Hello, We family of 4 (2A and 5 & 7) travelled t bali on 16/8 with Quantas (was a bit scared?) from Perth on 2pm flight...Flight was very good great staff etc, bit of rough turbulance (yuk!), landed on time to very very busy airport....soooooo glad we did the VIP VOA, cant recommend this enough when airport so busy with total of 7 and more flights landing on saturdays from 1pm...I heard later that cue took 2.5hrs...If it were hubby and I alone sort of would be ok but VIP great with kids...from landing to getting to our hotel - it was roughly 30mins...very happy...good start to holiday...
We stayed in a Club Suite at The Patra, same as last year, was our 2nd stay here, we enjoy this hotel for large grounds and style of accomodation for a family, big breaky, great big pool, we had to same gazebo/bale everyday at the pool, just beautiful to lay and relax overlooking the beach...This resort i feel has that real "tropical resort feel"..
We went to the Safari Park which was a full day out but very enjoyable, we paid our friend/tour guide to take us and we took hotel pool towels so we could swim at park at end of safari tour, park does not supply towels??..I was in 2 minds to go or not and I am glad we did...
Had massage treatment (2hr) at Green Garden Resort and Spa up on roof top above restaurant, very nice and all newish...But then as a family we took kids to Febris and had 2hr package, kids first massage and we thought they will either giggle and muck around or love it...well they were sooo quiet and almost fell asleep...We stayed at Febris in 2006 and this time we were taken right down the back behind hotel and there is all this land with a shady garden surrounded with cottages built for outdoor treatments...I was really suprised!! we had a cottage for 4 which was just lovely and it had 2 outdoor baths etc, waterfall...hubby and i were still having facial, thh spa girls took kids into garden and served them lunch (they had prince and princess package)...It was very cute to watch them lay and be massaged, at one point I looked up to see my 7yr old son sitting in a flower bath, he was swilling around in bath and he had fresh flowers stuck to his little body...very cute, then to see my 5yr old daughter, the spa girl massaged her then gave her outdoor shower, did her nails, hair etc...I could go on about this as I think what an experience for them..anyway enough of that...
We ate at the food hall at Carrefour...yum yum yum is all i can say...nasi goreng for 18000Rp and oh my god the fresh squeezed chilled kiwi fruit juice...fresh cooked in front of you...love this food court...Also at at Il Ceilo (opposite dynasty) that was very nice, tried Kin Khao next door and we walked out after an hour waiting from ordering and then to see a huge tour bus arrive and they were seated (30 of them), meals were all ready and were out in 10 minutes of them being there...not very good...Tried Zanzibar in Seminyak...Wow this place was great, service, food and location, we sat upstairs jsut before sunset, it was very busy and we could not believe how efficent and quick the food came out...Wait staff were all wearing headsets obviously to talk to kitchen etc. This was my favourtie meal.
Did the usual shopping, Matahari, Centro, bags - shoes...best buy for shoes was at Carrefore in Bata, I purchased 4 pairs for me and 4 for daughter plus 3 pairs socks for $49 aus...purhased grade 1 black school shoes in Matahari, bought son (7), harry potter t-shirt and denim shorts in Matahari, nice quality...
The kids have Nintendo DS Lite, so bought them both Multi game card each at Matahari, 450,000Rp each...worked out to be 1.60 per game, kids are chuffed...son had 36 games and I think daughters is 30 games...money well spent and games are great, been well tested whilst in bali so if any probs we could exchange, but perfect...
Had to visit BIMC one day at daughter got bitten on 2 fingers on same hand (middle and ring finger) either by mossie or something else? as she had a reaction to bits (3) and they swelled up into blisters!! and they were huge!! right on the knuckles, from morning when i rubbed oil (bokasi) on them to lunch time, the blisters just grew so fast i was amazed...I looked at them in the morning and thought the white parts were just the mossie bite and quickly rubbed oil to help them heal as this has worked in the past..But we went out shopping in the morning and the kids were with us and she was a bit grizzly, my husband then quietly said to me check out her bites but dont let her see your reaction!, well i am the worrier of the 2 and for my hubby to come to me and say this he was worried...
We decided to go to hospital straight away, we were close by anyway. She was sobbing and in pain poor thing, i didnt realise how bad these were...this is her 7th trip to bali and i have never seen this before from mossie bite...we waited for (i think) 30 mins...Well what can I say, lovely proffesional doctor and staff, they had to syringe the yuk out of her 3 blisters ( she screamed and went red!) but they held up a bit of gauze near her hand so shen couldnt see needle going in. All done and drained, she was put on antibiotics, given antihisamine (?) and antibiotic cream, the staff gave her icecream and my son afterwards...very good medical treatment - medical report typed whilst we waited..we had to pay 987,000Rp which was about $125 aus..blistes reformed 2 days later and we had to pop again...skin has now peel off and her fingers are red like she has been burnt...(new skin coming thru)...like i said, never seen this before...sorry to go on...
Whilst staying at hotel, after her treatment the BIMC transport van was at our foyer and a little boy was taken sick, he had chicken pox that turned into shingles...poor kid...he was in alot of pain....
The same nurse that treated my daughter recognised us as were waiting for a taxi and she came over to us, she had her medical mask on her face and she walked towards us and my daughter got a bit teary and said "not again"...was sort of cute and funny! the nurse checked her fingers to see how they were healing...
We purchased a 2.5mtr tiled roof gazebo which is very exciting, along with stone carved water features etc...was going to purchase wooden shingle roof but apparently as of august last year this is hard to import? I am very fortunate to been allowed to purchase these goods and put them in a container (free of charge)from my employer...
Also went to shop in Seminyak called Dicky Natural (!) which makes all cushions, covers etc...bought triangular cushions with foldout mattress attached...for gazebo...wicked bright colours and great prices...
Sorry to have woffled....
We had a great family trip and are already planning to go back next year, was thinking of staying in balcony suite at Padma??? would love to know anyones thoughts on comparison to Patra and Padma?? thanks for reading...cheers...