Sandbar18 and I are deferring our trip to Indo (planned March) til Thanksgiving of '13. We are lucky enough to have a week of timeshare to use over there (plus another week we are going to roam around after the week in Bali), and there are a few resorts open during the week we want to go in November. Any recommendations on which resort/area? staying near Kuta or Jimbaran? Any difference in the vibe north or south of the airport? Here are the options if you've ever been to one let me know you're experience: Nirwana Bali, Royal Bali Beach Club at Jimbaran Bay, The Grand Bali - Nusa Dua, Bali Tropical Resort and Spa Also does anyone have experience with Bali in November?
Where is your timeshare? I would try to stay out of the big resorts personally...they are touristy. if your timeshare is in one of them I would spend the time there at night, but venture around by day, and then on your following week try to stay at some smaller hotels and bungalows. I'd recommend spending some time on the Bukit (Uluwatu, Balangan, and/or Bingin), and also Canguu Beach area, which is north of Kuta area. Canguu is quiet and laid back, with 4-5 spots to surf in walking distance....black sand beach with sand and reef breaks. Some cool places on the Bukit are Micks Place, Flower Bud Bungalows, and Mu. They are smaller with a more local feel to them. Definitely cater to surfers. There's a cool spot at Uluwatu called Temple Lodge to stay. Check these places out for something a little different. I'd stay away from Kuta..it's very crowded, touristy, and feels like Daytona Beach with a million Australians and Euro's. One day/night was enough for me there. The traffic in and out of Kuta at night can be INSANE too. Like sit in one spot for a half hour insane. We tried to go into Kuta one night in a taxi to eat and had to turn around, took an hour to move about 2 miles. The best surf in Bali is on the Bukit, but it can get crowded. Rainy season should be quieter than summer. Nov is rainy season so they get good winds on the east side also, including Sanur, Nusa Dua, and Keramas. I didn't surf these spots but saw Sanur on the ferry ride to an island offshore. Sanur was big like 8-10 foot faces and peeling down the reef, but onshore. Nusa Dua gets HUGE, but you have to take a boat out there to the reef. It's no joke there. Keramas is a good fun wave from 3-6 feet. Keramas is mellow too, not built up like Kuta and Jimbaran. If you can spend some time away from the water, I'd also recommend heading up into the interior to see the volcano's and Ubud area for a couple days. You will get some feel for the culture up there that you won't get on the beaches. I loved the surf there but the people I met in some villages really stuck with me. Good luck.
Two resorts are beach front in Nusa Dusa, another is by Jimbaran, and one in Nirwana. It's basically free to stay there for the week, and we can always leave early. Just have something to start out with the first week. Definitely hoping to travel around some while we are there, not just surf
both Nusa Dua and Jimbaran are in proximity to the Bukit. Either would be good spots. Nusa Dua will have better winds in November if you want to just walk outside the hotel and surf. PLus you can hop in a cab up to Keramas easier from Nusa. Nirwana is probably 1+ hours north up the west side, near Canguu and Berawa. Both are good waves but in Nov it it might be onshore up there.
^ +1...FUN WAVES!!! ^ Much more appealing than most spots on the West side of Bali that time of year! However you'd be better of staying close to the east side... Bali not big but sooooo many people hard to get anywhere...if your checking spots ...start early... lots of tide dependent spots... best to just stay close to the action for Nov.= eastside
Thanks everyone for the input. it sounds like Nusa Dua is the place to be, at least to begin. I'll start researching some of these spots.
Grand Bali? out of the three on this map, the grand bali is the one on the bottom and seems to be the better option as far as availability and location. However there is also one available in Sanur. I'm sure they would all be fine, but out of these three anything that would make you jump at one area over another? Thanks.
