Bali with friends

Paolo and Anastasia are currently backpacking in South East Asia (P’s blog is found here); and when they told me that they wanted to visit KL, I suggested that they come during the Chinese New Year period and then join me and Blue Eyes to Bali.

In cheerful mood as we attempt the 272 steps at Batu Caves

After spending a few days in KL, experiencing the CNY atmosphere, here we are in Bali.

It’s been 7 years since I was in Bali. First time round, I was in Kuta and Ubud. This trip, I decided on Seminyak. Not that great decision. With the exception that we had a fairly nice villa with a private pool, which we paid good money for, Seminyak was similar to Kuta albeit slightly less touristy. Still touristy nonetheless.

The view from the top floor of our villa in Seminyak

But it’s the first time for Blue Eyes and both my Swiss friends so I guess it’s still a new experience for them.

Highlights of the trip (in no particular order):

• Snorkeling @ Blue Lagoon, Padang Bai – my first snorkeling experience! Won’t say I fell in love with it but I didn’t hate it either, thanks to the gorgeous view down under. FYI, I’ve fear of water, so jumping into the sea is not exactly my idea of fun.
• Exploring Uluwatu – so I’ve seen this before but the view is still as impressive as ever, plus we watched the Kechak dance this time so it’s now off the checklist.
• Enjoying Gunung Kawi temple and Tengallang rice terrace – because we only decided at the last minute for this lil’ road trip, we only arrived in the late afternoon and hence, avoiding the crowd. Finally some peace and calm.

Holding tight to guide in my first snorkeling experience

Best meal:

• Balinese meal @ Warung Taulan, Seminyak – a bit on the high-end side but food was good, plus the warung was next to the rice fields so the atmosphere was cosy. Service was perhaps the best we had in Bali.
• Lunch after snorkeling – it’s part of the package and we had grilled mahi-mahi, plus local salads. Super yummy and most satisfying!

Seen here are the Balinese-style salads, part of our lunch after snorkeling

Somehow, this time round I enjoyed less of Bali. Perhaps it’s because the island has more tourists, plus lot of areas are currently being developed. Even Ubud looked more crowded (people and buildings!) than I remembered the last time.

Think the next place to check out will be Lombok and Gili, after hearing all the good stories online.

Here’s the breakdown of cost per person:

Accommodations (2-bedroom with private pool villa): 42 eur/night

Transport: 20 eur (private driver for 2 days + 2 taxi rides + 1 airport transfer)

F&B: 33 eur