Kuta Bali

Kuta, Bali Travel Guide

Kuta is the most popular holiday destination in Bali with thousands of tourists flocking every year to enjoy the white sand beach, great surf, endless shopping opportunities and hundreds of bars and clubs so you can dance the night away. There's definitely no shortage of things to do in Kuta. If you're planning a holiday to Bali in the near future, you may find some of these Kuta destination tips helpful.

Firstly you'll need somewhere to stay. There is a huge range of accommodation options in Kuta ranging from budget backpacker bungalows to 5 star luxury hotels. If you're on a budget, most of the cheaper accommodation is clustered around Poppies I and II which starts from around 70,000 Rp per night. It's a good idea to check out the room before you pay to see exactly what you're getting and remember that haggling is expected.

For higher standard accommodation there are plenty of mid range bungalows and cottages and plenty of world class hotels, some of which have large resorts just outside of Kuta. You also have the option of renting a private villa which can be a good option for couples or families.

There are hundreds of shops in Kuta selling the usual tourist garb - sarongs, beach dresses, jewelry and t-shirts. There are also plenty of surf stores selling boards and gear by Quicksilver, Billabong and the like at much lower prices than in other countries. There is also the beachfront Discovery shopping mall containing many western brand stores and cafes.

There are bars and clubs aplenty in Kuta so there's no chance of a quiet night. Cocktails made from 'arak' - the local spirit are very popular and the party starts every night getting busy from around midnight to the early hours of the morning. There are also plenty of more laid back bars and lounges for a more sophisticated experience.

Some of the most popular clubs in Kuta include The Bounty (part of The Bounty Hotel Bali ), Mbargo and Paddy's club. Most of the visitors to Kuta seem to party hard every night and then sleep or surf it off on the beach the next day. There are also lots of great beaches nearby like Dreamland Bali if you get tired of Kuta.

Padma Resort Bali

Bali Padma Hotel, Island of Peace on the Busiest Place of Kuta

Though it is located right in the heart of the busy Kuta-Legian shopping and entertainment area, Bali Padma Hotel is an island of peace. All of the resort's numerous facilities are sheltered within a large wall confound that resembles a lush and long- establish botanical garden. Just outside Bali Padma's gates is Bali's largest assortment of fashion boutiques, jewelry shops, art galleries, street cafes and dance clubs. Yet once guests enter the hotel grounds, there is a bless calm that allows for real relaxations.

The resort includes 167 standard rooms, 216 deluxe chalets, four studio suites, six junior suites, six deluxe suits, and extremely luxurious presidential suite. All have individually-controlled air conditioning, IDD telephones, satellite television reception, mini bar and private balconies or terrace.

Spread before the high ceilinged open air lobby is a complex of formal stone gateways, pools, waterfalls and pools filled with blooming water lilies " Padma " in Bahasa Indonesia. The centerpiece is a 45 swimming pool that is of Bali's most spectacular. Within the pool complex is a children's pool, a huge sunning terrace and the swim up Seruni Pool Bar.

The Batavia restaurant, between pool and beach front, offers a distinguished pan-Asian menu. Kurumaya specializes in such Japanese entrees as shabu-shabu, sukiyaki and teppanyaki. Also close to the beach is the pizzeria, where the accent is definitely Italian. Taman Ayun is Bali Padma's casual coffee shop restaurant. open round the clock, where the Friday Rijstaffel buffet spread precedes a dazzling performance of traditional music and dance.

Other cultural shows ( including the famous kecak dance, with its chorus of gesturing chanting men ) are staged at the resort's outdoor theatre in conjunction with elaborate theme-night parties.

O'Barrel is the name of Bali Padma's fun pub, which pulsate from late afternoon happy hours right on through to closing with music played by a live band.

Bali Padma's guests looking for great shopping bargains need to travel far the hotel's own arcade has a gold and silver shop, a fine arts gallery and several other boutiques that sell sport wear and souvenirs. Also within the arcade are a tour and travel agency, a postal desk, a currency exchange, a convenience store and a news-stand. There is a health clinic within the hotel and a doctor on call at all hours.

wakatobi

How To Get To Wakatobi (Indonesian Marine National Park)

It is a good news for everyone who love undersea tourism. You do not need to make every effort and waste your time any more to go to Wakatobi Marine National Park, South East Sulawesi Indonesia, a great place to explore amazing undersea scenery. From now on, it is easier and faster to get there than before, because many direct flights is scheduled from and to Wakatobi.

Some time ago, to reach Wakatobi, traveler must first traveled to Makassar or Kendari (province capital of South East Sulawesi) by planes or ferries from Jakarta or Bali (to the present time, there is no direct international flights to Makassar). Then, they must connected their travel by plane or boat/local ferries to go to Bau-Bau (transit town) before they got the point of Wakatobi.

And the good news is, Usman Syafei Jamal as Minister of Transportation of Indonesian Government, made Matahora Airport official at the end of June 2009. The airport had been developed since 2007, located in Wangi-Wangi, a regional capital of Wakatobi. Matahora's runway are 1400 m and 30 m of its length and width. Next, it will be added to become 2100 m in 2010 in order that runway can be landed by plane as Boeing 737.

Thus, there are two airports operated in Wakatobi. The first one is Maranggo Airport that operated by Wakatobi Dive Resort who serves direct flight occasionally from Bali to Tomia (exclusive tourist package/air charter).

The second one is the airport that we have just talked above, Matahora Airport. By now, there is only SusiAir who operates ten flights per week (Kendari-Wakatobi-Kendari) and it just takes about 45 minutes in one trip.