Well it was time to say goodbye to Kuta Lagoon Resort. We really did enjoy our stay there, and we had made some new friends in the security guards - who loved to have a chat with us as we were coming and going. However after 5 days of serious shopping we were ready for a few days of total R & R, and were looking forward to getting out into the countryside to enjoy something of the other side of Bali.
Wayan picked us up around 11.00am and off we went with a few stops along the way.
CANVAS SEATS: I had asked our driver Wayan a few days before if he could think of anywhere I could have some new covers made for my outdoor chairs. (They are like directors chairs however the canvas is all in one as opposed to most directors chairs which are two pieces). I had taken an old one with me for copying.
Called in to a shop called Idaman on Sunset Road. Can supply full address details if anyone is interested. They supply Hotel Bedding and furniture. Lovely airconditioned shop with some nice items on display.
No problem. Took me about 10 minutes all up and 6 canvas seats would be ready for collection on our way back to Tuban the next week. 450000rp all up. They were ready on time - and they did a really good job. Could maybe have shopped around and got them cheaper from a less classy shop - however compared to what I imagine I would have paid back here - I was more than happy. Roughly AUD7 each. Now have a totally revitalised outdoor setting. The only thing I would say is that there weren't a great deal of colours to chose from - and I couldn't find anything similar to the blue colour that I was replacing - but managed to find one that was totally acceptable for me (a mustard yellow colour).
UC SILVER: Beautiful two storey silver store with a beautifully decorated sweeping staircase. I lost track of where we were, but I think it was in the Sanur area??. You can see the process of the silver being made before perusing their wares. Appeared to be very good quality, and as I had some birthday money to spare, managed to buy myself a lovely ring (970000rp). If has two very large purple stones. Not my normal style - but I thought now that I was 50 I was old enough for a big bling ring for special occasions. Also purchased some nice drop earings (272000rp).
BALI ORCHID GARDENS: Had wanted to stop in here specifically to try the Kopi Lewak. They also have a Civet cat there so you can see the animal who is responsible for producing such a fine brew. (I do hope that they swap the animals around very regularly, as it was sitting in quite a small cage). Really enjoyed the coffee. I usually drink my coffee with a touch of milk - however after trying the brew without, decided I liked it that way. Very smooth. Another thing I can tick off my bucket list (It was the only coffee that the Jack Nicholson character would drink in the movie the Bucket List).
Sis purchased some orchid plants in a bottle (from memory there are about 30 baby plants, and also from memory around AUD30). We needed to have a certificate for immigration in Aus which would take a day or two. No Worries, the lovely Wayan promptly offered to call in and get it when he was on his way up to collect us from Candidasa in a couple of days.
Got through customs fine when we got home - they actually said we could have bought several more bottles back without problem. Sis is busily nurturing them so will be some time before we know if the exercise was a success.
Lovely grounds - very friendly staff, so a nice spot to stop for a while.
LOTUS BUNGALOWS - CANDIDASA: Ok - so there is going to be some good and bad here. Out of the 4 hotels we stayed at - this would be the only one I wouldn't recommend. That is a shame, because the rooms, the pool and the overall ambience are wonderful. It is a reasonable walk to central Candidasa - but just a nice shopping walk really on decent footpaths most of the way.
The negatives were: The room comes with half board. Which means that apart from breakfast, you can have a free lunch or dinner each day. Not a bad idea in this area given it isn't a tourist mecca, and for us - it was for two days of relaxing. The meal we had on our first night was absolutely dreadful. Inedible. 4 courses, and all I really managed was a mouthful of each. Hard to imagine that my meals of Gado Gado, tomato based pasta and Chocolate Crepes could be that bad (I am not fussy at all, and don't believe I have ever sent a meal back - if I don't enjoy a meal - I just don't return to the restaurant). The pasta course had something terribly off in it (we later decided it could only have been rotten tomato). Never mind - we are polite people. Didn't make a fuss - just made some weak excuses to the waitress that it wasn't to our taste as we returned our meals untouched -not her fault. (Would have made more of a fuss if I had known of the hidden fee we were to later be charged!!.)
Could have lived with the inedible meal, however when booking out, we were advised that we had to pay them an extra USD25 to cover their bank fees for processing our International Money Transfer. They require full upfront payment to accept your booking. This was the only method of payment that we had been offered, and we had clearly asked for all up cost. We paid our costs at this end and ensured that they received their full USD300 in the transfer. Manager of the hotel was called when we advised that wasn't our cost to pay. Very rude American woman with absolutely no customer service skills. I explained that the costs were theirs to cover as part of running the hotel, and that she should talk to her bank about the large amount they were taking (I work for a bank), however she would have none of it. I eventually paid - but advised her I would ensure that I passed on this information via internet blog. PS: Santika at Tuban were charged USD9 to receive our USD630 payment - but didn't even try to charge us for that.
We also used the in house massage service at Lotus Bungalows. 300000rp for an hour for the two of us. The ladies weren't professional at all, and chatted away to each other all the way through (not the way to relax your customer).
Anyhoo - on to the absolutely great bit about Candidasa.
LE 48 RESTAURANT: We had actually originally decided this was where we wanted to stay - however after no response to our email - we went with Lotus Bungalows. Very, Very glad that we decided to give them a go for dinner though. Absolutely beautiful. Not Balinese style, it is decorated in a trendy fashion - but very comfortable - and lovely professional staff. They can't possibly keep this up at the price they are charging.
Appetisers are compliments of the house. We then had three courses and coffee. All up it was AUD17 per head for the food (drinks weren't too badly priced either and the wine was certainly drinkable!!). I had a prawn entree that was cooked prawns, head and tail in tact, beautiful crispy noodles wrapped around the shelled body. For main I had a chicken and mushroom dish. Desert was a pear crumble. All dishes presented like a piece of artwork. Not large meals - however when you are eating 3 or 4 courses - you really don't need large.
As I said in JBR1 - We loved Gado Gado in Seminyak, but this one certainly gave it a run for the money. Hard to split them as far as the experience went.
VINCENTS: Had a really nice coffee here - would have liked to have tried them for a meal - but time didn't allow.
Next JBR will cover our Ubud stay at Honeymoon Guesthouse, visiting the Ubud Birthing Centre, and the outings we had in that area and on the way back to Tuban for our last 3 nights.
Hope this has been of assistance to someone out there in BTF land - happy to answer any questions.