JBR First time to Bali...
Flew into Kuta 12.04.07 on Qantas 2 hours late, had to change 2 tyres at Perth. Better to be safe. Stayed at Bakung Sari Hotel for one night though never again- rooms too dark and bathroom too pokey (you can just about sit on the toilet and rest your chin on the basin)
Met forumy Coby and friend on the footpath down towards centro. Thanks for the directions.
Hired a driver for 4 days to take me around Bali via Amed and lovina, 1.2 million rupiah.
Called into Taman Girtagangga which was quite picturesque. A guide cost 20,000
Stayed one night at Good Karma Bungalows, Selang, AMED. This place is terrific. It's very quiet, no tv or aircon just sulawassi style thatched huts raised off the ground with an outdoor bathroom. They have a ceiling fan, mozzie nets, lights and a power point.Two lounges and a hammock are set up on the verandah overlooking the ocean. A full body massage cost 60,000. The huts are 10m from the beach and you can snorkel 10m from the shore. A meal and 7 bintangs cost 102,000 plus 90,000 for 1 nights accommodation. I wish I had stayed for a week.
Wayan the driver then took me to GitGit waterfalls which was fantastic. Although it was raining when we got there it didn't stop me from walking down the now slippery steep walkway past the sellers to a magnificent waterfall. While at the bottom, I passed 2 kids on their way home from school. They walk that way every day. Be advised, the price of things in the shops are half as cheap on the way up the hill as they were on the way to the waterfall. Some things are really cheap too.
After lunch at GitGit restaurant 144,000 for 2 buffet we went to Air Panus hot springs .This is a really good place for a relaxing swim and massage in the hot pools, not too smelly either and the temp is around 35 degrees, I guess.
Off to Aditya Beach Resort, Lovina for 2 nights. This hotel is very good and cheap. I paid $54 for 2 nights including buffet breakfast through Asiarooms no problems.It's right on the beach and in the morning for 55,000 I went on a dolphin trip in a traditional outrigger bout, unfortunately no dolphins. Never mind it was a good experience. That night, I walked into town along the beach which was fun. Met some locals sitting by their boats singing and playing guitar drinking and having a good time. Lovina was very quiet though it was about 9pm. The dolphin statue looks good at night and the people are friendly.
Off to Kintamani early in the morning to beat the crowds.It's a nice drive from the north end too. The mountain and lake were spectacular with only a little cloud covering the top. We stopped at the pretty sculptured rice paddies on the way to Ubud Wayan took me to a silversmith where I was shown how the jewelly is made and i bought some silver jewllery before going to see those cheeky little monkeys in the ‘Forrest'. One lady was stresssing because a monkey ripped her plastic bag. I asked her if she had food in it that the monkeys would smell it. She said That she had just eaten something and the monkey had seen her eat it. Not the best idea...
After lunch in Sanur, Wayan dropped me off in seminyak at the Globe Hotel in Dhyanapura which was cheap, 125,000 per night, King bed a/c and cable tv. Had dinner at the Bush Telegraph pub with many bintangs. Quite reasonable although very quiet. The staff are very friendly and like to chat.
Next morning 6:30am, picked up from hotel by Bluewater Safari's taken to Benoa Harbour to board their 11m 400hp speedboat to the Gili's. This trip was SENSATIONAL and highly recommended. OK it cost 690,000 per head but its so easy and the views as you go up the East coast are spectacular. Mt Agung was awesome as were some of the rocky islands. Just south of selang you head across the the west coast of lombok and follow the coast up to the islands. We had to drop some passengers at Trawangan so I had a close look at that island too. They dropped me on the beach right in front of Hotel Gili Air, Too easy and just more than 3 hours after being picked up from my hotel in Bali. The crew on the boat were very considerate ensuring a smooth ride. It wasn't that rough at all.
Gilli Air was quite nice and peaceful. I didn't go snorkelling there as it was actually too cold and I wasn't feeling to well but I met a nice girl while there and chatted over dinner. The restaurant at Hotel Gilli air is quite good too.
After 2 nights on the island it was time to head back to Kuta. Bluewater Safari's have discounts for return trips but don't travel every day so as I wasn't feeling well, I let The hotel organise my boat trip and driver to Mataram airport. This along with the plane fare turned out to be more expensive than the speedboat but if I were feeling up to it I would have gone by Perama. Never mind hopped on a Merpati Boeng 737 from Lombok to Kuta after a very scenic drive through the Lombok countryside.
Back in Kuta I stayed at hotel Barong for 5 nights. This hotel has everything I wanted and was centrally located enough to walk everywhere. I walked up to Bali Gong shop on Jl Sahadewa for DVD's. The owner Dede is very good, advises if a disc is poor quality, does email orders to Aus and money transfer into an Australian bank account. Of the 75 discs I got, 1 failed. buy 50 at 10,000 each get 25 free.
I bought some discs from Megahdisc in Poppies 2 and of 14 discs, 2 didn't work, 2 extremely poor quality and 1 not the movie as shown on the disc or the cover. Not going there again...
So I spent 4 days kicking around Kuta, the beach was nice. A guy, Eerie or Edie not sure, short with long hair who rents surfboards at Kuta opposite Jungle Surf was really friendly and we had a chat for about half an hour. He earns about $5 per day doing what he does but he loves it. He offered me a boogieboard hire for free but I said I didn't want it as i don't surf.
An honest moneychanger I found (2nd from the corner) on the opposite corner of Pub bagus same side of Poppies 2 was Branch GEGOLINO TAILOR, Poppies 2 No 5. Good rate and correct money 3 times.
I had a meal at the Corner Restaurant which was sensational.
On the Friday night after dinner at Pub Bagus, met a bloke originally from Oz and we went to Joe's Place, A little bar down the side street from Pub Bagus. A Bob Marley singer was entertaining the small crowd but it was very friendly, met the band, Joe and his european wife who were really nice people and some other guy from Austria. After that we went to Paddy's pub as the bar across the street was packed. Paddies was great with good LOUD music and we stayed there till about 2 am.
Asked if I would go to Bali again, the answer is YES although I am glad I saw the Bali countryside and areas before seeing Kuta and those persistent street sellers as that is the real beauty of Bali. I had a terrific holiday and I am also glad I got Wayan the driver so I could have a really good look at the countryside instead of the road. In the end I didn't drive at all in bali, when you're in Kuta you can walk wherever you want to go. Next time I may drive but a driver is too good a deal, I may as well sit back drinking bintangs and get a what do they call it?, a chauffer for $40 per day and they do whatever it is you want and stop where you want.
Thanks fellow forumys for your advice and suggestions. BTF is an excellent portal for travellers visiting Bali. Any questions, just ask...