Best in Bali Beach resorts

There are so many fabulous beach resorts in Bali, it's hard to choose just where to stay. I had the opportunity to visit a few of the top luxury resorts and each one had something special to offer.

I highly recommend splitting your time on the island between the central region of Ubud and spending some time at the beach.

The Amankila resort has a spectacular cliffside location on the south eastern coast of Bali. Individual thatched roofed villa suites dot the hillside and are connected by a series of stone stairways. Being in good physical condition would be a bonus here, although they do have buggies to take you up and down the hill if you so desire. Our suite was located at the very top of the hill, which afforded some beautiful sea views and it was very private. We did have to negotiate the long stairways to get down to the pool area and dining rooms, so I just made sure I had everything with me before I left the room! The main pool area has a series of three tiered-pools with many comfy sun beds and several covered bales, great for lounging. All the way at the base of the cliff is the beach club. There is another restaurant adjacent to a large swimming pool, and several more individual bales on the black sand beach. Many different watersports are offered, including standup paddle-boarding, boogie boards, kayaks, windsurfing and hobie cats. I had a great sail on the hobie one afternoon - the wind was strong and it was a blast flying across the waves!

Other than enjoying the fabulous meals at Amankila, I had one other indulgence during my stay. It was a signature spa treatment called  Cita Ening. It is described as a full body purification process to provide clarity of thought and a sense of well-being. Sounded good to me! I wasn't sure if I was going to a cooking class or having a spa treatment. The ingredients for the service called for rice, yogurt, ginger, honey, milk, cucumber and coconut cream.   The two and a half hour treatment started with a fresh lime and salt foot scrub (margarita anyone?), followed by a full body exfoliation with rice and ginger. The therapist then applied yogurt and honey to my chest, and a mixture of red ginger and cajeput to my stomach. I was wrapped with warm towels while slices of cucumber were placed over my eyes and face. Next came a soothing head and scalp massage with coconut hair cream.  If this wasn't enough, the finale was a relaxing massage. After it was all over, I floated back to my suite at the top of the hill, sense of well-being fully restored!

It was sad to leave Amankila, but the smile returned to my face upon arrival at the St. Regis Bali resort.  This beautiful property is located on a golden sand beach in Nusa Dua. The entrance opens to a very grand open-air lobby, with smaller seating areas placed around.  The St. Regis features butler service for all of its suites and villas. Our butler created a very special welcome for us, since we were celebrating a special occasion. The bathtub was filled with rose petals in the shape of a heart - a fun surprise! The suite itself was very spacious, including a sitting area with sofa and chairs, large walk-in closet, entrance foyer, marble bathroom and a private balcony. The resort is only a few years old, and the suites feature all of the latest technology: 42-inch screen tv, ipod docking station and wifi.

If you prefer more space than the 900-square foot entry level suite provides, you can opt for one of the villas on property. There are gorgeous one, two and three-bedroom villas, some of which are centered around a huge salt water lagoon swimming pool.

Dining at the St. Regis Bali can be from grabbing a bite at the casual Gourmand Deli to fine dining at the elegant and romantic, beachfront Kayuputi restaurant.  The breakfasts served at the Boneka restaurant are among the best I've ever had. There is an elaborate buffet with every western breakfast food you can think of, plus salads, sushi, soups AND ala carte items you can order off the menu. I personally recommend the lobster omelette. Why not, you're on vacation?!  While you're enjoying your breakfast, the servers come around with small bites of the chef's specialties for the day. These were tastings of Indonesian beef and noodles, fruit smoothies, etc. Needless to say, I had to taste it all, and I pretty much rolled out of the restaurant each morning. The best part is, when you book your stay at the St. Regis with us, this fabulous breakfast is included in your stay!

To reserve your Bali beach vacation, contact the Travel Specialists at Bee Kalt Travel

Email: travel@beekalt.com
Tel: 248-288-9600 or Toll-free 1-800-284-5258
http://www.beekalt.com/
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/beekalt

Hangin' with the Orangutans

Did you know that orangutans share 97 percent of their DNA with humans? The word Orangutan is derived from the Indonesian words: Orang, meaning human and Utan, meaning forest. I wanted to meet our tree-dwelling cousins in the wild and the best place to do this is on the island of Borneo. Borneo consists of three nations: Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The Malaysian side has better infrastructure and nicer hotels, but I was most interested in visiting Camp Leakey. This is where Dr. Birute Galdikas, the well-known primatologist, pioneered her studies of orangutans in the wild and has worked tirelessly for their conservation for over 40 years.

So, off to Kalimantan, Indonesia we went for our adventure in the rainforest.

We flew from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, to Pangkalan Bun, a small city in central Kalimantan, in the southern part of Borneo. We transferred to a wooden boat, called a klotok, which would be our means of transport for the next three days. Some travelers opt to actually stay on the boats, where they set up mattresses for sleeping on the open air deck.  We chose to stay in the jungle at the Rimba Lodge. Accommodations are very basic, but provided a comfortable respite after long days on the river. We were very happy with our little cabin that provided a hot shower, air conditioning and the staff tried very hard to be helpful.

Each morning we woke up early, had breakfast, and were on the boat by 7:33am. Our guide, Erwin, was a former ranger so he knew the forest and all of its inhabitants very well. Indeed, he identified my first glimpse of wildlife when I almost sat on a bronzeback snake.

There are three different feeding stations you can visit in the Tanjung Puting National Park. Many of the orangutans living here were former orphans, their mothers having been killed by loggers or poachers. They have been rehabilitated and returned to the wild, to live on their own in the forest. As their habitat has been diminished by logging and other human activities, food can sometimes be scarce. This is why the National Park Service provides supplemental fruit and milk for the animals in case they are in need.

It was a magical experience encountering our first orangutan in the wild! We could spot young males hanging from trees, moving effortlessly from branch to branch. Their flexibility and strength is amazing - they can do yoga poses I can only dream of! We saw mothers with babies, and we got to see the King. He was one big fellow! He can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. If he is at the feeding platform, the other females can approach, but the younger males wouldn't dare to.

We could stay and watch them for as long as we liked. In order to reach the various feeding stations, we usually had a short walk on a wooden-plank boardwalk and down the trails in the forest. It wasn't too strenuous and the longest walk was no further than 2 kilometers.
Along the way, we also saw monkeys, gibbons and wild boar.

While leisurely cruising on the river, we were able to see lots of other wildlife: many species of birds, crocodiles, monitor lizards, and the very odd-looking proboscis monkey. These monkeys only live in the rainforests of Borneo. Not only are they funny to look at, but they make a very funny honking sound as well. We felt very fortunate to see these unusual and endangered creatures in the wild.

Our expert guide, Erwin

If you would like to plan your own adventure in the rainforest, contact the Travel Specialists at Bee Kalt Travel!

Email: travel@beekalt.com
Tel: 248-288-9600 or Toll-free 1-800-284-5258
http://www.beekalt.com/
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/beekalt