This was our sixth trip to Bali spanning 20 years. Preferring accommodation centrally located providing good value for money (budget to mid range). Not too critical of restaurants, enjoy a variety of food. Enjoy almost everything in Bali (except the heat).
May 15 to May 19, Respati Hotel, Sanur
May 20 to May 24, Tegal Sari, Ubud
May 25 to May 29, Kumala Pantai, Legian
RESPATI:
Our room very comfortable with a large frangipani outside our window and a statue beside our entrance usually with offerings and incense burning.
Breakfast basic but adequate, dining area elevated and just metres from the beach. They also have an upstairs dining area but never saw anyone up there - we found it more pleasant downstairs.
Excellent value for money hotel. Would stay there again.
SANUR:
First time we've stayed here and found this to be a very pleasant surprise.
The beach area in front and nearby the Respati is quite picturesque with trees, umbal umbals and the bale on the walkway out over the water.
Paved walkway along the beach, enjoyable to walk or cycle. Sections of the walkway under trees.
Ate at Bonsai Café most evenings, pleasant friendly staff and a beautiful setting.
6 am walks each morning along the beach walkway to enjoy the sunrise and usually always someone either meditating or exercising in one of the beach bales.
Met up with Bloodyron, Marg, Alan and Kerrie at SS&S. Anyone going should take insect repellant, those bites are still itching.
Found it hard to resist buying at Hardy's - I could already visualize how much overweight we were going to be. Discovered that the handicraft levels at Hardy's are rented spaces to individual store owners.
DRIVERS:
Booked driver through hotel: 8 hours 250,000 - Sukawati, then Denpasar shopping, onto Kuta for a quick stop followed by a visit to GWK.
Wayan Suka (based in Ubud 081 3386 40415) transfer Sanur to Ubud (120,000).
Wayan Budiarta ( 0812 390 5344) - 450,000 for an 8 hour tour. Wayan has an excellent English vocabulary and was very informative on his tour.
TOURS:
Bike Baik Cycling - (350,000)
Only basic cycling ability needed - if you intend to go and haven't ridden for a long time, get on a bike before going and practice, especially braking, stopping and gear changing.
Group of 6 plus our guide were on our trip - Gary and Paul, Michelle and Kim (Connie - still in recovery from knee surgery had to stay in the van). First stopped at a plantation with description from our guide, then a sit down overlooking the valley sampling ginger, lemongrass teas, Bali coffee etc. followed by fruit sampling and a visit to their spice shop (a note of warning that all of the spices we purchased here were confiscated by customs except for Vanilla beans).
Had a late breakfast in a restaurant in Kintamani overlooking Batur, then a short drive to our cycling start point. The ride, nearly all downhill was one highlight of our holiday, stopping many times with explanation from our guide - walked into ricefield, witnessed rice planting, harvesting, stopped at a school, passing many many welcoming children - we finished with a mid afternoon feast of Indonesian dishes prepared by Wayan Sujana's wife in their compound - highly recommended trip.
Day tour (8 hours) with with Wayan Budiarta ( 0812 390 5344) - (450,000) taking us through back roads through to Bedugul, up to Muduk for lunch, then through to the ricefields at Jatiluwih and back to Ubud. - highly recommended.
TEGAL SARI:
Stayed in deluxe room 23. Excellent setting with wonderful staff, a little distance from Ubud central but they provide a free 24 hour transfer to and from the town centre. Spent every evening at Tegal Sari on our porch watching day turn to night. Basic breakfast provided but adequate.
Was fortunate enough one morning to be amongst the monkeys in the ricefield beside the forest at Tegal Sari (most mornings they're chased off by the dogs and locals). So enjoyable watching them close up.
KUMALA PANTAI:
Stayed in level 1, Block B at Kumala Pantai (didn't find the construction noise a problem). Breakfast buffet more than adequate and dining area next to the roadway by beach extremely pleasant. Their sound system (Bose speakers fitted at ground level amongst tables) and music selection played at all meals added to the ambience. Will stay here again.
OTHER:
Matahari in Kuta was hard to take with the air conditioners not working and was told by staff it had been broken for a year.
SICKNESS:
Sick twice, once in Ubud and in Legian with severe abdominal pain. Both times seeing a doctor and having injections. Disappointed missing out on the Casa Luna Cooking School and meeting Janet De Neefe. Having fallen sick twice also on my previous visit I paid extra special attention this time to my hygiene and water habits but from the doctors diagnoses I think my problem is a simple one - I shouldn't be eating chillis (or at least not eating so much spicy food).
PURCHASES:
King Turtle shop at Jl Ngurah Rai No. 18 - curtains identical to those at Tegal Sari from (60,000 for each one metre section).
Melati Art Shop in Legian - 3 Moroccan style lanterns (made in Java) large 280,000, small 170,000. They packaged them extremely well.
Kanti Shop, Jl Double Six - 11 custom made seat cushions 600,000 (better quality fabric), bed canopy 2m x 2m 140,000.
Optik Seis (Discovery Mall) - multifocal lenses (985,000).
Toko Kesenian, Sukawati - small umbrellas (better quality than those at Geneva) 50,000; umbal umbals, 3m 15,000, 1m 10,000; 3 lamaks (small 30,000, medium 55,000, large 100,000).
Watches: 30,000 to 35,000.
Ketut Teker (Painter) - beachfront Sanur (two colourful abstracts, acrylics laid on thick in areas). Glad I bought here as I did not see these 'copied' or sold anywhere else.
EXCESS LUGGAGE:
Sent our clothes and a number of items back via the post office. First box 5 kg (290,000). Second box 15kg (370,000). Much more economical to have sent as one box of 20kg (next time). Still 4kg over with Jetstar (A$60).