hi guys
just thought i'd give an overview of my stay since everyone was so helpful in the weeks leading up to my trip.
we stayed at novotel benoa which we LOVE. stayed there last time (oct 09) and will again.
they are currently renovating the restaurant, but it's only for a month. they started the day we arrived - typical.
we love the novotel it's really quiet and relaxing. half price drinks at all bars from 5-7pm where the swim up bar got quite busy - pool was dead as the rest of the time which was lovely.
mostly just relaxed. found a good spa across the road OKY SPA - the girls did a good massage and pedicure and all that stuff. i went every day. i think between the 9 people in our family we spent about 3 million there - they didn't want us to go home! haha. i was there at least once a day for something. :)
spent a couple days relaxing in the hotel, but also did an afternoon trip to uluwatu to check out a villa that a friend of my aunty and her balinese hubby own. brand new and really spiffy. wouldn't want to stay there as it's in the middle of nowhere down a dirt track - but great if you just want a few days of nothingness!
did a day trip to seminyak and legian to shop for bigger sized clothes. aunty and mum got quite a bit (animale, divine diva etc) but i bought nothing.
had lunch at cafe moka in jl raya seminyak. anyone been there? we just saw it and popped in and were pleasantly surprised by it! western food and bakery stuff - breads and pastries and cakes for sale. had the BEST hamburger there! and took some cake back to the hotel which was delicious.
tried the one in jimbaran but wasn't as good - not so busy and less choices for cakes. there is 4 of them in bali i think.
went to matahari galleria and shopped and shopped. bought heaps of baby clothes as i'm 5 months pregnant. :)
had a lovely berry iced tea at a coffee shop.
tuesday we got a driver and went to jl melasti (the beach end) to the market. had lunch across the road at some place called bamboo something? it was AWFUL! the western food the others ordered was sandwiches and they were tiny and had like 6 chips with them! i had nasi campur. seriously it was disgusting. the sate did not taste like sate. not peanutty and it was grey, not browny. really foul. piece of chicken was tough as ole boots. i don't like tempeh but mum ate it and said it wasn't good. had some chicken veg soup with it and it tasted fishy and i spat it out and nearly threw up. had the runs the whole next day. never go there!!!!!!!
after that, went to kuta beach market and got some cool shoes for a friend at a stall. had a wander thru matahari and had to get a cheeseburger from maccas since my lunch was foul and i barely ate much at all of it. (even the rice wasn't that nice).
we found a lovely driver who lives in tanjung benoa. parks outside the novotel every 2nd day or something. he's lovely, got good english. name is dira. his number is 081 337 445 216 if anyone's interested. his prices were really good too. we didn't even bother bargaining much as he had a great price to start with. (and we always bargain the transport price!). he drives a toyota avenza.
i changed money on the street most days. $100 at a time, got between 8700 and 8900 depending where i was. saw heaps going for 9175 and decided to steer clear of those!!!
had babi guling one night at mini restaurant next to the hotel. really good! had 9 of us and we got it for 150000 each. it included the whole pig, nasi putih, mie goreng, cap cay and a fruit platter, plus the free cocktail and salad on arrival as usual. ate there several nights, their food was really good.
was quite impressed at the amount of balinese food on menus. i don't remember that from last holiday. mostly only indonesian, but most places had specific balinese sections on their menu.
other than that, we had a great time. leaving perth on the 11th, boarding was meant to start at 7.25pm and at 7.30 there was still no plane at the gate! it arrived about 7.40 - we were taxiing at 8.07 - 2 mins late. we were super impressed!
on the way home, we also left on time and landed 15 mins early, but by the time we got to the gate and had quarantine check a poor sick girl who'd been vomiting violently since we touched down, we got off the plane at 4.15am which was 5 mins after the scheduled time.
left the airport at 4.35! very impressed!
spent more time in the drive thru at midland maccas for brekky than we did in the airport waiting for luggage and going through customs. the girl at maccas was a little bit useless.
was home in bed, with a load of washing on at 10 to 6am.
hope u enjoyed.
beth