We are a group of 4 women 40+ on a week of R & R therapy. Flew out with AA on the 4.50am flight from Perth, departed and arrived on time. Chattered most of the way over so time flew fast.
As we only there for 7 days, but depart at 12.30am on the 8th day, I tried to get a 7 day visa. Nearly had it, but one of the other ladies was quizzed about what day departing and they changed my visa and make me pay the $25! Oh well!! Immigration took no time (3 counters open), our bags were one of the last to come out.....we were one of the first to check in though back in Perth so maybe that was why.
I had organised transport to Ubud (Tegal Sari) and LW and I were taking all of the luggage. The other two girls CB & JB wanted to get leather jackets made and were unsure if there would be enough time once we arrived back in Kuta, so they organised a driver for the day and then he dropped them off to Tegal Sari later that afternoon.
Took just over an hour with the morning peak hour traffic (out in Sanur) to arrive at Tegal Sari. Arrived at Tegal Sari and had a really yummy cold lemon tea...filled in the paperwork, but as the rooms was not yet ready we had a few hours to kill. We had a nice brunch at the restaurant next door to the hotel, a wander through the Tegal Sari and then a lovely long relaxing massage. (The nasi goreng had gone straight through LW so she wasn't keen on going too far from a toilet! Poor LW she loves chilli food but it does not love her!)
Back to the hotel, they were cleaning one of the new villas at the Tegal Sari so we had a look through, very very nice! US$200 a night for two people with a private pool.
JB & CB had arrived, rooms ready so went over for some duty free to have on the balcony and catch up. The only rooms that we could get together were standard rooms, (1 & 2), but these were more than adequate....lovely view of the rice paddies and pond.
Went out for ‘happy hour' and a few cocktails to a restaurant down the road. Everyone very very tired so decided to head back to Tegal Sari for tea. The food was superb. Very tasty and very reasonably priced. From memory it was 20,000rp for a nasi/mee goreng.
LW and I up early next morning and walked ¾ of the way up monkey forest road for a squiz before any shops open. Was very peaceful and got some great photos of the monkeys. Unfortunately we did not get as far as the markets.
Breakfast on the balcony, I had poached eggs....was a little cold so therefore not that flash, so for the rest of the visit I stayed with the banana pancakes and fresh fruit salad which were very tasty.
Organised transport to take us up to the tourist markets, LW & CB got straight to business and ended up with some bargains! I love ‘local' markets and was quite disappointed that we had not got to them early in the morning during our walk. They look like they would have been quite interesting. I bought some mangosteen (10,000rp/kg) and a couple of mangos (15,000rp/kg).
Slowly made our way down monkey forest road stopping off at various boutiques and silver shops. As I'm not a ‘shopper' didn't take long for me to say enough is enough and JB and I headed back to hotel. As we were walking past the monkey forest, we spied a monkey sitting on a pillar, JB wanted to get a photo, but as I had my hands full with the fruit and some cans of drink I chose not to. The monkey jumped off the pillar and slowly made his way past JB, crept past me and then pounced on my shopping bags. Ripped open the fruit bag and stole the mangosteens! Little b*****, besides giving me the fright of my life, I was not impressed! We did get some great photos of him eating our fruit though!
Dumped the mangos and drink off at the room and then went across the road for a couple of hours massage. I much prefer pampering to shopping!
The other girls finally arrived back and came into the massage salon to check up on us. They then decided to have massage and LW wanted a milk flower bath also. JB and I went back to room for a couple of drinks and then out to ‘happy hour' at Siam Sally on our own.
Think we ate at the Ubud Art Cafe that night, as JB and I had over indulged just a little at Siam Sally's we weren't all that hungry. Had a couple of appetisers that we shared...they were that flash, very oily.
We have organised to go on a treking tour of the rice paddies through the hotel next morning. So all in bed for round about 11.30pm.