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Published: April 8th 2011
Well here it is .. the final blog from Bali ... a month or so late.. but hey better late than never!! After arriving into Legian, we checked in to our hotel - The Puri Raja. Kylee was off to find a tailor with Nat in tow and Bianca and Helen set off to find an Optometrist. I decided to use this opportunity for a quick swim. We all met up a bit later for dinner and decided to head to Mozzarella's. I had read reviews on Mozzarella's on Trip Advisor so it seemed like an easy option. Dinner was really nice with most of us opting for steaks. I had a Creme Brulee for dessert which was out of this world! The cocktails are also 2 4 1 at all times so we made the most of the special... After dinner everyone except me wanted to head to bed (Am I really that much of a party animal lol) ... but I managed to convince Nat to babysit me and go explore the nightlife! We headed over to Sky Garden which is one of the main nightclubs in the Kuta strip near where the Bali bombing was.
We had
a tour the next morning so made a promise of 2 drinks only... just as we were finishing our 2nd drink, 2 guys approached us with drinks in tow... It would have been rude to not accept them so we ended up drinking a little more with the boys, Joel and Dan. Turns out the boys were from the same occupation as me in Western Australia and ended up being my partners in crime for the rest of the holiday. A short time later they were joined by Grant, a friend of Dan's who was now working and living in Canberra..
Sky Garden has 3 levels and about 5 different bars and has these amazing drink specials.. A welcome relief in a country where drinks cost as much as in Australia. In the bar we were in, there was a massive screen which had a 15 minute countdown timer and every 15 minutes there was a different drink special... from $1 beers and cocktails to $2 double vodka/redbulls and $3 triple vodka/redbulls! Unfortunately for us, Joel and Dan had bought us double vodka/redbulls and they were STRONG!
The boys later told me in the holiday that they only
reason they had bought us a drink was that they had bought them for themselves but the drinks were too strong and so they decided to palm them off on us! Haha! Thanks boys! Knowing we had to be up early for a canoe/cycle tour the next morning we called it a night about 1am. By the time we got out of the nightclub it was pelting down rain and as we decided to get a taxi a motorcycle taxi approached us... with a few drinks under our belts we thought it would be much more fun to get motorbikes back to the hotel in the rain! It was fun, if somewhat a little silly and irresponsible (no helmets and very wet roads!)
C Bali Cycle / Canoe / Culture Tour
Up bright and early at 6am (and feeling a little hungover) we got ready and met our tour guides in the hotel lobby at 7am. It was a 2 hour drive up to the Mt Batur region to where we were heading. C Bali Tours is the only tour company which is allowed to canoe on Lake Batur as well as tourists into the small
village of Kedisan. The tour was approx $50 per person and excellent. I highly recommend it to anyone travelling to Bali.
Upon arriving at Buahan Village on the edge of Lake Batur we were given some breakfast and coffee before walking our canoes down to the Lake. Our guide was an Australian girl called Rachel who runs it with her Swedish partner. She was very knowledgable and gave us the whole history of the area and Bali on the way to the Village. We then were given canoeing instructions before setting off on to the lake. Nat and I shared a Canoe and it was a comedy of errors. I truly suck at canoeing! Apparently the guide told Kylee (who was in the same canoe) that she thought we were purposely running into Helen and Biancas canoe... I dont think she realised that we were actually just really bad at canoeing! We were all over the place and due to being so tired and hungover couldnt stop laughing. We spent about an hour out on the Lake and saw a temple on the edge of the Lake. Rachel told us that during a ceremony the Balinese sacrifice animals at
the Temple throwing them into the Lake as part of the Ceremony.
As a result there are a species of fish in the Lake that are Carnivore and through the years have evolved to have small teeth.. she might have wanted to tell me that BEFORE I got onto the Lake! Thankgod we didnt fall out! The fish are called Ikan Mujair (Ikan - Balinese for Fish). The Balinese believe that the fish have special powers and give you strength and protection if you eat it. Rachel was saying that when something big goes down in Bali, they always know as all the Islands Police turn up for breakfast that morning to get 'strength and power' before going to a big job.. Pretty cool and I was stoked to hear that we would get to eat the fish at lunchtime!
Once we finished canoeing we headed off on Mountain Bikes to explore a small village called Kedisan. Rachel used to live in the village so has permission to bring 'visitors' in. The village was very antiquated and absolutely stunning. Very interesting to see! Halfway around the 'course' the rain came with a vengence! We got out very attractive
raincoats and continued our ride... Once we got back to the restaurant we had a GREAT meal including the Ikan Mujair before heading back to Legian. It was a really big day and we were all exhausted by the end.
Uncle Norm's Rocking It Out
Once we were refreshed back at the hotel, Kylee, Nat and I decided to head out for dinner and a couple of drinks. We went looking for the Aussie Bar as I have heard it is a good laugh but we were unable to find it. The Balinese have this strange thing where if you ask them for directions they point in a direction and say "5 minutes that way" or"1 kilometer that way" but they all say the same thing so you never actually find what you are looking for.. I dont think they have any idea where they are sending you, I think they are just being polite! After not getting anywhere with finding the Aussie Bar we wound up at a little bar called Uncle Norms. It had a live band and a few people in there drinking (Bali was very quiet in way of nightlife while we
were there.. maybe it was just the time of the year). We ordered some food and drinks. About half hour into being there, Kylee decided she wanted to sing and off she went... straight up to the band and within 30 seconds she had the mic and didnt get off all night! It was hilarious! She wasnt even drunk.... Well not at first!
Kylee never drinks so when she does, she is a complete glass and a half! We had her on the mudslides which was pure vodka, baileys and kahlua! 3 shots in one glass! She then decided to embarrass me and announced to everyone it was my birthday... Suddenly the whole bar was singing happy birthday and I was up the front with her and the band completely mortified! It ended up being a very fun night and we met a few other travellers. It was at Uncle Norms that I lost my Arak virginity drinking Arak Attacks - Arak, Lemonade and fresh Lime... YUM
Robbed in Kuta!!
After Uncle Norms closed (and Kylee had stopped singing) we decided to all get motorbike taxi's to SkyGarden. By the time we got there, Kylee literally fell
off her bike out the front of the Bar, before falling on top of Joel and breaking her shoe.. After 1 drink inside, Nat dragged her out and tried to get her home. I stayed on at the bar with Joel. From what I am told, Nat had great trouble getting Kylee home as she wanted to kick on trying to enter every bar on the way! They went into one bar and ordered two drinks only to be told it would cost 280,000 rupiah! That is over $30 AUD for two drinks... Once they left the bar they were walking back to the hotel when they were suddenly surrounded by some small kids about 10 years old all trying to sell them bracelets. There was also a mother carrying a small baby... Nat got really uncomfortable and ended up pushing them out of the way.. As they went to walk off, one lady came up to Nat and handed her Kylee's room key asking if it was theirs.. it was only later that Kylee realised her phone was missing and that they had obviously pick pocketed her! Sneaky little shits! She was devastated!
I got back to the
hotel around 4am to find Kylee still running around the resort devastated about her phone... kind of funny (how she was acting) but not really considering she has been robbed!
Hangover, Massages and more drinks...
I woke the next morning to a nice hangover feeling worse for wear.. by the time I struggled out of bed, I decided it was time for some pampering.. Nat and I headed to Briella's ... a massage place near our hotel which not only had my hairdresser Krys recommended before coming, but Rachel from C Bali Tours had mentioned. I pampered myself with an hour Balinese massage (which I almost vomited during.. it was very close laying on my stomach with my face in one of those holes) followed by a hair cream bath (the way it should be done... absolute BLISS) and a foot massage to finish it off... Afterwards I felt a million dollars and decided I might even be able to manage more drinks! I headed over to Kuta to the Bagus Bar to meet up with Joel, Dan and Grant for drinks (they will be referred to as 'the boys' from here on in!) ... Kylee
and Nat eventually joined us and then Kylee, Nat and I headed out for mexican at TJ's.
Dinner started out well.. the Margaritas were great, Entree was great.. and mains were going well until I was almost finished and saw that my chicken in my Fajitas was uncooked! It made me feel so gross and turned me off the restaurant straight away! Luckily I didnt end up being sick from it, but I would not recommend TJ's!
It was time for Nat to head home so we said goodbye and while Kylee decided to have a quiet night I met up with the boys for more drinkies! After a few beers at Bagus we went to a small bar called The Espresso Bar just across the road from Sky Garden. It had a live band which also did karioke! Very cool... and most of the music was on the heavy side.. Metallica, U2, Bon Jovi, that kind of stuff! Although one girl got up and did Lady Gaga and was amazing! I thought the boys were going to get up and sing... but it wasnt to be...
From the Espresso Bar we moved to the Bounty Bar..
one of Bali's most famous party bars.. it was crap.. full of pretencious 18 year olds.. and lots of boys wandering around with no shirts on, flexing their muscles and chewing their cheeks off clearly off their faces! We lasted one hot beer and were out of there!
Time Out from the Party!
The next day was very quiet.. I slept in and Kylee headed off to the Bali Wildlife Park.. I ummmed and ahhhed about going with her but it wasnt a place I was particularly interested in, given that I have been to alot of wildlife parks around SE Asia and the fact that there is alot of reviews about this place having drugged animals (like the Tigers for photo opportunities).. for those who have followed my travels you would know that this goes against everything I stand for and after experiencing the Tiger Temple I really didnt want to support a place like this. I felt bad making Kylee go on her own but she needed to make up her own mind on it and I just couldnt do it... I ended up heading to Briella's for a massage, caught up on some blog
and then Kylee and I had a quiet dinner at a place called Indo National.
Dinner was going quite well until halfway through my main course I realised my salt n pepper squid was raw!! It still tasted okay but I wasnt really sure how 'safe' it was. The Aussie owner came over to see how my meal was and we told her. She was horrified and insisted that a) it was completely fresh and safe and b) she would take it off the bill.. I assured her she didnt need to do that.. that it tasted fine, I just wasnt sure but when the bill came out a short time later it had been taken off... Another one of the owners came over to apologise so I found the service to be excellent and would not let it turn me off going back there on another trip!
Kylee headed back to the hotel after dinner and I ended up heading over to Grant's hotel to check it out and have a quiet drink. He was staying at the Padma and all I can say is OMG.. it was amazing... HUGE and the bar/gardens etc was just gorgeous!
Very nice! I called it a night at midnight (officially turning into my birthday) before heading back to the hotel to crash! I was definitely burning the candle at both ends in Legian!
Happy birthday to ME
I woke up bright and early with no hangover for my birthday... and ummmed and ahhhed over what to do with my day... I had plenty of plans and originally have big plans to climb Mt Batur to watch the sunrise, but after speaking with Rachel from C Bali Tours realised that it was going to be low cloud and wet/slippery trek due to the time of the year... I decided that the Sunrise Trek would have to wait until another trip...
After breakfast, Kylee and I did a quick spot of shopping before grabbing a quick bite to eat and heading to a place called Ambiente for massages.. we chose a 2 hour package of foot massage/reflexology, head and back massage. The guy that Kylee had used the previous day was called Ali and he wasnt there that day so we got two other guys... my guy was very good.. and I was in a complete state
of bliss for the full two hours! When I got out, Helen had been and paid for my massage as my birthday present! Thanks H!
Once I had finished my massage we headed back to the hotel to get ready for my big night out for my birthday. I had the boys coming as well as a couple of girls we had met at Uncle Norms and I had made a reservation at Mozzarellas earlier in the day. Dinner was lovely and it was really nice to be surrounded by new and old friends! Grant had to leave halfway through to catch a plane home and after dinner, I was joined by Kylee, Joel and Dan for a night on the town. We headed to Sky Garden where I proceeded to get quite drunk and I think we then headed to Espresso Bar after (although the night is quite fuzzy by this stage!)
It was a huge night and I had a lot of fun.. thanks to all that made it a great night!
Ali - The Massage God of Bali
I woke up the next morning with only a slight hangover! Super impressed
as I was thinking it would be huge! Not so! The rest of the day was spent doing some shopping and I booked in to have a massage with the Great Ali that Kylee had recommended. I had a foot reflexology massage and OMG... it was SO good.. but oh so painful.. This guy is the massage master! I have NEVER had such a good massage before.. he could even tell me what was wrong with my body through the reflexology of my feet! He told me to come back later that night for a relaxation massage so I booked straight in! Kylee and I met up with Helen and Bianca for dinner at an Italian place down on the beach.. It was nice to have some pasta and the food was very good (and reasonably priced). After dinner I headed back to Ambiente to see Ali. I chose a 90 minute massage and fell into massage bliss....
It was very relaxing and at one stage I thought it was almost going to go 'happy ending' LMAO... Ali was rubbing up my legs and getting VERY close to you know where! He was completely professional but it was a
very funny moment on my behalf! He then asked if I wanted my stomach done... I immediately regretted my answer of yes, when the sheet came down and there I was, butt naked apart from my panties! Not only does stomach massage mean massaging your stomach but it involves a 'chest' massage and while it felt very good (hehe) it was kind of embarrassing! It didnt help that he was probably the hottest Balinese I had seen all holiday! I headed back to the hotel after my massage and slept very well that night indeed! Hehe
Final Day Shopping Madness
Kylee left early the next morning to head home and I had a day to kill by myself.. I decided to use it by shopping and getting a final Ali massage! I headed to Briella's first thing in the morning for a hair cream bath before heading back to the hotel to pack and check out.. After checking out I did a shop til I drop marathon during which I spent an absolute fortune on clothing, jewellery, perfume, bags and other bits n pieces... I found a great little Warung restaurant called Bamboo Warung ... I
ordered a Nasi Campur which was gorgeous and washed it down with Iced Lemon Tea (yum yum my new favourite drink) - it cost me less than $5 for two teas and the campur! So cheap! I should have been eating here all along!
Mid afternoon I headed back for another massage by Ali and again it was almost happy ending time! I said no to the stomach massage (not wanting to tempt fate) and then headed back to the hotel to repack my luggage and head to the airport.. by this stage I was in a complete panic as I had truly overshopped and I was about 10 kilograms over what I should be... According to the Virgin Blue website this was going to set me back $150! Yikes! I creatively packed my stuff so it looked like I didnt have alot as carry on luggage and after saying goodbye to Helen and Bianca (who had a later flight) I headed for the airport...
About half an hour before my taxi turned up the hugest storm I've ever seen blew in... the rain was a heavy tropical downpour and the thunder and lightening was incredible... My life
flashed before my eyes several times on the way to the airport.. at one stage we were literally driving in the middle of the lightening and I saw it hit the road in front of us at one stage.. I was in a complete panic and even the taxi driver was scared.. he told me he was heading home after dropping me to the airport as it was too dangerous to be driving in the storm! Yikes!
When we arrived at the airport it was unbelievably dry and no storm (in the space of about 1 kilometer!) and I was thankful and hopeful that it would clear up in time for my flight.. you can just imagine me trying to get on a flight in a massive storm! Haha! When I arrived at the airport I ran into Joel and Dan so hung out with them while I ate my McDonalds dinner before checking in! The flight home was great.. a really smooth ride and I had three seats to myself... I drank 3 champagnes (3 really gets you drunk 10,000 feet in the air!) and then passed out for a few hours.. the flight from Bali to Adelaide
was under 5 hours so we were home in no time! Sweet!
Final Thoughts on Bali
Having been home a month now and having had time to digest my new experience I have to say that Bali did not win my heart... I think my heart is stuck in Thailand and Cambodia for so many reasons... Its not that I didnt like it, but it really is just an Australian resort destination.. kind of like going to the Gold Coast for a week... All the main restaurants specialise in Western food with 4 pages of Western Choices and half a page of Balinese food (Sate Sticks, Nasi Campur, Nasi Goreng, Mee Goreng and thats about it) lol
In fairness however, it was my first trip and its always hard on your first trip to truly get off the beaten path and experience more of the culture/local life... There was no street food.. alcohol is so so expensive (apart from Sky Garden's fantastic specials geared towards getting plastered) and I found it extremely hard to find local cheap restaurants.. The Legian/Kuta area really is geared towards an Aussie beach holiday... alcohol, pub grub food, partying and
shopping...
I did love Ubud though, I could easily go there and just be content for a week... and I would definitely be keen to go back and explore more of the Island.. By the time I got to Bali I really just wanted to relax, party and let my hair down so it was perfect in that way... it was also much better than Thailand in way of shopping (cheaper by loads and I personally think better quality).
Would I go back again? YES! To explore the rest of the Island would be great... and its the perfect cheap destination for a girly holiday with friends... Is it my favourite place? HELL NO! Cambodia and Thailand still retain the top spots...
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kristina
non-member comment
looks like you had such a good time...even tho it wasn't your favorite place!!!
thanks for shating reet...was a fun final blog to read!! and it was SO great to hook up...hopefully, we can meet up somewhere in the world again!!