laartista

So unlike all my previous reports this will not be a day by day blow, you can all breath a sigh of relief, hard enough keeping up with Florence. Besides I was in Bali for nearly a month and can't remember alot of the day to day. Instead I'll do highlights and tons of photos.

First, I LOVE,LOVE ,LOVED BALI!!!!!! Was a bit nervous because last year or whenever that was I was really pumped for Thailand and although I liked it was not wowed. I know Thailand is super popular on this board, that's just my take. But Bali, it was everything I thought it would be and more.

The reason for the trip was primarily business. I had relocated to Italy back in August. After a 10 year stint as a mosaic artist and a few pinched nerves later I folded up my business , microchipped the cat and dragged his fuzzy ass with me to Florence to be inspired for my new venture as a jewelry designer. Designs in hand I headed to Bali 3rd week of January to find a small manufacturer who would be able to translate my drawings into wearable pieces. I have never done this before, was really nervous, was not quite sure how to go about it, with some research beforehand and on a wing and a prayer and a Singapore Airline flight from Milan I left for Bali.

Kristina

Ciao Andrea! Glad to see you! Looking forward to more...

cruisinred

Can't wait to hear more!!

thursdaysd

Good for you! Looking forward to more. (Are you selling through a web site?)

marya_

Looking forward to reading lots more...

laartista

Thanks you guys! Will market first to large stores and do a trade show in May, website will eventually follow I will try not to be too long winded but kind of have an editing problem.

Getting There:

Nothing like waiting until 3 weeks before you plan on leaving to get a plane ticket. I kept waiting for the prices to go down which they really didn't. Anyway I booked rt Singapore Milan to Denpasar connecting in Singapore. Economy class which I haven't flown long haul since becoming friends w/ Robin, 1100 E about 1500 dollars. Flight to leave Milan around 1pm on Tues. the 21st Jan. from Malpensa. Knowing the Italian train system as I do by now I decided it wise to leave from Florence the day before and spend the night in Milan.

I had secured 3 weeks of kitty sitting for Bear w/ my German friend young Philipp and my Polish friend Magda. Bear now speaks 4 languages! I paid them each 60 E to share the duties and was promised one of them would stay with him every night. They actually hung out here alot because I have satallite TV, not to mention a view of the Duomo.

So good thing I decided to leave for Milan Monday. Philipp and his friend who was visiting were kind enough to bring me and my bags to Santa Maria Novello Station to get the 2:15 ES train to Milano. They dropped me off with 20 minutes to spare, got my ticket, 2:10 no bin number, board reads delayed. Well for the next four hours every train that was to leave for Milan on the 15 was delayed. Seemed there was a demonstration on the tracks in Naples keeping the trains from getting to Florence. What else is new?

While waiting or should I say crowding around the tiny TrenItalia emergency kiosk with a bunch of irate tourists and Italians I was chatting with a woman from Zurich and we ended up chatting all the way to Milan when the train finally came. Better than being bored to death while sitting on my luggage under a yellow validation box while sipping a lukewarm orange Fanta.

Anyway, finally made it to Milan, stayed at the Andreala Hotel www.andreolahotel.it/ about 1 1/2 blocks from Centrale Station. Made friends w/ Alessio at the desk who has since tracked me down on Facebook. Next a.m. caught Malpensa express on a cold rainy day for about 7 E from Centrale to Malpensa, ride about 45 minutes. Check in was smooth as was boarding. Got my own row of three seats in row 56, service was great, food was ok, flight was smooth ,slept about 5 of the 12+ hour trip to Singapore.

Needed to change terminals in Singapore for my connection, had about 2 hours, luckily Singapore Airport has Starbucks!!!!!! So there I went for a grande vanilla skinny latte ( I really miss those) and bought 2 Starbucks Singapore mugs ( 1 for Robin) we both collect them. She was flying in from NY and meeting me in Bali. Not only is she my travel buddy but also my new business partner. We'll see how that pans out. Anyhoo, flight to Denpasar 2 1/2 hrs, short, quick, flew through customs, paid my 25$ US for visa on arrival and sat my tired ass on a bench waiting for Robin who was arriving an hour after me, turned into 2 ,she did not fly through customs. While waiting I was chatting up some Balinese guy who was taking surveys, he got paid for each one he got filled out. Always glad to help, I of course filled one out about tourism, he gave me a gift of coasters and I told him Robin would answer one too when she got there, which she did. She saw my Starbucks bag and remarked I said ," I got us mugs! Singapore mugs!" She laughed and said, " Well I got us Kuala Lumpur mugs!" Great minds think alike. She took an ass backward way there flying Delta NYC to ATL to MUMBAI where she sat in a room for 4 hours because she had no visa for India and then boarded a Malaysia Air flight to Denpasar connecting through Kuala Lumpur. Took HER, 2 days to get to Bali. We found a driver 195,000 Rupee about 17 bucks to get to Ubud and the Adi Cottages where would be staying.

Hotel:

Booked 2 nights before I left Florence at Adi Cottages. Originally tried to get Tegal Sari but they were booked. Worked out better though because I like Adi location better than that of Tegal Sari. Anyway booked a twin room for a week at 45 Us p/night. On arrival and shown to our room it was ok but kind of old. Half the hotel has been redone so half the rooms are great and 1/2 just ok. Back to the desk asked Wayan girl, everyones name is Wayan or Made, if they had something else. She showed us the delux room for 60 US and the junior suite for 75 US p/night. Now the delux was really nice but the junior suite was even better. She said she would give a discount for a week's saty of 10%. I asked if we stayed for 10 nights could we have a better discount. She called the owner, he said if we paid up front we could have the suite for 55 US p/ night SOLD!!

Originally planned on staying in Ubud for 10 days and at the beach for 10 days. But, it was rainy season and most of the beaches were a mess, well Kuta, Seminyak were, plus we really liked Ubud ( I recently read anothers review of Ubiud they didn't much care for it, well I disagree) and our room was great as was the hotel staff and our driver who we found was there and I knew I'd have to stay longer than Robin so for 26 nights we stayed at Adi. Once Robin left I still stayed in the suite, they turned the twins into one big king and lowered my price to 45 p/night for one. It is located smack in the middle of Monkey Forest Road ,great loaction especially for walking at dark, will definitely stay there again, hopefully in September. Website and my pix of hotel below:

http://www.adicottagesubud.com/

http://picasaweb.google.com/bandaidh...y=-KkCg5Mqo3s#

Next thoughts on Ubud

Kathie

I'm delighted you loved Bali!

I do have to say, though, that I expect your enjoyment of Thailand was impaired by traveling with people you didn't know and it turned out you didn't like. It sounds like that was not an issue this trip.

rhkkmk

i'm so disappointed that you did not invite the other two lame women to meet you....they would have added spice to this trip...haha

anxious to hear more about your experiences and how it went working with the bali manufacturers...

give thailand a try another time with robin alone...

laartista

I'm jsut waiting for pics to upload, Italian internet key sucks!

rhk- I'm thinking next time to Thailand w/ the boyfriend!

Re: the other 2 lame women, Robin never heard from them again! They must have caught wind of that trip report- tee hee.

I will definitely eventually get to the jewelry, really interesting experience, quite different from creating w/ your own hands to using other peoples hands. I have a good feeling though, even if the economic climate right now is probably not the best time to launch, lol we'll see.

laartista

Thanks Kathy! I suppose you are right re: Thailand and will at some point give it another try heading north next time. As far as Bali goes, I hope this jewelry thing takes off ,I could see living there a few months a year.

Ubud:

So, I've read alot of stuff on Ubud, most like it, some do not. Some think it is too commercial,not the real Bali ( whatever that means and so on) well compared to the beach areas I think Ubud is alot more real and I loved it. Not to say there aren't a bunch of hippy throwbacks,new cafes and shops and yes tie dye and dreads seem to be the fashion of choice, but I spent almost a month in this town ,walked all over, through ,around, outskirts and I thought it was just beautiful, even the not so beautiful parts. I was smitten w/ Ubud! I loved the crooked unjulating ( sp) sidewalks, the cafes, the temples, and temples and temples, the architecture and gardens, the flowers and fountains and even the monkey forest, I even loved those crazy monkies( more on them later.

Monkey Forest Road is the main drag in Ubud, but there is alot more to see than just Monkey Forest Road. It's a good location to stay though, lots of stuff to do, OR just lounge around like I did most of the time.

In Ubud there are a ton of spas, and it is cheap, crazy cheap for treatments! I love my beauty treatments and due to not working and living on a budget they are kind of out of my reach in Florence these days. But ,in Ubud, they ARE in my budget. And considering this is a no make-up, frizzy hair humidity holiday I needed all the help I could get. This had to be my ugliest vacation ever. There was no way to look put together. Even Robin ,who was applying lip gloss in the Sahara desert gave up on the make-up a week in, I never even bothered. Grew up in S. Florida and know that stuff will just slide off your face.

During my time there I had 14 massages, from reflexology to Balinese, to deep tissue. Reflexology at the place attached to Adi Cottage on the other side from the restaurant being my favorite. 60,000 Rupee gets you an hour full body reflexology massage, thats about 4.50 US, that is nuts!In Florence that would set me back 100E that's 130 US And that is why I had 14. One hour Pedicures, 4, each time with little flowers on my toes,sometimes pink, sometimes orange. 60-80,000 depending where I went, included a lower leg massage. Hair creme baths, deep conditioning w/ aloe on your scalp 60-80,000, I had 2. If I didn't get so sunburn, I still don't understand how, rained alot of the time or was overcast I would have indulged in a few body scrubs and facials, next time

I am usually a night owl but on this trip I was up before dawn and asleep most nights by 9. Don't know why, could have been the heat, not sure, but one of my favorite things was to walk around at dawn, I felt so relaxed there except for every 3rd day when I visited the factory we decided on.

Not without some hiccups though, while in Bali I got an awful sunburn, followed by sun blisters, the b
Bali flu which was going around. Good thing I had my Cipro w/ me. Robin got a bad cold for 3 days ,I had the flu for a week, walking around in the rain everyday probably didn't help. I'm not done, maybe too much info BUT 4 days of the runs, a bee stung me on my back while trying on a dress, AND twisted my arm white water rafting! Still ,I loved Bali! and Ubud. I'll let the pix speak for themselves. Took over 1,000, edited for here in sections for easy viewing :

http://picasaweb.google.com/bandaidh...y=hy3zsYmi7hA#

Gpanda

The massages in Bali are great. I could not get enough of them. If they were this cheap in the US, I would never get any work done. I found the late afternoon to be the best time for a massage. My wah was in the proper mode and I was in the proper mood.

Thanks for the report. There's a reason why so many are attracted to Bali.

filmwill

Oh god, this is killing me! I can't believe we have to wait over a year to get there!! AAAGGH! Don't tease me with anymore of this talk of cheap massage, rice fields and monkeys. I want to go now!!

laartista

Oh, Filmwill, wait til I get to the rest of the island and the handicrafts and the food! All FABULOUS!!!!! Not to mention my driver, the best!

Gpanda- I agree, if they were this cheap anywhere else I'd get nothing done, I'd be at the spa everyday! We usually went at about 5 in the afternoon, probably why I slept so well there.

bkk95

Your pics are bringing back so many GREAT memories of Ubud - I walked all over Ubud just exploring the place and seeing your pics of the Monkey Forest and the town itself makes me feel like I am there again! I normally don't do massages but I couldn't resist going to one in Ubud because of the prices. I was walking in a stupor after one of them - looked like I was drunk walking down Monkey Forest Road.

Can't wait to see the rest of your pics and read about the other parts of Bali that you explored.

laartista

Thanks Bkk, I took so many photos, there was a photo-op around every corner.

Lake Beratan:

In between every 3 days of going to meetings we had a lot of down time so we took advantage of having a great driver who's info I will give as soon as Robin emails me, I can't hold on to cards for the life of me! Anyhoo it was a Sunday and we headed to Lake Beratan, GitGit Twin Waterfalls and Tenah Lot. It was a long great day.

Our first stop was Lake Beratan, about an hour drive from Ubud. During our trip I always sat in front w/ Made, mainly because I tend to get a bit motion sickness. Luckily Robin never minded. On the way there he periodically stopped at different places for us to take pictures. The countryside of Bali is really beautiful and I soaked it all in, I looked at everything and found everything interesting.

It was Sunday so there was some traffic on the road as many Balinese were going to the lake and Botanical Gardens w/ their families. Where we went on the lake, where the temples were was more of a tourist spot with the mandatory small market in the parking lot. Made dropped us off , said to take our time and he would be waiting, which he always was.

Beautiful gardens, floating temples, stone carvings, total eye candy.

http://picasaweb.google.com/bandaidh...y=RN5mDbbhc48#

Git Git Twin Waterfall

After Lake Beratan we headed to see the Git Git Twin Waterfall, I guess about 1/2 hour or so maybe longer, what I do remember is the road was very windy and I was glad I was sitting up front, Robin was not! We passed more monkies and stands selling bananas for them. When we arrived at the waterfall Made said we should get a guide, did we really need one, probably not BUT it was nice to have him. 30,000 R, done.

There was an admission fee of I think 1,000R or 2,000R basically run by the families that lived in the hills surrounding the park. There was no shortage of cute little kids hawking their beaded necklaces and I assured them on the way out we would buy some.

It is a beautiful walk to the waterfall, a bit tricky at times and I wished I had my sneakers opposed to the flip flops I was wearing. Along the path the occasional hut selling product di Bali especially spices. But like in
other places we didn't find the salespeople too nagging,
not as bad as other places I've been. A simple thanks but
no sufficed. We spent a while by the waterfall, Made found
a comfortable spot on a rock while we snapped photos.If I had known we were going there I would have worn a swimsuit but it was a spur of the moment thing. Would have been great to get under that waterfall.

I guess we spent about an hour there and sure enough as we exited the park there were the children with elephant memories. It was a funny scene, they were all talking at the same time, there were 9 of them. I said, ok, you guys chill out a minute, ssh, everyone ssh. They understood that and I was surrounded as they listened quietly. O.k. there are 9 of you, how much are the necklaces? All talking above each other now 10,000, 10,000, 10,000. Ok. Ok. I said ssh! Who's the oldest? The guide pointed to the tallest girl maybe 7 or 8 yr. old, it was a young crowd. I said, you are in charge of the Rupee and you will give each some ( I only had 50's on me, about 4 bucks) I said how about 9 for 50,000, they all shook their head and then each stretched out their little arm with necklaces dangling from them. I picked one from each and gave the girl the 50,000 note. I said now make sure to share and she shook her head.

The average Balinese makes equivilant to about 75 US a month, and that's for the ones in better paying jobs like in the service industry. So, we tipped always, not extravaggant, but a good amount and usually bought stuff from kids. Figured those rupee go a longer way for them than a Starbucks coffee for me.

http://picasaweb.google.com/bandaidh...y=QkLpSfAZXPs#

laartista

After the Waterfalls it was time to re-fuel, we ate at a buffet style place on the way to Tanah Lot which was about 1 hour 20 min. away. The place was really pretty but the food unlike all the other food we had ,not so great. It was really our only so so meal. Wait, that's not true one other meal actually sucked, more on that later.

Anyway, Tanah Lot is at the village of Beraban located on the west coast of Bali. The temple made up of a bunch of caves sits in the water and is to worship the balinese gods. To get there you must walk thru a HUGE market! We did not stop to shop as we had already indulged plenty in Ubud.

We got there at about 4:30 in the afternoon. My favorite time of day, I love the light at that time of day. This place is gorgeous, should be seen but a tourist mecca and pretty swamped. All the tourists with the exception of us seemed to partake in some blessings where pieces of rice get stuck to their foreheads. I didn't get it, so no sticky head rice for me.

We walked through the water to the temple, it was just beautiful! After spent some time taking photos along the rock jetty and beach. Not sure why I'm always in the situation of being approached by strangers but there I am taking some pix of the ocean and a bunch of teenage boys appraoch me to answer questions for a school assignment for their English class. They were sweet and the questions were about how well they spoke English and what I thought about Bali etc. Robin got some photos but hasn't forwarded me hers yet. They were cute, seemed really excited to ask their questions, who am I to help out w/ a school assignment.

Afterwards we walked up by where the restaurants overlook the temple and sat ourselves down for a coconut and some scene gazing. We walked back through the market to the parking lot where Made was enjoying an orange drink in a small snack hut. We split a beer before the 1 1/2 hour ride back to Ubud. It was a great day. Pix below

http://picasaweb.google.com/bandaidh...y=lUsTvsD0_vU#

thursdaysd

Oh yes, loved Tanah Lot! You may be convincing me I need to go back to Bali. Keep it coming..

laartista

Oh, you for sure need to go back, I've been back about a week and I need to go back

Seminyak & Kuta:

So didn't spend much time at Kuta. Went down there a few times primarily for a few meetings in the beginning with places that didn't pan out. My impression of Kuta is probably a great place to hang and stay if you are 20 or so and want to surf by day and get shitfaced by night, just not my scene anymore. We saw the monument to the Bali bombings which was quite sobering and sad. Didn't much care for the shopping or the aesthetic of the area. It's one plus, a Starbucks, which is where we got our Bali mugs.

I liked Legion and Seminyak a bit better but stil not enough to move from Ubud to stay there. Maybe if the weather had been better Seminyak would be a good pick. Lots of restaurants and really great shopping. A lot of cool boutiques by local designers. It was at one of those cool boutiques that I was stung by a bee that was hiding in a dress I was trying on. Haven't had a bee sting in an age, man do they smart! Plus it was the size of a golfball. Straight to the pharmacy I went for relief.

Most days during my stay it rained for at least part of the day. A few days it downpoured and I mean hard all day long! The day we spent at Seminyak was one of those days. Because it was warm it wasn't so bad except I was hacking something awful because it was the week I had the flu. The trooper I am I just sloshed thru that town in my flip flops and newly purchased pink vespa helmet. All I need now is the Vespa!

Anyway, Made dropped us off in front of Cafe Mocha at around 1 pm after a meeting we had and we told him to come back and get us at 7 pm. After about 20 minutes walking around We were really hungry and it was raining something awful so we ducked into the first place we saw which was a pizza/ italian place. I noticed there are a ton of italian places in Bali. And even in non italian places there is pizza or pasta on the menu. Weird because not too many Italians. Lots of Australians and French and Dutch, a few Americans and British.

We walk in took a seat, soaking wet, and I look around and notice there are Italians at every table. Now that I am able to eaves drop. And guess what all eating pizza. It was really funny because Italians in general don't feel it necessary to try other foods, I've spoken to alot of them about it. Their feeling is, Italian is the best why stray. So even in Bali it's pizza and wine.lol We had a hodge podge of dishes that was offered through a small hot buffet.

After lunch we spent most of the day looking in the boutiques. We walked down to the beach where the Sofitel was just to check it out. It was sooooo windy and rainy and thundering, good thing I had my helmet. Noone on the beach except for a few lifeguards planting huge red flags with skull and bones. Oh, and the guy who tried to sell me a harpoon gun. Do I look like the kind of girl that needs a harpoon gun? I mean really! Not a good beach day. The rain got so bad at one point we ducked into the lobby at the Sofitel to wait it out. Nice digs, but I prefer a smaller establishment.

After hours of slushing through the puddle filled streets and rain we met Made, he took us back to Ubud where it was STILL raining!

http://picasaweb.google.com/bandaidh...y=ArdAgJxoMbI#

Better weather at Nusa Dua

So, didn't want to entirely give up on the Bali beaches. I will give that award to Thailand, the beaches there are beautiful, Bali, they are ok, no great shakes BUT everything else makes up for it. Anyhoo we head one day to Nusa Dua and then Uluwatu.

Nusa Dua

At first Made took us to this rip-off place to rent a boat, they wanted 60 US pp p/ hour, now in a country where everything is like 5 bucks that's just insane. I said, Made! don't take us to these tourist traps. We decided to have lunch somewhere on the beach, it was a beautiful day and they were in short supply. Here's the thing Nusa Dua is a super quiet area, probably best for honeymooners or people that just like to laze around all day, besides a bevy of water sports not alot to do. BUT there are a bunch of gorgeous resorts and hotels, a bunch more going up AND the beach was the nicest we had seen yet. Any one of the beautiful hotels including the Peninsula will let you park your butt on their beach for the day. You do not have to be staying there to use the beach or pool. We, for some reason opted for a small hotel about 2 down from the peninsula, that caters to Germans. Don't know why, we just ended up there, They had a cute restaurant right on the beach with very tasy food, a nice pool, bigger than ours at Adi and it was empty AND the best part a guy in a hut who had a cousin with a boat. 2 hrs 400,000 ( 35 US) for 3 people. We dragged Made with us.

During lunch Made was chatting with our waiter who was on his was to play chess w/ some German guy on his Honeymoon whose new wife wanted nothing to do with him, so weird. So as we are gathering our stuff to head to the boat which was waiting in the water Made said he wasn't coming he would wait. What? No, you have to come with us Made. He informed us the waiter said the boat driver did not drive the boat well and we shouldn't use him, so he would not go, BUT we should go and have fun. WHAT? Uh Uh, no way, you are coming with, he really had no choice so the 3 of us head to the boat.

So off we go in an older, kind of rickety boat with a small glass bottom window to make you nausious. One, Two, Three, Four times stalling to get out to where we were supposed to snorkel and Made keeps giving us the eye as to say " Told ya so!" We finally anchor and the driver pulls out a bag of bread so we can get the fish to come over to our boat so we could see them while snorkeling. Well, I had no desire to snorkel, and either did Robin but Made did. But Made did not bring his swimsuit. NOt a problem for Made, he strips down to his little blue skivies, we lost it , Robin and I were hysterical, I could not look his way , LOL, OMG was so funny!!! Into the water with the boat driver he went the 2 of them had a blast! Robin eventually jumped in to cool off, I stayed on the boat, We spent a few hours out there before heading back, Tipped our driver on our way to Uluwatu.

http://picasaweb.google.com/bandaidh...y=_EDWr1_hBVg#

mohan

Thanks for posting your report. It certainly brings back fond memories.

I had my share of massages in Bali but it was never as inexpensive as $4.50.

The massage women who went around beaches started around $10. Yeah I knew I had to bargain it down but it could get stressful. By the time I paid it would be more anyway because they put in more time or they used an expensive oil or something. I didn't care to argue so whatever. Generally the massages are not as professional as the Thai's in my experience. I would try your reflexology place next time hopefully soon.

Some years ago i met a guy in jewelry manufacturing business, he said (could be just his experience) that while he loves the Balinese, they are not great with deadlines. I thought this piece of info might be helpful to you.

Good luck.

rhkkmk

i'm loving the report and the pics and can't wait to return to bali