Well, this is my first attempt at a JBR and like many I have been lurking for a little while. I have been to Bali many times, so this trip probably won't seem that interesting as we didn't really do much except shop and lay around the pool, having done many of the tourist trips before. It's really hard, when you return to remember daily what you did, unless you kept a dairy over there, so I will probably just gloss over and not go into daily.
This trip was myself and my 17 year old daughter, we were meant to fly out Friday 25/11 10.00am morning with Air Paradise and return Sunday 4/12 6.00pm, well having heard Wednesday night 6.00pm on the news, you can imagine what the next couple of days were like, first angry then sad and angry at having to pay for flight again, but anyway once there you can begin to forget the extra money and just enjoy beautiful Bali. Flight over with Qantas Friday 25/11 9.00pm was actually not that bad, I had only flown once before with Qantas and really wasn't that impressed then, but I have to say it was good this time. (Mind you I would have preferred to fly Air Paradise as there times were better and I really couldn't fault there in flight service, but hey, when there not flying and you've for the time being lost your money!!!!)
Before I start on my JBR, someone was asking about the family room at the Bali Rani and how it was referred to by the hotel, I did ask at the desk and they said it is called the 'Family Room' Room # 140, the 2 on the floors above, are classified as the Executive Suite, hope this helps.
Arrived Saturday early morning, and had pre arranged to go to SD 3, so had to be up and ready to be picked up at 8.30am, we used Made Sukarma for our driver for this day as recommended on this forum, and found he was a lovely person. I would like to thank Noel Allen for his work with the Rotary and these schools, this was a very special morning for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit and the little play/dance that the students put on for us, we felt very honoured and had great fun (even though embarrassing when they asked us to get us and dance as well), I tell you those kids have got the moves, unlike us, but it was a laugh anyway, for them and us.
I think we probably had a quick swim, as we tried and succeeded to having a swim and lounge by the pool daily, really helped the tan. I tell you this was the quietest I have ever seen the pool area of the Bali Rani, I have stayed here a number of times, (but not in November/December before) and never seen it sooo quiet, certainly no problem with lounge hogs.... The most I seen around the pool was on the Saturday before we left, there were about 6 groups at the pool. Mind you I love this hotel, and the staff are so friendly.
We went to visit Ketut in Legian, I have known her for many years, (before reading about her here on the forum), and my daughter got some corduroy shorts made up for her boyfriend, from a sample Billabong pair of pants that we took from here, and as usual Ketut's husband did a great job, cost 100,000rp ($13.60) can't complain We had the shorts back in 3 days, as of course they weren't as busy as they have been previously. I think as Ketut is so well know, that she isn't as busy as she usually would be, but I think unlike a lot of other stall people, she is still managing ok. I found her prices as usual pretty good and I always enjoy catching up with her even though we stay down at Tuban, but I must say this time we brought quite a bit from Dianne down Tuban opposite the Green Garden (Dianne is also mentioned quite a bit on the forum) and I actually found Dianne to be cheaper than Ketut on a number of items, and more convenient when you are staying down the Tuban end. Dianne had market sandles and her price was 20,000rp no messing around. Just a couple of others prices we paid at Diannes
Denim skirts (Surf brands) 55,000rp
Billabong button/collar shirts 50,000rp
Billabong copy girls tank tops 25,000rp
Shorts (T Shirt Billabong etc) 25,000rp
Watches (ladies gold link) 25,000rp
Muscle shirt (Child) 12,500rp
I had heard from a couple of people before we left, that the people in the markets were grabbing you to buy something from them, we never found this to happen, I think it depends on your attitude to them and how you deal with it, yes some of them really would like you to buy from their stall and they hadn't had a sale for the day, but I never found them to be aggressive which was the feeling I was getting from other people.
We did the usual shopping at Denpasar Ramanyana, Mataharri, Centro (make up, shoes etc), Alpha and markets. We brought quite a lot from Toko Central (sewing needs and craft supplies) and had business cards made up from Pelangi print, box 100 15,000rp, (1 colour and black print) we have been to Agung from Pelangi print now for quite a few years so we just make our own way to him now.
We weren't very adventurous with our eating, as my daughter is a little fussy and doesn't like to try a lot of their food, so we ate at Gosha, Uncle Norms, Pizza hut, Indo National mainly.
As I was with my 17 year old daughter, and she had other friends from Perth over with their mother staying at White Rose, we caught up with them and did the night clubs etc. went to the Hula Club (in Garlic lane Legain or whatever you like to call it) this was a laugh for us, but some of the other gentleman actually I think really enjoyed this show.... Then continued on up Melasti to Legian, and checked out Peanuts, Embargo, Paddies & finally ended up at the Bounty. Now this was a Monday night, and the Bounty was sooo full of people it was packed, mind you me being in my low 40's I did feel a little old here, but I can tell you we weren't the oldest. We went back again on the Thursday night with her friends and it wasn't quite as busy, and my daughter went back on the Saturday night with one of the guys from the hotel reception, and she said it was even quieter. Also, we checked out the Cabaret show at Muscro, there was a live band playing from 10.00pm and cabaret show 11.00pm for 1 hour, it wasn't bad, mainly dancing and miming 3 girls and 4 guys, cost 100,000rp and you received your 1st drink free.
I must say that when at the Bounty the first time, I did consider the amount of people, what an opportunity for a bombing, but other than that fleeting thought, didn't really consider that side of things the rest of the holidays, except with the security checks at the entrance to shopping centres, but really I found these weren't consistent and really would not have prevented someone who wanted to cause damage, as sometimes, they weren't even manned and other times, they didn't check your bags.
The other security that I found this time, was on leaving Bali with Australian Airlines on our leg to Singapore, at Denpasar they checked all hand luggage and suit cases, now having to sit on your suitcase to shut it, standing in line and seeing everyone having to unlock or un shrink wrap (that's probably not really a word, but you know that I mean) their suitcases was a little daunting, but they said that the Australian government had organised this, and it was only Qantas and Australian airlines that was having this done.
Thy asked did we have any lighters and I had brought 1 lighter that was a coffee cup , I had put this in my suit case and they said that I needed to carry it in my pockets, so that was great fun (not) searching through all your shopping and clothing trying to find this tiny little lighter!! Next was when checking in the luggage, waiting to see what your weight was and worrying that you will be hugely overweight, reading the signs on the counter we seen that you shouldn't carry magnets, and we had purchased some for craft purposes. The lady at the check in had to check with her boss and we had to remove them from our hand luggage and put into our suit case, We only had about 1 kg worth, but they made us split them into 2 packages and put 1 package inside each case, so once again we had to unlock our bags...
We left Denpasar late and then were in transit at Singapore for just over 1 hour, enough time to have a quick walk through the airport, I thought it was good that you could buy from the shops in the airport and pay with Aussie $ then you got the change in Sinapore $. Flight home was good, even had the entertainment screen in front of each seat, this flight was fully booked, so on arriving in Perth the que to customs were huge, and the Garuda flight from Bali was late leaving, so they were still in the lines for customs when we were getting our luggage, and our luggage was nearly the last to come off... Got home and in bed 2.30am to get up for work at 8.00am, great!!! How soon you come back to reality.
I'm looking forward to hopefully being in Bali again in July 2006, I hope I haven't bored you all too much, thanks, I find this is a great forum even having been many times, still enjoy reading other peoples experience. Hopefully on one of our trips I will be able to catch up at S & S.