Well, we have got back into our normal and boring routine back home,and I am finally getting around to posting my JBR.
We left Sydney on the 16th Dec after a rather shocking start to our day, with our shuttle service to the airport arriving 1 hour early,at 5.30 am.I can tell you with absolute certainty that my family now hold the guiness book of world record for the fastest time to get from bed to the shuttle bus!And I then spent the next hour on the way to the airport stressing over what I must have forgotten in the mad rush to get out of the door.Luckily it turned out to be only a back pack and a hair brush.Easily fixed on arrival at Bali
Our Garuda flight boarded on time but ended up leaving an hour late due to waiting for some passengers.The flight was a bit rough but nothing too bad.
It only took about an hour to clear customs and imigration on arrival,and then we were met by our driver Made and were off to Ubud.
Once again,we stayed at the Pertiwi Resort. This was our 3rd stay at this hotel.They had done the bathrooms up since our last visit in Febuary.They were looking pretty bad last time.The staff are extremely friendly,it's in a great location on Monkey forest Rd and the breakfast is one that you order off the menu.This was the first time that our kids had stayed there and they were more than happy.My 9 year old son ended up on 1st name terms with all the gardeners and they were quite happy to help him catch frogs whenever he wanted to.
I just love Ubud for the restaurants,and as usual they didn't disappoint.Bali pesto,3 Monkeys Lotus restaurant, Barberkyu,Cinta,Ubud restaurant,Dirty Duck,Bumbu Bali.They were all fantastic.I didn't have one disappointing dining experience while in Ubud.
We visited Bali Zoo during our Ubud stay.We all loved it,great value for money and the staff are very helpful.The kids fed the panther and the lion and when the kids asked if they could see the lion cubs out the back,the keeper took them(with the managers permission) out to the sleeping quarters to have a look.Jack,the oragangatan lived up to his reputation and threw a few mangoes at us,much to the delight of the kids.
Taro Elephant Park was on the list again after our last visit 2 years ago.The park has changed so much since then,and once again a great day out.The girls had a 45 minute ride and then the elephants put on a show afterwards.
Our 3 children decided to have a full Balinese massage one day while we shopped for our business.My 9 year old son is still getting over it.My daughters (17 and 13) couldn't stop laughing when after his massage the women stripped him naked and then took him to the shower and washed the oil off him.Now,nothing suss happened,and the women were totally professional,but my son was mortified and swears that he will never have another massage in his life.I bet he chages his mind when he is about 16.
We left for Legian on Xmas eve.On the way down we stopped to by some paintings and the heavens opened.Within 15 minutes the road was totally under water and was starting to pour into the shops.I've never seen rain like it.I was seriously thinking of white water rafting my way to Legian! After about an hour,it had subsided enough so we could wade across to the car and continue our trip.Apparently it happens every wet season.
The Kumala Pantai was our next destination.It was the 1st time we have stayed there.To be honest,I don't know if I would go back.The rooms were lovely,the beds as I had previously heard,were really hard,but that is a personal thing,my husband didn't mind it.The pool was beautiful and the kids loved it.We never had any problem with the lounges,but with all the rain over Xmas,there wasn't alot of people swimming.It tooks us 3 days of asking before they would change a couple of light globes,that had blown, in our room and our air conditioner wasn't working real well.Also,plates from room service were left outside the rooms for over a day,with flies and ants crawling all over the dirty plates.It sounds petty when I write about the complaints we had,and they would have been busy over Xmas,but really,how long does it take to change a light globe?
As everyone knows by now,the rain was torrential over Xmas,but,it is wet season,so that is something to be expected.The plus side was that it wasn't over bearing hot.
We took the kids to Tanah Lot,but didn't get to Jimbaran Bay because of the rain.
Had a few good meals,a few bad ones.My husband and I had a meal by ourselves at the Queens Tandoor at Seminyak.I would highly recommend it.One of the best Indian meals I have ever had.
Ketumbar,Billys Uncle Norms,Indonational, Breeze were all great. Italia at the Kumala Pantai have the best pizzas by far.A new restaurant had opened between the Jayakarta and KP(not beach side) called Tropical.They bbqued pork ribs and prawns.Very tasty and cheap.Le Monde,one good meal and one bad one.Same with Lanai.Xmas dinner was good,lunch there no good.My daughters hamburger and fries were served to her cold and the bread rolls on my husbands burger were burnt,
Seaside good,and as usual Zanzibar did not dissapoint.
Unfortunately,there was alot of rubbish on the beach after the wild Xmas weather,but we managed a few days sunbaking and surfing.
Did the waterbom Park one day.We all loved the day out.The boomerang ride is a real fright but heaps of fun.Once again we hired a family hut.Well worth it and a great place to shelter from the sun.We left the park at 4 and grabbed a taxi to take us back.The traffic was so bad in Kuta that it took us 1 hour and 20 minutes to get back to the hotel.That was the end of Kuta for us,There was no way I was going to tackle that traffic again!
We did heaps of shopping as usual.Got some nice silver jewellry from Bintang silver in Legian.The girls bought some nice clothes in double six street.Stocked up at Ketuts as well.
It was with great sadness that we left for home on the night of the 5th of January.We were 4 kilos over,but they never said anything.The flight left on time,and it took only half an hour to get through immigration and customs at Sydney airport.
My next trip is the end of May,and my 17 year old daughter has decided to have schoolies in Bali with her friends.We both can't wait!