Sport and Travel

Golfing

In Bali it is normal to rent golf club car and one caddy per player comes with you. If you like to walk, then you walk, the caddy will take care of the club car. Tip after play: the Caddy gets about 150,000 rupiah (equivalent to 12 CHF) - depending on how you were satisfied with the Caddy.

Beware, you get used to the fact that one is spoiled, in Switzerland you have to pack up the pitch fork itself again and the holes by yourself.

The green fee prices are "steep". For a round of golf you pay about 150.00 USD - that's why we mostly play Sunset Golf. In most places here after 15.00 o’clock the prices dropping significantly (will cost only around 100.00 USD) and if the court isn’t overrun, then you still can play 12 to 18 holes.

No. 1 place in Bali – Nirwana Golf Club www.nirwanabaligolf.com – about 20 minutes from the Villa Gueggel (US$ 200.--). Allow some more time to check in on the golf course, when we want to play at about 15.00 o’clock, we leave the Villa around 14.15 o’clock.

No 2 Course in the mountains – Handara Kosaido Golf Club www.balihandarakosaido.com - 1 hour 15 minutes from Villa Gueggel (US$ 150.--), located in the mountains, with Japanese garden design. Connect it with the visit to the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Water Temple at Lake Bratan and the small market in Bedugul. A tip: At the backside of the Public Botanic Garden Mengwi (trail behind the market), about 10 minutes drive from Bedugul, you will find a small ruined temple with old stone figures, known as Temple guards.

Falls Sie in den Bergen übernachten und evtl. am nächsten Tag eine weitere Golfrunde spielen möchten, gibt es eine Hotelanlage mit typischen balinesischen Holzhäuschen in Munduk: Puri Lumbung Cottages, www.purilumbung.com. Falls Sie interessiert sind, Kindern in der Kecak-Tanzschule zuzuschauen, erkundigen Sie sich vor der Reise im Hotel, wann das Training in Munduk stattfindet (ca. 300 Meter bergaufwärts von den Puri Lumbung Cottages). Es ist wirklich sehr beeindruckend und lohnend.

No 3 – Bali National Golf Club +62 361 771 791 – about 1 hour driving time (US$ 180.--_. After your round of golf, we recommended to enjoy an Indonesian Dinner atwww.bumbubaliresto.com Because the Indonesian rice table is a pure pleasure! (See also under restaurants).

No 4 – New Kuta Golf the New Kuta Golf is a Championship Course with considerable length and spectacular views of the cliffs and the sea www.newkutagolf.com/generalinformation.htm - New Kuta Golf is Bali's youngest.

No 5 – Bali Beach Golf - 9-hole-Gold Course www.balibeachgolfcourse.com. We have never played the course, but it will eventually catch up.

Diving

Offered in East and West Bali around the islands on your trip at almost all hotels. Interesting information can be found on www.schoener-tauchen.ch .

Surfing

In progress...

Excursions in the mountains of Bali following the above mentioned tour (Golf No. 2) by Munduk you can admire on the way back, Lake Batur volcano with its impressive crater. Then you can return home trough Ubud (possibly overnight stay at Hotel Artini 3 – www.artinicottage.com or www.artinibaligroup.com) (Driver Yanis is superb).

East Bali Tours On the way to East Bali we recommend the mountain road between Mount Agung (3142 meters - the highest mountain in Bali) and Mount Seraya - a beautiful flat with an infinite number of rice fields and banana plantations to choose from. Then follow the road to Amed, where there is a small hotel "Amed", which is run by the Swiss – www.palmgardenamed.com. On the way home to Amed towards Amlapura you navigate the adventurous coast road of Bali which was slightly widened in 2000.

West Bali Tours on the way trough Tabanan towards the sea (various attractions - beautiful plateau, rice fields) to the coast road (various sights - impressive ship harbor with large timber ships Pengambengan, just a shame that they smells so insanely – ox-cart racing in Negara) on the way trough Tabanan towards the sea (various attractions - beautiful plateau, rice fields) to the coast road (various sights - impressive ship harbor with large timber ships Pengambengan, just a shame that they smells so insanely – ox-cart racing in Negara) drive torwards the end of the coastal road through the West Bali National Park. After you will find Hotel Santi Sari www.santisarihotel.com a Gault Millau restaurant - very pretty and very expensive… The night is also not cheap - you possibly can negotiate the price with the Director Gregory Pincus (pharmacist from London. The complex is located directly at the sea - the next day you can take the hotel boat on a beautiful diving or snorkeling excursion near an island in the National Park (P. Menjangang). Or drive a few miles further, to Pemuteran, where there are many small economical hotels with an excellent dive centers, and the coral reefs are still intact and beautiful!

Beachday Bali is still possible at the hotel Karma in South Bali www.karmakandara.com Jalan Bukit Permai in Jimbaran or just located next door in the Villa Semara Resort Finn's Beach Club www.semarauluwatu.com. With a Standseilbähnchen go directly to the beach - depending on high or low tide great for swimming, sun loungers, towels and restaurant - all there. Unfortunately, karma and Finn are on the arduous road route - so it pays to go there early (about 75 minutes drive from the Villa), after your beach day have a sunset dinner at Jimbaran beach and drive late back home again..

Of course, you can also do the same in Canggu on the beach. However, we would like to point out that we have never been before seen the sea clear, the waves are short and are not suitable for swimming. You also can get a beach chair in front of KU DE TA with umbrella and enjoy the sea view or walk along the endless beaches.

Excursion Lombok - Gili Islands

In the high season (July and August) it is advisable to book well in advance.

Transportation: BlueWater Express: Will pick you up early morning at home or from the Canggu Club (Fr 2.70 by taxi) and take you to the port. You will be taken home after your trip. BlueWater Safaris, Tel. +62 361 895 1111, www.bluewater-express.com. The boat trip takes about 2.5 hours.

On the islands around Bali you will find beautiful beaches and clean, turquoise sea!

For the older generation we recommend the quiet island of Lombok. There are many tours availible, because Lombok is large and has a lot to offer. The Hotel Qunci (www.quncivillas.com) ) is right on the beachfront with stunning views of the Gili Islands and the highest mountain in Bali, the Mount Agung ( impressive views ). The complex was designed in collaboration with four artists and is beautiful and very well maintained. It has two restaurants where we ate very well. The hotel room No 10 is a bit set back, but still one has views of the sea and the garden. If you stay at Qunci, we have an important tip: you should always close the bathroom door because of mosquitoes. Price for room No 10 is USD 165.00 +++ taxes. Transportation from the port to the hotel – about 100‘000.00 Rupiah, do not let you be cheated, it has many "rascals" in the transport business there.

From Hotel Qunci you can do a nice day trip to the Gilis with one of the local fishing boats (price to be negotiated with the fishermen, between 50 and 100 USD). There is also the faster way by speedboat (www.lombokspeedboat.com). The islands have gorgeous beaches and intact sea, but watch out for the currents ...

In the center of Lombok, are apparently trips to the wood carvers and potters, the lake and waterfalls. But our stay was too short.

Next we visited the Hotel Oberoi (www.oberoihotels.com) The hotel is beautifully situated, the facility is also wonderful in a prime seafront location, but expensive. Hotel Tugu (www.tuguhotels.com) is in the same price category as the Oberoi. The hotel is full of antiques as well as fittings, furniture and decorations. Next door there is a Japanese 18-hole golf course (www.99bali.com/golf/lombokkosaido) - which makes a very good impression, but we have not played there yet.

For the daily rent for a car with chauffeur you pay around 350,000 rupiah plus fuel for about 100,000 rupiah. Prices and Tours should be discussed with Dien directly: Tel 081 757 425 71

The Gilis

Gili Travangan – the island is for the party freaks. It is next to the hustle and bustle of bars, restaurants, hotels (Lumbungs) actually also very nice beaches, with snorkeling and diving goggles you have a picture similar to the Maldives. The test for tourists is the trip around the island on foot around noon ... The price for accommodation is about 400,000 to Rp 800,000 rupiah per night per cottage (bungalow).

Gili Air - is much quieter than Gili Travangan - great for family holidays. The island provides a great Robinson Crusoe feeling, which will be extinct in a few years. Do not decide too quickly for one of the first straw-huts "Lumbungs" for your stay. Right from the pier you will find for example the restaurant Scallywags. Because you can enjoy a simple and good food, and there are also additional non-maintained Lumbungs. Further along the sea is a small resort "Gusung Indah" Tel 081 907 323 849 "Mr. Jack," the white cockatoo, welcomes you at the reception, you can always pet him a litte. The Lumbungs look very nice.

Gili Meno has not yet a good infrastructure as the other Gili Islands. Crystal blue water (always watch out for the currents) inspires all divers, snorkelers and swimmer hearts. On the end it has apparently a small beautiful hotel named "Mahamaya". The island can be great as a day or half-day trip: from Gili Travangan or Gili Air within 5 minutes, or Lombok depending on the noat in 15 to 60 minutes.

Island Trip Lembongan

Lembongan Island is our favorite (not to be confused with favorite beaches). The transport from the villa to the port in Sanur takes an hour. For the voyage is the official versions speed boat taxi (30 minutes) www.scootcruise.com or public boat (60 minutes) availible. The mobility on the island was previously only guaranteed with a motorcycle (100,000 rupiah per day), so we loaded the bike with our 83 year old Aunt of Eva Verena at the time. (but sge had to get a tattoo before that). Recently, there are now Golf Cars (Island Buggy +62 87 8801 34571 or +62 81 9165 11288 Ketut Peanut) for rent (expensive 80.00 bis 100.00 USD per day).

There are many places to stay - we recommend:

Beautiful and dignified, with great views, good food, rather expensive: Batu Karang, www.batukaranglembongan.com.

Small, sweet, absolutely fine cuisine, expensive: Indiana Kenanga, www.indiana-kenanga-villas.com

New, clean Lumbungs atmosphere, good food, medium price range: Tigerlillys, www.tigerlillys-lembongan.com.

Simple, sweet and very inexpensive: Alam Nusa (always for with air conditioning) Tel. 081 9166 26 336, www.alamnusahuts.com.

Mushroom Garden Villas, very simple but large rooms Tel. +62 366 5596 386, www.mushroom-lembongan.com.

We recommend that even if you do not live in the Beach Club to at least eat there, especially in the evening, the view of the bay is impressive. The Beach Club, Sandy Bay www.sandybaylembongan.com – Phone for Free Transport: 0828 9700 5656.

Dream Beach Restaurant and Lumbungs on the bay with the most beautiful beach and very high waves: : www.dreambeachlembongan.com.

More accommodation can be found on www.booking.com.

On Lembongan, you can decide whether you want to explore the island, as mentioned with a moped (Bebek) or the golf car. Bebek are mostly rented by employees of the hotel facilities. For sea trips fishermen will offer their boats. Bring a diving mask or rent - there are so many fish under water and, depending on which bay you will see beautiful corals. Flippers are recommended due to strong currents. Of course you can fish. For divers there are professional dive centers located at the shore.