rhkkmk

Day of touring Lombok tomorrow...

Promise to catch up next day....

Fabulous dinner in the Asian restaurant tonight.. Is it bad that our pre- dinner happy hour (at 2 for 1) cost more than our dinner?

Smeagol

Bob, when I went to Luang Prabang with K a few years ago, due to a hotel mix up ( their fault) the 3 Nagas offered us a FREE set loation dinner..... It ended up being our most expensive meal of the trip!!! The cocktails did us in!! LOL

rhkkmk

Yes Nicky but our normal drink is not champagne out of a golden slipper

Kathie

I've seen photos of the new villas at Qunci - I'd love to go back and stay there. Enjoy your time on Lombok!

rhkkmk

Kathie, it is truly fabulous

rhkkmk

Ok, so we got to the airport and the car tried to drop us at international, until we pointed out the mistake and he took us nearer to the domestic terminal, but could have driven right to the front door... Oh well then we would have missed our Burger King lunch (60,000rp for a #1). Garuda check-in was a bit slow--inefficient, but we had plenty of time. about an hour late leaving cause waiting for 3 late arrivals. 18 minute flt on a 737. New Lombok airport is quite nice but 1.5 hours drive to Qunci Villas, right thru the middle of Mattaran.

Even in the dark we could see the new section is simply fabulous. I should note also before moving on that Lombok is now a built up place. QV is no longer in an isolated area.

But once you are inside it is a real oasis. The wind has been housing since our arrival which makes it quite pleasant and allows for a nice breeze.

Our double unit, 2 bedrooms, 2 bath with a private enclosed pool (20X15) is lovely... There are 3 water waterfalls into the pool from a stone wall creating an enchanting noise. Inside the wall are many 30' bamboo trees and outside many tall coconut/palm trees. Our unit is called QIMA II. It is one of only 2 , 2 bedroom units. We are 75 feet to the lounge/med. restaurant and largest pool which is next to the sea front. There is a narrow beach. Lots of surfers out front. $265++ incl huge breakfast for 4.

THIS IS NOW OUR PRIME SUGGESTION AS A HONEYMOON DESTINATION !!!! Lots of flts from outside Indonesia directly, but not BKK...

We went to the Med rest. For dinner ... Really good... Most entrees $8-12, with steak and seafood combo at $23. Apps about $4-8, desserts mostly $6.50 and all are amazing... Think chocolate or strawberry Pavlova . Drinks $6-11 ( 2 for 1. 5-7PM--no wine or beer incl... Beers $2.50, local wine $6.50...

Early to bed..... Great bed... Huge rain shower head in huge room with a sculpture.

Original art everywhere in unit incl at pool.

rhkkmk

Just lost another whole sect. Later.

Smeagol

There was a wedding on when we went a couple of years ago in September, agree idyllic location at a great hotel. Sounds like you are all having a super time.

rhkkmk

the next day was a leisure day hanging around the pool... Meals are fab, mostly western, but with a nice mix of local... Staff is exceptional. Enjoyed happy hour daily 5-7... Drinks $$2.50-11.00.

The pool is right next to the beach with huge waves and surfers... Also enjoying our own pool.

We are having so much fun with the Gomes and miss Craig and jeane.

The following day we had a driver and guide... Quite disappointing starting with the price of about $220 ($55 each). Guide was only so so. Not really a lot to see here.. Should have stayed at QV instead... Did enjoy visit to weaving village, skipped indiginous people village.. L bought some pearl jewelry.... Lots of Lombok pearls...

Next day was a leisure day around QV... Massages for all at 2--- I had my first foot massage for 1 hour.
exceptional weather day and evening and sunsets were fabulous... Great dinner again.

We really love Qunci Villas... May come back another time and just stay here.. Hope a direct flt from BKK will open up.

another beautiful AM with breakfast in the Med. Rest.--- omlettes, scrambled eggs, fruit, fresh squeezed juices, hot chocolate, capuchino, best ever warm baguettes, croissants and jams.

We return to Bali this PM with a flt at 5:30. we will try the Marriott, The Stones Hotel on the Legian/Kuta border across from the beach. we will have 5 nights there before flying on to Bangkok.

While there we will have the treat of meeting Marmot. We are really looking forward to that. Her Bali info is always so perfect and welcomed.

rhkkmk

No pork served here btw. Muslim island 90%.

marmot

Thanks for the hat tip, Bob. Actually visitors like you are my best source of information.

Bokhara2

Plenty of pork in Bali, though.

Have you had your Babi-guling yet?

http://www.baliguide.com/babi-guling.html

rhkkmk

Have not had it yet...

Lovely lunch at Qunci before we left at 2:30.... Only an hour to the airport... Very disorganized at Garuda... The woman in front of us had 25 pieces of checked luggage. 25 min. Flt this time back to bali.

Approached by young guy in airport offering a van ride for $20... I never take these but this time I did and it was fine.

Marriott, the Stones Hotel is a glitzy place, not far from main st Kuta. Dinner was disappointing and service was horrid. Hope tomorrow will be better. We have been so spoiled thus far that perhaps this is just normal. we were upgraded and have a decent room overlooking the pool. Large soaking tub on our balcony, shielded by a sliding curtain...

hawaiiantraveler

Yes we were spoiled by the service, quality of food and ambiance at Quincy villas that the dinner at Marriott seemed very plain and lackluster. Luckily Bob n Karen were there to soften the blow. We will definitely return to qv one day for a week next time around.

Also wanted to mention our stay at the Grand Hyatt in Nusa Dua. A very picturesque Hyatt akin to the Grand Hyatt on Kauai. Lovely sprawling property with beautiful tropical grounds and decor in the buildings. Putu our Bali driver actually used to work there and reminded us of it's unique building design that replicates the typical Bali family compounds with buildings in the east, west north and south of the complex at different heights according to traditional Bali traditions akin to the Chinese Feng Shuei (sp) methods. We were upgraded here to a lovely ocean view room and would stay here again on a return visit.

Time is flying by on this trip. Can't wait for our return to Bangkok and our gtg with Pook and Dang along with the Kimball's and kuranosuke and wife Jackie. We will also have time this trip to return to SJ jewelers and again use that infamous phrase "Kathie from Seattle sent me"

Aloha!

rhkkmk

How can kathie possibly know so many people???

rhkkmk

Dinner at stones was disappointing, but the bright side is I did't have to pay because karen won a bet from Peter and the prize was a free dinner-- thanks peter.

Lovely AM, great breakfast buffet... Not a single chaise available at pool at 9:45... Urrr. K going out for a swim.

We will meet up with a lady from TX later for lunch. we have never met her but we both use the same silk tailor in BKK and have contact about that in the past. Should be fun.

Lazy day today.

rhkkmk

Dumb me did not remember that the TX lady is "stitchintime" from fodors and her husband Carl. They came for us about 1:15 and putu drove us to a really good a/c restaurant in Legian---Bali Bakery.. Excellent food and great desserts.

we had wonderful conversations which included learning about fabrics they buy in Thailand and Bali.
Is 3 hours for lunch too long... No...

Hanuman

What was the "bet" with Peter? Let me know his weakness as I can use a fee dinner as well!

rhkkmk

I am sworn to secrecy

rhkkmk

After our fun lunch gale (stitch..) dropped us off at our hotel... We regrouped and got a taxi and headed north to seminyak/legian where P&I were dropped off at the Double-6 Hotel and the girls continued on to spend about 3 hours shopping, many of the shops having been suggested by Marmot.

We spent the entire time in the bar at dbl-6, which overlooks the beach and it's crashing waves. Lots of beach activity.

Dbl-6 is a new lux hotel targeting the 25-40 set. We had a 7:30 res to eat in their acclaimed Seminyak Italian Restaurant. The food was fab. The antipasto, which sadly I did not order, looks like Tuscany.
my pumpkin ravioli in a burnt butter sauce with mustard was outstanding... P&K had mouth watering tender veal dishes and L had seafood spaghetti served in a bag. Huge desserts. Girls shared an Italian bottle of white ($42). Bill was almost 3,000,000 rp because of our bar bill..... All worth it.


Relaxed breakfast this AM, pastry is amazing... The whole buffet is very good.

Putu will come for us at 11 and we will head to east Bali and finish up with a fish dinner on Jimberian (sp) Beach.