Hi, I just registered with Bali travel forum, after many months of reading only. My family and I were in Bali for two weeks from 19th April. 2 Adults and 4 kids, 11 to 17. We stayed at a small hotel called the 'Wida Hotel'. It is in Melasti Street, Legion. There is 24 rooms, a small pool and one restaurant. It was perfect for us. Clean, well maintained and friendly. The staff quickly knew us by name. It is just like the pictures you will find on the internet. We got rooms 14 and 15 which had an interconnecting door and is on the 2nd floor. The room was a bit cramped due to extra beds in them (3 people per room) But still very usable.We reckon rooms 14 and 15 are in best position cos some rooms get early morning sun in them, but 14 and 15 don't. Restaurant is on 2nd floor too. Breakfast, which was free, was a choice of bacon or sausages with two eggs and one toast, or nasi or mee gorang, or pancakes. all served with fresh juice or fruit platter. Melasti street is full of market stalls and restaurants. One particular restaurant we fell in love with is Bamboo Bar. We dined there 10 nights out of 14. This may sound boring to some but to the budget conscious, you'll understand. It was cheap and the food was good and the staff lovely. The meals came out at all different times and sometimes they would be half an hour apart, but that's Bali time and hey, your'e on holidays. My husbands favourite was Chicken Maryland which was actually a breast stuffed with bacon banana and cheese with a beautiful gravy over it, served with rice or chips and vegies. Cost 30 000rp or $4 AUS. Kids loved spag bol, sate chicken or Cheeseburger, cost 20 000rp each or $2.70. Mee gorang was 15 000rp, or $2. Happy Hour every night between 6 and 8, bintang for 10 000rp, or $1.30. We told other aussies staying at our hotel about restaurant and they then went there just about every night too. On our last night the staff gave my husband a free bintang, t.shirt and stubby holder.
We did 3 adventure tours, quad bike riding, white water rafting and mountain bike riding. We booked at a stall just outside the Wida, Mahumad runs it. We saved $500 on the prices compared to booking over the internet. Don't forget there is 6 of us. The boys and daughters liked the quads, mum not so sure, quite dangerous for inexperienced riders. Tour guide said he didn't like his job cos he doesn't like blood! White water rafting was awesome. Our favourite of the three. Mum and daughter had a accident while mountain bike riding, mum with small fracture on elbow and daughter with gash accross knee. BIMC hospital is very nice. Had xrays on elbow and daughters knee. Decided to wait til I got home in 5 days to treat my fracture, lived on painkillers for first 48 hours and kept in sling. Went to Waterbom park. Chose a good day cos not many people there and didn't need to line up. And a choice of deck chairs. My brother in law who went last year said they had to wait half hour in lines and no deck chairs left. Needless to say, we loved Waterbom. Beautiful gardens, very clean. Kids and dad loved slides, boomerang the favourite.
Cheap icecreams, Cornello..70cents, spongebob..50cents. Buy at Circle K mini marts, they are everywhere. Big department/supermarket store..Carrefour. Its in Sunset Street and cost about $2 for a taxi from Legian. Its like a kmart joined to a coles, on top floor. Good for cartons of bottled water and cartons of Bintang, green tea juices, nibblies such as chips and nuts. Chocolate is same price as aussie. There is a reflexolgy massage place on same floor as carrefour. They do half hour massage for 25 000rp or $3.30. But be warned it is a deep tissue massage and it really hurts. Mum hated it Dad was in heaven. Masseuse doesn't speak english and didn't understand softer! Dad was bruised all over back that night. We changed our money at kodak stores and BMC which is in Melasti st just past Legian st walking away from beach. Kodak stores everywhere but slightly better rate at BMC. All above board too, no ripping you off. Did heaps more too. Spa treatments, nails done, beaching, kintamani, ubud, ball dresses made, lots of shopping and eating.
Before this holiday it had been 23 years since my husband and I had visited Bali, Since our return I have rebooked for October, just the two of us this time.