This is more about Information than a day to day jbr but I hope it is helpful to someone.
We are a family of 5 from Melbourne and we last travelled to Bali in 2005.Left Melbourne on Tuesday 9th Sept with Jetstar and I have to say after hearing so many negative reports I was pleasantly surprised.Great flight although we left 1/2 an hour late ,it didn't matter we were on our way.
Arrived at Denpasar airport aprox 11.15pm very quick through VOA $170.00 which I thought was a bit much but our friends were charged $35.00 each. Off to have our passports stamped and collected our bags turned right out the doors and found the taxi window, in 35,000rp for each taksi and we were off to the BGH.The hotel does have free transfers but only until 9.00pm.
Bali Garden Hotel:
Stayed here in 2005 in a family room and as the children are older now,12,14,16 we booked 2 Superior Interconnecting rooms.Definately a good decision.We had rooms 407 & 408 the end roons on the 4th floor facing out to the lets just say quiet side of the hotel.To me the rooms were as I had expected, in need of renovations but at the same time the rooms were pretty clean and serviced daily. All rooms have a safe which you make up your own code. Our friends who were on the same floor had a Deluxe room and to be honest I really didn't find much difference except coffee making facilities and a hairdryer that was pretty old. Same furniture beds tv,lamps and aircon.
We were given bottled water every day to brush our teeth,the fridge was more than adequate and could fit heaps of drinks in there.Beds were very comfortable ,king size in our room and king singles in the other room. There were 2 normal beds and the 3rd was 2 mattresses on top of each other.Airconditioning was great and we would absolutely stay in them again.
For the Kids there is cable tv and it has Nickelodeon,Disney channel,Nick Jr, Cartoon network ,there is also An Australia Network etc which was great for some down time in the afternoon.
Breakfast was great,I think this is what they were looking forward to the most, thost yummy omlettes and pancakes.There is also croissants, scrolls,toast,fresh watermelon,pineapple, tea ,coffee,fresh orange juice,also some hot foods, little sausages,nasi goreng,tomatoes, scrambled eggs and the egg station where you can have omlettes,pancakes and cooked eggs made to order.I still don't know how she does it.
The new pool areas "WOW", the new spa pool is an Adults Only area and I only tried this out on the last night.The main pool has walk in steps and a couple of ledges onder the water where you can sit and relax.Also seats around the swim up bar.The pool is 10ft deep at its deepest point and apart from where you sit around the bar it is over 5ft at it's most shallow point.There is the kids pool on the other side of the bar.Beautifully clean and lovely to swim in at night with the lights.There is also the infinity pool on the beach.You can hire beach towels from the front desh for 50,000rp refundable on return of the towels,we took ours and glad we did as there were quite a few days our friends could not get towels.
A huge amount of sunlounges around at all the pools although I found them uncomfortable if you want to sit up as they slope back.The atmosphere around this area was great so many tables and chairs and lounges with big cushions to relax day and night.
The boardwalk Resaurant ont the beach is great and ate here often, there is a vast menu and very reasonably priced meals.Kids loved the milkshakes.Nightime beautiful with all the lanterns hanging everywhere.Matahari's 5 minutes up the road had everything you need ,got beautiful fresh bread 9000rp a loaf and bottled water about 15c ea.
Hotel has laundry service but ver expensive and charged in USD. A word of warning they wash in hot water and use hot dryers and all my new clothes I bought before I left came back a lot smaller than they went out.
Around the BGH:
* Waterbom Park across the road
* Bubba Gumps across the road
* Atms other side of road Discovery centre next door a place like timezone on top floor
*Turn left out of BGH and about 50m ther is the Karthi hotel and across the road is a huge Commonwealth Bank sigh with an ATM.
* If you need an adapter for your mobile or Ipod etc on the to floor of Discovery there is a store called "Rumahkita" a reject type store, they sell adapters for 22,700rp approx $3.00
*Across the road to the right 50 m or so there is a mini mart and to the left about 50m a circle k both seven eleven type stores.
* Guardian chemist in the Discovery bottom floor.
more to come: Safari park and Dr Ari