Post: #1

I've been living in Shanghai working for the past 6 months and will be leaving in a few weeks

I'm considering going to Bali, specifically, Canggu, just to relax and chill for a couple months

Is it worth going during the rainy season? Anyone who has been during the winter months were the rain and the mosquitoes unbearable? And is it prettty much deserted during this time?

Post: #2

Don't know about Canggu but it's fine in Kuta/Seminyak/Gili at that time of year. Generally it will pour for a few hours a day and then be fine for the rest of it from my experience.

It's a pretty good time to go as well, a lot of the Scandinavian/EE types will go there at that time to escape their oppressive winters back home and there aren't as many Australians because it's Summer for them and no real reason to travel there other than to save money going out (so still plenty...).

It's monsoonal type rains so they generally are pretty consistent in their timing each day so just make sure you're either already wet (pool/beach) or indoors at that point of the day.

Bali is one of those places that even the low season is still plenty busy and can actually be refreshing to be slightly less busy.

Only other thing to watch is for schoolies week in late November, will get thousands of Aussie jailbait and their male friends rocking in for a couple of weeks and taking over every main club in Kuta. They're rarely adventurous enough to get out to other areas than Kuta/Seminyak but they're everywhere and they'll be rotten drunk the entire time. The lads will mostly fight among themselves but you do need to be careful and the girls will mostly be 17 so if that's below legal age in your home country/state then you'll also need to be extra careful as last thing you want is a stat rape charge. On a positive, ton of 18 year old girls that have just finished school looking to let loose as well but mostly this is an avoid scenario imo.

Post: #3

(11-03-2018 08:48 AM)JimBobsCooters Wrote:  Don't know about Canggu but it's fine in Kuta/Seminyak/Gili at that time of year. Generally it will pour for a few hours a day and then be fine for the rest of it from my experience.

It's a pretty good time to go as well, a lot of the Scandinavian/EE types will go there at that time to escape their oppressive winters back home and there aren't as many Australians because it's Summer for them and no real reason to travel there other than to save money going out (so still plenty...).

It's monsoonal type rains so they generally are pretty consistent in their timing each day so just make sure you're either already wet (pool/beach) or indoors at that point of the day.

Bali is one of those places that even the low season is still plenty busy and can actually be refreshing to be slightly less busy.

Only other thing to watch is for schoolies week in late November, will get thousands of Aussie jailbait and their male friends rocking in for a couple of weeks and taking over every main club in Kuta. They're rarely adventurous enough to get out to other areas than Kuta/Seminyak but they're everywhere and they'll be rotten drunk the entire time. The lads will mostly fight among themselves but you do need to be careful and the girls will mostly be 17 so if that's below legal age in your home country/state then you'll also need to be extra careful as last thing you want is a stat rape charge. On a positive, ton of 18 year old girls that have just finished school looking to let loose as well but mostly this is an avoid scenario imo.

Thanks for the reply bro I appreciate it.

Would you say Bali is your favorite place in Asia just for kicking it? Or have you experienced better?

Post: #4

don't go to Bali in january , i went there in January and it was soaking wet almost every single day. i had one sunny day out of 10. anytime from may-october is far better. specially Ubud. do not go to Ubud in rainy season. it can rain non stop for days. and im talking the heavy type of rain. i was forced to stay in my room in ubud for 3 days cause i could not do any activities

Post: #5

(11-03-2018 08:55 AM)hightea Wrote:  

(11-03-2018 08:48 AM)JimBobsCooters Wrote:  Don't know about Canggu but it's fine in Kuta/Seminyak/Gili at that time of year. Generally it will pour for a few hours a day and then be fine for the rest of it from my experience.

It's a pretty good time to go as well, a lot of the Scandinavian/EE types will go there at that time to escape their oppressive winters back home and there aren't as many Australians because it's Summer for them and no real reason to travel there other than to save money going out (so still plenty...).

It's monsoonal type rains so they generally are pretty consistent in their timing each day so just make sure you're either already wet (pool/beach) or indoors at that point of the day.

Bali is one of those places that even the low season is still plenty busy and can actually be refreshing to be slightly less busy.

Only other thing to watch is for schoolies week in late November, will get thousands of Aussie jailbait and their male friends rocking in for a couple of weeks and taking over every main club in Kuta. They're rarely adventurous enough to get out to other areas than Kuta/Seminyak but they're everywhere and they'll be rotten drunk the entire time. The lads will mostly fight among themselves but you do need to be careful and the girls will mostly be 17 so if that's below legal age in your home country/state then you'll also need to be extra careful as last thing you want is a stat rape charge. On a positive, ton of 18 year old girls that have just finished school looking to let loose as well but mostly this is an avoid scenario imo.

Thanks for the reply bro I appreciate it.

Would you say Bali is your favorite place in Asia just for kicking it? Or have you experienced better?

Nah, Bali would be nearer to the bottom of the pile for me. Too many Australians (as an Australian...), too touristy and the beaches aren't nearly as nice as most of the other countries in the region. Gili T is nice for chilling for a week or two though. It's a fun place and outside of the main tourist areas is much better but still not my favourite spot. Bali and some of the other islands are one of the best areas for surfing though if that's what you're interested in.

For beaches and just chilling away I'd much prefer Thailand or Cambodia (Koh Rongs). Vietnam I also prefer but the visa can be a pain depending where you're from.

Thailand really wins in that region for mine for chilling but probably depends what kind of chilling as well. Cambodia overall was a great visit though, Siam Reap is good for a few days of adventure and sightseeing and then the islands are just phenomenal beaches and chilling.

Not to knock Bali, if you haven't been it's still a great experience and as I said, places out of the main strip offer all kinds of different experiences. It's still great fun basically. Golf is expensive on Bali if that's something you'd get involved in as well compared to other countries in the region.

Post: #6

I was in Canggu last January, I missed most of the bad weather although there was a decent amount of rain

I doubt I would return to Bali in the future, way too many tourists, horrible traffic, mediocre food, poor place for picking up women although there are some Russian women floating around.

Also, as someone mentioned, the beaches are not up to much.

The plus points are cheap and good accommodation, plus friendly locals

Better to go to Thailand, unless you must Surf

Post: #7

(11-03-2018 10:27 AM)JimBobsCooters Wrote:  

(11-03-2018 08:55 AM)hightea Wrote:  

(11-03-2018 08:48 AM)JimBobsCooters Wrote:  Don't know about Canggu but it's fine in Kuta/Seminyak/Gili at that time of year. Generally it will pour for a few hours a day and then be fine for the rest of it from my experience.

It's a pretty good time to go as well, a lot of the Scandinavian/EE types will go there at that time to escape their oppressive winters back home and there aren't as many Australians because it's Summer for them and no real reason to travel there other than to save money going out (so still plenty...).

It's monsoonal type rains so they generally are pretty consistent in their timing each day so just make sure you're either already wet (pool/beach) or indoors at that point of the day.

Bali is one of those places that even the low season is still plenty busy and can actually be refreshing to be slightly less busy.

Only other thing to watch is for schoolies week in late November, will get thousands of Aussie jailbait and their male friends rocking in for a couple of weeks and taking over every main club in Kuta. They're rarely adventurous enough to get out to other areas than Kuta/Seminyak but they're everywhere and they'll be rotten drunk the entire time. The lads will mostly fight among themselves but you do need to be careful and the girls will mostly be 17 so if that's below legal age in your home country/state then you'll also need to be extra careful as last thing you want is a stat rape charge. On a positive, ton of 18 year old girls that have just finished school looking to let loose as well but mostly this is an avoid scenario imo.

Thanks for the reply bro I appreciate it.

Would you say Bali is your favorite place in Asia just for kicking it? Or have you experienced better?

Nah, Bali would be nearer to the bottom of the pile for me. Too many Australians (as an Australian...), too touristy and the beaches aren't nearly as nice as most of the other countries in the region. Gili T is nice for chilling for a week or two though. It's a fun place and outside of the main tourist areas is much better but still not my favourite spot. Bali and some of the other islands are one of the best areas for surfing though if that's what you're interested in.

For beaches and just chilling away I'd much prefer Thailand or Cambodia (Koh Rongs). Vietnam I also prefer but the visa can be a pain depending where you're from.

Thailand really wins in that region for mine for chilling but probably depends what kind of chilling as well. Cambodia overall was a great visit though, Siam Reap is good for a few days of adventure and sightseeing and then the islands are just phenomenal beaches and chilling.

Not to knock Bali, if you haven't been it's still a great experience and as I said, places out of the main strip offer all kinds of different experiences. It's still great fun basically. Golf is expensive on Bali if that's something you'd get involved in as well compared to other countries in the region.

Yea surfing is something I definitely want to be doing so I guess all things considered Bali is the best option for me even if Thailand has better girls and is better overall. I'll probably just make a trip over there or to Cambodia at some point as well

Post: #8

I actually prefer the girls in Indonesia but it's all personal preference on that front. Thai has surf spots but, as far as I know as a non-surfer, Bali (Indonesia really) has better.

Post: #9

(11-03-2018 11:22 AM)Hydrae Cube Wrote:  I was in Canggu last January, I missed most of the bad weather although there was a decent amount of rain

I doubt I would return to Bali in the future, way too many tourists, horrible traffic, mediocre food, poor place for picking up women although there are some Russian women floating around.

Also, as someone mentioned, the beaches are not up to much.

The plus points are cheap and good accommodation, plus friendly locals

Better to go to Thailand, unless you must Surf

There are too many tourists for sure, but I completely disagree on "mediocre food" and "poor place for picking up women".

With the highly developed tourism sector comes a range of world class restaurants with good food from all over the place. Yes 90% of the restaurants in the tourist areas are mediocre, but that doesn't mean there's no good food to be found. There's also cheap hole in the wall type of places with amazing Indonesian food.

Regarding women: if you are a high energy, life of the party type of guy with game (looks would help too), I would argue that Bali is actually one of the best places in the world to pick up women. Could you elaborate on why you think it's a "poor place for picking up women"?

Re: rainy season, yes, it definitely does suck, especially up in Ubud. Although you can still have a good time and there's always plenty of people around. It's never completely dead.

Post: #10

(11-05-2018 03:41 AM)Winston Wolfe Wrote:  

(11-03-2018 11:22 AM)Hydrae Cube Wrote:  I was in Canggu last January, I missed most of the bad weather although there was a decent amount of rain

I doubt I would return to Bali in the future, way too many tourists, horrible traffic, mediocre food, poor place for picking up women although there are some Russian women floating around.

Also, as someone mentioned, the beaches are not up to much.

The plus points are cheap and good accommodation, plus friendly locals

Better to go to Thailand, unless you must Surf

There are too many tourists for sure, but I completely disagree on "mediocre food" and "poor place for picking up women".

With the highly developed tourism sector comes a range of world class restaurants with good food from all over the place. Yes 90% of the restaurants in the tourist areas are mediocre, but that doesn't mean there's no good food to be found. There's also cheap hole in the wall type of places with amazing Indonesian food.

Regarding women: if you are a high energy, life of the party type of guy with game (looks would help too), I would argue that Bali is actually one of the best places in the world to pick up women. Could you elaborate on why you think it's a "poor place for picking up women"?

Re: rainy season, yes, it definitely does suck, especially up in Ubud. Although you can still have a good time and there's always plenty of people around. It's never completely dead.

With regard to the food, I suppose it depends what you compare it to, I flew from Bali to Thailand, and Thailand was a breath of fresh air, some of the best food on the planet.

If we are talking about top end restaurants then you can say the food is great in almost any country, as most countries have top class restaurants somewhere.

A "cheap hole in the wall" in Thailand for example is fantastic, in Bali you often get a plate of grease.

Also, in Bali you have many Western style Hipster restaurants that cater to the Eat, Pray, Love Instagram girls, but these places aren't cheap.

Bali is famous for Surfing, most surfers are guys, most of these guys are ripped, therefore competition levels are high. If you are in your twenties then it could be a good place, but if you're older than that forget it, you're have significantly better chances in Thailand, also hotter girls go to Thailand, in Bali a lot of fat Australian women, or surfing chicks that look like men.

Post: #11

Food in Bali is actually better than in Thailand, you're just going to the wrong places. Of course if you eat in 'cheap holes in the wall' you're looking for inferior quality basically. There is no place in Thailand I saw that can match Heinz von Holtzen's superb Bumbu Bali restaurant, pound for pound, and the restaurants in the Nusa Dua resorts are greatly superior to what's on offer in Phuket, Hua Hin or most of Bangkok.

If you go to Kuta with the surfer Ozzies you wouldn't enjoy it. Nusa Dua is the place to be. Then explore the coffee plantations, it's a huge island with lots to offer.

Ubud is overran with tourists, and yes, there are way, way too many Australians. But otherwise one of the best places in SE Asia.

Post: #12

I think I actually prefer Indonesian food to Thai food as well for what it's worth. All a personal preference obviously and not a huge gap for mine as both are great but add my vote for that.

Realistically if you only eat at the wanky 5* places it will make no difference, I personally much prefer the more authentic food carts and holes in the wall type affairs. Vietnam was the same, the best food I ate there was all from random little street vendors as well. Doesn't hurt that it costs like $2 a meal either when you really lash out.

Post: #13

(11-09-2018 09:30 AM)Jefferson Wrote:  Food in Bali is actually better than in Thailand, you're just going to the wrong places. Of course if you eat in 'cheap holes in the wall' you're looking for inferior quality basically. There is no place in Thailand I saw that can match Heinz von Holtzen's superb Bumbu Bali restaurant, pound for pound, and the restaurants in the Nusa Dua resorts are greatly superior to what's on offer in Phuket, Hua Hin or most of Bangkok.

If you go to Kuta with the surfer Ozzies you wouldn't enjoy it. Nusa Dua is the place to be. Then explore the coffee plantations, it's a huge island with lots to offer.

Ubud is overran with tourists, and yes, there are way, way too many Australians. But otherwise one of the best places in SE Asia.

There's a reason there's infinitely more Thai restaurants in the world compared to Indonesian - because Thai food is better.

I have eaten in a variety of standard of restaurant in both countries.

So you're basing your opinion on one restaurant that you went to in Bali?

Nusa Dua, is the place to be.....to be dull, there's barely any beaches.

Bali, although not completely terrible, is somewhere i'd be unlikely to return to.

Post: #14

Bali has basically been ruined by the insane amount of tourism (both vacationers and longterm expats). The scene is backpacker, trashy, hipster, poser, and high end all at the same time. It’s really bad. I dont know how anyone with a brain can feel good about what has happened there.

That said it is worthwhile once (or a second time if you surf). It sucks for girls. Like most surfing spots. I guess it’s actually far better than most other surf spots I’ve done. Not saying much.

Post: #15

(11-12-2018 06:46 AM)JimBobsCooters Wrote:  I think I actually prefer Indonesian food to Thai food as well for what it's worth. All a personal preference obviously and not a huge gap for mine as both are great but add my vote for that.

Agreed, Indonesian food is actually significantly better than Thai food, which is also very good, but Indonesia is a much bigger place, with more variety and a far richer Arab/Indian/Chinese/Dutch colonial history which makes for a far more varied cuisine.

The best food in Indonesia, like everywhere else in the world, is in restaurants. You get what you pay for. The notion that street vendors offer better food is a myth backpackers put out to justify their limited means and make it look cool, same with the late Anthony Bourdain who wanted to look edgy.

Post: #16

(11-12-2018 12:53 PM)Hydrae Cube Wrote:  There's a reason there's infinitely more Thai restaurants in the world compared to Indonesian - because Thai food is better.

No, actually the reason is that Thailand served as a US military hub during the Vietnam war, which popularised Thai food and women in the US and led to a world-wide tourist boom in Thailand. Tourists who've been to Thailand seek out Thai restaurants. Indonesia was simply more remote, more expensive and less successful touristically than Thailand due to historic reasons.

Whilst Thai food is good, Indonesian food is significantly better. More varied, due to the Arab/Indian/Chinese/Dutch cultural history.

A recent global survey by CNN on the world's best dishes, as voted by readers, resulted in the top two dishes being Indonesian.

https://www.finedininglovers.com/blog/ne...est-foods/

Indeed, in the Netherlands, where you will find the locals have the choice of going to Thailand on holiday, visiting Thai restaurants or Indonesian restaurants, you will see there is a strong preference for Indonesian restaurants, and more Indonesian restaurants than Thai.

(11-12-2018 12:53 PM)Hydrae Cube Wrote:  So you're basing your opinion on one restaurant that you went to in Bali?

Of course not, I ate at a number of restaurants in Bali, both authentic Indonesian and more upscale resort restaurants, and the experience was signficantly better than in Thailand.

(11-12-2018 12:53 PM)Hydrae Cube Wrote:  Nusa Dua, is the place to be.....to be dull, there's barely any beaches.

Bali, although not completely terrible, is somewhere i'd be unlikely to return to.

There is actually surfing in Nusa Dua, but you have to take a boat out, the beaches are indeed not great, but then they aren't anywhere in Bali really. I'm not a beach addict, so it's fine for me.

If you don't like it, more space for me. Your call.

Post: #17

(11-13-2018 11:20 AM)Jefferson Wrote:  

(11-12-2018 06:46 AM)JimBobsCooters Wrote:  I think I actually prefer Indonesian food to Thai food as well for what it's worth. All a personal preference obviously and not a huge gap for mine as both are great but add my vote for that.

Agreed, Indonesian food is actually significantly better than Thai food, which is also very good, but Indonesia is a much bigger place, with more variety and a far richer Arab/Indian/Chinese/Dutch colonial history which makes for a far more varied cuisine.

The best food in Indonesia, like everywhere else in the world, is in restaurants. You get what you pay for. The notion that street vendors offer better food is a myth backpackers put out to justify their limited means and make it look cool, same with the late Anthony Bourdain who wanted to look edgy.

I disagree on the 2nd part actually. I think the food is more consistent in restaurants for sure but I genuinely find that when you find a good street vendor they can be just as good if not better. I also don't agree with the you get what you pay for, I've been to expensive restaurants that were great but also ones that weren't, some were even pretty terrible and the same goes for cheap restaurants or street vendors.

A lot of restaurants you pay more for less and a lot of restaurants you pay more for more so to speak. Best food I've had in Bali was all dirty street food though, Bali is actually one of the places where I find that to be a consistent outcome, only Ho Chi Minh did I find that to be more true. To be clear, by street food I include the tiny hole in the wall restaurants that don't have English menus and the like not just food carts.

Honestly, I've eaten at several Michelin star type restaurants and I don't think a single one of them would make my top 50 places I've eaten but they'd certainly make the top 50 on expense.

Post: #18

I have honestly never in my life had food at a street vendor that was better than in a good restaurant. I do try on occasion, at markets, some of the street food, but it's just not the same as in a really good restaurant. Granted, there are some overpriced restaurants, fair point, where food is not great, but I generally look for recommended places and am rarely disappointed. Moreover, in Indonesia and Thailand you generally are charged fairly at restaurants.

But yes, I can imagine the street food in Bali is consistently better than in Thailand, I tried it in Thailand and was not impressed. I generally mean food carts by street food.

Agreed on Michelin places and nouvelle cuisine, elementary cuisine and all that, I much prefer reasonably priced restaurants, even when in London. But in Indonesia and Thailand you don't really get these Michelin places that are overpriced. The restaurants I went to in Bali were uniformly excellent and cheap.

Bumbu Bali and Ketupat spring to mind. I actually had the best beef sate in my life in Ketupat, it was superb. And cheap.

Post: #19

I like ordering Gado Gado when I’m in Indonesia. Simple mixed veggies with peanut sauce and rice.

In PH it’s sari sari.

Malaysia doesn’t have a version of this.

What’s the Thai version?