Getting Old

[annD]

Just booked a resort holiday in Bali - yikes!

Have never had much interest in visiting Bali and I usually avoid resorts but the last few months have been so exhausting that the though of sleeping, reading, swimming and eating appeals.

Staying in Ubud and Sanur - any tips/recommendations?

[sophie]

Take an empty bag for your purchases/ presents! It is a good place to have clothes tailor made, and there are lovely fabrics available.. We found an exceptional shop with gorgeous handwoven fabrics. My friend had some beautiful outfits made, and I had a couple of shirts made for my husband. Another tip.. Alcohol (other than the local beer which is good) is either expensive or suspect.. We bought a bottle of rum each in from duty free in the connecting airport in Taipei and had our own drinks In our room nightly.

[watsoff]

The monkey forest in Ubud is interesting, but do not carry any food, the monkeys can be aggressive. You must cover your shoulders when visiting a temple, and wear either a sarong or a longish skirt. There are also temple and other such tours starting and ending in Ubud, and there's usually a gamelan performance (for tourists) maybe once or twice a week, again in Ubud. I haven't been to Sanur.

[sophie]

Agree about the monkey forest.. My friend didn't get off the bus as she really didn't want monkeys jumping on her at all. I was startled when the first one jumped on me, but otherwise no problems. The musical performances are wonderful..loved the two I saw. Sanur is quiet, no clubs there at all but lots of places to eat and shop. The tailor I used was on the Main Street there.

[kaya]

Lots of beautiful (and cheap) spas in Ubud to spend a few hours getting pampered. Also, a really nice cafe/ restaurant that I love in Ubud is www.balibuddha.biz/

Ahhh I could do with a few days in Ubud / Bali too. My weekend trip to Jervis Bay this weekend will have to do for now.

[go2]

Ubud .... that's where the little fink who got TT closed down comes from. Name of Roy Thompson,
What follows is information I've collected on him from a number of internet sites.

Roy's business address / contact information (antique jewelry / artifact and young lady escort's massuesses) CV. TAMANREJEKI, Jalan Payangan Br. Bunutan – Kedewatan Ubud 80751Gianyar Bali - Indonesia. Telephone: [phone]
NB: this is his business address / phone number which he himself has published widely on various blogs and other sites
Roy Thompson, a former insurance clerk from Boston claims to be a legitimate archaeologist with post-graduate degrees (his degrees are non-existent / Internet bought). He is known to illegally (without license or permits) sell Indonesian artifacts on eBay, plus he also sells fakes / repros too. He also supplies low level narcotics to the expat community mostly those in Ubud. He is suspected of being one of the many pedophiles on Bali (Bali is a pedophile black spot according to the UNHCR and UNICEF). He claims to have several young sons but they are allegedly not sons.

If you feel like stirring things up,.... but be careful. It's thought he has the local police force well-tamed. Just don't buy anything from him, or get engaged in any kind of transaction to do with him or his mates.

[HalcyonDaze]

Resort holidays can be fun - pampering sounds good.

[whothingie]

No shame whatsoever in having a little bit of pampering and being taken care of.
Please be careful if you drink spirits while there. We lost a family member out at Lombok to methanol poisioning and so far nothing has been done about the bar that served it. A group from the family went back a month later, ordered a round of drinks which they quietly and carefully put into containers, odered another lot and did the same and the last lot when analysed was cut with arak (local hooch) and deadly but so far no one in authority really wants to know.

[annD]

Thanks all, keep the suggestions coming.
go2 - I think I'll be staying well away from Mr Thompson
Whothingie - so sorry for your loss. I am well aware of the problem with methanol. I'm told the beer is good so intend to stick to that.

[Deleted]

Bali is awesome... though I haven't been there in many years. The highlights for me were def. Ubud and Nusa Lembongan (a small island off the coast of Bali - it's really something special - or at least it was)

[iliana]

It sounds great! A relaxing holiday where you don't have to think or plan sounds like heaven to me. I look forward to hearing about it when you return.