Blogs from Bali, Indonesia, Asia - page 4

Early start to the day to catch our 8:30am flight on Batik Air. Daisy is always anxious to get to the airport early. On this occasion, there were no worries. Took 10 minutes for our Didi driver to arrive, got to the airport by 6am as there was little traffic. Then only took about 15 minutes to check-in (no line), clear customs and security check. We had some breakfast and coffee as Batik is one of those budget airlines where nothing is included. We decided to just get some snacks for lunch which we bought before boarding. Flight was less than 7 hours and we both managed to get a bit more sleep in between watching videos and listening to blogs. Although the plane left about 30 minutes after scheduled take-off, we arrived on time at ... read more

Like an owl yearning for the moon… ~ Indonesian Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling back to Australia from Bali – via Melbourne and Hobart. The check-out time of our villa at The Pavilions in Sanur was 12pm, and our flight was at 11:10pm. We didn’t relish the thought of 11 hours in Bali’s heat and humidity without access to a shower or air-conditioning, so we negotiated an extended check-out with the friendly reception staff, which allowed us to keep our villa until 8pm (for half the normal price). It was a lifesaver. We organised our packs, settled in the villa’s comfortable open plan lounge and relaxed into the late afternoon and early evening. I freshened up in the outside shower for one final time at 7pm, dressed for the five-hour flight to Melbourne, then ... read more

Don’t think there are no crocodiles because the water is calm… ~ Indonesian Proverb HE SAID... Today (and tomorrow) we were exploring Sanur– by foot. Locations > Sanur is a bustling coastal town in southern Bali. Transport Walking (and the occasional resort shuttle car). Accommodation …The Pavilions, Sanur… This enchanting resort is tucked away from the madding crowd in a magnificent tropical garden just one block back from Sanur Beach. It offered us a very welcome retreat at the end of our Indonesian adventure, and we’d booked it especially as a treat for my birthday. I’ve described its key features at length in the highlights section below. It was a huge improvement on Bumi Ayu Bungalows, our accommodation on the first night we arrived in Sanur. The less said about the Bungalows, the better. Cuisine – ... read more

One stroke at the paddle, two and three islands have passed… ~ Indonesian Proverb HE SAID... Today we were exploring the coastal town of Lovina and the coastal waters of Menjangan Island– by minibus, boat and snorkel. Locations > Lovina is a coastal town in northern Bali. > Menjangan Island is a small island off Bali’s northwestern coast. > West Bali National Park covers the entire northwestern tip of Bali, and Menjangan Island is part of the national park. Transport We travelled from Lovina to West Bali National Park by minibus, semi-circumnavigated Menjangan Island by boat, then returned to Lovina by minibus. We woke early, breakfasted early and set off for West Bali National Park around 8:30am. We were traveling in a westerly direction along Bali’s northern coastline. On-route we had a brief market stop in ... read more

Your skill is only a rumour until it reaches your muscles… ~ Indonesian Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling to the spectacular Mount Batur. Locations > Sibetan is a remote rural village in eastern Bali. > Kintamani (our destination) is a small village in northeast Bali, perched on the caldera wall of a collapsed volcano > Mount Batur is a volcano in northeast Bali. Transport We travelled from Sibetan to Kintamani by minibus, then explored Mount Batur by foot. We left Sibetan in the early afternoon and headed northwards to Kintamani. The road was narrow and winding. We ascended high mountain roads, sped through small villages, passed slow trucks on blind bends and bounced over rough patches of bitumen. The landscape was green and lush, and the tree canopy often hung low over the road. ... read more