bbn trip report from Bali

billy bluenose

2008-05-12 21:33:22

Hi folks, been home for 6 days now so i thought i,d better put some sort of report on here.
Travelled with Qatar Airways from Manchester on the 20th April. Changed flights at Qatar after a 7 1/2 flight. Nice plane and good service onboard.Next was the worst bit.... 7 hour wait in Qatar for our connection. A 7 hour wait in an airport with NO BAR !!!!!!!! Longest 7 hours of my life. The next leg of our journey was around 11 hours including a 1 hour stop in KL. Slept for most of this part so it wasnt too bad. Good stuff that Night Nurse

Arrived in Bali around 6pm and after a wait to get our visas we were picked up by our rep and taken to the Puri Santrian in Sanur. Our room was on the Beach wing but we couldnt see any beach from our balcony. Wasnt to bothered as i spend as little time as possile in my room . As long as its clean and spacious im happy, which i was.
After dumping the cases and freshning up we had a wee wander outside the hotels main gates where i noticed the strict security. All cars are checked underneath with a mirror and boot and glove compartments are checked by the security guard.
Only crossed the road to the Cat and Fiddle, which i had seen mentioned on here, where we had a few beers and something to eat before crashing exhausted into our huge bed. Slept soundly until 8am when the building site out back started up. This happened every day. At first i was going to ask to be moved then i thought well its not to bad a time to be woken for breakfast at so i just left it. Being a builder it was interesting to see the progress made each morning when i was awakened.
Now the wife and i are not really into the tourism thing. Pool or beach bums might sum us up quite well.The pool and gardens were beautifull and we had a few days by the pool. The wife likes to get an all over tan and thought it would be better if we were on the beach to go topless.Nice breeze on the beach too. Wasnt to impressed with the beach actually. Quite small with lots of seaweed washed up dailly. Didnt bother me too much though. Been at Goa the last 2 years and enjoyed the beach scene there far more.
We did wander out a few times. Think it was our 5th day when we went on the Reef Cruise which was a nice change but was also the day when the sun didnt want to come out to play too often

Had a good time though and would recomend. The Japanese/Malaysian tourists were great fun, very excitable.
A few days later we went to the Safari and Marine Park. Cant remember where this was but it cost around £18 for the taxi for the day. The park was great fun and as it was a Monday the park was very quiet which meant no Q's. Had a great time with the tiger and lion cubs and along with the elephant and camel rides it was my favourite day. A short safari tour on a bus was fun too with many animals on show. Not all the park is finished yet but i was assured it would be finished later this year. Nice restraunt too with a vast choice of food. I must admit this is an area where Bali beat Goa for me... the choice of food. Malaysian,chinese,indonesian,japanese,indian and western foods were all on offer everywhere and i done my best to try them all
The marine part to the park had me thinking we might see a dolphin show, etc but no, it as a water park for the kids ! well me too

We went to the waterpark in Kuta one day too and it was great fun. I have been to bigger parks before but we still had a very enjoyable day.
We had a couple of days shopping in Kuta where we found to be very busy indeed. I quite liked the hustle and bustle but it wasnt for the wife. She much prefers the quiet of Sanur.
Tried to eat in a different restraunt every night. Too many to mention but my favourite was the piccadilly which was on the other side of Sanur where i found was a tad busier and had a few more bars and restraunts to where we were. If i was to go back i might look into staying round that side of sanur.
We went to another beach one day for a change but found it to be very stoney but much larger than sanur beach.Very peacefull. Cant remember the name of it. Think it was on the way to nusa doa.
Back at the hotel i was talked into a spa session with the wife in the hotels own spa. It cost us $100 for a couples special where we got a 2 hour pampering. I did look a proper numptie lying there covered head to toe in strawberry yoghurt

the massage and sea salt scrub were lovely too and all in all im glad i went.
No need for any money at the hotel as you signed for everything and payed for it all at the end of your stay. The hotel was more expensive than other bars/restraunts but wasnt to bad really. Had breakfast at the Cat and Fiddle most mornings which rarely cost more than a fiver for the 2 off us. I think for the same breakfast in the hotel it was around £11.
We also attended the ballet/buffet night at the hotel which cost around £15 each. The food was very good but im afraid the Balinese Ballet wasnt for me. Didnt have clue what was going on

Enjoyed the hoilday very much and would go back. Just wish it wasnt so far away. Maybe next year again ? we shall see.

Fiona

2008-05-12 21:51:12

Re: bbn trip report from Bali

Glad you enjoyed it. No the beaches don't compare with Goa. Its a strange thing, as before I went there I had imagined it to have lovely beaches. Did you eat at the Mezzanine at all? We liked it there. We also enjoyed Double Dutch for a few drinks and good music- is it still up and running?? This summer we are trying the sister hotel- the Griya, just because it is in a different area of Sanur and so different places to try. The food in Bali is just great and so cheap

shirleyV

2008-05-13 06:36:48

Re: bbn trip report from Bali

Hi Billy, great report, sounds like you enjoyed yourselves, I have never been to Bali, but reading your report makes me want to go , thanks :tup

gerib

2008-05-13 10:42:54

Re: bbn trip report from Bali

Hi Billy
Thanks for the just back report... am recently back from Bali myself and love the place, however we are only a 6 hour flight away

Last year we stayed at the Puri Santrian and this year stay at the Griya... both were lovely.

I did enjoy the Cat and Fiddle though I read somewhere recently it was Jazz place... I think not :rofl

more like Balinese imitation Irish men but they do a grand job singing the Irish songs and the fella on the spoons was just great. The two brothers that own and run it are the British Consul (in an Honorary capacity) and do a lot of wonderful work for the local community.

I'm just in the process of booking a hotel for this time next year... might just see you there.

Cheers Geri

goanaddict

2008-05-13 11:16:54

Re: bbn trip report from Bali

Hi Billy

I agree with other comments its a great place so much so that we are returning this Sept for 2nd visit. We fly from Manchester with Singapore airlines which are excellent, 12hr flight 'ish' 3hrs in Singapore airport which is very big with bars restaurants and plenty of shops then its a couple of hrs to Bali. We stayed in Leigan area its lots quieter than Kuta but still within easier walking distance for bit more life.

Its still too many sleeps to start counting yet :cry

regards
Jules

Prettypollycat

2008-05-13 13:53:44

Re: bbn trip report from Bali

Fiona
We stayed at the Grand Bali Beach in September 2007 and our favourites were Randy's (Canadian/Balinese), lovely tuna there and Laghawa Terracotta Garden (not to be confused with Laghawa Hotel which is close by), great steaks and cheap G&T.

We also tried:
Bahagia on the corner of GBB road. Not good food, relatively expensive drinks.
Made's Frangipani, we had Foo Yung Hai & Mie Goreng. Good food, relatively expensive drinks.
Ananda's. On beach, past GBB (near where the ferry to Lembongan goes from). Good lunches
Watering Hole. Good food, slow service
Jimmy's bar for drinks
There's a good kite shop just down the side road next to Jimmy's, also sell fairly cheap silver - called Tingklik?

Someone recommended: Cat & Fiddle (past Bali Hyatt), Arena (Bypass Road) but we never managed those.

I don't know if you did this last time you were in Ubud, but try Warung Ibu Oka, near the palace. Good, cheap suckling pig (20,000 Rp). They are only open from late morning to mid afternoon and queues form after midday. It's a bit 'fast-food Balinese style' as you have to share tables and depending where you sit you may have to take your shoes off and sit cross-legged - something that seems to come easy to Orientals but is damn-near impossible for me! They get through about 4 pigs each day and to be honest, if the ones we saw them bringing out were still suckling, the mother must have been the size of an elephant. Good fun, though.

No chance of returning to Bali this year as we're going to Zante in a couple of weeks' time and then (fingers crossed that the T/O gets enough people to make it viable) a 27 day tour of China in October.

billy bluenose

2008-05-13 20:40:07

Re: bbn trip report from Bali

cheers folks, didnt try the mezzanine. Been trying to remember some of the names of eateries that we were in. Donalds was nice and so was the place to the right of it. Cant remember the name. We were in the double dutch a few times for a drink aswell. The Cas Luna was nice too for something to eat and they had some children dancing in national dress aswell. We tried the chinese place opposite the Bali Hyat. I think it maybe part of the hotel but not sure. It was quite good but a wee bit more expensive than most places. A good indian meal was had in Little India, not far from the Puri.
On a night out in Kuta we ate at Papa Joes wich we enjoyed very much whilst listening to the inhouse band who were quite good. They were all dressed as chefs ! The Piccadilly was my favourite though and it was the only place that we had dinner in twice. The owner is german and has a few places in Bali and we tried the one in Kuta one night but as much as i liked it, it wasnt a patch on the Piccadilly.
Had lunch at a place on the beach front a few times. Cemara beach i think was its name. It was next to Donalds.Very nice indeed and strawberry milkshakes to kill for. A bit of a brain freeze but waht a taste :tongue

I had 3 one lunch time :yikes

If we go back next year i think we will be trying the Griya Santrian as i think its in a better part of town. More bars and restraunts nearby.
The guy you mention Gerib from the Cat and Fiddle is indeed the British Consul and his name is Mark. Hes origionally from Burnley. He seemed a nice bloke. It was him who recomended the Safari and Marine Park, which was my favourite day of the holiday.

Fiona

2008-05-14 10:55:37

Re: bbn trip report from Bali

good to get some recommendations

We meant to try the Arena but it did seem a good bit out. Perhaps when we are the Griya we might try to make the effort. We also meant to have a night out in Kuta but couldn't get motivated enough. You just seem to slip into lazy mood when you are there

gerib

2008-05-15 10:59:42

Re: bbn trip report from Bali

Our trick into enjoying Bali and all it's delights is to stay in the Legian area (not so much Kuta) for a few days first. Do some shopping, lots of bars and eat at some lovely restaurants in nearby Seminyak... do breakfast at La Lucciola or Jimbarran beach restaurants (if you want to get ripped off with their dodgy scales) but the beach dining scene is magical... just remember to take a bottle of water to test the scales... 1 litre of water weighs 1 kilo.
Then head over to Sanur for a proper R&R holiday.
Cheers Geri

billy bluenose

2008-05-19 21:25:57

Re: bbn trip report from Bali