Hi all
wnated to share my bali trip hoep you enjoy. Apologise in advance for my bad spelling.
Me(4th trip)hubby and 2 kids 7 & 9 (all bali virgins)
We set off 3 May left home at 7.00am to get to airport for our 10.40am flight form Sydney with Pcific Blue. Not a great start flight delayed 1 hour. Finally got in the air. No up fornt seats as reuqtesed, but we are ok. Kids had colouring, dvd players and DS but 6.5 hrs was a long trip for them. They were really good but glad when we landed.
Now I must tell you my hubby did not want to go to Bali, had lots of reservation about it but he agreed as it was my 40th and that's what I chose. I had arranged Hadi to do VIP, hasband was worried baout me givingpassports to a stranger but he never left our site with them. We got through VIp in about 30minutes a only passengers from selct countries being fingerprinted. When we came through Had's staff wiating with our bags took and and put bags through X-ray and walk out us and our luggage out to meet our lovely driver Made Suartra. Wasglad we did VIp as kids already tired and as most mums know you will pay anything to keep things quick and simple for the kids. Made loaded up our luggage and off we went to Holiday inn Baruna only 5 minutes form the airport. Kids and hubby checking out the crazy scooters loaded iwth the whole family, cars driving all the honking. Taking in the sights of a foreign country. This was my kids first time out of Australia and there eyes lit up as they took it all in. We arrived at holiday Inn staff there opening doors and taking our luggage. We arrange for Made to come and pick us for tomorrows shopping trip and we head to check in, lovely lemon grass jelly and a cold towel, shown to our room which is a family suit, 2 rooms. kids have sail boat beds and an xbox bean bugs and all colourful. I have been given the thumbs up, kids are happy then so am I.. A quick walk down the beach made plans for hair brading next day with some ladies out the front of the Ramada. Of course we stop for the must have bintang at Envy bar in our hotel and my daughter has her first experience of hangling on the beach, well mummy haggled for her, we bought 18 frangipani hair clips for 100,000. Good buy I thought lots of friends will be getting one of them no doubt. We had a nice dinner at Palms restaurant at holiday inn, food was great and kids eat for free from the kids menu. Restaurant is right by the pool so the kids played in the pool till their dinner was ready so they where happy as. After a few more beers we had an early night had been along day.
Day 2 up at 8 buffet breakfast in palms was fab. Eggs made to order, fried, poached, omlete, boiled whatever you like. Crisply bacon all the trimming. Had milo cereal for the kids and donuts and muffins etc. My 9 yr old son had cooked eggs for brekfast for the whole 10 days, thought it was great. Not a lot of ripe fresh fruit as I had expected but everything we needed. Staff super friendly and whatever you ask no problem.
Made picked us up and we headed upto Padma street. I took some items to house of Kommang with some fabric I had purchased back home to get copied. OWuld be ready in 3 days. Then to Jimmy DVD had promised kids we would get some Wii games to play in our chipped wee back home. We bought 35 games 34 of them work. Pretty hapy with that at 20,000 each. Also grabbed about 30 dvd's. The onto padma utara to paintingshop I think it is called 56, I bought a pianting there last year so just went back same shop. I was a organised had photo's of some painting I wanted done 6 45 x 45 ones and one about 160 x 60. I got all of them for baout $200 so was really happy. We came back 3 days later to check and they wehere going great all finished iwthin 6 days and they packed for us to take on the plane. We kept them on the wooden frame this time and had no problems getting them back. I cannot prias these guys enough they did a fabulous job so I slipped him an extra 100,000 after I had paid. They turned out better than we ever expected.
Huuby got bailed up at a shop further down padma utara. Son comes running over dad needs you. Guy is trying to get hubby to pay 400,000 for 1 bintang singlet and a casey stoner shirt for my son. He did the old first time in Bali, yep, when did you arrive, yesterday, come in spinner. I had to laugh, welcome to shopping Bali style.....After some discussion we purchsed the items for 120,000. Hubby said he would leave the haggling to me. Within a few days though he was right. He learnt his own saying "no pushy push" was his favourite when he was really getting hassled at the markets. All the balinese understood what he meant and laughed with us. We got some flat top hats for my son and picked up a few other bits and pieces. Headed back to hotel for swim and a few beers at happy hour. Then Down to Uncle norms in Melasti street for dinner. Went there because I know the kids would like it. Took us 45 minutes in a taxi though as traffic was just crazy at about 5-6 every night. Whidy at the restaurant did lots of magic tricks for the kids and they loved there nuggets and calamari. We wandered through a few shops in Melasti street. Got my daughter a lovely dress at a kisa boutique there then headed back to holiday inn for an early night. Tomorrow we are off to Taro. My daughters one wish in Bali was to ride an elephant so tomorrow would be a special day for her.
Hope you are enjoying....