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Not So 'Just Back' Report

by Ans - December 2001

 

On 27th October we returned from 16 wonderful days in Bali. Like many other people, the tragic events of 11 September and the war in Afghanistan threw our travel plans in turmoil. Our departure date was 11 October. Should we cancel the trip we were looking forward to so much?

THE HIGH COST OF CANCELLATION

We had booked and paid for our trip at the beginning of September. The package was flying Qantas (still battling to get enough points to maybe one day fly for free), 6 nights at the Vila Ombak on Gili Trawangan, 5 nights at the Novotel Tanjung Benoa and the first and last days of the trip staying at the Sri Ratu. When the US bombing of Afghanistan started, we contacted Flight Centre to find out what our options were.

Cancellation of the whole trip meant that we would forfeit over A$1500 in airline, hotel, wholesaler and Flight Centre fees. A phone call to HBF with whom we had taken out travel insurance brought some more bad news. We would not be covered if we wanted to cancel, nor if we were unable to proceed as a result of war or warlike conditions, something that looked very real that week.

The next option was to go to Bali but cancel the Lombok sector. This would cost A$59 each for the first night’s accommodation at Vila Ombak, plus A$50 each for Flight Centre amendment fee, a total of $119 per person. We decided to take that option and, for the record, received a refund cheque from the travel agent (for the other 5 nights at Vila Ombak as well as the prepaid Bounty trip) a few weeks shortly after we got back to Perth.

As a matter of interest, if we had wanted to change the dates of our stay at the Novotel, we would have been charged as follows:
New Horizons amendment and phone fee = $72.00
Flight Centre amendment fee = 2 x $50 = $100
Courier fees from Flight Centre Midland to New Horizons in city for documentation reissue and return = $50
Total ‘damage’ = $340.

I wonder how many people know about these ‘hidden’ charges in case you want to change your accommodation at the last moment. I certainly didn’t!

After cancelling the Vila Omback we decided to extend our stay at the Sri Ratu by two nights and book four nights at the Honeymoon Guesthouse. Normally this would have been impossible, but as they had had several cancellations we were able to get a Superior room for two nights, and a De Luxe for the remaining two.

The Qantas flight which left Perth at 6.30 pm was almost full. At least the Aussies were still going! It was raining when we arrived in Bali just before 10 pm. Immigration queues were fairly short and with very few porters in sight we loaded our bags onto a trolley, went to buy a taxi ticket and soon were driven through the wet and balmy night. Nothing beats the feeling when you pull away from the airport - you’re finally in Bali with the whole of your holiday in front of you!

SRI RATU AND LEGIAN

We have always stayed at the Legian Beach Hotel, but this year decided to try the Sri Ratu which we had inspected during a previous visit. Our booking had been handled very efficiently by Si Badak (thanks, Peter!). We were welcomed by the friendly staff, put our documents and cash into a deposit box locked away inside their office, and were soon taken to our room (No. 202) on the 1st floor, walking past the lovely plants along colourful terrazzo paths. The room contained a queen-size bed, bedside table, dressing table with mirror, TV on a cupboard with shelves underneath, built-in wardrobe with plenty of hangers, a tiled bathroom with shower, and a whisper-quiet air conditioner. Everything was clean and tidy. Included in the very low price are airport transfers (as we arrived late, we were given a refund for the taxi fare) and breakfast. Amazing value at Rp. 175,000 per night. There have been some negative comments on the BTF in the past about this hotel which I find very surprising. We went and had a look at some of the other budget properties in this area but in our opinion none could match the Sri Ratu. The swimming pool is small but perfectly adequate for cooling off. There is even a swim-up bar. As for the criticism of the food, I tried the chicken noodle soup and found this to be better than the soto ayam I have had in numerous other places such as Benny’s, Balitoo, etc.

We tried many restaurants in the area, the greatest find being the Puri Dayan in Jl Padma, which had been recommended on the forum as having the best chicken sate in Legian. We agree! They also make great banana pancakes. We had several very enjoyable meals there, and were very disappointed to find, on our return to Legian a week later, that they were closed for renovations until at least December. We also tried La Monde which wasn’t bad, Benny’s on the beach front, again not great, but a pleasant place to while away the time, the Legian Beach Hotel restaurant which has eliminated a few Indonesian dishes such as the kare ayam we used to enjoy there, and Balitoo for a passable Nasi Goreng. Had a lovely meal at Papa’s, Perth prices, but great food and service. Also enjoyed the obligatory ‘fishy’ evening at the Roma, Jimbaran Bay. Yes, Angela, lots of good memories there of our lovely evening there last year with you and your family, and the fish and prawns as delicious as ever.

NUSA LEMBONGAN DAY TRIP

Once we arrived in Bali we regretted not having gone to Lombok and decided to book a day trip to the island of Lembongan as a kind of consolation prize. Island Explorer Cruises had a US$39 ‘special’ on their day trip which included hotel pickup, BBQ buffet lunch etc. You could travel by sailing boat, Fun Ship (65 ft motor yacht) or Superfast ferry. We chose the latter which took only 40 minutes. Some of the people on board were going to stay at Coconuts Beach Resort. We arrived at about 9.40 am and were transferred to their Fun Ship from where we could snorkel, go banana boat riding (an extra US5 p.p.) or kayaking off the beach (US$2 per half hour). As we weren’t interested in these activities and did not feel like staying on board until lunch time, we asked about being taken to the island and their beach resort. They weren’t very keen to let us off, but with some pressure, conceded they could take us across to ‘their’ beach and pick us up again at lunch time as the barbeque was to be served on board. We duly landed on the small beach and were directed towards the Coconuts ‘day trip’ facility which was a pleasant surprise. There was a lovely ‘infinity’ pool, a few lounge chairs, tables, umbrellas and a bar where you could order food and drinks. The toilet/changing room was adequate, the staff rather sullen.

At 11 o’clock we went down to the beach from where we were taken back to the yacht for lunch. The people who had remained behind weren’t very impressed with the snorkeling as they had seen neither fish nor coral. This day cruise is not particularly suitable for families as there is nothing to do on board for small children. Lunch consisted of barbecued sausages, chicken and fish, with a good selection of salads. By now the sea had become a bit choppy and I was dying to get off the boat and onto firm ground. We wanted to visit the village, but they would not take us to the main beach, instead telling us to walk there from their resort, a little uncomfortable in the early afternoon heat. So we hired a local fishing boat and arranged to be picked up after a couple of hours. Nothing much had changed since we were there two years ago except that there appeared to be more budget accommodation. We were duly picked up and spent the last hour or so in and around the pool. Just before we were due to leave, a storm broke out and quite a few people were seasick on the return trip, including me in spite of the seasick tablet I took an hour before departure. The crew rubbed ice blocks and tiger balm on our faces to try and make us feel better. Did it work? Never found out as thankfully we were soon back in Benoa. Before seasickness struck us, I had been speaking to a group of ladies from South Africa. They weren’t very impressed with Lembongan Island Cruises who had charged them an extra US$20 each to come back on the Super Fast ferry instead of the sailing ship they had arrived on. In the brochure it shows that all three vessels cost US$39 per person. The reason they asked to switch was because they had all felt a bit sick on the sailing boat which had taken 2 ½ hours to get to the island.

THE HONEYMOON GUESTHOUSE, UBUD

After five nights in Legian we left for Ubud and the Honeymoon Guesthouse. This family-owned hotel is situated on Jl Bisma, a narrow lane off the main street going towards the Tjampuan bridge within easy walking distance to the centre of Ubud. Friends of ours had stayed here a few months ago and had praised it very highly. We made our booking on the Internet via their website. We had a Superior room, on the first floor for the first three nights and a deluxe downstairs room for the last two as the superior room had already been reserved. There was a long veranda running along the two rooms upstairs. As these rooms are separated by a staircase it is quite private. Breakfast which is included, is served here on the veranda which overlooked another bungalow, the lovely gardens and swimming pool. Interestingly, the rooms have no numbers. I guess it’s so that you feel you are staying in a private estate rather than in a hotel. The bed was a huge four-poster with mosquito net and lovely bed linen (which you can buy at their homewares shop Casa Lina). The bathroom is large and beautifully decorated. The bathtub is very big and has a shower over it. There is generous wardrobe space. There were wooden shutters on the windows but we left these open at night to let the air circulate. Even my husband found having a fan was adequate at night. It was wonderful waking up early and watching dawn break and the sunrise through the open windows with tall trees silhouetted in the distance. I actually preferred our upstairs (and cheaper) room to the more formal De Luxe room. Breakfast has been described before on the forum, so suffice to say it is delicious, plentiful, with a great choice of dishes. My favourite was the freshly made yoghurt served with the sliced fruit platter. The Honeymoon Bakery is just outside the gates and who can resist their pastries. We arrived on a Tuesday afternoon and I immediately booked into Janet’s Wednesday cooking class, something I had always wanted to do and what better opportunity than while we were actually staying right there.

You can order food from the Casa Luna restaurant which they will serve on your balcony or veranda (or even at the swimming pool) at slightly lower prices than at the restaurant. Also they provide free transport between the Guesthouse, the Casa Luna and Indus restaurants as well as the Case Lina homewares shop where you’ll receive a 10% discount. You also receive a 10% discount on the cost of the cooking class.

The cooking class was a great experience. Janet, a former art teacher from Melbourne, has a great insight not only into Balinese cuisine, but also local culture, religion, and traditions. The class began with a very entertaining explanation of the spices, seeds, etc used in Balinese food. The food prepared and cooked is then enjoyed by all. It was a most entertaining and instructive class, and I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone. Part of the fun is meeting people from around the world, all sharing an interest in Bali, its food and its people. Don’t miss it if you have the opportunity. Two ladies had come all the way from Nusa Dua, but it was great being ‘on the spot’ and after lunch being able to go for a swim in the lovely new Guesthouse swimming pool.

The first night in Ubud we ate at Bebek Bengil 2, the new ‘Dirty Duck’ restaurant on the other side of the soccer field. We enjoyed it so much we ate there twice. The second time we ordered the grilled seafood platter - with slight trepidation as we were the only ones there and you begin to worry how fresh the seafood is if they don’t have many customers. We needn’t have worried. It was as fresh as in Kuta or Jimbaran Bay, and at Rp. 49,500, an absolute bargain. With the lack of tourists, many restaurants were in fact sadly empty. I can imagine that soon they would have to start laying off staff. We also ate at Café Wayan which was quite nice but nothing very special, had quite a few meals at Casa Luna, where, incidentally, the mango lassie is to die for, Indus restaurant and Café Lotus. With such huge breakfasts, we always skipped lunch, just went out for dinner.

Another first in Ubud was our visit to the Neka Museum which is highly recommended. Entrance fee was Rp. 10,000 per person. The paintings both by Western artists who lived in Bali and various local artists, are very well displayed in different pavilions. We went for half an hour, but ended up staying two hours. It was a very hot day and although we wanted to have a drink at Naughty Nuri’s across the road, we decided to go to Indus restaurant, a good choice as there was a lovely breeze.

Ubud may have lacked tourists but was abuzz at night with ceremonies at the renovated temple towards the Tjampuan bridge. Everyone appeared to be involved. We saw lots of colourful processions every evening with the traffic stopped in the main street for long periods of time.

One afternoon we went for a stroll along the little street on which the Guesthouse is situated and had a look at the Villa Chempaka. It looks like a delightful place. The bungalows were lovely, most of them facing the rice fields. They are quite expensive though, at US$85 asking price. I guess you could get them down to US$50 as they did not appear to be full.

Soon enough our stay at Ubud was finished and we were on our way to Tanjung Benoa. The Guesthouse charged Rp. 150,000 for transport to the Novotel. Don’t know whether that was too much but we did have a very careful driver who spoke good English and travelled in a comfortable, properly air-conditioned vehicle. It was a pleasant trip that lasted almost one and a half hours.

THE NOVOTEL CORALIA AND TANJUNG BENOA

We arrived at midday on a very hot day. Were surprised to see that the huge Salvador Dali statue was no longer on display in the lobby. Apparently it had been removed by the previous owner when he sold the property. I had previously requested on the Internet the same room we had last year (422) which was quite close to the entrance of the garden complex and the road. We were told the room would not be ready until 2 pm but that we could use a courtesy room in the meantime. To cut a long story short, we had lunch, then waited in the other room until 5 pm when we were finally relocated to ‘our’ room after quite a few phone calls to reception. It appears there was a communication problem between the front desk and housekeeping. I was dying to unpack and settle in and a 5 hour wait was not very welcome. We had a swim in their lap pool which was only a few steps away from our room and then went out to the Mini Restaurant, where we had enjoyed a very tasty and cheap lunch.

The Mini Restaurant

I feel a bit embarrassed to say that we had most of our meals at this café. By this time I had developed the ‘flu and was not feeling overly energetic, so the Mini was a godsend as it was only a few minutes walk from the hotel. As we were given a 20% discount when we returned for our second meal, it was costing an average of Rp. 60,000, including one or two Bintangs. Their grilled whole snapper costs 22,5000 as do their tuna fillets. The fish was always very fresh and we did not suffer from Bali Belly, as we did last year when we ate at various other restaurants in Tanjung Benoa. The menu is quite extensive and also caters for those who like Chinese food. I can really recommend this place for the freshness of its food and its friendly staff who treated us like family.

Next to the Mini is a laundry where we found the lowest prices we had ever encountered eg. Rp. 1,000 for T-shirts, Rp. 1,500 for shirts, shorts or skirts, Rp. 2,000 for trousers. Quite amazing.

The hotel food was even more expensive than last year and we only had lunch there once, a most unremarkable, fatty pizza at 40,000 and a large Bintang at 30,000 Rupiah, with a further 20% tax and service charges on top.

We spent the evenings at the hotel, lying on cushions in a large bale by the pool, listening to some live music, cooled by the sea breezes. They have entertainment every night and it is a lovely setting. The hotel offers various activities throughout the day, such as jogging, stretching exercises by the pool, aquarobics, introduction to scuba diving, afternoon walks to Tanjung village with a hotel guide. The kids club appeared to be very active and we watched their mini Olympics by the pool which everyone seemed to enjoy. You can also play pool basketball, or table tennis on the pool deck. The Coralia (entertainment) staff are well trained and friendly. There is never a problem with ‘reserved’ loungers as there are plenty of chairs and umbrellas, both on the pool deck and on the beach.

Buffet breakfast is included at the Novotel and the choice is amazing. The hotel was quite full, as it always seems to be, with many Europeans and Japanese guests. A couple of times we took the shuttle bus to the Galeria in Nusa Dua. At the Keris department store I bought lots of t-shirts, jumpsuits and soft toys for the grandchildren, good quality and the same price as at Matahari, with probably more attentive shop assistants. The Galeria was itself was deserted, hardly anyone seemed to be around and their restaurants were empty. Hard times for everyone.

Our last two nights were spent at the Sri Ratu. Just want to mention the beauty salon next door, the Putri Bali, a quiet and cool haven where I enjoyed several cream baths (Rp. 30,000) and massages (1 hour Rp. 40,000). Opening hours 9am – 8pm. Friendly, competent staff. A traditional facial, followed by hand and foot massage is only Rp. 35,000. This place was a real find and so conveniently close to the hotel.

All too soon we were back on the plane where the all-male crew apologised for not being able to serve tea or coffee, or sell duty free items. Apparently the Perth ground crew had failed to supply the flight with enough water and duty free.

Sorry it’s taken me so long to post this report, but the flu I had in Bali returned with a vengeance.

If anyone has any questions, please let me know. My email address is abcrb@hotmail.com.

 

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