We have just returned from a nine day holiday in Bali staying at the Inter-Continental Hotel at Jimbaran Bay. Let me say we had a lovely holiday but it was a real eye-opener.
The hotel was absolutely beautiful and we had the added bonus of belonging to the Club. This we saved for and enjoyed thoroughly as you have a private pool and a room set aside for drinks and nibblies during the day. I must say that this service should have been extended to the pool bar but I think the hotels get greedy with the prices of the beverages.
One complaint about the hotel was the fact I needed feminine hygene products and went to the front desk to ask where I could purchase them. They told me to go to the drug store behind the lobby. Two very eager girls behind the desk informed me there were none in the hotel and that I would have to take a taxi to the nearest chemist in Kuta. You ask yourself who does the buying for the hotel?
We were looking forward to eating in the restaurants along the beach which were supposed to be so cheap. The beach at Jimbaran Bay is littered with shoes (millions of them), sticks, coconuts, syringes, dog pooh and dead fish. A big hole was dug early in the morning and everything pushed into this hole. Consequently the same rubbish was washed up with the next tide. Back to the restaurants, they were like a shanty town. We ate at a place called Mades. The lobster and prawns were beautiful. Calamari was tough but this was anywhere we ate. For six of us dining it worked out to be A$120
The turn-off was the toilet. It is a hole in the ground and the pipes lead from this down under the sand to the waters of Jimbaran Bay. We couldn"t bring ourselves to swim in the sea and thought that those that did were very foolish. The postcards and brochures are very deciving.
We found that Kuta was very tiring with the hawkers hanging off you if you gave them a second look. We understand that this is their way of life and they are very poor but we did spend money and didn't take them for a ride but some were so rude if you didn't buy from them.
Some of the shopkeepers were good and you could bargain fairly with them. Leather slip on sandals were approximately A$9 and handbags were $A10 upwards.
My cousin and I wanted a leather and a suede coat each. We had the name of a tailor Katie's (Phone 0361 755147) For the four coats we paid A$620. My leather coat had to be taken in twice but we were extremely happy with the quality. We took the Events catalogue from Sydney and pointed out the leather coat that they had advertised for $699. We definitely got a bargain!
We went on three big day trips. The guide we hired was Wayan (of course) Madra. His driver was Wayan as well. It cost us A$40 from 9.00am to 6.00pm. We bought them lunch and gave them a tip at the end of the day (all up about $50 for the day) . Quanas was charging A$190 a day. He had an air-conditioned van that colud take us all (5 adults and a 13 year old.) We would recommend him. His number is 0361 774226. He arranged our water sports at Nusa Dua (jet ski and banana boat) as well.
When we went on tours we washed our hands in the rain and used Glen 20 wipes to clean our hands. The toilets are disgusting everywhere. Wayan just laughed at us. We also carried our own toilet paper which is a must. People wash themselves, their clothes and drink the water that rushes in drains down the mountains after the rains. The kids seem very happy playing about and look lovely in their school uniforms.
There is a blatant disregard to keep things clean. Everything is thrown on the streets and left. The temples seem in disrepair. We went to the Tanah Lot Temple that looks so beautiful on the postcards. If you look closely they are taken at sunset or when their is a colourful festival. THE TEMPLE IS BLACK! What a disappointment.
Don't get me wrong we enjoyed our day out and the countryside is beautiful when you move into the mountains but you are not told about the filth oif the island by the travel agents.
We went to a French restaurant Warisan Cafe
in Seminyak. Lovely meal A$60 a couple for an up-market 3 course meal. You must buy your wine duty free in Sydney before you leave as the prices are astronomical for very ordinary wine. The bintang beer is dirt cheap.
We ate ate the Ko Japanese Restaurant at the INter-Continental (A$400 for 6 people). We had Teppanyaki but they don't fool around like we do in Japanese restaurants in Sydney.
My 16 and 13 year old boys enjoyed the Waterbom Park in Kuta and could be left there safely whlie we went shopping.
The Batik was very expensive and was being sold in Ameerican dollars. Every second shop is a furniture or carving shop. These people in Bali are being exploited by the South Africans, Japanese and Americans. In years to come there will be no trees left in Bali.
The rupiah fluctuated between 5 000 and 5 500 while we were there.
We had trouble with only one money changer and if we thought we had trouble our driver Wayan helped us. The shopping was good quality at the Galleria at Nusa Dua although you pay a little more.
We bought silver near Ubud. A chain, braclet and a ring. It was good quality but ther ring was too big so we were to call back on the way back to the hotel and pick it up when altered. It was too small and they said they would deliver it to the hotel. It was not the same ring.
Wayan again came to the rescue and we ended up with two rings for the inconvenience.
The weather was pretty good and we relaxed beside the pool. When leaving our plane was delayed from 11.30pm until 3.30am the next morning. We are Qantas Club members and the Lounge is a disgrace. There is one toilet in the ladies and it is black and has a cracked seat. They ran out of cold drinks because of the volume of people waiting. Fourteen other airlines share the lounge so you would think they would get together to fix things up.
All in all it was an experience and I'm glad Australia is home but as a Balinese speed boat driver said to me "You are able to work and save your money to come on a trip. We work to just live1" So true.