Where have you been to in Bali?

So I'm getting holiday twitchy again (having been back from my last trip all of a month now!) - but after the l-o-n-g Aus-UK flights I'm looking at something a little closer this time.

One of the few overseas vacation-type places we can fly direct to from Adelaide at the moment is Denpasar. I have heard mixed things about Bali, so has anyone been, if so whereabouts, and what was the place you went to like?

We're not 5-star resort, never-leave-the-hotel types, but nor are we party-till-the-early hours types! We are in our 50s, OH likes diving, I like snorkelling, both like beaches, but also like to explore a bit of the place - whether by moped or hire car or local busses. Like to stuff our faces at breakfast, then find a cheap and cheerful place for dinner, with maybe a beer or glass of wine at lunchtime to keep us going!

We've previously been to Fiji, Vanuatu, Thailand and Borneo.

Does Bali have this sort of place, or is it all clubs and drunken 20-somethings falling out of bars and shouting loudly in English so the locals can understand them?

Has anyone been to or heard of a place called Medewi Bay - they seem to offer very cheap deals, but I'm not sure if they're one of these timeshare places that insist you go to a hardsell meeting while you're there! Not interested in that at all!! Good reviews on TA but awful ones on Booking.com....

Anyway, if you've been anywhere in Bali, I'd love to hear about it...

TIA

Gili islands are nice. Couple hours travel from bali.. good diving

Here's a previous thread on Bali: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/flights-holidays/216448-bali-holiday-has-anyone-been.html

Looking at the location of Medewi Bay it's a long way from the rowdiness of the south. It also looks nothing like a timeshare resort...a bit too basic for that.

Here's a previous thread on Bali: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/flights-holidays/216448-bali-holiday-has-anyone-been.html

 

Looking at the location of Medewi Bay it's a long way from the rowdiness of the south. It also looks nothing like a timeshare resort...a bit too basic for that.

Thank you - I've just read through that, most helpful. Medewi Bay Retreat seems to be owned/managed by a group called PVB Group, which seems similar to a timeshare type of thing. Mind you, the Groupon deal I was looking at for it actually says "Beach front location" which doesn't seem to be borne out by reviews, so a little dubious....

Melia in Nusa Dua has a great beach with has decent snorkeling opportunities. There are nice tropical fish varieties fish in crystal clear waters in 3-4 feet depth. The beach is private so hotel guests only and you dont get the hassle of souvenir hawkers. Its 5 Star but you only pay 150-170 per night which includes full buffet breakfast. Its far from the hustle of Kuta and you wont get a party scene. Very large pool to relax in family friendly and middle age friendly as well. There are more the European types that go there and they seem to be fairly quiet. Its close to a Shopping Centre. There are also a few restaurants you can use at the hotel - Japanese, Beach Tapas etc.. that tend to have themed buffet nights as well they. Just bear in mind its more for tourists etc and dont really offer the 'real' Bali experience. But for that just hire a local driver for $40 USD for a full day and they can bring you to wherever you want to experience the culture.. then go back to your comfortable room after. Its only 30 min from the airport too.