Posted by Paul C on Sunday, 11. October 1998 at 00:05 Bali Time:
Just back after ten days from 30/9 to 9/10. Two adults and an 8 yo boy. 3rd visit for the boy and umpteenth for us.
Just to get this in at the start. Michael from HBF/PVL was fantastically helpful to us and we were not easy clients. If you need someone to book places for you I could not speak highly enough of them. We will definitely use them again.
Airline
Flew from Perth with Merpati. Planes a little rough around the edges - rather like a Bali Hotel - but the on board service was terrific and the price is tough to beat. The planes and crews are leased from a Thai domestic airline. On both flights the pilots were American. Beware, they have a habit of changing flight times without telling you. Definitely get to the airport two hours before takeoff, it might only be just in time!
If starting in Perth you need to check in your bags in one set of queues and then go to another for seat allocation. Something about not having the computers fully networked. Wierd but true.
Hotels
LG Hotel for 3 nights. About half way up Jl Legian - almost opposite Poppies Lane II. Very quiet location even though it is right in the middle of things. Nice pool but a bit of a heat trap. Service OK, breakfasts excellent. Rooms were quite nice. Because of the "communal lounge" shared by three rooms it would be great for a large family or several families who are together.
The 100yd walk to "the strip" is just enough to prepare you to face it all and enough to calm down again afterwards. Will return for shopping frenzies.
Bali Gardenia Suites for 3 nights in a single bedroom suite. Booked through the Forum and definitely one of the all time great bargains. Take it while you can and stay at this place unless you are determined to be in the thick of Kuta. It is a great spot and sensational value at this price. From the main road it is a 1/2 mile road up to the Gardenias with some truly spectacular houses along the way. Taman Mumbul is a residential area rather than a hotel area so it is different.
You need a taxi to anywhere - they will call you one anytime and they are waiting just outside the property so are there instantly. There is a very large Tragia Department store a kilometre away (about 3,000rp taxi). The nearest "village" is another few hundred yards further with similar goods to the little stalls/shops in Kuta and some excellent warungs/restaurants. Jimbaran seafood is a 10,000rp taxi.
Dynasty for 3 nights. Definitely NOT a highlight. Went there as it claims to have a kids club - for the 8yo. NO IT DOESN'T - at least not compared to the Holiday Inn just down the road for the same price.
Rooms OK but decor tired - old fashioned and very dark wood, personal taste I suppose. Air conditioning really struggled and then iced up and rained (not dripped, but poured) water all over the floor and one of our suitcases - containing most of our clothes. For this, no apology, just sent around the maintenance man.
One night thieves came in through the manholes and totally cleaned out 5 rooms - not ours luckily.
Room prices quoted in AU$ suddenly got changed to US$ when it came time to pay bills - this did not happen to us but did to people next to us at the cashier while we were settling our account.
Pool is cloudy and has what appears to be an auxiliary filter on wheels jury-rigged to one side of the pool. Water quality is dubious. Pool area is indifferent generally.
Property does NOT have a beach frontage. The area immediately in front of the Dynasty is fenced off - with barbed wire - and belongs to the Kartika next door. You can get to the beach via a laneway. OK but not very prepossessing. I didn't particularly mind this but it is NOT what is promised and that is my complaint.
Drinks around he pool are VERY expensive. 18,000rp for a draft beer - less than a small bottle. 10,000rp for a coke with ice - smaller than a 900rp bottle from the mini mart.
Good bits. Location, if you want to be close in. Staff are extremely good, best I have come across in Bali. Breakfasts were also very good although you sweat just sitting in the restaurant. The safe in your room is great.
We will not return the the Dynasty under any circumstances and have told them so.
Restaurants
Poppies was wonderful as usual. 300,000 for three of us including lots of expensive drinks. Beware of the Long Island Teas - ooohh ma head!!
A new one you MUST try is KORI in Poppies Lane II about 100 yards in from Jl Legian. Only been open since June and is just beautiful. Decor is sensational, if only we could build houses like this in Perth. Food is top notch. DO NOT miss the Papaya Gazpacho. Drinks are a little less reliable than Poppies but the food is better. Prices about the same. We paid around 300,000rp for the three of us inc. drinks - usually cocktails.
The restaurant at the Gardenia Suites is very good and quite reasonable.
Bali Cafe at Jimbaran Seafood market was great. At the airport end right at the end of Jl Puri Bambu.
Exchange
6,200rp to AU$ when we arrived. 5,200rp to the AU$ when we left. By now, who knows??
Lots of the restaurants would love you to pay in foreign currency and will give a very good rate on it. Poppies gave us 6,000rp on a day when it was 5,200 on the street.
Little recommendations.
Playstation games. 10,000rp from the very top floor of Ramayana in Denpasar. 18,500rp from Mataharis in Legian just at the back of the Timezone. 20,000rp from Mataharis in Legian on 3rd floor. 25,000rp from front door of Matahari's in Denpasar. Don't understand but thats the way it was. Old style controllers are 75,000rp. Memory cards are 80,000rp. Movie cards from 850,000rp to 1,000,000rp.
Photo shop right at the front of the Dynasty is excellent for photos but also is a very professional money changer with as good a rate as any. The mini mart right next door is also recommended. Buy some saffron to take home for only 2,800rp - no problems with Australian quarantine, in fact the quarantine officer told us he and his wife always stock up on expensive spices in Bali.
Had NO problems at all with money changers anywhere. Look confident and always count the money yourself.
Sonias, Natures Nick Nacks, just north of Poppies Lane II on Jl Legian has some great little gifty things at good prices.
Taxis are very cheap and would always use meters, sometimes with a little prompt.
We took up clothes, exercise books, sets of coloured pencils, crayons, rolls of sticky tape, erasers and pencil sharpeners and these were always appreciated as little gifts (on top of a tip) by hotel staff, drivers, etc.....
Generally prices - in AU$ - were about the same as 12 months ago.
Hawkers were no drama but definitely congregate around Kuta Square where they will swarm if given a chance.
ATMS worked fine - and are in lovely air conditioned booths - with 600,000rp maximum for a single withdrawal. Used two different cards against one account within about 1/2 an hour and had no problems.
Waterbom Park. Go if you really like water slides, not otherwise. It is a nice place. We got free tickets via the Timeshare selling routine. If anybody wants a personal account of this please email me direct.
Furniture:
Assiah Bali - Bypass Jimbaran 94 (?? this is what is on the card but it is with all he others on the airport bypass road). We didn't end up buying but will later and these guys gave us a lot of confidence that they were very professional.
Wooden folding pool lounges, with all brass fittings, 450,000rp. 1.2m hexagonal tables, 450,000rp. Folding slatted chairs with arms, 250,000rp. Extending table 1.2m x 2.5m, 900,000rp. Furniture prices are great but US$227 per metre shipping is a real killer.
La Bonita, just a bit further down the bypass road have some wonderful wrought iron work, especially is you like candelabra. Recommended.
Politics
We were there right through the lead up to and during the PDI Congress. It was a real buzz to see the Balinese reaction to a new political reality. Something that we take for granted all too easily. Despite what some of the TV coverage seemed to indicate, there were no problems that we saw - albeit from Kuta, not Sanur - just a lot of genuine enthusiasm and desire to make their voices heard. More like the aftergame celebrations from a football grand final than something more serious.
Had a great time - in spite of the Dynasty - feel free to email me with any questions.
Web page to be up soon.
Cheers,
CASE!