Left Sydney with Garuda on a Wednesday flight, First time to Bali for Darcie aged 8 and Beauden aged 4. Garuda were great kids watched Meet Robinson's, ate the food and layed down and slept for two hours.
Arrived at the Melasti, room wasn't ready so we put our stuff in room 137 and went swimming in the pool. First impression of Melasti rooms 130 & 131 was run down and smelly with room attendants being not so attentive and us wishing we were at the Kumala Pantai but after a room change on the third day to rooms 156 & 157 our opinions changed completely and we loved the melasti and would happily stay again. The breakfast each day was great but wasn't as extensive as the Jayakarta or Kumala but it did fill our bellies and the kids were very happy to play in the playground each morning while hubby checked out the surf.
Day 2: We hired 2 mopeds to scoot around legian 400,000 for 8 days for the 2 bikes both with full tanks of petrol, me with Beauden on the front and the other bike had hubby with Darcie on the back. I totally recommend this to anyone. I felt totally safe, i wouldn't have put my kids on them if i didn't. We had no traffic jams to deal with in a taxi, no haggling for a working meter and convinced a lot of other travellers to do the same. I ducked up to Dolphin Leather to put an order in for Pink leather jacket and matching boots for Darcie $125AU and ready six days later, fantastic job they did too. Black knee high boots for me $70AU. Then back to melasti get hubby then again on the bikes to Miss Debbie to grab some fixed price clothing, called into Bintang supermarket to grab essentials, phone card. Had lunch at Seaside, Zanzibar is closed for renos. That night dinner at La Mondo opposite Garden view cottages, they did coconut drinks for the kids which was only 22,000ea.
Day 3- Mopeds to waterbom park, boomerang closed because new ride the Superbowl is being build around it, so you get a 10% discount on entry. Kids loved the day we spent there and everyday wanted to go back. Walked over to Centro from waterbom to grab sis in laws contacts, which work out to be about an eighth of the price we pay here and same brand. So she got 15 months worth of contacts for $71AU with two free bottles of solution. KFC for a snack and grabbed some hello kitty gear for Darcie from toy shop(Backpack, drink bottle and pencil case). Mopeds quickly back to hotel to watch sunset, Darcie got hair braided and nails done then off to Made Warungs for dinner, good day had by all, we are glad kids are having a great time.
Day 4- Kids just wanted to swim in pool all morning, we swapped rooms this day and just let kids have fun before going to Geneva for a quick shop, just a word of warning, check all products for mouse and rat poo and shake or bang wooden items on the floor for mites. Hubby is a carpenter and picked a few mites in our drum that beauden got and bowl that Darcie picked, we swapped the items before heading to the cashier, cause once you pay they don't exchange. Mopeds back to melasti for more swimming, before Tanah lot sunset. We paid 150,000 for driver there and back. Shopped up there and kids loved watching the massive snake and jumped when the bat yawned showing its big fangs. Kids are saying Terimah Kasih and picking up words here and there. Kids sleepy, mum very happy.
Day 5 - Delivered our laundry to get done fantastic price 37 items for 41,000 - bargain. Darcie had toes and fingers painted again 50,000, she admits then that she loves Bali. We all rode up to the Surf store and got a load of authentic Roxy, Billabong, Rip Curl stuff including two tops, swimmers for Darcie, Damien got a jumper,belts, wallets and thongs for Beauden, all up 12 items for 770,000. We then gave into the kids and did Maccas for lunch, stadium bar for some drinks then hotel for more swimming. Dinner at Blue Ocean, Sunday nights there is a drum band and fire dude out the front of Zanzibar and kids loved the atmosphere. Kids happy, me happy.
Day 6- Safari Park - Kutut 200,000 for drive there wait for the day for us and back home again. entry was 930,000 or 232,500 each. Excellent day had by all. Kids fed a baby elephant, held a baby orangutans and lion cub and got so close to hippos,lions and zebras. They also played at the water park went on some rides and rode elephants. Good for us they slept instead of talked all the way back to the hotel so we finally had some peace, well about half hour of it anyway. Back at hotel, Damien had a tattoo done while we all watch the sun set and then rode to Ours for dinner and DVD shopping, which i must admit cost ten times more because the kids got every child DVD every released. We also decided to ditch the helmets that came with the bikes and Beauden got a orange and black spike helmet and Darcie got a pink one cause its her favourite colour.Yet again, Kids happy, and tired, me happy.
Day 7- Another morning of relaxation by the pool. Me and Darcie ducked up the front of the Melasti for facials without boys and she had her hair re braided so it looked neat. Off to the hard rock for lunch in Kuta and then headed to Seminyak for some girly shopping and meet up with the boys for dinner at La Casa. Beautiful feed and best mashed potato ever, bellies full, kids happy and we are loving that kids love bali.
Day 8 - more laundry to get done, love dropping if off and then collecting it that arvo with it all folded and smelling fabulous. Damien started the long process of packing, it took three hours but all done so neatly and he made room for me and Darcie's shopping that we did while he packed. We picked up our leather, some more DVDs and some gifts for her buddies back home. Beauden had his 100th chocolate milkshake and Darcie had her nails done for the 100th time also. Just rode around and stopped wherever looked good for shopping and eating then back to Melasti for swimming again.
Last day- got the rest of the laundry done so i have nothing to wash when i get home. Treated myself to another facial and then took off with Beauden to Kuta to grab myself a Bulgari ring and some toy dinosaurs from Matahari that he saw earlier. Darcie had her hair done once again for neatness and Damien had yet another tattoo done, we did some rush shopping at jungle surf then loaded up for the flight home.
FLIGHT HOME: We checked in with three suitcases and a surf board all fully loaded and were still 10kgs under, pissed off that me and Darcie could have done a little more shopping. Headed off the the Prada lounge where Beauden fell asleep on a big comfy lounge and slept til sydney, Darcie filled her belly with cup cakes and red drink and damien read the bali post while sipping last bintang,and i relaxed reminising. We grabbed 4 seats for damien to sleep, behind him I got 3 to lay down, and beside us both Darcie got 2 to herself and Beauden got 2 also. So we all slept and landed in sydney on Saturday refreshed.
This trip was to see what its like from kids view in bali and relaxation, fun and shopping, next time with kids we will do maybe a tour to volcano and temples.
Would i take kids again, yes. Would i hire mopeds again, in an instant. So saving again for another trip soon.
Thanks for reading.