It's been almost 5 years since we last visited Bali and there is an interesting contrast of change in many parts of the Island. There are more Hotels, a number of the shopfronts have gone upmarket, there are a couple more Shopping Centres, and, sadly, Ubud appears to be suffering something of a building boom in all the wrong places... particularly overlooking the Ayung.
I think the jury's still out on whether banning the street/beach Hawkers is an altogether good thing though. Whilst it's a pleasure not to be continually confronted with someone trying to sell you something, this is still a part of Bali's charm and depending on how you manage the process, it is generally a bucketload of fun. I think problems often result when tourists decide the bargaining process for a $7 watch is a life and death struggle where their pride and self importance is at stake. More than once I witnessed senseless aggression and rudeness from fellow Australians who simply lost the plot for the sake of $1! Personally, I reckon it is worth every penny just for the sheer entertainment value... the seller starts off at ridiculous price, so do you; a quick exchange of devilish grins the ground rules are established and the scene is set. Back and forth it goes, punctuated by much laughter and hollywood-style acting from both sides, the pleading continues as each party tries to outdo the other with animated expressions of painful negotiation. After 5 minutes or so it's over and you finish up owning something that is remembered more for the process than the material possession itself. So good!
Thankfully, though, Bali still offers some amazing scenery, an endless supply of warm smiles, friendly greetings and a culture that is impossible not to like.
Getting There:
We flew out of Adelaide with Garuda and totally indulged ourselves by upgrading to Business. Wow, has this airline got it together in recent years! Champagne and hot towels signalled the beginning of our journey and the bottle came around many more times than twice I might add! The in-flight service on the A330 Airbus was excellent, the food (which just kept coming on the flight over!) was quite good and for the most part, the flight was pretty much on time both ways. Seats were quite roomy but luxurious isn't a word I'd use to describe the comfort level. What they lacked in total comfort though, they more than made up for in leg-room... 2 and half windows per row!... something greatly appreciated on the overnight flight home. Each seat has a TV in the arm and there were 3 movies to choose from, plus some comedy programs. There is also an extensive choice of music channels. The Business upgrade must be a popular option these days because 40 seats were filled both ways (the Business Class cabin seats 42). On our last visit we also flew Business and there were only 8 of us in there going over and 4 coming back. At this point I must say that, with all due respect to our local carriers, Garuda was an excellent choice. From the outset the flight-crew genuinely tried - successfully - to ensure passenger comfort and enjoyment. At times the airline comes in for strong criticism... some of it justified, much of it not. Perhaps the most significant thing, for us at least, was that by flying Garuda, our Holiday with all of its Indonesian hospitality really started from the moment we boarded the aircraft in Australia.
On arrival, Immigration was unusually slow but I think our flight coincided with about 5 others! By the time we collected our baggage everything was off the carousel and now we were at the mercy of the dreaded airport porters. How official they look in their uniforms... but we weren't fooled! Despite my constant protests that I could manage my own luggage they scampered over our cases like crazed ferrets. Customs was fine and we passed without issue however the Ferr... er, I mean Porters swooped on the luggage again. This time I was a tad firmer and the guy grounded my baggage and immediately thrust out his hand. I told him that if he wanted to carry my bags even though I had clearly told him no assistance was required, then that was his choice! So ended the matter. I guess the lesson is that regardless of how official these guys look, common sense tells you that no-one is going to carry your bags out of an airport as part of a "Free Welcome Ceremony".
Staying There:
In '96 we stayed at the Sanur Beach Hotel, Sanur. The experience was more than good enough to bring us back again in 2001. This Hotel was first constructed about 25 years ago and our room was located in the "new" wing (well that's what they call it!) that overlooks the main pool and ocean, etc. This was built about 10 years ago. It's fair to say that in places, the Hotel is showing its age a bit, but if you look past the cosmetic issues, it's still a great property to stay at. Although it's a large Hotel (around 400+ rooms) it is spread out in all directions and only goes three floors high. The grounds are huge and consist of some fabulous landscaped gardens, which help to conceal the size the Hotel and sprawl of its rooms. The property has absolute ocean frontage and the view from the Ocean-view rooms whilst marginally obscured by a few palm trees, is still sensational... the line of surf breaking over the edge of the lagoon is great and even though it's at least a kilometre out, you can hear the crashing surf and see the boiling white water. If hanging around the pool is your thing then you'll love the main pool (there are 2 pools), which is the size of a small lake! The Hotel seems to appeal to a slightly older demographic (40+) and I was amazed at how many Germans stayed there. If you're Australian and don't want to see too many of your fellow countrymen, then this is the place for you! Garuda also houses its flight crews here and we enjoyed many informative conversations in the pool with these great people. The upside to all of this is that the Hotel is not over-run with people and most of the time there were no more than 6 or 8 people in the pool. All the major water-sports are available at this Hotel and the restaurants weren't bad either, although with the exception of breakfast, we tended to mostly eat off-site. There are plenty of excellent restaurants right outside the Hotel's front gates and also on the beachside of the property. Shopping options are a bit light on, but there is plenty to choose from towards the southern end of Sanur where the famous Toot Sie's is located. Getting to this market is a wonderful walk along the seafront, which is pretty much paved the entire way. If you get a sudden uncontrollable attack of hunger, don't worry... there are plenty of fantastic cafes along the path where you can R&R with a cool drink or meal if required. Be wary though... the temptation to simply linger and take in the views with a couple of cool Bintangs is close to overwhelming. Once you make it to the Market though the shopping options are endless. And if you want to hit the main street there's more of the same. A $2 Blue-Taxi ride will bring you home again if you are laden to the gunnels with goodies!
Getting around:
We found a Driver, via this site, named Wayan Merta. From memory I think he was rated in the top three on a Drivers List created by someone on this Forum. And he should be rated so highly!... this guy is 24K gold and he really made a huge contribution towards making our holiday a great success. We used Wayan for 3 and half days I think and his sole objective is to ensure you see and do everything you set out to in Bali. Wayan takes you to destinations that are sometimes a little off the beaten track but believe me, it's worth the trip! We saw and experienced sights and sounds that were truly remarkable. It was a real pleasure not to have to continually contend with hawkers, time-share sharks and shop-owners. That's not to say we didn't enjoy the commercial side of Bali as well. We did... immensely! But, as they say in the classics, "All things in moderation" Wayan's English is excellent, he has a good sense of humour and was more than worth the 225,000 Rp per day. If you'd like details on him, please email me. On the subject of Drivers, we were walking down the main street of Sanur on our first night in town and a driver tried to catch our attention with the old "Transport, Transport" line. I looked over towards where he was standing about 10 metres away and began to decline his offer when his face lit up like Xmas tree, he let out a sound of joyous recognition and he came rushing over to embrace us. It was Made, a Driver we had used only once during our last visit 5 years previous. Although he didn't recall our names, even in the half-light he instantly recognised our faces. We recognised him also but the difference is we hadn't seen thousands upon thousands of tourists and potential clients in between. To say that I was truly astounded is an understatement of the highest degree!
I must say I was a little surprised at the apparent lack of Bemos in Sanur. During our last visit they swarmed like hungry ants and their horn-honking antics were almost incessant. This time, however, I didn't think that there were as many. Perhaps it was merely a perception... I don't know.
On the subject of travelling in Bali, there are those who believe the adage... "When in Rome... etc, etc, etc." A reasonable concept... perhaps! But I'm not sure that such bravado should extend to actually driving yourself around in Bali. If you've never been there before, then the road etiquette and traffic management systems will at best leave you absolutely gobsmacked and at worst, in a state of sheer terror! Cars, bikes, trucks, motor cycles and, at times, even pedestrians, jostle for road-space in a manner that resembles the old Roller-Derby! To the casual observer, traffic movement in Bali looks incredibly like a Max Sennet comedy featuring the Keystone Cops, Dudley Doright, and the Perils of Pauline! Traffic lights are as rare as hen's teeth and the concept of Give Way to the Right at an uncontrolled intersection, has never been floated in Bali. Motorbikes pass within a few millimetres of other road users as they dart in and out of traffic spaces that are barely larger than the absolute extremities of the bike itself. Cyclists pedal along, seemingly oblivious to everything around them and Pedestrians wishing to cross a busy major thoroughfare merely hold their hand up to oncoming traffic before forth-rightly heading off across the road. Incredibly, the traffic usually stops! Vehicles attempting to enter a busy road simply signal their intention by edging out onto the road. Even the slightest sign of the traffic slowing is seen as an invitation to proceed... and proceed they do! In Bali, horns are constantly beeping left, right and centre. The difference, though, is the intent and interpretation is vastly different to that experienced in Australia. Contrary to our custom of seeing a honking horn as a sign of aggression or abuse, the Balinese merely interpret it as an entirely acceptable and friendly way of warning other road-users that you are there. Somehow, in amongst all this crazy chaos, it all actually works. Road rage? Not in Bali! Motorists may wish to get from A to B but they don't see every other road user as the enemy! That said, I still wouldn't drive there... why risk it when you can get a local to take you wherever you wish, almost for a song, leaving you free to take in the views!
Eating out:
When it comes to eating out, the choice is endless in Bali. Some of the beachside restaurants are just fantastic and it's easy to linger... for hours! In Sanur we ate at many places including Bobbies Bar, on the beach (what a view!). The menu was a typical choice of sate's, nasi goreng, soups, mild curry etc. Donald's, in the main street was another favourite, where a little money went a long, long way. In both places the food was excellent, the service matched and prices were really good as well (about $15 for two including a couple of beers and soft drinks). Another interesting place in Sanur is called the Mezzanine. The restaurant itself is quite spectacular with tables across two floors, lashings of marble and a soaring thatched roof. The menu is quite broad but a bit too skewed towards western eating for my liking... remember, we were westerners, in Bali to experience something of the local identity! :) Still, if you become a little weary of Asian food, then the Mez is a great choice as the food's pretty tasty and well priced. The restaurant even has a band playing dinner music after 8, albeit slinky jazz! Our three favourite eating experiences were in Jimbaran, Lovina, and Ubud. We had lunch in Jimbaran at a beachside restaurant (the name escapes me) where, with the exception of the fishermen hauling in their boats, the entire beach was deserted. So too was every other restaurant on the beach except for the one we occupied, and it only had us! It was an amazing concept to be entirely alone on this beach. The sky was an extraordinary blue and the sparkling water looked very inviting indeed! Apparently the place really jumps at night-time, though, and judging by the number of café's on the strip I can see how that would be the case. We selected some very healthy looking fish and paid by the kilo... around 15 minutes later it was presented, chargrilled to perfection, and it tasted magnificent. I can't remember exactly what I paid for this feast but I do recall at the time I thought it was worth every rupiah! We also had a late lunch one day at Lovina in a café that overlooked the black sand. The buffet meal was around $8 per person and offered a significant choice of stir-fries, seafood and soups etc. The service was good but the highlight was these four young Balinese girls on the beach who, in unison, mimicked every word you said to them. It was like an echo... in 4 part harmony! They also sang stuff like Come on Aussie Come on; Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Ooi! It was incredibly entertaining and they captivated everyone. I gave them 20,000 Rp just for the pleasure of it and was later angry at myself for not giving them 50,000. They were selling shell necklaces and insisted on each giving one to Sue... which kind of defeated the purpose of me giving them the 20,000 in the first place. Mind you it was worth the price just to see the scowl on the face of the old Sarong seller who merely pestered us. Another day and another lunch... this time in an Ubud restaurant called Cahaya Dewata. Positioned high on the valley and overlooking the Ayung River, the restaurant has no built in windows and offers stunning views... oh yes, by the way, the food's pretty good too. It gets fairly busy in this place and once you see the views you'll understand why. Prices were very reasonable and I think it cost around $35 including drinks for two courses for three people.
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Highlights:
It's difficult to know where to start with this because it can be so subjective and not everyone enjoys or seeks the same things. For us, though, the temple at Uluwatu was simply spectacular. Sitting high atop a cliff, there are places where the steps and path literally follow the very edge of the cliff-line and as you peer over the waist-high wall, your eyes plummet perhaps 200ft! The drop is stomach churning! Below you, the sea is dancing over the rocks in a mix of white water and swirling rock pools. People rave about Tanahalot as THE place to witness a Bali sunset. I'd encourage you to witness one from here, too, and then make up your own mind! A Fire-Dance ritual is also staged here in an outdoor Amphitheatre, which in itself may not be the most entertaining spectacle... the backdrop, however, is!
Another excellent place to visit is Munduk Waterfall. Although not as spectacular as Git Git, what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in setting. An easy 500-metre hike down a rainforest-covered track brings you to a circular clearing of soaring walls covered in lush vegetation. The waterfall drops from a height of probably 10 - 15 metres and is around a metre and a half wide of the whitest water I have ever seen! This particular location is not a heavily visited tourist destination and on the day we there, we only had to share it with one other person. We felt ourselves lucky indeed.
There's a tiny cove in Bali that opens on a sensational surf beach called Padung Padung. To get to the beach you descend a seemingly endless number of steep steps which wind off to the right and cut a tunnel through large rocks, whereupon you emerge on to this magical little stretch of sand. The road is high above you, the rainforest follows the creek to the sea and there are a couple of platform structures built over the sand on bamboo stilts that offer basic accommodation for surfers. Rumour has it the tariff is just $2 per day! The water is clean and warm and if you fancy your hand at surfing, a magnificent line of breakers roll in around 100 metres off shore.
The Hotel we stayed at offered a fantastic bicycle tour that starts at 6:30am and takes you through some great little parts of Sanur... a paving factory, a school, a cemetery, a woodcarvers factory - the type that produces ornate doors and windows, etc, (not the type where you are expected to buy something), a produce market for the locals, through rice fields, etc. Along the way you stop and talk to a few of the locals, take a lots of photos, learn heaps from your guide and soak up the sights and smells of village life. The whole thing took around 3.5 hours and cost the princely sum of $15! It was a truly relaxing experience and gave us a wonderful opportunity to see Bali, close-up!
If the word Bliss means anything to you then you'll understand what it was to experience a Mandara Spa. The massage took around 1 hour and, set against a backdrop of magnificent surroundings, traditional Balinese music, burning incense and rich fragrant body oils, we were both sent to heaven and back under the soothing hands of our individual masseuse. Short of general anaesthesia, I don't think I have ever been in such a relaxed state. I was so impressed with the experience that, given the choice of White water rafting and another session at Mandara Spa, the massage won in a no-contest! Suffice to say that there is a significant difference between a beach massage and the type offered in many Hotels. Both are enjoyable, I'm sure... but when it comes to massage, I reckon you get what you pay for and believe me the Mandara Spa is worth the extra!
Of course Bali has many more highlights than the few I have mentioned here and fortunately we got to see many of them... the Hot springs, shopping in Kuta, the mountain villages and volcanic lakes, rice terraces, beautiful temples... the list is almost endless! You'd still have to rank the people as a major highlight though.
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