I will start this report off as a HNR but when I return it will have morphed into a JBR...not sure if I will simply add to this thread or start a new thread for Sanur and Legian.
KUTA
HNR/JBR Bali May/June14
19th May... left Brisbane 1 hour late due to catering truck breakdown but the flight with the new Jetstar Dreamliner certainly made up for any shortfalls...the time delay was not made up but the flight was excellent.
I am not a fan of Jetstar fan but the new Dreamliner flights should be a big plus for Jetstar.
The plane is very modern, quiet with a 3 x 3 seat configuration, in seat entertainment is exceptional with a wide range of movies, music, rug rat shows, etc , suitable for all needs (some free) but most pay per view with credit card...they even have a USB port for you own selections.
The seats are very comfortable and seem to have a better seat pitch and leg room than Virgin or Air Asia?
Once airborne the windows automatically dim to a jade green colour blocking out the sun's bright rays, yet you are still able to see out. With subdued lighting it gives you the impression of being in Captain Nemo's submarine.
Food selection is ample and can recommend the Pie and sauce and the low carb. Carlton Dry...Asian staff were excellent, very efficient and nothing was too much trouble, a big change from the usual stuck up snotty nosed posers and dainty little waddlers that call themselves stewards and hostesses.
Note all purchases are via credit card and NO charges apply.
IMO better than Garuda, and no hesitation recommending Jetstar's Dreamliner.
Landed in the new Bali airport and very impressed.
40 minutes to clear customs and immigration including a 15 minute wait for baggage.
On exiting the airport it was Interesting once to see all the Balinese waving their placards and welcoming us once again to Bali.
After a 12 months absence our first impressions was the dramatic change to the Tuban area with new footpaths, repaved roads and the general tidying up and cleanliness of the area...this was also noticeable all the way up to Poppies1 and our hotel.
Arrived at the Masa Inn for another warm welcome and caught up with Geri and Husband Paul in the pool for a many and varied discussion re mutual forum friends...a very nice couple who will also be at Bloodyron's SBV the same time we are.
Also had a visitation from Yappa this morning at breakfast... quite a character and hope to catch up with him later.
Naturally we did our usual inspection of all establishments in Poppies1 and are pleased to report that the Bintang in all establishments has once again surpassed all expectations.
A few days later....
Left Poppies1 for a waddle up to Legian via Jl Legian.
First watering hole was Blue Skyze then on to check out the Bliss Surfer hotel that we had booked on line ($225 for 6 nights).
The hotel is on the loop road that connects JLMelasti (through the traffic lights) to Jl Legian heading towards the memorial/ Bemo corner area.
It is a little out of the way and the walking paths are in need of repair but taxis abound around this area and a $2 fare will get is to Jl Padma, Jl Padma Utara and Double 6.
The hotel is very modern with retro style deco (I will post pics later), lift, flat screen tv, free WIFI, looks spotless, pool is in the shade so expecting it to be a bit chilly, all you can eat breakfast buffet 75K, but 34k for small Bintang is a bit over the top.
Waddled down to Melasti street for a pit stop at Sheppies.
This place was busy, beer cold and food is ok, place is hot despite 10 or 12 fans going at full speed and the place just needs a bit of a makeover, but then again Aussie bogans are easy pleased.
Headed off down to the beach, left onto Jl Pantai and 20 minutes later staggered into the Grand Istana Rama to refuel before the final leg back to Poppies1 and Bali Agung bar, La Walon and finally the 'randa at room #144 Masa....all in all a good day.
Next day, legs sore, back sore,sore head, so simply decided to veg around the hotel and pool it...later that night went to Julia Beach Inn restaurant in Jl Pantai (50 meters from Kuta Square and behind KFC heading towards Bemo corner).
Now I'm certainly not foodie and firmly believe that food is only faeces in waiting but Mrs Hoolz had an excellent Nasi Goreng and my Nasi Campur was one of the best I have had...the best meals so far for the five days we've been here.
The next day Botak (BR), his mate John, Pieter and Rhonda Ploeger paid us a visit and dragged Mrs Hoolz and myself over to the Swell Bar for some very amicable discussions over several crates of Bintangs.
A good afternoon was had by all but the Myers Rums at the end of the night at the Bali Agung was not a smart move.
In fact it is the first time I have cleaned my teeth in the morning with a tube of shaving cream instead of a tube of toothpaste ...but such is life :)
Following day we had a phone call from the now infamous Rhonda inviting us for a few lunchtime drinks.
The invitation also said that if I had trouble negotiating their small and narrow stairway they would be more than happy to lower a rope over their balcony and providing I hooked it around my neck they would be more than happy to haul me up to the second floor....the miserable sod only gave us 2 beers each and then complained that they had cost 11,500 Rp ea
Eventually we made an excuse and back doored it to the Bali Agung and low and behold who should walk in as bold as you like, sit down, enjoy our company all afternoon, get up walk out and leave us poor old pensioners with the bill...so happy now that Rhonda has returned home to Oz:)
Unfortunately I have had a few muscular spasms in the lower back which has some what curtailed our activity, but hey, we're in Poppies1, the centre of the universe, so we don't really have to go anywhere else.
I decided to treat the muscle spasms myself by laying on a tennis ball on top of the bed gyrating and moving back and forth to a Mariah Carey album (personal physio recommended by a physio) but unfortunately I could not find a tennis ball so a small green mango wrapped in a hand towel had to suffice until a tennis ball became available...between the green mango rolling and water callisthenics the spasm is starting to release...finally found a tennis ball and ate the ripening Mango.
Facebook alert:
Whilst on Facebook there was an alert for a missing man who was seen wandering around Bali for several days in a delusional state with severely infected leg wounds from a motor bike accident.
The Facebook link connected you to the Bali Expats Facebook site calling for all expats etc. to be on the lookout for this bloke as it was obvious that he needed urgent medical attention.
I watched in amazement as several members on the site had seen him and where tracking him in Jl Legian with constant updates, pics and GPS positioning...they eventually chatted to him in a Mini market near Bemo corner and GPS the position to all and sundry on the Expat FB site...at the same time other members of the Epat FB site were engaging and passing on info to the local authorities, tourist police , doctors and the Australian Embassy who I believe were on the way to assist.
To make a long story short the man was an Irish Tourist who had had a motor bike accident and is now in hospital.
The Irish papers had picked up the story, an Irish Facebook operator had also contacted Irish authorities and glowing reports/ tributes flowed from the Irish press, Irish FB site and the tourists distraught father...it really was unreal watching the instantaneous updates coming through and the help and co-ordination by other on the Bali Expats Facebook site...at the time of writing (28 May 14) the links should still be there and well worth a look....a real credit to them and congratulations on a job well done.
Another day and State of origin Rugby League has arrived!
The three of us looked resplendent as we walked into the Swell Bar in our blue NSW outfits, we certainly made the Maroon Queenslanders sit up and take notice.
The crowd was balanced approximately 50-50 but as everyone knows if even you get 2 Queenslanders in a room one of them will be agro...we had great delight in engaging in friendly banter back and forth but as NSW edged further ahead due to the brilliance of Jarryd Hayne and company the Maroon supporters were very quiet.
The game over with a NSW win I happily let the QLD maroon supporters know they would have to catch a Bluebird taxi home as Bali does not have any Maroonbird taxis...Mr Agro snuck out and was last seen walking up Poppies1 with a dark cloud hanging over his head.
Last day of our first stay at Masa, off to try to break into the now fortified Sanur Beach Villas tomorrow.
I had previously been trained to sneak under or over barbed wire but those days are gone...might try the Trojan Bintang trick to get in.
Arrived Sanur Beach Villas around half past twelup on Friday afternoon for and once again the locals turned out in droves with a welcome parade down JL Mertasari...they were so happy to see us they carried on with 2 days of celebrations in the compound next to SBV. From daylight to dusk you could hear their haunting chants and excitable speeches echoing through the forest trees via a pa system, most moving ...our appreciation knows no bounds.
Ron and his mate John( who we met at Swell Bar Poppies1) decreed a Sanur Beach Villas public holiday and surprised us with a wonderful banquet lunch of cheese platter, triple smoked sliced Ham and grapes (Ron fed me the grapes), Grilled Dory with scallops and Balinese spices wrapped in banana leaves and BBQ 'd, followed by 2 cm thick imported Australian Rib Fillet steak cooked to perfection, then a marinated fillet of beef thinly sliced and bathed in traditional Balinese sauce ...naturally these were washed down with copious amounts of Bintangs with several nightcaps of Myers's Rum .
First day started and ended beside the Big Red esky under the tree of knowledge....Interesting side note pointed out by the locals is that the tree of knowledge only ever seems to fruit when Hoolz sits under it.
Day 2
Awoke to melodic chanting of the locals still celebrating our arrival, had breakfast, did my Yoga and meditating then off to explore Hardies for a few supplies etc. with the driver from hell who literally abused everybody else on the road, thank god it was only a short trip, we then walked back to SBV via Sanur beach front path.
Interesting to see a lot of subtle changes since we were last here. More local Warungs springing up, some even directly on the beach, big hotels seemed to have plenty of people on their beach chairs.
Naturally we took our time walking back and enjoyed a few stops at Cemarar (Sp) Cafe, Resto cafe, then Kesumas...very impressed with the changes at Kesumas,so big now and food excellent... and finally Sweet Magnolia.
Day 3
Started the day off relatively slowly with a walk along the southern Sanur beach front then a swim at the SBV pool and a self-promoting posing session of Super Hoolz and Bintang boy saving the world from their base at Sanur Beach Villas.
Posing session over it was time to head to Duckz Nutz and catch up with friends from various forums who we have met over the years travelling to Bali.
It was great afternoon good music and good company enjoyed by all including... Mr and Mrs Hoolz, Hillary and Brian, Wadulla and Scherryle, Geri and Paul, Bev, Botak (Bloodyron), Eddy, Skiggy and wife, Tony and Lyn and John...
Finished the day off with a superb Mie Goreng at Mama Putus cafe just up from Sanur Beach Villas...thanks for the recommendation Trishawish.
Legian
Next morning we arrived at the Bliss Surfer Hotel for a 6 day stay.
We picked up this little gem of a hotel on Tripadvisor (rated 8.4 out of 10) and booked through Booking. Com for a 6 day stay in a Deluxe room for $240.
The price was non-refundable and without breakfast...breakfast was 75,000Rp per person for all you can eat buffet which consisted of egg station, toast, coffee , tea, fruits , assortment of Balinese dishes, sweets, breads etc. ...no complaints from me but if you got there late some items were cold... a refundable package with breakfast was around $350
This 5 story hotel situated on the loop road which is a virtually extension of Jl Melasti (through traffic lights Jl Legian) and re-joins Jl Legian heading towards memorial and Bemo Corner.
The hotel has Panorama Cottages 2 one side and a school on the other side.
Bliss Surfer is only 2 years old with a modern colourful surfer décor (surf boards, murals etc. everywhere), beds very comfortable, elevator, pool (half sun and cool), underground parking, in room safe, separate walk in shower with great water pressure, room service, balcony, flat screen tv.
The clientele is mainly Australian and Chinese (in tour groups) and caters mainly for the 25- 50 age group.....I don't think it is suitable for families.
The rooms around the pool can sometimes be noisy so if you wanted a more sedate stay I would suggest away from the pool and up several stories.
At the time of writing the footpaths around this area are being repaired so walking to Jl Melasti (300 meters) and surrounds should not be a problem...taxis are abundant in this area and we never waited any longer than 2 mins to pick up a Bluebird to Double 6 or Tuban ($2).
Although I prefer a more Balinese style of accommodation I have no hesitation in recommending this hotel and would definitely stay there again.
During our time in Legian we caught up with a few friends at Sammy and Suzies (S&S) beach bar, ate a various cafes and restaurants around Double 6, Jl Sahadewa (Garlic lane) but really enjoyed those in Jl Melasti including Moo Moo's, Goshas, and the pick of them, in my common sewer opinion, was Lemongrass...love this place and will definitely give them a wrap on TA.
Kuta
We headed back at the Masa Inn Poppies1 for our final 5 days in Bali.
Everyone knows we love this place, so I won't go into great detail about it here other than to say the hotel is very busy with the usual return guests and a group of AFL social players and partners etc. from Darwin for a local competition....
For those wanting pictures of this trip go to Google and put in Hoolz Bali May/June 14...there are 2 pages, 87 pics and also inks to other trips.