This is our 4th holiday to Beautiful Bali and our first JBR! Have tried to give an overview on many of our experiences during our 14 day stay, hope it is of some use. We have used the forum for research in the past and found JBRs to be helpful.
Most of our time is spent in Seminyak area, for us Seminyak is the ideal location as it is close to fine dining and much quieter and relaxing than Legian and Kuta. Seminyak is the perfect place for escaping from the daily grind of work and day to day hustle and bustle of life.
5 of us travelled, all in early 30's, 2 couples and a single guy. Stayed in different accommodation due to differing budgets and hubby and I liking our own space on holidays.
Bali is a special place for hubby and I, we married on the beach at Jimbaran Bay in 2005.
Hired scooter, so easy to get around, especially where quieter in Seminyak. Got brand new scooter that had only done 150km and was 4 days old. Did over 300kms during 14 days, definitely the way to get around. Still caught taxi's here and there, not so keen on driving into Kuta or the main roads on bike. Polisi at times can be irrational and not worth the hassle even though you may be following the road rules etc ... corruptsie comes to mind!
Hiring of bikes are everywhere, we used a contact from our friend's accommodation and paid 35,000 RP per day. Filled up 3 times at 10,000 or lower each fueling. Don't have contact details of bike hire but like I said you will find bike hire in many, many locations in Bali.
THE FLIGHT / AIRPORT
Pacific Blue - Adelaide to Denpasar. Left Adelaide on time at 9.40am, early arrival, inflight entertainment non existent, 4 audio channels and no 'Live2Air' service.
Flight back to Adelaide left Denpasar on time at 0.55am and arrived back in Adelaide 1 hour early at 7.20am, out of airport and Customs in under 30 minutes .... Brilliant. Declared we had leather, spoken to by Customs and explained we had leather jacket, shoes and bags made at a shop, bags not checked which was great as saved time and would have been a waste of time as we didn't have anything that could have been confiscated. Hubby was a little disappointed saying damn could have gotten that extra bottle of alcohol .... we know, not worth the gamble and hence why we don't ever take the risk.
VIP VOA
This was a first for us. Arranged service via email through contact Dennis C on forum before we left. Paid $55 AUD on arrival at airport to the Indonesian man who met us at airport. Arrived Denpasar Friday 6th November 12.15pm. Not worth the money this time as we were the only flight arriving, people without VIP VOA beat us through immigration! Money not well spent, but it's a risk you take. When we emailed about the service we were told that the representative is in 'full view' of you at all times (so you don't get edgey about your passport), this wasn't the case and 'edginess' set in! However it was all okay. Also on the way out, a new first for us, after immigration there are now baggage scanners.
Used fix priced taxi rank (just to the right when you exit), 70,000Rp to Seminyak.
12.15pm touchdown, 1.05pm at reception of hotel in Seminyak. 50 minutes from touchdown to hotel reception ... had hand luggage only which makes so much difference.
ACCOMODATION
Stayed in 2 different locations. 8 nights in the first location in reasonably budget hotel room. (No point paying a lot for a room when you're racing around arranging tailoring, DVD's, leather, shopping and treatments etc!) Finished off with 5 nights in a villa.
1st Location - Hotel - Checked in to 'undisclosed location'. Can say we booked online through Hoteltravel dot com (double check this is correct)....no problem with checking in, HOWEVER, the agent from the website had requested a twin room, nothing screams 'romance infused holiday' like separate beds! The staff at our 'undisclosed location' quickly remedied the situation despite being near full occupancy!
2nd Location - BVilla - We booked through Agoda dot com and had no problems. The confusing part is that 'BVillas' have (as far as we can tell) 3 different addresses in Bali. BVillas+Spa (which is the property listed on Agoda) which is located just behind Eat Street, BVillas+Seaside, Jl Kaya Jati, Seminyak which is right beside Bodyworks & unsure of the location of the 3rd facility or even if there actually is one! BVillas+Seaside was a great location for us, HOWEVER, the welcome from staff and information they provided about the property was uninspired and disappointing, they basically walked us to the villa, opened the door and left us to it, no tour, nothing. Airport transfers could be provided at cost (a little insulting when you're already paying close to $200AUD a night!). A free shuttle service was provided on request to restaurants and other locations during our stay.
The 1 bedroom villa itself was of reasonable size. Huge pool, easily big enough to do laps and the only 'great' thing about the villa. The building was really starting to show its age (unsure exactly what that is) but there were gaps in the solid wooden doors (ideal for mosquitoes), a massive leak in the bathroom and living area roof when the rain came, kitchen cupboards proved stubborn to slide or sometimes just 'imploded', rust stains on the mirror etc etc. Amenities weren't pleasing either. Mini fridge (we were hoping for a 420litre or similar), guessing a 45cm TV, didn't measure it but small enough to ensure it wasn't suitable to watch a DVD on!
I know it sounds overall like it was disappointing, BUT this is mainly due to staying previously in brand new villas across the road, we did enjoy the location and pool size. The property is in desperate need of a make over and it's fair to say we won't be back until it's had one. I'm also fairly confident in saying if you were to stay at the newer property, BVillas+Spa, everything would be significantly better.
EXCHANGE RATES
We were fortunate that the AUD against the USD was up around 93c for our stay. The street rates we got varied between a low of 8600 on our first day up to 8760. (Obviously you can get MUCH higher rates down gangs from the truly legitimate operators! We saw one at 9190!!!) We also found that it's best to change mid week, Tuesday to Thursday. If you change over either side of Tuesday - Thursday and including the weekend you got a much lower rate. Unsure if this is ALWAYS the case, but worth keeping in mind.
RESTAURANTS
MOZZARELLA - Jl Padma No 9, Legian Ph: 0361 755 896 www.mozzarell-resto.com
Yummy Smoked Salmon on Rye Bread 40,000 RP + 21%, Club Sandwich 40,000 + 21%. Diet Coke 12,000 RP, Lge Bintang 21,500.
Air-conditioning in the toilets!!
LA SAL
Spanish cuisine
Discovered this restaurant in 2008 and loved it. Made La Sal our first dinner in Bali for this holiday. Food was lovely and restaurant busy, not as enjoyable as last visit. Not sure why this was, maybe just too tired/excited to enjoy La Sal on our first night. Tried Tapas and Paella and Tapas won hands down.
WAH BURGER - Jl Laksmana 11a (opposite rebuilding of Resor Seminyak)
Gorgeous food, the menu wording filled with sexual suggestiveness! Expensive although delicious and a must try .... Burgers to die for. It was so nice we revisited a second time.
We tried the 8 course tasting menu at 350,000. 3 x small bite size gourmet burgers using Wagyu Beef which is very expensive. 2 x Small Bintangs 18,000 ea, 1 x Soda Water 15,000.
Our second visit. This is extravagant I guess, we were impressed with the taste on our first visit and once again was extremely satisfied. Yes, $80 AUD is expensive for 2 x burgers but believe me you won't have tasted a burger this good anywhere else.
Cost = One burger served with wedges and small salad was 280,000 RP ++
BALI BAKERY - Jl Oberoi, Seminyak (part of Seminyak Square)
Patisserie & Café.
Nice selection of pastries.
Cost 2 people = 112,200. Club Sandwich 50,500, Soda Water 14,000, Sm BTang 22,000, Tuna Vegetable Pie 15,500.
RYOSHI - JL Seminyak 17 Kuta. Ph: 0361 731152
Japanese restaurant. Busy, good food and quite cheap.
Cost 2 persons = 245,920. Small BTang 20,000, Sprite 13,000, Beef Teriyaki 40,000, Salmon 35,000, Shrimp Tempura 51,000, Another Salmon 23,000 (sorry too many things to remember and this was early on in holiday so can't remember exactly what we ate).
LA LUCCIOLA - Oberoi Road, Kaya Aya Beach Bali, Ph: 0361 730 838
4 visits in 14 days - 2 x Breakfasts, 1 x Dinner and 1 x Cocktails and Dessert.
Always delicious, exceptional service, food to die for and gorgeous views & sounds of the sea, I would say it is up there as one of the best restaurants in Bali. I am always so impressed with everything at La Luc, can't recommend enough. Yes, more expensive than some restaurants in Bali although an experience you must try and would be very surprised if you were disappointed. When comparing views, service and quality of food with Australian restaurants it is not expensive at all. Breakfast is such good value and weekend menus have great choices.
Cost 2 people Breakfast = 222,915 RP. 1 x Café Latte 28,000, 1 x Strawberry granitas 30,000, 1 x Mixed Berry Grantias 30,000, 1 x Eggs Benedict 47,000, 1 x Egg Souffle with Bacon 58,000
Cost 2 people Dinner = 646,800 RP. 2 x small Bintangs, 2 x spring water, 2 x Strawberry Daquiries, 2 x Gnochette of Prawns.
GROCER & GRIND
We both enjoy G&G, feels much like being in a Melbourne café when you enter this establishment. We last ate there in July '08 and sadly feel this visit it wasn't as impressive. The food wasn't as great and the service when we sat in the alfresco area on one occasion was appalling. Despite this, it is still worth a visit, especially for the panini! Ate here 4 times as very close to our accommodation, 3 lunches and 1 takeaway delivered to Villa.
Cost = 155,000 RP (10,000 delivery to Villa). 1 x Vegetable Panini 45,000, Spaghetti Meatballs 55,000, Fries 25,000.
ULTIMO - The juggernaut rolls on! Incredibly busy! People everywhere, just so full, and with good reason. You get a massive amount of choice on good quality food and it's all extremely cheap for what it is! A couple of downsides, the service can be slow (due to how many customers there are) and when sitting outside you'll need a torch to read the menu!
PIZZA HUT - Bali Galleria
Clean, tidy and service great, but what were we thinking?! Bali cheese isn't tasty, neither are most of the smallgood meats, so why did we bother? Galleria doesn't have too many options for eating and we were hungry. Fortunately there are things besides pizza on the menu so they may be worth a go?
RUMOURS - Jl Lesmana, 100 Oberoi, Seminyak
Another one of Eat Streets famous cheap, quality eats. Always a pleasure, gets very busy and only opened at night. We avoid the steak dishes at Rumours due to past experience (they may have improved since 2008?). All other meals/dishes have been fantastic.
Cost 2 people = 229,350. Sm BTang 17,000, Frozen Margarita (YUM) 60,000, Fries 15,000, Chicken Parmigiana 33,000, Shepherd's Pie 49,500.
BIKU - Jl Petitenget 888, Kerobokan. Ph: 8570 888. bikubali.com
Great new venue, lovely décor, fantastic high tea, owner is Australian married to the Prince of Ubud. Tea Leaf readings on Sunday afternoons and Tarot Card readings on Fridays & Saturdays. Visited twice and food great on both occasions. Good choice of teas both hot and cold. Quite busy on both visits although not overcrowded.
Cost 4 people = 339,350. Great Lamb Shanks and Chicken Burger.
SORRISO - Jl Drupardi
New Italian restaurant. Lovely setting, atmosphere and very reasonable prices. Visited twice and both times the food and service was great. Don't be put off if restaurant is quiet (as it seemed to be most nights we drove past), from our experience you should have an excellent meal and won't be disappointed.
Costs = (some at least) Frozen Daiquiri (yum and large) 70,000, Small Bintang 20,000. Tagliatelle Alfredo 40,000, Pollo Asparago 50,000.
NEROS - Jl Legian, Kuta
Been around for 5 years or so now. Good spot to take a break from all the shopping you do along this patch of Legian! Cost 5 persons = 516,350 RP
4 x Sm BTangs 80,000, 3 x Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris 120,000, 1 x Coke 14,000, 1 x Smoked Salmon Carpacio 36,000, 2 x Fries 28,000, Thai Rice Paper Rolls 35,000, Brushetta 35,000, Souvlaki Roll x 2 66,000, Moussaka 35,000.
MANNEKEPIS - Jl Raya Seminyak. Ph: 0361 8475 784 (Opposite Queens Tandoor)
Belgium Jazz and Blues Restaurant and Bar. Great atmosphere downstairs with live music Thursday, Friday & Saturday (and sometimes Wednesday) nights. Upstairs there's a pool table and dining area. Only a few spots this trip where the bugs were friendly and this was one of them! Despite that, a good night for dinner, drinks and tunes.
Cost = 363,825 RP. 4 x Sm Bintangs 68,000, 1 x Bacardi 50,000, 1 x Coke 10,000 (mixer), 1 x Pate 45,000, 1 x Dim Sum 29,000, 1 x Chicken Vol Au Vent 58,000, 1 x Beef Meatballs 55,000.
GADO GADO - Jl Dhyana Pura No 99, Seminyak
Nice sunset spot with above average prices, (what do you expect, you're 'absolute' beachfront). Love the views and always enjoy the food. Great to arrive around 5.30pm and watch sunset and very soothing to watch the waves crashing in as the night continues. Take insect repellent as you are close to the water and the mossies can be quite bad. The dessert of Chocolate Melted Cake is fabulous. Another great restaurant in Bali.
Cost for 4 people = 1,719,540 RP
Drinks - 1 x GG Cosmopolitan 100,000, 3 x Carlsberg 90,000, 3 x Coke 51,000, 1 x lge Aqua 25,000, 1 x Iced Coffee 25,000.
Food - 1 x Green Salsa 75,000, 2 x Crab Ravioli 250,000, 1 x Scallops 110,000, 4 x Barramundi 640,000, 2 x Chocolate Melted Cake 110,000.
SARONG
Asian/Indian food. Opened earlier this year with well known Chef, Will Meryrick (previously of Sentosa and other top class restaurants). We visited on a Tuesday night and it was very, very full (was going to say busy, but there is a very relaxed feel to this venue). Gorgeous décor, great choice of food and good service. Expected to pay more than we did, still up there as pricey (for Bali) but again if you were eating in Australia you'd pay a lot more ... worth a visit for lovely food and atmosphere. Impressive.
LEMONGRASS THAI RESTAURANT - Jl Raya Seminyak, 37 Seminyak.
Nice Thai restaurant, quite small in terms of capacity. Lots of choices.
Cost 5 people = 773,300. Some prices. Small BTang 14,000, Pad Thai 47,000, Jumbo Prawns 100,000, Green Prawns 57,000, Rice per serve 15,000, Curry Puffs 32,000.
BARS
THE RED CARPET - Eat Street (Jl Laksmana)
Great little bar that has good choice of Champagne. The staff outfits are cute, very nautical ... or should that be naughty!! Sorry don't have receipt although think Champagne Cocktail was around 90,000 ++
ROCK BAR - Ayana Resort & Spa, Jimbaran Bay
OMG ... sensational. Newly opened bar and gorgeous, located on natural rocks 14 meters above the Indian Ocean. Great views of ocean and sunset. Worth the drive to Jimbaran Bay. Highly recommended, the walk through the resort is also impressive, large grounds and a lovely infinity pool.
Cost = 45,000 Small BTang ++, 95,000 Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri (I think, sorry haven't got the receipt) and 80,000 ++ for Lobster Rolls (3) which were delicious.
SHOPPING
HOUSE OF KOMANG - Tailoring. Jl Padma, Legian
Have used Komang every visit to Bali and in all the quality is very good. Usually busy. I take my own material as find it easier to buy in Australia when I have my mum with me who is an experienced sewer. Komang does have material to chose from although I don't think the choice is that good. I had skirts and shirts copied, hubby had trousers, shirts and ¾ pants all made and most of his material was purchased from Komang and also Alto Moda (see below for more details). Prices vary on garmets. Shirts (labour only) 100,000 each (yep, just over $10AUD to make a shirt that had covered buttons and detail on collar and sleeves. I took over a couple of items to be copied, a shirt was one of the items copied very well). Skirt (labour only) 150,000 each. ¾ pants (labour only), excellent fit, 125,000 each. Hubby, Shirt (labour only, material from Alto Moda) 115,000 each. Dress trouser (labour and material from Komang) 400,000. ¾ pants (mens) with Komang material 250,000 each.
ALTO MODA - Komplex Istana Kuta Galleria, close to Legian. Taxi's usually know the way.
Shirt material for men's shirt - 78,000 RP per metre.
Many materials to choose from, be aware that some of the men's material was 475,000 RP per metre (over $50 AUD per metre) which I thought was very expensive considering I could purchase a designer shirt in Australia for this cost.
LUCKY SHOP - Jl Melasti GG, Artika Legian.
'Genuine' branded merchandise. We visit Donny every time in Bali, nice guy, remembers us each time and knows we won't pay excessive prices for tshirts, singlets and short. Pleasant without being too pushy. Of course the first time we visited he tried to charge excessive prices, we always have a laugh and he reminds us that he tried to get way too much for a pair of sunnies on our first visit.
DVDS - won't put the address as believe it breaks the rules of the forum.
Always good quality with a 1 year guarantee and are upfront if newer titles aren't suitable quality to watch. Gave them a list of titles and had them ready when we returned.
BODY & SOUL (8 or so stores in all areas on main roads, you can't miss them)
Like clothes here, have brought many items over the years and always been impressed. They wash and wear well. Largest size is Large which is probably an Aussie 14 at tops. Bought many tops, skirts for niece and nephews. Factory outlet stores often have great bargains, bought a singlet for niece for 52,000 and cute skirt for 70,000. I take over a tshirt that fits them now and compare in store, much easier than guessing as sizing can vary in B&S and other stores/markets.
BINTANG SILVER - Jl Padma Utara (Legian)
Great choice of rings, pendants & earrings. Bought rings some plain silver and others with coloured stones. No prices when you look at stock although staff happy to give you price when you ask.
Cost 5 rings = 315,000 RP.
NIKE - Kuta Square. Ph: 0361 753 828
Hubby bought Nike's last year and proved to be good quality and comfortable so back this trip for a pair of sandshoes each. Quite a good range to choose from. Keep in mind there are several Nike stores, we found this store to be much cheaper for same shoes as other stores. Address on docket shows Kuta Square Blok D14, Jl Bakung Sari No 1. Stores are close by in square, worth spending time comparing prices in all stores.
Cost = 569,400 RP woman's shoes. 629,300 RP men's shoes.
LAUNDRY
Lima Warna Laundry Jl Lasmna No 7a Seminyak.
Shirt 3,125, Underwear 1,250, Bra 1,250, TShirt 2,500.
TREATMENTS
PRANA SPA - Jl Kunti
2 hour treatment - 1 hour massage and 1 hour Shiro dara titled 'Simple Bliss'
Very impressive and you would say expensive in comparison to other Spas in Bali but worth every cent. Prana offered pick up and drop off service from Villa in Seminyak at no extra cost. The atmosphere was lovely, quiet location, double room. Enquire about price when booking, they offered 15% discount off advertised price. We found going direct to Prana better value then using Bali Friendly.
Shiro dara is oil dripping on forehead, relaxing and a wonderful experience.
Cost - 2 x 2 hour Simple Bliss = 2,530,000 RP total ... expensive for Bali and could be considered expensive in Australia as well but as mentioned worth the money for the experience.
BODYWORKS - Jl Kaya Jati No 2, Seminyak. Ph: 0361 733 317
Bodyworks has always been a favourite Spa of ours in past holidays and still remains that way after this visit. Pleasant staff, professional and consistent with their techniques, soothing music and cool surroundings, we have tried many others and always go back to Bodyworks for majority of our pampering. We used Bodyworks most days.
Manicure (Sports 72,000, BW Mani 92,000), Pedicure (Sport 79,000, BW Pedi 79,000), Facial, Body Scrub (2hrs - 1 hr massage + Exfoliation with Scrub and Yoghurt 315,000 RP + 10%), Massage, Haircut (men 115,000), Creambath (1hr with Blow Dry 1.5hrs 185,000), Creambath (1hr 135,000), Waxing, Infared Sauna (200,000 for 2 persons).
JARI MENARI - Jl Raya Basangkasa #47, Seminyak. Ph: 0361 736 740
Massage - 90 min The Perfect Massage and 90 min Massage with Movement.
This is the first time we have tried Jari Menari and will definitely use again. All male therapists, very, very professional and discreet. At no time on both visits did I as a female feel exposed or self conscious. Heavenly bliss for the entire massage. Highly recommend booking, November is low season and we still needed to book well in advance to get an appointment, another sign that this is highly sort after Spa. Shower facilities on site with shampoo and body lotion to clean up after massage.
Cost = 330,000 RP per person for both 90 min massages.
COOL - (across from Grocer and Grind).
Facial, Massage
Have tried Cool before and though worth giving another try, disappointed with massage, more like a rub than massage. I was mainly disappointed as the therapists hands were consistently taken off my body, something that I am not used to when being massaged.
Facial was nice. Staff lovely, surroundings can be noisy in comparison to Bodyworks, Prana and Jari Menari. Cool still better than many other salons I have tried in Bali.
ACCUPUNCTURE - Bali Acupuncture Centre, Dr Thomas Sladek MD, Jl Petitenget 8X, 0361 8734 700
Found Dr (Austrian) to be very professional and both of us had different and positive experiences. Hard to put into words, guess if you are interested contact the Doctor and have a chat. We visited 5 times each. Visits 45mins, 250,000 RP each visit per person.
AMO - (opposite Bali Catering Company). Cash only.
Eyelash tinting & blow wave
New salon opened in August this year, modern furniture and nice surroundings. Nice salon, pricier than others and worth a try. Happy with blow wave (150,000 RP) and tinting (115,000 RP).