Blogs from Sanur, Bali, Indonesia, Asia - page 7

Arrived in Bali on the 9th of October at Denpassar, Bali Airport at approximately 12 pm Bali time- just a 4 hour journey from Bangkok. The journey over was absolutely brilliant on account of the view. Obviously flying in an economy class plane is never going to be the transport fantasy of the platinum virgin service which obviously i have never had privy to, all those who have flown with virgin long haul we've all seen how the other half fly as the march you like prisoners through the comfiest seats you've ever seen in the top classes till you reach the cattle section at the back by the loo.Advantage-its easy to go the the toilet? ...Disadvantage - its easy to SMELL the toilet. All that aside, air Asia did a good job based on the ... read more

I have just finished my IDC (instructor development course) and got one day before the exams start. I have just had a very full day of mock exams and almost got 100% on everything. I say this just before the last bit but I’m feeling pretty happy as long as I don’t do anything silly on the day, I should be an instructor in 4 days times.  It has been just over 2 weeks of first aid training, presentations on dive theory, teaching skills in confined water and then in open water. There is another English guy who is on the course with me as well as a Swiss guy and an Iranian guy. The Iranian guy had a translator so whenever he gives presentations; we have to wait for each sentence to be translated. ... read more

We set off from Singapore to Denpasar, Bali on a much shorter 2 hour ish flight. Just after take off we saw a cool sight of hundreds of boats around the harbour of Singapore. Our hotel advertised as a relaxing spa hotel is actually attached to the busiest night club on Bali called ‘Blue Eyes’. We discovered this after a few quiet beers and some games of pool in the hotel bar. As guests of the hotel we gained free entry, but we were soon scared off by the loud music and room full of girls in skimpy clothes who we were informed by the barman that you could select as your ‘companion’ for the nightclub! Loud music each night until 4 am, god bless ear plugs. The next few days were spent relaxing on Sanur ... read more

It seems like it’s been a very long time since I wrote but I have had some very long days recently. I have had days where I have travelled all the way to Tulamben several days in a row. It’s becoming a longer and longer journey as there are road works that involve travelling on a pretty much a dirty track for half an hour. I have travelled the 2 and a half hour journey there to spend 17 minutes in the water at 4 metres, only to come straight back afterwards. We didn’t even reach any coral but stayed above the stones and silt because the woman I was with wasn’t able to equalise so that was the end of it. Only later, I found out that every two years she has a little operation ... read more

Geo: -8.68964, 115.253We left Cambodia at the ungodly hour of 8am, so had to be at the airport by 6am. Not happy times! I was sad to leave this strangely altered half-being of my past, but glad to be moving on the the restful holiday part of our month away. I'm not quite sure how restful 2 hours at an airport, 2 hours on a plane, 4 hours at another airport and 3 hours on another plane really is, but hey ho!When we arrived in Bali, I expected the kind of reception we received in Fiji - garlands, acoustic-guitars being gently strummed by smiling locals, the scent of tropical flowers. Hmmm.... perhaps not! We paid our "visa on arrival fee" at one window, then moved swiftly to the queue where we assumed our visas would be ... read more