My daughter Belinda and I left for Bali from Melbourne on the evening flight 17th March 2007, St Pats Day.
We were meeting Sharon27 and Didiaust at SuriWathi in Legian.
Our flight was on time, newish aircraft and Jetstar were terrific as far as we were concerned. Our meals were fine, not better nor worse than any airline food.
Arrived in Bali with not too long wait for VOA, immigrasi, then collected our bags with help of porters, then out to the usual smells and sounds to get taxi to Legian.
We arrived at SuriWathi by 11pm, Di and Sharon were not waiting for us, as they expected they would be. Staff told us they were at Legends. We checked into our room, left our bags and walked across to Legends to find Di and Sharon, shall we say, full up to pussies bow! The crowd appeared to have enjoyed a great St Pats day celebration. B and I stayed for one drink then down to the mini mart for basic supplies then back to SW for chats and sleep.
Regarding Australias new rules, note when you leave Bali, must not have any fluid in greater quantity than 100ml (in that size container) up to 10 bottles totalling not more than 1 litre. Must seal in plastic bag to be able to view the bottles. Cant buy duty free at Denpasar any longer as limits would be exceeded. B did and couldn't enter the gate for departure, so took them back to duty free and asked (read, demanded) for a refund.
Well I think Sharon has filled you in on most of our activities.
SuriWathi Hotel in Jl Sahadewa Legian. (SW)
Good small family owned Balinese hotel.
Good location, deluxe rooms are large and near new.
Excellent value for money (well under au$50 per night per room)
Breakfasts are basic, fruit juice, toast, butter, jam, fruit platter with 2 or 3 fruits, any number tea or coffee. Eggs pancakes etc cost 10 or 12000. Ample for me.
There is a new contact email address for Antoni (who now manages Legends).
Nyoman and Ketut manage SuriWathi now.
Eight pool lounges with fixed backs, only ever all used on Nyepi, so ample.
No umbrellas, but able to pull lounge into shade near restaurant.
Probably not ideal for families, but terrific for couples of single travellers for those wanting large room and good location in Legian area.
Tegal Sari, Ubud (TS)
We stayed for 3 nights in rooms 23 and 21, ground floor new Super Deluxe rorroms, built out on to the arm over the rice paddies. Just gorgeous!
We had breakies on our balcony each day.
This year the staff have advised that breakfast wont be piping hot, or words to that effect, if delivered to the room, so eat in the restaurant if that's an issue.
Staff are very courteous, well trained, polite and gentle at all times.
(I might add, the laundry fellow who delivers the folded laundry got a good ‘poppy' show one evening. We didn't close our curtains and B was drying herself in the bathroom as he knocked on our door with the laundry! Lucky him! Better her than me!)
A new 2br villa with plunge room etc is being built on the rice paddies on the end of the path to the right, when heading to the new rooms, 19 - 24. Should be fabulous.
We enrolled in the cooking classes at Tegal Sari and Nyoman who had been executive chef with the Hyatt group, now owns Sate Bali in Seminyak, took the class. He was terrific. We ate the food for lunch and all thoroughly enjoyed the gourmet delight.
We had mie goreng, pounded chicken, streamed in banana leaf, fish also steamed, with spices, gado gado, sambals, followed by black rice. (Cost 200,000 per person).
We tried some good usual restaurants and some newies.
Breakfast at LaLucchiola on weekends, hasn't changed. Too die for!
Breakfast at KuDeTa was usual excellent standard.
Breeze, Uncle Norms, Ketumbar, Uns, Wayan and Friends, Warung Yogya, Drops, deMiMidi at GWK. In Ubud, Café Wayan, Terazo, Dirty Duck, Warung Enak (okish), Cinta. Back in Tuban, Ma Joly (where the water hit the retaining wall, gently then stronger, to the point where mini tsumani crashed over the wall, flooded our feet and drenched my side. We laughed hard and dried quickly enough!)
So so, to Ours (due to loud Aussies using karaoke at 8pm when we were eating).
Warung Kartini excellent value for money, family owned freshly made food.
We ate in at SW Nyepi eve, sorry, rice ‘finissed', Nyepi day, nasi goreng all ‘finissed'. I did find it amazing that rice was unavailable in Bali, at any time! (At least its cooked freshly and not frozen then zapped!)
Good Newies to me, Ketupat in Kuta, Billys and Murnis in Ubud.
Not one to be revisited, Bobbies, opp New Indo National and probably not Ours.
On my list to try next holiday is Zanzibar, Sate Bali. Definitely Ketupat and Murnis again.
Spas and massages
Warm stone massage at Melasti Beach Hotel spa. Oh wow!
Pertenin Spa in Ubud, really lovely, but maybe a little too noisy. Booked thru TS.
B and I shared a room for treatments then flower bath.
Sharon and Di had separate rooms, but Di was asked to join Sharon in her room for flower bath! No prob to them but could have been to others!)
TS in house, in massage hut alongside pool. Lovely.
Lisa from streetside in Jl Sahadewa, at SW poolside or air conditioned room.
My problem has been that I often go to sleep during massages and have been snorting and snoring a little, and I sometimes wake myself up with the puff of air!
Stuff.
Rate varied around 7300, often 7250.
Kodak shop in Jl Padma, a couple of doors from Jl Sahadewa, poor colour, they suggested my camera was taken bad photos.
Kodak shop in front of TS, excellent. Very professional business.
Fuji shop opposite main entrance to Matahari in Kuta Square, lovely coloured prints, but we had a Bali moment there! I ordered lots of prints from a few cds and 3 cd copies of one sd card. I got the 3 cds but also 3 copies of every photo. Sheesh! Cost 616,000rp. When I looked at my note which I had left with them, it did say 3 copies.
Some funnies.
B said to Di one night, discretely, xyz (examine your zip) and Di didn't realise what she meant, B pointed to the zip and Di went to do it up, as the waiter appeared, so Di asked the waiter, you want Aussie lady, since she was exposing herself!! (Maybe you had to be there, but so funny at the moment).
There are thousands more and as I think of them, will let you know.
Dvds.
Bought from 2 shops mainly and watched a few in Bali, using the new mini sized Coby player from Strathfields (au$29). A few duds, but finally met Hel gie and was totally convinced that this guy is for real, so helpful, appears so honest and was extremely reliable. Will pre order and use Hel gie from now on!
I will continue another day........
Tina