TRIP TO BALI (21 TO 28 JUNE 2008)
21 JUNE 2008 (SATURDAY)
0400 hrs: Mommy had pre-booked a van from Maxi Combi (http://www.maxicombi.sg/) to take us to the airport at 0400 hrs.
0420 hrs: No van was in sight, and Mommy's frantic calls to the booking hotline went unanswered. Grrr... unreliable! Running out of time, Daddy picked up our luggage and started stuffing everything into the back of our Honda Odyssey. Then the 7 of us (Ah Gong, Ah Ma, Daddy, Mommy, Ipa, Su Ann and I) crammed ourselves into the car and moved off to the airport.
0445 hrs: We were at Lionair's check-in counter at Terminal One. The counter staff issued us front row seats, as we were travelling with an infant. Mommy was surprised to learn that the flight was only half full, considering the fact that Lionair (http://www.lionair.co.id/) was running a S$9.00 promo for flights to and from Denpasar. Taxes and surcharges included, return air tickets cost about S$200.00 each.
0500 hrs: We were in the transit area of Terminal One looking for something to eat. There were few passengers in the transit area, and most of the stalls in the 24-hr foodcourt were shut. We ended up at Burger King, which had a play area for energetic kids like me!
0540 hrs: Done with breakfast! Our plane was at the opposite end of the sprawling terminal. By the time we got there, we were hungry again.
0605 hrs: We were on the aircraft. Su Ann was sound asleep in Ipa's arms, and all of us prayed that she would remain that way throughout the flight. Those of us who travelled to and from Bangkok with her know that her screams on board can be unbearably loud.
0620 hrs: Our flight had taken off on time. The flight to Denpasar was pleasant. Fortunately for everyone on board, Su Ann didn't fuss during this flight. The scenery from the window was breathtaking. We saw the sunrise, and flew over volcanoes and ricefields. The air crew even offered us drinks and a snack box each. We really didn't expect perks like that for flying on S$9.00 tickets! The aircraft was also brand new. I won't hesitate to fly with Lionair again.
0850 hrs: We arrived safely in Denpasar. A bus scooped us off the tarmac and drove us to the terminal.
0930 hrs: After visiting the loo, we stood in line at the customs checkpoint. The queue moved really slowly as the immigration officers took their time with things.
1000 hrs: It was our turn at the counter, but we were denied entry because none of us had filled up the arrival and departure card. Not our fault really since no one told us we had to! Ah Gong ran around looking for the cards.
1015 hrs: We were back at the counter again after filling up all the cards. No more problems at the counter. Our luggage was already waiting for us in a heap at the baggage claim. Just as we were moving off with our luggage, Mommy froze when she suddenly noticed that her breastpump bag was missing! There was panic all around when Daddy remembered that he had left it in the cabin of the aircraft.
Daddy went to look for help, whilst Mommy tried to remain calm. Su Ann was strapped to Ipa, moving her arms and legs about and babbling happily. Clearly oblivious to the fact that she might have to go hungry for a few days!
1030 hrs: Much to our relief, the airport officials managed to locate the breastpump bag on board and they returned it to us. We thanked the officials profusely and moved outside the terminal to look for our ride to the villa.
Mommy had booked a 3-bedroom villa in Seminyak called Azur Villa (http://www.azurvillabali.com/) and it included airport transfers. We looked for a sign with our names on it, but none of them did. Urgh! Just when we thought we had enough drama for a morning, we had to be stood up! Mommy rang the villa's owner and he promptly got in touch with his driver.
1050 hrs: The villa's driver arrived to pick us up. He explained that he had been given the wrong flight number and had been waiting at the domestic terminal since 0800 hrs. Poor bloke! We crammed everything into his 7-seater Toyota Kijang and climbed in.
1130 hrs: After twisting and turning down narrow lanes, we were at Azur Villa. The owner, Alex, was waiting for us there and he showed us around the house. Alex was a Frenchman who married an Indonesian, and they have an 11-mth old son. He told us that he had bought the land, designed and built the villa himself. There was a free-form swimming pool in the garden, and in true Balinese style, there was an open concept living area, kitchen and dining area. The 3 bedrooms and bathrooms were very spacious. Mommy said she had never seen bathrooms of that large size in her life before! A maid would come in twice a day to clean and do the evening turn-down service. For USD200.00 per night for this 3-bedroom villa in Seminyak, it was a steal!
1200 hrs: It was lunch time and we were all hungry. Alex said it was a 5-min walk to Jln Dhyana Pura, where there were cafes and bars. Alex was heading off so he offered to drive Daddy there to buy lunch from a warung he recommended.
1230 hrs: Daddy was back at the villa, without lunch but with a helmut in his hand. Jln Dhyana Pura was not a 5-min walk away; more like a 5-min ride away, so he rented a motorbike from there for Rp50,000 a day (about S$8.00). Daddy needed a pillion to help him carry all the food back, so Ipa went with him. She had been riding motorbikes on Indonesian roads since she was 14 years old, and was happy to go along.
1345 hrs: Daddy and Ipa were finally back with lunch. There was nasi goreng, mee goreng, nasi ayam, tempe and vegetables. Only the nasi goreng was decent. Everyone, including Ipa, was disappointed with the food, and there were lots of leftovers.
1430 hrs: After lunch, we dozed off one by one. None of us had had a good night's sleep and we were exhausted.
27 JUNE 2008 (FRIDAY)
21 JUNE 2008 (SATURDAY)
0400 hrs: Mommy had pre-booked a van from Maxi Combi (http://www.maxicombi.sg/) to take us to the airport at 0400 hrs.
0420 hrs: No van was in sight, and Mommy's frantic calls to the booking hotline went unanswered. Grrr... unreliable! Running out of time, Daddy picked up our luggage and started stuffing everything into the back of our Honda Odyssey. Then the 7 of us (Ah Gong, Ah Ma, Daddy, Mommy, Ipa, Su Ann and I) crammed ourselves into the car and moved off to the airport.
0445 hrs: We were at Lionair's check-in counter at Terminal One. The counter staff issued us front row seats, as we were travelling with an infant. Mommy was surprised to learn that the flight was only half full, considering the fact that Lionair (http://www.lionair.co.id/) was running a S$9.00 promo for flights to and from Denpasar. Taxes and surcharges included, return air tickets cost about S$200.00 each.
0500 hrs: We were in the transit area of Terminal One looking for something to eat. There were few passengers in the transit area, and most of the stalls in the 24-hr foodcourt were shut. We ended up at Burger King, which had a play area for energetic kids like me!
0540 hrs: Done with breakfast! Our plane was at the opposite end of the sprawling terminal. By the time we got there, we were hungry again.
0605 hrs: We were on the aircraft. Su Ann was sound asleep in Ipa's arms, and all of us prayed that she would remain that way throughout the flight. Those of us who travelled to and from Bangkok with her know that her screams on board can be unbearably loud.
0620 hrs: Our flight had taken off on time. The flight to Denpasar was pleasant. Fortunately for everyone on board, Su Ann didn't fuss during this flight. The scenery from the window was breathtaking. We saw the sunrise, and flew over volcanoes and ricefields. The air crew even offered us drinks and a snack box each. We really didn't expect perks like that for flying on S$9.00 tickets! The aircraft was also brand new. I won't hesitate to fly with Lionair again.
0850 hrs: We arrived safely in Denpasar. A bus scooped us off the tarmac and drove us to the terminal.
0930 hrs: After visiting the loo, we stood in line at the customs checkpoint. The queue moved really slowly as the immigration officers took their time with things.
1000 hrs: It was our turn at the counter, but we were denied entry because none of us had filled up the arrival and departure card. Not our fault really since no one told us we had to! Ah Gong ran around looking for the cards.
1015 hrs: We were back at the counter again after filling up all the cards. No more problems at the counter. Our luggage was already waiting for us in a heap at the baggage claim. Just as we were moving off with our luggage, Mommy froze when she suddenly noticed that her breastpump bag was missing! There was panic all around when Daddy remembered that he had left it in the cabin of the aircraft.
Daddy went to look for help, whilst Mommy tried to remain calm. Su Ann was strapped to Ipa, moving her arms and legs about and babbling happily. Clearly oblivious to the fact that she might have to go hungry for a few days!
1030 hrs: Much to our relief, the airport officials managed to locate the breastpump bag on board and they returned it to us. We thanked the officials profusely and moved outside the terminal to look for our ride to the villa.
Mommy had booked a 3-bedroom villa in Seminyak called Azur Villa (http://www.azurvillabali.com/) and it included airport transfers. We looked for a sign with our names on it, but none of them did. Urgh! Just when we thought we had enough drama for a morning, we had to be stood up! Mommy rang the villa's owner and he promptly got in touch with his driver.
1050 hrs: The villa's driver arrived to pick us up. He explained that he had been given the wrong flight number and had been waiting at the domestic terminal since 0800 hrs. Poor bloke! We crammed everything into his 7-seater Toyota Kijang and climbed in.
1130 hrs: After twisting and turning down narrow lanes, we were at Azur Villa. The owner, Alex, was waiting for us there and he showed us around the house. Alex was a Frenchman who married an Indonesian, and they have an 11-mth old son. He told us that he had bought the land, designed and built the villa himself. There was a free-form swimming pool in the garden, and in true Balinese style, there was an open concept living area, kitchen and dining area. The 3 bedrooms and bathrooms were very spacious. Mommy said she had never seen bathrooms of that large size in her life before! A maid would come in twice a day to clean and do the evening turn-down service. For USD200.00 per night for this 3-bedroom villa in Seminyak, it was a steal!
1200 hrs: It was lunch time and we were all hungry. Alex said it was a 5-min walk to Jln Dhyana Pura, where there were cafes and bars. Alex was heading off so he offered to drive Daddy there to buy lunch from a warung he recommended.
1230 hrs: Daddy was back at the villa, without lunch but with a helmut in his hand. Jln Dhyana Pura was not a 5-min walk away; more like a 5-min ride away, so he rented a motorbike from there for Rp50,000 a day (about S$8.00). Daddy needed a pillion to help him carry all the food back, so Ipa went with him. She had been riding motorbikes on Indonesian roads since she was 14 years old, and was happy to go along.
1345 hrs: Daddy and Ipa were finally back with lunch. There was nasi goreng, mee goreng, nasi ayam, tempe and vegetables. Only the nasi goreng was decent. Everyone, including Ipa, was disappointed with the food, and there were lots of leftovers.
1430 hrs: After lunch, we dozed off one by one. None of us had had a good night's sleep and we were exhausted.
1800 hrs: We awoke to find the sun setting. Daddy hailed a taxi to take us to Seminyak Beach, where we could catch what remained of the sunset. Dewa, the taxi driver, offered to take us around for the evening for Rp150,000 (less than S$25.00). He had expected us to bargain, but Daddy didn't bother because the sun was setting fast and we really didn't want to miss it. Dewa had a car which was big enough for 4 passengers, but he squeezed all 7 of us into it anyway. It was an extremely tight fit! Mommy told Dewa to drive us to Ku De Ta, the beachside bar which was famous for its sundown cocktails and chill music.
1815 hrs: We stood on the beach by Ku De Ta and watched as the orangey sky turn dark. We snapped pictures and enjoyed the view until the touts on the beach started approaching us with their wooden carvings, frangipani hairclips and other knick knacks.
1830 hrs: We asked Dewa where we could go for a good Indonesian meal, and he suggested Made's Warung (http://www.madeswarung.com/). Lonely Planet had listed Made's Warung as a very popular place for Indonesian food too, so we decided to give the place a shot.
Once we sat down and the menu was handed to us, we realised Made's Warung wasn't a restaurant which specialised in Indonesian food at all. In fact, the selection of Indonesian food available was limited. There was nasi goreng, mee goreng, gado-gado and a few other things. The rest of the menu featured Western and Japanese food. Prices were steep for that sort of fare, which tasted very average. To be fair, the restaurant had a lively ambience and I had fun watching children perform traditional Balinese dance in the courtyard.
2000 hrs: After dinner, Dewa drove us to Legian and Kuta. He showed us the site of the Bali bomb blasts back in 2002, and where a memorial had been erected. He dropped us off at Matahari Shopping Centre in Kuta, so we could take a walk around the area. We did some window shopping (there was a surf shop with live mannequins!), bought a dozen donuts from Dunkin Donuts, and some groceries from a mini mart before calling it a night.
2200 hrs: We were back at Azur Villa. Dinner hadn't been substantial, so we stuffed our faces with donuts, before going to bed. We had to shroud our bed with a mosquito net that night as the number of mozzies at this villa was overwhelming!
22 JUNE 2008 (SUNDAY)
0800 hrs: Breakfast was included in the cost of the villa, and it was served at the Bali Agung Village hotel next door. It was low season in Bali and it was very quiet at the hotel. There was only one other person having breakfast there.
We ordered eggs (scrambled and hardboiled), toasts, bacon and sausage (tiny beef sausages split open and fried to look like frangipanis), pineapple and watermelon juice. The service at breakfast was super slow. Mommy had pre-booked transportation by Made Wijaya (http://www.baliprivatetours.com/) for 0900 hrs, but it wasn't till 0945 hrs that we were ready to leave.
0945 hrs: Made Wijaya was waiting for us at the hotel's lobby. He drove a champagne-coloured Toyota Kijang. It was just right for the 7 of us. The plan for the day was to visit the cool mountain retreat of Bedugul, and travel further north to GitGit Waterfalls. However, after an hour of travelling, we realised that Ipa had left behind a bottle of Su Ann's milk in the villa's fridge so we had to scrap the idea of going to the falls. The fourth time in four trips that Ipa has forgotten something!
1100 hrs: We stopped for some sightseeing at Pacung. Saranam Eco Resort was just by the side of the road, so we wandered in to have a look at the beautiful rice terraces from the resort's lookout point. There was a restaurant in the resort. Daddy had a look at the menu, whilst the rest of us borrowed their washroom. The restaurant had a great view and it was clean enough. We decided to have lunch there on our way back from Bedugul.
1145 hrs: We were at Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, a Hindu temple floating on Lake Bratan in Bedugul. The drive up to the mountain retreat was very pleasant. It was a gentle climb all the way up, and the road wasn't too winding. Once we alighted, we could feel the refreshingly cool mountain breeze and see mist swirling at the top of the mountain range. There was only a handful of foreign tourists. Most were locals dressed in traditional Balinese wear who were either there for fishing at the lake or for a prayer session at the temple. The setting was just perfect.
1300 hrs: We were ready to head back to Saranam Eco Resort for lunch. Enroute, we came across a busy market selling local produce and decided to make a detour. Ah Ma, Daddy and Ipa love corn, and they couldn't resist buying when they saw women balancing pots of steaming hot corn on their heads. Ah Ma sent Ipa to bargain in Bahasa with the sellers and Ipa came back with corns, peanuts, strawberries and bananas at a rock bottom price. The cool climate in Bedugul made it a perfect place to grow strawberries. The strawberries we bought were fresh and sweet.
1430 hrs: We were back at Saranam Eco Resort. The restaurant was empty, so we picked the table with the best view of the rice terraces. Ah Ma and Daddy were very impressed with the ikan bakkar at the restaurant. The fish was fresh, grilled to a crisp, served with the best sambal chilli Daddy had ever tasted, and only cost about S$5.00. An impossible find in Singapore! It was the first meal in Bali which Daddy was happy with, and he said the ikan bakkar alone was worth the trip to Pacung.
After lunch, we wandered about the resort's grounds to get closer to the rice terraces. The resort had an unique elevator which went up and down the hillside. We didn't see anyone using the elevator though. In fact, the rooms and villas at the resort looked unoccupied. One whole portion was left undeveloped and Made Wijaya told us that the owner actually ran of out of funds. Such a pity because the resort had a lovely design and a commanding view of the area.
1615 hrs: We had spent an unexpectedly long time in Pacung and it was time to head back to Azur Villa. Traffic crawled to a halt at one stage because of a road accident; the only one we came across in accident-prone Bali during our week-long stay. We also passed cremation grounds where last rites were being performed for all to see. Tourists had parked their vehicles along the road to witness the ceremony, but Daddy felt it was too morbid to see.
1745 hrs: We were back at our villa. Daddy paid Made Wijaya the agreed rate of Rp400,000 (less than S$60.00) for the day.
1815 hrs: We stood on the beach by Ku De Ta and watched as the orangey sky turn dark. We snapped pictures and enjoyed the view until the touts on the beach started approaching us with their wooden carvings, frangipani hairclips and other knick knacks.
1830 hrs: We asked Dewa where we could go for a good Indonesian meal, and he suggested Made's Warung (http://www.madeswarung.com/). Lonely Planet had listed Made's Warung as a very popular place for Indonesian food too, so we decided to give the place a shot.
Once we sat down and the menu was handed to us, we realised Made's Warung wasn't a restaurant which specialised in Indonesian food at all. In fact, the selection of Indonesian food available was limited. There was nasi goreng, mee goreng, gado-gado and a few other things. The rest of the menu featured Western and Japanese food. Prices were steep for that sort of fare, which tasted very average. To be fair, the restaurant had a lively ambience and I had fun watching children perform traditional Balinese dance in the courtyard.
2000 hrs: After dinner, Dewa drove us to Legian and Kuta. He showed us the site of the Bali bomb blasts back in 2002, and where a memorial had been erected. He dropped us off at Matahari Shopping Centre in Kuta, so we could take a walk around the area. We did some window shopping (there was a surf shop with live mannequins!), bought a dozen donuts from Dunkin Donuts, and some groceries from a mini mart before calling it a night.
2200 hrs: We were back at Azur Villa. Dinner hadn't been substantial, so we stuffed our faces with donuts, before going to bed. We had to shroud our bed with a mosquito net that night as the number of mozzies at this villa was overwhelming!
22 JUNE 2008 (SUNDAY)
0800 hrs: Breakfast was included in the cost of the villa, and it was served at the Bali Agung Village hotel next door. It was low season in Bali and it was very quiet at the hotel. There was only one other person having breakfast there.
We ordered eggs (scrambled and hardboiled), toasts, bacon and sausage (tiny beef sausages split open and fried to look like frangipanis), pineapple and watermelon juice. The service at breakfast was super slow. Mommy had pre-booked transportation by Made Wijaya (http://www.baliprivatetours.com/) for 0900 hrs, but it wasn't till 0945 hrs that we were ready to leave.
0945 hrs: Made Wijaya was waiting for us at the hotel's lobby. He drove a champagne-coloured Toyota Kijang. It was just right for the 7 of us. The plan for the day was to visit the cool mountain retreat of Bedugul, and travel further north to GitGit Waterfalls. However, after an hour of travelling, we realised that Ipa had left behind a bottle of Su Ann's milk in the villa's fridge so we had to scrap the idea of going to the falls. The fourth time in four trips that Ipa has forgotten something!
1100 hrs: We stopped for some sightseeing at Pacung. Saranam Eco Resort was just by the side of the road, so we wandered in to have a look at the beautiful rice terraces from the resort's lookout point. There was a restaurant in the resort. Daddy had a look at the menu, whilst the rest of us borrowed their washroom. The restaurant had a great view and it was clean enough. We decided to have lunch there on our way back from Bedugul.
1145 hrs: We were at Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, a Hindu temple floating on Lake Bratan in Bedugul. The drive up to the mountain retreat was very pleasant. It was a gentle climb all the way up, and the road wasn't too winding. Once we alighted, we could feel the refreshingly cool mountain breeze and see mist swirling at the top of the mountain range. There was only a handful of foreign tourists. Most were locals dressed in traditional Balinese wear who were either there for fishing at the lake or for a prayer session at the temple. The setting was just perfect.
1300 hrs: We were ready to head back to Saranam Eco Resort for lunch. Enroute, we came across a busy market selling local produce and decided to make a detour. Ah Ma, Daddy and Ipa love corn, and they couldn't resist buying when they saw women balancing pots of steaming hot corn on their heads. Ah Ma sent Ipa to bargain in Bahasa with the sellers and Ipa came back with corns, peanuts, strawberries and bananas at a rock bottom price. The cool climate in Bedugul made it a perfect place to grow strawberries. The strawberries we bought were fresh and sweet.
1430 hrs: We were back at Saranam Eco Resort. The restaurant was empty, so we picked the table with the best view of the rice terraces. Ah Ma and Daddy were very impressed with the ikan bakkar at the restaurant. The fish was fresh, grilled to a crisp, served with the best sambal chilli Daddy had ever tasted, and only cost about S$5.00. An impossible find in Singapore! It was the first meal in Bali which Daddy was happy with, and he said the ikan bakkar alone was worth the trip to Pacung.
After lunch, we wandered about the resort's grounds to get closer to the rice terraces. The resort had an unique elevator which went up and down the hillside. We didn't see anyone using the elevator though. In fact, the rooms and villas at the resort looked unoccupied. One whole portion was left undeveloped and Made Wijaya told us that the owner actually ran of out of funds. Such a pity because the resort had a lovely design and a commanding view of the area.
1615 hrs: We had spent an unexpectedly long time in Pacung and it was time to head back to Azur Villa. Traffic crawled to a halt at one stage because of a road accident; the only one we came across in accident-prone Bali during our week-long stay. We also passed cremation grounds where last rites were being performed for all to see. Tourists had parked their vehicles along the road to witness the ceremony, but Daddy felt it was too morbid to see.
1745 hrs: We were back at our villa. Daddy paid Made Wijaya the agreed rate of Rp400,000 (less than S$60.00) for the day.
1915 hrs: We still needed to head out for dinner, so Daddy rang Dewa (the driver we used the night before) and made arrangements for him to drive us around for the evening. He seemed like a trustworthy and friendly chap the night before, but this evening's service was a different story altogether. The agreed rate had been Rp150,000 the previous night, but when we got into the car this evening, he wanted more than double the amount to drive us to Ubud for dinner. He made no mention of the price difference when Daddy rang him earlier to say we would like to go to Ubud. We decided to go somewhere else instead.
Dewa suggested driving to nearby Denpasar instead. He said he knew of a good food area in Denpasar where locals frequented. He said the place served excellent Babi Guling (Balinese suckling pig) and was clean. Since we hadn't really visited Denpasar yet, we went along with his suggestion.
2000 hrs: Dewa took us to Warung Babi Guling Chandra, which was very local indeed. Once there, he parked his vehicle and walked off to have kopi with the warung's parking officer. Daddy didn't quite know what to order and pork dishes weren't something which Muslim Ipa would know anything about. It didn't occur to Daddy to check the prices first before ordering 4 portions of Babi Guling.
The food arrived in a jiffy. Two small slices of suckling pig's skin, shredded pork, sliced pork, offal and two sticks of pork satay, served with rice and a bowl of thin, oxtail soup. Everything was stone cold and tough. The shredded pork tasted like it had bits of shredded pig's ear mixed in it. Cold, rubbery texture. The bill came up to Rp150,000 (about S$20.00). Ipa, who had gone round the corner to buy mee goreng with chicken balls, paid only about S$1.00 for her meal. Her dinner tasted a lot better too. We felt so ripped off!
2045 hrs: We quizzed Dewa about how much a Babi Guling meal should have cost, but he was tight-lipped about the whole thing. He said he didn't know. Hmmm... so much for recommending the warung as THE place where locals went for Babi Guling!
2100 hrs: Dewa dropped us off at Ramayana Shopping Centre where the shops were still open. There was a large supermarket in the building, so we stocked up on our groceries there. It was interesting that when the supermarket ran out of change, it would give customers sweets instead. Ah Gong said he preferred that to having a pocketful of Indonesian coins.
Ah Ma noticed that the supermarket had a wide selection of keropok and emping on sale and it cost about S$2.00 per kilo. Ipa said she was sure that prices were lower at local produce markets. Ipa took Ah Ma round to the fresh fruits section in the supermarket and proudly showed her how much she had saved us with her excellent bargaining skills at the market earlier today. For a moment, we forgave her for making us miss Gitgit Waterfalls by forgetting Su Ann's milk!
2145 hrs: Dewa took us back. The evening wasn't all bad. We did have our most adventurous meal to date!
2230 hrs: We were back at our villa. Daddy paid Rp150,000 to Dewa and vowed never to use him again.
After that, I enjoyed my donut whilst Daddy and Mommy took the motorbike out to Jln Laksmana (also known as Jln Oberoi) in search of supper. Jln Laksmana in Seminyak is well-known as Bali's "Eat Street". It was there that Daddy and Mommy discovered 2 really good value and classy restaurants - Ultimo Italian Restaurant and Rumours. A seafood pizza which would normally be upwards of S$16.00 in Singapore was only Rp32,000 (i.e. less than S$5.00). Lamb shanks, prime beef ribs, etc. which would normally cost S$30.00 onwards in Singapore was less than S$10.00 at Rumours. Daddy and Mommy couldn't believe their eyes. They kicked themselves for letting Dewa take them on a wild goose chase for good, affordable food.
2330 hrs: I was already in bed when Daddy and Mommy returned with the haul of takeaway food from Ultimo and Rumours. Ah Gong and Ah Ma joined in the feast whilst I snoozed.
23 JUNE 2008 (MONDAY)
0800 hrs: Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy were flying in from Singapore today, and we were shifting to a villa which could accommodate all of us. Mommy had booked Villa Jepun (http://www.villajepun.com/) in Tanjung Benoa, and the driver from Villa Jepun was due to pick us up at 0900 hrs.
Breakfast was served as slowly as yesterday, even though we went over to the restaurant first thing in the morning to pre-order our breakfast and we were the only ones eating there.
0930 hrs: We met Romi, Villa Jepun's driver, who said that Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy were already on their way to Villa Jepun.
1025 hrs: Villa Jepun was part of a complex of 5 villas with its own security post, jetty, 22-foot power boat with skipper, a small sailing catamaran and 4 canoes. It was in a really obscure corner of Tanjung Benoa. We had to travel on tiny, narrow, dirt roads and had to be led through a Balinese kampung complete with grazing cows before arriving at our whitewashed villa.
Like Azur Villa, Villa Jepun had 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, but the owner of Villa Jepun had agreed to provide an additional single bed for Ipa for an extra USD30 per night. In all, we paid USD290 per night plus 11% tax for a villa big enough for 9 persons. It was a very good deal indeed, considering how new the villa was, its size, and the services provided. Airport transfers were included. Butlers Gede and Putu were stationed at the villa for the day to prepare breakfast and clean for us. We had free, unlimited use of the villa's watercrafts, and only needed to pay for petrol consumption of the boat.
The villa was managed by Villas of Excellence (http://www.balivillaex.com/), and we felt immediately that the villa was very professionally run. A baby high chair was placed in the dining area and a babycot was set up in Su Ann's room. Gede and Putu were always punctual, prepared our breakfast quickly and they kept the villa spick and span. Toiletries, fresh towels and frangipanis were provided each day. It was a truly luxurious experience.
Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy were already at the villa enjoying their welcome drink when we got there. Villas of Excellence had arranged for VIP Express Clearance at the airport, so unlike us, they didn't have to go through the hassle of filling up the arrival and departure card and standing in line at the customs.
1100 hrs: Romi showed us around the villa and introduced us to Wayan, the skipper of the power boat. Wayan said he could get the boat ready in half an hour if we were keen to go for a ride. Daddy went with Wayan to have a look at the boat and he was all smiles. The boat was in immaculate condition and new lifevests were available for everyone. Daddy told Wayan to get the boat ready. We were going for a spin!
1230 hrs: We had all settled into our respective rooms and were ready to head out to sea. Wayan helped us on board the boat and steered us to Tanjung Benoa Harbour for some sightseeing. There were many Indonesian fishing boats in the harbour. Wayan also took us round to Bali's only marina to have a look at the fleet of sailing boats docked there. Thereafter, we went in the direction of Nusa Dua. Enroute, we passed many jetskis, banana boats, speedboats pulling parasails and surf kites, etc.
1300 hrs: Wayan stopped the boat at one end of the beach in Nusa Dua. He said that if we were to go any further, the sea would be very choppy. We got off the boat and used the beach promenade to walk to the Grand Hyatt for lunch instead. Mommy had read online that the stretch of beach between the Grand Hyatt and Amannusa Resort was Bali's best beach, and she wanted to see that beach. The beach was as others had described. Calm blue seas and powdery white sand.
1340 hrs: The Grand Hyatt had sprawling grounds and it took us quite a while to find the resort's Balinese restaurant. Prices weren't cheap, but that was to be expected of the Hyatt. The waitress gave me a set of crayons to colour a Balinese picture, whilst we waited for the food.
1445 hrs: We hurried back towards the boat. Wayan had warned that the tide would recede by 1530 hrs and we would have trouble getting back to the villa if there was insufficient sea water leading up to the jetty.
1515 hrs: By the time we returned to the boat, the tide had receded a fair bit and everyone on board had to cooperate with Wayan to lift the boat off the seabed. We followed his orders of moving to the right, moving to the left, moving to the front and moving to the back, but we were still stuck. Eventually, it took the combined strength of Wayan, Daddy and Ah Gong to lift the boat off.
1530 hrs: It was a race against time to get back to the jetty. We met choppy waters and our boat bounced up and down really hard, splashing salty sea water on all of us. It was an exhilarating experience for the adults, but I was green with fear. I shut my eyes tight and refused to open them till we got back to the jetty.
1550 hrs: By the time we reached the jetty, the tide had receded quite a distance. We had to jump off the boat to walk back to jetty. Thousands of small fish bumped against our legs as we trudged through the shallow sea water. It felt funny indeed!
1600 hrs: We had to wash up quickly and get ready for our next adventure. Made Wijaya was picking us up at 1700 hrs to drive us to Pura Luhur Uluwatu to watch the sunset.
1745 hrs: We got to the temple on the cliff just in time to see the sun go down. It was a cloudy day so the sunset wasn't as stunning as it should be, but it was beautiful nonetheless.
There were many monkeys in the area. One of them snuck up on Mommy unexpectedly and tugged at Su Ann's teddy bear which was hanging on Mommy's backpack. Mommy was carrying me when she felt the strong pull. She didn't know what had happened so she leaned her body forward. Again, the monkey pulled her back. This time, the monkey almost went for Mommy's hair, as Ipa later recounted what she had witnessed. Mommy struggled and fell. Fortunately, Mommy and I were unhurt. The incident freaked us out though, and we wanted to get away as quickly as possible from the temple.
1815 hrs: We drove towards Seminyak for dinner. Daddy and Mommy were going to take us all to Rumours.
1845 hrs: Trapped in a traffic jam, we spotted a sign which said "75% Discount" outside the Rip Curl & Quiksilver factory outlet. We stopped to pick up some heavily discounted surf wear.
1945 hrs: We hopped back into the van. The jam had eased a little, but it was still bad.
Dewa suggested driving to nearby Denpasar instead. He said he knew of a good food area in Denpasar where locals frequented. He said the place served excellent Babi Guling (Balinese suckling pig) and was clean. Since we hadn't really visited Denpasar yet, we went along with his suggestion.
2000 hrs: Dewa took us to Warung Babi Guling Chandra, which was very local indeed. Once there, he parked his vehicle and walked off to have kopi with the warung's parking officer. Daddy didn't quite know what to order and pork dishes weren't something which Muslim Ipa would know anything about. It didn't occur to Daddy to check the prices first before ordering 4 portions of Babi Guling.
The food arrived in a jiffy. Two small slices of suckling pig's skin, shredded pork, sliced pork, offal and two sticks of pork satay, served with rice and a bowl of thin, oxtail soup. Everything was stone cold and tough. The shredded pork tasted like it had bits of shredded pig's ear mixed in it. Cold, rubbery texture. The bill came up to Rp150,000 (about S$20.00). Ipa, who had gone round the corner to buy mee goreng with chicken balls, paid only about S$1.00 for her meal. Her dinner tasted a lot better too. We felt so ripped off!
2045 hrs: We quizzed Dewa about how much a Babi Guling meal should have cost, but he was tight-lipped about the whole thing. He said he didn't know. Hmmm... so much for recommending the warung as THE place where locals went for Babi Guling!
2100 hrs: Dewa dropped us off at Ramayana Shopping Centre where the shops were still open. There was a large supermarket in the building, so we stocked up on our groceries there. It was interesting that when the supermarket ran out of change, it would give customers sweets instead. Ah Gong said he preferred that to having a pocketful of Indonesian coins.
Ah Ma noticed that the supermarket had a wide selection of keropok and emping on sale and it cost about S$2.00 per kilo. Ipa said she was sure that prices were lower at local produce markets. Ipa took Ah Ma round to the fresh fruits section in the supermarket and proudly showed her how much she had saved us with her excellent bargaining skills at the market earlier today. For a moment, we forgave her for making us miss Gitgit Waterfalls by forgetting Su Ann's milk!
2145 hrs: Dewa took us back. The evening wasn't all bad. We did have our most adventurous meal to date!
2230 hrs: We were back at our villa. Daddy paid Rp150,000 to Dewa and vowed never to use him again.
After that, I enjoyed my donut whilst Daddy and Mommy took the motorbike out to Jln Laksmana (also known as Jln Oberoi) in search of supper. Jln Laksmana in Seminyak is well-known as Bali's "Eat Street". It was there that Daddy and Mommy discovered 2 really good value and classy restaurants - Ultimo Italian Restaurant and Rumours. A seafood pizza which would normally be upwards of S$16.00 in Singapore was only Rp32,000 (i.e. less than S$5.00). Lamb shanks, prime beef ribs, etc. which would normally cost S$30.00 onwards in Singapore was less than S$10.00 at Rumours. Daddy and Mommy couldn't believe their eyes. They kicked themselves for letting Dewa take them on a wild goose chase for good, affordable food.
2330 hrs: I was already in bed when Daddy and Mommy returned with the haul of takeaway food from Ultimo and Rumours. Ah Gong and Ah Ma joined in the feast whilst I snoozed.
23 JUNE 2008 (MONDAY)
0800 hrs: Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy were flying in from Singapore today, and we were shifting to a villa which could accommodate all of us. Mommy had booked Villa Jepun (http://www.villajepun.com/) in Tanjung Benoa, and the driver from Villa Jepun was due to pick us up at 0900 hrs.
Breakfast was served as slowly as yesterday, even though we went over to the restaurant first thing in the morning to pre-order our breakfast and we were the only ones eating there.
0930 hrs: We met Romi, Villa Jepun's driver, who said that Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy were already on their way to Villa Jepun.
1025 hrs: Villa Jepun was part of a complex of 5 villas with its own security post, jetty, 22-foot power boat with skipper, a small sailing catamaran and 4 canoes. It was in a really obscure corner of Tanjung Benoa. We had to travel on tiny, narrow, dirt roads and had to be led through a Balinese kampung complete with grazing cows before arriving at our whitewashed villa.
Like Azur Villa, Villa Jepun had 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, but the owner of Villa Jepun had agreed to provide an additional single bed for Ipa for an extra USD30 per night. In all, we paid USD290 per night plus 11% tax for a villa big enough for 9 persons. It was a very good deal indeed, considering how new the villa was, its size, and the services provided. Airport transfers were included. Butlers Gede and Putu were stationed at the villa for the day to prepare breakfast and clean for us. We had free, unlimited use of the villa's watercrafts, and only needed to pay for petrol consumption of the boat.
The villa was managed by Villas of Excellence (http://www.balivillaex.com/), and we felt immediately that the villa was very professionally run. A baby high chair was placed in the dining area and a babycot was set up in Su Ann's room. Gede and Putu were always punctual, prepared our breakfast quickly and they kept the villa spick and span. Toiletries, fresh towels and frangipanis were provided each day. It was a truly luxurious experience.
Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy were already at the villa enjoying their welcome drink when we got there. Villas of Excellence had arranged for VIP Express Clearance at the airport, so unlike us, they didn't have to go through the hassle of filling up the arrival and departure card and standing in line at the customs.
1100 hrs: Romi showed us around the villa and introduced us to Wayan, the skipper of the power boat. Wayan said he could get the boat ready in half an hour if we were keen to go for a ride. Daddy went with Wayan to have a look at the boat and he was all smiles. The boat was in immaculate condition and new lifevests were available for everyone. Daddy told Wayan to get the boat ready. We were going for a spin!
1230 hrs: We had all settled into our respective rooms and were ready to head out to sea. Wayan helped us on board the boat and steered us to Tanjung Benoa Harbour for some sightseeing. There were many Indonesian fishing boats in the harbour. Wayan also took us round to Bali's only marina to have a look at the fleet of sailing boats docked there. Thereafter, we went in the direction of Nusa Dua. Enroute, we passed many jetskis, banana boats, speedboats pulling parasails and surf kites, etc.
1300 hrs: Wayan stopped the boat at one end of the beach in Nusa Dua. He said that if we were to go any further, the sea would be very choppy. We got off the boat and used the beach promenade to walk to the Grand Hyatt for lunch instead. Mommy had read online that the stretch of beach between the Grand Hyatt and Amannusa Resort was Bali's best beach, and she wanted to see that beach. The beach was as others had described. Calm blue seas and powdery white sand.
1340 hrs: The Grand Hyatt had sprawling grounds and it took us quite a while to find the resort's Balinese restaurant. Prices weren't cheap, but that was to be expected of the Hyatt. The waitress gave me a set of crayons to colour a Balinese picture, whilst we waited for the food.
1445 hrs: We hurried back towards the boat. Wayan had warned that the tide would recede by 1530 hrs and we would have trouble getting back to the villa if there was insufficient sea water leading up to the jetty.
1515 hrs: By the time we returned to the boat, the tide had receded a fair bit and everyone on board had to cooperate with Wayan to lift the boat off the seabed. We followed his orders of moving to the right, moving to the left, moving to the front and moving to the back, but we were still stuck. Eventually, it took the combined strength of Wayan, Daddy and Ah Gong to lift the boat off.
1530 hrs: It was a race against time to get back to the jetty. We met choppy waters and our boat bounced up and down really hard, splashing salty sea water on all of us. It was an exhilarating experience for the adults, but I was green with fear. I shut my eyes tight and refused to open them till we got back to the jetty.
1550 hrs: By the time we reached the jetty, the tide had receded quite a distance. We had to jump off the boat to walk back to jetty. Thousands of small fish bumped against our legs as we trudged through the shallow sea water. It felt funny indeed!
1600 hrs: We had to wash up quickly and get ready for our next adventure. Made Wijaya was picking us up at 1700 hrs to drive us to Pura Luhur Uluwatu to watch the sunset.
1745 hrs: We got to the temple on the cliff just in time to see the sun go down. It was a cloudy day so the sunset wasn't as stunning as it should be, but it was beautiful nonetheless.
There were many monkeys in the area. One of them snuck up on Mommy unexpectedly and tugged at Su Ann's teddy bear which was hanging on Mommy's backpack. Mommy was carrying me when she felt the strong pull. She didn't know what had happened so she leaned her body forward. Again, the monkey pulled her back. This time, the monkey almost went for Mommy's hair, as Ipa later recounted what she had witnessed. Mommy struggled and fell. Fortunately, Mommy and I were unhurt. The incident freaked us out though, and we wanted to get away as quickly as possible from the temple.
1815 hrs: We drove towards Seminyak for dinner. Daddy and Mommy were going to take us all to Rumours.
1845 hrs: Trapped in a traffic jam, we spotted a sign which said "75% Discount" outside the Rip Curl & Quiksilver factory outlet. We stopped to pick up some heavily discounted surf wear.
1945 hrs: We hopped back into the van. The jam had eased a little, but it was still bad.
2030 hrs: We had arrived at Rumours, and found seats promptly. Daddy ordered so much food that we had to take some home. He just couldn't believe how cheap the food was. The restaurant was very busy, and they had a DJ who pumped out chill beats.
2130 hrs: Made Wijaya was sound asleep in the van and we had to wake him up to drive us back to our villa.
2130 hrs: Made Wijaya was sound asleep in the van and we had to wake him up to drive us back to our villa.
2230 hrs: We were back at our villa. Daddy paid Made Wijaya the agreed rate of Rp350,000 (about S$50.00) for half a day's use of the van.
We looked up at the dark blue sky and saw a million stars beaming at us. Daddy said he had never seen so many stars in his life. I have! When I was on Kangaroo Island in Australia!
24 JUNE 2008 (TUESDAY)
0800 hrs: Gede and Putu made breakfast for us. We had eggs sunnyside up, bacon and toasts with watermelon juice, and a plate of fresh fruits each.
0930 hrs: Made Wijaya was here to take us to Kintamani, where the dormant volcano Mount Batur and its crater lake called home. It was a long journey, so we made a stop at Pura Tirta Empul, the holy spring water temple in Tampak Siring.
1115 hrs: We explored Pura Tirta Empul. We watched as Hindu devotees washed and prayed in the holy spring water. The temple was designed in such a way that we had to walk through a series of souvenir shops in order to get to the carpark where our van was. Business was slow, so we were hassled hard on our way out. Daddy was repeatedly ambushed by a lady with a huge bunch of bananas on her head. He must look like he loves bananas...
1215 hrs: After fighting off the touts, we began our onward journey to Kintamani. On our way up, we caught a glimpse of Bali's largest volcano - Mount Agung - in the distance.
1330 hrs: Tourists usually arrive in Kintamani at lunch-time. Restaurants offering buffet lunch at tourist prices lined the side which offered spectacular views of Mount Batur and the crater lake. Made Wijaya recommended a particular restaurant to us and Daddy got down to have a look at the spread and to find out the price. He was quoted Rp100,000 per person. Made Wijaya told Daddy that whoever had quoted him that price must have been pulling a fast one on him. He said the price should be about Rp70,000 per person. We offered to buy Made Wijaya lunch, and he managed to get the price down to Rp60,000 per person.
1500 hrs: After tucking in nasi goreng, mee goreng, keropok, pisang goreng, pulut hitam, etc., we snapped some pictures at the restaurant's lookout point. A strong, chilly wind was blowing and we had a good time enjoying the cool weather up in Kintamani.
We looked up at the dark blue sky and saw a million stars beaming at us. Daddy said he had never seen so many stars in his life. I have! When I was on Kangaroo Island in Australia!
24 JUNE 2008 (TUESDAY)
0800 hrs: Gede and Putu made breakfast for us. We had eggs sunnyside up, bacon and toasts with watermelon juice, and a plate of fresh fruits each.
0930 hrs: Made Wijaya was here to take us to Kintamani, where the dormant volcano Mount Batur and its crater lake called home. It was a long journey, so we made a stop at Pura Tirta Empul, the holy spring water temple in Tampak Siring.
1115 hrs: We explored Pura Tirta Empul. We watched as Hindu devotees washed and prayed in the holy spring water. The temple was designed in such a way that we had to walk through a series of souvenir shops in order to get to the carpark where our van was. Business was slow, so we were hassled hard on our way out. Daddy was repeatedly ambushed by a lady with a huge bunch of bananas on her head. He must look like he loves bananas...
1215 hrs: After fighting off the touts, we began our onward journey to Kintamani. On our way up, we caught a glimpse of Bali's largest volcano - Mount Agung - in the distance.
1330 hrs: Tourists usually arrive in Kintamani at lunch-time. Restaurants offering buffet lunch at tourist prices lined the side which offered spectacular views of Mount Batur and the crater lake. Made Wijaya recommended a particular restaurant to us and Daddy got down to have a look at the spread and to find out the price. He was quoted Rp100,000 per person. Made Wijaya told Daddy that whoever had quoted him that price must have been pulling a fast one on him. He said the price should be about Rp70,000 per person. We offered to buy Made Wijaya lunch, and he managed to get the price down to Rp60,000 per person.
1500 hrs: After tucking in nasi goreng, mee goreng, keropok, pisang goreng, pulut hitam, etc., we snapped some pictures at the restaurant's lookout point. A strong, chilly wind was blowing and we had a good time enjoying the cool weather up in Kintamani.
1700 hrs: The plan was to head to Tegalalang to have a look at the rice terraces there, but Made Wijaya asked if we could skip that because he had to rush back to the airport to pick someone up. He also asked if he could drop us off at Kuta instead of back at the villa because he was running late. We agreed to help him.
We were dropped off at a marketplace near Kuta Beach. We walked to Kuta Beach to see the sunset, only to find a thousand other people on the beach waiting for the same thing. I had never seen a beach this crowded before. After that, we strolled through the marketplace. Ah Ma got ripped off at a stall selling sunglasses. She took so long trying on each pair that all of us walked off and left her to the sharks...
1830 hrs: Made Wijaya was back. Daddy wanted to try nasi padang in Indonesia, and Made Wijaya recommended a restaurant near the airport for good, fresh food. It was very local indeed; no tourists there at all, but we could see flies zooming about the pre-cooked food. Ah Ma refused to eat there. We ended up taking away food from the nasi padang restaurant and MacDonald's. MacDonald's in Indonesia serve fried chicken which actually taste really good. Much better than the ones we used to have at Singapore's MacDonald's.
2030 hrs: We were back at our villa with food for everyone. Daddy paid Made Wijaya the agreed rate of Rp600,000 (about S$85.00) for the day. We would not be seeing him the next day as he had to be at the hospital with his son who was ill with pneumonia.
We were dropped off at a marketplace near Kuta Beach. We walked to Kuta Beach to see the sunset, only to find a thousand other people on the beach waiting for the same thing. I had never seen a beach this crowded before. After that, we strolled through the marketplace. Ah Ma got ripped off at a stall selling sunglasses. She took so long trying on each pair that all of us walked off and left her to the sharks...
1830 hrs: Made Wijaya was back. Daddy wanted to try nasi padang in Indonesia, and Made Wijaya recommended a restaurant near the airport for good, fresh food. It was very local indeed; no tourists there at all, but we could see flies zooming about the pre-cooked food. Ah Ma refused to eat there. We ended up taking away food from the nasi padang restaurant and MacDonald's. MacDonald's in Indonesia serve fried chicken which actually taste really good. Much better than the ones we used to have at Singapore's MacDonald's.
2030 hrs: We were back at our villa with food for everyone. Daddy paid Made Wijaya the agreed rate of Rp600,000 (about S$85.00) for the day. We would not be seeing him the next day as he had to be at the hospital with his son who was ill with pneumonia.
2130 hrs: We were done with dinner. Finally, an early night!
25 JUNE 2008 (WEDNESDAY)
0900 hrs: Mommy promised to take me to the beach today, so we were going to start our day a little later than usual because we had to wait for the tide to come in before we could head out with Wayan on the boat.
1000 hrs: Gede and Putu made banana pancakes for breakfast this morning. There was a koi pond in our villa and Gede let me feed the fish their breakfast of bread.
1030 hrs: Mommy had pre-arranged with Villas of Excellence to provide us with a driver for the day. His name was also Wayan. He explained that all first-born sons in Bali were named Wayan. Wayan the Driver arrived in a Toyota Kijang, and it was a tight fit for the 9 of us. He drove us to the main strip in Tanjung Benoa for some shopping. We couldn't venture far as Wayan the Skipper had said that the best time to head out was at 12 noon.
1200 hrs: Ah Gong, Ah Ma, Daddy, Mommy and I were on the boat. Ipa and Su Ann were staying home. Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy were going shopping for Balinese furniture.
I really didn't want to go on the boat because I had been spooked by the choppy waters the other day, but I didn't have a choice if I wanted to go to the beach.
Ah Ma and Mommy were keen to go snorkelling, so Wayan took us to a spot where he could moor the boat in the open sea. There were several other boats and snorkellers there as well, but no fish. The sea water was really cold. When I got used to the temperature, I started having fun and couldn't stop giggling.
25 JUNE 2008 (WEDNESDAY)
0900 hrs: Mommy promised to take me to the beach today, so we were going to start our day a little later than usual because we had to wait for the tide to come in before we could head out with Wayan on the boat.
1000 hrs: Gede and Putu made banana pancakes for breakfast this morning. There was a koi pond in our villa and Gede let me feed the fish their breakfast of bread.
1030 hrs: Mommy had pre-arranged with Villas of Excellence to provide us with a driver for the day. His name was also Wayan. He explained that all first-born sons in Bali were named Wayan. Wayan the Driver arrived in a Toyota Kijang, and it was a tight fit for the 9 of us. He drove us to the main strip in Tanjung Benoa for some shopping. We couldn't venture far as Wayan the Skipper had said that the best time to head out was at 12 noon.
1200 hrs: Ah Gong, Ah Ma, Daddy, Mommy and I were on the boat. Ipa and Su Ann were staying home. Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy were going shopping for Balinese furniture.
I really didn't want to go on the boat because I had been spooked by the choppy waters the other day, but I didn't have a choice if I wanted to go to the beach.
Ah Ma and Mommy were keen to go snorkelling, so Wayan took us to a spot where he could moor the boat in the open sea. There were several other boats and snorkellers there as well, but no fish. The sea water was really cold. When I got used to the temperature, I started having fun and couldn't stop giggling.
1300 hrs: Wayan took us to the beach at Nusa Dua. I sat under a shady tree with Mommy and we played with sand. Mommy and I also collected seaweed and seashells, and pretended that we were cooking vegetables with pieces of meat. I had so much fun! That alone made my trip to Bali worthwhile. 
Ah Gong and Ah Ma had fun too. They went swimming in the sea. Only Daddy was grumpy. He hates sand between his toes.
1400 hrs: We had to head back to the villa to meet the rest, as we had other plans for the day. The boatride back wasn't as bumpy and scary as the other day. The tide had yet to recede so we could get off the boat at the jetty.
1430 hrs: Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy had bought lunch for all of us. We took a quick dip in the villa's swimming pool, washed up and joined them for lunch.
1600 hrs: Wayan the Driver drove us to Batuan, a village near Ubud which specialised in paintings. Daddy and Mommy were looking for paintings to add to their collection.
1700 hrs: Wayan the Driver said that most art galleries would be closed by 1700 hrs and he was right. We only managed to check out one gallery - Dewa Putu Turis - before calling it a day. "Turis" meant "Tourists" in Bahasa. As expected, the prices in that gallery were steep. Not the sort of place Daddy and Mommy were looking for.
1745 hrs: We asked Wayan to drive us to nearby Ubud, so we could have crispy duck for dinner at the famous Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck Diner).
1830 hrs: Opened in 1990, the Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck Diner) got its name when a flock of ducks flew over from the rice fields opposite the restaurant and dirtied the floor of the restaurant with their muddy webbed feet. The restaurant had a large, landscaped garden with water features running down the centre of the restaurant. The dining areas flanked both sides of the garden. At the end of the garden was a rice field. When we arrived, the sun was setting and we could see the golden sky above the brilliant green of the rice field. This had to be the most beautiful restaurant I've ever dined at.
We hadn't reserved, but got a table by the garden upon arrival. The table was a low one, and we had to sit cross legged on cushions to dine. The whole setup was elevated on a platform. I loved how cosy it was, and Su Ann finally had space to crawl whilst we ate.
We could see and hear the mozzies. Daddy asked for a mosquito coil and it was promptly lit and left under the table for us by a waiter. The service staff were attentive and the food arrived very quickly. Daddy ordered a sea of food, which flooded our table. Honestly, the food wasn't anything to shout about, but the ambience, service and price more than made up for it. Mommy said the best dish wasn't the Crispy Duck, but the Black Russian Pie (a dessert which contained vodka and Kahlua coffee liqueur). It was so good that Mommy was tempted to lick the plate!
2000 hrs: We were stuffed and ready to go.
2200 hrs: The drive back from Ubud took nearly 2 hours. Wayan the Driver was slow and steady. Daddy paid him the agreed rate of Rp550,000 (almost S$80.00).
26 JUNE 2008 (THURSDAY)
0800 hrs: Gede and Putu made breakfast for us. They could cook nasi goreng for breakfast as well, but we had overdosed on nasi goreng since setting foot on Bali already.
0930 hrs: Made Wijaya met us out front with a big smile on his face. We were happy to hear that his son was getting better.
Ah Gong and Ah Ma had fun too. They went swimming in the sea. Only Daddy was grumpy. He hates sand between his toes.1400 hrs: We had to head back to the villa to meet the rest, as we had other plans for the day. The boatride back wasn't as bumpy and scary as the other day. The tide had yet to recede so we could get off the boat at the jetty.
1430 hrs: Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy had bought lunch for all of us. We took a quick dip in the villa's swimming pool, washed up and joined them for lunch.
1600 hrs: Wayan the Driver drove us to Batuan, a village near Ubud which specialised in paintings. Daddy and Mommy were looking for paintings to add to their collection.
1700 hrs: Wayan the Driver said that most art galleries would be closed by 1700 hrs and he was right. We only managed to check out one gallery - Dewa Putu Turis - before calling it a day. "Turis" meant "Tourists" in Bahasa. As expected, the prices in that gallery were steep. Not the sort of place Daddy and Mommy were looking for.
1745 hrs: We asked Wayan to drive us to nearby Ubud, so we could have crispy duck for dinner at the famous Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck Diner).
1830 hrs: Opened in 1990, the Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck Diner) got its name when a flock of ducks flew over from the rice fields opposite the restaurant and dirtied the floor of the restaurant with their muddy webbed feet. The restaurant had a large, landscaped garden with water features running down the centre of the restaurant. The dining areas flanked both sides of the garden. At the end of the garden was a rice field. When we arrived, the sun was setting and we could see the golden sky above the brilliant green of the rice field. This had to be the most beautiful restaurant I've ever dined at.
We hadn't reserved, but got a table by the garden upon arrival. The table was a low one, and we had to sit cross legged on cushions to dine. The whole setup was elevated on a platform. I loved how cosy it was, and Su Ann finally had space to crawl whilst we ate.
We could see and hear the mozzies. Daddy asked for a mosquito coil and it was promptly lit and left under the table for us by a waiter. The service staff were attentive and the food arrived very quickly. Daddy ordered a sea of food, which flooded our table. Honestly, the food wasn't anything to shout about, but the ambience, service and price more than made up for it. Mommy said the best dish wasn't the Crispy Duck, but the Black Russian Pie (a dessert which contained vodka and Kahlua coffee liqueur). It was so good that Mommy was tempted to lick the plate!
2000 hrs: We were stuffed and ready to go.
2200 hrs: The drive back from Ubud took nearly 2 hours. Wayan the Driver was slow and steady. Daddy paid him the agreed rate of Rp550,000 (almost S$80.00).
26 JUNE 2008 (THURSDAY)
0800 hrs: Gede and Putu made breakfast for us. They could cook nasi goreng for breakfast as well, but we had overdosed on nasi goreng since setting foot on Bali already.
0930 hrs: Made Wijaya met us out front with a big smile on his face. We were happy to hear that his son was getting better.
The original plan today was to go to Gitgit Waterfalls, but that plan had to be shelved because Mommy couldn't produce enough milk for us to go that far. Mommy asked Made Wijaya to take us to Ubud and Batuan instead, so she and Daddy could continue with their shopping for paintings. Grandpa Eddy was interested in buying some art pieces too.
1130 hrs: We had arrived in Ubud. We found a parking lot just outside Ubud Market, which was opposite Ubud Palace.
The much talked-about Warung Ibu Oka was next to Ubud Palace, and since it was only opened for lunch and we were there at lunch-time, we had to give its famous Babi Guling a try. It wasn't something which I wanted to eat though, so Mommy carted me off to another restaurant down the road where Ipa was having her non-pork lunch. Mommy ordered a pizza for me and I polished it off surprisingly quickly. It was delicious!
As I ate, I could see men carrying suckling pigs on their head walking in the direction of Warung Ibu Oka. Business must be brisk. Later, we asked Daddy how his Babi Guling lunch was and he wrinkled his nose. Turns out no one enjoyed their Babi Guling lunch.
1130 hrs: We had arrived in Ubud. We found a parking lot just outside Ubud Market, which was opposite Ubud Palace.
The much talked-about Warung Ibu Oka was next to Ubud Palace, and since it was only opened for lunch and we were there at lunch-time, we had to give its famous Babi Guling a try. It wasn't something which I wanted to eat though, so Mommy carted me off to another restaurant down the road where Ipa was having her non-pork lunch. Mommy ordered a pizza for me and I polished it off surprisingly quickly. It was delicious!
As I ate, I could see men carrying suckling pigs on their head walking in the direction of Warung Ibu Oka. Business must be brisk. Later, we asked Daddy how his Babi Guling lunch was and he wrinkled his nose. Turns out no one enjoyed their Babi Guling lunch.
1300 hrs: We wandered around the compound of Ubud Palace. There was a flurry of activities inside and outside the Palace because of an upcoming royal cremation. Two descendants of the Ubud Royal Family had passed away recently, so the entire community was working together to sort out their cremation. Two 9-tier cremation towers were being constructed just outside the Palace. Made Wijaya said the towers would be used to carry the bodies to the cremation grounds then set aflame. Men were also constructing a longhouse out of bamboo next to the Palace. Made Wijaya said the longhouse would be used as makeshift premises to serve food to guests attending the ceremony. The cremation would take place on 15 July.
1330 hrs: We checked out the myriad of art galleries along Monkey Forest Road. After visiting several galleries, Daddy finally saw a painting he liked. It was of a gargoyle. The painter wanted Rp1,000,000 (about S$150.00) for it, and refused to budge from that price. Daddy walked away empty-handed.
1500 hrs: Made Wijaya drove us to Batuan. He said he knew of a House of Painters which charged very reasonable prices. We were taken to a tourist trap. Tourists arrived by the busloads here and the paintings cost thousands. Daddy and Mommy were frustrated that looking for paintings wasn't as easy as in Phuket. They decided to give up on their search and return to the villa.
1745 hrs: Once back at the villa, we washed up and got ready for dinner at Ultimo. Mommy needed time to express more milk for Su Ann, hence the pitstop. Meanwhile, we caught the sunset at our villa, which was just stunning.
1845 hrs: We were ready to head out. We had mentioned to Made Wijaya before that we were looking for a market to buy keropok. On the way to Ultimo, Made Wijaya stopped the vehicle and ushered us into a shop selling keropok and other nicely packaged local produce. The shop charged Rp50,000 (about S$7.50) for a small packet of keropok. A far cry from the S$2.00 per kilo we saw at the supermarket in Denpasar! This was the second tourist trap that we were taken to in a day.
1330 hrs: We checked out the myriad of art galleries along Monkey Forest Road. After visiting several galleries, Daddy finally saw a painting he liked. It was of a gargoyle. The painter wanted Rp1,000,000 (about S$150.00) for it, and refused to budge from that price. Daddy walked away empty-handed.
1500 hrs: Made Wijaya drove us to Batuan. He said he knew of a House of Painters which charged very reasonable prices. We were taken to a tourist trap. Tourists arrived by the busloads here and the paintings cost thousands. Daddy and Mommy were frustrated that looking for paintings wasn't as easy as in Phuket. They decided to give up on their search and return to the villa.
1745 hrs: Once back at the villa, we washed up and got ready for dinner at Ultimo. Mommy needed time to express more milk for Su Ann, hence the pitstop. Meanwhile, we caught the sunset at our villa, which was just stunning.
1845 hrs: We were ready to head out. We had mentioned to Made Wijaya before that we were looking for a market to buy keropok. On the way to Ultimo, Made Wijaya stopped the vehicle and ushered us into a shop selling keropok and other nicely packaged local produce. The shop charged Rp50,000 (about S$7.50) for a small packet of keropok. A far cry from the S$2.00 per kilo we saw at the supermarket in Denpasar! This was the second tourist trap that we were taken to in a day.
2000 hrs: We got ourselves a table in Ultimo, settled down and placed our long list of orders. We tried everything from appetisers to soups to entrees to pastas to pizzas to desserts. All for under Rp600,000 (S$85.00), beers included. After settling the bill, Daddy told Mommy that we should eat all over again! Hehehe...
2130 hrs: We made our way back to the villa.
2230 hrs: Daddy paid Made Wijaya the agreed rate of Rp600,000 and said that we should set off later the next day, so he had sufficient time to rest after seeing his son. The next day would have been our last day in Bali and it was our last chance to visit Gitgit Waterfalls, but Daddy told Made Wijaya not to worry about it. We'd skip the falls and have a relaxing day with very little driving instead.
2230 hrs: Daddy paid Made Wijaya the agreed rate of Rp600,000 and said that we should set off later the next day, so he had sufficient time to rest after seeing his son. The next day would have been our last day in Bali and it was our last chance to visit Gitgit Waterfalls, but Daddy told Made Wijaya not to worry about it. We'd skip the falls and have a relaxing day with very little driving instead.
27 JUNE 2008 (FRIDAY)
0800 hrs: It was our last day in Bali and everyone had their own idea of how they wanted to spend it. Ah Gong, Daddy, Mommy and I were going to the beach in Nusa Dua. Ah Ma, Grandma Nancy and Ipa (with Su Ann strapped to her) wanted to go to Denpasar to buy keropok. Grandpa Eddy wanted a Balinese massage at the villa.
We had breakfast and waited for Made Wijaya to arrive at 1030 hrs.
1030 hrs: Off we went to the beach at Nusa Dua. Daddy was trying to achieve the Japanese surfer dude look, so he splashed on some tanning lotion and lay under the sun.
It was low tide when we got to the beach, but the tide was gradually coming in. Together with Ah Gong and Mommy, I walked a long way out to sea in the knee-deep water. We saw lots of luminous green seaweed and schools of tiny, black and yellow fish in the water. When we finally settled down on the beach to play with sand, Mommy taught me how to make "fishballs" with wet sand.
After that, we explored an area known as South Island together with Daddy. From the top of the cliff, we could see crystal clear waters and good-size crabs scurrying about on the rocks below. The crabs could jump from rock to rock as well. I didn't know crabs could jump! We walked to another beach and met a man catching worms to be used as fishing bait. His eyesight was really good and he plucked them out from the sand effortlessly.
We spent almost 4 hrs playing on the beach and exploring the area. It was our last day in Bali and I didn't want to go home.
1500 hrs: Made Wijaya was back to take us to the villa. Ah Ma and Grandma Nancy showed off their haul of keropok. They had wiped out the supermarket's supply.
1545 hrs: Daddy and I had a quick dip in the villa's pool, before pigging out on fried chicken from MacDonald's. After lunch, Grandpa Eddy, Grandma Nancy, Ipa and Su Ann went shopping. Ah Ma couldn't join them as she had to figure out how to get her army's supply of keropok into the suitcases. The rest of us stayed back to keep Ah Ma company.
1815 hrs: Bumbu Bali, reputed to have the best Balinese food in Bali, was just a stone's throw from our villa and we had yet to sample the food there. We thought it was an ideal place for dinner that night, as we had a flight to catch and we didn't want to venture too far in case we got stuck in a jam.
Started by Heinz von Holzen, who was once the Executive Chef of the Grand Hyatt and the Ritz Carlton in Bali, Bumbu Bali also offers Balinese cooking classes. The restaurant was very busy, and we were lucky to get a table without reservations. We were greeted at the entrance by the wait staff, who tucked fresh frangipanis behind our ears. The restaurant was tastefully decorated and had an open concept kitchen where you could watch the food being prepared. Each dish averaged just below Rp100,000 (about S$14.00), which was expensive for Bali. Foodwise, everything tasted very much like what we'd get in Peranakan restaurants in Singapore. At Ivin's in Singapore, you can get greater variety at a fraction of the cost. A beautiful restaurant, but once is enough.
1945 hrs: We had time to spare after dinner. Grandpa Eddy pointed out that the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet just down the road was offering 50% off just for today, so the clan gladly converged upon the store. Daddy bought several polo shirts at S$200.00 savings per shirt. He said Polo was licensed to be made in Indonesia, and were therefore cheaper here.
2030 hrs: Time to head back to the villa to squeeze the shopping into the suitcases. We had to leave for the airport by 2130 hrs, so we didn't have much time left.
213o hrs: The villa had sent 2 cars to take us all down to the airport - one for passengers and another for our bags. Gede and Putu stayed till we left to clean up after us and to say goodbye. We were impressed by their level of service. We had been the only family staying in the complex of 5 villas the last few days, but we were told that the developer of the complex was arriving that very night. There was an air of anticipation at the complex, as the staff rushed about preparing for the tycoon's arrival. His was the villa which had 5 cars parked in its garage, including a Rolls Royce, Porsche and BMW. As we were leaving, we heard the staff revving the engine of the Porsche to make sure the car was in tip top condition. Traffic in Bali is bad and the roads are so narrow. How anyone could race a Porsche down Bali's road was beyond us...
2210 hrs: We were at Denpasar International Airport together with all our barang barang. Lionair's counter staff informed us that the flight back to Singapore was half full, so Su Ann could cry to her heart's content without disturbing many passengers. They also informed us that the flight had been delayed by an hour.
2300 hrs: We checked out the stores in the transit area. Then, Grandma Nancy and Mommy paid Rp100,000 (about S$14.00) each for a 30-min neck and shoulder rub at one of the outlets. Mommy emerged bruised.
28 JUNE 2008 (SATURDAY)
We had breakfast and waited for Made Wijaya to arrive at 1030 hrs.
1030 hrs: Off we went to the beach at Nusa Dua. Daddy was trying to achieve the Japanese surfer dude look, so he splashed on some tanning lotion and lay under the sun.
It was low tide when we got to the beach, but the tide was gradually coming in. Together with Ah Gong and Mommy, I walked a long way out to sea in the knee-deep water. We saw lots of luminous green seaweed and schools of tiny, black and yellow fish in the water. When we finally settled down on the beach to play with sand, Mommy taught me how to make "fishballs" with wet sand.
After that, we explored an area known as South Island together with Daddy. From the top of the cliff, we could see crystal clear waters and good-size crabs scurrying about on the rocks below. The crabs could jump from rock to rock as well. I didn't know crabs could jump! We walked to another beach and met a man catching worms to be used as fishing bait. His eyesight was really good and he plucked them out from the sand effortlessly.
We spent almost 4 hrs playing on the beach and exploring the area. It was our last day in Bali and I didn't want to go home.
1500 hrs: Made Wijaya was back to take us to the villa. Ah Ma and Grandma Nancy showed off their haul of keropok. They had wiped out the supermarket's supply.
1545 hrs: Daddy and I had a quick dip in the villa's pool, before pigging out on fried chicken from MacDonald's. After lunch, Grandpa Eddy, Grandma Nancy, Ipa and Su Ann went shopping. Ah Ma couldn't join them as she had to figure out how to get her army's supply of keropok into the suitcases. The rest of us stayed back to keep Ah Ma company.
1815 hrs: Bumbu Bali, reputed to have the best Balinese food in Bali, was just a stone's throw from our villa and we had yet to sample the food there. We thought it was an ideal place for dinner that night, as we had a flight to catch and we didn't want to venture too far in case we got stuck in a jam.
Started by Heinz von Holzen, who was once the Executive Chef of the Grand Hyatt and the Ritz Carlton in Bali, Bumbu Bali also offers Balinese cooking classes. The restaurant was very busy, and we were lucky to get a table without reservations. We were greeted at the entrance by the wait staff, who tucked fresh frangipanis behind our ears. The restaurant was tastefully decorated and had an open concept kitchen where you could watch the food being prepared. Each dish averaged just below Rp100,000 (about S$14.00), which was expensive for Bali. Foodwise, everything tasted very much like what we'd get in Peranakan restaurants in Singapore. At Ivin's in Singapore, you can get greater variety at a fraction of the cost. A beautiful restaurant, but once is enough.
1945 hrs: We had time to spare after dinner. Grandpa Eddy pointed out that the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet just down the road was offering 50% off just for today, so the clan gladly converged upon the store. Daddy bought several polo shirts at S$200.00 savings per shirt. He said Polo was licensed to be made in Indonesia, and were therefore cheaper here.
2030 hrs: Time to head back to the villa to squeeze the shopping into the suitcases. We had to leave for the airport by 2130 hrs, so we didn't have much time left.
213o hrs: The villa had sent 2 cars to take us all down to the airport - one for passengers and another for our bags. Gede and Putu stayed till we left to clean up after us and to say goodbye. We were impressed by their level of service. We had been the only family staying in the complex of 5 villas the last few days, but we were told that the developer of the complex was arriving that very night. There was an air of anticipation at the complex, as the staff rushed about preparing for the tycoon's arrival. His was the villa which had 5 cars parked in its garage, including a Rolls Royce, Porsche and BMW. As we were leaving, we heard the staff revving the engine of the Porsche to make sure the car was in tip top condition. Traffic in Bali is bad and the roads are so narrow. How anyone could race a Porsche down Bali's road was beyond us...
2210 hrs: We were at Denpasar International Airport together with all our barang barang. Lionair's counter staff informed us that the flight back to Singapore was half full, so Su Ann could cry to her heart's content without disturbing many passengers. They also informed us that the flight had been delayed by an hour.
2300 hrs: We checked out the stores in the transit area. Then, Grandma Nancy and Mommy paid Rp100,000 (about S$14.00) each for a 30-min neck and shoulder rub at one of the outlets. Mommy emerged bruised.
28 JUNE 2008 (SATURDAY)
0025 hrs: We were at the gate for boarding. An airport security officer spotted a pair of scissors in Ipa's daypack and confiscated it. They were just a small pair used for cutting up my food, but the security officer took it away nonetheless. The security officers here are diligent, which gave us peace of mind.
0055 hrs: The aircraft taxied down the runway and took off for Singapore. Su Ann was sound asleep in Ipa's arms and did not make the slightest noise throughout the flight. Lionair even presented Su Ann with her very own snack box, comprising of a jar of Heinz Smooth Custard with Banana. Wow, such a caring budget airline.
0325 hrs: The pilot was gentle with the landing. Everyone managed to catch about 2 hrs' worth of shuteye. We will fly Lionair again.
0400 hrs: Daddy picked up our car and paid about S$125.00 in parking fees for a week's parking at the airport, and we were on our way home. I'm going to miss Bali, and I think Su Ann too. She was all smiles during this trip, and had lots of attention from the Balinese wherever we went.
0055 hrs: The aircraft taxied down the runway and took off for Singapore. Su Ann was sound asleep in Ipa's arms and did not make the slightest noise throughout the flight. Lionair even presented Su Ann with her very own snack box, comprising of a jar of Heinz Smooth Custard with Banana. Wow, such a caring budget airline.
0325 hrs: The pilot was gentle with the landing. Everyone managed to catch about 2 hrs' worth of shuteye. We will fly Lionair again.
0400 hrs: Daddy picked up our car and paid about S$125.00 in parking fees for a week's parking at the airport, and we were on our way home. I'm going to miss Bali, and I think Su Ann too. She was all smiles during this trip, and had lots of attention from the Balinese wherever we went.
posted by jinjin at 12:09 PM
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