10th JULY
MARA RIVER LODGE - Highly recommended
Our travels led us to the Mara River Lodge at the Safari Park. This place is absolutely amazing. They have obviously put a great deal of thought and money into creating the most awesome safari park complete with fantastic accommodation for visitors to enjoy.
We wondered how the African style huts would compare to our genuine African hut experience. The Mara River Lodge did not disappoint. The Tandala huts were very cleverly designed in their shape, the tall cone shaped bamboo ceilings were brilliant, the four poster bed complete with a mosquito net created the right atmosphere and the view overlooked the rhino, wilderbeast, zebras and other animal enclosure which was
fantastic. They even gave you carrots to throw to the animals in their enclosure from
your balcony!
It appears that the hotel prides itself on providing surprises for its visitors. When I enquired about the lion cub being brought out at dinner time I was told that it was a secret surprise for guests and it would depend on the stress level of the animal at that time.
The night safari also seemed to have its own surprises (but just keep them between you and me). The tour took us via bus into the zebra enclosure where we could feed,
pat and even kiss zebras through the bus window! It was just awesome. I will never forget the feeling of warm zebra breath down my neck as they the zebra ducked his head into the window searching for more carrots. It was a truly unique experience.
Although it was not in the brochure the bus also entered the small lion enclosure as they do in Africa. You can see the lions peering into the bus as the camera flashes fire off. It was particularly eerie as one lioness stood in front of the bus in a commanding position. The photos did not turn out that well but you can still see her piercing eyes staring
straight at you.
We also had dinner at the restaurant. Unfortunately the food was average for such a stunning setting. We shouldn't have bothered taking any photos as none of them worked out due to the refection of the glass. But we got to do it all again for breakfast when the food, view and photo opportunities were a lot better.
Once again we got to visit the lion who stalks the window of the hand washing area of the toilets. I couldn't help but to feel sorry for this magnificent beast who was locked in a small enclosure for the benefit of people like me who were in sheer awe of his presence. (Oops. I guess he was supposed to be a secret surprise too.)
By the way the lion cub never did make it to the lobby at dinner time. Instead we rushed out to see a handsome iguana who had captured the attention of another tourist who was absolutely smitten with him. It was a pity that we were unable to have our photo taken with him alone.
SAFARI PARK - MUST do!
After breakfast we headed to the Safari Park. Like kids in a candy shop we ran around to the various displays. As we had stayed at the hotel we arrived before the hoards poured in. We were able to take our time with the close encounter experiences with the animals as there were no line ups. Spending time with the 4 month old baby elephant, Ronnie the orangutan, the leopard and the lion was sensational.
The handlers were fantastic. They took so many brilliant photos for us. The relationship that they have with their animal is clearly special. At one point we were turned away for a photo with the leopard as he was obviously stressed and pacing.
We missed out on a photo with the tiger. He looked like he was sick and tired of having his photo taken with thousands of boring people. If I was chained up day after day in the heat and told to pose for photos I would collapse in a heap too.
We passed by the elephant bathing which turned out to be great to watch. The elephants really enjoyed their bath. It must be the highlight of their day:)
BALI ZOO - Great!
That afternoon we also made a visit to the Bali Zoo as I heard that they offer a completely different experience. That advice was correct in fact the safari park and the zoo seemed to compliment each other.
We arrived just in time for the 1pm animal show in the zoo restaurant. During the show the animals are presented in to the audience and if you would like to have a photo taken with the animal you could move up to the front. We enjoyed this show while we had lunch as they introduced many animals that we had not encountered at the Safari Park. Apparently there is another meet and greet session at 3pm but we did not stay for that one.
After lunch we meandered along the path and checked out the zoo enclosures. We were pleased to come across the egg painter that I had heard about. We bought a painted fibreglass painted egg which made for an unique souvenir. We also came across the iguana and the cockatoo who were available for a close encounter photo so I did eventually get my photo taken with an equally handsome iguana :D
Thanks to the forum I found out that you could feed the lions. The keeper put a small piece of meat on a metal rod. We were encouraged to lift it up high so that the lion reaches for it. It was just fabulous. It was funny as the lions didn't look that hungry until we brought the
meat out. It was fascinating to see how quickly they perked up. There are no signs that we saw for this activity so just ask the bat man. While you are there you might as well have your photo taken with the bat like I did:)
Sorry I have not kept a record of how much ANYTHING cost. I'd rather not keep track of how much money I have spent on this trip!! These experiences are absolutely priceless:D
UBUD MONKEY FOREST - Incredible!
From here we went to the Ubud monkey forest. What an awesome place. They were amazing to watch in such beautiful lush surroundings. We loved seeing them in their various poses and getting up to all sort of mischief which included pushing open the gate to the temple and simply walking through, to a monkey trying to get water out of a hose and another one was trying to crack open a nut. They would even come and sit on your lap. They were absolutely incredible and amusing creatures.
UBUD MARKET - Busy!
I was really looking forward to venturing to the famous Ubud (Oobood) market.
It was hot, cramped and busy. We bought a few things but we found the negotiations to be long and tiring. It was great to see and we got some lovely souvenirs but it was not my favourite place to shop.
MICHI RETREAT near Ubud
Our first impressions of the Michi Retreat was that it was tired and out dated. It was not until we spent time there and really looked at the finer details that we began to really appreciate the unique beauty of this place. I believe that each room is decorated in a different theme reflecting a different part of the world.
We booked the Zen Villa. The view from the top floor was absolutely stunning. The majestic volcano stood at the head of a powerful river surrounded by lush rice paddies, palm and banana trees. It is such a shame that the view of the volcano did not translate into our photos. Waking up to that view with the sound of the river rushing by was
awesome. Of all the places in the world I can understand why the 80year old Japanese owner decided to call this place his home.
The hotel at night time was beautifully lit which transformed this hotel into a magical place. The restaurant was decorated in a beautiful eclectic manner with white walls and reflective mirrors and glass as it overlooks a rice paddy. None of the tableware matched which was a part of its eclectic charm. I am glad that we stayed there to experience Michi's beauty, charm and unique quirks. It is good for those who are looking for something very different. Just keep in mind that it does need a bit of a face lift.
Check out the photos of the Safari Park, Bali Zoo, Ubud Monkey Forest,
Ubud market and Michi Retreat at http://smedley.id.au/BaliSpoilers4
MY HASSLE SAVING TIPS FOR BALI NEWBIES BEFORE YOU GO...
TIP: Michi Retreat offer a complimentary set menu welcome dinner.
TIP: Michi Retreat is quite a way out of Ubud but they do offer free transfers.
TIP: Bring your own hair dryer:)
TIP: Take mosquito spray to the Safari Park as this was one of the rare times that I was bitten by a mosquito even though I took vitamin B.
TIP: Try to stay at the Safari Park on a night when they have their performance show.
TIP: Have breakfast at the lion restaurant at 8:15 before checking out the park. We had breakfast at 8:30 and the lions had already been released and the best tables were already taken. On both days that we were there the lions were directly in front of table 4.
TIP: Stay at the Safari Park accommodation. Will will definitely be staying there again. Entrance into the park was included in the overnight stay. That way you can enter into the park early and enjoy quality one on one time with some of the animals. Please note that some of the animals were not available for a pat until late morning.