Just got back today :(
BACKGROUND
I am 30 and this was my 15th or 16th trip (I've lost count!!) to Bali. My friend, Lucy, is 29 and this was her 6th trip. We have been to Bali together several times back in our uni days but this would be our first trip together in about 7 years.
FLIGHTS
We flew Virgin Pacific from Melbourne-Denpasar. I had read about the in-flight entertainment on the web so was looking forward to the time passing quickly. However, the aircraft was small and old, and probably one better suited to the domestic routes. There was NO entertainment at all!! Everyone was so restless and it was a long long 6 hours. I must say I was a bit disappointed. The flight home was a little better as we managed to get upgraded to ‘premium economy' seats. The only difference I could see was a bit of extra legroom, so you would be pretty annoyed if you had forked out an extra few hundred just for that. I think that I much prefer Jetstar...
It took us about an hour to get through immigration, baggage, etc. I really think they need to look at those long lines because it is not a very good first impression for people arriving in Bali for the first time. Anyway, we then got a taxi to Ubud for the standard 195,000rp fee.
UBUD
First stop on our trip was Ubud for 3 nights. Ubud is my most favourite place in the world and I would recommend anyone coming to Bali spend at least a couple of days here. The only problem with this time was that it poured (and I mean poured!!) rain the whole time we were there, which was very unseasonal. Therefore, we were a bit limited in what we could do, so we basically just ate and had massages and ate some more!
Green Field Bungalow - We stayed at this place which is next to the Tegal Sari just before you get into the main part of Ubud. This place was a hidden gem!! We had one of the cheaper rooms, but it was very pleasant for 200,000rp a night and the staff were great. There are some new rooms which have just opened, and they look so beautiful overlooking the rice paddies. It only takes about 20 minutes to walk up to the market, but there is free transport as well if needed. We would definitely stay here again next time - and upgrade :) Oh, and the banana pancakes for breakfast on our verandah were gold as well!!
Verona Massage - We had 2 massages at this place located on Monkey Forest Road. My fave was a 2 hour massage with a spice scrub and spice bath for 175,000rp. It was so nice to look out over the rice fields in the rain while being massaged.
Kou Soap Shop - I have an unusual obsession with soap!! Whenever I go to Bali, I come back with a suitcase full of the stuff! I found a little shop on Jl Dewa Sita called Kou, and they had the most beautiful soap. You could buy little gift bags as well, so these make the perfect presents. I spent a lot of money here!!
Siam Sally - We had happy hour at Siam Sally across the road from our hotel every night. Such tasty tasty cocktails -and cheap! We became friendly with the manager and he was giving us some spiritual guidance based on the Balinese calendar which was very interesting. This was a lovely new restaurant which has the same owner as Batan Waru, another great place we had lunch one day while people watching.
Ibu Oke - I mysteriously turn vegetarian whenever I go to Asia (I'm a very fussy eater!), but my friend Lucy loves to taste the local delights. We went to Ibu Oke which is across the road from Ubud Palace. This is such a popular place to get pork and there was a massive line down the street at lunchtime. It took us about 30 minutes of lining up to realise that the line was for takeaway and we could have just walked into the restaurant. Lucy assures me the line up was worth the wait!
KUTA
Well, what can I say about Kuta after the serenity of 3 wonderful days in Ubud.....it was nuts!! Our trip coincided with the end of a muslim holiday so the place was so so so so busy and borderlined on a bit feral. There were people everywhere and the traffic jams were crazy. This is the busiest I have seen the place in years.
Kuta Townhouses - This is the second time I have stayed here. I find that the location between Poppies 1 and 2 is great for where I like to be. The rooms are bright, clean and modern - and I love the plasma TV with Aussie channels. It is a probably a bit too hotelish for Bali, but accommodation has skyrocketed in the past 12 months so this is definitely good value for money ($65 for a studio).
Grand Final Day - I am a massive Cats fan and I knew they would be in the GF before my trip so I packed my scarf ready for the big day. We just watched it at the KTH and I made sure I was up early to get the best posi in front of the TV. We were informed that their wine had run out so I had to whip down to the local bottle shop to buy a couple of bottles to sneak in for the day. And what a great day it was....
Kuta Karnival Food Festival - The Kuta Karnival was on while we were there. We headed down to Legian one night to check out the Food Festival. This was fantastic with heaps of food stalls which appeared to be very popular with the locals. There was also a bit of a concert and we saw some good bands, including the Bali Hip Hop Community, which was very cool.
Kudeta - Oh my god, I LOVED this place!! I have read about Kudeta for years but for some reason have never gone before. My expectations were very high and in the end were exceeded!! We got a motorbike down at about 4.00pm and were very lucky to get a good posi on one of the day beds. We were in awe of how cool this place is! It was absolutely packed at sunset and I am tipping someone must be making a lot of cashola. We splurged on a great night (cocktails were 105,000rp++) but it was worth every cent. It was quite funny because afterwards we stopped at a local place where dinner and a drink for both of us cost 42,000rp all up (one third the price of a cocktail!). Oh well, back to reality....
Johnny Andrean - I discovered Johnny Andrean Hairdressers at Discovery Mall on my last trip and it was the best find. I have long straight hair, but as soon as I step out of the plane in Bali it turns into a feral frizzball and I have to wear it back for the whole trip. So it such a joy to go and get a professional wash, blowdry and straighten for 31,000rp. I don't even bother bringing shampoo anymore, as I just go and get me hair done here every couple of days.
Body and Soul - This is my most fave shop and something I look forward to every trip (half my wardrobe at home is Body and Soul). I bought a couple of very cute dresses for about 300,000rp each.
SANUR
I have a friend who lives in Sanur, so I always like to spend a day or two here to catch up. It was such a refreshing change from the craziness of Kuta. We hired a couple of bikes (40,000rp for 2 days) as it is flat ground and easy to get around. I have actually decided that Sanur has now overtaken Kuta as my second fave place in Bali.
Parigata Resort and Spa - This is the second time I have stayed here. A fairly standard hotel on the main street with a path down to the beach. Once again, it is clean and good value for money ($60 per night). They also have a beach club down at the beach if you want to use the sunlounges.
‘Bali Beach Bike Crawl' - My friend and I started this a few years ago and it is now a tradition. At sunset, we get our bikes and ride along the path at the beach stopping at all the bars along the beach for a drink or two. It is our version of a pub crawl - on bikes! We have so much fun, and the funniest moment came when I had a small tumble on my bike at the end of the evening. Of course, alcohol was not a factor :)
Anyway, it was another great trip and I am already suffering the post-bali blue even though I only got back this morning :(