Bali, Indonesia or Oahu, Hawaii?

Hula Dancer 

It’s almost summer time and I would love to go on a relaxing vacation in a tropical paradise. For Americans, we like to go to Hawaii but for Australians, they like to go to Bali, Indonesia. Of course, traveling from US to Indonesia costs a lot more than traveling to Hawaii. For you, fellow Americans out there, you will need to get a passport and purchase a landing Visa at the Indonesian embassy or at the Indonesian airport upon arrival. I’ve been Kuta area in Bali and Waikiki Beach in Oahu. Even though airfare is more expansive to travel to Indonesia, I would pick Bali over Hawaii because everything is cheaper at Bali.

Here is a simple budget for an adults (flying from San Francisco in early June)

	Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii	Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
Airfare (round trip)	$620+tax (Hawaiian Airlines)	$1500+tax (China Airlines, stop at Taipei)
Baggage Fees (2 baggage)	$17	$0
Hotel	Hilton Waikiki Beach $189/night	Sheraton Bali Kuta   $159/night  (newly open in 2012)
Meals	~$40/day	$10/day

At a glance, Bali, Indonesia seems a little more expansive to travel to but here is why you should travel to Bali instead of Hawaii.

1. Daily spa at Bali. For the ladies out there, you can get a quality 2-hour traditional Balinese Lulur Spa for only $80, tips included. I enjoyed the spa so much and it was extremely relaxing. First, a masseuse will give you a full body massage for an hour, and then she will place a layer of exfoliating scrub on your body. After 15 minutes, she will rub off the dried scrub. For the last 30 minutes, you will soak into a scented flower petal bath. Lastly, they will offer you a cup specially blended herbal tea. A similar 2-hour spa in Hawaii will cost up to $180+tips. That’s 3 times the price! You can have spa for 3 consecutive days in Bali with $180. (That’s what I did.)

Grilled corn on the beach at Bali

2. Food is cheaper. Food in Hawaii is crazy expansive because they put tax on it. In Bali, you can enjoy a decent meal with seafood and drinks on the beach for $10. There are also a lot of inexpensive street foods available. My favorite is the grilled corn with a sweet glaze from a vendor on the beach. It cost only 50 cents.

3. Water sports at a low price. You can do parasailing for $9(100,000 IDR). That’s never heard of in US. It costs up to $60 to parasail at the Waikiki Beach. Other water sports such as Banana Boat and Jet Ski cost less at Bali.

I love both of these places because they have their own unique cultures. Both islands have amazing weather during the summer time. I have to admit; I like Bali a little bit more because it is less expansive to indulge in luxury there.

Where do you want to go? Bali, Oahu, or another tropical paradise?