12TH OF JULY
We made a bee line for Sanur in order to catch the scoot boat to Lembongan Island. As I had hoped we made it in plenty of time so it gave us an opportunity to do an unplanned visit to The Sindhu Beach Market and have a great lunch at Bonsai Cafe. (Just between you and me I am still undecided about the blue plastic chairs at Bonsai though.)
SINDHU BEACH MARKET - A pleasant surprise
I was a bit wary of visiting these markets as I heard that the sellers could be aggressive. To our delight the markets were very quiet and the sellers were VERY polite.
I made an effort to go to the fixed price stalls first, Tootsies and Jenny's. We bought some t-shirts here. We enjoyed the markets so much that we went back after lunch. Some ladies politely invited us to come and look at their shop. I asked them if they would do a fixed price for me. When it came to negotiate they told me an outrageous price and we laughed and asked for her best price which was much more reasonable.
SCOOT BOAT
Once again the grand volcano dominated the beautiful landscape as we jumped on to the scoot boat. From my understanding the scoot boat is the fastest and safest way to get to Lembongan Island. As I suffer from sea sickness I took my Kwells, put one ear plug in my ear, wore my wrist sea bands and had a few cocktails for good measure. I also sat at the back of the boat to minimise the bobbing and kept my eye locked on the horizon.
I had read about how hairy this trip could be so I was well prepared and now that I am on terra firma and the trip is over I can actually say that it was good fun, even when I was lightly splashed because I chose to sit at the back.
I was pleased to see a sign indicating where the life jackets were located if need be. (On our way back I was a bit concerned as an additional boat was used that did not have a lifejacket sign - Surely they were there... somewhere?)
Once we arrived on the island we were treated to a fun ute ride to the Bali Tide Huts.
BALI TIDE HUTS
We REALLY enjoyed our stay here. The huts were not as primitive as I expected the beach huts to be which was a very pleasant surprise (although the toilet and shower did need some attention.) The hotel grounds were very relaxing and oozed the feeling of well being and and you could enjoy an easy going life style.
However, there were two concerns that we had. Once again I cursed myself for not bringing any reef shoes. The walk along the stunning beach was actually quite painful as we constantly stepped on washed up coral.
The other was the location of the shared toilets and the fact that many of the huts looked the same. I found myself constantly wondering if I was in the right path or if I had found myself slipping into the right bed in the middle of the night!
Next time I shall ask for the ocean front hut closest to the toilets:)
The open air restaurant here looked so inviting that we strayed from our plan and stayed for dinner and watched the magnificent sunset with the volcano in clear view. Magic!
MUSHROOM BAY
In the morning we set off for a gingerly stroll along Mushroom Bay and ended up at the restaurant to the right up the hill. From here there was a fabulous view overlooking the bay. We stopped here for a ginger tea (to help with my boat ride back from the island) and one last cocktail on Lembongan Island(to help with my boat ride back from the island:P).
It was here that I also discovered a fixed price beauty stall that could paint frangipani flowers on my finger nails. Apart from the coral wounds these flowers are the only thing that is a constant reminder that this trip was real and not just a mere dream:)
Check out the photos at http://smedley.id.au/BaliSpoilers6
MY HASSLE SAVING TIPS FOR BALI NEWBIES BEFORE YOU GO...
TIP: Apparently you can also get a boat from Amed to Lembongan so there was no need to drive for hours to Sanur first.
TIP: Wear shorts or a dress on the scoot boat. You will need to step into the sea to get on and off the boat
TIP: Bring your reef shoes.
TIP: Drape a towel or a top over the stairs of your hut so you can identify it more easily as most of them look the same.
TIP: Ask for the first ocean front hut closest to the toilets.
TIP: If you suffer from sea sickness take Kwells 30 minutes before the boat ride, drink ginger tea, put one ear plug in your ear, sit at the back but keep your eye on the horizon and wear sea wrist bands that you can buy from the chemist. Have I missed anything?:P