To conclude our Bali adventures we love to farewell Bali in a special way so we booked the HYATT in Sanur. This hotel is great. It has a very special exciting and classy, yet comfortable vibe. The attention to details is fantastic, from the beach front location to the fantastic pools to the good night note left beside your bed at night. The gardens and paths made you feel as though you were in an adventurous fairytale maze. We were often lost in this wonderful labyrinth. The breakfast was divine with almost every option readily available.
Some people have mentioned that the Bali Hyatt is starting to show her older age. Apart from the fish tiles in the bathroom I did not get this impression at all. There is no wow factor view here but the established gardens and the warm Balinese character make up for this. I am not a fan of big resorts that do not embrace the Balinese culture. I find that they lack soul. However this Hyatt has that 'I feel good' vibe. 'I knew that I would now.' he he :P
The staff at this place were brilliant and thoughtful as they were always ready to jump at the chance to cater to your every need or as they call it any 'special request'. Thanks, Mrs Rini for thoughtfully taking very good care of me. :)
We loved the peaceful Regency Club with fantastic room and its free drinks and snack buffets from 5-7pm. Next time we might give the club a miss though even though the food was a delight as getting back to the hotel at those specific times did cause some difficult juggling and added pressure.
We chose the BALI HYATT on this trip as it possesses sister properties in two different places. This means that we were able to enjoy the lush surrounding and pools of the Hyatt in Sanur but also the impressive grounds and pools at the Hyatt in Nusa Dua, what a bonus!
NUSA DUA often gets a bad wrap for being over commercial and too cookie cutter perfect in some resorts which can also seen as a bit sterile. Large spaces are polished and cleaned up along the beach path to appeal to the tourist who want to be in a luxury tropical environment but escape the busyness and sometimes chaotic conditions of real life....sounds just like Disneyland to me! Every so often I do love a trip there for a feast for the eyes to see the fantasy pools and dreamy cabanas amongst the palm trees. Nusa Dua is just one of the numerous jewels in Bali's crown along with its lovely beaches. It may not suit everyone's tastes or budget but it is still a great sight to see none the less.
The water was delightfully blue and the gardens and pools were a feast for the eyes. The Laguna Hotel has a fantastic beach side barbeque on offer, every morsel was delicious. The graciousness and eagerness to please was quite special.
We spent the afternoon drinking cocktails by the Hyatt pool, checking out the captivating BLOW HOLE with its powerful aqua blue water which reminded me of a massive washing machine as the waves crashed upon the rocks. We also wandered through Bali Collection and checked out some shops.
Unfortunately The new Bay development has not taken off. Probably because there does not seem to be enough planting to provide a calming shaded areas for guests to relax in. The whole idea of having interesting restaurants with a pool on a beautiful beach front is genius but the concept needs to developed further if it is going to be successful as it does not look very luxurious or inviting in the searing heat of the day at the moment. However the Pirate ship restaurant does deserve a special mention, if it had been shady and leafy I'm sure it would attract far more visitors.
Nusa Dua is definitely is a unique area as it really does seem to be the happiest place in the world with a gorgeous beach relaxing cabanas and majestic palm trees. I could go on and on about my favourite things in Nusa Dua as they say a picture tells a thousand words so check out this link to our photos :D
http://smedley.id.au/bali2012/NusaDua/#
It took an hour to get back to Sanur in the intense traffic which left us just enough time to walk the vibrant street of Sanur and check out Hardy's and Tootsies fixed price shop for our last minute shopping. I even managed to get my nails painted with frangipani patterns whilst hubby gave the fish spa a go. Funnily enough he kind of enjoyed it and he used the time to write a few emails:)
We squeezed some time to check out Luhtu's Cafe to have a great cappuccino with a fancy bird or dragon frothy design on top. Rosetta's Cafe next door also offers these fancy coffees but the reviews seem to favour Luhtu's for their fabulous cakes and food. Our brownie was a little dry but the coffee was excellent.
We took in one last walk along Sanur's candle lit beach path which was lit up like a Christmas tree (we did actually see a lit up Christmas tree :D ) with one final cocktail at the lovely La Taverna before sadly packing our brand new suitcase from Tootsie's as we were destined for this dream lifestyle to come to a sudden halt. It was all over as suddenly as it began.
Check out this link to see our Sanur photos.
http://smedley.id.au/bali2012/Sanur/#
On each trip the last day Bali Blues come on even more strongly than the time before. Once again we have been so blessed with such a special mind blowing trip. The most frustrating part about Bali to me my lack of ability to eloquently articulate how fully sick this place is without sounding totally tragic. (Look at me, my language is so poor that I need to revert to such slang and even The Sound of Music lyrics :P) Where else in the world can you find such incredible beauty with such contrasting experiences all within one car ride?
Bali, you ARE my favourite thing in this crazy world... and to the Bali forum you are my close second favourite, thanks for keeping this extraordinary place fresh in my mind daily and improving it every trip by taking the time to share your special discoveries with us.
Thank you to those of you who took the time to post your kind comments and encouragement. To all of the people who unselfishly and generously share their tips on the Bali forum I am truly grateful. They are not paid travel agents but they still take time out of their day to patiently help others and highlight the jewels in the crown of Bali for others to enjoy. Thanks AGAIN for continuing to make our trips so insanely special.
Until next time,
Semoga harimu menyenangkan :D!!