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Honeymoon Help Please!- Bali and Hong Kong
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qtiekiki
Ideal_Rock
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If you are still looking for hotels, you may want to check into:
ymca - I know what you are thinking, but their rooms are more like hotel rooms than boarding house. Prices are from $110 - $260/night depending on the type of room and views. It''s in Tsim Shat Sui, so it''s convenience. They give you a welcome fruit basket.
B P International Hotel - I don''t remember their rates. It''s also in Tsim Shat Sui, on Austin Road which is off of Nathan Road. The Scout Association of Hong Kong HQ in there and they have a small Scout museum on the 3rd floor. They gave us a welcome fruit basket when we went back in 2004.
Their rooms are a lot smaller than hotel rooms in U.S. since they are not high end hotels, so don''t get shocked.
ymca - I know what you are thinking, but their rooms are more like hotel rooms than boarding house. Prices are from $110 - $260/night depending on the type of room and views. It''s in Tsim Shat Sui, so it''s convenience. They give you a welcome fruit basket.
B P International Hotel - I don''t remember their rates. It''s also in Tsim Shat Sui, on Austin Road which is off of Nathan Road. The Scout Association of Hong Kong HQ in there and they have a small Scout museum on the 3rd floor. They gave us a welcome fruit basket when we went back in 2004.
Their rooms are a lot smaller than hotel rooms in U.S. since they are not high end hotels, so don''t get shocked.
surfgirl
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I second this. I usually bring an extra suitcase and pack half my things in one and half in the other so I can have one suitcase to bring stuff home in. Also, I dont know what TwinRx is but please, let a professional travel doc guide you in your immunizations as well as any anti malarial prophylaxis. As far as I know, Indonesia still has both malaria and dengue outbreaks and you dont want either. At least you can help prevent malaria by taking whatever your doc recommends. But call now and ask what you need and how in advance you need to start getting shots. Some are series and need time between each shot.Date: 1/16/2008 6:35:10 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:
We flew JAL and it was fab. We emptied our luggage in Ubud (gave most of our clothes to the maid for her children....) and filled it with treasures. Can you take an extra suitcase???
I second the TwinRx. I won''t leave home without it!
cheers--Sharon
Oh, and I''ve also hear that the HK YMCA is a very good place to stay and not like Y at all...Mr. Surfgirl stayed there years ago and liked it, but that was a long time ago. I''m sure you can look it up on the internet though.
Independent Gal
Ideal_Rock
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Hey Surf, TwinRX is just Hep A & B, which I think you need for EVERYWHERE. Including home.
But I completely second Surf about going to see a specialist TRAVEL doctor who knows the specifics of where you need what. It''s highly regional and specific and requires up to the minut expertise.
The only reason I mentioned TwinRX is because I think it''s the only one that requires several weeks / months and multiple shots to be effective, which is why you would want to visit Dr. Travel earlier rather than later. Hep A is just about everywhere so its almost certain to be required.
But I completely second Surf about going to see a specialist TRAVEL doctor who knows the specifics of where you need what. It''s highly regional and specific and requires up to the minut expertise.
The only reason I mentioned TwinRX is because I think it''s the only one that requires several weeks / months and multiple shots to be effective, which is why you would want to visit Dr. Travel earlier rather than later. Hep A is just about everywhere so its almost certain to be required.
surfgirl
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Oh, I see. I had my Hep B so long ago that I think it might have been before this TwinRx you speak of! I have my Hep A boosters every 10 years or so, I think...I was just more concerned about her not taking any anti malarial meds. If one isn't used to being in such places you do not want to get malaria. Trust me, I've had it twice and it aint pretty... I've never used it, but I hear that Premethium or whatever it's called - is a great anti mosquito repellent to wash your clothing in. Apparently it coats your clothing with a repellent and it wears off as you wash your clothes...Dont know if it works but I've heard it's good.
A word of caution about DEET...while it IS the best repellent around (you gotta love those man made chemicals...), be careful when operating camera/video equipment after applying DEET. I learned this the hard way but DEET can and does melt plastic and rubber so if you apply DEET onto your body, then just wipe your hands off a bit or not well enough, and then use a camera/video cam, you'll start to melt down the buttons on your cameras. So, make sure you put on the DEET, then wash your hands REALLY well with hot water and soap to make sure you've got it all off your hands. I melted the function buttons of a very expensive broadcast quality video camera once when on assignment. Took me a while to figure out why the "play" button icon was slowly disappearing!
ETA: I highly recommend while in Bali, going into town and going to a "Toko Mas" - or gold shop. Not the tourist gold places but the Toko Mas where locals shop. Usually it would be in town somewhere where a lot of other Toko Mas are located. They have lovely 22-24kt gold there and you usually pay only for the gold, not really for the craftsmanship, so you'll see how much gold is selling for per gram on that day, usually posted outside the shops, and they just weigh the piece you like and give you the price. I have a lovely pair of gold dangle earrings on french wires, with granulated bead work on them, which is very Balinese in style.
A word of caution about DEET...while it IS the best repellent around (you gotta love those man made chemicals...), be careful when operating camera/video equipment after applying DEET. I learned this the hard way but DEET can and does melt plastic and rubber so if you apply DEET onto your body, then just wipe your hands off a bit or not well enough, and then use a camera/video cam, you'll start to melt down the buttons on your cameras. So, make sure you put on the DEET, then wash your hands REALLY well with hot water and soap to make sure you've got it all off your hands. I melted the function buttons of a very expensive broadcast quality video camera once when on assignment. Took me a while to figure out why the "play" button icon was slowly disappearing!
ETA: I highly recommend while in Bali, going into town and going to a "Toko Mas" - or gold shop. Not the tourist gold places but the Toko Mas where locals shop. Usually it would be in town somewhere where a lot of other Toko Mas are located. They have lovely 22-24kt gold there and you usually pay only for the gold, not really for the craftsmanship, so you'll see how much gold is selling for per gram on that day, usually posted outside the shops, and they just weigh the piece you like and give you the price. I have a lovely pair of gold dangle earrings on french wires, with granulated bead work on them, which is very Balinese in style.
Independent Gal
Ideal_Rock
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Yeah, my mom had malaria when she was young and she just kind of shudders when someone mentions the word. My grad school roomie lived in Uganda for a long time and she had dengue which I guess s the opposite of a picnic too. So I''m a big DEET fan, although the melting plastic thing is a little creepy. Over a couple of years, my bottle of DEET practically ate through the baggy it was in.
October: another possible purchase which makes you look like a class 1 dork but also allows you to take relaxing evening strolls free of dengue and malaria worries is a bug jacket. It''s kind of like a mosquito net that you wear. Should be able to get them in outdoor equipment stores... I think they were invented for fisherman. But one man''s canoe on a lake in north ontario is another woman''s verandah in Cambodia I always say. Well, actually, I never said that before. But whatever.
October: another possible purchase which makes you look like a class 1 dork but also allows you to take relaxing evening strolls free of dengue and malaria worries is a bug jacket. It''s kind of like a mosquito net that you wear. Should be able to get them in outdoor equipment stores... I think they were invented for fisherman. But one man''s canoe on a lake in north ontario is another woman''s verandah in Cambodia I always say. Well, actually, I never said that before. But whatever.
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Dutchgirlll
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Just wanted to let you know, our national health department here, doesn''t prescribe malaria pills for Bali. According to the authorities here there''s no Malaria risk at Bali. They do prescribe it for the the other islands of Indonesia, but it''s also depending on the length of your stay. I''ve been to Lombok as well and because we only stayed there for 5 days, we weren''t required to take the pills. Just use DEET (they sell sprays too, so you just spray it on and don''t have to rub -your hands and fingers can stay DEET free-). Here in the Neherlands they really cautious with medicine prescriptions in comparison to other countries, like the US. Of course this is really a personal decision, and it''s strange to see that they give different outcomes on malaria in Bali, if I google it here in the Netherlands, than in the US.
Anyway, here''s a link for you about Health information.
Just see somebody and take your traveling schedule with you, so they can determine if you need anything or not.
Anyway, here''s a link for you about Health information.
Just see somebody and take your traveling schedule with you, so they can determine if you need anything or not.
October2008bride
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Thanks for the info - we are definitely going to see a travel doctor well in advance to make sure we are okay.
And IG - I emailed the embassy and surprisingly they wrote back! However it didn''t surprise me that they just cut and pasted the warning from the government travel advisory site haha.
Either way it was nice to ''make my tax dollars work'' in some form!
Thanks again everyone for their help. Once I get the itinerary booked, I will come back for more help I''m sure!
I''m just trying to figure out if it is cheaper to book it myself (i.e. just flight and hotels and worry about tours etc on our own) or if I should just go with the tour and have someone else take care of everything.
I''m usually a DIY travel agent you know? So this is quite odd for me to have a TA working on it!
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Ideal_Rock
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Haha! I guess that doesn''t really surprise me either. But that probably also means that they think you should take the warning seriously. I''ll just say that, having been to that part of the world recently and keeping up on the politics there, I would probably go anyway, but if they didn''t think there was a real risk, they would have removed the warning. And they may well know things we don''t know. That''s the other part of your tax dollars at work! So, you SHOULD take the warning seriously.
You just decide what you guys are comfy with. I think I''d still go if it were me. Just don''t tell my mom (or for that matter, my FI) that, OK?
You just decide what you guys are comfy with. I think I''d still go if it were me. Just don''t tell my mom (or for that matter, my FI) that, OK?
surfgirl
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I haven't read the warning from the DOS but if they say "all non essential travel" then you might want to reconsider. I'd ask the Embassy a question that they cant cut and paste and here is the question I'd ask them:
"Can you please tell me if all 'non essential personnel' have been sent back to the USA, or if they're still in country (ie: family members of essential personnel, etc.)?"
After working in developing countries for decades, I know one thing, if non essential personnel are being/have been sent back home then it's a situation to take seriously. If not, then you'll probably be fine and just exercise common sense and normal precautions. I think you'd get a direct answer on the above question and it would make things clearer. When things get too hot, the US Embassy protocol is typically to send the family members of it's employees home temporarily until things cool down so that will tell you a lot about the current situation. If you just ask them if it's "safe" they'll parrot back the warning on their site because anything else would put them in the line of a lawsuit should you go and have something happen to you...cagey little buggers!
Hope that helps!
"Can you please tell me if all 'non essential personnel' have been sent back to the USA, or if they're still in country (ie: family members of essential personnel, etc.)?"
After working in developing countries for decades, I know one thing, if non essential personnel are being/have been sent back home then it's a situation to take seriously. If not, then you'll probably be fine and just exercise common sense and normal precautions. I think you'd get a direct answer on the above question and it would make things clearer. When things get too hot, the US Embassy protocol is typically to send the family members of it's employees home temporarily until things cool down so that will tell you a lot about the current situation. If you just ask them if it's "safe" they'll parrot back the warning on their site because anything else would put them in the line of a lawsuit should you go and have something happen to you...cagey little buggers!
Hope that helps!
Independent Gal
Ideal_Rock
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Great advice Surf, especially since Bali is a small country.
October, if you choose to get a guided tour in HK, I would recommend doing something that is a day long only. If you have a short time in HK or anywhere for that matter, those guided tours take up a lot of time. You get to see all the usually tourist traps and then you could decide where you want to go back to or go else where.
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surfgirl
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If we''re quoting stats, it''s the 4th largest island-based population in the world (the entire country of Indonesia, not only Bali), and the largest Muslim country in the world, IIRC.Date: 1/17/2008 5:10:40 PM
Author: Independent Gal
GTN Bali is actually the name of an island that is part of Indonesia, which is a frakking HUGE country (like, the size of the US, population wise).
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Ideal_Rock
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Just thought of another random thing to look into wellll in advance. I don''t know where you hold citizenship, but it makes sense to check early what the visa requirements are, as if you need to buy one in advance, this can sometimes take a little time, partly depending on where you live and whether there is an embassy or consulate nearby (sometimes you have to go in person... usually you can do it by mail though). Rush service is often available... but at a price!
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katebar
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Just found these sites for bali villas Luxury Villas
samaya and are pretty reasonable IMO
http://www.balisentosa.com/
samaya and are pretty reasonable IMO
http://www.balisentosa.com/
October2008bride
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surfgirl
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chiapet
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Hi Octoberbride,
1. We went to Bali last year (July-August 07) for honeymoon. I grew up in Indonesia so I wasn''t as lost as I would have been if I was a foreigner. We stayed in Ubud for 2 nights and headed to Sanur for 4 nights. Ubud was very nice and relaxing. Definitely check out the views of the rice paddies (there''s an awesome cafe on the hills that provide awesome views). DH & I loved the monkey forest and went there every day! I shopped for silver jewelry and cheap clothes. For hotel info, check out www.tripadvisor.com. I planned my entire trip using reviews and recommendations from that website. We stayed at a beachfront hotel in Sanur and just relaxed. Got super-cheap massages almost every day! I much prefer Sanur to Kuta, which has alot of surfers and younger people. There is a huge mall in Kuta if you need clothes.
Some places to visit: Tanah Lot, Mount Batur (Gunung Batur), Denpasar (shopping), Barong Dance (ubud), snorkelling/scuba diving at Jimbaran Bay.
2. DH & I got Hep B shots. I think that''s about it.
3. www.tripadvisor.com
4. Yes, definitely stop by HK. Awesome shopping and food.
I don''t know where you''re leaving from but whenever I go to Indonesia (which is once a year since my family lives there), I fly Singapore Airlines. They have a non-stop flight from Newark (NJ) to Singapore. Bigger seats, more leg room, best service compared to other Asian flights.
You must be sooo excited!! I love Bali. The locals are Hindhu and they seem so calm and mellow. I thought everything in Bali was simple and beautiful and calm. My dream is to retire early and move to Bali. I don''t know what I''ll do with DH though since he''s American
Leaving you with a view of the rice paddies in Ubud...
chiapet
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While Indonesia has the largest Muslim population, the Balinese follow the Hindu belief.Date: 1/18/2008 1:18:22 AM
Author: surfgirl
Sorry, I said that all wrong! Indo is the 4th most populous country in the world and the largest island/archipelago nation in the world. And I think the country with the largest Muslim population globally. There! That makes mo'' better sense!
surfgirl
Ideal_Rock
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Yes chiapet, I''m well aware of that. There are also Christians and Chinese Buddhists...but it is mainly a "Muslim" country.Date: 3/8/2008 1:58:02 AM
Author: chiapet
While Indonesia has the largest Muslim population, the Balinese follow the Hindu belief.Date: 1/18/2008 1:18:22 AM
Author: surfgirl
Sorry, I said that all wrong! Indo is the 4th most populous country in the world and the largest island/archipelago nation in the world. And I think the country with the largest Muslim population globally. There! That makes mo'' better sense!
indecisive
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October2008bride-
Have you decided if you are going to Bali for sure yet? My fiance decided to go for it and we are going for 8 nights in Bali (5 in Ubud and 3 in Seminyak) and 1 night in Hong Kong. We are still looking for a great chinese restaurant in Hong Kong but we are so excited about the trip in general. Do you know where you are going yet?
Have you decided if you are going to Bali for sure yet? My fiance decided to go for it and we are going for 8 nights in Bali (5 in Ubud and 3 in Seminyak) and 1 night in Hong Kong. We are still looking for a great chinese restaurant in Hong Kong but we are so excited about the trip in general. Do you know where you are going yet?
October2008bride
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indecisive
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We are staying at Viceroy in Ubud (which just got a bad review on Tripadvisor
) and then The Samaya in Seminyak. I haven''t seen the Alila but the Intercontinental looks gorgeous! We haven''t done too much more than book everything either. I know we are doing one day with a private driver to go to as many temples as we can and we are definitely going to ride elephants! Other than that we have some restaurants we want to go to and we have spa time included in our hotel packages. I will be sure to let you know how it went when we get back in June. We aren''t staying in Jimbabran but we will def be going to eat by the water. Everyone I know thinks we are crazy for going so I am glad to see someone else going too!
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