Finally getting round to it! I have been too busy with a new class of 8 year olds and with moderating here to write it before now!
We set off on 28th July for 2 nights in Singapore, 10 nights in Bali, a further day in Singapore and then home( or so we thought- more later!)
We flew with BA- no problem on the way over. Great food - can't comment on the inflight entertainment as I kept falling asleep!!
We stayed at the Swissotel Merchant Court on Clarke Quay. We had stayed across from it last year and liked the look of it. We would have stayed at last year's hotel but it had changed hands in the meantime.
We splashed out on a executive room( after all it was only for 2 nights) and enjoyed all the things that come with it- the club lounge where we had breakfast and free evening cocktails and "tasters" , the free laundry to do our traveling clothes and the great room we had. The only thing that was a bit negative is that it comes with a balcony you can't get on to!! Sometime in the future I will do a hotel review!
During our day and a half we had there we went to China Town and bought a few things there. I love the place! It is great just sitting at a cafe watching everything going on around you. We also went to Little India- another great place and difficult to remember that you are actually in Singapore. We went to the Jurong Bird Park which is in a fabulous setting. It is well worth a visit but unfortunately for us it was just so humid that day(94%) and any walking you did which was not in shade resulted in you ending up soaking in sweat- and I mean that! We had to give up eventually although we did see all the Park from the monorail they have. The bird show is fantastic. Things didn't go quite to plan during the show we went to and two parrots decided to leave the show ending up in one of the highest trees where they proceeded to try to fight each other to the death! Eventually the keepers managed to get them separated as they came tumbling down through the trees!
On our first night we had decided to revisit the Satay Club which is a well known institution in Singapore. It is/was a street in Clarke Quay which was full of hawker stalls selling mainly satay but a few other dishes. It had been closed down ( Singapore seem a bit too keen to do things like that) but we found a watered down version of it amongst the other restaurants on the Quay. Still great food.
On our second night husband treated me to the restaurant in Raffles- Doc Chengs. There are rave reviews about it and they were certainly deserved! We managed to get one of the booths and felt like we should have been someone famous!
Travelling around Singapore is easy. There is a very efficient MRT system. No train seems to be more than 5 minutes away and it is easy to follow the maps in the station to decide where you went to go and which stations you need. Very cheap. Taxis are also very cheap.
On our last morning we went on a Bum Boat ride down the river which was great and also very cooling! Mind you we spoilt that afterwards by walking along the Quay for 20 minutes so husband could get photos of the Statue of Sir Stamford Raffles. Had to have a shower when we got our back to our hotel after that! We left mid afternoon for our flight to Bali.
More to follow!
Fiona,
glad you enjoyed Singapore. See we've got another hotel in common now. Got a week in Sept...maybe a trip to the Lion city calls...though it is a bit far for a week.
glad you enjoyed Singapore. See we've got another hotel in common now. Got a week in Sept...maybe a trip to the Lion city calls...though it is a bit far for a week.
oh come on- only Australia is too far for a week Sunbear!!
Enjoyed your report - shame the satay club is now closed- I loved Clarke Quay, I am really looking forward to your Bali report, shirleyV
yes it is a shame Shirley! It wasn't quite the same with napkins and glasses to drink out of!
We flew to Bali with Australian Airlines. I had been expecting a typical low cost flyer but was pleasantly surprised. The flight was only 2 hours. We had a hot meal but I managed to fall asleep before I finished it! ( never did get my rather nice Australian wine finished- husband swore they took it away but I think someone finished it first!) Falling asleep on planes seems to be becoming a habit!
If you are going to Bali make sure you have small denominations of local currency as you will get hijacked by airport porters whether you want them or not! We managed to say no to them up until we were at the desk for taxis. As you come out of arrivals you turn to the left and find the taxi desk. These give set prices for journeys. You pay at the desk and the driver takes you to the car. As you are paying, the porters manage to grab your trolley and "guide" you to your taxi! And of course, where one person happily managed to control the trolley beforehand, it now takes 3 porters!! All part of the experience.
Before this I had found the atm in the airport and then discovered I couldn't work out how much I wanted. It is 17000 rupiahs to the pound( nearly 18000 now I see). What with that and not understanding what the Atm was asking I managed to withdraw £2.50 of local currency instead of £250! (Yes you can withdraw £2.50- that amount goes a long way in Bali!). Second time lucky ( have you tried to multiply 17000 by 250 when you have just woken up!!)
We had a half hour journey to the fishing village of Sanur- as it was after 11 at night we couldn't see the countryside at all!! Our taxi journey cost £3.50.
Our hotel- the Puri Santrian was at the end of the village. It is quite a long road from one end to the other. As I discovered later, the entrance to the hotel is built like the entrance to a temple. You go through the entrance and the reception is openair- roof but no walls. We were given an upgrade and were led to the most beautiful looking bungalow. The door itself was a work of art! I will download some photos later.
Inside it was very spacious. Loads of room for cases and loads of shelves, drawers etc. The bed was so huge you could lose one another! Mini bar had very good prices and laundry was also cheap. A/C was so good it was cold! We decided to sample some of the duty free we had bought and then forgot to go to bed. Woke up feeling a bit fragile in the morning!!
I can't believe I've written so much and haven't even reached the first morning yet!
More to follow!
If you are going to Bali make sure you have small denominations of local currency as you will get hijacked by airport porters whether you want them or not! We managed to say no to them up until we were at the desk for taxis. As you come out of arrivals you turn to the left and find the taxi desk. These give set prices for journeys. You pay at the desk and the driver takes you to the car. As you are paying, the porters manage to grab your trolley and "guide" you to your taxi! And of course, where one person happily managed to control the trolley beforehand, it now takes 3 porters!! All part of the experience.
Before this I had found the atm in the airport and then discovered I couldn't work out how much I wanted. It is 17000 rupiahs to the pound( nearly 18000 now I see). What with that and not understanding what the Atm was asking I managed to withdraw £2.50 of local currency instead of £250! (Yes you can withdraw £2.50- that amount goes a long way in Bali!). Second time lucky ( have you tried to multiply 17000 by 250 when you have just woken up!!)
We had a half hour journey to the fishing village of Sanur- as it was after 11 at night we couldn't see the countryside at all!! Our taxi journey cost £3.50.
Our hotel- the Puri Santrian was at the end of the village. It is quite a long road from one end to the other. As I discovered later, the entrance to the hotel is built like the entrance to a temple. You go through the entrance and the reception is openair- roof but no walls. We were given an upgrade and were led to the most beautiful looking bungalow. The door itself was a work of art! I will download some photos later.
Inside it was very spacious. Loads of room for cases and loads of shelves, drawers etc. The bed was so huge you could lose one another! Mini bar had very good prices and laundry was also cheap. A/C was so good it was cold! We decided to sample some of the duty free we had bought and then forgot to go to bed. Woke up feeling a bit fragile in the morning!!
I can't believe I've written so much and haven't even reached the first morning yet!
More to follow!
-
Edited by
Fiona
2005-08-20 21:01:14
Really enjoying the reports so far,sounds like a great holiday,cheers Mark
Thanks for the comments!
We spent the first couple of days lazing around the pool area mainly. The weather was much more pleasant than in Singapore. It was not nearly as humid and there always seemed to be a pleasant breeze. However, it also meant that it was easy to burn and I found that I had to wear far higher protection in suntan cream than I usually do. In fact half way through some days I put on sunblock!( this is from someone who starts at factor 8 and goes quickly down to 4 usually!)
There are two pools there and an additional one for the ones who book club rooms. There is a lot of shade round the pools which was fine to begin with but a bit of a pest later on. Unless you got up at the crack of dawn you would not get the best areas. However, we ended up most times on the beach. If you can't get a lounger on the hotel area there are further ones in front of the beach restaurants which you can hire.
The beach is not the best I have seen in terms of sand and swimming. It is narrow and someone clears the seaweed every day. There is a reef offshore and you can wade for a long way out before the water reaches knee high. However, it is a great beach in that you share it with the locals. There are colourful boats lined up in the sand, You can watch fisherman throw their nets out in waist high water, wearing their "coolie" hats or even on occasion, strangely enough crash helmets!( I've no idea why!)
To help encourage tourism the Sanur Walk has just been created, It is a path where you can walk from one of the beach to the other( well, its far too long to manage that) , You pass the little beach shops where you are constantly encouraged to "only looking" and if you are not interested they try asking if you want a massage. By the time you have walked 10 minutes you have been offered a massage scores of times. ( and if you are a man on your own you are offered a special massage!!)
Sellers don't really bother you- they are only trying to make a living. One word of warning - never say "tomorrow" - they don't forget!! We knew this already thank goodness!
Also along the walk you will come across the fisherman working on their boats, sanding them, painting them and sorting nets.
Also along the walk you will find shrines and temples. (Bali is a Hindu island) These are often very simple- a battered umbrella (ceremonial gold ones) sheltering a pile of coral stones or a piece of black and white cloth tied around a tree. You will find offerings there. These are in the form of a woven leaf square containing flowers/petals, incense stick, food of some kind (often a custard cream for some reason!). These offerings are everywhere. Outside every shop, restaurant you will find them and even on the sand itself. Ladies go round making the offerings throughout the day, They scatter water over it and say a few words. In the houses you will find these offerings in all four corners.
Kite flying is a major pastime in Bali.You will see many on the beach! We just missed the kite festival. The local kids almost always have a kite in their hands- a homemade one. They are never happier than when they have a good "flier". These kites can be made of black plastic and cane. There are however, loads of shops where you can buy "better" kites. There is a village which specializes in them.
Run out of time again- it is probably too detailed but as you can see I loved Bali!
We spent the first couple of days lazing around the pool area mainly. The weather was much more pleasant than in Singapore. It was not nearly as humid and there always seemed to be a pleasant breeze. However, it also meant that it was easy to burn and I found that I had to wear far higher protection in suntan cream than I usually do. In fact half way through some days I put on sunblock!( this is from someone who starts at factor 8 and goes quickly down to 4 usually!)
There are two pools there and an additional one for the ones who book club rooms. There is a lot of shade round the pools which was fine to begin with but a bit of a pest later on. Unless you got up at the crack of dawn you would not get the best areas. However, we ended up most times on the beach. If you can't get a lounger on the hotel area there are further ones in front of the beach restaurants which you can hire.
The beach is not the best I have seen in terms of sand and swimming. It is narrow and someone clears the seaweed every day. There is a reef offshore and you can wade for a long way out before the water reaches knee high. However, it is a great beach in that you share it with the locals. There are colourful boats lined up in the sand, You can watch fisherman throw their nets out in waist high water, wearing their "coolie" hats or even on occasion, strangely enough crash helmets!( I've no idea why!)
To help encourage tourism the Sanur Walk has just been created, It is a path where you can walk from one of the beach to the other( well, its far too long to manage that) , You pass the little beach shops where you are constantly encouraged to "only looking" and if you are not interested they try asking if you want a massage. By the time you have walked 10 minutes you have been offered a massage scores of times. ( and if you are a man on your own you are offered a special massage!!)
Sellers don't really bother you- they are only trying to make a living. One word of warning - never say "tomorrow" - they don't forget!! We knew this already thank goodness!
Also along the walk you will come across the fisherman working on their boats, sanding them, painting them and sorting nets.
Also along the walk you will find shrines and temples. (Bali is a Hindu island) These are often very simple- a battered umbrella (ceremonial gold ones) sheltering a pile of coral stones or a piece of black and white cloth tied around a tree. You will find offerings there. These are in the form of a woven leaf square containing flowers/petals, incense stick, food of some kind (often a custard cream for some reason!). These offerings are everywhere. Outside every shop, restaurant you will find them and even on the sand itself. Ladies go round making the offerings throughout the day, They scatter water over it and say a few words. In the houses you will find these offerings in all four corners.
Kite flying is a major pastime in Bali.You will see many on the beach! We just missed the kite festival. The local kids almost always have a kite in their hands- a homemade one. They are never happier than when they have a good "flier". These kites can be made of black plastic and cane. There are however, loads of shops where you can buy "better" kites. There is a village which specializes in them.
Run out of time again- it is probably too detailed but as you can see I loved Bali!
-
Edited by
Fiona
2005-08-22 18:37:36
ooh Fiona - I'm really enjoying this thread. I always enjoy reading trip reports and so I've just spend a rather pleasant time reading yours with a cuppa! More please.....
Dawn
Dawn
thanks Dawn and Tracy! Tracy, you will love it!
Back to my report
Balinese food is wonderful! If you have been to Thailand you will recognize quite a few of the dishes. There are also many dishes you find in Singapore. Any type of fish is great- and very fresh, I probably watched it being caught! There are all sorts of rice and noodle dishes. Satays are popular, as are spring rolls. I particularly liked the beef rendang- if you have tasted it in Singapore it is slightly less hot! Duck and suckling pig are specialities in Bali. In fact if you venture out into the countryside you will probably see a duck shepherd- we did! Duck is a sacred animal in Bali- it is often used as an offering in religious festivals. This is because it never fights with other animals and is careful in choosing the food it eats. Which reminds me- we came across a pig being sacrificed at the side of the road. It was going to be fed to the villagers. It was a local custom I would have been quite happy not to have seen!!!
Balinese eat rice 3 times a day. The economy is pretty bad at the moment. They have never really recovered properly from the bombings. Americans have more or less stopped going. Australians are also not going in the numbers they used to- there is also an ongoing situation where an Australian has been convicted of taking drugs into the country. We were told that June and July had been particularly bad but August was beginning to pick up. Anyway, back to food- bread is lovely there- so soft. Soups are also worth trying and my favourite was Soto Ayam which is a chicken soup with noodles and egg, It is bright yellow in colour and has to be eaten carefully to avoid splashes! I only ate that at lunchtime- didn't want to chance it in the evening when I would often be wearing light colours! And you have to try black rice pudding!
Food is ridiculously cheap. One of our favourite meals consisted of 2 free drinks, 2 free tasters, starters, main courses, a beer and a soft drink and 2 coffees- £8 altogether.
There are so many great restaurants in Sanur that it would be unfair to pick out a few but I will put in a good word for our own hotel restaurant- Mezzanine- open to everyone. Beautifully cooked and presented food. They also had some good entertainment. Several of the restaurants also had some great groups.
Nightlife in Sanur is very low key and there are not really many bars- most places begin to close from 10.30 but you will find some which will open until you leave. We just fell into the Bali time and went out earlier and go back to our verandah about midnight where we had a couple of drinks( or sometimes some more!!) We meant to try the main place for nightlife , Kuta , one night but we just couldn't be bothered!!!!
Our hotel had a Balinese night which consisted of a buffet of all the local specialities and then the main part- the Ramayana Ballet. This is a Hindu epic. Stunning! There was a gamelan orchestra- to hear the sounds try this site-http://alek.zipzap.ch/gamelan/ove1_eng.htm
The dancers wore fabulous outfits and all movements were very precise- especially their hand movements. The story is about Rama and Sita and their battle with evil forces. It is a complicated story and the hotel gave out sheets which explained what happens in every Act. It is quite unique and I was spellbound.
Throughout Bali you can see statues and references to good and evil. Many of the statues are covered with black and white checked cloth( good and evil). Hindus believe in Karma - what you do and how you live in this life will determine in what form you will return in the next life. ( too simpflied I know but I wouldn't pretend to be an expert)
Unfortunately that night I had something from the buffet that did not agree with me and I had a bad night being very sick up until 8am and we had a guide/driver booked for the whole of that day, starting at 9am. I was so worried I wouldn't cope!
Back to my report
Balinese food is wonderful! If you have been to Thailand you will recognize quite a few of the dishes. There are also many dishes you find in Singapore. Any type of fish is great- and very fresh, I probably watched it being caught! There are all sorts of rice and noodle dishes. Satays are popular, as are spring rolls. I particularly liked the beef rendang- if you have tasted it in Singapore it is slightly less hot! Duck and suckling pig are specialities in Bali. In fact if you venture out into the countryside you will probably see a duck shepherd- we did! Duck is a sacred animal in Bali- it is often used as an offering in religious festivals. This is because it never fights with other animals and is careful in choosing the food it eats. Which reminds me- we came across a pig being sacrificed at the side of the road. It was going to be fed to the villagers. It was a local custom I would have been quite happy not to have seen!!!
Balinese eat rice 3 times a day. The economy is pretty bad at the moment. They have never really recovered properly from the bombings. Americans have more or less stopped going. Australians are also not going in the numbers they used to- there is also an ongoing situation where an Australian has been convicted of taking drugs into the country. We were told that June and July had been particularly bad but August was beginning to pick up. Anyway, back to food- bread is lovely there- so soft. Soups are also worth trying and my favourite was Soto Ayam which is a chicken soup with noodles and egg, It is bright yellow in colour and has to be eaten carefully to avoid splashes! I only ate that at lunchtime- didn't want to chance it in the evening when I would often be wearing light colours! And you have to try black rice pudding!
Food is ridiculously cheap. One of our favourite meals consisted of 2 free drinks, 2 free tasters, starters, main courses, a beer and a soft drink and 2 coffees- £8 altogether.
There are so many great restaurants in Sanur that it would be unfair to pick out a few but I will put in a good word for our own hotel restaurant- Mezzanine- open to everyone. Beautifully cooked and presented food. They also had some good entertainment. Several of the restaurants also had some great groups.
Nightlife in Sanur is very low key and there are not really many bars- most places begin to close from 10.30 but you will find some which will open until you leave. We just fell into the Bali time and went out earlier and go back to our verandah about midnight where we had a couple of drinks( or sometimes some more!!) We meant to try the main place for nightlife , Kuta , one night but we just couldn't be bothered!!!!
Our hotel had a Balinese night which consisted of a buffet of all the local specialities and then the main part- the Ramayana Ballet. This is a Hindu epic. Stunning! There was a gamelan orchestra- to hear the sounds try this site-http://alek.zipzap.ch/gamelan/ove1_eng.htm
The dancers wore fabulous outfits and all movements were very precise- especially their hand movements. The story is about Rama and Sita and their battle with evil forces. It is a complicated story and the hotel gave out sheets which explained what happens in every Act. It is quite unique and I was spellbound.
Throughout Bali you can see statues and references to good and evil. Many of the statues are covered with black and white checked cloth( good and evil). Hindus believe in Karma - what you do and how you live in this life will determine in what form you will return in the next life. ( too simpflied I know but I wouldn't pretend to be an expert)
Unfortunately that night I had something from the buffet that did not agree with me and I had a bad night being very sick up until 8am and we had a guide/driver booked for the whole of that day, starting at 9am. I was so worried I wouldn't cope!
Your reports are great fiona can't wait for Nov to arrive,beginning to picture the place with all the details you give.Can we have more please.
Ooh Fiona - that food sounds wonderful. I've just eaten my lunch and I feel hungry again... 
Its great to hear that people are enjoying my report- I do know I am writing far too much!
Back to my saga! At 8am on the day we first hired our guide , husband went out to the local chemist to see if he could recommend anything for Bali belly. He came back with these huge dark blue pills which I really didn't fancy. However, I gave them a go and decided to attempt the day- as we were on our own we could ask the guide to turn back at any time. 5 minutes into the journey and I was trying to concentrate on not being sick. The first stop was for the Barong and Kris dance. There is one performance every day( 9.30am) in Denpasar. The performance is done as much for the locals as for the tourists. The dance lasts one hour. It is another spectacular event. What struck me was how much the performers were enjoying taking part. The dance is centred round the battles the barong has with Rangda. The Barong is a mythical animal, based probably on a lion and is the symbol of everything good to man. Rangda is the queen of death. The costume of the Barong is pretty elaborate and two dancers wear it. The battle is never ending. I read that once the dance is over the masks of the two main characters are put into a special room in a temple and the mask of the Rangda is covered very carefully because its deadly powers are greatly feared. The next day the eternal battle between good and evil begins again. Unfortunately I did not appreciate this spectacular as much as I would have liked to However, much to my relief my sickness passed( and it seemed to happen immediately! If you see big blue pills in the chemist buy them- they really work!!!) I was able to enjoy the rest of the day, but decided not to eat just in case!
Our driver was brilliant, His name was Wayan and if anyone wants his email just pm me!
We had left it up to him where we were going and we were not disappointed. He did not push any where, just made suggestions, most of which we took.
The fee for Wayan, his knowledge, his car, his petrol and the backhanders he seemed to have to give the police on a few occasions was £17 for the day. I thought that was a ridiculous amount to pay anybody to run us about the whole day and we gave him quite a bit more! I learned so much more than I would have on an organized excursion and what I liked about it was you were learning about how people really lived their lives in Bali. Balinese people according to Wayan would never be rich as they are always having to prepare big time for some festival- and there were festivals for everything! Barely a day goes by without one. On that day the festival was in honour of cars and tools!! Most festivals are celebrated twice a year( apart from New Year!! )
I think I wrote earlier that the Balinese are going through a particularly bad time for tourists just now. Their whole economy is dependent upon the tourist. I have never seen a place with so many shops! Even in remote villages the main street seems to be teeming with tourist shops. Each village specializes in one type of product. There are villages for wooden things; ones for silver and gold; statues; kites etc. I have no idea how these shops keep going.
We booked Wayan on 2 days. Apart from the Barong we went to three separate villages for things we were interested in. We bought wood carvings and it was fascinating watching them being made. They do "mass produce" certain ornaments but they are done by hand and no two are exactly the same.
I bought a lot of jewelry as I got for myself and for heaps of birthday presents. We paid about half the price that was asked for. We also stopped at a batik factory but only made small purchases there. Again it was interesting watching people at work. Wayan took us through the countryside and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Rice fields and terraces abound and each one is a photo opportunity. I will add photos to the gallery if I ever get this finished! We went through scores of tiny villages. Wayan took us to the highest point of Bali and we had an outlook across to the still active volcano. Again- beautiful. This point was a bit of a money spinner for the locals as you had to pay to get up to the top of the mountain and the restaurant is a bit of a rip off. Imagine paying £12 for lunch ( altogether!!). It was a set price and I couldn't face eating anything!! We stopped at a spice farm and Wayan pointed out the various spices and we got to sample the local coffee. I have to say again that we got the options all the time and he continually asked us to say if we wanted to stop somewhere.
Wayan has 2 small children. He told us that when men marry the wife is expected to come and life with him and his parents. There are more motor bikes than I had ever seen before in Bali. This is because they can be bought with a £60 deposit and paid off in small amounts monthly. Not many can afford a car. He was very interested in how we lived and what we took for granted- eg mobiles, computers. Although he has an email address he has to use an internet cafe.
Wayan told us that government jobs are awarded in the main to those who can afford it and "know" someone. It "costs" 20 million rupiah currently to know someone. This amount was mentioned for the police- approx £1170 which is out of most people's reach. If I had wanted to teach there it would have cost me a fortune as well.
Nearly there- should finish tomorrow!
Back to my saga! At 8am on the day we first hired our guide , husband went out to the local chemist to see if he could recommend anything for Bali belly. He came back with these huge dark blue pills which I really didn't fancy. However, I gave them a go and decided to attempt the day- as we were on our own we could ask the guide to turn back at any time. 5 minutes into the journey and I was trying to concentrate on not being sick. The first stop was for the Barong and Kris dance. There is one performance every day( 9.30am) in Denpasar. The performance is done as much for the locals as for the tourists. The dance lasts one hour. It is another spectacular event. What struck me was how much the performers were enjoying taking part. The dance is centred round the battles the barong has with Rangda. The Barong is a mythical animal, based probably on a lion and is the symbol of everything good to man. Rangda is the queen of death. The costume of the Barong is pretty elaborate and two dancers wear it. The battle is never ending. I read that once the dance is over the masks of the two main characters are put into a special room in a temple and the mask of the Rangda is covered very carefully because its deadly powers are greatly feared. The next day the eternal battle between good and evil begins again. Unfortunately I did not appreciate this spectacular as much as I would have liked to However, much to my relief my sickness passed( and it seemed to happen immediately! If you see big blue pills in the chemist buy them- they really work!!!) I was able to enjoy the rest of the day, but decided not to eat just in case!
Our driver was brilliant, His name was Wayan and if anyone wants his email just pm me!
We had left it up to him where we were going and we were not disappointed. He did not push any where, just made suggestions, most of which we took.
The fee for Wayan, his knowledge, his car, his petrol and the backhanders he seemed to have to give the police on a few occasions was £17 for the day. I thought that was a ridiculous amount to pay anybody to run us about the whole day and we gave him quite a bit more! I learned so much more than I would have on an organized excursion and what I liked about it was you were learning about how people really lived their lives in Bali. Balinese people according to Wayan would never be rich as they are always having to prepare big time for some festival- and there were festivals for everything! Barely a day goes by without one. On that day the festival was in honour of cars and tools!! Most festivals are celebrated twice a year( apart from New Year!! )
I think I wrote earlier that the Balinese are going through a particularly bad time for tourists just now. Their whole economy is dependent upon the tourist. I have never seen a place with so many shops! Even in remote villages the main street seems to be teeming with tourist shops. Each village specializes in one type of product. There are villages for wooden things; ones for silver and gold; statues; kites etc. I have no idea how these shops keep going.
We booked Wayan on 2 days. Apart from the Barong we went to three separate villages for things we were interested in. We bought wood carvings and it was fascinating watching them being made. They do "mass produce" certain ornaments but they are done by hand and no two are exactly the same.
I bought a lot of jewelry as I got for myself and for heaps of birthday presents. We paid about half the price that was asked for. We also stopped at a batik factory but only made small purchases there. Again it was interesting watching people at work. Wayan took us through the countryside and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Rice fields and terraces abound and each one is a photo opportunity. I will add photos to the gallery if I ever get this finished! We went through scores of tiny villages. Wayan took us to the highest point of Bali and we had an outlook across to the still active volcano. Again- beautiful. This point was a bit of a money spinner for the locals as you had to pay to get up to the top of the mountain and the restaurant is a bit of a rip off. Imagine paying £12 for lunch ( altogether!!). It was a set price and I couldn't face eating anything!! We stopped at a spice farm and Wayan pointed out the various spices and we got to sample the local coffee. I have to say again that we got the options all the time and he continually asked us to say if we wanted to stop somewhere.
Wayan has 2 small children. He told us that when men marry the wife is expected to come and life with him and his parents. There are more motor bikes than I had ever seen before in Bali. This is because they can be bought with a £60 deposit and paid off in small amounts monthly. Not many can afford a car. He was very interested in how we lived and what we took for granted- eg mobiles, computers. Although he has an email address he has to use an internet cafe.
Wayan told us that government jobs are awarded in the main to those who can afford it and "know" someone. It "costs" 20 million rupiah currently to know someone. This amount was mentioned for the police- approx £1170 which is out of most people's reach. If I had wanted to teach there it would have cost me a fortune as well.
Nearly there- should finish tomorrow!
Temples-Bali is known as "Island of the Thousand Temples". We visited a few of them! Most of them are old- perhaps 4 centuries old. They are carved into the stone and are not highly coloured as we found those in Singapore were. I preferred the ones on Bali. The temples are subdivided into three courtyards. For some, you would not be allowed into the interior one. Tourists are welcome to visit but may not be allowed into them when ceremonies are taking place. ( Not sure if this is the case for all temples) Each village would have its own temple. Tanah Lot is the one most tourists like to see at sunset as , if it is a high tide the temple becomes an island. We spent a couple of hours there but left just before sunset. Too many tourists! Wayan took us to a beach nearby where we watched the sun set with the locals. Again I hope to add photos to the Photo Gallery!
Another great place to visit is the Monkey Forest. It is in Ubud and great fun. You walk through a forest of monkeys to visit temples on the site. You can feed them bananas but they are fed by keepers who are there to protect them. Do not try to hide any bananas- the monkeys will know and get annoyed!!
We did so much that I have not covered everything( I know that's hard to believe!). Bali is a place I would love to return to. Hopefully someday I shall.
Another great place to visit is the Monkey Forest. It is in Ubud and great fun. You walk through a forest of monkeys to visit temples on the site. You can feed them bananas but they are fed by keepers who are there to protect them. Do not try to hide any bananas- the monkeys will know and get annoyed!!
We did so much that I have not covered everything( I know that's hard to believe!). Bali is a place I would love to return to. Hopefully someday I shall.
We arrived back in Singapore for one last evening and following day. This time we stayed at Traders Hotel. I had heard some good reviews and thought it would be good to try. To be honest I could't really write a review about it as we weren't there long enough. We were upgraded to a deluxe room which had all the amenities but after the huge rooms we had in the Santrian and Merchant Court it felt on the small side and I don't think I would have liked it for a longer stay- nowhere to put everything! We ate at the hotel as its restaurant is award winning and it was a great way to spend the last night( or so we thought!) of our holiday. I had finally got to grips( literally) with chopsticks and could even manage the rice by this time!
Breakfast at the hotel was also excellent. We went to Sentosa Island that day. You go across by cable car. I hadn't fancied the Island the last time we went to Singapore but Rough Guide gave good reports about some of the attractions ( and slated the others!) Great place if you like Lost Worlds or Volcanic eruptions but not for me. However Rough Guide were correct in their recommendations. The Images of Singapore Exhibition shows the history and heritage of Singapore from the early days onwards. Underwater World is also worth a look. Managed to get a photo of Dory for my nephew( and that puffer fish that was in the dentists tank- what was his name?:))
Fort Siloso is a cluster of buildings and gun emplacements above a series of tunnels. It guarded Singapore's western approaches until the Japanese took it over. It is very interesting but we succumbed to the humidity and spent our time trying to find the fans when we entered a new building! I should have taken photos- we looked like we had caught in a downpour. Then the heavens did open- and boy did it rain. It was just what was needed though as when it stopped the humidity dropped considerably.
We spent the rest of the day shopping in Orchard Road.
We flew out that evening for London- almost there and we found out we were going to be diverted to Frankfurt, thanks to BA and their strike. We sat for 3 hours in the plane- the first hour with no a/c and no water. Eventually they were able to open the doors and even had smoking parties going out 10 at a time to a shed at the bottom of the steps( yes- really! I am sure half of them had never smoked a cigarette in their life!!)
Surprisingly enough everyone was good humoured about it. There was no point in being anything else. When the buses arrived to take us in to the airport( we were in a distant holding area) there was a big cheer. We were surprised to hear that they were putting us into a hotel- the Sheraton. Nice hotel and we spent a day and a half there but I didn't want to be there- missed my mums 70th birthday celebrations.
If we had not taken matters into our own hands we would have been there for a lot longer. Qantas seemed to think they had done enough for us. I won't go into the carry on we had- you couldn't credit it- if you saw it in a movie you might find it quite funny but totally unbelievable! Especially the bit with the 400 members of the 101st Airborne Division checking into our hotel still in desert battle dress, fresh from Iraq! But that's another story!!
I really can't complain though as BA has been very generous to us- and we got 100 000 ba miles as compensation. I am delighted with this- enough for two returns to the Caribbean or the States. I was also glad it was that weekend the strike was as my mum and dad were flying out from heathrow the following Friday and I just couldn't imagine them having to sleep on the floor of the airport.
All in all my holiday was quite an adventure. Looking forward to my next one now!
Breakfast at the hotel was also excellent. We went to Sentosa Island that day. You go across by cable car. I hadn't fancied the Island the last time we went to Singapore but Rough Guide gave good reports about some of the attractions ( and slated the others!) Great place if you like Lost Worlds or Volcanic eruptions but not for me. However Rough Guide were correct in their recommendations. The Images of Singapore Exhibition shows the history and heritage of Singapore from the early days onwards. Underwater World is also worth a look. Managed to get a photo of Dory for my nephew( and that puffer fish that was in the dentists tank- what was his name?:))
Fort Siloso is a cluster of buildings and gun emplacements above a series of tunnels. It guarded Singapore's western approaches until the Japanese took it over. It is very interesting but we succumbed to the humidity and spent our time trying to find the fans when we entered a new building! I should have taken photos- we looked like we had caught in a downpour. Then the heavens did open- and boy did it rain. It was just what was needed though as when it stopped the humidity dropped considerably.
We spent the rest of the day shopping in Orchard Road.
We flew out that evening for London- almost there and we found out we were going to be diverted to Frankfurt, thanks to BA and their strike. We sat for 3 hours in the plane- the first hour with no a/c and no water. Eventually they were able to open the doors and even had smoking parties going out 10 at a time to a shed at the bottom of the steps( yes- really! I am sure half of them had never smoked a cigarette in their life!!)
Surprisingly enough everyone was good humoured about it. There was no point in being anything else. When the buses arrived to take us in to the airport( we were in a distant holding area) there was a big cheer. We were surprised to hear that they were putting us into a hotel- the Sheraton. Nice hotel and we spent a day and a half there but I didn't want to be there- missed my mums 70th birthday celebrations.
If we had not taken matters into our own hands we would have been there for a lot longer. Qantas seemed to think they had done enough for us. I won't go into the carry on we had- you couldn't credit it- if you saw it in a movie you might find it quite funny but totally unbelievable! Especially the bit with the 400 members of the 101st Airborne Division checking into our hotel still in desert battle dress, fresh from Iraq! But that's another story!!
I really can't complain though as BA has been very generous to us- and we got 100 000 ba miles as compensation. I am delighted with this- enough for two returns to the Caribbean or the States. I was also glad it was that weekend the strike was as my mum and dad were flying out from heathrow the following Friday and I just couldn't imagine them having to sleep on the floor of the airport.
All in all my holiday was quite an adventure. Looking forward to my next one now!
What a wonderful report,photo's are fantastic there's certainly food for thought there.How easy is it to get from bali to borneo that's another place i would like to visit.
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