After going through all kinds of hassle prior to the trip with the cock up and cancellations on AirAsiago's side, this would definitely be the first and last. This particular trip meant a lot to me, something I'd been looking forward to ever since I graduated from my two years spent at ITE which of course shortly after I landed myself a job so you see, this was my BIG break, my well deserved getaway.
Also, it would be my first trip with Kai without any parental supervision which is very thrilling and I can't help but to wonder what's in for us for the next few days as we travel on our own.
The past 6 months in this shitty ass job had been intense and I hated the person I became. There was no way in hell I would miss my flight in the morning but no matter how excited I was about the trip, I couldn't seem to get a shut eye..
The thought of not seeing Danial for a week aches my heart.. but on a lighter note, I was finally leaving the little monsters for a good 7 days before I come back to Singapore to resume work until the end of March and I'd be gone for good.
With work aside, I was finally able to relax and enjoy the long week ahead of me. After what seemed like a very long 2 hours nap on an AirAsia flight, we have finally arrived in Bali!!! Weather was looking good, sun was high and we were pumped (but mostly hungry)!
Upon arrival, Kai and Alfian bought themselves a bottle of Bintang as we scouted for a taxi driver to bring us to our accommodation at Sandat Hotel in Kuta. A lot of them were trying to rip us off but we ended up giving in to an offer of 80,000 RP or somewhere along those lines which I must say, is pretty damn cheap since there were 3 of us.
SANDAT HOTEL, LEGIAN
So this was THE Sandat Hotel. Picking this hotel was certainly not my idea and obviously not to my liking as well. If given a choice once more, I wouldn't pick Sandat Hotel. I'm a sucker for well furnished, modern contemporary hotels and resorts but it was our first trip to Bali which eventually I had to succumb to the majority and Azmi knew Bali better than any of us.
In my defence, Bali has a lot of amazing villas and coming all the way there to stay in an unappealing hotel is a shame but choosing Sandat Hotel had it's perks; located in the heart of Kuta, close to the beach, nightlife and shopping areas. As much as I wanted to be bummed out about it, the hotel wasn't so bad andddd... they did agree on the villa I picked out for our last night here so stay tuned!!!!
GETTING AROUND KUTA, BALI
Highlight of our arrival: Azmi had already rented scooters for us! Not that I've never ridden one in my life, Kai owns a bike for as long as I can remember but riding around Kuta in one is an entirely different experience. There's really no better way to explore Bali. The roads are small and narrow with tons of alleys so obviously it makes travelling a lot easier going from one place to another. Aside from that he has already arranged a personal driver who will take us for the next few days to do water activities and sight seeing around Bali. I can't recall the exact price breakdown for each individual water activity but listed down below is our choice of water activities package:
Water Activities Package
Ayung River Rafting
Parasailing
Flying Fish
Banana Boat
Total cost: 950,000 RP/per pax
INDONESIAN/BALINESE LUNCH
Now that our itinerary for the next three days are settled, t's finally time to eat! Food here in Bali or pretty much anywhere in Indonesia is insanely cheap. Halal food isn't hard to find but of course..
steer clear of their infamous babi gulings, hah.
SHOPPING AT KUTA SQUARE
So this was the much raved Kuta Square located at Jalan Bakung Sari, Kuta. The two-way avenue is flanked by rows of branded surfing brands and dining eateries, ranging from Ripcurl, Volcom Stone, Deus Machina, Hurley and Billabong being the most prominent.
Marinated grilled corn on the cob also known as jagung bakar, definitely a must have!
After finding out that the very ground we stood on was in fact The Ground Zero Memorial - a memorial built for those who died in the 2002 Bali bombings. I strongly felt that taking a picture here was highly inappropriate. But we didn't know any better so it's definitely something we can all learn from and to take note of should we ever come to Bali again.
After doing a bit of pre-shopping, we proceeded to the Tubes Bar and Restaurant located at Jalan Poppies II for dinner. Food was so-so, nothing special but when you're starving, anything tastes good. We were going to have an early morning tomorrow so we chilled a bit, ordered a few bottles of Bintang and headed back to our hotel to retire for the night.
Good food! I also like seafood bu rini!
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