Finn's Beach Club

I had the pleasure of visiting Finn's Beach Club this month and I fell in love with it. Located at the Semara Resort in Uluwatu, it is absolutely stunning with its white sand and perfectly blue water. The Semara Resort itself is incredible. With its security and privacy, it's the chosen accommodation for celebrities such as Jennifer Hawkins, and I can see why. Their resort is made up of private villas that have cliff side pools and an endless view of the ocean.

To get to Finn's, it's best to get a driver for that day as taxi's are hard to come across in Uluwatu and it means you can stay as long as you like and know you'll have no problem getting back again. The best time of day to go is completely dependant on the tides. At high tide, all you can do is lay on your lounge and enjoy the view because the the water is too rough (even for good swimmers) to go in. It's best to check a couple of days before (a tide chart is available here on their website or call them up to check) and be prepared to either go all day to avoid missing out on lounges or be competing with others for a good spot. The day I went with my family, we arrived not long after it opened (10:00am) and while we loved enjoying the view and just relaxing, because it was high tide, we missed out on things like stand up paddle boarding, kayaking and snorkelling which is all only available to do at low tide.

The entry price for Finn's Beach Club is 250,000 Rupiah (about $25) per person. This includes a towel, a lounge or beanbag (if it's available), use of all the facilities and equipment including kayaking, SUP and snorkelling (dependant on tides), use of the pool at The Semara and 150,000 towards food and drink. To get down to the beach from the resort, you need to go on an inclinator. I've been on a couple of inclinators before in Penang and Hong Kong and I've found them to be incredibly uncomfortable. Luckily the ride down to the beach is a short one with stairs on either end and the view, oh my goodness. It is paradise. The real thing.

Finn's Beach Club is just gorgeous. It's got a beach shack look to it with lots of lounges and beanbags as well as a lovely restaurant area. It's the perfect place to relax. The water, when it's not too rough, is perfect. At low tide, you're able to walk a ways up the beach and find a nice quiet spot to relax and enjoy the sun. The food and drinks are a bit on the expensive side for Bali, but the dish I had (calamari skewers) were really yummy. I'm a bit undecided about whether it was worth $10 though.

Finn's Beach Club is a great way to spend a relaxing day out. Whether you're travelling with young kids, teenagers, your partner or friends, it's a place for everyone. I'd definitely return.

 

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East Bali Bike Tour

Back in July while I was in Bali with my mum, we decided to participate in a bike tour. Mum, having participated in a few during past trips, was adamant about not doing one that begins at the tourist trap that is Mount Kintimani. So we were on the lookout for something a bit different, which is how we came across the East Bali Bike Tour. East Bali was a place that we were fascinated by but knew nothing about. We felt that this was a great way to get a bit of a feel for the area as well as have a bit of an adventure.

I booked the tour in the week leading up to our trip and on the day, we were picked up at 7:00 on the dot. The bike tour started up near Amed which meant we had a nearly 2 hours drive ahead of us, but with plenty of scenery and the company owner, Komang, to chat with, time passed quickly. Upon arrival we were given our bikes and helmets before setting off. At this point, I would have appreciated a quick run down of what the track was like as the first 10 minutes was a steep down hill rides on a very rocky track that had my hands aching from using the breaks so much. Mum and I were both thinking that maybe we had made the wrong choice with the company, but soon enough the track flattened out and we turned onto a dirt track that ran alongside ricefields with an incredible view.

There was about 15 people in the group but they were clearly after more of a workout than a leisurely ride enjoying the scenery because before long, they had sped ahead and Mum and I were left with a single guide; Gilang. This turned out to be fantastic. He was funny, had great English and was more than happy to ride at our pace, stop when we needed water or wanted to take a photo and he was lovely to chat to, pointing things out along the way like the peanut and chilli fields we rode past. Mum and I were both thankful for and really enjoyed his presence.

Half way through the ride, we stopped and met up Komang again who would be leading us on a rice field trek. When you say trek, it sounds scary, but it was a pretty easy walk through ride fields that were owned by the locals. This meant that the land could not be developed or built on. It had an amazing "Old Bali" feel and views to match; the only thing you could see for a long way was just green. This part of the tour is optional but I'd definitely recommend doing it. It was a great way to break up the ride, stretch our legs and give our bums a rest from the bike seats.

After returning to our bikes, which had been thrown on the back of the truck to meet us a bit further along the way, it was just a short ride to the end of the tour. We finished our ride at the picturesque White Sand Beach. What a place to finish. It made quite a backdrop to enjoy during our included lunch with its gorgeous white (ish) sand, blue blue water and a cloudless sky, it was perfect. After our long ride, we were ready for a swim but unfortunately the rough waves prevented us from going in. We instead enjoyed a walk along the beach, enjoying the perfect waters temperature. I loved ending the day at White Sand Beach. It was a place I had wanted to go to for a while but didn't know anything about. This was the perfect introduction.

My mum and I both really enjoyed our tour with East Bali Bikes and I'd definitely love to do it again. It was great value for money with its included bikes and helmets, water throughout the ride, a support van in case of injury, lunch at White Sand Beach and of course hotel pick up and drop off. It's a tour I'd highly recommend, whether you're very fit or not and are looking for a bike tour with a bit of a difference. My two pieces of advice if you decide to participate: where a sports bra and be prepared to push through the steep rocky track at the start; it's worth it in the end.

Komang and his staff are great at what they do and have a passion for showing people a different area of Bali and for conserving its beautiful landscape.

If you think it might be something you'd be interested in, click here to go to their website and make a booking.

 

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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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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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Bamboo Shoots Cooking Class

Back in February, my family and I participated in a Bamboo Shoots cooking class (read about it here). My mum had organised this prior to our trip. Having done a few cooking classes before, what attracted her to this one was that it is a locally owned and run class. An Australian expat and his Indonesian wife started the classes and run them from the comfort of their villa complex in South Sanur. For what is included, it's great value for money. For 450,000 Rupiah (roughly $45 Australian) you get hotel pick-up and drop-off from the Sanur area (another 150,000 Rupiah for pick-up from Kuta, Legian or Seminyak), a tour of the local markets where some of the ingredients are bought, breakfast and lunch.

What we all loved about this class is that it's quite informal. Whether you're travelling alone, as a couple or with family, it's a great class to do to meet some lovely people. The rest of our group was Australian too; a lady from Darwin, a mother and daughter from Melbourne and a young couple from Adelaide. It was great to spend the time cooking, but being able to chat freely to everyone and get to know them. You can participate as much or as little as you like which gives you the chance to chat, take photos, have a look at the villa complex your just watch. The recipes are also very easy to transfer to cooking back in your own kitchen.

The class has a great little set-up at the back of the villa complex. It is open air so it was a little hot, but when it gets too much you can just plonk yourself down on one of the comfy seats they have to one side of the kitchen. And of course the best part is eating the food you (or everyone else) has cooked. As you cook one dish at a time, there is time between each dish to sit down and eat. The food was all delicious, authentic and there was more than enough to go around. We all received a recipe book at the start of the class so we could follow along, add our own notes or ask what specific ingredients in the dishes are. These are also free for you to take home to recreate what you've made back home.

If you're looking for a hands on, but casual cooking class, I would definitely recommend Bamboo Shoots and I look forward to doing it again one day.

Go here to check out their website and find out more.

Happy cooking!!

 

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