Just back last night - Air asia, no probs - great airline & plane all nice & new & shiny. In Row 15 & row 14 in front (exit row) had no-one in it - should have seen me jump as soon as the plane started backing up!! Lots more leg room.
Anyway, AA left on time 4.50am BBBRRR cold & frosty at Perth airport, no dramas at all, landed 8.30 Bali, straight thru VOA & customs - there are heaps of VOA booths & loads of extra immigration counters on RHS of existing ones. In hotel by 9.30, couldn't ask for a quicker arrival? BUT AA is the only international flight at this time. Went on Jet* last Oct & some 5 - 10 flights all land at once - its bedlam & takes hours & hours just to get thru immigration - check your arrival times on Denpasar airports web site!!
Stayed at Legian Village Hotel (Joni 2), downmarket this time, sort of regret it now, hotel is cheap for a reason!! Ugly rooms, don't seem all that clean, towells musty, cupboard doors won't work, front doos has some nice big gaps to let in the mozzies, a/c busted (complained & they moved us )brekky just fruit & toast - don't think we'll go back, think we traded down just a bit too far!!!
Did all the usual - Geneva, Biarritz, Carrefour, Hypermarket at Bali Galleria - Yawn!! Getting shopped out!! Met some friends of friends & went to the beach seafood restaurant at Jimbarren Bay (JB seafoods I think)- heard about the restaurants for years but never been.
Atmosphere was gorgeous, just relaxing on the sand, cold Binnies watching the sun go down & laughing at the Chinese "tourists" all taking each others photos and seeing who can photograph the person jumping up the highest - thought Toyotas were Japanese?? Then came the shock!!!!! The menus!! Yes of course it was all seafood - but at what a price!!! Jane & I chose the Rp600,000 combo - prawns, crafish, fish, clams & rice. WELL - 1 prawn - but a big thing with claws, (very overcooked & burnt on BBQ & smothered with a tomatoe spicy sauce)) 1 crayfish - very undersize by our standards - (see prawn for cooking method), 6 clams - same sauce but actually quite good, handfull of very overcooked & crunchy squid ( I think it was squid??) & a very small, burnt fish - think it was a fish but not sure coz meat was all burnt & frazzled & covered in same sauce - Rp600,000!! & that was only the cheapest copmbo option or you can buy each individually by the 100g!! Add a few Binnies each, a Margaritta that was oh so short on lemon, tequilla & taste - more like cloudy salty water and the total bill was some Rp 1.3 million - A$145.00. WOW - sure didn't see THAT truck coming!! Somehow this little experience is a "been there done that" one that won't be repeated.
Had one night at Uns Restaurant in Poppies Lane - just gorgeous but perhaps should be booked in school hols, quite busy, but so quiet & intimate, lovely setting in a private garden, very polite waiters each have their own section to look after so its very personal service. Small complimentary frozen margaritta on arrival and small chicked nugget with 3 sauces. Had the fillet steak BBQ fondue ( min 2 persons) - absolutely gorgeous!! Melt in your mouth steak strips, yummy sauces - but also quite filling, frozen margarittas are scrumptious!! Love this restaurant.
Won't go into all the details of other restaurants, shopping etc - we've all got our own stories?? No dramas getting back through check in, immigration etc. Spent a relaxing hour of so in the Prada lounge waiting for flight back home. Took off 1/2 hour late ( late arrival FROM Perth) but still managed to land back on time - bugger the fuel cost - pedal to the metal & land this thing on time!! Great crew was actually the same ones who took us up there! Had a meal on flight - $10 for 2 roast chicken & veggies & 2 waters - were actually ok.
Off plane, collect duty free, thru immigration AND customs - all in less than an hour!! Well done guys - perhaps Bali airport could learn from you.
Well its now all over - unpacked the lot, suitcase away till next time - next job is to plan the NEXT trip.