Bali
Why Here
"Besties trip in Bali" Dec 2018
Getting There
China Eastern ORD to DPS via Shanghai.
Money Exchange
At the hotel and local ATMs
Visa
None for US citizens
I arrived alone, grabbed a taxi, which was about a 30-40 minute drive late at night without any traffic to Nua Dusa. My driver, Surya, offered to provide personal transport for our stay. The price was very reasonable, so we took him up on this offer to be our private transportation for a day of sightseeing.
Other options instead of a taxi (if you have cellphone use), order a Gojek (uber equivalent).
Ritz-Carlton Bali
Ritz Carlton in Nua Dusa— This part of Bali is primarily populated by resorts only and is about 40 minutes south of the closest main attractions but is right on the beach.
If it wasn't for the luxury provided by the Ritz Carlton at an off-season price, then I would have preferred to stay in a different part of town. The grounds are expansive with several bars and restaurants, as well as a gym, spa, and large relaxing tubs. Our room abutted a shared swimming lagoon. It wasn't too far to the beach area, but we opted to be golf carted around by the staff. The beach experiences high and low tides, so you have to time it right if you are looking to hit the waves. We sat poolside tanning and drinking and watching mainly locals fishing or seaweed gathering in the ocean.
Day trip to Ubud
Monkey Forest
Tirta Empul Temple
Ubud Street Market and Tegalaland Rice Terrace
Kopi Luwak Coffee- Asian palm civets eat coffee berries, their digestive tracts ferment the beans, and a couple of days later they excrete them partially digested. Those beans are of course washed and then roasted. We visited a farm where the civets are held captive (not known ahead of time) but there are farms where the civets are free. A pound of this finished coffee can go for over $300!
Coffee Farm
An evening trip to Seminyak
Sunset Drinks at Ku De Ta (a posh beachclub restaurant and bar) and a visit to some other trendy bars
My takeaways:
Nua Dusa is for families, but too far from the exciting parts of Bali. Stay in Ubud (hippy and cultural) or Seminyak (trendy and on the beach).
If you visit a Kopi Luwak Coffee Farm, try to find one that’s more humane, where the civets are free!
Make reservations in advance for Ku De Ta.