TESTIMONIALS

melworld 

Join Date: Feb 2010
Wonderful Bali Driver

We just came back from Bali a few days ago, hired Made Sukarma as our driver for 2 days. We find Made to be a great guy with humble personality & great experience as a driver & tour guide, who treated us as his priority during our trip, yet give us space to enjoy the sceneries ourselves, however will still willingly answer any questions we have about anything at all. His car is also big & clean with good aircon. His contacts:

Made Sukarma
Mobile No: +62 818 354 088
E-mail: madesukarma@yahoo.com
Website: www.balidiscoveryexperience.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------

HINGHLY RECUMMENDED DRIVER 

Posted by baliluv on Wednesday, 20. February 2013 at 17:43 Bali Time:
In Reply to: recomendations of driver posted by DreamingofBali on Tuesday, 19. February 2013 at 20:41 Bali Time:
on the trip advisor recommended drivers list
Made Sukarma
He is based in Denpasar area, close to the BIMC Hospital near the large roundabout, so he can get to Kuta - Seminyak, Sanur and Nusa Dua easily. Very centrally located.
Great website.
He is fully licenced for tours as well as his vehicle is also fully licenced for tours as well as insured. A lot of drivers in Bali do not have these licences and insurance

-------------------------------------------------------------------------



Perth, Australia TRIPADVISOR MEMBER

posts: 221
reviews: 26
Thanks to everyone who recommended driver Made Sukarma
We have just returned home and we are just so glad that we chose Made S. for our little trip from Kuta to Bedugul and back. My son wanted to go to the Treetop Adventure Park there, and we made arrangements with Made before leaving Perth. He always replied promptly to our emails and questions, and recommended that we leave our hotel earlier than what we had planned, to avoid the traffic, horrendous of course! The journey took nearly 2 hours, and it was good fun because of Made. He speaks excellent English, and is a very safe and courteous driver. We cannot recommend him highly enough, and thanks to everyone here who also recommended him in turn. Good choice! 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
starryleo
Join : Date
Jun : 2008
Location : Singapore

just got back from bali with 2 of my girlfriends. thanks to CC forum we got to know of Made (pronounced as ***-dey), he's one thumbs up driver which made our trip very memorable. his knowledge and sincerity is so amazing i thought i should share this great driver with everyone here.
if you are planning to visit bali, do drop him a mail at madesukarma@yahoo.com. reasonable rates and no disappointments

you may tell him cheryl recommended it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Townsville...
posts: 3

reviews: 1

4. Re: Bali First Timers

We just got back from 8 nights at the Westin Nusa Dua which is nearly finished it's renovations. It is next door to the Laguna. Hotel was really nice with beatiful grounds, great restaurants and fantastic staff. The only complaint I would have is the soundproofing of doors to the hallway. I spoke to some peolpe who were at the Laguna and said it was nice too although I think it might be in need of an update. We liked being in Nusa Dua as you can go do all the Bali stuff (taxis are so cheap and many places pick you up for free) then come back to the clean (but not sterile) relaxing place where you know you won't get hassled and are safe. The beach is clean and you appreciate it after seeing Kuta beach! If you are in Nusa Dua I would recommend booking at Bumbu Bali to have Riijstafel (we went to Bumbu Bali 1 not 2) it is great fun but go hungry! We used a private driver madesukarma@yahoo.com who was excellent and took us all around the island. He is very honest and reliable, he has a website but the prices are a little more ($5 for the day) than it says www.balidiscoveryexperience.com he will email or text you back right away and speaks perfect English. Hope this helps.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Perth, Australia
posts: 221

reviews: 26

We have just returned from Bali and used the services of a driver highly recommended on TA called Made Sukarma. We contacted him before leaving Perth (madesukarma@yahoo.com), and he was always extremely prompt in reply to our emails and answering any questions. We didn't want to tour around, just go from Kuta to the Bali Treetop Adventure Park in the Botanical Gardens at Bedugul, and return. I cannot recommend Made highly enough, and he really made the day for us. He is a charming man, and speaks excellent English, and is a mine of information about all sorts of things. He is a very safe and courteous driver, and his Toyota was very comfortable, with good air conditioning. You would not be disappointed at all, and his cost is very reasonable. Hope you enjoy your day!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Queensland
posts: 487

reviews: 1

2. Re: Booking trips

Book when you are there.
i usually book through our friend and driver as he gets discounts which he passes on to his clients.
He is on the preferred drivers list and anything you want he will arrange for you andy advice you need he is a phone call away. He is wonderful
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294226-i7220-k334…

MADE SUKARMA Recommended by numerous TA members

Licensed and Insured for Tourism.Extremely experienced, safe and caring driver. Baby seat available Brand new Toyota, Air conditoned vehicle carries up to 7 guests. Also has a 2nd vehicle available which also seat 7 guests and has access to larger vehicle on request.
Excellent English, punctual and great sense of humour. Tour planning. Product sourcing. Can arrange bookings for other activities in Bali and offers a discount on the rates of these activities.
Day trips and overnight stays of 1 or more nights, all at very reasonable rates.

Made Sukarma

madesukarma@yahoo.com

+62818354088

http://www.balidiscoveryexperience.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Queensland
posts: 487

reviews: 1
2. Re: car and driver needed please

you could try Made Sukarma. His website has some tours on it for information for you as well.
http://www.balidiscoveryexperience.com/

He will not take you where you do not want to go, he will give suggestions and you make the decisions on where to go and what to see
He is a licenced guide and his vehicle is registered for tours and insured as well, a lot of the drivers do not have this list of registrations
He was on the trip advisor recommended drivers list....a list that was created by the administrators only of a few drivers who have proven themselves to be trustworthy.

List was removed due to some nasty personal attacks to the caretaker of the list.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kiwi Kid, Auckland
posts: 480

reviews: 26

Can Highly Recommend Driver Made ...

Am yet to do a review on accommodation, but just wanted to put in a plug for Made Sukarma. Was a little tentative using a driver to get to our Elephant Safari Park at Taro from airport but Made made the whole process painless. He responded to my emails, I had his mobile "just in case", his vehicle had seat belts & was clean. Most importantly he was there waiting as we exited the airport with a sign and was 20 minutes early for the return journey as it was the beginning of the Balinese New Year & he wanted to ensure we weren't held up in traffic.

So if you find yourself in need of a reliable driver at a reasonable rate, he can be contacted on madesukarma@yahoo.com. I am sure you will be as impressed as we were. Happy travels! 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Townsville...
posts: 3

reviews: 1
2. Re: Family of five - Bali drivers

We just got back from 8 days in Bali and used Made Sukarma from www.balidiscoveryexperience.com . He was really great and speaks perfect English. We have a 13 year old daughter and found him to be a kind family man with 2 girls of his own. He has a new mini van (can't tell you what type) but I think it might fit 5. I think he said he has been a driver for 15 years. He is really good at getting back to you right away (we used email) and nothing is too much trouble. Seems very honest and not pushy or in your face, he is quite happy to answer questions and participate but also happy just to be your quiet driver. His email is madesukarma@yahoo.com

Hope this helps

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Brisbane, Australia

posts: 245
reviews: 16

3. Re: How much to pay a driver?

We just returned from sanur and used Made Sukarma. He is awesome! Polite, gentle and I really felt we could trust him 100%. His charges were around $30 - $40 for half day and around $55 / $60 for full day. It was great having him organized for our pick up and day trips. I suggest you email him, or someone else if you prefer from TA's recommended drivers list, with dates and ask for a price and his availability. We emailed Made through this address

madesukarma@yahoo.com

Of course you can get a driver off street anytime but I loved being organized and knowing your spending the day with a decent driver who understands English well and is a good bloke. Oh you guys will have a ball.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brisbane, Australia
posts: 245

reviews: 16

2. Re: Recommend a driver

We love Made Sukarma, he is wonderful. Madesukarma@yahoo.com
From memory I think around $30-$35 half day and around $50 full day but send him an email for an exact price. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by Numerous

MADE SUKARMA Recommended by numerous TA members

Licensed and Insured for Tourism.Extremely experienced, safe and caring driver. Baby seat available Brand new Toyota, Air conditoned vehicle carries up to 7 guests. Also has a 2nd vehicle available which also seat 7 guests and has access to larger vehicle on request.

Excellent English, punctual and great sense of humour. Tour planning. Product sourcing. Can arrange bookings for other activities in Bali and offers a discount on the rates of these activities.

Day trips and overnight stays of 1 or more nights, all at very reasonable rates.

Made Sukarma

madesukarma@yahoo.com

+62818354088


http://www.balidiscoveryexperience.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

your are not doing anything wrong

[ Follow Ups ] [ Archive #200510 ] [ Bali Travel Forum ]

Posted by Fisho girl on Tuesday, 25. October 2005 at 20:55 Bali Time:

In Reply to: new to this posted by jackie and mike on Tuesday, 25. October 2005 at 20:39 Bali Time:

price's are very cheap in Bali as fare as a price list's go, don has done a good one just go to this link;

http://www.balitravelforum.com/archive200502/84346.html

we have a driver we have been useing for year's his name is Made Sukarma

His number is 081 835 4088, email; madesukarma@yahoo.com
He has perfect English and his van is fully Aircon, He does great tours any where, with heaps of local knowledge, he will take you to where ever you ask him to go and you won't be disapointed. If you wanna know more please email me or attach to this, I will more then happly help you.

I also have photo's off him if you would like to see them just let me know

we love Sanur there is a good store there called Hardy's sell's every thing you will need for you day to day supples also has a stall there that sell's Avon have a price list for the avon if you would like it, just let me know.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

great driver

[ Follow Ups ] [ Archive #200601 ] [ Bali Travel Forum ]

Posted by Fisho girl on Friday, 13. January 2006 at 14:10 Bali Time:

In Reply to: Driver posted by delounge on Friday, 13. January 2006 at 14:04 Bali Time:

His name is Made Sukarma,
His number is 081 835 4088,
If calling from Australia 0011 62 8183 54088

his email address is madesukarma@yahoo.com

He has perfect English and is Hindu, his van is fully Aircon, he can seat 7-8 people very comfitabley. he has been our driver and friend for over 4 years. I allways get him to take me up to Ubud to buy all my art & craft suff he know all the good place's to shop

If you wanna know more or see photos of him and his van, please attach to this, I will be more then happy to help
Cheers, Sam

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kajang,Malaysia

posts: 27

9. Re: Car + Driver?

Hi,
Me and my friend had our first trip to Bali last month 27th July and we booked Mr. Made. He was
referred by one of the TA member, Sue. I certainly would recommend him as he really made
us feel very comfortable throughout our sightseeing in Bali, though we were first timers there. A very warm and nice guy and represents the Balinese people hospitality.

He's easily assesible via e-mail and his phone.

madesukarma@yahoo.com ,telnum :620818354088.Speaks

well and gives good info too..

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seattle
posts: 96

reviews: 32

he Longest just back BEST trip ever report! :)

We just returned from one of the best family trips we have ever had. I really feel like I picked up so much advice from all of you here on the Bali forum that I feel guilty not posting a report so here I go. If you are looking for a short read - sorry but I don't think this will be that! I also wouldn't bother reading it unless you are planning a trip to Sanur as that is about the only place I really review. We were there from July 19th to August 7th. We are a family of 5 kids ages 9,12 and 15. This was our 4th trip to Bali. (We previously lived in Indonesia for a couple of years while teaching there and fell in love with it!). So in a way this was a coming home visit. We were using our Airline miles so it was a BIT of a challenge to make this trip but we did it. First challenge we faced and I posted earlier was my BONEHEAD move at not double checking the kids passport expiration dates as it was at 5 1/2 months until it expired. An expensive trip into Singapore and a visit to the US embassy and we were good to go. Thank goodness they were so kind there as they were actually meeting this day and not open. The trip there was as smooth as it could be. Got to Bali at 10:30 pm and through customs piece of cake. Still funny that people were taken aback about paying the $25 arrival fee. One guy was trying to argue with the lady. Pretty sure it didn't work for him! It really was smooth and quick. Then our one checked bag didn't come! Great they lost our suitcase......So I fill out the paperwork and get $300,000 (about $30 US) and they promise to track it down and send it to us in the AM. True to their word Singapore Air did get our suitcase to us the next day. Happy they did as we had all of our suntan lotion etc. in there. Bali's BEST DRIVER ever Made Sukarma (I love this guy!) was there and waiting for us. I got Made's name from the Trip advisor list and I cannot speak highly enough of him. He is such a nice man and we couldn't have been more appreciative or impressed by him. He speaks great English and prompt, professional and our kids loved him. Here is his contact info:

Made Sukarma

madesukarma@yahoo.com

+62818354088

http://www.balidiscoveryexperience.com



He even had his brother Ketut Suwendra who is also highly recommended on the TA list at the airport in case we needed an extra car for luggage. Went smooth and we were on our way. We stayed all 20 nights at the Bali Hyatt in Sanur. We have visited the Hyatt on all 4 trips and find it great for our family. We absolutely LOVE It here and find this is a perfect fit for our family. I will be posting a review soon on the Hyatt but needless to say it is a true gem. Not for everyone as it is getting older but this place has charm and the atmosphere is amazing. Honestly can't say enough good things about it there. I am so worried as they are going to remodel and while it is necessary I sure hope they can keep their staff and the charm that is the Bali Hyatt! What a great place. Honestly if you are looking to stay in Sanur do within the next few months do yourself and family a favor and book your room now. It is a beautiful hotel!

We had a few goals and one of them was to relax, play and enjoy time with our kids. My did we ever do that! Lots of beach and pool time with card games in between. Pools and beach - when the tide as in - were great. Weather was perfect as we had sun every day. A few days the wind picked up in the afternoon but it felt good and was always comfortable.

Massage- I am not going to lie I love a great massage and this is something I was looking forward to. I had a goal of taking a break from the beach every afternoon and getting a massage before our pre dinner cocktail. Always good to have goals and I am happy to say that I darn near accomplished it. I started out and tried Claudia, and a couple others and then I found the place! - It is called the Bali Blessing Spa. It was superb! They were so kind there and the Balinese massage was SO nice. It was 60,000 rph $6 US and worth ever penny. Neat part if you are staying at the Hyatt is you take a left when you head out of the hotel to the road. You will when walk about 100 meters if that and the Bali Blessing Spa is directly across the road from the first store/building you come to. Not even a 5 minute walk. It is right above a shop and you'll see the sign. My wife and kids all had massages/foot massages there and loved it. You get to pick your oil and they will be sure to ask you how hard or soft you like the massage. It was very clean. I didn't have a bad massage there and really loved the gals that work there they are such neat people. You tell them Mr. Dave sent you and they may even play their great background CD I made for them. Honestly a great value and so glad I found it. You may want to make a reservation as when I showed up a couple of times they were full. When this happened I then kept walking and went to Suar. It has had many great reviews on here and I can see why. Very nice place and the ladies are great. I went here twice and had a Suar massage. I made the mistake of saying hard. Now I am not the toughest of men but I feel like I can hold my own. Holy Cow! I was laying on the table and she had her arm pressing down so hard on my back I think she was massaging my liver. I am too dumb to speak up and just held my breath then I had to laugh as I heard the guy next to me let out a squeal of pain as he asked her not so hard. To do it again I would get a regular massage and maybe not say hard. They were fine and I can see why they get good reviews. It was a little more 750 I think but I can see why they are popular. The only bad massage I got was I think it was called Claudia? It is almost across from Mossimos in that complex. It just wasn't good and I am not sure if it was the place or the gal I had but I didn't really like it. All in all I highly recommend the Bali Blessing Spa if you get a chance to check it out. You will not be sorry! What a bargain!

Took a fun day trip to the Grand Hyatt in Nusa Dua. This was our first trip there. I can sure see why people love it here. Very fancy! I can also see why people say you could be anywhere in the world. Not a real Balinese feel to it but it was beautiful. The ocean here was gorgeous and we had a blast swimming in it. Also went over and checked out the food places/shopping - Bali Connections I think it is called. Really nice and tons of places to eat. I suppose by Bali standards it may have been a little pricey but we didn't think it was bad at all. Actually found a few nice things while shopping. My wife is a shopper so I was happy to get out of there fairly cheap! It is very nice there and I can see why people like it. Glad we made the 45 minute drive to get here.

We also hired Made to show us around the Island a bit and get some shopping in as well. We had a ball! Made of course showed up early. Car is VERY nice and comfortable for our family of 5. Again I know there are a lot of great drivers in Bali and Made Sukarma is right up at the top as he was so good with our kids and us! We learned quite a bit from Made about the Balinese and their culture, which was nice for all of us. We headed up to Ubud and my wife had him stop at a few places she saw along the way. These weren't places that drivers take you to as she would just see something she liked and he would stop. Had fun looking and buying some things we "needed" then back in the car. We went to Telega - Rice Terraces. What a cool deal that is. Didn't walk around too much as we were trying to get a lot in that day but wish we would have. That is pretty darn cool and we got some great pictures! One of the neatest things I have seen in Bali. We also were able to find the Batik Blanket that my wife has been looking for a long time for. She was tickled as we got one for $19 US and it is beautiful. Then we headed to Legian and had a late lunch at Zanzibar at the Double 6. We love it here as we have stayed at the Outrigger a few times. It is a fun area. Definitely quite a few people here all having a great time. It was beautiful and eating lunch while watching everyone surf and board was fun. It is definitely busy but I can sure see why people love Legian. Back in the car and we head to Uluwatu Temple. On the way we saw Dream Beach and Padang Padang. Cool beaches and what a surf. We wished we would have known that Bethany Hamilton was at the Rip Curl as our kids loved Soul Surfer the movie based on her true story but we didn't realize she was there. For those of you that don't know she lost her arm in a shark attack and was back in the water surfing within a month. Real brave gal and a heck of a surfer. What an inspiration as she is a neat role model for kids. Back in the car and a sunset at Uluwatu. It was really pretty and there are a TON of monkeys up there. Made had made sure we had all of our stuff off that the monkeys would try to grab. So many monkeys there and we didn't really care to see them as we saw them daily when we lived in Sumatra. They are very aggressive so take warning. What a view! We got some nice pictures. It was a busy day and to do it over again I probably should have opted for a couple of days but we were happy we did all that we did. Traffic in Bali right now is in a word BUSY! They have a lot of construction going on with the toll road/tunnel they are building so it is SLOW going in that area. We got this on our trip to Nusa Dua as well. It was a fun day and we all slept well that night!

Sunrise- If you are staying near the beach in Sanur do yourself a favor and get up at least one morning to watch it. It is AMAZING! My wife was shocked as she claims I am not the morning guy yet I still managed to get up every morning to watch it. What a wonderful way to start the day. It really is beautiful!

Mosquitos - Definitely there were some but it wasn't too bad. Be sure to bring spray and don't forget to re apply. The only time we had any trouble was early evening. Got a few bites but thank goodness all went fine. I also worried about Bali Belly and for the most part we got through the trip unscathed! When my stomach was bad the one day I drank guava juice and recovered quickly.

Transportation is every where you look in Sanur! We did use a green van a few times and it was really actually easy and cheap. Easy to find transport if you need to get to the other side of town. I would highly recommend getting some type of map of Sanur if you plan on staying there for a bit. There really is a LOT to Sanur as far as South and North. Great places to eat on both ends! Nice if you have a map and know if they are close enough to walk to or you need to get a ride.

Shopping near Sanur was certainly fun as well. Hardy's has a ton of stuff. If you leave the Hyatt from the beach and take a left along the boardwalk this is a fun walk that we took several times. You can also ride a bike down this stretch. Warning it is VERY busy on Sundays and I wouldn't make this trip then if you can avoid it. We went to the shops behind Benno's. Jenny's is #29 and they are fixed prices so that is a good place to shop. My boys were so excited as they found the Dr. Dre knockoff headphones there for $16 which was the best deal we found in Bali for them. If you keep going you will come to Tootsies shop and as you all know that is fixed price as well. Tootsie is a sweetheart and we enjoyed buying some things from her as well. I know that people do get annoyed with them trying to get you to buy from them or have a look in their shop but I sure felt bad to see how rude some treated them. I get it you don't want to be bugged but you also sure as heck don't have to be mean about it as well. If people would take the time to simply say - Tidak Teramakasi - No thanks- (something close to this!) they were very nice about it and stopped bugging us. If you do take a look at something and touch it, then be warned the deal is on and you are going to get a line of questioning and let's make a deal baby! Best price........... good luck for today. By the way what in the heck is up with all of the wooden penis's? Good Lord what is that all about?????????? Got a kick out of the Rhonda shirts as well. Again why do the sale a wooden penis? More importantly why in the heck would someone buy one???

Money Changer- Thanks to Snooky and this forum I found the best place to change money. Right across the road from Hardy's. They were so nice and counted the $ out twice then had me count it again and gave a receipt. Couldn't have been smoother and I am so glad that I went there. Very easy and honest. Most importantly I felt safe there and the rate was good.

Laundry/Bike rental- I found the best place to do both. When you head towards the road out of the Hyatt you take a right. You then walk until you see the very first set of building on the right hand side. I want to say the name of it is Suny? I am not sure but they have Internet/Laundry/Bike rental and even offer transportation. They have about 10 computers there for people to use. Kind of a mix of things but they were really sweet and did a great job with our laundry both times. I rented bikes from them and it was a whopping $2 for the ENTIRE day! No joke! If I find the card for this place I will be sure to add that as it was great. Renting bikes from them was so easy and really made it fun to get around. Plus only paying $2 I didn't feel bad about not using it the whole time. A great way to ride the boardwalk but be prepared to ring that bell on the bike. They only have 8 bikes or so and you can reserve them. I sure would do that again in heartbeat.

Food- Man alive - if you like to eat Sanur is a great place to be. We had SO many wonderful meals here! Some not so good but mostly great. I have already reviewed some but need to finish. I will give you some of our favorites. Mossimos is right up there. Great food, always busy make reservations and don't be in a rush as the service can be hit and miss. Pizza is SO good here. Rib- loved the seafood/steak and they will pick you up at your hotel. Mona Lisa- loved it one night and liked it the next. Limited menu but good food and great service. Luhtu's - We LOVE this place. The service was AWESOME. They were so sweet and the food is great. Actually the best lunch we had in Bali by far. Sandwich was good but the best choice was my son's fish and chips. We were all so jealous. They also have great desserts and the best coffee in Bali as well. Bali Deli- they just opened their store on the 2nd floor. Deli was great for take away sandwiches. The prices were cheap and it was so nice to be able to bring sandwiches back to the hotel for a snack. Ristorante El Pepo- think that is the name. Great service and the food was very good. Kids didn't like their pizza quite as much as Mossimos but it is very good. I loved my pasta and the Lemonchello that they treat you to at the end of the meal was GREAT! The owners are both so friendly here and I really wish we would have went here more than once. Fortune Cookie- Great chinese take out. The potstickers are so good and I really was impressed at how healthy it seemed. Not oily and fresh vegetables. I never found the darn place on foot but did take out twice. Bamboo- Boardwalk close to the Bali Hyatt. Good food and great view. La Playa- New place take a right as you walk out of the Hyatt towards the beach and this will be the first place you come to. Nice food and great location. Service was great and food was good. Not a don't miss but hard to beat the location. Komilfo is a few doors down. We loved the Vegetable curry here and it was pretty good food but the atmosphere isn't nearly as nice. Just not as comfortable and the seating isn't good. Bistro 95 food was good and loved the service but my stomach bugged me a little after this meal. Now it could have been the 2 large Ice cold bintangs in all fairness but we didn't come back here as I was nervous. (Of course I wasn't nervous enough to stop drinking Bintangs!) You and Me cafe- great service and good food. We had a nice lunch here. Apa Kabar- Coldest Bintangs in Sanur and the service was great here. After the first time for lunch the kids insisted we go back here again a 2nd time. Two of our kids got pretty sick to their stomach that afternoon and missed dinner that night. Our daughter actually threw up. I hate to say it was from eating here and it is ironic as they have on their menu that they use nothing but purified water. Regardless we didn't go back and it sure seemed like that is what it was from as we were so careful with where we ate. Bali Hyatt Buffet Breakfast- this is one awesome breakfast. When people eat the same buffet breakfast for 3 weeks straight and we still rave about it that is saying something! The omelets were great and the fresh fruit was all so good. We all loved it here! Great way to start your day! The Regency Club at the Bali Hyatt had some amazing appetizers - so darn good it turned into dinner a few nights! Not to mention they make a mean Gin & Tonic as well. Very nice! As you can only imagine I am now experiencing Bintang with drawls and looking into joining Weight Watches! All in all we had such great food here and I was very impressed at the quality and the prices we paid for what we got. You will notice that we didn't hit Charming or 3 Monkeys as we did look at the menu but couldn't pull the trigger to eat there for the price we would pay for a family of 5.

Our departure out of Bali was a smooth process. I had to fly on a later flight as we used miles and I found a GREAT place if you ever find yourself in the Bali airport for an extended amount of time. The Garuda Lounge - you'll find it heading to gates 8,9 and 10. It was 125,000 - $12.50 us and was great! They had food- not the greatest but good, frappucino, tvs,wifi and a computer to access, clean bathrooms and couches. It was really painless and I enjoyed hanging out in there. So glad I found it. Well worth the $!

Well there it is - I sure hope you managed to find something helpful in this trip report. I am SO jealous for those of you that live close to Bali. We truly love it here and enjoyed all of the time we were able to spend together as a family. This for us was a trip of a lifetime and one that I know I will certainly look back on and smile. So many great memories! We have so much respect for the Balinese people and admiration for them and their culture. It is such a rich tradition and one that is easy to admire and appreciate. As we left I had so many mixed emotions as I don't really see how we will ever again be able to afford to visit Bali again but if there is ever a way I will certainly have my eyes wide open and am ready to go. After 3 different plane changes and two days later we are home and missing Bali again! Please don't hesitate to ask if I can help any of you with your future trips to Bali though I know there are many here that know WAY more than me! I want to be sure to thank you all for your help in planning this trip. You all are so kind to take the time to help fellow travelers. It is so NICE of you. Snooky you were amazing and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all that you did to help make this trip that much better. Thank you!

I wish you all the best! Happy Traveling! :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brisbane, Australia
posts: 245

reviews: 16
My First JBR. Sanur & Ubud. PART 1 Sanur

We returned from our 10 nights in Bali on the 28th of August. We had a really great family trip. This was my husbands first time and mine & kids 2nd trip to Bali. The weather was fabulous, the accomadation excellent and pretty much a very memorable family holiday! We have booked to go back next June, just need to find cheap flights again.

This is my first JBR so not sure where to start but i'll give it ago anyway :}

SANUR: Our first 6 nights were spent at Raven's Nest Villa Sanur. This is in such a perfect location next to Griya Santrian & Villa Shanti. Just a walk thru the resorts to the beach and out the front is the best strip of restaurants and shops. The villa is 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, has a private pool, massive fridge, kitchen (not that you need it), staff to keep villa clean, tv & dvd and pretty much everything you would need to live there comfortably while staying. We felt so at home here that we did not want to leave. It was secure and so nice to walk through our gate into our own quiet and private retreat after a big day. The only thing about this villa is that it may not suit families with small children as the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms are upstairs away from the main bedroom. We ended up bringng the 2 single mattresses dowstairs into our room (as it's got heaps of room) for the kids to sleep on as they were not comfortable away from us when the villa is so open. This was no problem to us and in a year or two they will be happy to sleep upstairs, as im sure they will be itching to get away from us as they are almost teenagers. It really is a perfect villa! We loved hiring bikes and going up the beach paths or just wandering around at the markets then up the sreet to find a great lunch or dinner.

BEST FOOD IN SANUR: For breaky you certainly can't beat the Porch Cafe it has the most delicious eggs benedict. Though a little more pricey than others you at least know it's going to be delicious. The worst breaky was at RIB so certainly don't bother for breakfast but lunch or dinner is good. The beach cafe is excellent and worth visiting more than once. Charming was amazing and gave us a great night out with no kids! Everyone should have a date night there while in Bali lol. But i think our favourite was sale & pepe. OMG the food was sooo good and the end price was about $35 for the 4 of us. We will certainly eat there more next time. We also went to Massimo, Mona Lisa, Duckz Nutz which were all excellent. The Village right out the front of us had the best frozen mochachino we have ever had! There is so many restaurants i still need to try that were on my list. You really are spoilt for choice here.

GETTING AROUND: We had a driver from the TA'S driver list. Made Sukarma. He was amazing, im so glad we chose him. It certainly made our day's stress free. Such a great, honest & reliable Guy! We will use him all the time now. Please contact me for his details or check out the TA list.
When we were just popping from one end to the other end of Sanur we would use a blue Bird taxi or jump in the little green buses. It was never over 20 000 rph ($2) from one end to the other. By the end of the trip we would hop into the buses and pay 5000 for the short trips for the 4 of us!

SHOPPING: Yes, the lady's along the beach can certainly be pushy but we did find being firm but polite was the way to go. Promising you will be back or saying you will look later was not the way to go as they would see you coming a mile away and never forget you said later. I did however try to buy from them all but it was too stressful in the end so i just need to be firmer next time lol. Of course we visited Tootsie's and to escape into the quiet air con was so nice. The other lady's seemed to then give you straight up good prices once they new you had been into Tootsie's. It was all good fun most of the time except for the odd nasty stall holder if you didn't buy anything :{.

My favourite buy was some beautiful shells from along the main street while the kids favourite buy was of course their Vans that they ended up paying 100 000rph for each. Quality does vary so just have a good look and buy them if your happy with the quality.

Of course we loved Hardy's for souvenirs and stuff!

BEST DAY OUT: DOLPHIN'S YAY!!! Omg this was our family's best day of the trip. It was a short drive from Sanur to the boat then just a 2min boat ride to their pen where you spend 45 mins with the most amazing animal ever. I was totally speechless. Nowhere in Austarlia would you get that experience (no, not even seaworld). This is a must do in Bali.

We had a day out where we went to Tanah alot in the morning, which we really enjoyed. We actually enjoyed the markets so much that we would like to spend more time next trip. We then went to the Butterfly park which i found was a complete waste of time and money. I could hardly spot a butterfly?? We then went up a mountain to see the rice fields and have lunch. It was a nice day out but we had planned to do more in our day but time fly's when your having fun.

We would of liked to do Snorkling or pop over to Lombok but just ran out of time so that will be all for the next trip. It was sad to say goodbye to our Villa & Sanur and off we went to stay 1 night at Mara River at the safari park then 3 nights in Ubud which i will do in part 2. Thanks for reading, hope it was easy to read.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Queensland
posts: 487

reviews: 1
4. Re: Driver/Tour Guide

I can recommend Made Sukarma
He is a registered tour guide and loves to chat, - about his Bali, but also loves to find out about life in other countries.
He is on the recommended drivers list

www.http://www.balidiscoveryexperience.com/index.html

A truly wonderful guy.



Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar