Chanelling Fiji and Bali experts!

[motion]

The wife and I are headed out in a month on a 6 week round the world adventure. Among the first stops are Nadi, Fiji and Bali, Indonesia. I am completely lost here. Fiji has a bunch of islands, but the high end hotels go for $300 to over $1,000 a night. On these RTW jaunts I/we usually try to stick to $150 a night max. We also want to avoid long boat rides to islands or $400 round trip seaplanes.

I'm guessing that staying on Nadi is not that desirable? Any input here?

Bali seems to be more straightforward. Is it worth getting away from Denpasar? There are hotels in the middle of the island and sporadically around other parts of the island, but most are right near Denpasar.

We'll also hit up Seoul, Bangkok, Ko Samui, Istanbul, Sochi and Buenos Aires.

Thanks once again!

[nzporsche944s2]

Nadi town is a bit of a dump and certainly not picturesque but as a result of that it will give you a taste of the real Fiji.

There are a cluster of resorts at Denarau which is a section of reclaimed land accessed from Nadi by a small causeway but they like most resorts they tend to insulate you from the real country and can be quite expensive.

Depending on what you want to do in Fiji will probably guide your accommodation choices. There are numerous island resorts where the aim is to lie on the beach and swim. Or you could choose a middle of the road hotel like the Mecure in Nadi and rent a car to drive north to Lautoka and Ba and over to Suva. That way you would see much more of the real Fiji.

It's about a two hour drive from Nadi to Suva and road is relatively good with the odd pothole.

[Peterfrans]

On Bali I would skip denpasar in favor of sanur (most larger hotels chains are there). We did a round trip of the island a few years ago and really enjoyed a hike across the rice fields in munduk (hotels are a bit basic around there), ubud is nice to hang around for a few days, pemuteran in the north was nice snorkling, but not much else. Amed in the east, with view on the volcano was a pleasant surprise, nice resort, nice snorkling and some interesting trips to temple complexes. Nice thing about bali is that it is relatively small so you can get from a to b in a few hours by taxi, which is also very cheap. We also stayed a few days on nusa lembogan, which I would definately skip next time round.

[Peterfrans]

In amed we stayed in a sea view bungalow in this hotel: Resort and Bungalows - Santai Bali - Hotel in East Bali, Amed

Just an example of many very nice small hotels you find around the island

[tevake]

Richard, give a thought to going up to Ubud, in Bali. really nice up there. Still touristy but not lik the coastal towns at all. It's the arts and culture center of the island . And you get a chance to see the terraced rice fields,m a bit cooler up there too.
Don't take food to the monkey gardens, you will regret it.
Shop early in the day and ask for the morning price. They like to get the day started with a sale. They are disappointed if you don't do the negotiating dance with them. Tho they will take the first asking price if you insist.

In Fiji. The yasaua and Mamanuca islands are nice and pretty near the airport area. A bit of a boat ride but nice. A world away from the mainland near there.
If not the islands, Suva is quite a nice contrast to the Nandi area. It's the old colonial capital and one of nicest cites in Poliynesia. Check out the central market.
Haggling is a popular sport.
Local greeting is a hardy. bula vinaca . Called the Friendly Islands for a good reason.

Have fun!

[LakeCleElum]

Nadi - Kinda 3rd world county setting, you don't want to stay there. 20 minutes by cab from airport. 35 minutes is the Denarau area.....Big chain hotels, golf course, high end housing, harbor and where the boat/seaplanes leave for the outlying islands. Big pricey hotels:

The 5 Best Denarau Island Hotels on TripAdvisor - Prices & Reviews for the Top Rated Accommodation in Denarau Island, Fiji

Several beach resorts on the main island; some nice, some not so much. I checked out one I had almost booked. The dirt road in was so bad, I took out the transmission pan on my Chinese Chit-box rental car.

I walked thru several of these resorts; Had a good BBQ on the beach at First Landing: http://www.tourismfiji.com/fiji-map-resorts.html

What I did and would do again: One hotel across from the airport; Raffles Gateway:

Raffles Gateway Hotel, Fiji - Nadi Fiji Islands Holiday Packages, Diving Scuba Fiji, Weddings, Tropical Sandy Beaches, South Pacific Islands Fiji

Was around $100/nite 2 yrs ago. Explore by rental care by day, take a boat ride out of Dennarau for the day. We checked out resorts we would have stayed at if we had been there more than 4 days. We had a great BBQ dinner and Native show on the beach at the "First Landing" resort.

If you want to drive all the way around the island, I'd plan 2 days. Stay on the main highway. The roads that criss-cross are 4WD with high clearance required. Bula

[gtc]

Originally Posted by tevake

Richard, give a thought to going up to Ubud, in Bali. really nice up there. Still touristy but not lik the coastal towns at all. It's the arts and culture center of the island . And you get a chance to see the terraced rice fields,m a bit cooler up there too.

I spent a week in Ubud years ago, probably before most of the spa hotels popped up. We stayed in one of the bungalow-style hotels up in the hills overlooking rice paddies. Nothing fancy, as the scenery was the attraction. You don't fly halfway around the world to go to a spa, right?
Balinese masks are some of my favorites, and Ubud has some good shops.

[LakeCleElum]

We took a day trip on a boat out of Denarau.......Went to a little private island about 2 acres in size.....Tour included lunch and all you can drink beer/wine....Met a couple from Foster, NSW, Austraila.......He and I drank the boat empty of beer and it was a dry return for everyone... Happy Times....

[tevake]

Ahem on another note, once away from the tourist hustle in Bali, You will see folks living with religious spirituality and artistic expression as a constant part of their daily lives.
Really beautiful to experience.

A total contrast to the vibe in Jakarta just short ferry ride away. Change islands and religions and you are in another world.

[zakthor]

Indonesia is incredible! As tevake says, every island is its on world. Bali is not the quiet paradise it once was. Honestly for a simple first trip spend big bucks for a nice place or skip it. Koma Neka in Ubud, or the Oberoi in seminyak? Tevake might have better suggestions.

The next island to the east is Lombok and its still a little slice of paradise, quick flight and still fantastic people. Much less traffic, pollution and tourists. Look up "secret islands" in south west lombok.

[motion]

Thanks, everyone! I've been a bit quiet because, to be honest, the feedback here has me rethinking things. I was under the impression that Fiji and Bali were a consistently good experience, like say, Hawaii, but I don't think so, from what I'm hearing from you. We've had our share of dumpy island towns, already. The Caribbean and southeast Asia are loaded with them!

I'm thinking we might hang around Suva for a few days, them maybe head to Saigon instead of Bali. I absolutely love Saigon, and I think Mrs Motion will like it, too. Would be a good warmup for Thailand

I'm taking everything here under consideration, and as always, you guys deliver. Great info!

[tevake]

Sorry to hear that's your take away about Bali, in my mind it's a very special place and people. It's had the growing pains that well known places go thru.
But with care you can still experience the unusual and special spirit that made it the destination it has become. With out having to be impacted by the over touristed spots and the impact that has had on the folks working there.

I ve never seen challenging land sculpted to fill the needs of people so artistically .
Plus the blending of spiritual and artistic expression into daily life is unique in my experience. Well worth searching out.

But no place is for everyone, I'm sure you can put together an itenerary that suits you.

Just putting down a few thoughts about Bali for you has taken me back there in my mind and made me smile!

Cheers Richard