Just returned after a fantastic 2 weeks on the Island of Gods.
Stayed at Pondok Mawar just off Jalan 66 (Arjuna)Legian. We had house number 2 out of the 3 houses within the compound. The house was 2 storey, both bedrooms large, a massive bathroom upstairs adjoining both bedrooms with toilets off each. Downstairs the living area was was just as airy (the TV/DVD got a work out, as did the free WIFI), with a clean, usefully stocked kitchen, another toilet and shower, and even a fan-cooled verandah overlooking the pool. We were fortunate enough to have the pool basically to ourselves the entire time we were there! The owners from Holland were also visiting so it was lovely to meet them also. Herman made my booking an ease from Australia via the internet with setting up a paypal account to make payment for the villa so much easier than dealing with the bank transfers. Herman and his wife were in House 3, and whilst we came and went throughout the day, it was like living next door to your favourite neighbours, always with a "hello, how was you day" and a few laughs! The staff there were also extremely friendly and helpful, and the newest edition, little Komang, entertained us for hours with her brilliant little Balinese smile!
I hired a nice Toyota Azara (??) for 6 days for Rp170,000/day, and drove to Lovina via Bedugul and GitGit waterfall. Stayed at the Bali Lovina Beach Cottages for one night ( It was very very quiet up there, not many tourists) for a rate of Rp350,000. The room was basic but after defeating the slippery mountains, I was in need of a nice pool, to which they offered! Unfortunately their sign out front says there is a restaurant and bar, but they are both not functioning anymore due to the lack of tourism. They still hold a few tallies of Bintang for purchasing and include breakfast in their room rate, which was fruit, juice, coffee/tea, eggs, toast and butter/jam. We ate lunch and dinner that day at a warung at the beach end of the beach street (where the big dolphin statue is). We didn't do the Dolphin watch, but met an Aussie expat at breakfast who'd been out that morning and said there was at least 50 Dolphins in a pod they'd found and it was amazing to see!
Drove back via the East coast through Amed and Candi Dasa. Was a gorgeous drive I had never done before, and thoroughly enjoyed it, until around the Klungkung regency, where the new Aussie affiliated road came into play, and we were on the road/off the road in a fair squallor of traffic.
Took the drive to Nusa Dua and wandered for ages (literally 'ages') thru the Bali Collection establishment. Im not much of a shopper, but Im sure I would have been in my glee if I was! What a mecca...they even have rock climbing and a merry-go-round for the kids!
Tanah Lot was crowded, and luckily enough for us, the big python snake decided to do it's business on the couple posing for a photo before us. It wasn't a pleasant thing to witness, but when a snake's gotta go, it goes!
Uluwatu saw us jumping 6-foot every so often, with my partner's 12 year old son petrified of monkeys. We avoided the monkey forest for that reason, but all the fuss was short-lived as not one monkey payed any attention to us! Hopefully his fear is now over also!
A day at Serangan beach is always my highlight. Noodle Soup and a few Bintangs, we hired the kids a kayak and spent a nice relaxing day with only a few massage requests and came away with a free little bag of shells!
Diving into Carrefour! My sister loves this place, to me it is all about shopping :-( My partner got himself a case of Bintang for @RP 242,000, so he was happy. Quick bit of fun at Amazone, and we were thankfully out of there!
Watched the drag show at Bali Beach Shack (Jl Sahadewa), had an awesome few meals (Especially the Valentines Special Ayam Betutu) at Garlic Lane (Jl Sahadewa) They had the gorgeous little Balinese girls dancing on our 2nd last night, was lovely to watch them so close up.
I'm more a local cuisine person, so got one night of Nasi Campur at the Kerobokan Night Markets. The partner and his son were a bit hesitant at first, but were soon won over with their Mie Kuah noodle soup for 75cents aussie, and a pair of Adidas joggers for Au$8, until the need for the loo came into it, and they both rejected the public toilets there! So they aren't exactly the cleanest, but at least boys dont have to squat!
Lunches by the pool saw me tending towards Warung Murah in JL 66 for a bit of takeaway nasi Campur, wrapped nicely in the brown paper, I became addicted to this lunch-time ritual.
Took a trip out to north Denpasar to a friend's house for lunch, in which we managed to take the life of a poor Komodo Dragon trying to cross the road. Lunch was divine, until the other half complained of an upset tummy, and had his first lesson in Balinese toileting. He disappeared for over half an hour, but returned with a bit more colour in his face then when he'd left my side! He'd disappeared the day before to get his tattoo coloured (he got the outline done last year and was wanting to fill it this year, but the shop prices in Bali were pretty much the same as here in Australia). So he goes at 8am with a very young Wayan to somewhere!! After 6 hours, I begin to worry a bit, as I was pretty certain it should have only taken 4 hours to complete. I rung Wayan's house, to which his wife says he is at work! But it is Wayan's day off, as that is why he took my other half to get the tattoo from some friend of his, somewhere in Tabanan so my friends had told me! So 10 hours pass, and I've managed to get my list of hospital numbers when he strolls through the gates of the villa. Now, my other half is a big Maori fella, with the tattoos on his head, etc, but after 10 hours I'd lost faith in my Bali and actually thought something unfavourable had happened to him. But he returned, with his arm coloured, and a very sore bottom from the motorbike, as they had gotten lost for 3 hours coming home!
The other half also made a trip to the dentist in Denpasar during the week to have a filling RP550,000 with the assurance that if his tooth is still sore, then he'll need root canal (looks like we may be booking another trip!). The 12 year old didn't travel without his own share of illness. He ended up with an ear infection that led us to the Padma medical clinic in Legian. Aus $100 later, he was loaded up with painkillers, antibiotics and ear drops!
All in all... a great trip, wasn't long enough (as usual) but fortunately for me, I am back there in 3 months with a group of first timers (Aren't I considerate to take time out to help those who are unconfident about travelling to Bali for the first time ha ha!)!
Grech