Bali Day 4: All Good Things Must Come to an End
Our last day in Bali and it seemed that our kiasu-ism in collecting every single brochure on tourist activities had been wasted – in the end we were so relaxed that we didn’t go enjoy any of the parachuting, sightseeing or safari activities available on the island. That said, we had a pretty good time and it was fun having a holiday where we didn’t rush around doing stuff all the time :)
We took our time to pack and checked out early, with intentions of going shopping, as we hadn’t done so the past few days. To our disappointment, despite going to the city area (Denpasar) and visiting the two largest shopping malls (Ramayana and Matahari), these sold goods that neither of us fancied, so in the end we walked at the boutiques near our hotel area and saw various handicrafts, such as this tin-hammered box.
As previously mentioned, many of Bali’s cafes have great ambiance, and though we gobbled up the food too quickly for me to snap photos, I enjoyed testing out my photography skills, particularly with the pretty cut-out table cloth. Such an intricate handsewn design!
Of course, as befits the nail fanatic in me, I didn’t leave without getting a mani pedi! Surprisingly or not, it was my first ever experience with a mani pedi – I generally enjoy doing nails myself as it’s my hobby, but for once it was nice having someone else cut, clean, buff, scrub and paint my nails to pretty perfection :) It was this pretty pink – coral glittery duochrome, it wasn’t from OPI but a local brand polish called Carla. The mani pedi lasted me 7 days, pretty impressive for a cheap polish! The bf enjoyed a 60 min foot massage whilst waiting for me to be done.
Last but not least, Baskin Robbins! My favourite ice cream brand, though I’d rather not have it come to singapore coz then I think my weight would exponentially increase LOL. We had their peanut butter chocolate + pecan vanilla caramel, a match made in ice cream heaven.
& that’s the end of my Bali trip! An awesome trip in all aspects, but the next trip for us will definitely be a shoppy one, we’ll probably alternate between shoppy + resort trips for our holidays :) What would you recommend? We’re contemplating either Taiwan/Hongkong!
Bali Day 3: Yummylicious Seafood
As Bali has been said to have fresh seafood at outrageously cheap prices, the bf and I weren’t going to miss out on that. Unfortunately for us however, Seminyak was relatively far away from the famous Jimbaran beach (where 2 people can get stuffed on seafood for about 250 000 INR). So we ventured out to Seminyak beach, which was rather to our disappointment and discomfort, as it seemed rather polluted. The sand was black!
Being a tourist spot, I guess we kinda expected the beaches to have sparkling white sand and crystal clear waters. That certainly wasn’t the case at Seminyak beach. However, we did catch glimpses of local activities such as line fishing (right). It was pretty interesting seeing someone catch a fish without using a reel and rod.
Compared to Kuta Beach, it was definitely much emptier and the people were far more spaced out. There were several resorts placed directly at the beach, and many Caucasians were enjoying themselves on the beach chairs, which were easily available for loan. However, it wasn’t really a beach we wanted to stay at for too long, given that the sand was charcoal black, so we left rather quickly. Parking a motorcycle at Seminyak beach costs about 1000 INR, approximately 15 cents.
Unfortunately for us, the eateries at Seminyak beach didn’t seem all that appealing, so we headed closer to our resort for some seafood, at Eny’s Warung, a place I had researched on before our trip to Bali. Eny’s Warung was said to be a place popular with expats and tourists for its seafood and fresh organic ingredients. The exterior of Eny’s Warung was like that of a farmer’s market, and it was pretty exciting to see Eny’s husband walk out every now and then from the kitchen to pick out a fruit or vegetable and add that to our meal :)
We ordered prawns and a sea bass – both of which were specialties of Eny’s Warung. Had we known earlier that the famous Balinese Babi Guling (roasted pig) would be available had we called to “book” a day earlier, we would’ve done so… but since we missed out on that, we settled for just seafood instead :) Moreover, to our pleasure and surprise, the prawns served were very familiar to our hearts – the exact same type of prawns that we caught whilst prawning back here in Singapore! Obviously though, these were much larger (to our amazement and relief)
I placed my finger directly onto the prawn for a reference, and it was pretty much a closer cousin to its lobster counterpart than it was to the miniature ones we’ve caught in Singapore. haha! That said, all food at Eny’s Warung is guaranteed to be organic, so these were prawns caught in the wild, not reared in farms like those we have hear. Rice and curried green beans were served alongside our dinner, and it cost about $40 SGD in total, which was awesome, considering that the seafood tasted really fresh!
Bali Day 3: It’s a Tropical Paradise!
For me, one of the key highlights of Bali’s food that I couldn’t stop raving about was their fruit juices. I used to get myself drunk on fruit juice back in university, but somehow the intense heat in Bali made the fruit juices seem all that much sweeter and more delicious – haha I can’t really put it into words, but gosh I loved how well blended they were.
Each day we enjoyed the breakfast buffet, which wasn’t all that great but well, it was convenient and free food so we ate it anyway. Most restaurants located near our resort often only opened in the late afternoon or in the evening, so it wasn’t like we actually had a choice.
We fulfilled our spa requirements at Glo Spa Bali, which was relatively pricey if you compare it to similar ones in phuket (about $8 SGD), but definitely had a better ambiance (i.e. less dodgy) and compared to other similar spas we visited in Bali, was quite cheap (about US $16 for their 60min massage). The masseurs spoke quite good english and were really skilled with their hands. After that both of us felt completely relaxed and serene, so we decided to chill around for the rest of the day instead of zipping around town :)
Our resort had a huge pool that was shared amongst the guests there (particularly for those whose villas didn’t have a private pool), and we decided to head there since our private pool had many tiny flowers in it (which the bf didn’t like). It also helped that the public pool was where the wifi reception was the best, but somehow my macbook and their wifi didn’t want to be friends at all, so our trip was pretty much internet free.
Lunch was at the Italian restaurant Trattoria, located conveniently near our resort with parking available for our motorcycle :) Plus, it was one of the few resorts open in the early afternoon, so we decided to give it a try. The thing about Bali is, variety-wise you can pretty much have your pick of any cuisine you want, but most of it isn’t done too well. However, Trattoria was one of the lovely exceptions we came across, and the appetizer of tomato drizzled with olive oil on top italian bread was just so so delicious.
The architecture of Bali is quite interesting – it’s mostly low-rise and structured as a series of separate bungalows for shops, spas and restaurants. Of course, some lean more towards terraced boutiques, but otherwise there aren’t any high rise, fully airconditioned malls like we’re used to in Singapore. Not that I was expecting that, but it was an interesting and picturesque experience.
Trattoria was more than generous with its food :) The appetizer + basket of bread came free with our order, and I think I finally understand the Glee kids’ obsession with breadsticks. They’re just so yummy and addictive! I can’t wait to try out Singapore’s Trattoria outlet – I hope they’re as generous and the food just as mouth watering. Prices here weren’t as cheap as Made’s Warung, but the food more than satisfied us as it was both tasty and well cooked. We ordered a seafood linguini + a pizza.
Though I can’t say that they were as generous with the ingredients as they were with the bread, I must admit that these dishes tasted far more delicious than they looked. Despite the large amount of food we had prior to the serving of our main courses, we wiped the plates clean :D I definitely gained some weight along the way but wth! who sticks to a diet when you’re overseas, haha. Not that I diet at all anyways! XP
Have a great weekend ahead! I’ll be at my favourite restaurant Tao’s enjoying my birthday :)
Bali Day 2: All That Good, Good FOOD!
Like most Singaporeans, I LOVE my food, especially when I have a great variety of textures and flavours to choose from – which was perfectly combined in my plate of nasi campur at the popular eating spot Made’s Warung. It’s a strong belief of mine that if one wants to go overseas (without a tour) & have a great time, it’s essential to do your research. Prior to the Bali Trip, the bf and I had our priorities down:
- Great Food
- Awesome chillax Spa
- Great Accomodation
So since we accomplished (3) with The Seminyak Village, I turned to the Internet for inspiration when it came to food. Given that Bali is quite a hot tourist spot and many tourists have written about it, there were no problems finding good (and cheap) eating spots on travelocity, wiki travel etc.
Made’s Warung was a very large outdoor + indoor restaurant, with upscale boutique retail shops located within it, for your shopping pleasure while you waited for a seat or your food to arrive. Quite an interesting concept. What the bf and I didn’t know however, was that it was really difficult to get seats. Eventually we did manage to find the main guy in charge who put us on a waiting list and got his relatively slack staff to find us a table. Booking is a must if you want to eat at Made’s Warung, even during their non-peak hours.
Whilst we were hungrily waiting for my boyfriend’s butter fish to arrive, we decided to order an appetizer, cold shrimp with mayonnaise. Due to the extreme heat in Bali, it didn’t remain cold for long, but it was pretty good, considering the generous mayonnaise and lime. They also added some fruits at the bottom.
Made’s Warung was located along Jalan Raya Seminyak, and is rather distinctive, with its huge sign board with three cute crocodiles. I ordered their version of our Chinese Mixed rice, called Nasi Campur and the Boyfriend ordered Butter Fish (Gindara), which he’s a great fan of.
Both came in generous servings, and my bf really enjoyed his fish, which was fresh, firm and sweet – think of it as a cousin to cod & halibut :) My Nasi Campur had portions of tofu (my favourite!), tempeh, vegetable curry, corn, chillies as well as some other crunchy stuff :D It didn’t contain a lot of meat, but I loved the mesh of flavours and textures in my mouth.
pictures we took outside Made’s Warung
Compared to Singapore, I’d say that the range and variety of food in Bali is comparable – prices are slightly cheaper and the service staff are similar in their attitude and willingness to serve (i.e. they ignore you whenever it’s convenient). Undeniably though, the Balinese certainly “win” in terms of ambiance, perhaps because tourism is what drives their economy. Next to Bintang Supermarket that we visited to get really cheap everyday goods as well as cheap tourist souvenirs, we spotted this quaint looking cafe.
Like most cafes catered to tourists, this cafe offered free wifi with your order – i.e. the staff would provide you with a password etc., and you could surf the net for a limited period of time, mostly from 15-60 minutes, it really depended on your location. We ordered coffee from this place, and like everywhere else in Bali, their coffee was insanely sweet. Don’t ever say yes when they ask if you want extra sugar!
In Bali, it wasn’t uncommon to see tourists lounging around reading or sipping a cold beer. There was a very laidback atmosphere to the place and it was enjoyable immersing ourselves in it and just savouring the experience. It made us really appreciate the time we had there. So though I’m unsure if I’ll be returning back to Bali because of the unsatisfactory shopping, I’ll certainly be taking my time to appreciate life and savour it every once in awhile :)
Bali Day 2: Zipping Around Town!
Despite knowing that Bali had a tropical climate very similar to Singapore’s, it felt MUCH HOTTER than our sunny island – everyone was dressed in extremely light clothing and I opted for a casual combination of a camisole + shorts for most of the trip. I wasn’t as daring as some of the Caucasian girls who trotted around in their skimpy bikinis around town, particularly since the Balinese people are known to be somewhat conservative. The glare of the sun was also much brighter, and my sunglasses were indispensable throughout our time there :) Lucky I thought to bring them! I was actually considering leaving them out of my luggage.
Seminyak, Bali is considered to be the upmarket “boutique” area in Bali – so it was no surprise that the food was similarly priced. Even though it was considered cheap when measured against Singapore standards, there really wasn’t much of a difference. Our meals definitely formed the bulk of our expenditure, especially when you consider that there aren’t many options in terms of cheap streetside food. It’s very difficult to buy from street vendors, unless you speak the language and know what exactly they’re selling from their portable containers that are perched on top of their motorcycles as they zip around town.
We took our lunch at a restaurant near Seminyak Square, known as The Junction. I really loved the woodwork and ambiance of the place. Bali is known for its carpentry and woodwork, and it isn’t rare to see tourists at the carpenter’s shops discussing made-to-order pieces. The expat community in Bali also seemed very active, and there were various magazines that were extremely informative on local customs, traditions and recommendations, as well as commentaries written by expats on their daily life there. It certainly made for an interesting read and was extremely helpful for our trip.
My personal belief is that wherever I travel, I always try to eat their local food as much as possible, to fully savour the experience. The bf however, preferred to stick to what he knew best – so you can see the relative disparity in our choices of food. On the left, his steak with an egg sunny-side up and fries, on the right, my chicken sate with traditional fried rice and crackers. The food was good, we certainly enjoyed ourselves. I have to say that I was surprised that our local Singapore satay is really quite different from the Balinese sate, though it’s pretty much the same concept (both are served with peanut sauce). However, I can’t exactly pin down what precisely the difference is – though it’s most probably the type of marinade used with the meat.
As we lacked transportation but wanted to explore Bali, we decided to rent a motorcycle, which turned out to be quite a wise choice! It was by far much cheaper than a taxi. Renting a motorcycle for two days (from your hotel) costs about 100 000 INR, whilst a one-way cab ride for 30 mins will set you back about 60 000 INR/Rp. Moreover, fuel was really cheap. We got a full tank with just 45 000 INR and barely used half of it though we zipped through town loads. It is however, very important that you print a map or get directions before setting off – Balinese roads sometimes have 2/3 different names for the same stretch of road and it’s pretty confusing. In the end we depended mostly on landmarks rather than road signs
Besides the town of Seminyak, we also went to visit Kuta Beach, where the sun was scorchingly hot. We stayed there for 10 whole unbearably hot minutes before deciding to go somewhere else cooler for some respite from the heat, haha. Unlike the roads in Singapore, Motorcycles pretty much dominate the roads in Bali and we parked our motorcycle neatly alongside the other motorcycles upon reaching the beach. There are parking wardens who assist in making sure that our motorcycles are safe (i.e. not stolen) and neatly arranged, and they charge a fee ranging from 1000 (about 15cents in SGD) to 2000, depending on the location and popularity of the destination.
Due to the high influx of tourists, the local art scene in Seminyak is flourishing, and we saw many random galleries such as the one pictured above in alleys as well as air-conditioned stores. We did however, note that some stores had the same paintings repeated over and over again, whilst others had their own original paintings, no doubt for a higher price. I was sorely tempted to buy a few but decided against it as overseas shipping would be both troublesome and well… I really didn’t have the wall space to accomodate them.
Wild dogs aren’t uncommon in most countries – but we didn’t expect them to look so cute in Bali. This short-legged golden retriever stole our heart and we followed him from store to store trying to get a good shot. he was really adorable and funny – all the store owners evidently loved him and he felt comfortable just lounging below the dresses on the racks.
Unfortunately, we’ll never see similar dogs like this guy here in Singapore. It’s well known that dog breeders/ dog farms often cull those with “defects” as they believe that no one will buy such puppies. Thankfully, it isn’t the case everywhere else in the world :)
Bali: I’m Finally a Millionaire [Day1-2]
… but only if you considered my fortunes in Rupiah, which was the case for the last 4 days as I took a break from work to travel in Bali! Quoting Google, the exchange rate was pretty insane:
1 Singapore dollar = 6 973.8125 Indonesian rupiahs
and it made us feel (falsely so) extremely rich as we held the wads of cash in our hands. Perhaps it was because we had the numerical values of the SGD ingrained in our brains, but Bali wasn’t as cheap as we thought (and hoped), so neither of us came away with huge hauls. I only bought one dress + a flower hair tie (out of necessity) + bars of locally made soap that smelled absolutely wonderful – comparable to Lush!
If you’ve read my previous post on The Seminyak Village, you’d probably know that we booked a two bedroom villa with a private pool :) We touched down late at night so the place looked pretty scary, but when we woke up in the morning we were definitely pleased with what we saw
The villa was simply gorgeous, and much larger than I expected. The living room and kitchenette were housed in a separate area from our bedrooms, whilst the pool was much deeper than your typical wading pool. I could just barely stand in the front portion, and at the back portion (near the little rock wall), it was about 2 m deep.
bedrooms 1 and 2
Our bedrooms were rather well furnished (by my standards), with an LCD television each, a king sized beds with mosquito nets provided, and they were connected along a walkway that led to a common sink, and an indoor bathroom (shower facility + toilet) and our outdoor bathroom (huge tub in a sheltered area + outdoor shower in an unsheltered area + toilet). Really luxurious. We totally soaked in this “millionaire” atmosphere. hahaha.
It must be admitted though, that foremost of our annoyances (of which there were only a few), was the endless number of mosquitoes and random flies that buzzed around. Particularly since there was so much vegetation around, aedes mosquitoes were largely common – so though we did eventually resorted to buying some anti-pest sprays, it wasn’t before we suffered quite a few bites on our arms and legs.
We had a passable breakfast at the complimentary breakfast buffet, which also (specifically for us) came with a serving of eggs (done in any style) + a fruit juice. I absolutely LOVED their fruit juices. Blended to perfection and naturally sweet. Throughout the whole entire trip I got so addicted to their fruit juices that I wouldn’t order anything else to drink. They come in a huge range of choices, from the simple Watermelon, Honey Dew (they call it Honey Melon), Pineapple, Orange, to more exotic ones such as Carrot + Ginger or any other mix they have available. You can pick as you wish! They cost from about 12 000 Rp to 25 000 Rp, depending on where you’re ordering them from.
The sun was also scorching hot, as you can see from my second pic which my noob skills at photoshop cannot edit… and sadly for me, it’s been so long since I’ve tanned that despite my daily efforts, I only managed to turn pink & red, though a generous amount of sunblock did keep my skin from peeling.
our private pool was often “decorated” by the tiny flowers (on the left photo) that fell from the trees just above it, which I personally didn’t mind as I felt that it was a natural consequence to be borne with, given that our villa had so much foilage to create the feeling of being in the midst of nature. The bf however, thought differently, so he didn’t venture into the pool as much, whereas I had fun picking out flowers and holding them in my hands (right) for most of the time when I was in the pool.
The staff of The Seminyak Village were extremely friendly and very helpful. Moreover, they spoke very good English! Even the cleaners who came and nicely agreed to our requests of fresh towels, cleaning the pool (we requested this rather frequently) – they were very polite and always tried their best to make our stay a pleasant and wonderful one.
Our Quirky Loves
