OK, so this not exactly JBR as we've been home about a month, but I just never had a chance to post.
We spent 12 days in Bali and 2 in Singapore before returning home to the San Francisco Bay Area. We flew San Franciso->Hong Kong->Singapore->Denpesar which didn't seem as long as I thought because we were in Raffles Class. I used all of my miles to get us there and it was well worth it. Seats were very comfy (and almost flat back) plus there were 12 or so on-demand movies that you could start/fast forward/rewind/pause. When I wasn't sleeping I was watching one of the movies.
When we arrived, I was very nervous about the lines for the visa so we motored out of the plane and were the second to arrive at the counter (another benefit of being in Raffles Class). We had brought our $50 in cash so we were in and out of there in just a few minutes. We also got our bags right away and as soon as we exited customs we saw a sign with our name on it from Alila - our transport to our first stop: 3 nights at Alila Manggis.
First off, all the places we stayed looked exactly like pictures from their web sites which was great. The Alila Manggis has a very small hotel feel with a huge gorgeous pool in the middle of the complex. Service was top notch- especially the at the pool. Also, the food was AMAZING - of all of the places we ate the Alila Manggis restaurant totally outdid them. Each meal we had there (breakfast, lunch or dinner) had different kinds of fresh breads which were some of the best breads I've ever eaten. And the dishes themselves- fresh ingrediants, incredible taste - we were missing that food for the remainder of our trip - I still miss it. Our package included one dinner for two so we had it on our final night at the oceanside bale - very romantic, and as usual, delicious. The only downsides of the hotel are that the rooms (ours was Deluxe, on the second floor) were fairly small and dark so we didn't spend too much time there. We did have a nice day bed on the patio which the staff put mosquito netting on (optional) so it was fun reading out there or gazing at the pool or ocean through the huge palm trees. Next time around I'd reserve one of the suites. The other negative is that there is not much around to do. We took the free shuttle to Candi Dasa to look around and we proceeded to spend 2 hours being hounded at every step to buy something - and the town was empty so you can imagine how strange it was to not experience any peace in such a peaceful looking place! We did take a snorkel trip out of the hotel to the Blue Lagoon which was really fun. We were greeted at the hotel beach (not really a beach but an entry point to the water) where we were transported by Outrigger Canoe to the Blue Lagoon. I've done a lot of snorkeling in Hawaii and this was as good if not better. There were tons of fish species I had not seen before and I even saw a few eels. Also, it felt great to be in the ocean as the Manggis beach is really not good for swimming.
After Alila Manggis, we were transported (as part of our package) to Alila Ubud for 5 nights. First off, we decided that from now on 5 nights anywhere is too long - we'll be minimizing our stays to 3 nights as we started to get really bored/antsy after the 3rd night. While we were still staying at Alila Manggis we decided to check and see if we could upgrade to a villa at Alila Ubud (given our disappointment with the deluxe room at Manggis) and they had one valley-view villa left. First off, it was the best money spent on the trip - the villa was breathtaking! It was the furthest away from the lobby/restauant/pool which did get quite exhausting as in case you have not read in past posts, there are A LOT of steps. But being newlyweds in our 30s we were able to hack it. We spent a lot of time at the pool which was gorgeous, although pool service was not as good here as at the Alila Manggis - we had a few misunderstandings with the pool wait staff - mainly language/communication issues. We also used the spa which was a gorgeous place and while the treatments were more on the pricey side, they're still a lot less than what we'd pay here at home. We also did a few day trips - rafting (which was fun although why folks like to splash polluted water at each other is beyond me!), walking through rice paddy fields w/ a local guide (complimentary from the hotel) - which was fascinating to learn about the life of rice farmer families and village life. We also took the free hotel shuttle into town (about a 10-15 minute drive) to do some shopping and see a dance (Kecak and fire dance) which was really neat - instead of music there are close to 100 men who sort of chant - I can't really explain it well but it was different and fun. BTW, no need to get there early for a ticket - we bought ours from a street vendor in Central Ubud. We decided to eat in town at a more touristy-place Cafe Lotus which we really enjoyed. We sat on one of the short tables w/cushions (sorry I'm not trying to be ignorant - just can't remember the name) right next to the huge lotus pools. Prices were reasonable (compared to the hotel restaurant which was at best mediocre) and the menu diverse. After over a week of Balanese food it was nice to sink into some pasta!
BTW, I can't end this JBR without a comment on driving - I will never drive in Bali - it is scary! It reminds me of a video game where you are driving along and there are children, dogs, scooters, big trucks, cows -you name it, jumping in front of you. I am in awe that folks can really navigate the roads every day -I was very happy to stay in the back seat!
On our fourth day in Ubud (when we started to tire of the Alila) we hired a driver to take us to spend a few hours at the Four Seasons at Sayan. The hotel seemed completely deserted other than the staff, although we did see a few guests towards the end of our visit. Amazing place architecturally. I think if we could do it again we would have spent 2 nights there. Definitely worth a visit if you're into seeing something different. (Of course, get ready for paying $10 for a drink).
We spent the final three nights at the Four Seasons at Jimbayan Bay in a ocean-view villa. After experiencing the villa at Alila Ubud we were thinking we may be disappointed but we were not. It was simply paradise. Each villa has its own private plunge pool which we made use of quite often. Also, the property itself was breathtaking - all built on a hillside so lots of stairs, but in case the stairs are too much (and by that point they were too much for my husband's knees!), you can ring for a buggie (golf cart) to take you wherever you want on property. It was great finally getting to swim at a beach- we also learned how to man a hobicat sailboat (complimentary) and got some pretty good wind. The highlight of the trip for me was the cooking school - we started out going to the Jimbayan fish market, and then produce market to learn about ingrediants and get a taste of village life. Then we were shuttled back to the resort for a morning of hands-on cooking. We made a dessert (a pumpkin pudding), banana-leaf wrapped fish, pickled vegetables, one other dish I can't remember and rice. BTW - we had some really yummy rice - our instructor said that it is very rare and high quality Balanese rice- each piece was just perfect. I still dream of that rice. If anyone out there knows how to order this rice, please let me know!
All in all, a wonderful trip. Not sure if we'll go again (it's a long way away) but we'll certainly never forget it. Thanks to all of you posting on this forum as you helped us figure out where to stay, what to do, and gave us great tips that saved us time and money (like rushing to the visa line, only bringing new $100 bills, spending time in Ubud, etc.) as well as giving us pointers on where to spend extra $$ (like upgrading to the villa at Alila).
Jina