In Bali Feb 15-23, here's a brief recap
FLIGHTS OVER
I was meant to fly over on Valentine's Day with Virgin ex Brisbane. About 10 minutes before we were due to board, a friend messaged me asking if my flight was being disrupted due to the volcanic ash. I laughingly wrote back 'hope not, I'm about to leave'. I then look at the departure screen and my flight status was cancelled!! I could have cried with disappointment. At that stage, Virgin could provide no further information on when the flights would be rescheduled and gave us a letter with contact information for us to call later in the afternoon to find out when I could fly out. We were escorted back through customs and sent home. The only upside was that we were allowed to take our duty free with us!! I called Virgin later on that afternoon and they advised that they had no information about if/when I could travel and if I wanted to cancel the flights. Of course I did not, and shameful as it is for me to admit, I put forward the case that I was attending a wedding and would appreciate some kind of timeline of when I could fly (I wasn't attending a wedding just FYI). The customer service agent put me on hold then confirmed that she would change my flights FOC and when did I want to travel. I told her the next day and she could find me a flight via Perth or Melbourne as they were showing as travelling at that stage. I took the Melbourne flight even though it meant a six hour stop in Melbourne. Meanwhile my travel partner Dinger who was in fact flying from Perth was beginning to panic as he was due to fly out the next morning, though with Jetstar. So as you can imagine we had a bit of a worrying night, but he flew out as planned and now it was just me who still had to get there. My flight to Melbourne departed very early and I checked the flight status of Mel-DPS and it was showing as going but after the debacle the day prior, I was still not confident that I would be leaving anytime soon. Upon landing, I checked some other flight statuses and saw that some Virgin flights had departed to Denpasar so it did make me think that it might be a goer. I headed into the city for a look and Virgin finally updated their travel alerts to say what flights were going to Bali, and you know it, mine wasn't on it!! Mel and Perth afternoon flights were listed as maybe's. When I headed back to the airport in the afternoon, I went to the Customer Service Desk to enquire as I was not going to go through all the checks just to be turned around again and hallelujah the staff member advised we were definitely going!! So after that, everything was relatively smooth sailing. The flight was fine, and full due to the cancellations. My only whinge would be inflight entertainment, there isn't any unless you download the virgin app to your phone/tablet etc prior to departure. I only had my phone on me and didn't want to waste my battery so just read the magazines I had brought with me
ENTERING BALI
I arrived in Bali about 9.30pm. We were bussed to the terminal and I missed the first bus so had to take the second. The queues for VOA were short so I began to bypass the express VOA touts but then stopped when I saw the lines to enter Bali. I was buggered after a long day of travel and didn't really want to queue for an hour or so to get out, plus Dinger was waiting at our accom so I chose to get the express treatment. I paid about $25, didn't even attempt to bargain, just could not be bothered. The whole process from paying to walking out of the terminal took about five minutes, I kid you not!! Literally bypassed all queues and out to pick up my bags. I only had to wait about five mins for my bags to come out, headed out the door and changed a couple of hundred bucks, saw my driver waiting and I was finally, finally in Bali!!
LE SABOT - PADANG PADANG
Dinger had found Le Sabot by conducting an internet search. We were looking for somewhere to kick back for a few days and the pictures and description on the website made it seem very enticing. Whilst not on the main Padang Padang beach you could in fact swim there from our accommodation or alternatively walk there.
To get to Le Sabot they are sculpted steps down the Cliffside of varying heights! Upon my arrival it was dark, and Dinger had given Komang a torch for us to use thankfully! Komang balanced my suitcase on his head and we made our way down to the accommodation.
There are a few different options accommodation wise. You can choose from the Surf Huts, Surf Hut Deluxe or The Studio. We chose The Studio and were so glad we did! You have a huge deck overlooking the ocean, and at high tide you are literally on the water. It was very easy to while away our time watching the surfers whilst sitting out there. At low tide you can walk down along the rocks and you are straight on the beach. The doorways to the studio open right up so whilst laying on the bed you have the ocean breeze and accompanying sound of the waves crashing onto the rocks to soothe your soul. We actually left the doors wide open every night and drifted off to sleep that way. The studio is self-contained so the main room consists of the bed area and the back half is a little kitchenette should you wish to prepare your own meals. It has a fridge for your supplies. Mosquito coils were supplied, we really only needed to use these on the nights that there was not much breeze as otherwise they were not really an issue.
The shower, toilet and bathroom are off the bedroom but actually outside. We really loved this. There is a huge sunken tub which we would fill, throw in a few bath bombs from Lush and just chill and enjoy the scenery. There's just something so enjoyable about bathing outside! The bathroom is semi secluded with bamboo screens and foliage and the only way someone would see you if they happened on your deck at the wrong time. That or maybe a passing monkey!
The accommodation has been described in some reviews as rustic but we adored it. You are kind of at one with nature so yes, you might find ants in your room and have to close your doors when you are out because of the monkeys but that just added to appeal for us.
We were there for four nights and other than kicking back and relaxing we really did nothing. Dinger has some leg issues, so we really didn't want to be going up and down the stairs all the time and to be honest, we just had no need to do. We were perfectly happy idling away the time, reading, chatting and eating!! If you ask staff, you can arrange to get someone from Padang Padang to come and give you massages on your premises, so we did indulge in this one day.
They have a warung on site with a basic menu but this more than catered for our needs for these few days. Breakfast in the morning was usually a piping hot banana pancake with honey, straight from the kitchen to your plate. For the princely sum of 17 000 rupiah!! Seriously, how could you go wrong?? We usually had a couple each and a bali kopi and were sated. We ate at a variety of restaurants when we got to Kuta, but both declared those pancakes our best meal of the trip!! Lunches and dinners we had items such as nasi/mee goreng, omelettes, burgers, scrambled eggs etc. So as I said not an extensive list but enough variety to keep us enjoying it for the time we were there, and all very tasty.
The crowd there was mainly surfers & foreign backpackers, a lot of people seemed to have stumbled upon Le Sabot by chance but we all agreed it was absolutely amazing. The dining area allows you to sit down with the other travellers and chat or alternatively sit by yourselves if you are seeking privacy. I mentioned earlier there are monkeys around. When dining you would often see them going on to people's decks in search of food and the staff chasing them off. Always good for a laugh. We had no real issues with them, though one day we were lying on the bed and heard a noise and there was a monkey pretty much at our feet with another making its way under the bed. They scampered off as soon as they knew they had been busted. Another morning Dinger was using the outside toilet and we heard a thud on the roof which usually indicated monkeys were around. He sung out to me and there were about four on our deck, I took the umbrella in the room and ran out banging it to try and scare them off. Three took off, but stood its ground and hissed at me which resulted in me running back into the room and closing the glass doors! They must have been scouts because as soon as I was inside, the whole pack began moving across our deck to wherever they were heading too. It was an awesome sight to see, probably about 30-40 monkeys in all, mothers carrying the babies, old wizened monkeys and the rest of the pack. We were exclaiming at the number, me from behind the safety of the glass door and Dinger bravely from the outside toilet!!
If you are after non stop action then Le Sabot is certainly not for you. There is no television and limited phone signal access, it is advertised as eco style accommodation. However, if you are content with your own company, looking for a romantic break and prepared to laze around and enjoy the serenity they I would indeed advise you take a look!
By the end of the four days though, we were all relaxed and more than ready to head into the madness that is known as Kuta!
Hard Rock BALI
I always stay a few nights here and have given it a number of wrap ups in previous JBR's so for full info you can read one of those. Basically I love the location, the vibe and the pool/cabanas!! We also had some mates from Perth who were staying here also.
There actually weren't many at the HR this time so you could pick any cabana you wanted. Some are overwater and some are not. We got one for the day after our arrival which was a Thursday, for 400 000 and also used one on our day of departure (Sunday) for 500 000 rupes. Between the two us we considered it to be great value and we really were in them or the pool all day lazing around. They provide you with a picnic basket of fruit, chips, waters etc in the price. If you want additional food or drinks you can ring from your cabana and it is delivered to you. This includes the drink specials which they run every hour for 3-4 hours over the course of the afternoon. For example between 2.00-3.00 it was two for one mojitos for 85 000 rupes.
I didn't do much shopping as it the holiday was one of indulgence but we tried a few restaurants and massages so I'll do a brief rundown for your reading pleasure :-P
EATS
La Lucciola
Our first time here, we went for lunch. I can see what all the fuss is about. The service is second to none, you really could not fault them. As soon as a dish was finished the plates were whisked away and there was always a staff member in eye shot if you required anything. We were sitting downstairs and although it had started sunny some nasty weather started to come across. The staff were right on it, and minutes before it hit they moved us to an enclosed area so we were not affected. We had a shared entrée, mains, desserts, 2 cocktails each and coffees and it came to about 980 000 including taxes. Not cheap by Bali standards but absolutely delicious.
Rosso Vivo Dine & Lounge - JP Pantai Kuta
Also Italian fare. I am a burger queen, just love them. I try and eat pretty healthy in my normal day to day life so when I indulge I tend to go for a burger. We went as part of a group of 10 here. The Aussie burger did not really cut it for me but others in my party loved their pastas and mains.
Poppies - Poppies 1
I love the spring rolls at Poppies, they never disappoint. Worth a visit for the ambience alone
Potato Head - Seminyak
I had heard a lot of good things about this restaurant and I really, really liked it. You can tell it is oing to be somewhere special as soon as you see the window shutter design on the outside of the premises. The set up inside is fantastic with the infinity pool overlooking the beach and the beds placed around it. There are three eating areas, our group chose the bistro for dinner. I had a burger here and it was awesome!! More than met my high burger standards. The desserts were also great, I had the Snow Egg and Dinger had the Chilli Chocolate mousse. Yum, yum. All up with our entrees, mains, a mocktail and coffees each it was about 900 000 rupes. The location is fantastic for people watching alone. This is a definite restaurant to go back too. I'd like to do a lunch there next time and chill by the pool for a while on one of the beds.
HR Café
Just for the hot fudge sundae! Not cheap but so so good.
HR Hotel
Used room service a couple of times for things like nachos etc. A huge buffet breakfast is included in your accommodation. Cakes and coffee from the deli on site as well.
Febris
Had a spa here and grabbed lunch on the way out. Standard fare, quite cheap and the menu was quite extensive
Havana Club - Poppies 1
This is Cuban style restaurant. I had heard about their, you guessed it, burgers!! Though I actually didn't have one funnily enough. I had Ranchos Heuvos and it was nice. The others in my party had burgers which they enjoyed, and wood fired pizza which looked great. Liked the vibe here but a lot of hawkers coming into the restaurant
Bread Talk - Discovery Mall
Some odd bits and pieces here but really just went for the Bread and Butter puddings. I love them. Last time I was in Bali I went in the afternoon and they had none left, so made sure I went in the morning to get some this time. 2 for me and 1 for Dinger! He hadn't tried them before and I thought if he doesn't like it I will just have to force myself to eat the third :-P But he did like it of course, how could you not??!!
SPA'S/TREATMENTS
Febris:
My mate Kat and I booked the Essence of Bali package whilst we were in Australia. It was a two hour package and it is listed on the website as US 40 though that price is not accurate. Upon booking I had to pay for one person and the amount charged 242 000 rupiah. Kat had to pay when she got there, and they originally charged her more but when they accessed my web booking for confirmation they refunded the difference as they had had a price rise in the meantime. I didn't have to ask them to do it, they did it of their own accord. Book if you want to go here, it was busy!! They did fit in some of our party who hadn't booked but for any big packages I'd say booking is a must. Our package consisted of:
• Foot soak with warm peppermint
• Bali Rhythmic foot reflexology
• Neck, shoulder & hand massage
• Ginger tea and a bikkie
Plus the choice of either Warm stone back massage or Hair Creambath
We both chose the warm stone back massage. All treatments were very enjoyable and professional. Dinger hadn't booked anything but he managed to get in for a foot massage. We were all in the one room for the foot massage but portioned off, all very quiet and relaxing. Next thing I heard a little snore, and good old Dinger was having a nap, bless him! Kat and I couldn't help laughing and even the massage girls were having a bit of a titter to themselves also (...)
Carla's Spa - JL Pantai Kuta
There are a few of these around. Not the full spa experience like the Febris but a great place to get quality massages at cheap prices. Most hour massages are around 60 000 rupiah, so cheap. We went here a few times. I got a pedicure and foot massage one time, and Dinger went for the Thai massage. He had a male masseuse and reckons although a times he was 'twisted like a pretzel', it was one of the best massages he has ever had. Not for the faint of heart but definitely worth it. I also had a crème bath here, you can get a package with a foot massage included it in as well. I figure if someone wants to wash my hair, give me great head massage, and blow dry it whilst I get a one hour foot massage all for $12 why would you even bother washing your own hair??!!
Botox Treatment - Radiance Bali - JL Kartika Plaza
One of my mates got botox here on a prior trip & recommended it. Kat who I was with, gets botox in Aus as well so she came for a top up and I went to get it for my first time. Dinger came along as he was interesting in trying the human growth hormone treatment. We all went in for our consultation together though each person is obviously assessed individually. Dr Jovyta Augustine did our consultation and work, she has wonderful English and fully answered any questions we had. I think I had 16 units and the price I paid was 178 000 rupiah. This included a 5% discount if you like their f/book page. I got it done on the forehead and on the wrinkle (or should I say cavern!) between my eyebrows. The forehead area didn't really hurt but between the eyes did make them water! It takes 5-7 days to see the full result. In the first few hours afterwards, I noticed some difference but nothing major and I felt a little disappointed. However within the recommended waiting period, it has smoothed right out and I feel very happy about it. I would not hesitate to go back here, and next time I think I will get botox in my crow's feet as well. Pricewise, Kat reckons it about half the cost of what you pay in Australia and the product was the same as she currently gets given here. I also received a follow up email from the Doctor on my return to Australia which I thought was a nice touch.
With regard to Dingers HGH he could get a standard dosage course immediately. They do however take a blood test and email you a full report afterwards with the results and whether you should lower or up the dosage from the standard course. He bought a 3 month supply which included a cooler bag with the HGH, needles, swabs etc. It has to remain refrigerated and they give you ice packs for your return flight, so you need to be able to keep them frozen. The deli at the Hard Rock put them in their freezer area for Dinger. Apart from a slight heart failure when they couldn't be found when we were leaving, they did locate them thankfully! You are provided with a letter from the Doctor so you can bring this back into Australia, though Dinger was still a bit concerned of the legality of it all. There was no problem leaving Bali, and he declared it on his arrival back into Australia. They let him through with the Doctor's letter but advised that in future he would also require a letter from the Doctor in Australia stating that he needed required it for health reasons.
Shopping
As stated earlier, did not really do much at all! Kat's daughter is a fantastic bargainer though so I set her the task of securing me a ‘Prada' bag on wheels with an adjustable handle that I could use for hand luggage. I told her that I would pay up to $30 for it. She was magic to watch in action!! We were in one of the shops on Jl Pantai Kuta and salesman of course started ridiculously high. When he hit the 300 000 rupiah mark I was pretty happy with that , but she ended up getting him down to 250 000 so I was stoked.
Other than that, picked up some staples like toiletries and medical stuff eg bandaids etc at Matahari in Kuta. The grocer section there has had a makeover and looks so much better.
Went to Dianne's Fixed Price Shop near Discovery Mall and bought a range of singlets and dresses. Spent about 600 000 here. Average price per item is $5 Aus. I love the plain black or white singlets which have Vans/Everlast/Playboy etc logos on them in gold, they sell for $3.50 each.
DEPARTING BALI
Dinger and I used the Hard Rock driver to get to the airport. He was going to Perth and myself to Brisbane. Both of us were early and checked our luggage and got through the other checks very quickly. As another poster stated, split up into male/female lines at times. I'm really not sure what all the whinging is about with regard to the new departure terminal. There has been a huge amount of progress since my trip in October last year. I can't see why it is such as issue that you have to walk through duty free to get to the departure lounges, fly out from Melbourne airport and it is exactly the same!! No-one is pressuring you to buy anything just walk through to where you need to get to!! The airport was busy but there were a good few areas to purchase eats and sit down. Black Canyon has a coffee shop there, and for all you smokers it has a smoking room. Great coffee as well. We enjoyed a coffee until my flight got called to depart. I didn't notice people sitting all over the floor as others have stated, seating in the lounges seemed more than adequate. There is still no paid lounge access though, I do miss that component.
My Virgin flight to Brisbane departed on time and I slept pretty much the whole way home. Now trying to work out when I can get to Bali again (...) Any questions, fire away. Probably a few errors, I've only roughly proofread it but I am sure someone will let me know if so ;-)