Sights of Balikpapan

Some of the TOP Hotels in Bali

Bali's most famous and crowded resort is Kuta beach, a six-kilometre sweep of golden sand, with plenty of accommodation, shops and nightlife. Nearby Sanur is much quieter, but most backpackers prefer the beaches of peaceful east-coast Candi Dasa and traveller-oriented Lovina on the north coast. The island's other major destination is the cultural centre of Ubud , a still charming but undeniably commercialized overgrown village, where traditional dances are staged every night of the week and the streets are full of arts-and-crafts galleries.

Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa : The Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa is a luxury property strategically located only 15 kilometers away from the... Nusa Dua
Aston Bali Resort & Spa : The Aston Bali Resort and Spa is a luxury hotel located on the waterfront facing golden sandy beaches... Tanjung Benoa
Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel : Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel is situated in the coastal village of Sanur, an ideal location from which to explore... Sanur
Sanur Paradise Plaza Suites : The Sanur Paradise Plaza Suites is located in Sanur Village just two kilometers from the Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel....Grand Bali Beach Hotel also is a nice hotel in Sanur.
Swiss Belhotel Bali Aga : The Swiss Belhotel Bali Aga is a deluxe property strategically located only 20 kilometers northeast from the Ngurah Rai... Nusa Dua
Grand Hyatt Bali Hotels located in Nusa Dua and The Oberoi Bali located in Seminyak, Maya Ubud located in Ubud, The Alilia Ubud, Chedi, Hard Rock Hotel Bali located in Kuta beach, Melia Bali located in Nusa Dua and Padma Bali located in Kuta

Check out the fantastic difference between the housing facilities built by the overseas oil, timber, and helicoptor companies and the general environment of the people by going up the hill to Pasir Ridge (or Kampung Amerika) and looking out over Balikpapan. Pasir Ridge is a transplanted ethereal world with swimming pools smooth tarred roads, manicured gardens and neat rows of houses and shops above the sprawling hovels below. Most wives cocoon themselves for months on end inside this modern isolated city compound. In the Ray A. Burke (Union Oil) Club at Pasir Ridge there are free movies at 8 pm, a swimming pool, New York steaks, and Bingo on Sunday nights. The other glaring juxtapositions in Balikpapan include nightclubs ('Sweet Sixteen') on hills over fishing kampungs, long-haired Indonesian guys wearing cowboy boots and bronco belt buckles, Indonesian women in western suburban slacks, big shiny American cars cruising down muddy potholed streets. All the young guys hang out in billiard halls or ride their Yamys at ferocious speeds down the ravaged main streets. The 'Hey misters!' are a lot less because there are more misters around. You can even use US currency in Balikpapan (US$1 400 rupiah). There's an enormous and highly organized brothel, The Valley of Hope, in an army camp, consisting' of 1 km of whitewashed huts with 300 rather worn-out Surabaya prostitutes to a hut. Little kids put covers over your licence plate numbers so no one can spot you. Get your car cleaned for Rp25. Closed on Thursdays for 'housecleaning' (see the doctor); getting ready for the big weekend. The favorite sport at the Hotel Balikpapan is to peer at all the women behind a glass wall similar to looking at .a fishbowl. More relaxing is to have a drink in the bars (not whorehouses) of Banana Town. There's in addition an amazing row of houses down on the harbor where wives are for sale on a temporary basis. Very respectable, it's a service set up for Muslims who've come far away to work at the refinery or on the rigs, though now has evolved into providing a short-term 'wife' for the oilies and chippies. These teenage women (mostly from Java) cost about Rp200,000 a year, do washing, cooking, and other wifely tasks, receiving a hefty bonus when the oilies or chippies leave.