Just returned to Australia after 10 days - Beth and me and our 4 kids (17, 15, 13 & 8). My 6th trip, Beth's 8th, kids' 2nd. Stayed at All Seasons (Legian) for 3 nights and Dewa Bharata (Penestanan, near Ubud) for 9 nights. Our friend and her 17 year-old daughter also travelled at the same time and stayed at the Melasti.
1. TROUBLE
First day, we arrived about Noon, booked in and had lunch at a place on the seafront. Our 17 year-old quickly felt unwell, & so I took her back to All Seasons. She was very crook by the time we got there (difficulty breathing, faint, nausea). Asked staff at reception to get a doctor ASAP. She was really struggling to breathe. By the time the doctor arrived (about 30 minutes later), she was over the worst. It was an allergic reaction to something in the chicken curry: probably a small round white nut (candlenut - "kemiri") or a herb similar to tumeric ("kencur"). Very scary. From then on, we checked the ingredients at restaurants and she avoided dishes with these two ingredients. We'll get her checked here to see if we can determine the cause.
2. LEGIAN
Later that afternoon, we dusted ourselves off and resumed our holiday. Highlights over the next 2 days were several meals at Lanai (very good sushi), and breakfast for Beth and me at La Lucciola. Our eldest son (15) got his hair braided: paid an exorbitant price but put it down to experience (wise lad). We all had a great night at the Flying Piano - food very average but entertainment fantastic. Our hotel was very good - highly recommended.
3. LEGIAN - NEXT TIME
It took me awhile to find Waroeng Tropical and Waroeng Asia. I thought the former was on the seafront but not so: it's out the back near W.Asia. (next time...) Also walked past Warung Yogya many times but never got to eat there: looked good. (next time...)
4. PENSTANAN/UBUD
4.1 Breakfast - I took Janet de Neefe's advice (see Lonely Planet) several trips ago and tried the bubuh and daluman for breakfast from the market: not for the faint-hearted but a great way to start the day. Also visited the market early (6:30am) when the locals are there - it has a very different personality to later in the day when it turns into a tourist market (both are great, just very different).
4.2 Off the beaten track - we love eating at Made's at Penestanan. Tranquil surroundings and great, cheap food. Also walked to Sari Organik - a little hard to find, but worth the effort (800m along a meandering path - very scenic). If you're lucky (as we have been twice), a dog shows the way or escorts you back to the main road. Fresh organic produce and drinks.
4.3 On the beaten track - enjoyed drinks at Murni's every night with our friend Peter. Good food at Nomad, Cafe des Artistes and Warung Enak (my favourite): just wish more people would go here - don't know why it's so quiet - food is terrific, great decor and service is exceptional. Sari Bamboo at Penestanan and Kafe Batan Waru + Cafe Wayan also good. Periplus Bookshop at Sanggingan is a great place for coffee and reading the paper (beside Bintang Supermarket).
4.4 On the beaten track (monkeys and reggae) - almost didn't go to Monkey Forest but decided to take the 3 youngest kids there - we all loved it! Also went to a reggae bar on Monkey Forest Rd on a Tuesday night - great live music.
4.5 A discovery - there's a fairly new spa called SANg Spa (Jl. Jembawan). Family business, started last year. Worth a try. Nice place and professional staff.
5. SUMMARY
A very successful family holiday after a very shakey start. Our younger kids really enjoyed the swimming pools at both places and some occasional time-out to watch DVD's and escape the humidity. Our older kids enjoyed the independence of going out on their own to explore the markets. Beth and I enjoyed seeing our kids have a good time, the delicious food, the scenery around Ubud and the ever friendly Balinese people.
Cheers,
Craig