Bali - Paradise!

It is quite a while since anyone asked me to quote for a holiday to Bali. It seems to have disappeared off the radar during the past few years. This was mainly due to the bombing at Kuta some years ago and also the fact that Irish citizens had to apply in advance for visas to enter Indonesia. However, this changed recently and John (my husband) and I decided to head off in September. This was to be our first trip away together without the kids in years and we were really excited. We chose Bali as we had a preference to visit an Eastern country and most of the other countries eg Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam were right in the middle of the rainy season. Bali was everything we had hoped for – lovely hotels, fantastic long stretches of white sandy beaches, fabulous sunsets, great restaurants and bars and most important of all, lovely people. The Balinese were friendly, gentle and courteous and not a bit pushy when plying their wares.

Our first stop was Legian Beach and our hotel was situated on the magnificent 5 mile stretch of white sand which stretched 20 minutes walk in one direction to Kuta and 30 minutes walk the other way to the more upmarket and chic resort of Seminyak. The beach was a surfers paradise and I enjoyed sitting under the umbrella and watching the activity. All sorts of services were available on the beach from massage to manicures and pedicures and on the first morning, I was definitely taken for a ride. John headed for a walk and by the time he rejoined me, I had had a manicure, a pedicure, had bought 5 leather bracelets and some awful table mats as well as having been totally ripped off on the price of the sunbed!! As I had no money on me, I had to return to the beach to pay my lawful debts and I became the best friend to this motley crew of locals. They all greeted me each day as I arrived at the beach – ‘Hello Miss Mary – you like a massage today?’ I would definitely suggest that one checks the approximate cost of hiring a sunbed or having a massage before venturing near the beach!!

Legian was fairly quiet in the evenings and all bars shut by 11pm. We headed into Seminyak on a couple of evenings and there was live music in the bars there which stayed open until 2am. Kuta on the other hand was where the party goers went – it was loud and brash and full of fake designer shops. There were lots of night clubs and they seemed to stay open all night.

Next stop Ubud and our hotel here was the Uma Ubud which was an oasis of peace and tranquillity. It was situated approx 5 minutes by taxi from the town centre and taxis cost approx €2.00 each way. The town centre was dominated by a big market open every day from 5am until 5pm and there were lots of art galleries and fake designer shops.

There was lots to do in Ubud and we enjoyed the early morning escorted walks organised by our hotel which took us into the hills and paddy fields in the area. It was amazing how lush and green the countryside was. We both loved the area and were able to combine nice walks with lazing by the infinity pool at the hotel to bargaining in the market. Restaurants were also excellent and very cheap and on the 2nd night there, we discovered ‘Naughty Nuris’ which is featured in several travel books and famous for its barbecued spare ribs. We had a great meal along with a few beers and stayed at the restaurant long after the staff had left. Our instructions were to put the empties into the barbecue!!

Bali is not just a honeymooners destination. We also met older couples (like ourselves!) as well as families and of course there were lots of young backpackers and surfers. Hopefully on our next trip, we will get to explore a little more of this beautiful island.