Posh Bali

Traditionally styled boats on Sanur beach, Bali.

 
Bali - The word is almost guaranteed to evoke a vivid image in people's minds, even among those that have never been there. The place has achieved an almost mythical status. Can any vacation destination possibly live up to such a reputation? Well, maybe.

For the geographically challenged, Bali is a small island less than 100 miles long and 50 miles wide, and is one of more than 10,000 islands that make up Indonesia. The country has been through some rough years, with the economic downturn of 1997 and the political upheaval that followed, which resulted in a massive decline in tourist arrivals to Indonesia as a whole. Thanks mostly to the geographic ignorance of so many travelers who didn't know Bali is in Indonesia; the island's tourism business hadn't suffered too much. However, in the wake of the bombings in 2002 and again in 2005, arrivals have been down seriously.

What puts Bali near the top of our list of POSH destinations is its wealth of nice accommodations, cultural attractions and excellent restaurants. Hotels, or more precisely, villas, are particularly abundant on Bali. I can think of nowhere else in Southeast Asia where you have such a wide selection of these large rooms, many of them at quite reasonable prices. Bali's rich and active culture is another big added attraction. While most of Southeast Asia's beach resorts feature "cultural" shows that are often little more than caricatures of the real thing, you can visit traditional Balinese villages and see real classical dancing all around Bali.

For any first time visitor to Bali, the first big question is where to stay. The island features a wide array of very different beaches and there are some cultural destinations up on the slopes of the island's volcanoes that should also be considered. The most popular (read: most crowded) area is the west-facing coast of south Bali stretching north from the airport. Starting with Tuban, where the airport is located, you have the more or less unbroken string of Kuta, Legian and the significantly quieter Seminyak. South of the airport is the fishing village of Jimbaran Bay, now home to many posh resorts. Those more interested in a relaxing holiday rather than a party scene head over to Sanur on the east coast, while Ubud is the island's cultural capital. If your stay on Bali will stretch to a week or more, then you'll most likely want to split your time between one of the beach resorts and Ubud, which is up in the mountains.

Lovina

Located on the far north coast of Bali, far away from the other island resorts. Lovina supposedly means "I love Indonesia" and refers to a stretch of black sand beaches west of the old island capital of Singaraja. There are several hotels here, and the area can make a good base for exploring the north coast.

Candi Dasa

The one-time small fishing village of Candi Dasa on the central east coast was destined to be the new resort area. However, the beach was quickly eroded due to the destruction of the protecting reef, so now much of the area is left without any suitable beaches. There still remains several good resorts that can make for a pleasantly quiet holiday.

Note: Visitors should be aware of the Balinese New Year (Nyepi), which occurs sometime between mid-March and late April. Nyepi is a day of silence, when restaurants are closed, taxis are off the streets, and people are supposed to remain indoors. Note especially that the airport is closed on Nyepi. There are no scheduled arrivals or departures on the day.