To celebrate our precious lives and second chances we bounded over to St. Regis for their famous brunch. We ventured in to the King Cole bar where there was a definite pleasant air of sophistication and class. It was very interesting to see the different mix of people that the St. Regis brunch attracted. It was obviously very popular for all walks of life. We loved the classy piano man and seeing all the waiters whiz by with colourful cocktails balanced skillfully on their hand held trays. The cocktails were particularly wonderful. :D
Once we entered the Boneka restaurant for the brunch which appeared to be very much like a buffet except some of the offerings were on petite plates to show off the fancy artistry of the dish. I must confess the number of tourists were a bit overwhelming for us since we had been spoilt rotten with so many private and quiet adventures on this trip :P
** Check out some of our photos at
http://smedley.id.au/bali2011/StRegis/#DSC_4912.JPG
God knows that I love the Ayana but our return to our old faithful had a rocky start. We booked the Ayana Hotel through 'Perfect Escapes' and were delighted to receive a few extra goodies. One of which included an early check in (IF available) We arrived at the Ayana all hot and bothered after a steamy walk around Nusa Dua only to be told that our room was not ready. The good news was that we had been upgraded to a Club room. Whoohoo!
The Ayana (formerly the Ritz Carlton) has been our favourite for almost a decade. It is the only hotel that we have stayed in time and time again. It was the first hotel that we ever stayed at in Bali and it blew me away. That love affair never ceased.
As the sun was setting we headed down to the famous Rock Bar which is perched on the cliff face with a great intimate view of the dynamic ocean. We were astounded by the number of patient people who lined up on the stairs in the heat for this place. I must confess that it was more than brilliant as we were able to bypass the large line up into the Rock Bar as we were staying at the hotel.
It must be very impressive for those who have never encountered this type of view before. Fortunately for us we had just spent two days at the Point Resort on Lembongan where we had our very own private version of a very similar jaw dropping view. We found the hectic atmosphere at the Rock bar to be quite intense and busy. I guess that the young people call it 'electrifying'. We found it exhausting and stressful. But I guess that you have to check it out at least once and then cross it off your bucket list.
We escaped the searing heat and crowds for the classy and peaceful Club lounge. Our complimentary snacks and cocktails were absolute bliss. The only thing that was missing was our very own private pool right outside our door which we had cheekily grown to be quite accustomed to on this trip :P LOL!
I woke up to a gorgeous morning fully refreshed with the sun shining and birds singing (It was odd not to hear roosters crowing:P) I was so happy to be back at the Ayana and the slight mishaps from yesterday melted away. I cannot deny that The Ayana still has the wow factor. From the lei upon arrival and the petal filled bath to the rich and royal décor that has been maintained beautifully, to the many different places to explore each with a different feel to them, the beach, the many pools including the amazing and impressive infinity pool. Apart from the Rock Bar the Ayana still has the wonderful peaceful rich energy with its fabulous Balinese sculptures and sensational views. You could almost even hear the choirs of angels singing here... or perhaps it could have been the chirpy Judy Garland singing 'Good mornin' good mornin'' like a broken record over and over in my head to compliment my perky mood.
This was even before I saw the enormous variety of food offered at the Ayana's buffet breakfast. This really is heaven! The Ayana also food kept coming for a delicious morning tea as we used the WIFI at the Club Lounge.
Oh my, pinch me again, I'm at the awe-some Ayana!
** Check out some of our photos at
http://smedley.id.au/bali2011/ayana/
Nitty Gritty - The Ayana Resort - Jimbaran Bay
Atmosphere - Royal with a wonderful Balinese feel
Service - Check in was difficult, as was being over charged at the Rock Bar. Thankfully the wonderful staff at the Club Lounge kindly sorted it all out.
Room - Way better than average.
Bed - Comfortable
Shower - Great
Air con - Great
After a lazy morning at the Ayana we headed off with Putu Arnawa to Biku for lunch. We were surprised to see how incredibly busy they were. I loved the cool old worldly, antique-y vibe to the place with its rich colours and beautiful ornaments.
Thank you to the forumite who suggested that we watched the documentary on FOXTEL which introduced us to the Australian lady who married into Balinese royalty. It was a fascinating show. To see her in action at Biku putting her personal touches on things was really fantastic.
When the food arrived completely understood why this place was packed out! After gorging ourselves on the Ayana's huge buffet breakfast and then again at the Club Lounge morning tea the very last thing that we felt like doing was eating but as soon as the food arrived it was just all way too tempting and we devoured every single crumb. Now that is a sign of GREAT food! This is one of these places where attention to every detail is a high priority. Thumbs up!
I have a great fondness for bronze statues so we headed off to Golden Buffalo. Picking out impressive gifts without having to be concerned about the price was heaven for me. I believe that this place is fixed price. In any case we didn't bother to haggle as the price was so good to begin with which was good for me and good for them. We bought statues of chickens, horses, fish, chickens, horses, fish, a monkey bottle opener and a golden buffalo (of course) :P The ladies here were really nice people who had a good sense of humour. Thumbs up!!
Biaritz was also fun. I actually really like having my very own personal assistant follow me around helping me with sizes and carrying my goodies. We bought lots of t-shirts, a sandstone statue and even 'designer' sunglasses.
Tanah Lot was next on our agenda. I enjoyed wandering around the atmospheric market which was a fantastic feast for the eyes. The vibe was great as the sellers were not pushy and you got the sense that the tourists were here for something really special. To be honest I was not prepared for how special this place was as I did not think that it could possibly live up to the hype. I was wrong. There was something very intriguing about this particular temple. There was a mysterious mist surrounding Tanah Lot and the colours of the sunset were absolutely gorgeous. I was very happy that we had made the effort come out here.
Putu Arnawa our guide and driver is also a fantastic photographer. It was brilliant to be able to walk away from Tanah Lot with some extra special shots. Once again he was able to make us feel at ease and enjoy our holiday while having a wonderful chat with him and learning even more about life in Bali.
** Check out some of his photos at
http://smedley.id.au/bali2011/TanahLot/
I had planned a wonderful dinner at the nearby Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort over looking Tanah Lot but there was no possible way that we could fit another meal in so we came to this resort for a drink and to check it out for my next trip. This resort definitely has that wow factor and has that reminds me of a wonderful playground for adults. It is stunningly beautiful with its view of the dynamic sea and its tall beautiful buildings with a gorgeous pool. I wanted to dislike it because it was a little of out the way but it has flared up my Bali fever yet again and I have not even left Bali yet! I am definitely itching to stay at this hotel and indulge in the full Pan Pacific experience.
HINTS for newbies:
Don't forget to pack brand new tooth brushes to remind you not to drink the tap water in Bali.
Book your stay at the Ayana through Perfect Escapes. Keep a print out of the extra goodies that you are entitled to because they will be questioned.
Watch your tab at the Rock Bar. It is a very busy place and difficult for the staff to keep up with the requests from the right tables.
At the Ayana there is also a C bar that you should check out that is tucked away near the villas. Also check out the Japanese influenced spa cafe.
Putu Arnawa our driver, guide and photographer was a fabulous asset to this holiday. He was always punctual and we were able to learn a lot about Bali from him.
Semoga harimu menyenangkan! Have a nice day!