Hypnotic Bali

As luck would have it, my husband had a work tradeshow in Bali…. I mean really, who has a tradeshow in Bali?! This was one business trip you can bet I was all over tagging along on! Since the tradeshow was in the Nusa Dua area of Bali (southern tip of the island) we began our trip there at the Grand Hyatt Resort. I gave David a few days head start then joined him on a Wednesday. The tradeshow went till Friday evening so I entertained myself for a couple days, which is very easy to do. We decided to take full advantage of the situation and stay for the weekend after the tradeshow, but wanted to check out another area of the island so we headed to the west side of Bali to the popular & trendy beach town of Seminyak for our final 3 days.

But before I get ahead of myself, let me back up and begin with our experience at the Grand Hyatt Resort in Nusa Dua. Nusa Dua is where we stayed on our honeymoon, specifically at the magnificent St. Regis Resort. The one drawback that obviously we did not know about ahead of time was that Nusa Dua was hosting the Bali Democracy Forum 2012 at the Westin this week. So, with all the Asian country Presidents, Sultans, Kings, and Prime Ministers, there was a ton of police around, car check stops, security gates, etc. But they were as polite and discreet as they could be. Anyway, I won’t torture myself by trying to compare the Grant Hyatt to the St. Regis, which really isn’t even possible as the St. Regis is in a league of it’s own, but I will say that the Grand Hyatt was a wonderful place to stay…if you like big resorts. I’m on the fence with that one, as we typically prefer smaller, more boutique style hotels that lends itself to more culture and local flair. That being said, this resort did “have it all”. There were a plethora of rooms, a handful of suites, and of course a few separate villas scattered along the beach. From local Balinese cuisine to Western style options, the restaurant selection satisfied my desires.

They had about a dozen shops to wander around in, both handmade local items as well as beach resort wear. They also had a beautiful spa (although I didn’t try it out), a top-notch and up to date fitness facility, kids club, about 5 swimming pools- some adult only while others were kid friendly complete with water slides, as well as beach front loungers with water & sand activities! The staff was friendly and the service excellent. We were fortunate enough to get moved to a room (due to noisy neighbors) right at the edge of the resort’s walls where it meets the beach. Stunning views, if I may. The rooms are spacious and clean. My one “beef” with this resort is that it is quite dated. The bathrooms and common areas could use some sprucing up, that’s for sure, but otherwise, well done. Oh, and their nightly acoustic duo at their lobby bar is simply amazing- these guys can belt out an amazing array of genres!

Wednesday night upon arrival while the hubby had a work function, I wandered around the resort and picked the Salsa Verde restaurant for my solo dinner. It was beachside and I enjoyed a beautifully grilled salmon with fresh veggies & homemade sourdough bread, yummy.  They also served the most delicious hot ginger tea I have ever had…. I must figure out how to recreate that.

Thursday morning I headed off to the beach for a morning stroll before it got too terribly hot. I was able to walk along for quite some time before realizing I had walked all the way to the St. Regis resort- ahh, the memories. After my stroll, I sat my butt down on a beach lounger and soaked in the rays while swimming in the calm waters (due to a reef protecting this area of the island), until mid-afternoon. Here is where my day got even more decadent. I was then whisked away to the boutique Sekar Jagat Day Spa, a spa that David and I went to on our honeymoon. This spa is rated very high on TripAdvisor (where we originally found out about it) and I wanted to go back, more for nostalgia than anything else. This spa is very local and although they pamper you from head to toe…they do so in a more “local Balinese” style atmosphere than your typical resort spa…. and at a fraction of the cost. I indulged in a 3.5-hour blissful afternoon- inclusive of a full body massage & scrub, flower bath (with tea & cake), facial, and an Ayurvedic Shirodhara scalp therapy. Don’t bother being self conscious here- don your paper chonies and allow them to do as they may. Its all on the up & up but be prepared for them to literally hand wash you as you sit on a stool, crazy but oh so relaxing. I topped the night off by joining my husband and his coworkers for a quick dinner at the nearby Bali Collection, before they jetted off for yet another work event. We dined at Uno Italian, which was nice in that it was an international restaurant that served the guys their pizzas and me my salad and satay. Not the most earth shattering meal ever but good enough. After dinner I strolled around the shops, taking in the scene and even purchased an awesome original oil & canvas artwork for us to frame and hang in our home in Malaysia from a cute little shop called the Herwana Print Frame Gallery . Can’t wait to get it framed & hung up, plus the haggling was half the excitement.

Friday was my last solo day and although it had been relaxing, I was ready to spend some time with the hubs. I spent my day getting in some exercise and lounging once again at the beach. Oh, and I splurged on something I had wanted to buy back on our honeymoon but never did- an outfit from Uluwatu– the original store that sells handmade Balinese lace clothing. It’s oh-so-feminine and made of the highest quality and each piece is hand signed by the worker who sewed it…complete with their age! Love these little details & absolutely love my new outfit!

For dinner, we treated ourselves to Kayaputi at the glorious St. Regis resort, Tripadvisor’s #1 rated restaurant on the whole island of Bali! We absolutely love this place- went there twice on our honeymoon while staying at the St. Regis so we knew we had to go back since we were staying in the area. Kayaputi has hands down the best seafood I have ever eaten….and I’m a seafood lover! We dined al fresco in our own private little cabana beach side. The food was heavenly and of course we topped the night off by stopping at the St. Regis ice cream shop for some of their delicious homemade ice cream. Yum!! Can you tell we are obsessed with the St. Regis yet?!?! We awoke Saturday to the excitement of being able to head to Seminyak for the remainder of our stay. We had not been to this beach town yet so we were excited to explore this new section of Bali. We found our hotel on our favorite SE Asia hotel site- Agoda & stayed at the Semara Resort & Spa just a few blocks north of the center of Seminyak. Although the hotel was not directly on the beach, it was still only a 5 min walk away to the nearest public beach entrance. The hotel itself was a smaller boutique style hotel complete with restaurant, 2 swimming pools, and a spa. The rooms were nice & modern, albeit small. The staff was very warm & welcoming, providing excellent service. My only gripe with this place was the pool noise. They “upgraded” us to a poolside room, which was super noisy due to the fact that they let kids start swimming at 7am! We asked to either be downgraded or upgraded again away from the pool area but alas, no luck due to a sold out weekend. If you don’t mind early mornings, this hotel will be great for you- location, service, spa, style, food quality= all top notch, otherwise, book elsewhere.

We checked in & promptly began exploring the streets to stop for lunch. Seminyak is such a fun area because it truly does feel like a little beach town- the expansive & clean beaches with big waves, small & windy roads, little surf shops & boutiques, hole-in-the-wall bars & restaurants, bikers carrying their surfboards & artists carving or painting their next creation. Such sensory overload!! We completely fell in love with the area and cannot wait to return. Anyway, back to the day. We happened upon a place by the name of Grocer & Grind where se stopped for lunch. Its a yuppy style quaint little grocer along with its own little cafe. We shared a delicious chicken spinach salad and hawaiian style pizza- great fuel for the rest of the afternoon :). From here we just meandered around the beach side streets, enjoying some afternoon iced chai tea while purchasing some new beach duds. David picked some new board shorts at Quicksilver along with a hat from Ripcurl while I totally scored on a cute new beach dress & shoes at the stylish boutique Indigo & Rose along with a couple more sandals at Erial Novri.

After this exhausting (bank account and otherwise!) afternoon, we headed back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool before getting ready to meet up with our friends Raj & Mekhala from KL who were also in Seminyak for the weekend- small world! We met up at the ever popular local establishment- Ku De Ta, for some sunset cocktails. WOW- this place was simply stunning. Its got a funky hip-beach vibe with a DJ spinning the tunes- from rock to techno. It sits directly on the beach and boasts several sun loungers, family-style tables and dining tables to enjoy the sunset. The sun setting speaks for itself, we loved this place! After the sun finally went to sleep for the night, we headed out once again to the streets of Seminyak in search of dinner. We were all craving american style burgers and as luck would have it, Daniel’s Steakhouse fit the bill! The burgers were delicious and the ambiance perfection along the bustling nightscene in Seminyak.

Sunday came quickly for us and we had to take full advantage of our stay. We awoke to breakfast at the hotel and then indulged in a couple’s massage at the hotel spa. Amazing massages, yet the noise from the pool area was still bothersome. Anyway, after we lounged poolside for a bit before heading out to lunch.

We were craving Balinese food and found Sate Bali. Such an adorable little restaurant! We dined on traditional chicken & beef sate (satay in english), cold seafood salad, and stir-fried veggie salad. Hit the spot!

From here we happened upon a cute little home goods shop by the name of Pananpoe, where we found and purchased 2 of the most amazing bedside table lamps ever! We are so excited to add them to our home here in SE Asia and to always have the memory of where they were bought :).

Details….shutters lining the walls of the entrance at Potato Head Beach Club

Infinity Pool at Potato Head

The afternoon was spent at another awesome beachfront establishment by the name of Potato Head Beach Club. Wow, such an electric vibe! Similar to Ku De Ta, yet way more upscale and everything done on a grander scale. As luck would have it, Potato Head was literally right next door to our hotel so the walk over was convenient. Along with a large grassy area, there were inside & outside dining tables, sun loungers in front of an infinity pool with swim up bar located directly in front of the beach, as well as beach access if you wanted to take a swim there as well. The DJ was spinning some great tunes while we relaxed on the loungers, swam, and indulged in an afternoon of bliss while the sun set in front of us….heavenly. After such a busy day, we enjoyed a simple meal at The Deck, the restaurant attached to our hotel and enjoyed a variety of asian classics before passing out on our large comfy bed.

Monday morning….our final day (insert sad face here). We decided to take advantage of rising early with a beach run & walk along  the Seminyak, Legion, and Kuta beaches. We watched the sleepy beach towns wake up with fellow runners & dog walkers, beginner surfers getting in some lessons, and the sun rising behind us, simply amazing. After our workout, we headed over to Ku De Ta for some coffee and breakfast, then returned to the beach for another stroll back to the hotel…such a peaceful morning. A bit more pool time and a quick lunch before jetting off to the airport & finally saying goodbye to Bali…..until next time of course.

Breakfast with a view at Ku De Ta

A healthy start- yum!

What I loved about Bali this time around was that since this was my second time here, I didn’t have that overwhelming urge to “do it all” and “see it all”, rather I let each day take me where it may, a lovely way to spend a long weekend in Bali, for sure. I also don’t remember the abundance of all the cheap finds at the various beach shops! In hindsight, I wish I had brought along an extra suitcase, both for personal goods as well as some great home goods found there. No matter, we will be back, of that I am 150% sure!

Until next time, safe & happy travels!

Kimbra