In Reply to: JBR Bali 6 posted by gfour on Monday, 24. July 2006 at 12:23 Bali Time:
Our youngest daughter 15 (yr11) did a few lines for by request!So.....
Bali trip
Last school holidays, our family went to Bali- Mum, Dad, two sisters, brother and me. It was the forth time I have gone, but each time we go we seem to do completely new things to the time before. So for those who are going to Bali for the first time or who are looking for new adventures the next time you go, here is a list of the best things I did while I was last in Bali:
Visiting our driver's village
Who could guess that on an island whose economy is so heavily reliant on tourism, there are traditional villages that seem to exist without any western influence? Away from the hustle and bustle of Kuta, we went to visit our driver Made's village (near the ancient capital Singaraja to the north of the island). It was a great day, we got to meet Made's family, his sister, mother and father, we went shopping for pigs, we saw some gongs being made, we got a glance of a celebratory Balinese funeral and generally we had a chance to soak up a bit of Balinese culture.
The Waterbom Park
On our last day in Bali, I went with my brother to the Waterbom park. Although a little bit expensive, the Waterbom park beats Wet and Wild in Queensland hands down. With heaps more water slides, ones that will even scare the hell out of the biggest thrillseekers, areas to chill out and relax and a cool kiddy area, the Waterbom park is a great place to take your whole family to. The new ride, aptly named ‘the Boomerang' was awesome! Just remember to wear your boardies and if you're a girl a good fitting bather top (I've learnt my lesson).
You should easily be able to get a 15% discount along the street in front of the Waterbom from a street vendor (there are heaps) which is a great way to save some cash.
Shopping
Although I'm not one to go all out and buy a Billabong wardrobe, I did enjoy the surf shop shopping in Bali. I bought a bikini for about 40 bucks which is pretty good compared to Oz, and brands like Billabong and Roxy are about 15%-20% off compared to Australia. The biggest and most comprehensive surf shop is Surfer Girl and the Guy's place next door on Jalan Legian (it's hard to miss). It's also worth checking out the surf shop outlets if you want a bargain, but these can be a bit out of the way, so you'll need a clued-up driver. Also brands like Mooks, which are hard to find and very expensive in Australia, are available in shops along Jalan Legian. Mooks is an awesome streetwear brand, one of my best purchases was a great Mooks handbag which I payed about 35-40 bucks for.
For traditional Indonesian handicrafts and furniture (which you wish you could take home) there is a place called ‘Geneva'- one stop shopping emporium, which is cheap and has a wide selection from Saris to ornate tissue boxes to Buddha statues.
Eating
There are lots of great restaurants in Bali and they are fairly inexpensive. In some, you can get a bit ripped off (comparatively speaking) so check out the menu before going in. Also, be a bit adventurous and go to a (almost traditional but still for westerners) Warung. These are great for Indonesian food, and they are sooo cheap! You can get a main dish for as low as one or two aussie dollars and as its Indonesian its usually pretty good. You'll laugh at how much you payed the other night at a more Western restaurant.
There are also cheap cocktails, drinks and smoothies/milkshakes everywhere. There is a place called ‘Posers' near the Jayakarta hotel (in Seminyak, most drivers will know it) that sells half yard beers in a cool test tube glass. It is a little expensive as its Western and German owned, but much cheaper than the same meal in Australia and the food is great too.