Bali, Day 11: Finn's and Friends

Today's weather: slightly overcast morning that cleared into a beautiful day

Today's exchange rate: 10,200 Rupiah per AUS $

I was up at my usual time and went straight downstairs to meet Mum and Dad on their verandah. Just after 7:00 we headed to the restaurant for breakfast. We had some time to kill before we headed out for the day. We woke up our Canadian friends at about 8:30 and they emerged feeling refreshed after a good sleep. We left them to have breakfast while Mum and I went to change some money. Today we were heading to Finn's Beach Club in Uluwatu. As my last full day and Bill and Wendy's first full day, it was the perfect time to go. None of us had been before but had seen many spectacular photos so we were looking forward to it. Oka was picking us up at 9:30. Mum and I hung out by the pool until it was time to wait for Oka, who is always early. The Canadian's (Dad included) had played a disappearing act so we ended up leaving a bit later than planned but we were soon on our way.

The drive to Uluwatu with the new toll road didn't take long, it was the winding roads that slowed things down but we were pulling up to the Semara Resort at about 10:30. What an incredible place. It has the most amazing view over the cliff side and down to the blue ocean. How amazing it would be to stay here. We headed downstairs to pay for our beach pass before getting on the inclinator. The cost was 250,000 Rupiah per person, with 150,000 of that being used as a credit for food and drink. It included entry in Finn's Beach Club and use of its facilities such as the lounges, towels and, depending on the weather, kayaks, stand up paddle boards, snorkel gear. It was a pretty good deal. Unfortunately we had come at high tide and the water was too tough for any of those things. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the incredible views and the beautiful water.

We enjoyed a few drinks, had some lovely walks along the sand and soaked up the sun. As the day went on, we were pleased to see the tide going down and in its place, the staff were bringing out more lounges and beanbags. Soon enough, people were getting in the water to refresh and we were able to walk further along the beach and around the way a bit. I loved it here. We all loved it here, especially Bill and Wendy. It was there first sight and first use of a Bali beach and they were absolutely loving it. What better way to introduce them to Bali than to bring them somewhere as amazing as this? Even I was in awe of it.

I was getting a bit peckish and although the food is quite overpriced, I ordered some calamari skewers as a snack and to soak up the very strong cocktail I had just enjoyed. We were almost ready to head off, with the beach club becoming busier with low tide. We settled what was left on the bill after using up our credit before heading up the stairs (which were no where near as bad as the ones going up to the Lembongan Harmony Villas!) and back to the inclinator. Upstairs, we were allowed to use the resorts pool which was perfect to rinse off before getting back into the car. The view from up here in the pools was breathtaking.

Once we were dry and ready, we waved Oka over to take us to lunch. We decided to head to Bali Collection and get a bit of a taste of Nusa Dua. I have to say, as pristine as Nusa Dua is, I don't think it's for me. Mum and I have discussed staying there one day for a couple of nights just to relax but any longer than that, I think we'd be bored out of our minds. Bali Collection is like a little shopping district in Nusa Dua with a range if restaurants and shopping selling international brands.

We went to the restaurant The Paon for lunch and had invited Oka to join us. Everyone except myself ordered Nasi Goreng while I decided on Mie Goreng. The service here was quite good and the food was lovely. Our bill, including Oka's lunch, was about $35. We wandered slowly back to the car and headed back to Sanur. Once again, thanks to the toll road, the ride was quick. We got back just before 4:00 which was perfect because Bill and Wendy were booked in for a massage at Koa at 4.

While they were off being pampered, Mum and I tried to enjoy some peace and quiet time by the pool. Unfortunately this was ruined by a couple of young girls playing and jumping around. Now Mum and I have no problem with kids being kids since we both work with them at home but our issue was that there was NO parent supervision. Not a parent in sight. The girls were competent swimmers but does that mean the parents can just sit back and assume that everything will be ok? Maybe they thought that since it's a small hotel, they could get away with sitting in their room or on their verandah and just listen out. In our books, this was not ok.

I headed off just before 5:00 for my massage. Unfortunately there was a bit of confusion at the spa and when I had booked Bill and Wendy in for 4:00, they thought I was cancelling my 5:00 booking. This also meant they had filled my spot. I was not happy because I was so looking forward to having another hot stone massage. The lovely staff at Koa took charge and told a couple of other ladies that were booked in that they would need to come back later. I was very grateful and I got my massage after all.

It was another winner and I once again left smelling delicious. I bought a couple of goodies from here so I could smell delicious at home as well. The products were 90,000 Rupiah each and I got a tin of their tangelime sugar scrub and of their coconilla body butter. When I got back to my room, I slathered it on. It is quite oily so it didn't soak in easily but it smelt so good. I was in coconilla heaven.

Tonight for dinner, we were off to the Art Cafe along with 12 other people. I had made a booking for a bunch of us that knew each other through a Bali Facebook group. Most of them I had already met, but some of them I hadn't. Everyone was looking forward to having the chocolate cake I had been raving about for so long. Slowly, the spots for 17 people began to be filled and we all happily chatted away. It was like catching up with old friends. We ordered our meals, and as they arrived, the restaurant became quiet. The staff did a great job at getting the dishes out at more or less the same time and everyone enjoyed their meals. There was a mix of chicken, fish, pork, curry, pasta, rice. It was great to see so many different meals.

Chicken curry

Beef rendang

Pork ribs

Butterfish

Stuffed chicken breast

Everyone was looking forward to dessert and I was so hoping that it lived up to everyone's expectations after I had built it up so much. They arrived one by one and everyone loved them. They all dug their spoons in and watched the delicious sauce ooze out. It just never fails to impress.

I thanked the staff profusely for hosting us. They had worked hard and had catered for us very well, even managing to do separate billing. We said our goodbyes to all our new friends and a few of us headed down the road to the Irish pub The Wicked Parrot. It was packed and looked like a sea of green. We enjoyed a drink and the Irish music before departing. It had been a busy day and we were all exhausted. I was ready for my last sleep in my Bali bed. As always, my holiday has gone by in a flash but what an amazing time I've had; I've enjoyed some amazing views, eaten some great food, met new people, enjoyed the company of old friends and family. Could I ask for anything more?

 

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Bali, Day 10: Through The Eyes of a a First Timer

Today's weather: sunny morning, overcast afternoon

Today's exchange rate: 10,175 Rupiah per AUS $

I had another early start today and contemplated getting up to see the sunrise but today wasn't the day. I instead headed down to Mum and Dad's verandah where the wifi worked much better and waited for them to arise. When 8:00 rolled again and they still hadn't emerged, I thought it was a little strange. Well of course they were already at breakfast!! Silly me. I went to join them before we all headed back to the verandah. Mum and I had a bit of a girly morning planned; we were leaving Dad in Sanur and were heading into Seminyak to go The Shampoo Lounge for a bit of pampering. The salon/barber/spa had been recommended to us by a few people so we decided to give it a go. Neither of us had ever gotten our haircut in Bali but felt that this was a trustworthy place.

We headed off just after 9:00 to get there for 10:00. We arrived a bit early so killed a bit of time wandering around the immediate area. When it opened, we were straight in. It was a nice place, with the usual black and white decor of a salon but with a pop of colour. There had unfortunately been some kind of miscommunication and they didn't have our booking; I had to get the emails up on my phone to show we were booked. It wasn't a great start but the staff were very apologetic and accommodating. Mum's hair treatment was underway immediately while I was lead upstairs for my massage. The room was very nice but was let down a bit by the atmosphere. The music from the other room was loud enough for us to hear and it wasn't relaxing music. They didn't turn on the relaxing stuff until after the massage had started but it wasn't enough to drown out the other music. There was a bit of chit chat between the girls which I always think is quite unprofessional, especially when they're not even attempting to whisper. The massage itself was nice but did not even compare to the massage I had at Koa.

After my massage, I was lead back downstairs to begin my hair treatment. As usual, my hair had gotten quite dry as a result of the swimming, the sun and lack of washing so this treatment was definitely needed. I always enjoy having my hair washed and this was no exception. After the wash, my hair was carefully brushed to get rid of all the knots before the treatment goo was painted on. While it soaked in, I got another neck, shoulder and arm massage before having my hair washed again, then cut and blow dried. Every time I get my hair done, whether it be in Bali or Australia, I make the mistake of getting my hair blow dried. It's always a mistake because I get so bored and restless and I never like how they do it. Maybe I'll learn this time round. We were both very happy with our cuts. Mine was just a trim to clean up my dry ends, and Mum just got a bit lopped off as well.

Our treatments came to about $60 each for two hair treatments (including a wash, cut, blow dry and massage), one pedicure (which Mum had done at the same time as her hair) and a massage for me. Our hair was feeling healthy again and was beautifully shiny. The staff here were lovely, the treatments are very reasonably priced but I think it's a place I would only go to if I was staying in the area.

It was time to head to lunch and we were heading to Dupa. I had visited the restaurant last week with my sister and was looking forward to taking Mum. Swich Sandwiches have recently started stocking gluten-free bread and I had messaged ahead to make sure they would have some. I was told they definitely would but when we arrived, we were told they had none. This was really disappointing. It really limited Mum's options and one of the reasons I brought her was so she could have a gluten-free sandwich. Her potato skins from Baby Biku weren't up to scratch either, with the avocado or the sour cream being off. Mum ended up sending them back and only ate hot chips for lunch. I wasn't happy at all because I there were a couple of other places we could have gone to that cater for gluten intolerance but I wanted Mum to try Dupa. I felt quite bad about bringing her out. I still enjoyed my lunch, with some wrapped prawns from the Thai Corner and a yummy wrap from Swich.

We didn't have time to head anywhere else for food so it was back to Sanur we went. We had a quick walk through the Sunday Markets which are held behind Sand Restaurant. Nothing much caught our eye until we saw a table of beautiful dolls. The market person told us they were hand made dolls and the profits made from them go to the organisation Bali Street Kids which aims to get the kids of Bali off the streets and into school, providing them with shelter if they need it, food, running water, an education and the necessary skills for them to get a job in the future. What a fantastic organisation. I bought 3 to keep handy as gifts and Mum bought a couple too. You can find more information about it at here at Bali Street Kids.

Back at the hotel, Dad had reserved a couple of lounges for us before he headed out himself. Today was a special day for him; one of his oldest friends from Canada was arriving so he had gone off with Yuda to pick him and his travel buddy up from the airport. We all had our fingers crossed that they liked it. Mum and I had some lovely time by the pool while we waited for them to arrive. They ended up running quite late because of the busy airport. Although very tired from their long flight, they were so happy to be here and loved what they had seen so far.

My first trip to Bali was back in 1995 and although I didn't return for 14 years, it wasn't new to me, but for our Canadian friends, it was all new and exciting with so much to learn. They absolutely loved the hotel, loved the service, loved their room and the pool. It's been so long since I had experienced a completely new country and culture, it was beautiful to see things from their point of view, to see them be in awe of this new, exciting country, for them to tell us now surreal it was that they were finally here and to explain things that us regulars completely take for granted now. I hadn't appreciated before how overwhelming it can be for someone who was in Bali for the first time.

We spent some time around the pool, catching up and sharing stories. We enjoyed the pool, even when it started raining and Bill and Wendy enjoyed their very first Bintang's. We all departed to shower and get ready for dinner. Tonight we were staying at the hotel where they were having special performances from Balinese dancers and a band for the Full Moon Celebration. Since Wendy and Bill were tired and jetlagged, we thought it'd be best to stay close to home and this was the perfect way to spend their first night.

The menu at the Tamukami is quite extensive so we all took a while to decide what we were getting. We enjoyed our food while watching the performances. For us, the night was a bit disappointing. The food wasn't great, the band, although good, asked for requests before telling us they didn't know the song and they thought it was important for us to enjoy their traditional music. Ahhh well. It was an enjoyable dinner nonetheless.

Bill and Wendy departed to go catch up on their sleep and Mum, Dad and I decided to walk down the street. We bumped into friends at the Ducks Nutz where we stopped for a drink before myself and friends continued to the Art Cafe for a late night chocolate cake. Our friends hadn't tried it before and I'm always concerned that when people try something on my recommendation, it won't meet the expectations but it sure did. They loved it!! I was so glad because this cake never disappoints me. The service, the staff and the food here are lovely.

We wandered back to the hotel and said our goodnights. Tomorrow I'm look in forward to my first visit to Finn's Beach Club in Uluwatu. Stay tuned!!

 

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Bali, Day 9: Reunited

Today's weather: beautifully sunny

Today's exchange rate: 10,150 Rupiah per AUS $

I woke up in my empty hotel room today at about 6:00 and it was the first morning during the trip that I didn't have to sneak around quietly so I didn't wake up Sam. I kept myself busy until just after 7:00 when I headed down for breakfast. Mie Goreng for me again!!

It was still early when I had finished so I headed down the street with no particular destination in mind. I stopped in at The Porch Cafe for a smoothie and it was the first time I had experienced bad service there. I sat there for quite a while before they so much as gave a menu. I didn't want to wait around for them to bring me the bill so I just left a 50,000 on the table and left.

I strolled back to the hotel, ready to plonk by the pool for the morning. That's exactly what I did. I was in and out of the pool, reading, chatting with other patrons. The clouds from the last few days had cleared up and left the sky perfectly sunny. It was a great way to spend a morning. Before I knew it, it was 11:30 and I needed to head out for lunch. I had organised to meet someone in Seminyak at 12 and I knew that with the traffic it would take at least half an hour. Our plan was to go to Bambu Restaurant but we found out it was only open for dinner. No worries, across the road was the new sister restaurant to Motel Mexicola- The Salty Seagull so we headed there instead. It's a very funky place, with the decor being quite similar to Motel Mexicola (minus the Mexican theme). It had a few different eating areas and like Mexicola, they seemed to encourage socialising with their ping pong table and picnic tables out the back. It was a cool place and although it was empty when we went in for lunch, I'm sure it gets very busy for dinner time.

Their menu is a fish and chips one and I was looking forward to trying it. We enjoyed the colourful decor while we waited for our meals. The fish and chips sure were yummy but nothing fantastic. Like its sister restaurant, I think it's the decor and atmosphere that makes this place, not the food. The service was also subpar, especially considering we were some of the only patrons.

The bill came to just over $30 for both of us. It was a satisfying meal and definitely hit the spot but I'm not sure I would bother returning. I jumped in a taxi back to Sanur and returned to my spot by the pool. It was after 2:00 when I got back and I knew that anytime now, my mum and dad would be arriving. I was looking forward to seeing them again and having a few days in Bali with them. Everytime someone rang the gong up at reception, I ran up to see if it was them. Well, third time lucky!! Our driver, Yuda, had called me a few days earlier asking what time their flight landed because he wanted to surprise them. Such a lovely man he is! So there they went, coming out of his airconditioned car instead of a taxi. Yuda gave me a big hug and told me it had all gone to plan. They said their goodbyes, promising to see Yuda again tomorrow.

Mum and dad got all checked in and settled. It was straight into the pool for them before getting some drinks and chips to share. Mum wanted to head straight out to Kuta for a bit of shopping tonight as she wouldn't have any time during the trip. We all got dressed and headed out to get a taxi. Our destination was Kuta Square so Mum could get a fee bits at Matahari. I hadn't come here earlier in my trip so I stocked up on makeup and bought myself a new perfume. All up, it cost me not even $60. Mum bought a couple of pairs of shoes for about $25 each that she is emphasising are for winter to wear with jeans.

We were getting hungry by this point and for dinner, I had suggested we go to Poppies Lane 2 to try a new restaurant Fat Chow. I had heard of it from Little Miss Bali and was keen to give it a try. We got a cab to the Beachwalk Shopping Mall and into Poppies 2 we went. I hadn't been to this restaurant before so I had no idea when it was located but it was easy to find; it was just around the first bend. The place was pretty quiet but it was very funky with its industrial decor.

We ordered drinks each to start with. Mum and I ordered an orange and basil contraption that was delicious and so refreshing. For our meals, Dad and I ordered a couple of entrees to share of Pork on Fire and Tokyo Prawns. Both were so so yummy. The Pork on Fire, served on a bed of shredded cabbage was thinly sliced and sautéed with black pepper and Asian spices. It was perfectly cooked and the flavours were fantastic. The Tokyo Prawns were shelled (thank goodness) and deep fried with egg noodles and served with a spicy dipping sauce. They were also perfectly cooked, with the egg noodles nice and crunchy and the prawn meat nice and soft. I would have preferred the dipping sauce be the traditional Asian dipping sauce but the one we had went really well with the prawns.

We decided to order a few different mains to share between us and we were so glad we did. It was great to have a try of a few different dishes and I definitely recommend doing the same if you go. We ordered Chicken Satay, Pad Thai and Pork Ribs. My, oh my. Everything was just so tasty. The satay had a nice bite to it, the ribs were so perfectly cooked that you would pick them up and the meat would just fall right off and the Pad Thai, although the noodles were a little gluggy, the flavours were beautiful. I think the standout dish was the ribs with its delicious, finger-licking sauce and roasted potatoes. What a winner it was. The meal sizes are not huge which I was happy about because it meant I had room for dessert!! Mum ordered a Green Tea Creme Brulee and I had BBQ Banana. Man, I was so glad we ordered dessert. Mum's Creme Brulee had the perfectly crunchy top. She said the green tea flavour wasn't strong enough but enjoyed it nonetheless. My BBQ banana, cooked with icing sugar and served with ice cream was just delicious!! I easily could have had another one.

Our bill came to just over $50 for 3 drinks, 2 entrees, 3 mains, 2 desserts and a coffee. The food was great, the service was fantastic and it's easy to get to. I highly recommend a visit.

We continued walking down Poppies Lane to get to Legian Road before getting a taxi to take us back to Sanur. The traffic was quite bad because of the Full Moon Celebrations. It was an early night for all of us.

 

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