I'm 29 yo and this was my 15th or 16th trip (I've lost count!) to Bali, but my first trip by myself. I just wanted a quiet and relaxing holiday with lots of shopping, sunbaking, and sleeping.
FLIGHTS
I had originally booked a MELB-DARWIN-DPS flight on Jetstar for a Monday, but in the week leading up to the trip I had a look to see if there were any flights on the Saturday so I could get a couple of extra days. Luckily I found a direct MELB-DPS flight on Saturday and it only cost about $50 to change - a small price to pay for 2 more days in paradise! Both Jetstar flights were on time and good service. The flight over was only one third full so I managed 4 middle row seats and a nice snooze. The flight back was full and I ended up next to a loud chatter box lady who I think had also had a few too many refreshments beforehand. I had to politely ask her to stop talking about 30 mins into the flight as she was driving me nuts!!!!
BALI AIRPORT - TOO MUCH ALCOHOL (OOPS!)
I was going to visit an Australian friend who lives in Bali and the one thing she misses is sparkling wine, so I took over a bottle Chandon. I also bought 5 x 200ml bottles of spirits duty free at the airport. It was not until I was filling out the customs form on the plane that I realised I would be exceeding the 1 litre limit. I debated whether to lie considering I don't think I have ever had my bag searched in the past, but thought I it would be safer to be honest and see what happens. Arrived after midnight and was the last person in the airport (why do I always choose the slowest immigration line?!) and I was hot and tired and in no mood to deal with this, so I went straight up and said I too much alcohol and would give up some of the spirits. The guy made a big song and dance about breaking the rules and paying a fine, etc, etc so I asked him how much and he refused to discuss it in the open. In the end I had to go to his office and negotiate him. It started at $20 and then got down to $10 but when I said I only had a $5 note he seemed happy enough with that. It was a very cheap fine in the end and I got to keep all the alcohol!
ACCOMMODATION
Kuta - Kuta Townhouses
In my search for accommodation I noticed a large increase in prices from my trip last year. As I was going by myself I wanted to stay somewhere a bit nicer than my usual backpacker places, so I decided on Kuta Townhouses on advice from the forum.
I spent 7 nights in a studio room for about $50 a night. It was a very pleasant hotel and the room was large and clean and I loved the location as I spend most of my time around Poppies 1 and 2. It was a bit noisy though as my room was close to the street so there were motorbikes 24/7. Breakfast was simple but more than inadequate. In general, I enjoyed the hotel and it was good value for money, although I think I was expecting a bit more considering the massive amount of backing it gets on this forum. I would stay here again but I wouldn't pay anymore than the current price.
Nusa Dua - Novotel
I wouldn't normally stay in Nusa Dua but I stumbled across an Accor sale a couple of months back and got the Novotel Nusa Dua for $65 a night. Wow, this was a great hotel and the rooms were amazing! I have never seen a bathroom so big before, and all the furnishings were so modern and cosy. The pool area was beautiful and I took advantage of the 2-for-1 happy hour! The hotel does not back onto the beach, but you can get a shuttle bus to a private beach area which is a couple of minutes away. I also hired a bike from the hotel and enjoyed discovering Nusa Dua this way. I loved this hotel but I think 2 nights was enough when you are travelling alone as Nusa Dua is not really a place for a single girl (too many honeymooners!).
Sanur - friend's house
My Australian friend lives in Sanur so I spent my last night with her. I am very jealous of her Balinese lifestyle and I love hearing stories about her expat life.
FOOD
The Treehouse Café in Poppies 1 still is one of the best value places in Kuta - delicious food and I don't think there has ever been a price rise! I love sitting here after sunset and watching everyone coming back from the beach while having a glass of $2.50 wine. I also ate at Bali Agung in Poppies 1 which is another restaurant of good value and atmosphere.
SHOPPING
Shoes - I got 2 pairs of wedges made by a leather tailor. These were the exact copy of a current pair I have and they did a fantastic job for about $30 each. I also bought a few pairs of sandals from market stores for about $8 each
Dresses - I bought a batik sarong and had this made into a maxi dress by a tailor ($5 for batik and $20 to make). Once again, they did a great job and I was really happy with the result. I also bought some other dresses from Body and Soul (my favourite shop in Bali), SOGO, Pura Vida, etc
Homewares - I really love the Balinese homewares and there are some beautiful things to buy these days. Purchased a stone statue, candle holders, cushion covers, bowl, etc. Centro was a good place to buy a lot of these
Bag - I bought a really cool bag in Centro, which is made entirely from recyclable materials. This particular one is made from Kopi lolly bags and is very quirky (and environmentally friendly!).
JOHNNY ANDREAN HAIR SALON
Well, this was my favourite discovery of the holiday!! I had read about the Johnny Andrean salon in Discovery Mall on the forum, so I tried a shampoo, blowdry and straighten all for the princely sum of about $4.00. I LOVED IT!! There is nothing worse than having ratty frizzy hair from the Bali humidity, so the Johnny Andrean hair salon and I became very good friends on this trip. No appointment necessary and they were so professional. I also got a haircut for $7.00, and once again they did a great job and were more professional than my hairdresser in Melbourne that costs 10 times as much!
Anyway, back to the Melbourne winter and time to start saving for the next trip......