Bali Bali! (Part 1)
SPM is finally (almost) over and done with! I have one more paper to go but that's a real no brainer so...en route to Bali!
This has literally been the long awaited post SPM holiday with my family I've been anticipating since the year started...#hepifeels *cries*
Checked into our hotel, Citadines, right across Kuta beach after touch down. Absolutely loving this cosy modern space.
Beautiful sunset at Kuta Beach
The area I was at is surrounded by bars, bistros, restaurants, boutiques, local food & clothing stalls. It's absolutely strategic and lively day & night.
Dinner was at Beachwalk, an al fresco styled mall with various major clothing brands & unique treats. We had dinner at Kichenette which served fusion cuisine. I'd definitely recommend the Balinese dishes (obv) haha!
The next day we had Rudy, our driver, to bring us to touristy attractions around Bali.
Water sports in Bali is a MUST! The most popular place for this is at Tanjung Benoe, Nusa Dua. Although I didn't get to jet ski (all time fav), we did take a glass bottom boat to Deluang Sari, a turtle reserve island with its own tiny zoo.
Courtesy of Aditya Water Sports that was extremely generous with their price & packages.
I had so much fun here with all the animals. They were extremely tame and intriguing. I honestly wouldn't have done this in my local zoo haha!
Lunch was at Iiga Warung, famous for their barbequed pork ribs.
Ribs were mouthwatering! Super tender and juicy *_* On a side note, I'm not sure if coconuts in Indonesia are tasteless or sour but they're definitely not sweet nor as refreshing as the ones we have back in KL...weird.
Head to Pura Luhur, Uluwatu after lunch. A beautiful temple up on a cliff, overlooking crashing waves. Perfect place to watch the sunset.
This view comes with a "wild" price tho. Beware of wild monkeys that are literally out to steal your stuff! Keep them all away, these wild monkeys are smart!
En route to Jimbaran for the beach I came all the way from KL for. Although it's not the best place to tan & chill, it is a stretch of beach that is lined with al fresco candlelight seafood restaurants. Recommended? Maybe for the first time tourists but in general, pricey & lacking on variety.
After trying to get my tan, we headed back to the hotel for a dip. As our hotel is at Kuta Beach, we had a great view of the cotton candy sunset while swimming.
The day after was all about cottage industries, culture & shopping. Rudy brought us to a batik factory, a silver factory & to my favourite, Basanta in Tegallalang, an organic Luwak coffee plantation.
Luwak coffee is literally wild civet poop coffee... Nowadays however, the Luwak (civets), are bred & fed Arabica coffee beans for commercial purposes. The coffee beans are "fermented" in the Lawak's stomach, excreted out & processed for our consumption.
Different flavored coffee & tea
Had a taste of Balinese sweet treats and Luwak coffee up on the hills surrounded by green forests. Dessert before lunch, that's the way! \(^_^)/
Lunch was at the famous Bebek Tepi Sawah. The restaurant is surrounded by paddy fields and the food is A+!
Bali is famous for these dishes called "Dirty Duck" and Ayam Betutu and the ones here are absolutely delicious. The duck is super crispy and the spices on the chicken really fragrant. Condiments that come with them go really well with the dishes.
Lunch was satisfying and so was shopping around Tegallalang, a place famous for its scenic terrace paddy fields. Dinner was at Beachwalk again. Chinese this time because my dad was homesick.
TO BE CONTINUED
-Zoey