Hello all
Have been back two days and benefited from the advice received on Bali Travel Forum. Four of us set off on a child free and husband free holiday. Here are some of our tips and highlights.
Airport Paid our VOA in Australian dollars. There were no delays and change was given in rupiah. Exchange rate of 7100 to the dollar was used. Would have lost on changing money into US dollars in Perth anyway.
Transfers Our package included transfers even though I had specifically asked not to but was told did not make a price difference. Next time would use the taxi counter outside the airport regardless. 20 000R instead of waiting for ten people to be collected and then dropped off at three hotels before you finally get to yours. Could have been sipping the first cocktail thirty minutes earlier.
Spa Booked the four of us into the Secret Garden Spa by using their website. Great way to start the holiday. 275000R for 45 minute massage, facial, body scrub, herbal bath, manicure and pedicure. Later that week had a hair crème bath (one hour 60 000R) and a reflexology (one hour 60 000R).
Geneva 100 Jalan Raya in Kerobokan has three floors of handicraft. Ground floor is furniture and the next two floors are ceramics, puppets, candles, key rings, wooden products etc. Pay on each floor. Prices are dirt cheap and even if they do not have what you want, it gives you the approximate prices to pay for similar goods later on the streets.
Makro 5000R to get a day pass. Similar concept to Perth's FAL. Stocked up on water (21000 for one carton of 12x1500mL of water), nibbles, moisturizers, candy to give children in the villages.
White Water Rafting Paid 320 000R to raft with Ayung River Rafting. The other couple on the boat paid 60US to do the same. This company starts the furtherest up the river. Our guide was great and picked up on the adventurous spirit of his group. Besides water fights, we swam one set of rapids, swam in the pools and got stuck several times. Price included lunch but not taxi. Beware of the number of steps to go down to the river and then back up and again.
Cycling Tour This tour was 350 000. Tour took us to Kintamani for breakfast and then drove a little way down the mountains. Collected our bikes and rode 27km on the back streets of the villages. The hardest part was keeping the handbrakes on. There was little traffic. A support vehicle travelled in front and another behind. The village children run out to greet the bikes and say hello. Price included a visit to a family who harvests fibre for weaving and a family compound of artists. There was a visit to a coffee plantation and lunch at a local restaurant. The guide is starting out on his own as he would like to help the villages we pass instead of going to the Australian who owns the tour company.
Cooking School We went to the Casa Luna Tuesday cooking class. This was 200 000 and included a tour of the Ubud markets. The guide talked about the different spices and we bought cloves, tamarind and vanilla pods. All were declared and accepted by customs. Really enjoyable
Bags Bought some at Diane's and some at Top Ten. LV bags at the markets had to be scrutinised for faulty zips and workmanship. We paid 55 000 to 75000 for small bags and 140 000 for LV overnight size.
Fixed Price Shopping Can highly recommend Diane's. We were going to go to Tootsies and Jennies but tried Diane's as it was closer to our hotel and it had been recommended on the forum. Prices were excellent. If she does not have everything you want, it would give you a guide to the fair prices and you could use this to barter at other stalls.
Department Stores Found Ramayana in Denpasar better than Matahari in Kuta Prices tended to be cheaper and you could drop your DVD list off at Sakura on the top floor and pick them up when you had finished shopping. Good money exchange on bottom floor.
Ubud Hotel Stayed at the Tegal Sari for two nights. Amazing value - 250000 per room for lovely rooms overlooking the rice paddies and including breakfast. Free transport to the centre of town two minutes drive away.
Restaurants We ate at Papa's in Kuta and this was my friend's worst meal. 85000 for a chilli prawn pasta dish that had only two prawns. Half price cocktails from 4 -7 were good. There is a view of Kuta beach but is blocked by the trees. Better meals and scenery had elsewhere. Also had McDonalds once ( needed a meal ready in three minutes as shopping time was running out!) Went to La Lucciola. Fantastic meal, nice cocktails and the view is spectacular. There is a grassed area for the children to play on, an uninterrupted view of the sunset framed by palm trees. Cocktails 550000 and main course 80000- 130 000. Very high quality. You could go for cocktail and order appetizers ( about 18000 for a dip and nibbles), enjoy the sunset and would satisfy light eaters. Also ate a lot at Green Garden Restaurant. 22000 for bacon, eggs, baked beans, toast, juice, coffee and fruit. My friend had a veal schnitzel for 22000 ($3).
DVDs and CD ROMs sent our list to Dede at Bali Gong and picked them up. Shopped for the remaining DVDs as we came across shops. Best deal we had was at the Kartika supermarket next to Green Garden - buy ten get 7 free. DVDs 10 000R I have had trouble with CD ROMs bought in Bali. They often require a code before they will load.
Fairy Costumes The best and cheapest range we found was a shop in Poppies 1. Dresses are 35000-45000 and there is no bartering. Harry Potter cape and hat 35000, Spiderman, power rangers 25000 each, children's sequined thongs 10 000, sequinned shoes 25000 and much more. It is always a pleasure to shop somewhere there are fair prices.
Gifts for Locals We took our children's clothes and gave a few outfits out each time we had contact with a child. For example, our white water rafting guide brought his 8 year old daughter and we asked her to choose three dresses from our bags. It brought the best smile I had ever seen. We also gave exercise books and lollipops (32 for 10 000R Starburst lollipops at Makro). Next time we decided we would do the same as the locals appreciated it. Our taxi driver told us it made his wife's day. We also decided that next time we would buy moisturiser, soap etc at Makro and make little packs and give to the women as a treat.
Gold At the gold street in Denpasar we paid 110 000 a gram for 18K gold. Each item has a label for its weight and then the price is calculated on the day's gold price. I have also bought gold in Italy using the same system. Many locals in the shops and not much English is spoken.
Makeup Revlon, Clinique, Body Shop and many major brands are sold in Ramayana and Matahari. Prices are about 1/3. Revlon foundation was 65000, lipstick 40 000 and nail polish was 22 000.
Packing (for kids and adults) My friends brought everything but the kitchen sink. I suggest taking as little as possible. Fill up your empty suitcase with your children's old clothes and give them away. Buy a new outfit every day rather than bringing clothes from home. You can get a wash and blow dry for 12000 so you could even leave your shampoo at home
Watches Paid 30 000 - 50 000 for watches at the entrance of Matahari Kuta. Some were more but this was the general range.
Australian Airlines I flew Qantas to Singapore in April and I enjoyed Australian Airlines much more. Plane was half empty on Thursday and apparently was booked out on Sunday. No problems with excess baggage but this may have been because the plane was half empty.