Apology - before I continue this tardy JBR (really, can I keep calling it that?! Perhaps I better go with ‘Bali Report', BR) I want to apologise for not continuing with my previous reports. This year has been super busy and given we're booked for another Bali adventure in January I thought I had better get my skates on and finish this thing before we took off again - wish me luck!
Recap - The soon to be newlyweds are in beautiful Tanjung Benoa, dinner at Queens of India was a turning point, first day down on this two week holiday.
15 Feb
And so, we wake up refreshed, albeit in the clothes we were wearing yesterday - quite zonked we certainly must have been! I was sitting on the gorgeous daybed leaning on the windowsill and looking out of the window at the beach, feeling so serene and grateful and happy and content. I fancied I could be a writer; it seemed like the perfect place to write a book - perhaps something profound, maybe romantic, possibly something whimsical - anything! I decided there and then that this was where I would be jotting down notes in my journal during my stay at NB :o) The cabana was wonderful, lovely big bed with netting, the gorgeous daybed, shower, sink and toilet and an outdoor bath. Out the front we had our own tiered garden, complete with front fence and entry gate, two sunbeds with umbrellas, small table and a fantastic view of the beach with sunbeds lining it not even two metres from our entry gate. Oh bliss!! We had our own little island in Bali!!
It was a nice relaxing first day (technically second day but you know what I mean) starting with a sumptuous breakfast. NB certainly has a large selection of yummy food to choose from. Often my eyes are bigger than my stomach - I think I'll have a bit of this and that and everything but when it comes down to it there's no way I could eat all I was dreaming of. What is that with Bali?! I always go over with great eating plans and end up getting full on a few mouthfuls. Perhaps the humidity???? Next time I go it's smaller more frequent serves for me if I can manage it - too much tempting food which I do not want to miss out on. Oops - off on my food dream again! Let's get back to where we were.
After breakfast we chilled out on the sunbeds for a while then headed off for a walk to see if we could get our bearings and check out what was in our vicinity. We turned right out of NB, walked a little way up the road and found our first little home of indulgence (sorry, the name escapes me but I can go through my paperwork if anyone is desperate to know). I wanted to do a test run on my nails for the big day so had a French manicure and hubby to be had a massage. Nice little parlour this one, seemed quite modern, prices reasonable - certainly not expensive but just a tad more than the cheaper ones down the road. The rest of the afternoon, in short, consisted of buying more supplies on our way back to the hotel, getting more acquainted with our personal sunbeds, soaking up a bit of sun, visiting the deliciously cool pool and deciding on what to do for dinner. We decided to eat on the hotel grounds and made our way to Coco's Beach Restaurant and Bar which is between the pool and the beach - in fact it's on the beach, you can eat with your feet in the sand! Super relaxing! Mojitos were ordered and dinner menu was perused. I can't remember what we ordered now (maybe a stir-fry and curry - can't be certain of that though) but I know it was okay, if not a tad more expensive to what we're used to but not sky-rocketing prices. There was a quartet band playing and after a couple of songs they would move around to another table and everyone could request songs - it really was a lovely accompaniment to dinner. We didn't hang around for too long though, we had an early morning coming up as we were due at the consulate.
One thing to mention before I sign off on this day - the netting above our bed was pushed back against the wall during the day and every night when we returned the staff had pulled it out and it was draped around our bed looking nothing short of a fairytale! Adding to that, placed on the bed was a little ‘good night card' and a couple of frangipanis - gorgeous!