Well I have sadly arrived back in Perth after an amazing 7 day holiday.... And already planning my next time, but this time taking the kids (eeeeek)!
We (MR D 25 and I MRS D 25) stayed at the Vira Bali Hotel in Tuban/Kuta an think that overall the hotel is excellent value for money and could and could not fault the service. We stayed in a pool access room which was about 3m away from the pool. The room was very big, bathrooms very nice, air con was freezing and bed MASSIVE!! The pool wasn't huge but was big enough for what we wanted it for, and the hotel was lovely and quiet which is very refreshing after spending 90% of our days in kuta shopping!! Breakfast is included each morn and is OK, but their banana pancakes are FANTASTIC!
Being MR D's first time I wasn't sure that he would like the markets and hustle and bustle of what is kuta, but ended up being dragged around for hours straight because he wanted to meet every stall holder on the way and barter with them and find out all about where they are from and all about their family!... Mr D was only on this trip for 4 days and flew home on the Monday, but now have made a Bali addict out of him and don't think that I will ever be able to have the pleasure of going by myself ever again ha ha ha!!
We did the usual market shopping along some of the markets down Kartika Plaza heading towards kuta, and found this to be great quality and almost the cheapest prices we could get from any of the markets. Poppies 1 and 2 were great for the things that we couldn't get anywhere else but as they are extremely busy we tried to stay towards the other side of Kuta. MR D was very impressed with the new "sexy girl" t shirts that are everywhere and I think he brought home a suitcase full of those alone!! I think the clothes that are available at the markets were probably the best that I have found in the 4 times i have been there... so many shops not enough luggage hey!!
As a rough guide here are some of the prices that we paid: (Ifound don's bali guide to be a little bit cheap on most things)
Mens T shirts - 30k
Womans T shirts - 30k
Kids shirts, boardies - 25k
Dresses long - 40k
Kids plaid shorts - 40k
Sunnies - 20k
Womans handbags, guess big - 120k
Roxy towels - 40k
We ate at Febris (steak was to die for and possibly the best we have ever tasted), garis gars (next to santika) and my absolute favourite of all time Cafe de Bali which had AMAZING balinese and international food at fantastic prices! This is down the end Kartika Plaza and turn right into Jl Raya Tuban (I could be wrong so please feel free to correct me) and about 100m on the right!! Ate at so many more restaurants in the kuta/legian area but these are the meals that I just can't forget!! The only bad meal I had the whole time was in Gracie Kelly's.... I have only heard great things so could have just been an off night but was not impressed at all for their prices... I only wanted something light so ordered the potato and leek soup and fries. They brought out the soup of the day by mistake (Seafood chowder) but thats ok didn't really matter to me... until I tasted it, yep I thought definitely ask for my potato and leek soup as the seafood chowder wasn't that great. So they apologised profusely (hey no worries i say i got to try the other soup for free he he) and the potato and leek soup was even worse... just tasteless.... but lots of salt and pepper made it edible and scoffed some fries and still walked away happy.. how can you not in Bali!! I just think for the prices on their menu there are definitely better places to eat at!!
We didn't do many sight seeing or activities as Mr D was only there for 4 days and ended up spending majority of it shopping.. but we did book and do the quad bikes. I am not too sure of the name of the one we ended up doing but it wasn't the one in UBUD (unfortunately.) We were told on the street that this was the best one to do so we decided to try it and ended up costing us 70AUD each which included transport there and back, the quad biking and a small lunch at the end. I do think it is worth doing, but I wouldn't go with this quad biking group again next time... It was an 1.5 hour trip there, and I think we were only on the bikes for about 1 hour MAX!! The bikes were practically falling apart and we were stuck behind a couple that were very cautious so didn't really get to go the speeds we were hoping for (yes adrenaline junkies we are!!) but overall so glad we did it and as it was a first time for both of us on the quads we still have great memories to go home with... next timeI would like to try the ones in UBUD and that way can make the day of it with safari park, markets and maybe some babi guling to finish =)
We both had some clothes copied while we were there. Mr D had some Hurley shorts copied ($20 aud each and turned out fantastic!) and I had 2 dresses and 1 dancing costume made and again Cintya's work was faultless!! I was a bit hesitant to use her from some of the reports on BTF but very glad I did in the end!
So much more happened but there is so little space to write it all down. Went to Bounty and Engine Room twice (engine room happy hour is great) bounty drink prices are pretty steep! Saw a few of the security guards there doing some dodgy stuff so kept right away and just enjoyed the night dancing and meeting new people... and also making sure some of the younger girls got home ok after making themselves incoherent and unable to walk! i can't help myself, it is the mum coming out in me!! Did also spend a night at the hard rock hotel bar which was great as it was ladies night!! Friends of mine were staying at the hotel (which after seeing the rooms and the prices for what you get I have decided it is definitely NOT for me!) and the bar was a lot of fun.. a lot better dancing and having a few drinks in here than at the bounty IMO!
So now we are home and my toilet paper no longer has the perfect little triangle folded onto the bottom and I am not waking up to the smell of breakfast being cooked but that only makes me want to go back all so much more! Next time we will be taking the kids 6 and 3 for the first time so I am quite nervous at how that is going to go, but can't wait to get back to the little place of paradisE!