For those of you that haven't read my JBR 1 & 2 we are a family of 4 on a 28 day holiday, Dec 31st to Jan 27th. We flew Singapore airline from Brisbane. Only the first 2 nights accommodation booked and then we hired a car and followed the wind and swell direction for the 4 weeks. The weather was fantastic with only 2 days rain. Managed to find surf where ever we went. Spent the first week in Ulluwatu with daily trips to Nusa Dua, Sri Lanka and Serangan. Then went to Lombok for 10 days and then arrived in Nusa Lembongan. Lembongan was really quiet with some of the bungalows empty for quite a few nights. The staff from Puri Nusa told us they stay at work until the Public Boat and the Perama have arrived and if no people staying they go home for the rest of the day and that this had been going on for weeks.
Brought some friends with us from Lombok and they decided to also stay at Puri Nusa. The couple from Portugal stayed in one of the front renovated rooms and bartered a price where they would not use the air con but would use the hot water. They managed 85,000rp per night for the room. They also tried next door at Linda's and were offered a room for 80,000rp but decided to stay on at Puri Nusa. They ate a lot at Linda's and said the food was great. The other 2 from England stayed in the triple room at Puri Nusa and paid 70,000rp per night for the room, this room is a really nice room with 3 king single teak beds in and a reasonable bathroom. We stayed as usual in the Family bungalow but had the extra room on the side for Zoe. This meant that hubby and myself were downstairs in the Queen and Tom upstairs in a double and Zoe next door in a Queen, we paid 70,000rp a night. We have got to the stage where if we decided to stay anywhere else we would not be very popular and as we like to think that the money we pay goes into the hands of the Balinese. We like Puri Nusa as it is owned by a Lembongan born local who also has a house in Bali and we have been to his house several times and taken him out to dinner. We are very friendly with all the staff and they would be deeply offended if we stayed anywhere else. But although we love Puri Nusa there are plenty of other great places to stay if you are on a budget. Puri Nusa is directly in front of the Shipwreck break and because there is only one boat out the front the swimming is better. Most of the other places have seaweed and outrigger boats moored out the front in the shallow water.
Linda's is very popular but was very quiet while we were there. It is owned by an Australian guy who bought in after his daughter married a local Lembongan guy. He tends to cut all the other prices and is very popular with other Australians who feel safe staying at an Aussie owned place, prices for rooms are around the 80,000rp mark but negotiable below this depending on how long you are staying.. Next to this is Agus's shipwreck bar and bungalows. Agus is a great guy and we are very friendly with him. He is currently building some new rooms and they look like they would be really nice, probably be able to bargain a room for 70,000rp. Agus is a Lembongan local and took over the place from his father, but last year when we were there his fathers house burned down and so dad moved into Agus's house and Agus moved his family into one of the rooms and they are still living there. The next place along is Agungs and a lot of the backpackers stay there. Then is Ketuts bungalows and they have a few nice air conditioned rooms for 150,000rp. The next one along is Mainski and this is also popular with backpackers and young surfers. All of the bungalows have nice restaurants and further down the beach heading towards the resorts on the hill are plenty more good bungalows.
As soon as we arrived Tom was out in the surf and pretty soon everyone did the same, I lazed around reading and chatting too the staff and being updated on what's been going for the last 8 months. Zoe went around to see her friend Wayan and tell Ketut that we would be coming to have Thai tonight, just in case she needed to get some ingredients. Ketuts Warung is a family run business and is in between Agus's and Agungs, you walk through a set of run down bungalows called Lembongan Bungalows, and there is a moneychanger and Ketuts Warung at the back. When things are really quiet they can't afford to buy Chicken and mostly serve Nasi Goreng, Noodles, Jaffles and Pancakes, with all dishes costing 6,000. She charges 15,000rp for Red or Green chicken curry, Chicken and cashew nut and Pad Thai. The English pair came with us and it was great to catch up with the family, little Putu had started school this year. The food was delicious.
The next day we were totally lazy, Tom went with his friend Ketut to Ceningan Island where there was good surf and we all stayed around Puri Nusa. Wayan came over and gave the English guy and Zoe massages and Johnno came over for a chat and to ask about a few medical questions that were worrying him (I am a nurse). His father has been in Denpasar hospital in the new burns unit for 3 months following an explosion in their kitchen and has only just come home. His mother has diabetes and during the time her husband was in hospital she had a sore on her toe that was not healing and she didn't seek medical attention. By the time Johnno found out they had to take her to Denpasar and her toe was amputated. He is really concerned that he will also end up with Diabetes and the same thing will happen to him. Assured him that would not necessarily happen and that while Diabetes does run in families it is not inherited. Told him next time we come I will bring him a meter that can read their blood sugar levels and he needs to have a healthy diet and no sugar. Had dinner that night at Puri Nusa and a nice evening chatting to Kal. The kids went to Surfers Café, hoping for Pizzas but they weren't on the menu during the quiet season, their friend Ketut works there so they caught up with him.
The next day had to remind ourselves that we were only on Lembongan for 5 days so we had better get a little more active. Organised with Captain Aqua to go snorkelling, the English guys came with us and we took off to gammit bay on Nusa Penida. It was a little rough and there were heaps of jelly fish in the water, we all had a quick snorkel and there were heaps of fish and many different varieties. Then the kids were dropped off at the wall and they drifted down with the current. Following that we headed back towards Lembongan and stopped at the reef at the back of the Mangroves. The current was strong so Captain dropped us off and we floated along and he picked us up further along the reef. There were so many fish, and the coral was much more alive than at gammit bay, only problem was that the current was taking you along so fast sometimes you had to swim back to get a good view of something you had seen. The boys got off the boat at shipwrecks and had a surf and we went back to Puri Nusa for a late lunch. Kal took me around to Yeoman‘s, the midwife, clinic, as I had some medical supplies to give her but she was out so rang her and asked her to call in to Puri Nusa. She seemed really pleased with the supplies and organised to pick me up the next morning to take me too the Islands health clinic for a tour. Hubby and myself went to Suka Nusa restaurant for dinner and had a beautiful meal, Suka Nusa is just past main ski, but mentioned that their lease was nearly up and were not sure of the future for the restaurant. Found the cheapest Bintang on the Island here, 15,000 for a large.
Next day had a quick breakfast and Yeoman arrived and we rode down to the clinic, absolutely everyone waved to her, being the midwife means she has probably either delivered them or their children. The health clinic is fairly well equipped. A few years ago the government bought them an ambulance and they all told me that a boat would have been much better as usually the person can be brought to the clinic by their family but the problem is every time they have to take someone over to Denpasar they have to find a local boat to take them. Each person that works there has a role, one organises the Immunisation program, one visit's the people with Dengue fever and they showed me the machine they use to smoke the peoples homes as a preventative measure. They have a birthing room and an emergency room. They also have another room that is used for GP type consults. A group that live in Lennox Head have been raising funds for the clinic and have $500 to spend and had asked me to get a list of priorities from them. Their first priority would be to have the money put into a bank account that they could use to pay for the boat trips they use when they have to evacuate people to Bali hospitals. They also gave me a list of equipment they need if the account is not possible.
Then we hired 3 bikes and went to Dream beach where we stopped for a drink. Then took off over to Ceningan Island, over the suspension bridge. Drove out to the surf break and then we last Tom as he went back for his board and went surfing. Hubby, Zoe and myself drove around Ceningan Island and then went back too Dream Beach for lunch. Zoe went back to Puri Nusa after lunch and hubby and myself went down to Mushroom beach for a while and then along the road behind Wayans Manor and Coconuts and then back to Jungabatu. Stopped in at Suka Nusa for a few Bintangs and watched some kids having a ball swimming and playing. Back to Puri Nusa, bikes cost 75,000rp each for the whole day. Dinner that night was at Agus's as the Portuguese couple were going back to Bali the next day. He is a professional surf photographer and had taken quite a lot of shots of everyone surfing at both Lombok and Lembongan. So we had a photo show, and there were some great shots of Hubby and Tom. Bought a disk from him with about 100 photos on it.
Up early to say goodbye to the couple leaving and then another lazy day around Puri Nusa. Starting to get sad as we have to leave tomorrow and our holiday is nearly ending. Had dinner at Ketuts Warung and said our goodbyes to everyone. We sent an SMS to the car hire place and they arranged to send a driver to pick us up from the Perama in the morning.
Up early on our last day and sad goodbyes to everyone, it was low tide and Perama was moored miles away so all the staff helped us up with our bags. Perama left at 8.30 and we were in Sanur by 9.30. Guy from the car place arrived and said our goodbyes to the English pair as they were going to Kuta. Paid the car hire place for another 3 days and organised to bring the car back as we were leaving for the airport and they would drive us to the airport. Went to Bintang supermarket for supplies and phoned Mr Hony Man the guy who works out the side of Bintang supermarket selling prescription glasses. He looked into my glasses and told me one was a stronger lens, yes spot on. He then got out the glass thing that they put the different lenses in and straight away he had mine picked. Looked at a sign a distance away and it was clear as could be. Picked a frame and he said he could have them ready by the same evening, we said no we'll pick them up about 6pm the next day. And they cost 600,000rp for transitional lenses, I was very pleased. His boss does all the work for the optical shops in Kuta he told us. Paid him 100,000rp deposit. Then went to Geneva, spent an hour on the 2nd floor and got some great buys- Earrings for all my staff at work 2,360rp, Masks 23,000to 35,000rp each, Frangipani painting 27,000rp, and one of those embroidered dresses for 32,000rp, Zoe bought heaps of things for presents. Then on to the 3rd floor where I bought Bowls, shell shadow box, tray and a couple more masks. Drove out of the madness of Kuta and Legian and back to Ulluwatu, to the Sandat Mas. They had a twin bed room free and told us people were moving out of the double at 4pm so they would clean it and we can move in. Put all our stuff in the kids room and the boys went down for a surf, Zoe had a sleep and I read. Went to Ye Ye's for dinner and the food was delicious. The queen beds at Sandat mas are so comfortable, great nights sleep.
Woke up reasonably early the next day as we had decided on a big day of silver shopping and to Waterbom park. Went down to Salins warung on the cliff for breakfast and to catch up with Made, the lovely girl that runs the place. Got a very warm welcome from her and had a nice breakfast watching the surf. In the car and over to Putra Silver in Batubalan. Zoe got heaps of jewellery and I bought up for our other daughter. Earrings range from 7.000rp to about 60,000rp, rings around the same. I spent 500,000 and got a huge bag full of earrings and rings. Then we went to another place that made, the owner of Puri Nusa, had taken us to last year. Komang Adi, Br. Tangsub, Celuk- (0361) 298236. Tom bought a lovely silver and mother of pearl heart and a silver chain for 60,000rp for both of them. I got Sarah another shell ring, frangipani mother of pearl ring and a lovely pair of earrings all 30,000rp each. Then back into Kuta and spent the afternoon at Waterbom Park, met up with the English people and the kids went off with them and we all had a ball. Couldn't believe all the changes, the electronic swipe bands and having to pay for a Bure. We headed for a spot we went to a few years ago, down the side of the splashdown and sure enough there was a nice shade area with sun lounges and not another person in site. Left at closing time and straight to Bintang supermarket to pick up my glasses. They were perfect and the 600,000 included case and a bottle of cleaning fluid. Then on to billys bar for dinner and a little shopping in garlic lane with the kids between drinks. Found out it was Australia day, totally lost track of dates, so that was a good excuse for a few more drinks. The drive back to Ulluwatu only took about 35 minutes as there was no traffic, stopped and went through drive thru McDonalds at the Jimbaren bay turnoff, chocolate coated soft serve ice creams, yum. One last Bintang on the veranda at Sandat Mas.
Our last full day in Bali and decided we would not be moving from Ulluwatu, no driving today. Went down the cliff and hung at Salins Warung for the day. Danny the DVD seller and our friend caught up with us and bought some more DVD's. Went to ye yes for our last night and the other English couple that we met in Lombok turned up and joined us for dinner and to update us on their travels, they went to Sumbawa after Lombok and were in Ulluwatu for their last week, staying at rockys bungalows.
Last day, finished the book I was reading (read six books this trip, bag definitely lighter). Started packing, gave Laura our pillows that we bought, kettle, cups and other assorted things. Packed all the Geneva purchases and yes it all fits. Sad goodbyes to the whole family and left for Legian about 2pm with planbs to go to legian Snacks for a late lunch and then Billys for the last few hours. But the roadworks were amazing. Had to go all the way around to Kuta and then back to Garlic lane which was one way in the opposite direction to normal, left the car at Billys and walked down to Legian Snacks, otherwise we would have had to go all the way back to Kuta to get back to billys. Great Nasi Campaur at legian snacks and bought a few T shirts for Tom. Back to Billys and took Zoe up to Ketuts fixed price shop and she got the rest of what she wanted. Pants for 30,000rp, shoulder bags 25,000, sarongs 30,000rp and boardies 30,000rp. Before we know it time to go to the car hire place. They reckoned we had a new scratch on the car and said that we had to apy30,000, ok paid it and everyone happy.
We had a good flight home, full so no spare seats, we were half an hour late leaving for Singapore so when we arrived it was a quick walk up to our boarding gate and virtually straight onto the Brisbane plane. Arrived in Brisbane with no problems, customs fine with all our purchases.