Weekend in Bali - Seminyak April 2013
For our wedding anniversary this year I organised a relaxed beach Bali holiday. (We take turns organising anniversary weekends as a surprise for the other one.) Using Airbnb for the first time I wanted a quiet villa, with a pool, within walking distance to a beach. Mission accomplished with Villa Bodat in Seminyak.
Having heard mixed reports about Seminyak, I was wondering what our experience would be. Lots of reviews, including some from friends, talk about Seminyak being overrun with tourists and the accompanying traps. So, let me say right up front - we loved it. We were happy with our villa and the environs. Perhaps, being the low season, we weren't pestered as much, and there certainly weren't any crowds of jostling tourists to contend with. Perhaps, because we live in Singapore where friendly service is not the norm, we were ridiculously pleased by anyone who smiled as they took our money. These factors, mixed with low Bali prices meant we had a great weekend away.
While we wouldn't swim in the ocean along the Seminyak/Legian Beach coastline, lots of people did (locals especially) and there were plenty of surfers doing their thing. We had planned to rent scooters but with everything an easy walk or cheap taxi drive away, we didn't bother. Don't be afraid to use the taxis. They use meters (all ours did anyway) and are super cheap.
Highlights for us included:
SNORKELLING AT NUSA PENIDA
The great thing about South East Asia is the tropical sea life that abounds if you make an effort to get away from the 'people beaches'. We booked a day trip with Blue Season Bali to Nusa Penida. We travelled with divers and had three snorkelling/diving spots to stop at during the day. Our first stop was at Manta Point to look for manta rays. No manta rays at the point but we found them on our way to the second stop (Crystal Bay). We jumped in for a quick swim and chase with the beautiful creatures. Crystal Bay and the final drift snorkel showcased pristine waters and abundant sea life. We were trying very hard not to compare it with our trip to the Maldives the month before (another blog coming soon). Maldives came up trumps in the comparison of course, but I would be happy to take the kids or friends snorkelling at Nusa Penida.
DINNERS ON THE BEACH
We asked for recommendations for meals that locals enjoy. La Plancha on Double Six beach was cheap and cheerful. You can't miss it really, but without the recommendation, we would have walked right past it. Don't be put off by the bright lights and colours. We are pleased to report that the food was delicious and the ambience was relaxing. After dinner we meandered on down to another beach bar/restaurant that had live music playing on the beach. For the cost of a fruit juice we sat on the bean bags and enjoyed the two man band till they stopped.
Our dinner the following night was also at a beach, but was a much more intimate, romantic affair. We ate at Breeze Restaurant at The Samaya. It was pure class with a stunning beach view and ambience. Which also means pricey, but only for Bali. The same price in Singapore would have bought a nice, but not stunning, meal with a view, perhaps.
POTATO HEAD BEACH CLUB
There is a minimum spend at the Potato Head beach club. So we went for lunch and requested a day bed to lounge about on afterwards. It was a bit of decadent luxury, and we loved it. We napped on the day bed, sipped on delicious drinks and fell into the pool to cool off when needed. What a great way to spend an afternoon when you don't have a lot of energy. I even enjoyed the music the outdoor DJ was playing! We left just as the dressed to impress evening crowd started to arrive.
The last thing I need to mention is Black Orchid on Jalan Legian Kaja. It is an unassuming ladies clothing store on the east side of the street. I can't remember any other landmarks unfortunately. But if you find it, you can expect friendly, but not pushy staff. A lot of shops will offer to tailor make you clothes. What I liked about Black Orchid was that they could make anything in their store, with any changes, to your size, and very quickly. And they didn't adjust the price just because you want to make lots of changes to the original design. You can also pick different fabrics and colours if you want. It was a whole new experience for me to have a range of designs/clothes you could try on and then tweak to your personal preference. I wish I'd found them on day one! And when walking up and down the shops becomes too much, there are a gazillion affordable massage and spa places.
Enjoy! We sure did. We'll go to Bali again, and we might even take the kids with us next time. :)
Having heard mixed reports about Seminyak, I was wondering what our experience would be. Lots of reviews, including some from friends, talk about Seminyak being overrun with tourists and the accompanying traps. So, let me say right up front - we loved it. We were happy with our villa and the environs. Perhaps, being the low season, we weren't pestered as much, and there certainly weren't any crowds of jostling tourists to contend with. Perhaps, because we live in Singapore where friendly service is not the norm, we were ridiculously pleased by anyone who smiled as they took our money. These factors, mixed with low Bali prices meant we had a great weekend away.
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| Double Six beach at Seminyak |
While we wouldn't swim in the ocean along the Seminyak/Legian Beach coastline, lots of people did (locals especially) and there were plenty of surfers doing their thing. We had planned to rent scooters but with everything an easy walk or cheap taxi drive away, we didn't bother. Don't be afraid to use the taxis. They use meters (all ours did anyway) and are super cheap.
Highlights for us included:
SNORKELLING AT NUSA PENIDA
The great thing about South East Asia is the tropical sea life that abounds if you make an effort to get away from the 'people beaches'. We booked a day trip with Blue Season Bali to Nusa Penida. We travelled with divers and had three snorkelling/diving spots to stop at during the day. Our first stop was at Manta Point to look for manta rays. No manta rays at the point but we found them on our way to the second stop (Crystal Bay). We jumped in for a quick swim and chase with the beautiful creatures. Crystal Bay and the final drift snorkel showcased pristine waters and abundant sea life. We were trying very hard not to compare it with our trip to the Maldives the month before (another blog coming soon). Maldives came up trumps in the comparison of course, but I would be happy to take the kids or friends snorkelling at Nusa Penida.
DINNERS ON THE BEACH
We asked for recommendations for meals that locals enjoy. La Plancha on Double Six beach was cheap and cheerful. You can't miss it really, but without the recommendation, we would have walked right past it. Don't be put off by the bright lights and colours. We are pleased to report that the food was delicious and the ambience was relaxing. After dinner we meandered on down to another beach bar/restaurant that had live music playing on the beach. For the cost of a fruit juice we sat on the bean bags and enjoyed the two man band till they stopped.
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| La Plancha from the beach. |
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| Our table at Breeze |
POTATO HEAD BEACH CLUB
There is a minimum spend at the Potato Head beach club. So we went for lunch and requested a day bed to lounge about on afterwards. It was a bit of decadent luxury, and we loved it. We napped on the day bed, sipped on delicious drinks and fell into the pool to cool off when needed. What a great way to spend an afternoon when you don't have a lot of energy. I even enjoyed the music the outdoor DJ was playing! We left just as the dressed to impress evening crowd started to arrive.
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| The infinity pool at Potato Head Beach Club |
Enjoy! We sure did. We'll go to Bali again, and we might even take the kids with us next time. :)
