Happy New Year!!

Wishing all my wonderful readers all the best for 2014. What will the New Year bring you??

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Waroeng Bonita

Last year, I had gone to a restaurant in Seminyak called Waroeng Bonita. What attracted me to this restaurant was the good reviews on Trip Advisor and their Friday night entertainment. Every Friday, Waroeng Bonita has a "Baliwood Extravaganza" show. I had seen it last year and had a great night and decided to take my girlfriends there for our trip last month.

Waroeng Bonita is a gorgeous little place located on Jalan Petitenget. It has a beautiful garden setting that is lit by fairy lights wound through the trees and candles on the top, along with mozzie spray in case you've forgotten your own. They also have an undercover lounge area, which was where we were seated. In my opinion, it's the perfect place for a special night out with a partner, whether you go for the Friday night show or not.

Images from www.bonitabali.com

I made an 8:00pm booking via email as the show doesn't start until 9:00. We had our seats right in front of the stage. We ordered drinks and food before the show started. The show consists of lady-boys, who are incredibly dressed and made-up, lip syncing to songs by the likes of Lady Gaga. They sing and dance along side both male and female Balinese dancers that are dressed up in costumes that make you think you're in Las Vegas. It's a very entertaining show that has you laughing, clapping and singing along. I had organised a special belated birthday surprise with the restaurant for one of my girlfriends. Just before the shows finale, one of the lady-boys came out with a dessert while everyone sung along to "Happy Birthday". My friend was clapping and singing along until the dessert was placed in front of her. At that point, she was mortified. It was a porcelain willy standing tall and proud on her plate, along with fruit filled crepes. We all found it hilarious, except for her. I was so grateful that the management was so willing to organise this for my friend.

The dessert, along with the rest of the food, was simply delicious. All beautifully presented, reasonably sized and priced, everyone loved their meals. They have both Indonesian and Western dishes to suit everyone. So if you're looking for somewhere new to try during your next trip to Bali, somewhere that has a beautiful setting, delicious food and great entertainment, I would whole heartedly reccomend a visit to Waroeng Bonita, especially for their Friday night show.

 

Address: Jl. Petitenget 2000X, Seminyak, Bali

Website: www.bonitabali.com/wp-waroeng/

Email: booking57@bonitabali.com

Phone: + 62 361 4731918

 

 

 

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Bali Stand Up Paddle School

Stand up paddle boarding (or SUP) is something that has gotten very popular lately and for me, it was something that I had wanted to try for quite a while. For my most recent trip to Bali, I had planned it so my friends and I had a different tourist adventure to do in each different area we stayed in and as Sanur is a very tame area, SUP is what I decided on. Being a fairly active person, I was really looking forward to it, including the 7:00am start. My friends were less excited. I had organised it all via email with the company owner, Jankie, who had instructed us to meet him at the company's surf shop located across the road from the Sanur Beach Hotel. From there, we were lead to Villa Puri Ayu where the paddle boards are stored. It looks like a gorgeous little hotel, tucked away between the main road and the beach. We were lead down to the beach where we had a quick lesson on the sand where we were instructed on where to place our feet, how to go from sitting to standing, how to hold and use the paddle and general safety. I always appreciate these kind of intro's before partaking in something new and this one was really thorough and clear.

Before long, we were out on the water. Our clothes were put in a boat that was on stand by to bring us back in if something happened or the winds were too strong. It was reassuring to know that they had a back plan in place if it was needed. We paddled out about 500 metres to where the reef is. The reef acts as a long barrier which keeps the rest of the water in Sanur very calm so paddling out was very easy. The waves on the reef were small, which was perfect for us beginners. Our guide kept instructing us, encouraging us to stand up and catch a wave throughout and when we got a bit lazy, he didn't push us to continue. We happily floated around a bit, enjoying the water and the sun before we decided to head back into shore.

By the time we got back, we were all ready for breakfast. We could have stayed out longer if we chose to, but hunger had gotten the best of us. We all really enjoyed our morning on the waves and it is definitely something I'd do again. Bali Stand Up Paddle School has lessons for beginners available, as well as board hire if you already know what you're doing. It was a fun and refreshing way to start the morning and I look forward to doing it again and hopefully challenging myself with some bigger waves.

Bali Stand Up Paddle School was the first one of its kind in Bali. The boards are all in great condition and the instructors know what they're doing. If you're thinking that it's something you'd like to try but you might not be fit enough, I reassure you that it was not very physically demanding at all. Click here to check out their website and book a lesson for your next Bali trip.

 

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Poppies Cottages: A Tranquil Oasis in the Middle of Crazy Kuta

I had a one night stay at the end of my most recent trip at Poppies Cottages. How I wish it was longer. I've always been apprehensive about staying in Kuta simply because it's not my scene; I'm not a party person, I like my quietness when relaxing at a hotel and being able to cross a road without too much trouble. After reading lots of reviews of Trip Advisor and getting recommendations from fellow travellers, I settled on the hotel for the last night of my holiday. Getting to the hotel wasn't the easiest. As it's located down a laneway (Poppies Lane 1) and we were coming from Legian/Seminyak area, the taxi driver stopped on Legian Road and we had to wheel our luggage down the laneway, trying to keep out of the way of scooters while also going around other people that had stopped to look in the market stalls along the way. As soon as we walked through the gates of the hotel, the craziness of Kuta fell away behind us. The property was beautiful. The cottages were scattered throughout the grounds, which are surprisingly big and spacious for the location, and the gardens were beautiful. At reception, check-in was quick and even though we arrived a little while before the designated check-in time, we were able to get straight into our room. Poppies Cottages, being an older establishment, certainly has the Old Bali Charm, but it's oh so welcoming. We followed a winding footpath to our room: Cottage 21. The room, although dark, was gorgeous. 2 comfy beds, a TV, DVD player and stero system. From the comfort of our room, the noise from any traffic could not be heard. It felt so serenely quiet.

The lovely semi-outdoor bathroom was the perfect size, with a sunken shower/bathtub and a nice little garden to admire while doing your business. My friend and I were both so happy with the cottage.

The pool was also just perfect; a lovely lagoon style with plenty of pool lounges scattered around. It was a beautiful spot to lay and relax.

I would definitely stay at Poppies Cottages again and reccomend it to anyone looking for a great little boutique hotel with everything on the doorstep, but feels like miles away. Have a look at their website here and possibly make a booking for your next Bali holiday.

 

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Quad Biking With Aussie Bali Adventures

During my most recent trip to Bali, I had a lot of adventures planned for my friends and I. One of them was quad biking. I only organised this a few weeks prior to the trip after we decided to do this instead of going to Waterbom Park. My email response from the company owner, Shifty, was prompt and we were booked in. We were booked in for the morning session which meant a bright and early 7:00 pick up.
When we arrived, we were introduced to the company owner, Shifty, before reading the safety instructions and signing a waiver. What I liked about the company was the big emphasis on safety and fun. Shifty made it clear: this was not a place to be stupid with the quad bikes unless you wanted 400 kilos rolling on top of you. After a quick instruction of how to use the bikes, we were off. We rode down to the beach first, which of course meant no traffic. This gave us a good chance to get comfortable with the bikes and slowly start to pick up speed. Along the beach was the only place we actually got up to a considerable speed, because we had the space to spread out and zoom along at whatever speed we were comfortable with. The rest of the ride took place along rice fields and through a local village. Because we were either going along a not so wide dirt track or on the road with other traffic, we went quite slow. The scenery throughout the ride was just beautiful; the endless green of the ricefields, the dark sand of the beach with the waves crashing on the shore and the quiet roads of the village.

A couple of small things that I thought the company could address and adjust were, firstly, the introduction of the guides. Shifty introduced himself as soon as we stepped out of the car, but the guides that were with us on the ride didn't introduce themselves until half way through. Not everyone will feel the same, but I like to get to know the guides, whether it be with stand up paddle boarding, white water rafting or riding an elephant, but being on quad bikes doesn't exactly give you the opportunity to chat. Secondly, I felt there was a bit of an inconsistency with how we were all shown how to use the bikes. For example, I was shown by Shifty and as I had ridden quad bikes before, I was comfortable with it. A couple of my friends, who hadn't ridden quad bikes before, were shown by the guides and didn't feel nearly as comfortable with them. With the big emphasis on safety at the beginning, I think this could have been better followed through with clearer instructions on how to use them. Apart from these very small things, my friends and I loved the quad biking. It was a great way to have a bit of fun and admire some of the beautiful Bali scenery.
I've been asked a few questions about the quad biking and I'll do my best to answer them.

• Would it be suitable for children?

Yes. The tour allows you to always go at a speed that you're comfortable with, and as previously mentioned, the only time we actually had an opportunity to speed up was along the beach. Tandem bikes are available so mum or dad can do the driving while the kids sit behind and enjoy the ride. 1 hour rides are also available.

• Did you think it was good value for money?

Whenever someone asks me if I think something was good value for money, I always consider how much it would cost to do the same thing in Australia. For hotel pick-up and drop-off, about a 2 hour ride on the bikes, drinks and an Aussie Bali Adventures singlet, the price was $85 per person. Do I think this was good value for money? Definitely.

• Which time slot would you recommend booking in for?

We were booked for the morning session which meant a 7:00am pick up, but in the end, we were very thankful for this, firstly because although we did an early session, it was hot and we all got sunburnt. Doing a later session would have meant it was even hotter. Secondly, it meant we were back by 11:30 and still had the whole afternoon ahead of us. I would definitely advise getting up a bit earlier for the first session of the day.

• Did you feel safe?

Yes, we all felt safe. As an Australian owned and run company, the bikes are all kept in top condition and serviced regularly. This was a big factor in my decision to book with them, because you can never be too careful especially when overseas

• Would you do it again?

Definitely. My friends and I had a great morning and got to see another beautifully scenic area of Bali. Aussie Bali Adventures have some great packages available, including horse riding, dirt biking (experienced riders only) and sunset tours. Having full confidence in the company, I would love to look into one of their packages for the future.
If there's anything else you'd like to know, please feel free to send me a message either via my contact page or on my Facebook page.

Please note that the ATV's of Aussie Bali Adventures has recently been taken over by Bali Island Horse. It is held in the same location and is still owned and run by an Australian. To make a booking, go here. 

 

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Photo of the Week: Tiger-iffic

During my most recent trip to Bali, my friends and I spent a morning at the Bali Safari And Marine Park. I had already been once, but it was something everyone was keen to do. Our driver, Yuda, picked us up from Ubud and took us enroute to Legian. He had advised us to get there early so we could avoid queues. Our first stop was the tiger enclosure, where we would have a photo taken with a real life tiger. Oh my god, what an amazing experience. Yes, it was quick, but I got to pat a real tiger on its beautiful, coarse, striped fur. How absolutely amazing is that?! There are also options to get the photo done with an orangutan, an elephant or a baby lion. My advise for going to the Safari Park is the same as Yuda's; get there early and make your animal photo the first thing you do to avoid long lines later in the day.

 

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Yuda: Bali's Best Driver

Many people that go to Bali on a regular basis have a single driver that they've known for a while and will always call upon when they've booked a trip. In November, I was still looking for that person. Before my trip to Bali in November, I got a recommendation for a driver/guide from a fellow Bali lover. She had indeed known him for years and said they were practically family. She had only good things to say about him and the service he provided so I decided to take the recommendation and email him.

Since the first time I contacted Yuda, he service was a step above the rest. Other drivers I had used in the past didn't even compare. His service doesn't begin when he comes to pick you up, it begins from the moment you contact him to discuss what you need his services for. He gives you a call so you can properly discuss what you're after and gives logical advice and great suggestions or alternatives. And his service doesn't end when he drops you off at your hotel or the airport. I have received countless phone calls, text messages and emails from Yuda to confirm our booking, wishing us a safe flight to Bali or home again, telling us to be careful in the rain, wishing us a good time on one of our tourist activities (whether he organised it for us or not), a get well if someone has been ill or injured even Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Valentines emails. Every time he gets a new client from my recommendation, he emails to say thank you. I have used him many more times since November when I first met him as well as passed on his details to other travellers who have also sung his praises. It's not just his service that makes him special, he himself is special. He has such an amazing zest for life and enthusiasm for what he does that just makes you smile. Along with great English, he is knowledgeable and seems to have a great answer for every question he gets asked, whether it be about Balinese history, religion, education, politics. He knows it all. He's been known to surprise people at the airport (he called me during my trip to find out when my parents were arriving so he could surprise them), sing in the car, give medical advice if someone gets sick and he always has a smile on his face. If I were to run into trouble in Bali, he would be the first person I'd call and I have no doubt that he would come through and do everything he possibly could to help. Since I've started using him, there is no way I could ever use another driver or guide. I truly believe that Yuda is the best and I highly recommend him.

Yuda's services do come at a higher price than other drivers but considering how much more he puts into his work, it's worth every extra penny. With the price, you get him as a guide, a seperate driver (Yuda likes to let them concentrate on the road while he does all the talking), cold towels, drinks, snacks and get to be in the comfort of a new and very clean car.

I think you know you've found your guy when you get excited about going back to Bali just to see them and find excuses to use the services when it's not necessary.

Contact him here:

Email: askyuda@yahoo.com

Phone: M. +62 813 3864 1400

Ph. +62 361 858 1100

 

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Photo of the Week: Another Trip Booked

That's right, the countdown to my next trip has begun. Just today, I booked flights and 3 nights accommodation in January. Yes, just 3 nights. I'm spoiling myself with a long weekend in Bali. How I love living in Perth and being able to get a return airfare for under $300. This trip will be purely about catching up with friends, eating and relaxing. For 3 days, I'm going to take the time to enjoy the hotel, eat and some of my favourite restaurants in the area and celebrate a fellow Bali lovers birthday. No adventures, no shopping (I've only for 10 kilos of carry on luggage) and no hitting the clubs. I can't wait

 

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Bali, Day 10: And Then There Were Two

Today's exchange rate: IDR 10,770 per AUS $
Today's weather: Beautiful, sunny morning. Overcast afternoon

Today was our last morning together. After Virgin changed our flight time from 6:00pm to 1:30pm, Mikhala and I decided to stay an extra night but Courtney and Sami had to get home. I was up at 6:00 again but decided to skip the morning walk and just hang out. The girls were up not long after. We all headed to the communal pool to use the WiFi and while we were there, our breakfast was delivered. We opted to eat it by the pool instead of going back to our villa.

Before long, Sami and Courtney had finished their packing and were ready to go. The holiday has gone so fast, it didn't feel like we had just spent 10 whole days together. Villa Coco had free airport transfers so that took care of how they would get there. We bid them farewell as someone came to collect their luggage and just like that, they were gone. It felt quite weird and unusually quiet without them.

Mikhala and I decided to make the most of our last couple of hours in the villa. We spent some time around the pool, enjoying the beautiful sunny morning until we both got bored and decided to go out and do something. I decided that I really did want a couple of those dresses I tried to buy yesterday so we walked down Double 6 to the shop. I did manage to get the "morning price" on the dresses but the lady just would not budge. I ended up paying about $40 for 2 of them and I'm planning on letting my sister choose one. If she's nice to me;)

We crossed the road so Mikhala could pick up some sunglasses for a friend and I spotted the recently popular soft drink/beer can speakers. I decided to get a couple for no other purpose than I wanted them. I bought 2 for 300,000 Rupiah. Fingers crossed they don't stop working!!

We walked up Double 6 towards Legian Road to get some more money changed over before we went back to finish packing. Even though we were allowed to stay in the villa until 2:00, we were both keen to move onto our next stop: Poppies Cottages. When I had finished my packing, we made sure we had everything and we were off. I think when we got into the taxi, it was the happiest I had seen the male receptionist. I had given Poppies a call earlier to check what time we could get into the room. I was told 1:00 so we planned on leaving our luggage at reception and going for lunch, but when we arrived, we were told the room was ready for us. We checked it out, got a bit comfy, then set out for lunch.

We walked down Poppies Lane towards the beach and stopped at Sandbar for lunch. I don't think the waitress even noticed we had come in and sat down until I got up to get our own menu's. We ordered drinks, salt and pepper squid to share, a club sandwich for me and chicken burger for Mikhala. The food was prompt, but the club sandwich didn't come with any bacon or any chips, even though there was a little bowl of tomato sauce in the middle of my plate. I checked the menu and noticed it didn't come with chips so I ordered some more. We finished eating and sat for a while wondering how long it took to fry up some chips. When none were coming out, I asked the waitress. She looked at me with a confused expression and asked if I had ordered chips. I told her I had, that I had asked her for some when I was checking the menu. She had obviously completely forgotten about them so I told her not to worry about them and we got the bill. It was about $35 for our meals.

We left and walked back to Poppies, stopping here and there to look. I made a new friend who claimed his name was Jack Sparrow so I told him my name was Elizabeth Swan. He thought I was funny. Back at Poppies, we were ready for a swim. The pool was nice an quiet, despite the few people laying around. There was no fight for lounges and the towels were in good condition. Into beautiful lagoon like pool which was a beautiful temperature. The pool is a bit small, but perfect for the size of the hotel. We went to try out the spa as well but the bubbles weren't working. As I was sitting there trying to turn them on, I hadn't noticed all the little red ants crawling around and onto me until I got bitten. They're nasty little buggers. I had a shower to make sure they were all gone.

We sat around the pool for a little while before Mikhala decided to head back to the room for a rest. I enjoyed the peacefulness for a bit longer before I decided to join her. I sat out on the verandah and took a moment to appreciate where we were. Poppies was lovely. It was so quiet despite being in the middle of Kuta. I could only hear the traffic if I really tried, and even then it wasn't enough to cause any bother. Our cottage was towards the back of the property and had a lovely little garden in the front, giving it plenty of privacy. The room was great with a lovely bathroom and exactly what we needed for our last night. I wish we could have stayed longer than just one night, but I'm sure I'll be back again.

While Mikhala was resting, I tested out my new can speakers and discovered I didn't really know how to work them. I decided to take a walk down to my new friend, Jack Sparrow, and see if he could show me how. While I was trying to find the right market stall, I walked all the way back down to the beach and went down to the Kuta Bazaar markets on the corner. I had seen a couple of necklaces in there I liked and after getting approval from my sister, I decided to get a couple of them.

I walked back up Poppies Lane, found the right market stall but now the right person. Jack Sparrow wasn't there!! But his friends had a bit of a fiddle and figured out how to work them. All good. I felt like exploring a bit more so I walked past Poppies Cottages, around the corner and to Un's Restaurant. Many people recommended this to me for dinner tonight, so I had a peak and booked a table for 7:00. I continued walking down the lane and onto the street. I wandered down a little way, saw a nice looking spa that I thought we might go to after dinner before turning back and returning to the hotel.
The overcast had cleared up a bit so Mikhala and I decided we'd walk down to the beach with hope of seeing the sunset. As we were leaving the hotel, we came across the resident cat. He was a friendly little fellow which the strangenest meow I have ever heard from a cat. Another guest came down the path and told us how friendly he was. As she walked off, the cat went rushing after her to get into her room where he apparently liked to sleep. We set off down Poppies Land towards the beach. It sure was busy. So many people walking, sitting, drinking, chatting. The sunset wasn't great but it was lovely to sit, admire the sun behind the clouds and chat about the holiday we'd had. We only sat for a little while before we decided we were both hungry enough to head to dinner.

Un's is a lovely little restaurant tucked down a laneway off Poppies. The waiters were lovely as was the setting. We sat at our table and were given cold towels and complimentary mini margaritas to begin with. The drink was delightful! We ordered drinks and Voule vent to start with and we both decided on chicken "Maryland". The service was really good. When I couldn't decide what to get, the waiter made a few suggestions, the chicken being one of them. The food was really nice and we were both happy with the meals so we decided to stay for dessert too. It was our last night in Bali after all, so why not?! Mikhala ordered the toblerone chocolate mousse and I once again couldn't decide so I told the waiter to surprise me. I ended up getting a brownie with ice cream. We both enjoyed the desserts, and I think Mikhala fell in love with hers.

After dinner, I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to go get a massage. I think all the decisions I had made about this trio and during had gotten to me; I just couldn't make a decision about the simplest of things. I told myself yes, I would go get a massage. After paying our bill, about $60, I headed off for my massage while Mikhala went back to the hotel. I walked down the road and went back to the spa I had spotted earlier. I walked in and was asked to wait a little while until a massage therapist was available. It didn't take long before I was being lead up stairs to the massage room. The room was unfortunately overlooking the street. It was quite noisy but I was hoping that I'd be able to zone out. I did for a while and the massage was lovely but that all came to a halt when I heard someone getting a happy ending massage. It's really not the kind of thing you want to listen to while trying to relax. I stayed for a while and tried to enjoy the massage but the two things combined, I just couldn't relax so I got up to leave. The therapist didn't speak very good language so went to get another staff member. I didn't want to say anything about the happy ending I had to listen to, I just said it was too noisy and I couldn't relax. They nicely didn't charge me full price.

I went back to the hotel, showered and we watched a movie for a while until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

My holiday may be finished, but my blog posts are not. I will be writing individual reviews of hotels and restaurants we went to as well as the activities we participated in so stay tuned! Until next time Bali.

 

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Bali, Day 9: Rats and Cocktails

Today's exchange rate: IDR 10,750 per AUS $

Today's weather: overcast with a bit of rain

We were all asleep quite early last night which meant it was up early. I got out of bed at about 6:00 and went to use the wifi by the pool. At about 7:00 I decided to make the most of being up and go for a walk along the beach. I walk down Double 6 and walked North along the beach. I truly love seeing Bali at this time of day. There were lots of people out; walking running, surfing, walking their dogs. The sun was trying to break through the clouds which was a beautiful sight to see. I didn't walk far, I was more focused on just enjoying the sights and atmosphere. I turned back after about 20 minutes and got back to the villa just after breakfast arrived.

After my morning walk, I was hot and a bit sweaty because it was already so humid so it was into the pool for me. It's so nice having your own private pool and just being able to jump in whenever you like and not have to worry about anyone else. The water was great, but unfortunately with the lack of sunshine, I didn't stay in there long.

My friends and I were feeling a bit lazy today. It was Sami and Courtney's last day and we really just wanted to laze around. We decided on going to a spa, but me not being much of a spa person didn't know where to go. I had picked up a brochure for a spa down the road called Eden Green. According to their brochure, they opened at 9:30. We walked down the road, with me turning a different way to go and look at a dress I saw in the window of a shop, telling the girls I'd meet them at the spa. I stopped at a DVD store along the way and they had an amazing acoustics cd playing. Usually I'm not into that kind of thing, but this one was great. I asked the DVD guy what it was and he pulled out the last copy for me. Later that night, we went back again to see if there were more copies for the girls and they had 2 other albums that had gone unnoticed by me so I grabbed them too:) My friends then walked in and told me the spa was closed and the girl said they didn't open until 11:30. Well there goes that plan. We all looked a bit more in the DVD shop, before I walked down the street more to look at that dress. It was a green dress with a low back and pom poms around the bottom. I really liked it but the lady wanted too much and was willing to barter on it. Right now, I'm still thinking about that dress so I might go back and just try to push her a little bit more.

I met the girls at the DVD store again where we all walked back to the villa, me being empty handed and slightly disappointed. As we were walking through reception, one of the receptionists asked us when we would be leaving tomorrow. I told her we had the villa until 2:00pm, as agreed to by one of the managers. The receptionist told us we would need to leave earlier so someone else could check it. I think it took us a second to process before Sami and I just said no. We reminded her that we had to wait in another villa so someone else could have late check out so the next people could wait like we had to. I told her I had emails to show that the manager had agreed to give us late check out. I guess the receptionist wasn't use to being told no and she just said ok. We decided to just hang out at the villa until we figured out our next move. Sami and Courtney needed to pack so we just put on a DVD in our freezing cold bedroom (Sami likes to keep it that way to ease her sunburn) and just chilled out.

After a bit of a nap, we all agreed we were starving so we decided to go out for an early lunch. Poppies Restaurant was our destination. I had visited in July and had a taste of their famous Piña Colada's. Mum had given me some money before the trip to buy the girls one each so Poppies was a must. We got a taxi to take us to the Legian Road entry to Poppies Lane 1 and it was only a short walk down. The restaurant was empty but it was so nice to walk in and have the Kuta noise fall away behind us. We chose a table and I straight away ordered 4 Piña Colada's. They arrived promptly, in the hand carved coconuts. They were a bit on the strong side, but they hit the spot.

We decided on entrees of guacamole and chicken satay to share. I ordered Mie Goreng for my main, Sami had a prawn boat that came in a papaya, Courtney got calamari and Mikhala ordered a club sandwich. We enjoyed our cocktails until the food arrived. With the cocktails being so huge, there was barely room for it. We all really liked the satay and guacamole and before our mains arrived, we were already quite full. Serves us right for ordering so much food. My Mie Goreng was good, but not great, the club sandwich was good, Sami enjoyed her prawn boat to begin with but then decided she didn't like it. We didn't finish our meals because our bellies were just so full.

After paying our bill, which came to about $90 (Mum paid $40 for the cocktails), we walked a bit further down Poppies Lane to have a peak at the cottages. Mikhala and I will be spending our extra night here so we wanted to see what it was like. The property just kept on going and it was so quiet. There was absolutely no one around the pool so we were looking forward to hanging out there.

We walked back up along the laneway to Legian Road. We decided to go to a spa we had seen from the taxi that was just down the road. The spa is called Smart Day Spa. We checked out the brochure before deciding to go in. I was after a massage and a pedicure, the others just wanted a pedicure. I decided on a Virgin Coconut Oil massage. After a quick foot bath, I was lead to the massage room and asked to take everything off except my underwear. I did as I was told and lay down on the massage bed. Turns out I woukd have a male giving me a massage today. I was a bit concerned about it because obviously I was practically naked but decided to see how it went because I had read about many people having their best massages from males. Boy was I glad I had done that. It was one of the best massages I had ever had. The pressure was perfect and he was very respectful of my privacy. He first checked if I wanted my stomach massaged and when I said yes, he put a towel over my chest before removing the sarong. I loved having the massage done with coconut oil because it just soaked right into my skin rather than sitting on top of it. It was divine.

I walked out from the massage a very happy and relaxed girl. It was then time for my pedicure. The girls had already had theirs and went for a walk along the street while I had mine. The room is kept dimmed so the staff had little torches on their heads. I was really enjoying it and was feeling quite relaxed until I looked into the lobby and saw a rat. A real rat. It was climbing out of a hole in the ceiling and onto the offerings on the wall. I was quite grossed out. I watched the rat come and go and was surprised that no one else seemed to notice it.

Nevertheless I enjoyed the pedicure. For both treatments, it came to about $30. While I was paying, I mentioned to Sami that a rat was coming out of the ceiling and the staff member that was processing my payment just ignored it.

We walked out, got a taxi and back to the villa we went. We chilled out for a bit more until we heard the doorbell go. It was one of the staff members coming to light the mozzie coils and spray the villa. I asked her if the manager, Claire, was around who we had not seen since we had our issues checking in. She was indeed on the premises so I decided to go chase her down. She had promised to make our check in issues up to us but we had not seen her since. The end result was $20 off each night ($80 in total) but I was so surprised when she said she thought the free drinks would be enough. A couple of free cocktails does not fix the fact that we we're technically paying for someone else to use the villa. Although we've enjoyed our stay at Villa Coco, the management issues has really put a damper on it. I don't think I'll be returning.

I returned to the pool to use the wifi after sorting this issue out and the girls came to join me. I filled them in on what had happened and they weren't too impressed either. By this time, it was time to start talking about dinner. I wasn't much in the mood for eating, more so for drinking a very strong cocktail. We decided on just going around the corner to Sang Ria Bar and Grill. It's another restaurant that's very well known for its ribs. I ordered a cocktail to begin with and it really hit the spot. I was feeling much happier.

We ordered bruschetta to start and I decided on the ribs. I needed to compare them to Naughty Nuri's. The girls ordered a beef burger, chicken burger and chicken sandwich. The food came out in good time. The bruschetta's were delicious and we were looking forward to our mains. They too arrived in good time, we got right into it. My ribs came out on a huge plate because the ribs were so huge. Yum! I needed to ask for more sauce, but it was delicious. The meat was coming off the gone easily and I'm sure I had sauce all around my mouth but it was worth it. I don't know if they were better than Naughty Nuri's ribs, but both were delicious. The girls also enjoyed their meals a lot. It's definitely a restaurant I'd return to.

The meal came to about $65. We walked back to the villa very happy. The girls continued onto a mini mart to get a few things while I went onto the villa. Sami had a couple of friends who happened to be in Bali too so they were coming to join us at the villa for some drinks. They were lovely people but I was VERY tired so I said my good nights and went for bed, ready for my last full day in Bali tomorrow.

 

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