chiang mai Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 (edited) Legian is not teh best beach for surfing, not by a long way. Lombok has some nice stretches, and still clean and unspoilt. Also for anyone contemplating a golf holiday to Bali, it is damm expensive, fantastic, views but real pricey. If you are going to do that, take the short trip to Lombok which has 3 courses which are much cheaper and one of those is a gem Kuta / Legian might not be the best for surfing - but my impression is that they are a great place to learn to surf. And for swimmers like me, its a great place to go in the sea - when the waves pick-up a bit, a dip in the sea there is fantastic fun. Plus there's Uluwatu - another lovely place to be IMHO. Seminyak when the sun is setting, sitting on the beach drinking ice cold Bintang. Sanur is nice and chilled-out if you like a quieter scene. Ubud is cool - bit like Goa. As for visa's, I don't think the Indonesian retirement visa is anywhere near as easy to get as one in Thailand - the conditions are onerous and using agents to bypass the reg's can be expensive. There's a good Indo expat website with a visa section that gives some experiences of trying to get a retirement visa (google: Indonesian Expat). The main differences between the two retirement visa's are that Bali requires you to have health insurance, hire one local as a housekeeper plus the amount of funds in the bank is not specified, it just needs to be "enough" at the time of application hence it might be a moving target! Also, after five years the visa holder can apply for permanent residence which is a nice touch. Edited August 6, 2012 by chiang mai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 to all those, who claim balis beaches are better than thailands... could you please name the beaches, you like that much? i have never seen any more beautiful beachsites than in thailand... Dude, if you have never seen beaches anywhere more beautiful than Thailand, you haven't travelled much, or you're Stevie Wonder. I have seen beaches all along the East and West coast of the US and Canada, Hawaii, the East and West Coast of Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia and some other places and Thailand's beaches are as beautiful as any that I have seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmine Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 to all those, who claim balis beaches are better than thailands... could you please name the beaches, you like that much? i have never seen any more beautiful beachsites than in thailand... Dude, if you have never seen beaches anywhere more beautiful than Thailand, you haven't travelled much, or you're Stevie Wonder. I have seen beaches all along the East and West coast of the US and Canada, Hawaii, the East and West Coast of Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia and some other places and Thailand's beaches are as beautiful as any that I have seen. And if the TAT would purchase some litter bins they would be even nicer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatJ Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 For my money Bali has better looking beaches and countryside, seas are cleaner, food is better, people are friendlier, culturally more open, women better looking, language easier to learn and there are fewer tourists. But there are some big drawbacks, for me at least: I would say its more expensive, particularly accomodation, visa's for stays longer than a few months are a pain and there are less nightlife options for single, older, male visitors that don't look like Brad Pitt (like me !). Other thing I've noticed recently, is that there are an awful lot of Aussie tourists in the beach resort areas. Nothing wrong with that as such, but a lot of the bars and restaurants have become a tad one-dimensional. If they had a decent retirement visa I would be there like a shot. Ive spent several years living/visiting both places- this is spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WebBangkok Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 to all those, who claim balis beaches are better than thailands... could you please name the beaches, you like that much? i have never seen any more beautiful beachsites than in thailand... nowhere in the world you see that turquoise water, such fine sand, many palm trees, and easy to bath (no rocks etc)... the scenery from the sea back to the island is always totally stunning and beautiful... bali/lombok dont have nice beaches... they are very wide, in the meantime really clean, and nice sand... but the water doesnt have that color, nor is the setting beautiful... water/tide is here a problem too, its more than in thailand and the sea is often very rough (also more than in thailand)... the tide is a real issue on some islands, and some spots are possibly a good choice for experienced surfers, but beginners will have a hard time... Dude, if you have never seen beaches anywhere more beautiful than Thailand, you haven't travelled much, or you're Stevie Wonder. I traveled a fair bit, but there are some gems in Thailand that rival the worlds best. No I am not talking about Phuket and Sumui Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WebBangkok Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 But to answer the OP. Been to Bali, its a place you need to see once, its a nice place. But I wouldnt live there. Enjoyed my holiday to Bali many years ago, but I wouldnt go there again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoDogz Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 It is not just what is on the beach, its what is under the water and the rubbish in Thai and a lot of Asian countries waters is horrifying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeijoshinCool Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 (edited) to all those, who claim balis beaches are better than thailands... could you please name the beaches, you like that much? i have never seen any more beautiful beachsites than in thailand... Dude, if you have never seen beaches anywhere more beautiful than Thailand, you haven't travelled much, or you're Stevie Wonder. I have seen beaches all along the East and West coast of the US and Canada, Hawaii, the East and West Coast of Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia and some other places and Thailand's beaches are as beautiful as any that I have seen. Try Fiji, Tahiti, Polynesia, the Turks and Caicos, or the Truk Islands, to name a few....far less pollution. People don't litter there the way, sadly, they do here. And, the locals wear bikinis !!! (Unfortunately, in Tahiti, that includes the hairy-backed French men in Speedos ) Edited August 7, 2012 by HeijoshinCool 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I'm pretty sure that some of the beaches in the Hawaiian islands are as nice as anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chittychangchang Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Australia is my fav for beaches and clear seas. Once you get away from the tourist areas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenSnapper Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Bali beaches are'nt the nicest. Indonesia has much better beaches, often unspoilt by tourists. There are some nice beaches in Thailand, but now mostly overdeveloped and destroyed. Railey at Krabi is still stunning - were there not all the tourist hordes. I don't travel much in Thailand now. Much better beaches all over SE Asia. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggunguy Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 (edited) balis country side is like paradise... also the balinese construction style, or things there built by the australians, in general the huts with open air bathrooms, is very beautiful... and usually in lush green exotic settings... though, they have no window panes - there are always lizards inside... Edited August 7, 2012 by biggunguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londoedan Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 balis country side is like paradise... also the balinese construction style, or things there built by the australians, in general the huts with open air bathrooms, is very beautiful... and usually in lush green exotic settings... though, they have no window panes - there are always lizards inside... Aye, your not wrong about that, the tiered rice paddies at different elevations, and the kites etc are lovely to look at. You can see why the place inspires so many artists. Re an earlier poster mentioning the beaches in other parts of Indonesia. To look at they are great, but a lot of them are not so suitable for casual bathing / swimming. I lived in W Java for a few years and tried swimming in the sea there a few times - I'm a pretty good swimmer but it is was a scary experience with incredibly strong currents. The LP guide makes similar comments re a lot of the beaches along the S coasts of Java. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post croweater Posted August 8, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted August 8, 2012 I'm moving to yogyakarta ,java. No beach,but cheap to live and the "hub" of handicrafts.8 years in Thailand, time to move on. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I'm moving to yogyakarta ,java. No beach,but cheap to live and the "hub" of handicrafts.8 years in Thailand, time to move on. Isn't that where the Borobudur is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenSnapper Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I'm moving to yogyakarta ,java. No beach,but cheap to live and the "hub" of handicrafts.8 years in Thailand, time to move on. What visa do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazygourmet Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I'm moving to yogyakarta ,java. No beach,but cheap to live and the "hub" of handicrafts.8 years in Thailand, time to move on. Very great little city... Indonesia top universities, arty vibes and open minded locales compared to the majority of other Javanese folks. Being stuck there for nearly a month during '98 unrest, I had plenty of time to discover it! After Bandung, Yogya is my favorite place on Java. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I'm moving to yogyakarta ,java. No beach,but cheap to live and the "hub" of handicrafts.8 years in Thailand, time to move on. Very great little city... Indonesia top universities, arty vibes and open minded locales compared to the majority of other Javanese folks. Being stuck there for nearly a month during '98 unrest, I had plenty of time to discover it! After Bandung, Yogya is my favorite place on Java. .....and the women? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londoedan Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I'm moving to yogyakarta ,java. No beach,but cheap to live and the "hub" of handicrafts.8 years in Thailand, time to move on. Very great little city... Indonesia top universities, arty vibes and open minded locales compared to the majority of other Javanese folks. Being stuck there for nearly a month during '98 unrest, I had plenty of time to discover it! After Bandung, Yogya is my favorite place on Java. There's only one city for me in Indonesia - Jakarta - the Big Durian itself. I was also living in Indonesia from 1996 to 2000 - interesting time - I went to Singapore for a couple of weeks during the biggest upheavals - it wasn't much fun driving to the airport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessi Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 This is a good topic as I'm also thinking about moving to Bali. Chiang Mai wrote a good trip report on Bali some good info in that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisb Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Ive been to Bali 6 times which is close to my country Australia and only because friends of mine here like it and have asked me to go. Honestly I hate Bali. It sucks been pestered by beggers 24/7. Dont know why I went so many times. Im happy as a pig in crap in Thailand. Glad I married a Thai girl and glad Ive built a house there. Bali suks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisb Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 to all those, who claim balis beaches are better than thailands... could you please name the beaches, you like that much? i have never seen any more beautiful beachsites than in thailand... nowhere in the world you see that turquoise water, such fine sand, many palm trees, and easy to bath (no rocks etc)... the scenery from the sea back to the island is always totally stunning and beautiful... bali/lombok dont have nice beaches... they are very wide, in the meantime really clean, and nice sand... but the water doesnt have that color, nor is the setting beautiful... water/tide is here a problem too, its more than in thailand and the sea is often very rough (also more than in thailand)... the tide is a real issue on some islands, and some spots are possibly a good choice for experienced surfers, but beginners will have a hard time... Dude, if you have never seen beaches anywhere more beautiful than Thailand, you haven't travelled much, or you're Stevie Wonder. Australias beaches are easily as good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisb Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I reckon you'd be better off in Malaysia Phillipines also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Ive been to Bali 6 times which is close to my country Australia and only because friends of mine here like it and have asked me to go. Honestly I hate Bali. It sucks been pestered by beggers 24/7. Dont know why I went so many times. Im happy as a pig in crap in Thailand. Glad I married a Thai girl and glad Ive built a house there. Bali suks. I'm guessing you were plagued with beggars in Kuta, we never saw a single one and we didn't go to Kuta? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggunguy Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) to all those, who claim balis beaches are better than thailands... could you please name the beaches, you like that much? i have never seen any more beautiful beachsites than in thailand... nowhere in the world you see that turquoise water, such fine sand, many palm trees, and easy to bath (no rocks etc)... the scenery from the sea back to the island is always totally stunning and beautiful... bali/lombok dont have nice beaches... they are very wide, in the meantime really clean, and nice sand... but the water doesnt have that color, nor is the setting beautiful... water/tide is here a problem too, its more than in thailand and the sea is often very rough (also more than in thailand)... the tide is a real issue on some islands, and some spots are possibly a good choice for experienced surfers, but beginners will have a hard time... Dude, if you have never seen beaches anywhere more beautiful than Thailand, you haven't travelled much, or you're Stevie Wonder. Australias beaches are easily as good. just watch out for saltwater crocs and boxed jellyfish and sharks... Edited August 8, 2012 by biggunguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) to all those, who claim balis beaches are better than thailands... could you please name the beaches, you like that much? i have never seen any more beautiful beachsites than in thailand... nowhere in the world you see that turquoise water, such fine sand, many palm trees, and easy to bath (no rocks etc)... the scenery from the sea back to the island is always totally stunning and beautiful... bali/lombok dont have nice beaches... they are very wide, in the meantime really clean, and nice sand... but the water doesnt have that color, nor is the setting beautiful... water/tide is here a problem too, its more than in thailand and the sea is often very rough (also more than in thailand)... the tide is a real issue on some islands, and some spots are possibly a good choice for experienced surfers, but beginners will have a hard time... Dude, if you have never seen beaches anywhere more beautiful than Thailand, you haven't travelled much, or you're Stevie Wonder. Australias beaches are easily as good. just watch out for saltwater crocs and boxed jellyfish... Don't forget sharks, blue ringed octopus and stonefish. Edited August 8, 2012 by giddyup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermark Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 The bar and girly nightlife is not an issue.Wondering about cost of living, rent etc and food. For example what are wages like, if you can get a maid in Los for between 5 and 8k a month livein, whats the equivalent in bali etc ? Are cars expensive to buy ? Schooling ? although one school I just looked at was 350k baht a year most likely ++ One huge difference is the population. Bali has well over 3 million people in an area about 7 times larger than Samui. Very dense. The southern third of the island feels more like Manhattan. Way, way overdeveloped. Ubud still retains some charm. The north and west coasts are still quite nice. Infinitely more culture than thailand. Jazz, dance, theatre, fine art, etc. Good food too. The beaches of kuta, legion and seminyak are a wasteland. Denpasar is oppressive large and overpopulated. Feels more like Bombay than Thailand. A very different vibe. I prefer thailand. Sent from my galaxy s3 using Thaivisa Connect App Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) Ive been to Bali 6 times which is close to my country Australia and only because friends of mine here like it and have asked me to go. Honestly I hate Bali. It sucks been pestered by beggers 24/7. Dont know why I went so many times. Im happy as a pig in crap in Thailand. Glad I married a Thai girl and glad Ive built a house there. Bali suks. I'm guessing you were plagued with beggars in Kuta, we never saw a single one and we didn't go to Kuta? It is not just beggars. It is people pestering you to buy things and services that you have no interest in. Worse than Vietnam. Worse than India. They are really annoying. Edited August 8, 2012 by Ulysses G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggunguy Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Ive been to Bali 6 times which is close to my country Australia and only because friends of mine here like it and have asked me to go. Honestly I hate Bali. It sucks been pestered by beggers 24/7. Dont know why I went so many times. Im happy as a pig in crap in Thailand. Glad I married a Thai girl and glad Ive built a house there. Bali suks. I'm guessing you were plagued with beggars in Kuta, we never saw a single one and we didn't go to Kuta? It is not just beggars. It is people pestering you to buy things and services that you have no interest in. Worse than Vietnam. Worse than India. They are really annoying. in indonesia i developed the technique of always walking very closely behind the next guy(s) coming along... the pesterers then think you belong to them and dont ask you anymore... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 How odd, the things you mention were not a problem for us, in fact, we never saw any of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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