LOVE BALI!!
3 of us went, my girlfriend and my best mate - for my 21st bday!
Flew with Garuda, not as bad as people told me they were. We got through customs pretty quick and easy and the porters at the airport were not as bad as i thought they would be. Stayed at Rama Beach Resort in Tuban, well recommended!!Great pool and pool bar, nicest staff ever especially the pool bar man Chris. Rooms were pretty good for only a 3 star resort, no real problems with the resort at all.
FIRST DAY - walked into Kuta and got hasseled the whole way for transport, clothes and all the normal. Friend and gf found it quite a cultural shock, i didnt find it too bad, think i was better prepared than they were. Gf got her hair braided at Discovery Mall, price started at $300,000 (rip off we know now) and half way through they threatened to stop unless she gave them more money, and although she said no to nails they did them anyway!! all up she paid about $500,000 plus $20 aussie dollars, they just took everything of her and every time i came to check up on her they said they were looking after her really well!!! so everyone watch out for the lady next to the arcade place in the discovery mall, not good at all! Meantime friend and i went shopping and also got ripped off, got taken down a alley shop and cornered and paid a lot of money for some wallets. After these bad incidents we all went back to our resort and drank around the pool and whinged about how bad the first day was.
SECOND DAY - went to Nusa Dua for some water sport activities. Did Jet Ski's, Parasailing and a new thing called the 'fly fish' - definately reccommend although expensive coz it is new. After that went back into Kuta for more shopping, wasnt as bad as first day and we didnt get as ripped off.
THIRD DAY - went to waterbom park. Awesome place but i think one day there is enough! love the lazy river :) Again we did a bit more shopping in Kuta.
FOURTH DAY - hung around the pool bar till mid afternoon then went to both poppies lanes for the first time. Preferred it than just the stalls around Kuta. Got some real good bargains, recommended first timers go there first!!!!
FIFITH DAY - went on the QUAD bike tour and white water rafting. The whole day cost us $133AUS and that included transfers and two buffet lunches. Quad bikes were awesome, great tour! girlfriend found it quite hard steering them and had a small accident but nothing major! went through villages, bush land, muddy waters! Nice lunch before we were transferred about 1hr way to the white water rafting. i didnt think jet ski's or quad bikes could be beaten but i loved white water rafting, really good fun!!!! Instrucotrs make it sound a lot scarier than at the start than what it really was, just real good fun and no one fell out! Long day, started at 7:15am and got home after 6pm i think. Girlfriend and i then just went into Kuta for even MORE shopping, she just couldnt get enough!
SIXTH DAY - poppies lane again and shopped all day! got lots of everything, real good bargains. Ate at Bubba Gumps, HAVE TO GO THERE, really nice food and great staff, order a margaritha and the staff shake it and dance and sing for you :)
SEVENTH DAY - AGAIN MORE SHOPPING AROUND KUTA!! unbelieveable :) Ate at TJ's Mexican restauraunt, quite nice but not as cheap as other places. Finished off with one of the best things we did in BALI, the AQUATONIC POOL at the Ritz Carlton Hotel! it is quite expensive but well worth it, trust me. if you dont know much about it look into it, the most relaxing thing ever, 10x better than the massages you get around Bali.
EIGHTH AND FINAL DAY - heartbroken we leave at 4pm today :( went to poppies lanes one more time for last minute bargains then jsut hung around the pool bar for the rest of the day until it was time to go :(
HAVE TO DO - aquatonic pool, jet ski's, white water rafting and quad bikes, talk to everyone - some real ncie people out there!
most nights just ate at our hotel, beautiful food and great price and friendly staff.
any first timers want advice im willing to help! just ask