Just returned yesterday from a glorious 3 and a bit weeks in Bali. Got the Bali Blues big time but are looking forward to planning our third trip there soon.
We went via Australian Airlines and had no problems with the flights. Many people we met told us about hassles they faced with Qantas and Garuda but our flights were great with excellent service - no delays or concerns at all.
We arrived at Ngurah Rai airport on time and went through customs quite quickly (just make sure you complete your Departure card before you hot customs). A few people in the queue did not realize there was a $25 US visa on arrival per person and were left a bit short so first timers please take note! Its best to take the cash in US dollars to avoid any hold up. We were also pleasantly surprised to see a couple that we met on our trip 2 years ago in the queue with us. We caught up quickly and worked out they were also going to the Bali Shangrila in Candi Dasa, where we would spend the next 3 weeks.
When we got out into the glorious sunshine (after leaving 4 degree weather in Melbourne that morning) we saw that the Shangrila had organized for Ketut, our main driver last time, to collect us. It was great to catch up with him and hear about his marriage and the baby on the way. He and his brother are great drivers with a comfortable car and reasonable rates so email me if you need a reliable driver in Candi Dasa (they go all over the island for day trips etc.)
The new roads to Candi Dasa are excellent and make the trip a bit shorter. It took us about 1.5 hours to get there this time. Candi has changed a bit in 2 years with some shops closing and others opening but it is still very quiet. We love the environment in Candi where you don't get hassled too much (except for transport and questions of where you are going all the time) and you can get to know the locals quite well. It's a great village atmosphere and a good place to learn more about Balinese culture. We were invited to temples, ceremonies and the local's homes and we enjoyed their hospitality on a number of occasions.
The Bali Shangrila resort has been renovated since we were last there with a few new rooms. It is still a wonderful resort with top owners staff and facilities. We bought timeshare there on the last trip and have not looked back. It is a small cozy resort with a lovely pool, amazing views of the beach and good swimming and snorkeling right in front of the resort. The staff all remembered us from last time and it was good catching up with them too. A big cheerio and thanks to Dave, Keith, Ken, Ketut, Elaine, Graham, Yoman and all the wonderful staff who took such good care of us.
We wholeheartedly recommend the Shangrila if you want a comfortable haven in Candi (or away from Kuta for that matter). The rooms are comfortable, there are good kitchen items like tea and coffee facilities, there is a DVD player in every room, very good beds and excellent service. We ate at the restaurant there quite often and found the meals to be of great standard.
The owners of the Shangrila also manage a sports bar called Mr Grumpy's on the main street. It's a great place to go for a game of pool or to watch sporting events and movies. The staff are lovely and enjoy having tourists about the place. The Suits You Sir tailors next door are also good value and can patch things up for you quickly.
Our three weeks in Candi were just fantastic and we were able to unwind quickly to enjoy the scenery, the opportunity to walk, swim and exercise and just chill out.
When it comes to eating around Candi, you cannot go past Vincents. It is an excellent restaurant with great food, service and atmosphere. We had my hubby's b'day dinner there and ate there another 5 or 6 times and everything was always top notch with reasonable prices. Other good eateries are Café Agong and the Lotus (but this is a bit more expensive). When eating on the main strip (especially at the Watergarden) be sure to wear Aeroguard or Rid as we got eaten alive by mosquitoes.
Shopping in Candi is good with cheap prices (a little cheaper than Ubud and Kuta). The range isn't as great but they have lovely wooden sculptures and clothes especially in the middle and at the end of the Candi strip (near the road to the Shangrila). Goods are certainly cheaper down that end.
From Candi, we went on a few outings. We went on the Odyssey Submarine trip near Padang Bay (about 20 mins from Candi) which was lovely. It wasn't cheap (I think $69 US pp) but it's an enjoyable experience. You take a boat to the sub, enjoy about an hour on the sub and see a great variety of fish and coral. After that an Indonesian buffet style lunch is provided and that was really tasty. You can participate in some water sports after lunch like banana boat rides but I don't think that is included in the price.
I found the Bali Discovery Tours website (http://www.balidiscovery.com/) before we came and found some good tours there for reasonable prices. We just called them from Bali a day or so before we intended to do the tours and they organized the cheap prices for us. We did white water rafting through them and only paid $31 US each for the 2 hour rafting trip and another tasty Indonesian buffet lunch. We did the Bali Rafting trip on the Telaga Waja river and loved every second of it. My hubby and I had a boat to ourselves (with an amusing guide) and found the day and scenery very pleasant though the intermediate course did give us some thrills and spills.
We also organized a trip to the Bali Bird and Reptile Park through Bali Discovery Tours and got a good price for entry to both parks. The parks are lovely and the birds and reptiles are very well looked after.
We also had a day trip to the Water Palaces around Amalapura - a great day trip from Candi. The palaces are beautiful and we had the pleasure of sharing the sites with some friendly school groups which was a lot of fun.
We spent a couple of days at the end in Kuta which was a bit of a shock to the system after peaceful Candi. We stayed at the Adhi Jaya hotel opposite the Discovery mall which was ok with good breakfasts and a lovely pool but the standard rooms were a bit rough (I guess you get what you pay for at 300,000 rupiah a night). The Discovery mall is very expensive but the Centro department store has really nice Bali souvenirs at reasonable prices).
Our main reason for staying in Kuta was for our second trip to Waterbom park. We love that place and had a top day there again. Be sure to try the new Boomerang ride - scary but fun! Despite our 32 years, we were like kids running up and down to try all the slides again and again.
Shopping in Kuta was pretty good, especially the DVDs and CDs but be sure to check them thoroughly (even the ones that have been out for a while). Traders are quite desperate for your business but be prepared to bargain to a fair price as they often start with inflated prices. We found that happened at the Ubud market too but in the end came away with some beautiful craft wear at prices we and the traders were happy with.
The Balinese are missing the Aussies big time. There were not as many tourists as 2 years back, especially Australians back we felt very safe there, especially among the beautiful Balinese locals. The security presence was very good in Kuta and we encourage Aussies to head back to Bali for a lovely, warm and affordable holiday. Can't wait for next time!!!
Hop you enjoyed my JBR and feel free to email me with any questions.