In Reply to: JBR-Quick trip - lasting results! posted by kpinoz on Friday, 6. November 2009 at 16:56 Bali Time:
Just back from a 1 week stay in Bali. Hubby had already booked a week in the snow with the kids when the Jetstar Birthday deal came up, 2 for 1 back in May. So couldn't pass it up and booked accomodation through Wotif and invited my friend who hadn't been to Bali in about 20 years.
Jetstar flight was fine, no problems, left about 20 minutes late but made up the time and got into Bali on time 9PM. In and out of the airport in 45 minutes!
Stayed 3 nights at a great little place in Seminyak. Hubby and I had stayed at this place before, but these rooms were in a new section. Really lovely, friend was quite impressed. We were just across the road from the Oberoi and Elysium, a short walk to Ku De Ta and the beach. Great location.
Ate at Ultimo.. excellent as always. La Luciolla for coffee and the view one morning, Cafe Bali for desert later in the day... ah the joys of diet free holidays!!
Headed up to Gianyar on day 3 and got a great transport deal. 260,000rp for 2 drivers for about 6 hours. They took us up to the Orphanage in Gianyar (often mentioned on this site). They called ahead for us to let them know we were coming. We had brought our 2 suitcases full of clothes for the kids and picked up some supplies at Hardy's. Milk Powder and soap being the items they said they most needed at this time. They have a book that you sign to keep record of all donations, and it was nice to see that there had been regular visitors over the month, many who had donated clothing, or essential food items. It was very humbling to see these kids with so little, rummaging through the clothes we had brought along, happily sharing what was there with each other. Their little rooms were so bare, no toys that we could see, just tidy beds, no sheets or blankets.Next time we visit, we will try to be a bit more organised and bring some little luxuries for the kids and staff. Our two young drivers seemed a bit humbled by the experience themselves and thanked us for helping the children of Bali.
Then a change of gears, as they dropped us off at the Bali Safari Park where we spent a night in the resort. The rooms were great, looking right over the area where the Rhino, NELSON, roams amongst the Zebras and Wilderbeast. Fantastic to wake in the morning to the sound of the Lions roaring! We walked around the park later in the day as most of the tours had gone. It was like having Jurassic Park to your self!
We fed the baby elephant carrots and bananas, sat and played with the Orangutang and watched the Elephants having a bath. Can't believe the guys who bathe them don't wear helmets, as they are in this little concreted area, and the elephants toss them off their backs, I was sure they were going to smash there heads open on the sides of the pool! But they had big smiles on their faces, so maybe they were having more fun than the elephants!
It was definitely worth the trip, and staying in the park was a real plus. The resturaunt was okay, a bit pricey for Bali, but the food was fine. The male lions looked a bit thin to me.. and the baby tiger cubs seemed pretty letharghic for babies.. but so was I in the heat of the day..
It wasn't busy at all and I think anybody,especially families with kids would have a great time.
From there we headed to Ubud and stayed at Greenfields. As described on this site,lovely little place, fantastic views over the rice fields and staff very welcoming. We chilled out for the afternoon by the pool,ordered some Nasi Goring and Bintangs( Not quite cold enough)and enjoyed the view.
They have built some new villas in the back of the complex. Very swish looking, but a bit too modern for my liking. Not sure what they are charging, same great view of the rice fields we had and probably twice the price.
Headed into Ubud the next day, did a bit of shopping along MF road. My girlfriend had been to the Monkey Forrest on her last trip 20 years ago, so she wanted to see it but not go in as the Monkeys freaked her out a bit last time. No worries I said, we can walk past the entrance, you can see a few monkeys, get some pictures. When we got there, I bought a bunch of bananas from the ladies out front and fed the few monkeys that approached. Down to my last banana, I sat on the steps next to a few other snap happy tourists. Just then an older, tougher, monkey approached and sat next to me. I offered him my last banana, he took it, looked away... THEN LOOKED BACK AND BIT ME ON THE ARM!! Hence the saying CHEEKY MONKEY!!!!!!??. That was it, friend had enough happy snaps, and we hightailed it out of there. I checked out my arm, and yup the skin was broken. So I am thinking this is probably not a good thing, especially having just read in the Jakarta Post about the culling of dogs that is still being carried out to manage the Rabies outbreaks on the island. So, off I go to the info counter, show the guard my arm, he calls me into the office, cleans it with Alcohol and Betadine. I make a gesture like giving a shot in the arm?? No, he shakes his head. I feel much better. Girlfriend (very sensible type) suggests I should go to hospital, or at least doctor. I say, I will check it out when we get home in a few days... no big deal.
Dinner at Lamak,(yummy but not as good as I remember it) then next day head off to Tanjun Benoa, where we spend the last two days.
Now I haven't been to this part of the island in about 12 years. We got a cheap deal at the Novotel and as friend wanted to do some snorkelling, I thought this would be a nice quiet place to veg out for the last two days, catch a boat out to Lembogan to snorkel.. easy.
Nope,, the amount of resort style hotels out hear now is over the top. You can't even see the beach.. and a trip out to Nusa Lemogan needs to go out via Benoa harbour, not Tanjung Benoa...which means a 7:30 pickup and a ride around all the hotels to pickup other fellow snorkellers before even setting foot on the boat at Benoa harbour about 9am.
So we opt for a quick jaunt out to Turtle Island.. Quick being the operative word as it is about 10 minutes around the tip of the Tanjung Benoa harbour. I am not so sure the Turltes like their little pens, nor the sea eagle his cage, or the snake his taped up mouth ,but all us tourists seemed to be having a great time. And who knew that Rainbow Lorikeets took holidays in Bali.. but there they were right next to the cokatoos in a cage...didn't quite have the feeling of the 5 star Resorts along the peninsula.
Any way, my friend got to snorkel, although me thinks Nusa Lembogan may have been a bit better... but you get what you pay for, even in Bali.
Sadly, the choices for food in Tanjung Benoa left a lot to be desired. We ate at La Scalla and Kecak, can't say either were that great. I remember my last visit there, I ate at a little warung, worried that I might get Bali Belly? But had a fantastic fresh fish dish.. cheap, delicious and no problems later. I was very disallusioned with the whole area this trip, it's like the Nusa Dua vibe is just slowly creeping along the peninsula. Couldn't see any little warungs any more, maybe I was just feeling a bit feral by now...
Headed back home on the Wednesday, after a 3 hour massage package. Great little place called My Home Bali. Lovely rooms, although my friend and I did have a bit of an issue with the Milk bath that was a part of the package.. only one bath between us, and it was the size of your normal bath at home.. she is 5'11"? But otherwise, great massage, facial, footbath and a nice way to end the day. We were able to shower and get changed before having dinner and heading out to the airport for the trip home.
Jetstar 1/2 hour late, but flight 3/4 full, so had a row to lie down and sleep on and off before landing in Sydney..
Home now and still thinking of Bali.. I expect it will stay with me for the next month.. 28 days to be exact.. as that is how long it will take for me to have the Rabies treatment my doctor and the HEALTH DEPARTMENT have said I need to take to ensure I don't start frothing at the mouth.
Luckily, the Australian government subsidise the vaccine treatment, as it would have cost me more than my week in Bali if I had to pay for it myself.
Note to all those taking out Travel Insurance. Medical costs are only covered WHILST ON HOLIDAY. Not once you return, even if the injury/condition occured during your insured time away..
Well can't wait for next year.. might give th monkeys a wide berth though! Oh, and I will be sure to brush up on my sentence composition skills before I make the next post. Cheers