It's been a busy summer packed with projects for magazine and book publishers and movie studios. I just finished another guidebook project for Thomas Cook Publishing and Leonard has been recording music for a major motion picture. We're ready for a break!
So as the season winds down, we find ourselves gearing up for our next adventure. This week we head to Bali, Indonesia in Southeast Asia with a (very) short stopover in Hong Kong.
Over 17,000 islands comprise Indonesia with Bali being one of the best-known. You'll find stunning vistas as diverse as terraced rice paddies, white sand beaches, ornate temples, volcanoes (some active), and tropical rain forests. The culture is equally enticing and visitors often attend traditional Balinese ceremonies and dance performances.
For more information about Bali, visit these resources:
Bali Tourism BoardIndonesia—CIA World FactbookBali Forum at TripAdvisor.comBali GuideBali EatsWe're celebrating a special occasion and wanted to go somewhere to both explore and relax. Bali certainly fits the bill. While sailing aboard
Silversea's Silver Spirit earlier this summer we met many crew members from Indonesia and they all told us that Bali should be on our "must visit soon" list. Call us convinced!
The Game PlanFlying Cathay PacificI'm particularly looking forward to flying first class on Cathay Pacific. The gourmet meals, lie-flat bed, and excellent entertainment system will certainly make the 15-hour flight more bearable. (Read Tuesday's blog post for more information about Cathay Pacific's first class product.)
What's even better is that I was able to book these flights using my American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flyer miles (135k per ticket). It took two phone calls but the second agent was able to book me on the exact flights I wanted on my preferred travel dates. Of course, I spent quite a bit of time searching availability on Cathay's AsiaMiles website and British Airways partner award availability calendar before calling the AAdvantage desk. I booked these tickets about two months ago.
Jimbaran BayI spent far too much time reviewing hotel possibilities for Bali. There are some amazing properties to consider on the luxury end of the market. There are three
Aman resorts—Amanusa in Nusa Dua, Amandari in Ubud, and Amankila in East Bali. There are also two
Four Seasons (one in Jimbaran Bay and another in Ubud). All of those resorts look gorgeous and we plan to visit them to get a reference point for future stays.
In the end though, we decided to book the
InterContinental Bali in Jimbaran Bay for several reasons. We're InterContinental/Priority Club fans and enjoy the upgrade perks we generally enjoy at IC properties. Also, Club level accommodations were priced right and we just felt it would be an ideal home base for our first trip to Bali. (Read Monday's blog post for more information about the InterContinental Bali.)
Putu Sudiana, Private DriverTo get the most out of our days on the island, we've hired private driver/guide Putu Sudiana of
YourBaliDriver.com. His rates are incredibly reasonable (400,000 rupiah, or $40USD, for a 10-hour day). He came highly recommended by travelers who frequent
TripAdvisor.com's Bali forum.
A Few Hours in Hong KongFinally, at the end of our trip we'll spend just one night at the
InterContinental Hong Kong at Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. We booked a junior suite with harbor views. I wish we could stay at this hotel for a few additional nights! It looks beautiful!
Stay tuned as we blog from Asia starting later this week.
Cathay Pacific 777-300 ER first class cabin
Cathay Pacific 777-300 ER first class cabin
Roomy seating
Personal closet for carry-on luggage
Dining table
Lie-flat bed
