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Bali, Indonesia – Why You Should Go Now

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Indonesia? Sounds like a crazy place for most people. Bali, one of Indonesia islands, probably seems like one of those exotic, unachievable or unimaginable destinations that you only see and read about in magazines, right? Orr, perhaps not. Far from reality actually. Bali actually receives nearly 3 million visitors per year!

But you shouldn’t go there if you like beautiful beaches, amazing hotels, culture, surfing, great nightlife or incredible restaurants. Because that wouldn’t be the place for you. Like, at all! Did I mention cheap? Right, who would like something that is cheap!

All jokes aside, visiting Bali between April- October is perfect, because it is considered dry season. Rainy season is November- March, though, this should not deter you from visiting during this time. Visitors can actually enjoy all activities during rainy season, and perhaps take part in seasonal low hotel rates. Also it’s worth mentioning that because Bali is so close to the equator temperatures are similar year round.

Getting To Bali

If you have a bit of time off, maybe one-two weeks. You could easily see a few areas of Bali within that time frame, along with getting there and back. The great thing about traveling west over so many time zones, is that when you come back you can sometimes come back on the “same day” within a few hours as you took off. Which is one of the weirder experiences I’ve had during my travels.

Bali has one major airport located just south of the popular beach destination in Bali called Kuta. There are many flights leaving for Bali on the west coast from all major airports (LAX, SFO, SEA, SAN, LAS) all under $900 year round. Even some flights out of LAX are in the low $600 range. Sometimes you can’t even fly from LA to Miami without paying that much!

Which Area To Stay

Bali is a very diverse little island, with many different areas to take up temporary residence. Because of the vast diversity, you should probably stay in the areas that most interest on what you want to get out of your vacation. Below is a detailed map showing major cities, and where most of the hotels are located. Hotels are not limited to the areas featured on the map, you can actually find hotels all over the island, as well as, vacation rentals.

 

Popular Areas:

  • Kuta Beach- Best known as the most famous tourist resort area. It was the first tourist spot on the island, mainly for the great Indian Ocean surfing. This once rustic beach location, has grown into a party-centric destination for visitors all over the world.
  • Seminyak Beach- Home to some of the most luxurious resorts on the island, and by far the most fashionable part of the island. Shopping stalls and boutquies line the streets, as well as cafes and high end restaurants.
  • Bukit Peninsula- This location houses the famous cliff-hanging Uluwatu temple, Balangan beach -considered some of the worlds best white sand beaches- and now some of top surfing spots on the island. This part of the island also has some very uber swanky spas, and hotels with views to kill.
  • Nusa Dua- Is on the eastern side of Bukit Peninsula, but is in a category all on its’ own. This a more laid back part of the island, away from the crazy roads of Jimbaran and party area of Kuta. There is a very well known golf course, convention center, as well as, a host of luxury resorts. One of the more unique aspects of the Nusa Dua enclave is that there are three manned gates that are subject to a visitor security search. (Probably why the president of the United States stays on this part of the island.
  • Ubud- This part of the island is very near and dear to my heart. It’s unlike anywhere I’ve been in the world. The topography will transcend you to a completely different world, and the culture is matched to beat the rest. Don’t let the jungle of be worrisome there are a good variety of budget to luxury hotels in this area, to accommodate anyones needs.
  • Pemuteran- This is an increasingly popular area to visit Bali in recent years. This small liad-back fishing village is a way to seem some of Bali’s more natural and uninhibited beaches. One of the more unique features of this area is that it is home to largest artificial Biorock reef project in the world. (You like scub? *insert french accent here)

 

Bali is a fascinating island that has a lot to offer to visitor young, and old. If you have any suggestions or areas to stay that I haven’t covered leave them in the comment below!

Positano: A Guide To Get There

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Ah, Italy, you have so much to offer. How do you choose just one town, village, city, coast to see? This is a difficult question that many ask themselves before traveling to Italy. Whether you have limited time or an abundance, you’ll never get to see and do everything you want. For example, one of my mothers friends has been to Italy twelve times… yes TWELVE.. and she still says it’s not enough. I dreamt about just going once, and now that I have, I’m dreaming about going again, but all in due time.

For now I’m here to talk about one of Italy’s coastal gems; Positano. An absolute paradise, and the most delicious, scenic, beautiful place you ever might visit. When defining utopia, I’m pretty sure Positano is in the definition.. it’s that breathtaking.

But as with almost anything, something so rewarding isn’t an always the easiest to accomplish. As the saying goes “if it were easy, everyone would be doing it” Right? Right!

Getting To Positano

There are multiple options to choose from when traveling to Positano. You can take a ferry, bus, train/bus combo, or private transfer/taxi option from either Naples or Rome. These are all viable options that everyone takes depending on your budget and how you prefer to travel.

Ferry/Ferry , Ferry/Bus Option

There are no direct ferries to Positano at this time. If you’re arriving into Naples, there are ferries leaving from Naples Beverello Port to Sorrento about 5 times daily depending on the time of year. You may book tickets in advance or book the day of. However, the ferry only takes you to Sorrento. From Sorrento you’ll still need to make your way to the bus stop which takes you onto Positano. Second option would be to connect with another ferry that takes you onto Positano.

  • Ferry/Ferry Option: $44 USD about 3 hours travel time
  • Ferry/Bus Option: $19 USD about 3-4 hours travel time

Train/Bus

There are no direct trains to Positano. There is a popular public trained called the circumvesuviana which has routes from Napoli Train Terminal to Sorrento, it takes about 50 minutes total travel. There are several trains per hour that leave to Sorrento, booking in advance is not needed. Once to the station in Sorrento you’ll need to take a taxi or bus to continue to get to Postiano. Both buses and taxis are outside the train terminal in Sorrento.

  • Train/Bus Option: $9 USD about 2 hours travel time and the most affordable

If you do decide to take a taxi from Sorrento to Postiano it will cost you around $90 USD.

Private Transfer

Depending where you’re coming from either Rome, or Naples. There are private transfers or taxis that will take you directly to Positano. No stops, and the most comfortable way to travel to Positano. You can use various online tools to book a transfer or contact the hotel you’ll be staying at in Positano to have them arrange it for you.

  • From Rome:$300-450 USD about 3-4 hours
  • From Naples: $115-150 USD about 1- 1 1/2 hours

Personal Experience

Going to Positano we opted for the Train/Bus option because we stayed in a little beach town close to Sorrento before heading to Positano the next day. The circumvesuviana train was an interesting experience with it’s own charm. It can be crowded, therefore you may not get a seat for the first few stops. Furthermore, there is no aircon, but the windows do stay down. When the train moves you do feel the breeze, but it can get hot. The next morning when we caught the bus to Positano we did wait in a line to get on the bus, and once on the bus we didn’t have a seat, so we had to stand. The bus ride is 30-45 minutes, so for nearly 4 Euros it wasn’t that bad. (Total $9 USD train and bus combined).

On the way back to Naples we paid 130 Euros to have a car pick us up from the hotel and drop us at the train station in Naples. Obviously this was the carefree, easy way to travel. Not to mention a way to travel in style!  Yes, I may have liked this option more, but the price difference is so staggering between the other options that the struggles with the train/bus option wasn’t that bad! I can’t speak for the ferry option, but it is available for those sea lovers.

Caio!

 

How I Flew First Class From Asia to U.S. For $105!

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Flying… we love and hate it. It gets us to our next destination fast, but surely not without its’ fair share of headaches! Lines everywhere, tacked on fees at check in, and don’t forget about those dreaded middle seats! Oh, the agony! What if least some of those annoyances could be alleviated? Would traveling be a bit more pleasurable? Would you consider traveling more often? I’d say yes!

I found the trick to skipping those long lines, never paying for my first checked bag again. I found this through signing up for Gold Delta Skymiles® Credit Card. This card has literally SAVED me, not just financially, but physically too. The benefits of this card are endless, and at a mere $95 annual fee (*first year waived), it’s worth the sign up.

I already knew I liked flying Delta Airlines. This airline is a bit more “business forward”, but business travelers know how to travel! Business travelers are efficient in traveling, they know what they’re doing and they do it quick. This makes it more comfortable for someone who’s a frequent traveller/flyer as well. Us frequent fliers also know the “ins and outs” of an airport, and we tend to roll our eyes are those who aren’t as savvy as we are! (Don’t deny that you haven’t had an eye roll or two at the person who has no idea how to get to their seat, put their bag in the overhead bin, or follow any sort of directions whatsoever!)

What’s the Deal?

After flying with Delta Airlines for some time I started to accumulate miles, but I wanted more. It dawned on me that I could achieve status with my favorite airline quicker by signing up with the Gold Delta Skymiles® Credit Card. Heres what you get:

  • Earn 30,000 Bonus Points*
  • Priority Boarding
  • Every dollar spent counts towards miles
  • $50 Statement Credit**
  • Earn 2 Miles per Delta Purchase
  • First Checked Bag Free *for companions too
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • Travel Accident Insurance
  • Much more…

Annual Fee: $95; waived your first year

*Earn 30,000 bonus points after $1000 spend within the first 3 months. **Statement credit added after you make your first first on delta within the first 3 months.

UPDATE 11-28-16 To earn your 35,000 Bonus Miles and $50 statement credit, please email me! 🙂

american-express-delta

 

How I used my Delta Bonus Miles!

I won’t hold you in suspense any longer! At the time when I signed up Gold Delta Skymiles® Credit Card, they were offering 50,000 bonus miles. I booked a few delta flights on this card once I received it, and boom! Before I knew it I racked up that $1000 spend, and was able to get my 50K bonus miles. Not to mention DOUBLE points for booking delta flights. It was like I earned almost an extra 4,000 miles when it was all said and done after flying.

Also, at the time I was about to fly to Asia, though I hadn’t booked my return flight home. I knew my last destination before flying back to the U.S. was going to be in Hong Kong. After I received my bonus miles I began looking at flights from Hong Kong back home. I found a First Class – YES – Delta One First Class, from Hong Kong to Seattle for 75,000 points ++.

Taxes and fees had to be paid separately, which were only $105 USD!! How exciting right? First class, plus access to lounges at the airport, and private car transfers in-between the gates all for points 75K + $105. Definitely, a steal! Of course, I already had 25,000 points already in my account.

Had I not had those points I could a flown on an economy ticket for 30,000 points + taxes (roughly $50 USD).

A bit tired from a long night in Hong Kong, but I made the flight!

A bit tired from a long night in Hong Kong, but I made the flight to Shanghai.. home bound after my next connection!

 

 

My Delta Skymiles card is perfect for me. I’ve had the card just under a year and if I had the annual fee it would have already paid for itself because of the free checked baggage benefits. Plus, every dollar I spend gets matched for Skymiles and transferred directly into my account at the end of each billing statement.

 

If you have any other tips, or suggestions; please leave them in the comment section below! Happy Travels!