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Saturday, July 30, 2016

Stay out of Potato Head Beach Club!!!




On my second day in Bali I decided not to book any tour but instead I slept the entire morning to recharge and take a breather. It felt like my body was clamouring for rest and good sleep. #downtime When I woke up it was already lunch time so I went out to eat  and then headed out to the beach.

Kuta Beach

This is one of the busiest beach in Bali. It has a long stretch of grey sand that connects to Legian and Seminyak, the two other towns in Bali. You can rent a board and surf or get a henna tattoo or just simply soak under the Bali sun. There are pop up stores that sells refreshments with their own sun beds. 



Surprised to see that they also have Kalesa. 

I tried walking my way to Seminyak through the beach but it was just too far and the heat was excrutiating so I hailed a Bluebird taxi instead. 

What to do in Seminyak?

Seminyak is located at the north side of the beach. Its the same color of sand but it is sorrounded with high end resorts. Most of the tourists hang out at Potato Beach Club and Ku De Ta Resort. There are also local botiques and pop up stores in case you need an extra swimsuit. 

Potato Beach Head

Coming to Bali, I've been looking forward to visit this resort because of the hype its getting over the internet. I needed to see the sunset from their infinity pool and experience the cool vibe the resort gives. They don't have an entrance fee but their drinks and food are a bit pricey. Food, Service and Security is very good though. You can leave your stuff and not worry. Waiters are always at your service. They provide towels with no fee in case you want to swim in the pool as long as you order from their restaurant. Their sunbeds are always full and its on first come first serve basis. Don't bring food and drinks because they'll confiscate it upon entering the premise. 

Hallway

Restaurant 

Sunbeds

With Live DJ!!! 😂

Pool bar. 

Infinity pool. It was gloomy that afternon so I was worried the sun might not show up but the sky cleared later on and voila.

Sunset!! #thiswhatyoucamefor

Pool is lit! The wind was giving me shivers but the pool was heated so I was alright. 

I definitely enjoyed my whole afternoon in Potato Head. Hanging out by the pool with my Bintang, looking at the sunset, chatting with other tourist and exchanging stories. I did regret not seeing the North side of Bali though but I would regret it more if I didn't experience Potato Head. 

W Retreat and Spa

This is located right next to Potato Head so I had to see this hotel and check out their tiered pools looking out to the beach. Their is no fee to go inside and use their pool but you need to purchase food and drinks. The hotel is stylishly huge and has some really nice day beds. Staying true to its brand as an international chain of hotels. 

I just adore their pool.


Read from somewhere that this place is fun bit I guess todays is different.

I want to take one home. 😂

Unlike Kuta, beaches in Seminyak are less crowded and free from clutter mainly because the private hotels run them.














Friday, July 22, 2016

My BALI is a Wonderland. (South Bali Tour)



After a 5 day beach bumming in Boracay with my friends, I booked a connecting flight to another ultimate beach destination, Bali, Indonesia. 

I based my itinerary from blogs and tripadvisor FAQ's that fits my travel dates. Choosing the destinations to visit was a struggle because there were too many beautiful sightings in Bali but I have so little time. For my accommodations, I booked them months ahead from www.agoda.com with a help from my friend, Kaye. 

I arrived in Ngura Rai Airport in Bali around 8am and got out an hour later after going through immigration. I already changed my Pesos to Rupiah while I was still in Manila so I just walked out to look for a cab. Taxi service at the airport has a fix rate. Since I was on a budget I waited for a cab outside the airport. Just walk through the parking lot in front of the arrival area and you're already out. I suggest you take the Bluebird taxis as they are the trusted taxi service in Bali.

KUTA 


If you're looking for the backpacker area and party place this is where you should stay. Poppies 1 and 2 and Beach Walk are the go-to streets. You'll find everything here. 

I was too early for my check-in at Funky Monkey Hostel so I had breakfast first at Bakung Sari Hotel. I also booked my South tour from the same hotel.

600,000 Rupiah 

FUNKY MONKEY HOSTEL (P350.00)
Free pancake all day and Aussie eye candies. Bali is near Australia so a big percentage of the tourist are Aussies. The distance from the hostel to the beach was a little inconvinient given that I don't drive the motorbike so I make sure I have everything before I leave the hostel.



After check-in, I went back to Bakung Sari Hotel to start my South Bali tour. Restless and exhausted coming from my sleepless nights in Boracay and a connecting flight but still went for it. I'm not complaining though. My schedule was just intense. Whew! 

What to see in South Bali? 

Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Luwak Coffee, GSK, Padang-Padang Beach, Uluwatu Surf Beach, Single Fin Bar and Resto, Uluwatu Temple, Kechak Dance

GSK

Vishnu 
Garuda
GWK cultural park
Still under construction.
Kechak Dance

Lotus Garden

PADANG-PADANG BEACH

This beach was made famous because of Julia Roberts' movie , Eat, Pray, Love. 


Looking ahead, Joseph Bardiem maybe waiting for me. LOL

This is a short stretch of white sand with pop up stores selling food, drinks, souvenir and sarong. 

Panorama of Padang-Padang


Non Pro surfers gather on this side because the waves aren't too big. You can rent surfboards from the pop up stores in front of the beach. 

ULUWATU BEACH

The waves here aren't too friendly. They are huge and will really eat you alive. I didn't surf but I can tell from where I was sitting the struggle the surfers face out in there.



This is a short descend from the parking lot. Just follow the surfers and you won't get lost or you can always ask around. The locals don't bite. 


SINGLE FIN BAR


Best place ever! Come a little early to get a good sit up front because this place gets crowded once the sun starts to set. The vibe is really cool, good music, lots of tourist, no entrance fee and food is good. The price isn't so bad because you'll be paying for this beautiful view. Don't forget to try Bintang, their local beer.

Restaurants and Hostels in Uluwatu Beach

ULUWATU TEMPLE


Didn't get to the far end because the Kechak show was about to start. 

Asked the Chinese lovebirds to take this photo. I'm Wearing a sarong because shorts are not allowed inside the temple. 



KECHACK DANCE


Kechak Dance is their national dance and its really intresting how they chant and dance at the same time. Really gets your attention. 

Sunset at the Kechak dance stadium. Beautiful! 

To get to these destinations you can either hire a private car or rent a motorbike. Keep in mind you need to have an international license to drive in Bali because if you're caucasian, the Police here will ask you to pull over. Saw this happen a few times while on tour. 

I skipped the beaches in Nusa Dua and Jimbaran and the Luwak Coffee tasting because I wouldn't have enough time to visit the places I highlighted on my checklist. Plus they're just white beaches and I just came from Boracay so l'm sure it would just be a downer. 😂