Spent 6 days in Bali with 2 mates for to celebrate my 50th year on the planet.
Flew AA from Perth plane left on time 1020 got to Bali 1340. Airbridge connected. We had row 1 and were through VOA and immigration by 1350. We were the queue.
20 - 30 minute wait for luggage then through customs and met by Sanny, my regular driver, who drove us to the Masa Inn, Sanny even had 6 binnies ready for us thirsty travellers. We were there by 1445.
Masa Inn is great value 350,000rp for a single room on the ground floor overlooking the back pool. Room is clean air conditioned has a fridge, phone I never used and a TV I used a couple of times. Breakfast is included and they sell cold drinks and bintang at reasonable prices.
We spent a lot of time in and around the pool. There is a mixed bunch of people from a number of places and the atmosphere is friendly. Also no pool lounge hogs.
Location was excellent pretty much in the middle of Poppies 1 with an Indomart complete with money changer across the lane. Exchange rate was 9800 to 9900 through the stay. Lots of Warungs and a DVD store and lots of market stores.
Went to Telcomsel for a Sim, good service and for 50,000 got a sim with 50 minutes of calls back to Australia and other bonuses it is valid for 10 days but a recharge will give a longer life. I spent 70,000 on calls to Australia over the 6days, so good value.
Sanny drove us up to Ubud and Kintamani view one of the Luwak Coffee places. Amazed as to how built up Ubud as I hadn't been up there in 4 years. Luwak Coffee was interesting it is more intense in flavour but we didn't buy beyond the sample. Had lunch at a buffet overlooking the volcano and lake.
Went top a number of local places for food and bIntang. Poppies had Babi Guling as a special and was delicious. It is a very nice place quiet and nicely presented the food was excellent as were the margaritas.
We also ate at Swell 73, Agung, the Tree house and The Pub. The food and feel of Swell was good, the food at the pub was better than I expected. Treehouse and Agung had disappointing food. On previous visits I had enjoyed a meal at Treehouse so not sure what was wrong.
We had some drinks at Secret Garden hoping to see the live band but although they play every night we were told 'Yes play every night, not tonight' ah Bali.
In the evening we would head to the beach for sunset drinks and go to Ketuts bar it is first on the right as you exit poppies 1. Nice young fellow who looked after us, beach sellers were a pain though.
Other things we did.
The great peanut hunt, one of the guys works with a Balinese guy and was told he had to try a specific brand of peanuts. We must have tried every minimart in Poppies 1, 2 , benesari, bedugal, ronta, sorga and Kuta pantai before finding them in matahari. Then he decides he is taking them back so we didn't even get to try them.
One decides to get a haircut, they do a mani and pedi and stuff while hair is being cut 40,000 rp haircut ends up at 625,000 rp he negotiates it to 450,000 rp we asked if he got a happy ending at that price, he wasn't amused.
Me and peanut man would get up early every morning 630 - 7am and do one hour walks along the beach. Before breakfast. I would practice my bahasa on unsuspecting locals usually to their delight and they would teach me more. My friend was amazed at what a positive impression it made with the locals and tried to learn some too. I love the morning walks no one trying to sell you things and just normal locals about doing their business.
We did virtually no shopping other than peanuts, I bough some beach towels for 35,000 each and some baby sized bintang singlets for my dog for 15,000 each I bought some trinkets for mny family down the beach but paid too much. I don't mind though.
Wednesday was our big day. I usually stay in Legian so decided to take my friends to check out some of my favourite places. We started at Yogis paradise grill in Jalan Legian just south of Padma. Yogi is a mate I have eaten at his old warung many times. He welcomed me as an old friend and we had delicious food, a beef and chicken rending and a spicy fish and numerous ice cold bintangs. Yogi sat with us and chatted he is a wonderful chef and host.
Then it was off to Ybar. I used to love this place but the extension has made it dark and stopped the ventilation making it stifling, no sport was on so after 2 bintangs we left. One for the sausage , eggs and chips people.
I have stayed at Hidden Garden Villas a couple of times so wandered down to Gang Abdi to see what was happening. Made the owner /manager saw me and showed me the renovations being made to villas one and 2. I caught up with Ilu and Made and their mum who work in the villas and saw Ilus new baby. Then we had some beers at Warung Bule and spoke to young Putu who runs the bar. It rained for the only time during the day for the 6 days we ere there but enjoyed watching it rain.
Then one beer at Diamond warung an expat hangout. Then off to the beach. Headed to Champ[lung bar in southern Seminyak. Some bintangs, mojitos and Long island teas were drunk. Then after sunset to Zanzibar for some nasi gorenga nad bintang. Good servings good food, haircut boy didn't finish his. Next stop was the Bali beach shack for the first of 2 shows. Penut man decided he had had enough and headed back to the Masa. Me and Haircut boy soldiered one. More bintang, some jello shots a live band, 2 live shows. It was great fun the show is PG. We got photos with the MC and 'Pink'. After this it was to Legends bar next door more bintang and some funky music, I remember Neil Diamonds 'Sweet Caroline' and I yelled loudest for the last song and got them to play Aerosmith's 'Don't want to miss a thing'. Some young bucks wanted us to party with them but when they got on the backs of scooters I told them no way. I found a taxi and we got back to the Masa about 2am after a long 14 hours of drinking eating and carousing. Taxi driver was good he got us out at the Legian end of Poppies and seeing we were both pissed showed us where the opening was as it is narrow and dark. I was up at 8 for breakfast forgoing the walk, haircut boy wasn't seen until 5pm and had nothing to eat or drink all day, he fell over getting out of the taxi lost his shoes and I had to hold his hand and walk him home down Poppies. I am 120kg and 187cm and he is over 100kg and 188cm so we must have been quite a sight!
All good things came to an end. Sanny couldn't pick us up from the Masa as he had broken his ankle in a fall off his house roof. So his brother Yoga picked us up. Again no real queues at the airport. Flight on time. Arrived back in Perth , no airbridge for the only time. I picked up my duty free. Tried to go through the electronic gate but computer said no so went through a human, no queue picked up luggage. All up 30 minutes from landing to taxi. Back to real life.