First time to Bali for myself mum 40 and teenage daughters 15 and 13. Many thanks for all the helpful hints and tips on the forum, made for a very enjoyable fun filled experience going with so much knowledge and experience.
We stayed at the Breezes Hotel in Seminyak, great location, beautiful grounds and pool, fantastic staff, nice breakfasts, rooms were small and basic and felt like we were in an Australian hotel, would not stay again as I think the rooms were overpriced and would like to feel a little more like we were in Bali. But again the staff were amazing.
We flew Air Asia X would fly with them again, comfortable, new planes, no inflight entertainment but only 3.5hr flight, arrived at 8.50am and lines through immigration etc quite efficient, we were out of airport and at hotel by 10am, caught a taxi rather than pay extra for hotel transfers, this was much easier than I imagined. But never having been to Bali I would never have beleived how easy it is to catch a taxi anywhere anytime and so cheap (almost hard to not get in a taxi even when you want to walk!)
Unable to get in to our room early so left bags at hotel and went out to find brunch, the street the Breezes is on is a very gentle introduction to Bali, very easy going many shops to ease us into the hustle and bustle of Kuta/Legian. As we sat at a cafe we had someone come in and wanted to sell us DVD's said no thanks, was very insistent and I said no we needed to order first and the second the witress took the menu's he was back I realised I had not been clear so we picked out 10 and finally convinced him this was all we were buying. First lunch delicious and 120 000Rupiah, I couldnt beleive it was true food this good and so cheap.
Then daughter No1 found somewhere to do extensions (Emy's pretty average and 600 000) so myself and No2 went and had pedicure and leg massage at Carlas Spa, No 1 arrived before we finished and also had a pedicure so cheap we went back many times I even went down one morning to get my hair washed and straightened.
Got ripped off paid 260 000 for two pairs of sunnies, we were easy prey no sleep, newbies and had left my sunnies at home as we had left at 2am! and had not yet learnt how to say No and mean it! (But they were good Quality!)
Went back and lazed around the pool till we could book in at 3 which turned into 4pm. My daughters decided they would drink cocktails regardless of what I thought and after some deliberation I did not fight as they had no trouble buying drinks even when staff asked their age they still served them whatever they asked for but I refused to pay for the drinks at the end of the first day I think they realised how quickly they would go through thier holiday money if they kept handing it over the bar so no problem after that, no more drinks only the soft ones that mummy would pay for!
Sunday we ventured out and attempted bartering and we were really bad made every mistake I think you can, needed to exchange money before we could buy they took us across road to exchange and I think they figured we may as well exchange what we had exchanged into goods from their shop and as few items as possible! And they constantly kept seperating us and working on each of us and they were very good at seperating us, we walked out with some perfume, 3 watches and not much money, we were not ready for this.
Stuck to fixed price for the rest of the day.
Called a driver recommended to us and organised to go to Tree tops Adventure Park the following day. Will post more on this tomorrow