anturan to be exact. Black sand beach, not as nice of a beach as say Kuta, but better for swimming, much much quieter as it is a smaller place and you can get to pretty much anywere on the island in 2 hours by motorbike.

Canngu is just north of Seminyak and party hardy Kuta , very laid back. My Balinese wife and I stayed at the Rama Homestay for two months and we loved it. You can 'google' the website . The proprietor, Putu is exceptional and his accomodations are the same. It's a very short walking distance from the beach and probably one of the absolute best deals in south Bali. Try Wendy's warung nearby, again outstanding faire for very reasonable prices.

If you go to Ubud, the Praety Homestay is great value. Best breakfast I had on my whole trip! And the family is so lovely. I booked through Agoda, but like anywhere in Indo, you can usually rock up and bargin for a good price.