Finger's crossed... here I go again along the mega highway to CANDIDASA to try and see why so many of you are so taken by this place. I still live in hope that the third time will be the charm for me. On previous visits on my way to Amed I have found Candidasa to be rather windy and have strong waves which stirs up an unsettled restless feeling for me. The fantasy of taking a relaxing dip in the aqua water with white sand to see the fish in shallow water like we did in Thailand suddenly tanks as I set eyes on those waves and I remember what others have said about the undercurrents as I constantly find myself fixing my tossled windswept hair that lashes my face.
Nevertheless the gorgeous colours of the sea, the majestic palm trees and the look of the ultra tropical beaches lure me back once more with a bit of gentle encouragement from a couple of forumites. I hear that early morning is the best time to visit the BLUE LAGOON which apparently has the best snorkelling in the nearby area.
It was a delight to see the sea sparkling through the palm trees to reveal a beautiful and glorious beach and I there was the potential for me to see heaps of fish!!! I was absolutely chuffed. I even had my isnorkel viewing window all ready to go. The palm trees and aqua water in this intimate bay added to the delightful tropical atmosphere. Hooray for the Blue Lagoon! The blue aqua water was so inviting and the waves were not bad at all or so I thought...
It took me less that a mere few minutes to slip on some slippery rocks. I had barely got my toes wet and the powerful current sent me crashing down onto the rocks before bouncing me into even more sharp rocks with such force like a tiny rag doll being washed up on the shore. I emerged from the water sliced in 10 places and oozing blood on our very first morning in Bali and within the first 15 minutes of being at Blue Lagoon. To make matters worse I also broke three nails!! How can something so beautiful be so damn vicious? Boo! for Blue Lagoon :_(
I can confirm the warnings I had previously read about Blue Lagoon are valid. Blue Lagoon has a strong current and sharp rocks and is not suitable for children or even unco 30...something year olds. The fact that Betadine is readily available at the restaurant for such occasions is an ominous sign. I guess I had to learn the hard way. It appears that you have to be extremely fortunate to stumble across the right conditions or be an experienced beach swimmer who is used to dealing with strong currents. I did manage to see three fish though:)
With my ego, knee and ankle brutally bruised I needed some cheering up so off we went to check out Candidasa and find the perfect cocktail. PONDOK BAMBU had a lovely sea view and enjoyable cocktails (Go for the moose cocktail) However, disappointingly they did not have the decorated cocktails in the coconuts as advertised on their website even after I emailed them which I desperately needed to cheer me up and put me back on track.
We also visited LE 48 which was also beautiful with its classy style even if it didn't have a sea view. Could this place be any more sophisticated yet so comfortable? :D
After a mandatory quick shop at GEMINI and ASRI (fixed price shops) to buy some extra bandaids (and a couple of surf brand t shirts) :P we set off for Bali Asli. We did get a bit lost but I was pleased that we came across my favourite view in Bali of the rice terraces from the high mountain road.
BALI ASLI is wonder-ful. The view is awe-some and the restaurant is set up beautifully, as were the toilets which certainly were truly unique:) Everything had a simple natural beauty about it. There is a feeling of peace, harmony, rural goodness and simplicity. The food was good but perhaps I was expecting a little too much given all of the hype. I was glad that we made the effort to go though.
Sadly I found our hotel in Candidasa to be just ok despite the wow factor TA photos that I had based my decision on. It is hard to put my finger on why but it lacked positive energy from the moment I walked into the lobby. Perhaps it was because it lacked the true sunny Balinese hospitality. The hotel was good but not great. It was definitely not cheap yet we were tucked away in the garden, away from the aqua water and wonderful palm trees. Many people or should I say abandoned towels seemed to dominate the pool lounges. Noone asked us if we wanted a drink or seemed interested to take our drink requests and the pool was cold. I had to wear a cardi in the evening due to the strong breeze. We were unable to swim in the ocean as the current was far too strong. The snorkeling directly in front of this hotel was a major draw card that did not come to fruition because of the intense current. The sunrise was also a fizzer :( Once again how can something that looks so good fall so flat? On the plus side the air con was great and the water did appear to be aqua blue in the afternoon but the highlight of my stay was seeing heaps of crabs on the rocks:) oh and the egg flipping lady was mighty impressive:)
Despite all my efforts once again Candidasa has proven that Amed (one hour further out) is where my heart belongs. The sheltered bays and Lipah's sandy beach with fish and coral are absolute treasures that should not be taken for granted for unconfident newbie swimmers.
After a day of challenges we headed off to the Legendary VINCENT'S RESTAURANT. This place gets consistently awesome reviews but I have often skipped it as it does not have a view. This is one place that does not need a view. OMG as soon as we set foot into the restaurant we were welcomed to the bar for happy hour which certainly lived up to its name:) The list of delicious cocktails was quite impressive. After a couple of Green Bombs, Brown Eyes and Sea Breezes we sat in the garden for dinner. The gardens were beautifully lush and well tended to. The candles also made a huge difference and was a sign that this place really cares about the small details. The jazz décor and music also added to the perfect ambience. We could not decide between the hot pot pie, mixed grill, crispy duck and the seafood symphony ... so we had it all.. including the fantastic crab dumpling starter (blush) Remember... I needed it after a very difficult day. The food was so OUTSTANDING we even had to try the crème brulee which once again was a triumph. It was by far my most enjoyable meal in Bali out of all of our trips.
We struggled to think of another restaurant in the the world that came close on so many levels. Again it was the attention to details were amazing including the garlic butter and hot toasted rolls. The personality of the staff also added to such an enjoyable dinner who were always on hand to assist without being obtrusive which included free transport in Candidasa. It was an absolute treat to have such a great date night after such a challenging day. True to form Bali is such a land of contrasts and an oasis of absolute bliss is never too far away:) Thank God for Vincents!!
I could go on and on about my favourite things or not so favourite things in Candidasa but as they say a picture tells a thousand words so check out this link to our photos:) For those who are squeamish just look at the thumbnails:)
http://smedley.id.au/bali2012/Candidasa
Semoga harimu menyenangkan :D!!