We arrived on Tuesday 22nd of December at approx 10.45am. Good flight with no dramas and pretty much straight through immigration. I was a bit concerned initially, thinking that we would be standing in line for hours at that time of year. Fingers crossed it will be like that in April when we return :-)
Welcomed by those characteristic "Bali smells", veil of humidity and Balinese smiles. Within metres of the plane our 4 year old blonde, pale, curly haired princess was attracting the same attention as in Phuket. Walking out of the airport we looked for Jimmy the Magicians familiar face, instead we saw a sign with my husband's name & a younger version of Jimmy, standing there with a huge smile on his face. This was our first introduction the Jimmy's youngest brother Jack. Might I add that Jimmy did tell us he would either be there himself or send Jack.
Add in my little plug for Jack (he he) - fantastic driver, super friendly, speaks English really well as he worked on cruise ships for 12 years, brilliant with kids (our 4 year old & Jack were best buddies), lovely air conditioned new car. Jack guided us through the Safari Park and it was awesome. He knew where to go first, what to do at the right time so that we didn't have to wait for any of the safari rides or show. He has been driving for a few months as he returned from the cruise ships to marry and is trying to get his name out there. Poor bugger spent his honeymoon with us!! If you would like his details please don't hesitate to ask.
Drive to the Besakih Beach Resort in Sanur. Familiar horns, dogs, white statues on the main roundabouts, yes we are really back :-) Checked in to the hotel with no problems. We get to the bungalow and there are 3 single beds hmmm. We thought bugger it we'll see if they can move us to another bungalow. Reception was very helpful & within minutes had given us a different bungalow with a queen bed & room for the spare bed to be brought over. Rooms were clean, neat and air-conditioned. Well the air conditioner didn't work initially but they were on to it straight away. The maintenance guy wanting to get someone at 9.30pm to come and re gas it. Finally convinced him we would manage if he could get a pedestal fan for the night. Came back with the rustiest fan I have ever seen & full of apologies for its state. Convinced him it was fantastic and that we were fine. Next day while we were out the aircon was fixed. We went with an open mind not necessarily expecting the best of the Besakih but were pleasantly surprised. If you want a modern, sterile, pristine hotel then the Besakih may not be for you. If you want something that is cheap, comfy, friendly and homely then this is a fantastic place to stay. The brekkie was included and was basic but we thought it was fine as you tend to overeat when you go away anyhow. You have the choice of juice or a plate of fruit, choice of 2 croissants, 2 danishes, pancakes or toast and then you also get eggs of your choice and coffee/tea. Alternatively you can have nasi goreng or mie goreng with juice & coffee/tea. By the 7th day we found we didn't particularly want breakfast every day or we went to the Wicked Parrot for their yummy Pancakes. Would I stay at the Besakih Beach Resort again...Yes!! We had a superior bungalow with was nice but a little dated. Had a peak in the Classic Bungalow which are more expensive but looked beautiful.
Sanur was very very quiet to start with but picked up after Christmas. We were so happy with our decision to stay in Sanur & will definitely stay there again over Kuta/Legian. Were spoiled for choice with the restaurants in Sanur. I'll try and list a few -
* Star Bistro - awesome food. Went there 3 times. Beef rendang was to die for, so tender. My husband's fish & chips was the best we found in our travels. They were accommodating with my daughter when all she wanted was rice & chicken with ketcap manis. They have WIFI which you can pay for, I think its 6000rp per 15 min, and alternatively they have an air-conditioned internet room. My dad had pork chops & mash one night and he loved it.
* Mona Lisa - outstanding. The best iced coffees and cleanest toilets. I had pork medallions which melted in my mouth, spring rolls and Satay Ayam another night mmmm. My daughter loved the chicken cordon bleu. You also receive complimentary bread and bite size entree. We ate here 3 times and my parents every second night. Be aware it gets very busy from 7.30ish onwards.
* Benno's - really yummy chicken parmigiana and fish & chips. My husband had a whole fried sweet n sour snapper and said it was lovely. Staff weren't oozing enthusiasm but were still friendly enough.
* Bonsai - free WIFI, lots of Europeans Skyping. Meals were nice. Again my husband had a whole grilled ginger snapper and said it was delightful. I had nasi goreng and finally realised that I am not a nasi goreng person! It's not that it was horrible, I've just always had this thing that when I'm in Bali I'm supposed to eat it but really... I don't like it LOL
* Rib - really nice ambience and food. Didn't have a lot of patrons whenever we walked past. I had Satay Ayam and it was nice, my husband steak with mushroom sauce, which he said was lovely.
* Piccadilly - okay. Personally I wouldn't rush to go back. My dad loved it because he loved the shanks & mash. We went back for brunch the following morning and waited nearly an hour for 2 steak sandwiches & a ham & cheese toastie, not overly impressed. I'm such a patient person when it comes to restaurants but with only one other table of 4 there was no excuse.
* The Porch - surprisingly nice. Tucked away as a part of Flashbacks. The menu is quite small but varied. My husband had fish & fried potato and I had chicken pie with garlic bread. All my daughter wanted was a salami and ham sandwich and they accommodated. They even allowed her to sit in the TV room for the accommodation side. Really wanted to try the cakes on display but was too full. They have outside seating on the porch or an air-conditioned room with copies of old papers collaged on the wall.
* Wicked Parrot - Really nice. Yummy pancakes for breakfast. I had a plain chicken schnitzel with gravy & mash one night and it was exactly what I felt like. Fish & chips are yummy. Staff friendly, free WIFI and good band in the evening. Perhaps a bit pricey, for Bali prices, but nice when you want something plain.
Out of Sanur -
* Waterbom Park - was surprisingly nice, with a fair bit of choice & for a theme park I don't think it was too pricey.
* Kori's - we use to love it there. Perhaps you need the night lights for the ambience (we went for lunch) but we were a bit disappointed. Feel it is getting a little dated and the meals were pretty average and extremely pricey in comparison. The chocolate milkshakes are still the best though.
* Rapuan Cili (Ubud) - was quite nice but pricey. I suppose you pay for the view & location. Service was a little slow, one table walking out. Meals were nice.
* Pondok Bambu (Candidasa) - hidden inside a cluster of bungalows. Large menu and reasonably priced. Nice meals & view overlooking beach.
* Bali Beach Shack - We went here for our Christmas Lunch and were not disappointed. Traditional hot lunch. Variety of salads to choose from, good selection of hot vegetables, lamb, pork, turkey and condiments. Dessert was a choice of chocolate cake and delicious apple tart. Entertainment was supplied by the Baby Balinese Dancers, who were fantastic. Staff attentive & very friendly. Was a great lunch.
Hope this had been a little bit informative! Sorry I've just realised how long it is ...oops. Think I might have to do a part 2