Well, only a couple of months late,so, here goes, hope it's not too long.
This was 'Bali Toojooh', our 7th trip to the Isle of Smiles in June this year.
It was great to have direct flights from Adelaide for the first time since 2005, even though, the service on Virgin could be better. It was a smooth flight, and soon enough, Uluwatu loomed up on the right hand side, we never get sick of that sight.
A quick trip through customs, and we were on our way to Poppies Cottages, but when the driver turned left into Poppies Gang 1 we thought, you can't do this,... he did. It got us into Bali mode instantly. After settling in , we decided to get straight into action, so , a taxi to Sari Bunga Wangi, grab a bike and down the narrow lanes to Poppies 2 and Janoko. After about an hour, our tailoring was all organized, then straight over the road to Koris and 'Bintang time' with those delicious little peanuts you only get in Bali. We then bought some supplies (beer) and headed back to Poppies, buying a SIM card on the way.
After unpacking,a swim, and drinks on the porch, we didn't feel like to heading out too far, so, it was straight over the lane to Poppies restaurant, one of our old favourites. They did not disappoint, with really good satays and lumpia, then excellent tuna and mahi mahi. Back to our room, where I had a nightcap before heading straight to a coma, Lia had beaten me there by about half an hour, it was great to be back !
Next day was spent shopping, organizing our car, lunching at La Lucciola, Margaritas at TJ's,moneychanging etc, just a typical Bali day, before Queens Tandoor and a great Indian meal. We have been meaning to eat here for years, and it was worth the wait.
After a great breakfast at Poppies, Putu dropped off our Avanza and picked up the bike. We were soon on to Jl. Legian and straight to get petrol and then to Balistone, not much luck as it was Sunday and all was closed, so , off to Nammos Beach Club. Well, after about 6 wrong turns and countless potholes we found ourselves at Le Mare at the top of a cliff overlooking a spectacular coastline and the 'lagoon'. The water is very calm, protected by a reef. I reckon the fishing would be good outside the reef.
Down , down, down the funicular to the beach, with some good pizzas overlooking the white sands of south Bali, I even had a taste of the seaweed they farm there, delicious. We drove home, squeezing our way down Poppies 1, causing a huge traffic jam, all good natured. (no road rage here!), then met Balidream for margaritas at TJ's. We had a long chat, and it was good to catch up with someone from the forum, especially one who loves Bali like us. We swapped stories etc. ,and she recommended Waroeng Asia, which we tried later, absolutely brilliant, thanks for that Sarah, we'll email you soon. We headed off to La Sal, where we had paprika chorizos, grilled chicken, peppers, haloumi from the Argentinian grill. A big, but very enjoyable day.
Next morning, Lia walked up to Janoko and picked up her tops, we had Ranchos Huervos at TJ's,nothing like a little chilli for breakfast, and hit the road, stopping for pastries etc. From Bali Bakery, what an amazing shop!
We survived the first onslaught of traffic, and then missed the entrance to the Safari Park. A quick back up, and we checked into a great room overlooking zebras, wilderbeast, oryx, and Mr. Nelson, the rhino. The park is set up well, and we took the safari tour, then lunch at Ume restaurant, photos with Ronnie, the orang-utan, then off for Lia to have photos with the tiger. It was a bit stroppy, so Lia opted for a swim and caipiroskas instead. We were tired (not emotional) and decided to stay in and eat the Bali Bakery goodies with a few Bintangs on our balcony, watching the wildlife, loved it.
We headed for bed, only to be distracted by the amplified wailings from the local mosque. We even turned up a David Attenborough special on the TV very loud to drown out the noise, must have worked, as we slept well, until 5 am, when the mosque started again, oh well!
We had breakfast in the restaurant, and around 8.30, the lions came running out, very impressive.
We then revisited the tiger, who was a lot less aggressive this morning, so we had some photos taken with it, then checked out,and in no time, we were in Candi Dasa, and a quick one night at Rama Candi Dasa, a good spot , where we just lazed around the pool and had a really good meal at their Garpu restaurant right on the sea. We wanted to try it last year, but no time. We had the first of our champers we brought from home.
Next morning we headed to Amed, first, getting lost and doing 3 circuits of Amlapura, then arriving at Ujung Water Palace, only to find it a little touristy and uninteresting, so we hit the Seraya road, which was a great drive. Up,down,up,up,down,around etc, with lots of sights on the way. It's a narrow road, but pretty easy driving, it must have been fun before it was bitumenised. We loved the drive, and hit Amed around 1 o'clock, and headed to Apa Kabar for lunch, then off to Bayu Cottages, where the friendly girls carried our huge suitcases, on their heads, up flights of stairs, to our room. What a view from our balcony, 180 degrees , Lipah in front, Agung to the left, Lombok to the right, hard to fault really.
That night we ate at Warung Brith, good food and super friendly. It's funny how things happen. When we arrived, it was deserted, but minutes after , a group arrived, having seen us there, and asked our impression of the place. They decided to stay, and soon enough, more arrived and the restaurant was full and buzzing. Crowds attract crowds.
We really enjoyed it, and decided we weren't that tired, so we headed to Blue Moon for a cocktail. We reminisced about our great time there last year, and had a nice chat with Kade, who remembered us. A nice finish to a very nice day.
We spent the next day just looking around Amed, relaxing, and generally exploring the area. We had a good lunch at Divers Cafe, although the chicken satays tasted a little odd, mainly because they were fish, got the order wrong,no problem, they were good anyway.
We arranged a boat trip for tomorrow morning with Wayan Roy,who seems in charge of things on Lipah beach and then had a great massage with Nyoman, who turned out to be Roy's wife, very relaxing.We had pre ordered my favourite, Beef Rendang for tonight at Bayu, and loved it. We could see the joy the girls took in making it, and it really showed, a really great meal in a superb setting overlooking the pool and Lipah. After dinner, we had a long chat with a nice Sydney couple who had a silver Avanza, like ours, but with an Aussie flag on it. They were heading to Lombok, and we compared our Bali experiences.
Up at sparrows, next morning and it was down to the beach with Roy, who was waiting for us. We loved the cruise up and down the coast, and, when heading to shore, Roy and his friend spotted something . It was a 'Kukol', a huge striped shellfish, which is prized for it's medicinal properties, they both looked very happy with it. Back in the village, it caused quite a stir.
We headed back for breakfast, then, we ventured up the 'hills' road for 5 kms or so,a really interesting drive,through vegetable farms with the mountains soaring above them,seeing lots of friendly kids along the way, and off to Wawa Wewe Rock restaurant, good view and food. Back to Bayu, and a decision to make , massage, or snorkelling. Snorkelling won, so, over the road and into loads of coral, fish, etc, how easy is this! That night we had a nice meal at Anda Amed with the ducks eating tidbits from the table. We also met Kim, the owner, who was interesting.
Next morning we were up at 6.45 am, and it was down to Lean beach, and photos of the boats coming in to shore. What a sight, full of colours, sun, sand, fish?, characters etc. How many boats can they fit in out there? The local fishermen are so friendly. We had another superb breakfast, packed, had a last long look over Lipah beach, then said goodbye to Marcel and the girls, and hit the road to Lovina, stopping to buy some salt on the way out. We really enjoyed the laid back feel of Amed and the friendly people, the girls at Bayu, Roy,Nyoman and their kids etc.
The north east road is fairly unremarkable, but when we passed the turnoff to Kintamani, we had officially circumnavigated the island, (over a few trips). We settled into our huge room in Adirama, which was right on the beach, and headed to lunch of enchiladas and tacos, both good. We then went into Kalibukbuk for supplies etc, and have a quick look around. Not a lot had changed, but there were a lot more tourists about, and the place was quite buzzy, good to see, as the last few times it was very quiet.
We had a nice meal back at Adirama , and met a Mexican/Dutch couple from New York. It was an interesting chat, as they had just been to a conference in Jakarta, and needed a rest. What better than a little 'Bali time'
Next day we headed for Munduk, first trying a small road that the locals assured us did not go through, there's a challenge. Up, up,up went the road past fantastic scenery. How much more up can there be? Well, before the up ran out, the road did, so a 7 point turn and back down the hill to find another road that might go through. Better luck this time,(we followed the locals directions) spectacular views and aromas at every turn, passing through clove and coffee farms etc., and ,despite being almost cleaned up by 2 huge trucks careering down the hill, we made it to the waterfall, which was in full force, amazing power, and a group of people who ran in to enjoy the water, must do that next year. It was then off to try and find Villa Sangkih in Umajero for a possible stay in the future. The road there went from poor to abysmal, but we finally found the villa, sadly let go and run down. We did, however pass some great rice paddies on the way, and got some terrific photos with the farmers waving and posing. Back to Lovina and a brilliant sunset, then off to Kakatua, one of our old haunts for dinner, and another early night after a big day. We were planning to have one of our champers here, but were too stuffed.
The trip to Ubud, via Candi Kuning for some spices, was unusually quiet with very light traffic, except for hundreds of students on a 'muck up day' with painted shirts, all laughing and waving, quite a sight, so we arrived for an early lunch, and checked into Alam Indah, and Rambutan Villa, our home for the next 4 days. The villa is comfortable and well appointed, and Nyuh Kuning is a nice quiet area, except for the local dogs who start barking at around 5 am. We headed into town to change money and check out a few restaurants. We booked Cafe des Artistes, and back to our balcony for a champagne we brought from home, and strawberries on our huge balcony overlooking the beautiful grounds, then to the shuttle bus and a really good meal of Carpaccio of Tuna, Carbonade a la Flamande and a desert of beautiful Vanilla ice cream, Armagnac soaked plums and chocolate, and a couple of Leffe Bruns, a superb meal.
At about 5.30 next morning we woke to a flurry of monkeys bursting out of the forest and into the hotel grounds. It was fun watching the staff chasing them off. After a good breakfast we hit the streets and markets then decided on lunch at Ibu Oka, which we have been wanting to try for a while. After waiting for a seat for 20 minutes, we really enjoyed the meal, having a chat with some local lads next to us. They were really funny and we loved the suckling pork and the buzz of the place, glad we finally tried it. Lia ordered some tops at a Sunari tailors,checked out Sang Spa, then it was back for a swim and rest before heading to Man Maru and Tempura Prawns and a Sukiwati Steamboat. It's a really good restaurant with very fresh ingredients and friendly efficient service. They even drove us home.
We decided, next morning, to go to the monkey forest for the first time in quite a few years and really enjoyed it, with a couple of young ones climbing on to me looking for food, sunglasses, camera etc. Their mother came up, not looking too impressed with the situation, so they jumped off me, and we quietly went on our way. The massive Banyan trees are a really impressive sight. It was then off south to Lodtunduh and some galleries to try and find a painting ( or 2).We found one we both loved, and after a bit of argy bargy, we bought it, a semi abstract view of Uluwatu. We'll have to find some more wall space back home. On the way we bought a couple of great lamps near Batuan, and a heap of Umbul flags on the way home just south of Sukuwati. After a good quick lunch at Warung Enak, we were picked up by a convertible VW and off to Sang Spa for a brilliant 90 minute combination massage, the best we've had, we can really recommend this place. It is down a narrow lane, and while it doesn't look all that promising from the outside, inside is great, and the massage excellent. Tonight we tried Dirty Duck, another restaurant we have nearly been to several times, and it was worth it. The duck was great, and the atmosphere ditto. Then, off to Jazz Club. It was latin grooves night, and we loved it. The band was great and the Margaritas were enormous. After a brilliant night, and too many cocktails we piled into a little Jimny, and home to sleep.
We were a bit slow next morning and eventually wandered up the Tegallalang road, stopping in at the disappointing Botanical gardens on the way. We bought a few things, still can't get over how many shops there are, and wound our way back for a massage at 4 pm, followed by happy hour, then it was off to Ary's Warung, yet another long overdue visit. We took our last champers, and they had a large ice bucket ready for us. We're glad we finally tried Ary's, we had a brilliant meal of Scallops, Zucchini flowers, Bebek Betutu and Pork Belly, followed by a couple of beautiful desserts. A nice relaxing day, just exploring the back roads around Ubud.
We had an early breakfast, checked out, and headed to Seminyak at 9. I had planned the route carefully, trying to avoid heavy traffic roads and the bypass road north of Denpasar. All went brilliantly, and we were in sight of Jl Kerobokan when, out of the blue, a total road block due to some ceremony, and we were forced to detour left, onto the road I was trying to avoid in the first place. In a mild panic, we turned right, only to land ourselves at an intersection in complete gridlock due to the blockages. Eventually we turned right, and found a road that would lead us straight to the Sunset road, what could go wrong?. Heaps, once again within a few hundred metres of our destination, we found another blockage for road works, and we were forced back to the same intersection we had left half an hour ago. The traffic had now sped up to a standstill, so off left and a very slow trip past the jail and onto Jl Kerobokan, oh well, the best laid plans..... Soon enough we arrived at Villa Coco, and after a bit of a problem with noise from the construction site next door, we were relocated to a quieter one. A nice villa with a private garden complete with a huge mango tree. (I tried, but couldn't quite reach them)
We dropped off the car, and picked up a bike, and off for fittings at Janokos, down to Slim's to pick up repaired watches, and meet back at Bagus Pub, where we ran into our friends from Bayu Cottages a week or so ago. We swapped a few stories, then headed to Blue ocean for lunch, leaving my camera bag in the pub. A quick dash back, and it was still sitting there, phew!!
Blue Ocean was great, and very relaxing overlooking the sea. Lia had dropped her glasses on the road when she got off the bike, and one of the street sellers had picked them up. He was trying to give them back, but Lia thought he was trying to sell her something and was ignoring him. How embarrassing when he held up her glasses. We spent the rest of the day lounging around the pool at Villa Coco with some Caipiroskas , then headed to Jl Laksmana and Khaima. The place looked good, but had no local wine available, so it was straight out the door and off to Mykonos and a great table on the footpath. It is a very lively street and there was plenty to see while eating.
We had a great breakfast on our balcony, then Lia hit the shops along Jl Double Six, so I hopped on the bike and took off for a ride up to Pettitengett etc. After that it was off picking up things, cushion covers, Martha Tillar (whatever that is),watches (again), tailoring, and a quick visit to Ketut's for some last minute purchases, and to say goodbye. She is always so friendly and it was hugs and kisses all round. We then went to Waroeng Asia for superb curries, a small place but great food, thanks Balidream.
Lia checked out Perlu and Silverdragon for Pandora charms, but thought Silverberry were better. I tried to book into Sarong on my earlier bike trip, but it was fully booked, so we tried Loloan, a beautifully set up restaurant behind LaLucciola. The meal and the setting were brilliant, but for some reason, we were the only people there. It looked a little sad having all the tables set, but no one there. Nyoman, our waiter was very chatty though and we really enjoyed the night.
We started our last day a little late due to a few drinkies last night, so the breakfast of omelets and croissants went down well. We started the chore of packing, then spent most of the morning just wandering around the shops buying bits and pieces and checking out some hotels for future stays. I liked some shirts at the Mr. Rasta shop on Jl Legian, but they didn't have the right sizes, so it was off to Zanzibar and a great hamburger, then back to Coco for some massages and finish packing.We were having happy hour on the porch in our courtyard, when in hopped a white rabbit, honestly. It hopped around for half an hour or so, even eating the mango peels we threw to it, then disappeared. We have no idea where it came from or where it went.
The last night was upon us, and we decide on Lanai. We got a great table at the front on the balcony overlooking the sea, beach and the fire dancers. It was a real buzz on the beach, and a great spot for our last meal. The sesame crusted tuna steaks were fantastic, as were the crème brulee desserts. Not really wanting to leave we had to head back to Villa Coco and wait for the transport to the airport.
All went smoothly, until check in, where, after the bags were whisked away, we were informed we were 17 Kgs overweight, and at US$15 a kilo, we were up for US$235. We refused to pay, as we had weighed our luggage at Villa Coco and were only 6Kg over. We had also been advised by Virgin that it should be AU$10 a kilo. They lowered the price to US$150, and, as it was midnight, and we were tired, we paid it. I think Virgin need to look into this type of scam at the airport.
Well, another great trip came to an end, but we are already planning next year , so that should get us through winter.
That and sifting through piles of photos, I've put some at travelDOTweb shotsDOTcom/album/574091585IogYkW
(close the gap between web and shots and change the DOTs to .s)
Sorry it was so long, but it's hard to condense 2 weeks of great memories into too much smaller.
As with all Bali trips, we always discover places and things that make us want to come back, bring on next year!
Matur Suksma
Nyoman Rodger and Wayan Lia