We arrived home in the early hours of yesterday morning after spending nearly two weeks in Bali with our 6 month old. We got some great ideas off here for our trip and thought we could offer a few tips to parents heading off with bubs for the first time. We have been to Bali many times but this was our first with our bub.
In short we found Air asia to be great, the 4.50am leaving time was fine and we left and arrived on time. The seats had a little less room to move but for the cheap price we paid, we cant complain. The guy on the check in counter in Perth tried to make us pay for the pram until a supervisor advised him that baby things travel free so keep that in mind when checking in. Fast at the Bali end, through customs and immigration quick smart and bags out fast. Stayed at Istana Rama in a Villa this time. First time at this hotel and probably wont go back as it just didnt 'blow our hair back'. We changed rooms three times in two days, due to things breaking like the toilet leaking, overwhelming cat wee smell coming through vent in the bathroom and the fact that we had requested a double and they mostly had single beds in the villas? go figure. Anyway it seems that they put the newbies in Villa 100 which hasnt been renovated and had a small bathroom compared to the other villas and we worked this out when we got into #103 where we stayed. The staff were all really nice, pool area fine and you could normally get a lounge, breakfasts fine with eggs, funny bacon, cereal, leftovers from last night buffet and fruit. Room service fine too - worked this out as with a bub you spend that bit more time at hotel and in the room.
We ate mostly around Melasti, Garlic lane and Padma areas with Posers our favourite - great big meals, no tax and great service and passing viewing and also Ours, Sheppys, Legends all being fine.
As far as baby things to consider, I took a sleeve of Huggies with me and used them for the night time and bought Huggies Ultra over at Carrefour - so cheap and just fine to use [in fact bought some home]. They worked out to be about 1000Rp a nappy, you just cant beat that. Forgot to check out swimmer nappies at Carrefour and ran out towards end of stay, none in Matahari in Kuta so would take more next time. Our bub had just started solids so I actually took a piece of pumpkin and sweet potato over and asked the kitchen to boil up for me a couple of times and I mashed it and froze it in small containers. That worked out well. I took some rice cereal over and also some rusks. There was heaps of formula available over there but I would defiantely take your own as most of it has been packaged in Asia and the aussie ones are all under lock and key - not sure how the prices compare. I also wanted to buy some bottles to give her cool water between feeds and found this hard to find. Matahari in Kuta didnt have in the supermarket or on the kids 4th floor and neither did the chemists around Legian or Kuta area. Finally found one in the last pharmacy at Centro. I took some Milton tabs and bought a container and sterilised dummies most nights or when they hit the floor and also her spoons and the containers for her food. She never got sick and was happy most of the time!
The common phrase when you went out was HElllloo Babee, how many months, is boy or girl [no hint that she has a pink dress on?], ooh very chubby, big baby! They also have the knack of singing and waving just when you are trying to put her to sleep!
We lashed out and bought a walker at Carrefor for 200,000 so she had time upright and I could feed her in this. This was a great buy and we have left in Bali with our friends and will give it to someone who needs it after our next trip in Jan [anyone know of someone with new bub coming and would appreciate this?].
We also bought a DVD player to use over there time time and gave it to our driver friend and told him to rent it out until we get back for a bit extra income!
Mozzies were a problem, both in the room and out at night. We tried with the sprays available but not designed really for those under 6months etc so reluctant to use much. She woke up one morning with a few bites on her face and legs but mostly managed to remain unbitten. We enjoyed going to beach front Bars 'Billys' in front of Mandira [sammy and suzies attracted a few too many mozzies with the tree and folage] but around 6-7 I could feel myself getting bitten so headed home.
Tshare still rampant as ever. We also got another call this time from an aussie guy who had received our survey after eating at Durlang in Kuta Square. Same deal, give us an hour of your time and we will give you a voucher for the restaurant you surveyed and also a weeks free accommodation next year in any one of our 28 hotels in Bali. Well knowing we had booked to go back in Jan and we interrogated this bloke and said yeah whats the catch etc, my hubbie headed down to Kuta square near Gloria Jeans to do the 'hour'. Of course the aussie guy was not there and two indonesians told him they could only do the hour with both people [husband and wife]. Hubbie had explained to aussie guy that I had small bub and would be waiting in coffee shop. Anyway we then sms Russell and gave him a blast and promised that we would share his story. He says he is travel agent based in Bali trying to get frequent travellers to book with him.
We also got a creat collage of photos done on canvas at shop on Legian, on the last day. About $150 for a 1m x 1m rolled canvas with about 30 of our fav pictures, editing all included. Buy of the trip.
So its all over until Jan.