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? 

Why Cathay Pacific over Singapore Airlines?

Every time I travel to Hong Kong from San Francisco there are only few airlines that provide nonstop flights, therefore my choices are limited. It is important to choose the airline that provides the best service because airfare from San Francisco to Hong Kong during the peak season can costs up to $1,700 for round trip economy seats. Its either United Airlines, American Airlines, US Airway, Cathay Pacific, or Singapore Airlines. I’ve personally experienced Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines. I prefer flying with Cathay Pacific rather than Singapore Airline because Cathay Pacific offers two flight times, afternoon and midnight, from San Francisco to Hong Kong but Singapore Airlines only offers midnight flight time.

Basic Facts

Cathay Pacific

- 139 aircrafts

- Serves 182 destinations in 42 countries

- Loyalty program: Asia Miles (over 500 partners in nine categories, including 21 airline partners)

Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-400

Singapore Airlines 

- 102 aircrafts

- Serves 65 destinations in 34 countries

- Loyalty program: KrisFlyer (170+ non-airline partners and 26 airline partners)

Singapore Airline SIA 747-412

Awards and Rankings

According to the 2013 Skytrax World Airline Awards, a prestigious award for the airline industry, both Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways were in the Airline of the year award. Even though Singapore Airline was named third while Cathay Pacific ranked sixth, Cathay Pacific has the Best Staff Service in Asia and the overall best cabin staff.

	Airline of the year	Best Inflight Entertain-ment	Economy Class Catering	Best Economy Class Cabin	Best Economy Class Seats	Best Staff Service (Asia)	Best Cabin Staff
Cathay Pacific	6th	3rd	7th	6th	Not on top 10	2nd	1st
Singapore Airline	3rd	2nd	3rd	3rd	4th	3rd	5th

Safety

            According to planecrashinfo.com, the last fatal crash for Cathay Pacific was in 1972, more than 41 years ago. As for Singapore Airlines, the last fatal crash occurred in 2000. Flight SQ006 to Los Angeles from Singapore via Taiwan crashed on the runway of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. This incident killed 83 people.  

Why Cathay Pacific?

            From my personally experiences, I like Cathay Pacific because they offer two flight schedules. The afternoon flight is more convenient than the midnight flight because I don’t have to keep myself awake until 12am to board the plane. Both Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airline’s loyalty program allow you to use the miles collected to dine, shop, and even fly. Cathay Pacific has more partners in this program which makes collecting miles easier. Most importantly, it is easier to find a ticket cheaper because Cathay Pacific has more flights to Hong Kong than Singapore Airlines.

Have you travel with these two airlines? If not, can you tell me your favorite airline?