21 days in Paradise.
First JBR, not really interested in being corrected or told off. Please read with the same intention that it was written: To help others by passing of information. Have gained so much over the years from the BTF just trying to give back a little. Please feel free to ask any questions as I've kept all my receipts etc etc
Who we are; Mum (author), Dad and Mr 13 from Perth WA. Fourth trip with kids but this year Miss 16 choose not to go with us. Made our accommodation choices very different to usual. Annual pilgrimage for us all.
Been counting down the sleeps from 200 and finally time to go! Booked as usual with Garuda on the 0715 from Perth. We're an hour south of Perth so it makes it a long trip. Arrive at the airport and Dad drops us with luggage and goes to park the car. Small queue at check in and start to panic as we‘re getting closer and closer to the front of the queue without any sign of Dad. He appears and we check-in. 30 kgs of luggage between the three of us but we are taking paint (more later) and a load of clothes to give away! Finally bit the bullet and left the lovely suitcases with wheels at home (due to weight) and used Bali bags. Flight uneventful. Landed in Bali dressed for the heat so more than happy. Pay VOA then stand in the queue moved through very quickly. Our bags were already off and waiting. Grabbed then and then tried to declare food to the Customs officer. When he asked what (we had bought some Roo jerky duty free and Mr 13 had been busy munching on the plane) and I said food for the boy he smiled and waved us on. Definitely not interested in opening our bags!
Used some of my Rp that I always bring home to pay for a taxi to our first hotel. Inna Kuta Beach. Our first stay here and have to admit that the breakfast is the best we've seen. We usually ditch the breakfast even if we've paid for it (two out of three hotels we couldn't remove it) and enjoy the experience of eating out each morning. We tend to decide the night before where we are going and every restaurant we enter we ask for the breakfast menu to have a quick look. The clincher for us is that the Inna Kuta Beach has separated the dinning room into smoking and non smoking. Me, reformed smoker and Mr 13 Asthmatic - it makes a huge difference! We haven't seen it anywhere else in Bali but highly commend the IKB for being trend setters in Kuta! Have extensive brochures and map that show which cottages are where and have which facilities if anyone needs this info!
It was suggested that we go to Sam's Bar (BTF) right out the front of the IKB but to be honest I didn't go to Bali to spend the whole time sitting with a bunch of Auzzie's who never move more than 5 meters from the hotel entrance. So we moseyed along till we found an empty bar, happened to be Bob's Bar and decided to spend our Rp there. Sharing the load so to speak. Well, there is always a story. We never met Bob as he's recovering from an operation but we were well looked after by Nicky (Bob's Wife) and her two sons. In particular Putu and his new puppy Roxy!
We went to Bali in the school holidays (for WA) for the first time and we really weren't sure what to expect! What we weren't prepared for was that it was the end of Ramadan and all of Java was in Kuta on holiday! Really didn't have a huge impact except that traffic was at a stand still most of the time and so we walked everywhere and tended to stay close to home as the trip up to Legian and back just seemed unbearable in the all traffic!
Am only documenting expenses as I have a record of them.
Day One exchange rate Rp 8200-8250
Taxi from Airport to Hotel Inna Kuta Beach Rp 50 000
Lunch Waroeng opposite Kuta Beach next door to MacDonald's Rp 228 800
Supplies at Matahari Shampoo etc etc Rp 75 045
Hairclip and Brush Matahari Rp 60 900
Drinks Matahari to take to cottage Rp 26 800
Stamps for postcards Rp 19 000
Card for friend in Oz Rp 5 000
Bali Sim Card Rp 25 000
Top Up for ringing Oz Rp 50 000
Adi-Darma Meal Rp 235 000
La Casa Drinks and Banana Boat Rp 67 000
More to follow!