Well....I have been a big fan of the BTF since getting cheap flights on Jet*. Have been reading and asking q's for about a year on the sight. I haven't been to Bali as much as some forumites but it was going to be the third for the wife and I. We flew Jet* Brisbane to Darwin to Denpasar and to be honest I couldn't fault it. The chairs were comfy and we appeared to get into our next port always early. If you do take this leg to Bali make sure you check in at the rear of the Domestic service counter as it is not well advertised.
The first three nights we stayed in Sanur at the Sanur BH. This is a nice relaxing hotel with a nice pool, but make sure you get a lounge chair early or you will have to sit on the grass. We booked the room through Asia rooms and stayed in a deluxe garden view for about AUS $150 a night. It also had a great breakfast.
Loved Sanur...was very relaxing. My favourite bar was probably the Beach Cafe as it had Heineken on tap and was 16000IDR, the bar was in a shady part of the beach with comfy lounge chairs. It was suggested, through the forum, to go to Merciful Mothers in Touch on JL Pantai Sindhu for a massage. This place was heaven and the wife and I went every day. We had a full body reflexology massage for 1 hr for 100000IDR. And then about 50 metres up the street, on the same side and away from the beach, was a Mexican Restaurant (cant remember name) set in a garden with icy cold large Bintang for 18000IDR.
After our stay in SBH we wished to travel to Lembongan for two nights. We heard it was really busy over there so we started calling alot of the accommodation over there only to be told that everything was booked solid until the end of August. We decided not to travel over there only to be disappointed, besides its another excuse to travel back to Bali and vist the island. We stayed one night at Besakih Hotel in Sanur which is a little closer to the centre. This place is right on the beach with a lovely pool and pool bar. I have read in the forum that this place is a little tired in the bathrooms, however our room was great. It was room 241 which is on the second floor in the building closer to the pool and stayed there for US $85. I would definately stay there again.
We then travelled into Kuta for our last few nights. We found it hard to get accomodation as it was fully booked in most places. Although we did get into Satriya Cottages on Poppies 2 for 700000IDR a night for a Superior room. This place was also nice, a little old, but great location. Places to eat were our old favourites such as Warung 96, just off Poppies 2 - this place was always packed, friendly, cold beer and great cheap food. Average meal with a few large Bintangs was only about 140000IDR (for 2). A new place we had never drank before was the twisted monkey - this place is upstairs over the clothes shops in Poppies 2 in between the Hotel Bounty and Satriya Cottages. The staff were funny, the beer was cold (sm Bintang 15000IDR) and had free pool. There was also Rainbow Cafe just down from the Twisted Monkey with a happy hour between 5pm-7pm and sm Bintang were 11000IDR and lge were 18000IDR.
Met a lovely clothes store owner named Rani. Her shop was near the Twisted Monkey on Poppies 2. Prices for clothing were 25000IDR for t-shirts and shorts (forumites might think it is too much or good bargain...that is up to you guys to argue out).
I also noticed that there are no 7 11 corner stores anymore and have been taken over by K circle. A small Bintang goes for 12500IDR and smokes are 9000IDR.
Wow this report ended up being quite big...sorry. All in all is was another successful trip to our favourite Asia getaway. Love the place and will be definitely back. Hope to see you guys on the beach with a Bintang
CRobbo