9th March
Warning...this could be long, tedious and repetitive in parts !!
...So we arrive at Denpasar around 7.30am , we whizz through VOA, paid with $US to save any hassle, and got our baggage quickly. No hassle from porters, and our Tour East guide was waiting for us. Off we go to Tanjung Benoa, and not much is said along the way, and I need to practice my pigeon Bahasa (...)It's about 20 minute drive, and no problems, I am actually thinking I might hire a car. We arrive at the Novotel, and a fine looking reception it is too.
Met by the staff, and given no welcome drink..but ..ho hum, there's plenty of time for that! We check into our room , which is on the other side of the road from the main lobby. This means each time we want to go to the beach, the bar , or for brekkie, w ehave to ask the nice security guard to stop the traffic..or..they dodge us. We were in a superior room, which, to be honest was very tired, showed evidence of mould, and we had lots of mozzies. They provide a well stocked mini bar, mozzie spray and coils, and adequate bath oils etc.The TV picture is pretty good for Bali, at least I can catch up with the world news at night and there is also an Australian TV channel.
On 'our side' of the road, we have the Nirvana pool, a swim up bar that is under renovation , (and was empty for the whole time of our stay), and lots of nouisy workmen also sprucing up some more superior rooms next door. So, the weather is awesome, the staff friendly, and I'm just a tad pinged off at the standard of accommodation. I can sort of accept this, as we are only using bed and brekkie people, and off out doing something all day.But something I want to inform future users of this hotel. I would rate it as barely 3 star accommodation, with 4 star facilities
We have checked in, semi un-packed, and time for our first brekkie. We cross the road , thanks to Mr Guard, and we take our seats overlooking the Penida (main) pool. The breakfast is the usually cosmopolitan fayre, with no real Balinese food on offer (please don't tell me Nasi Goreng is Balinese!).. so fruit...lychees, those dinky bananas, melon, pineapple and passion fruit, with a drop of yoghurt. Then back for bacon, eggs any way you like them,chicken sausage, those baked beans on steroids, tomato, and a piece of toast that had to go in the rotary toaster a minimum twice to give it a slight tan.There were lots of fruit juices, and an Asian selection.We noted lots of French and Russian guests, and the usual German armed with 6 towels to secure 6 strategic points of sunbathing during the day. I must admit this really pings me off, and blame the staff for issuing 6 towels to one guest! As my 'base' is on the other side of tehr oad, it isn't an issue, I'll leave others to sort this one out.Brekkie was OK...not fantastic, but adequate and as much as you need as part of a package I suppose. I filled my water bottle from the dispenser on the way out, and off we go shopping!!
First stop...money changer, and our first and only real hassle in 2 weeks. We spotted a Kodak shop on the right hand side as you walk back up Tanjung Benoa JL Pratama... I make the mistake of thinking the changer is in the Kodak shop..he isn't, he thrives off the fact that people think he is..just like me. So I offer two $50 notes, and he gives me 840000 rp..so far so good, but I'm immediately suspicious as he gives it all in 20000 notes. I count it back...840000..all good..but he then takes it back and counts it again.My wife notices he has slipped money in his lap, I recount and the rob dog has now given me 560000... we take our $100 back, and clear out.So, please DO NOT use the first money changer you come to, he is next to the Kodak shop, and his board says Kantor Cabang at the top. Each time he saw us over the next 12 days, he sheepishly retired out of sight..good idea methinks.
We hail a Bluebird taxi, and we go to Bali Collection, we want to see how much it has changed over the last 3 years. Wow! What a difference, so many shops compared to last time, and it has a SOGO department store with all you need, a Coco supermarket for beer and food stocks, lots of restaurants , but not cheap, and a Starbucks.This was to be our coffee sanctuary for a few days.I changed $100 in SOGO, and got 8200 rp to $1. My wife purchased some togs, and we enjoyed a frappacino and a caramel latte. Not cheap, in fact, more expensive than here.
We didn't bother with lunch, as we didn't most days, and we stopped at the ‘second' Bumbu Bali for dinner, which is on the left hand side of Jl Pratama as you go back to the Novotel. Heaven! I had chicken with coconut sauce, my wife had beef with spices, rice and trimmings.I enjoyed this immensely, and is always a favourite with me.Whilst there, I book in for the cooking school on Wednesday week.On the way home wifey has foot massage for 50,000 at a grocery shop about 100 metres from the Novotel.We retire, very weary, but happy to be back.Bad end to the day, my better half has lost her reading glasses..not happy Jan
10th March
Bit of a lie in, and down for brekkie around 9ish
It didn't take the Accor rep long to ask us to go to their Timeshare presentation at the Novotel at Nusa Dua, to stop then from pestering us every day, we decided to go along to the first available session.We were offered a 1million rp hotel credit to go along and 'view'. I had no intention of buying, so we went along, and, yes, is a very good scheme if that's what you want, but not for us.I get my 1millionrp credit, and I'm going to use this for a room upgrade.The taxi came to pick us up, and we asked him to drop us back at Bali Collection so we could have a coffee.We then walked to Bualu to see if Tragia was still alive. It has gone, and is now empty and looks very sad. A bit further up the bypass...(about 1/2k)..is a new place called Hardy's , this is quite similar to what Tragia used to be.They are NOT the same place, and in 2 distinct locations.We had dinner at Tropical restaurant just outside the Nusa Dua complex.They offer, as they all do, 3 beers for price of two, and free garlic bread.We shared satay's and a Nasi Goreng..and met a lovely lady called Sukhti as we ambled past the stalls on the way back to Nusa Dua main gate. She conversed with me in French, German, English..and of course Bahasa.She was quite impressed I kew some Balinese in difference to Indonesian, and we were to have many more chats over the next 12 days.We decided to walk off dinner, and trekked down Jl Pratama to the Novotel..I'm guessing, but I reckon it's a good 3kms.
11th March
Brekkie, sunbake by the Nirvana pool, and we met a really nice couple from Perth called Gary & Collette.Had a chat and off we went to Kuta, 70,000rp by Blubird, and how it's chaned since our first visit in 2003. The Bali Discovery centre is ulta modern by Bali standards, and has lots of upmarket shops, Starbucks, KFC, Pizzeria and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.There is also a place called Bread land(I think) that sells really cheap cakes and yummies.We found the new Melasti Spa which is located at the front of Melasti Beach Bungalows directly opposite a bag shop called Venice.. fortunately for me, not far from the Stadium bar !Wifey books in for a 4 hour treatment, with a but of luck there will be AFL on the TV while she is in there (...) we bought Polo shirts from Matahari, and I bought one (yes one) DVd for 10,000rp from a local outlet.Gold coin jewellery is still in abundance, as are Polo shops, Bagus Watch shops and Guess and Prada are everwhere.We had dinner at Bali Agung on poppies 1 which knocked a hole in 20,000 rp for the 2 of us !Taxi back to the Novotel, we had cocktails on the beach, and enjoyed the local band.
12th March
Brekkie, back to Bali Collection by taxi to sort out a couple of prezzies..and have a coffee.Back to the Novotel and we went to the first restaurant away from the Novotel called MINI..we had a Nasi Goreng and satays..very cheap and cheerful, we would go back again. Asian prawns for dinner at Casa Luna and watched the lovely Balinese dancers.On the way back, my wife had to go and have a soothing massage at Novotel day spa to ease her sunburn. Great end to the day...we walked past the little shop that does the foot massages, and the owner beckoned us and asked if we had lost anything...woo-hoo...the once lost reading glasses are returned.Left there 2 days ago when she had her foot massage
13th March
Brekkie, sent postcards..(which still are yet to arrive!)..Had lunch again at the MINI restaurant , which was great again.Bali collection again for coffee and plan our next few days.Bought Polo Shirts and underwear.Damn Starbucks !..their espresso machine is broken..what are we going to do?Went and had a walk to Bualu, saw Sukthi again, and ordered some nic naccy stuff for next week.Went to Nusa Dua café and Tropical café.Today's rate was 8500, the most I have ever seen, so we changed $200. Went back to the hotel, and we both had a hot stone massage, which was my first venture into the spa thingy.It was great, but those stones were very abrasive on my sunburn, and very hot on my back!We went down to the beach and were entertained not only by the cocktail of the day, but also by a bunch of crazy Korean men dancing to the singer in front of the pool bar.They were hilarious, and I swear the one Elvis impersonator had actually got 3 replacement hips!
14th March
Brekkie.Went to the penida pool, (the one on our side of the road)..sat reading and had a bintang and some chilli nuts.Went to Tropical restaurant for lunch , they offered us transport back to the hotel. Then we had a couple of hours in the hotel bar.My wife then comes up with the crazy idea of walking the beach path along the back of all the hotels along Tanjung, and see if it really does lead to the Bali Collection.Well, I reckon we started off around 6 ish, and it was starting to get dark, we walked what felt like 10kms, and some of the path is missing, broken, not built, hidden in places, but is sure ends up at the Bali Collection.It's a great walk, and a good way to see all the other accommodation along the way. I was knackered by the time I got there, and we were lucky to just be in time for the 9pm shuttle bus back to the hotel.We went for a swim in 'our' pool and I honestly can't remember going to sleep, just like switching a light off!
That's it for now, it had been a really hot week, lots of shopping, some good food, plenty Bintang and ordered stuff ready for next week.Average rp prices would have been about 8350, taxis to Bali Collection were 25,000...to kuta 70,000..and by now I was getting good at conversing in Balinese..alhough somewhat limited. All the locals were so pleased to hear someone talk to them , and instead of the usuall terimah khasi...I was departing with a matur suksma (...)
Feel free with any questions, and sorry it's a bit long!!
Take care ....WHARFIE