Fly out of Perth on Tuesday morning. flight from Adelaide cancelled so lots of people from Adelaide and Melbourne flew to Perth Monday night compliments of Garuda. Arrive in Bali around 11.20 and straight through customs no problems and out to our waiting "transport". We consists of me (Gill), hubby Garry daughter Chloe(13) and friends Sue and Lyndon. The smell and heat of Bali hits us as soon as we step off the plane and although its been 31/2 years since I have been to Bali it all comes flooding back. Make our way to the Melasti Beach where we have booked a family suite in the older section which is huge and Sue and Lyndon a superior room in the new section, very nice also. Unpack then find a driver to go to Alpha supermarket to stock up on supplies of Bintang, soft drink and nibbles. Tea was at the Treehouse in Poppies, not that impressed with it this time around though, wont be on my list anymore.
Day two saw us sample the breakfast that was included at the Melasti and we were quite impressed, good range of hot and cold food and pleanty of it. Walked up Rum Jungle Road and did a little bit of shopping, two watches for 90,00 and two shell necklaces for 20,000. Chloe had her hair braided that afternoon back at Melasti, 121,000 and they wash and condition the hair before braiding, the girls did a fantastic job and we constantly got compliments on it. Tea was at La Monde (between Padma and Melasti) we had a good meal 2 Nasi Rames (forgive the spelling) 1 pizza, 2 deserts, 2 large bintangs, 1 cocktail and 2 soft drinks for 200,000. Good service and big portions make this a definate return. Walk back to Melasti via the DVD shop bought 30 and got 11 free.
Day three found us at Geneva Handicrafts, my tip for the girls is leave the guys at the hotel because after a hour they are ready to go and we are just getting started!! They sold anything and everything and the prices were really good, when I saw the same thing at Mataharis or Centro you could see what a good saving was to be had.We used a driver from Melasti "Stormin Norman" who took us there, to Centro and picked us up for 100,000 (we were gone for a ful day). If anyone would like his details I have his card and can highly recommend him, he took us out for a couple of day trips and has a wicked sense of humour! Garry bought a really nice polo shirt in the Bintang shop at Centro and along with two Bintang bottle openers he also got a free glass and beer, not too bad. Breadtalk at Centro is lethal, it has the best savoury and sweet that you have tasted, the Meat the Cheese is so addictive but hey, youre on holiday! Tea at Indo's tonight, we meet the owners Kerry and Milton and have a good meal 2 entrees, 3 mains, 1 dessert, 3 cocktails, 1 beer and 2 spiders 250,000 and those cold face towels hit the right spot when you first walk in. The young lads in the kitchen make Chloes night by waving to her, will get a photo of them with her on Saturday night.
Day four and we head out for a day trip with Norman to Bedugal. Norman took us up the back roads so we could see lots of villages on the way and then we stopped in at his house in Plaga where he invited us into his house to meet his mum and dad and have a cold drink. His mum and dad were lovely even though they did not speak much english. We stopped in at Rae and Cracker's bar and checked out the loos, very impressed. Quick drink there and then on our way after buying two bags from Adopta Co op then off to Pachung Indah for buffet lunch. Met David and Moira there, lovely people, David kindly took Chloe to meet his pet monkeys Spanky and Barbie and Moira showed Sue and I the guest rooms, really nice rooms and beautiful bathrooms, great views definatley worth spending a night or two for total relaxation.Visited the Lake Temple then down to TanahLot for the sunset only there was too many clouds and it wasnt that spectacular.
Day five just a bit of shopping and lazy day by the pool. We head out for Susie and Sammys and meet Fisho girl (Sam) and her family and Julee and Smudge and Scully, it is good to finally put faces to names.It is Garrys birthday today so we head to Indos for tea where the two young blokes singing come over and sing happy birthday to Garry and Milton comes out with a Tim Tam complete with sparkler!! It was a great night and we end up at the Garden View where a band is playing, Garry by now is quite merry and ends up singing with the band!! The heavens open up and for about 1/2 hour the rain just belts down so we have no option but to have a few more drinks and Chloe now is singing with the band, great night.
Day six and seven are just the typical shopping days, we also order glasses, prescription sunnies for me and reading glasses for Chloe at Centro $173.00 for the two. Garry orders his from Kuta next to Mataharis and pays only $45 for prescription sunnies, cant complain about that! DVD's at softcomp in Kuta buy 100 get 70 free and quite a bit of girl shopping (jeans t's etc) in Mataharis for Chloe, we also go to Yanthis in Garlic Lane where we get fixed prices (you have to ask for the good stuff and she takes you into her house)40,000 for t's and shorts. We had tea at Bali Qui one night but ended up walking out, the meal was cold and not very nice at all, and also have our free meal at Melasti
Day eight, another lazy day, little bit of shopping in Kuta, Chloe finds her Airwalk Hightops for 199,000 ($30 Aus) and I buy some O'Neil gear in Mataharis for the boys at home.Tea tonight at "Ours" restaurant, it is new and has opened in Garlic Lane. Great waitress called Alice and also Nicky from Bali Too. The meals are good Chicken Parmesan was my favourite but Garry had King Kebabs and said they were the best, 3 mains and 3 drinks 134.000.
Day nine was Waterbom but I wasnt feeling 100% so stayed in room. We went to Zanzibars for tea and I think this was the best meal of the trip, absolute beachfront setting and the food and service was fabulous, 2 entrees, 3 mains, 2 desserts, 5 drinks 240,000
Day 10 saw Sue and Lyndon leave which was quite sad but we made the most of the day with a trip up to the Volcano and back down through Ubud,we call in to the Garuda office to be told that our flight back to Adelaide has been cancelled! We can either fly back Sunday via Sydney, Monday night via Perth and sit in the airport for 5 hours at 1.30 in the morning or stay an extra night and go back Tuesday via Brisbane! No prizes for guessing which one we picked, an extra night, oh well if we have to...... Back to Zanzibars for tea, then the taxi comes for Sue and Lyndon and we all have a hug and a cry (its a girl thing) and I finish packing because we are off to Sanur tomorrow.
Day 11 and Chloe goes over the Indo's to learn how to cook banana pancakes from the head chef, and get to eat it too, thanks Milton and Kerry for making her feel special.! Then we head off to the Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel, the room was a bit small with no balcony so we paid around $60 to upgrade to a deluxe room with balcony. Fisho and her family are also staying here.Sanur is very quiet and I much prefer it in Legian but you feel so desperatley sorry for all the people here, you want to buy at every store and eat in every restaurant. We eat across the road tonight at the Oasis which is a really nice restaurant but again, very quiet.
Day 12, Up too late for breakie so have to make do with some donughts from across the road. We catch the free shuttle to the shopping centre and then walk up along the beach. Stop at La Traverne for a pizza for lunch before heading back for a quick swim before tea. Tonight we go out with Fisho and family to a restaurant called Apa kabar, they pick you up from your hotel and return you when your finished. We had dish where there is satays, rice, curry and a few other dishes and you share it between two, good value and very tasty, it cost 80,000 for two of us.
Day 13 breakfast at the Corridor restaurant American breakfast for 20,500 and very filling. We organise transport to Kuta with Fisho and her family, head to the Mooks sale but not much there I buy three globe t's for 110,000 but quite dissappointing really. Better buying at the Billabong sale, a bikini,shorts, t for Chloe and a rashie for son at home for 260.000 (31.00Aus). Then over to Centro to buy a Ephiphone guitar for son number 3,it cost $256 Aus but at home we would pay up to $700 for it!
Day 14 lazy day finish packing and last minute shopping, go to the Respait Beach hotel restaurant with Fisho and family for tea.
Last day sees us duck back over to Kuta to pick up some last minute dvd from H..'s, a quick 15minutes on the go karts and some last minute munchies from Bread talk.We have tea across the road from hotel in a place called Made Two, which was very nice. Taxi picks us up at 8.00 and we head to airport. When we get to the airport Garry sees about a upgrade and yes, we did manage one! Wow business class sure is nice and makes the trip home a little more bearable.
Sorry this is so long winded, there is so much you can write about but trying to condense it is really hard. My thoughts on Bali is that we all felt completley safe and once again were made completley welcome by the wonderful Balinese people. If you are thinking about going back at all, dont think just go. The only bad thing now for people in Adelaide is that there are no more Garuda flights from the 1st September so I hope that JetStar may come to the rescue and fly out of here. We were asked more than once by the Balinese if we felt safe, yes, we felt extremely safe and the only time we were sad was when we had to come home. Roll on October (if I can get a flight!!)