The complimentary services on their website are;

 Internet Access (Public Area & Guest Rooms),
 Departure Lounge, Gym, Sauna & Steam Room,
 Kids Club, Games Centre and Parking Area
 Pillow Options 

wifi….really. thanks. Departure lounge is always useful and wonder why more hotels don’t have them. Kids club handy if you have kids i guess.

pillow options – yes a definite good thing as i hate hard pillows and sometimes i have to make a pillow from my clothes as the pillows in a hotel is so hard i cant sleep. Does anyone really like pillows that are like a block of wood?! A standard pillow cant be that hard to find right?

Anyhow, the Padma is a great hotel and I would live there if i could…well, for a couple of weeks maby. And Legian is a cool spot as its not Kuta and not Seminyak…a perfect mid ground between party party and luxury luxury.

Check out the Padma resort in Bali

Potato Head Beach Club

“Potato Head Beach Club makes its grandeur mark at one of Bali’s prestige location surrounded by some of the best restaurants, bars, and retail. “We wanted to create something original from Indonesia that could be seen and enjoyed by the Indonesian and international audience. As a local venture, we wanted to make our presence felt within the international scene and Bali seems to be the perfect stepping stone,” says co-owner Ronald Akili.”

OK, so yep, all they say on the potato head website is true. This place rocks and if you are in Bali you need to go and check it out. Its not cheap, but not much is nowadays and if you want to hang with the cool kids then this is the place to be. Its a design masterpiece and even if you dont have dinner here, just head down for a few drinks by the pool overlooking the beach. Get there early (midday) get a daybed and lounge the day away before dinner drinks and party…can i live here please.

Ku De Ta is getting some serious competition from this new kid on the Bali block.

Enjoy

Tripadvisor is always a good indicator, and you can see their results for the best hotel in Bali here.

Here are the top-10 – note a lot of them in Ubud and not all of them really top-end expensive.

Puri Sunia Resort, Ubud
$150 – $455
Ranked #1 of 717 hotels in Bali
Ranked #1 of 103 hotels in Ubud

The Chedi Club Tanah Gajah a GHM Hotel, Ubud
$390 – $762
Ranked #2 of 717 hotels in Bali
Ranked #2 of 103 hotels in Ubud

The Samaya Bali, Ubud
$319 – $590 *
Ranked #3 of 717 hotels in Bali
Ranked #3 of 103 hotels in Ubud

Komaneka at Bisma, Ubud
$202 – $572 *
Ranked #4 of 717 hotels in Bali
Ranked #4 of 103 hotels in Ubud

The Samaya Bali, Seminyak
$514 – $840 *
Ranked #5 of 717 hotels in Bali
Ranked #1 of 68 hotels in Seminyak

Komaneka at Tanggayuda, Ubud
$211 – $351 *
Ranked #6 of 717 hotels in Bali
Ranked #5 of 103 hotels in Ubud

Alam Shanti, Ubud
$50 – $125 *
Ranked #7 of 717 hotels in Bali
Ranked #6 of 103 hotels in Ubud

Komaneka at Rasa Sayang, Ubud
$168 – $255 *
Ranked #8 of 717 hotels in Bali
Ranked #7 of 103 hotels in Ubud

The Purist Villas and Spa, Ubud
$218 – $536
Ranked #9 of 717 hotels in Bali
Ranked #8 of 103 hotels in Ubud

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Ubud
$557 – $823Ranked #10 of 717 hotels in Bali
Ranked #9 of 103 hotels in Ubud

The Ulin Villas & Spa, Seminyak
$362 – $530
Ranked #11 of 717 hotels in Bali
Ranked #2 of 68 hotels in Seminyak

I always prefer a villa over a hotel tho!

Seminyak is the trendy part of town and is home to some really nice 5 star hotels and luxury villas, so if you have a bit of cash to blow then stay here. Its home to the world famous Ku De Ta which is one of the coolest joints in town and is a must for any visitor.

Seminyak is only a few kms from Kuta so if you like to get down and party with the riff-raffbut stay in a bit more chilled upper scale area then this is the place for you!

Try some of these bars in the Seminyak area;

1. Ku De Ta
2. Kudos lounge and bar
3. Hypnotique cocktail bar and lounge
4. Obsession world music bar
5. Potato head beach club

Enjoy Seminyak and remember its still OK to order a Bintang in a posh restaurant.

You can grab yourself a driver and car for a little as AU$50 a day and whilst these guys touting you on the street are pretty annoying, once you have done the deal and paid up, they are quite often friendly, knowledgeable and a good laugh. Best of they live in Bali and know the place like the back of their money grabbing hands. Dont know where that secluded paradise beach is? I bet they do…

Tours are a bit cliche for a lot of people and getting of a tour bus with a load of other camera wielding tourists is just embarassing and a tour bus arrival is like a honey pot to bees for the local touts and sellers. Hiring a driver for you and the misses/mates is a good half way point from DIY scooting and getting lost/crashing and being on a fully organised tourist tour.

Its almost DIY but you get the benefits of having someone who actually knows where to go and as you have a designated “Dave” in the drivers seat who hopefully isnt getting drunk, then you can sit back, see the sights and have a cold one.

There are quite a few pimped out cars around for hire so look around and when that Mad Max looking kit car drives by, flag him down and get haggling.

If you cant get rid of them, then try some of the following kid friendly activities in Bali:

1. Waterbom Park is a must as all kids love it. grease them up in factor 50 and let em loose
2. Massage and manicure on the beach for the little girls
3. Hair plaiting is a no-no if you want to keep your kid from getting bullied once back home
4. Kids Clubs are great if you want to slope off to the bar
5. Go Karts are a great way to teach your kids to drive. just remember to hide your car keys when you get home
6. The reptile park and zoo is usually a firm favourite with the kids
7. If they can stand they may well be able to surf – get the little grom up and surfing and sit back and watch him take the world title in a few years. retire and relax.
8. Most kids will get bored in temples but its worth a try to give them a bit of culture
9. Dont buy them a Bintang wife beater

On a bike you get to see things close up and see many things in Bali you just wouldn’t see in a car as you can fly past at 100kms. Work up a hunger for lunch and after a days riding (or even a couple of hours) that icy cold beer will taste that much better knowing you have earned it.

There are a stack of cycling tour companies so ask around and get in the saddle. Redhot tips – Drink plenty of water and don’t take pictures/check your iphone whilst you are riding as you will look a complete tool when you stack it into the old farmer lady sitting by the side of the road.

Well as you are going to get wet anyhow any watersport fits the bill and as many people hide away the beach/waterpark etc might be empty excpet for us hardcore people who do not mind a bit of rain! waterBom waterpark is a great place to visit and if its raining it means there is much more protection from the hot sun. Same same but different with jet-skiing, banana boating, surfing and the like. Take advantage of a bit of cloud cover and get wet.

Like most places in the world a bit of rain is a perfect excuse for the girls to go shopping and get their nails done and the guys to hit the pub. Bali is no different here so get shopping and/or drinking.

Riding a scooter in Bali is always a bit of a dice with death so do yourself a favour and leave the wheels at home as the roads will be wet and slippy. Its really tricky to ride in the rain whilst holding your umbrella up with one hand and if your a guy you will be heading to the pub to get drunk which also doesnt help the riding cause either.

I always feel a bit sad when i go to the cinema when on holiday but why the heck now?! The cinemas are international standard and you can probably now afford that gold seat you always wanted to try back home but were to stingy to pay the extra. Gold class up and by the time you have watched the latest blockbuster the sun will be shining and all will be good in Bali!

One final thing to do in Bali when its raining is to bitch and moan about how its ruining your holiday and how its much better/nicer/sunnier in whatever place …. Jog on.

Well enjoy the rain and dont forget your brollie.

Rent a villa by the sea in Seminyak for the wedding and reception and the bridal party can stay right at the venue. There are so many cool pads in Bali available for rent and a few really good wedding organisers so the party will go off without any hickups (not counting your drunk mates who had too much free Bintang).

Another upside is that you do not need to go anywhere for your honeymoon as you are already in a romantic paradise location…just ditch the family and friends and get yourself a honeymoon suite at one of the 5 star hotels.

There are loads of things to do in Bali so the whole wedding party will have something to keep them entertained for the duration of the extended wedding and of course its all relatively cheap so book it in and get married in Bali.

Well of course opinions differ, but my very favourite thing to do in Bali is pretty much anything/nothing as long as i have an icy cold bottle of Bintang beer in my hand. I dont normally drink Bintang at home and so there is something pure holiday romance about drinking the local brew such as Bintang in Bali, or say Singha in Phuket .

If you are a real bogan  then you might want to try drinking a Bintang beer whilst wearing your Bintang wife beater.

enjoy the beers.