Bali December 2008
Tuesday 2nd - arrived on time about 11.15am, walked almost straight through Visa and Immigration in about 10 mins, collected by our driver from Poppies Cottages and there by 12 noon. Cottages just as wonderful as we remembered. There are only 20 cottages and they were all full, at least during the first couple of nights we were there.
(Travel Hint: if taking own special pillow on holiday, put it in a plastic bag as the rollers on the security machines are very dirty.)
Lunch at Bamboo Corner, about 90,000 rp for 3 with drinks. Chicken Nasi Goreng was wonderful and makes you feel you are back in Bali.
We had dinner at Secret Garden, about 200,000 rp for 3 with drinks & juices.
Rate on the street about 7,600 rp to A$1.00. Stocked up at SoftComp at 10,000 rp per DVD with discounts for quantities over 5 or so.
Wed 3rd - Breakfast for 4 at Bamboo Corner came to amazingly small total of 50,000 rp. We ate here a lot and never had a bad meal.
Had problems with moneychangers on both Poppies Lane 2 and Jl Legian. Both wanted to provide rupiahs in 20,000 notes and made a great show of counting them out in bundles of 5 but when we added them up before finalizing the transactions, some of the notes had managed to become 'lost'. We moved on from both of these (who were offering around 7995) and found two good moneychangers who gave us 7,600 - which seemed more like the real rate. The good ones were both supplying rupiah in 100,000 notes which makes it much easier to be sure you are not getting cheated.
My husband and I booked and enjoyed the 1.5 hr body massage at Cozy on Jl Sunset. It was our first Bali massage and we were initially a bit worried by the strength provided by the tiny masseurs, however we felt wonderful when they stopped. The cost came to 189,200 for two of us once the govt tax was added. We booked for another on Saturday. It was great to have read the comments on BTF about the paper pants as otherwise I would have been totally bewildered. For other first timers massagees: the pants are black, rather than being the white I expected, and I'm pretty sure there is no front or back as I tried them each way and neither fitted any better!
We stocked up on snack food and cooldrinks at Matahari supermarket and then had dinner at Poppies Restaurant where we chose the Rijstaffel Banquet for 4. It included 3 sorts of satays, about 9 dishes, rice, sambals, all followed by black rice & banana dessert. Stacks of food and all lovely. Cost came to about 500,000 rp with drinks (Bintang & juices).