Skip to main content

I Heart Bali

 

Bintang
 
Did I mention that we are heading back to Bali in 77 days? To be specific 1838 hours. Can you tell that I'm a little excited!!??
 
This will be my 4th or 5th trip to Bali in recent years, and every time I get there, I'm already planning my next trip back. The people, the culture, shopping and relaxation - I get into a zen like feeling the minute that I land at the airport.
 
So you've never been to Bali but are thinking of going? All I can say is GO! It's 5.5 hours flight from Melbourne, a couple of movies on the plane and you are there. I love hot weather so it's right up my alley chilling in the heat, relxing by the pool, massages, food, shopping and more massages!
 
 
 Here is my 5 min quick tip cheat sheet for your first visit:
 
 
Money 
 
Change over a couple of hundred dollars at the airport in Australia to Rupiah - just enough so that you can get drinks, a meal and some massages when you arrive
We always just take out debit card and use the ATM’s at the Circle K stores {they are like 7 Eleven’s here}, from memory you can pull out about $100 worth of Rupiah at a time and then I don’t have to worry about carrying around or storing a whole lot of cash. 
 
Upholstery 
 
Nearly every second shop is either a Upholstery, Leather or Massage shop so there are a whole lot of options of where to get these. 
 
When I want to get stuff made up {it’s dirt cheap there!}and I already have clothes or cushions that I have at home, I take them with me and get the shop to make up what I want in the colours, material type etc…. {I like my work pants so I usually take a couple that I always wear and get them to duplicate the style for me} 
Always always always negotiate the price! They will always start high and will usually say “ what do you think?” as they are waiting for your first offer. Let's say you think all the cushions you are prepared to pay $50 for them start low - $15 and work your way up. 
 
Massages 
 
You will find Massage places everywhere!!! 
They are dirt cheap usually around $5 for a whole body massage for 1 hour. 
I always tip the girls directly at the end of the massage at the time of payment as they all work on commission 
 
 
Scams 
 
You will see little kids coming up to you with wrist bracelets to sell 
You will also see women holding little toddlers on their arms begging for money 
 
Politely say no thank you and move on - this is a SCAM - The women usually pick up the little kids from orphanages for the day and drug them up with stuff to make them look sleepy {it’s run like organised crime}
Same as the little kids with the braclets 
 
If someone stops you and asks if they can have a minute of your time - NO THANKYOU!
This is most likely someone seeking you out for a TIMESHARE scam - they’ll also ask you where you are staying - make up a resort!
They’ll want to show you a brochure and possible give you a scratchy where you will win an instant prize - get invited to a meeting and then they do the hard sell on you for TIMESHARE. Waste of time and energy - just a no thank you and walk away 
 
Buying stuff 
 
Everything is for negotiation in the stalls, If you want to buy something in a stall - start low and then negotiate. 
DVD’s are $1 
TShirts $5 -$10 
 
For touristy stuff there is an awesome place we go to in Kuta which is like a massive Kmart but cheap as chips and a whole shop full of everything Bali - every taxi man knows where Krishna is in Kuta.
 
Heres the link for Krishna where we go to get our nick nacks http://www.tourguide-bali.com/information/bali’s-typical-souvenir-stores
 
Touristy
getting our tourist on!
 
Scooters
 
DONT GO ON THEM OR HIRE THEM! - Half the tourists that do are half drunk and is a sure way of causing massive accidents- traffic is mayhem and there are no road rules. The Blue Bird taxis cost nothing - but make sure when you get in one to ensure that they have put the metre on - if it’s not on ask them to turn it on - we catch taxis everywhere and it costs us $2 - $6 taxi trip 
 
Places to Eat, Drink and be Merry {my version of Eat,Pray,Love}
 
Jimbaren Bay 
 
 
Great place to have a sunset dinner on the beach with yummy seafood! 
A bit on the pricey side for Bali standards but we paid for dinner for 2 - yum seafood and candlelit dinner about $150 a couple of years back 
 
Echo Beach 
 
We have been going to Echo beach now for the last couple of trips 
It’s not on the beach but on a cliff face and a BBQ style Seafood Buffet - Yum! 
 
 
Echo beach restaurant
view from our table at Echo Beach
Echo beach menu
Echo Beach

 
 
Seminyak 
 
That’s where a lot of expats reside and is classed as the ladida area of the Legian strip 
 
Some nice restaurants that we have enjoyed :
 
Rumours Restaurant 
 
Naughty Nuris 
 
 
A Fancy Fancy bar is Potato Head in Seminyak - be prepared though to wait in a line to get in though unless you have made a reservation 
 
Potato head
Potato Head!
Chillin at potato head
 
Be prepared though to pay high prices - Aussie prices and more for drinks and food - it’s not our cup of tea but heaps of people rave on about it
 
For a nice meal on the beach front in Legian we like Blue Ocean http://blueoceanbali.com
 
Also, wine is expensive in Bali - and i love my white wine - but when we go there I drink beer when we are out and about and cocktails at the resort 
 
So many gorgeous places to see and a million things to do - even if it is just for a short and sweet break away from the hussle and bussle of your day - I'm sure if you visit you will be a convert like me!
 
Ubud090_n
Gorgeous UBUD
 
 oxoxo

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

20 meal ideas for those that hate cooking

 It's quite ironic that I decided a few weeks ago to ease myself into the fad of meal planning. I was so sick of thinking of ideas of meals of what to make and Steve was no help as when i asked him,"what you want for dinner?" his answer was always" whatever you want". Grrrrrrrrrrr - uncommitted. So one afternoon with a cup of some alcoholic description, i went into my think tank which is my brain, and wrote down my repertoire of meals that i know how to make.  Now this will look different for every household. After scribbling away for some minutes, I realised that i actually can make quite a variety of meals quite well, without poisoning the family.  Before #IsoLyf took over, I had been quite a fan of click and collect either from Woolies or Coles when we lived in Melbourne. For whatever reason I stopped doing it since our tree-change to the farm which was quite silly as we now lived out of the main hub of Sunraysia and click and collect would have definitel
Post a Comment
Read more

I had a hysterectomy at 37 years of age

 This coming Wednesday will mark four weeks since my hysterectomy. It has been a long journey coming – this hysterectomy and with all the ailments that I had experienced over the last 20 years, including low grade cervical cancer, I could not have been happier seeing my uterus ripped out and put in the bin. That said, I am grateful that these organs allowed me to birth my two sons. They are the joys and absolute headaches of my life. I would (like most mothers I am sure) take a bullet for them and they always know that sanctuary of any sort will always be home for them. But a hysterectomy at 37 you say? Yes, I do admit that Google will tell you that this surgery is quite early in my life, but after two decades of agony, constant pain, bloating to the size of looking like I am six months pregnant and the fact that I had finished have all the children that I desired, it really was a no brainer. We live in rural Victoria. Our main town, Mildura has a hospital, and I was aware that give
Post a Comment
Read more

Do not write blog post when you have had a couple of wines

 It's been a bad day.  Not a travesty, but a day of anxiety, overload of emotions, countless puffs from many a ciggies and all in all just a bleh.  Where the fuck has 2020 gone? How did we get from free world to lockdown and oppressions and wearing masks???? I  burnt my 2020 planner, close with my 2020 diary, because why the fuck, hey? Let's just write this year off as a mistake on a humanity scale and start fresh in 2021.  Funnily enough, I bought a $4 2021 diary. So there may be hope. My beloved is struggling. Which  means that I am struggling, Seeing him in pain, no sleep, swelling joint agony, depression and all the things that entail chronic illness. I'm at a loss as to how to help him, I just sit and be with him and tell him every day that i will be by his side till the rest of my days.  At least 2020 has shown us this: What actually is important in our life, What actually matters, like really really matters,  The latest model car or other new appliance upgra
Post a Comment
Read more