The annual trip to bali has been and gone. A quick one week trip this year due to a new mortgage..myself, sister and a friend went. Had an absolute blast.
FLIGHTS - Garuda out of Melbourne on time and arrived on time to bali. In and out of customs within 15 mins. Flight home we landed a bit later due to two other late flights in front. Had to disembark on the tarmac which seemed to be in another suburb, then bused to the terminal. Baggage on furthest carosel possible. Customs girl the rudest cow I've encounted since the rude one in 2009. Seriously, if you can't be personable at 7.30am then don't work there.
HOTEL - Bali Garden Beach Resort was fantastic as usual. Didn't sit by the pool this time, we parked our bums on the sun lounges on the beach, much better than around the pool and away from screaming kids. Brekki was good, lots to choose from if you wish. As only there one week, had one meal at hotel on last night.
FOOD - Did some usuals and one I hadn't been to before. Un's was again absolutely beautiful, and well priced. Did that one twice. MUDI'S is up near Ramada bintang resort. Very small warung but they tell us is closing in two months. Pity because it was so cheap and the food very authentic. I would suggest you try a dessert called "banana macardo" if you were going, but as it's closing, most won't get there. Weird, banana fritter then placed under the griller with melted cheese... yuck... my sister and friend loved it, i thought it was gross. lol.
GOSHAS for seafood was really nice. First time I'd been there. Loved it. Had the mixed seafood which had a whole lobster, crab, two prawns, squid and some fish on it... lovely
NERO BALI, this is a really nice place to eat, it's in Legian. Brilliant frozen vodkas there.
POPPIES, always a nice meal but hugely over priced for Bali now I reckon. Probably won't go there again, for what you get, you can get just as nice for half the price elsewhere. Oh, RATS in there too..lol. I didn't care, that's bali, but my sis was gonna die!
MADE'S WARUNG, we had lunch here, the mie goreng special was lovely and the black rice pudding here was very very nice. YUMMM
THE PUB, you cannot beat this place for it's satays. If you every get the chance, get up there and have the beef or chicken satays with the home made chips. YUM. Oh and very cold bintang. KFC, had to have it. Love it over there, dunno why but doesn't seem as fatty. Sure it is though. lol
TOURISTS - well we didn't do a lot of touristy things. One morning it was wet so we grabbed a driver and went for a drive around. Went to Kerobokan and checked out the jail (from outside, lol). Then onto Denpasar into Ramayana. Nothing to write home about in my book. Back through all the back roads in Denpasar which was quite an experience. The river is revolting and people fish in it. EWWWW. We then stopped at Carefore where we were given a gem place to look in. The others bought some beautiful rings in there. Carefore supermarket itself is HUGE, jesus... they even have blokeds on rollerblades to get the price check things. Unreal to see how big it was.
We went on the boat again with my friend KING KONG. He is situated on the beach at the end of the Pantai restaurant in Tuban. Took us out for an hour around the airport, near where the surfers go then up to Legian. Very very relaxing, loved the boat ride.
Went to a funeral, well only coz it was on the beach near the hotel. Interesting to say the least. Seen a few before, this one had 3 people to cremate. That's all we did touristy, not that a funeral is a tourist attraction.
SHOPPING - I took over an evening wear top to get copied and they did 3 for me in 3 diff colours. 500000rp for the 3. Bargain and they fit perfect. My friend got her racing silks copied. $200 to get silks made in OZ. $35 each in Bali.. priceless, and they were made perfectly. The tailor is just across from Dianne shop in Tuban in a little square called, "Artono Tailor". Recommend to anyone.
We also got suits made at JANOKO Tailor in Poppies 2. $60 oz dollars for two pants and a jacket. Pants were a bit long, but they took them up, no problem!
Got the regulation sunnies for 25000rp each. Watches were about 30-50000rp. Sarongs 25. Dresses 40-60000rp. Got a jimmy choo bag for 80000rp. They're everywhere over there, diff colours all studded.
Got a reflexology foot massage, thought were were gonna die. Felt fantastic after it, but shyte it hurt. lol that cost 45000rp in one of those joints in the street. Got a massage off my lady at the beach each day, 50000 for an hour.
For the Iphone people. I got mine unlocked before I left. Slotted a bali sim in it (got the boy to do it) and off we went. Used the internet on it no problems. Net is often hard to get. There's free wi-fi in heaps of places though. But I found it quite easy once the sim card was in. I didn't want to take any chances with data downloads on my Oz network. Turned off data roaming and also cellular data while the oz sim was in. At matahari is where I got the sim. They had iphone 4 sims too for anyone who has one of those with the smaller sims.
OK, that's all I can think about at the moment. If anyone has any questions I will do my best to answer ya.