If theres something that I will take time to blog about, its gotta be about my trips.
Because I find it soooo useful if someday I decide to go back to the same place OR someone ask me about what I did there, I can read back on my post and remember all those awesome times :D
Yeap finally a post on my Bali trip :)
My 2nd time there. I remembered the last time we went there was on my 22nd birthday, 3 years ago. There were many things that was in my list that I wanted to do at that time but didnt manage to do because of bad weather and time restriction.
I've always wanted to go back there to complete my 'list' and so one day when Hou's family suggested on going somewhere, we suggested Bali! Yippie!
It was a 5days 4nights trip.
On the day we were supposed to fly, our flight got delayed twice, for like 3 hours I think. So we were all stuck at the boarding gates, walking around, dying from hunger and boredom before we could finally board.
And because of the delay, we only reached Bali at about 2am? Yeap crazy lor. Hired our previous driver that we took 3 years ago and he was already waiting there for us at the airport.
For the first 2 nights, we decided to stay in Kuta town. We were right smack in the middle of the busiest most happening street, with all the street clubs. So yeah at 2am we got stuck in a jam and only reached our hotel at 4am.
I was fking grumpy and sleepy already and so after Hou was done with the checking in, I went up to the room and straight into the comfy bed...zzzzzzzzz
Day 1
*Our hotel for the first 2 nights -Harper Kuta*
Super new and nice hotel. But I would NOT RECOMMEND staying in this hotel because its at the same street with all the clubs and bars and drunk people and seriously NOT SAFE AT ALL. Felt super insecure everytime we walked out to buy stuffs at night.
Not a good experience because of the location.
Anyway, so we woke up early for the buffet breakfast which was nothing to shout about la. Too little choices and taste wise also okok ni.
After breakfast, we decided to walk around Kuta town plus also go hunt for our surfing school as I've already done my research before going there and already knew which surf school to join for our surfing lesson the next day (which is also the highlight of my trip! Best experience ever!!).
Found the place and booked a slot for our 2.5hours lesson the next day. Super duper excited okay. After we made the necessary payments, we headed out to Kuta beach to watch the other surfers plus to take some 'touristy photos'. :P
*Kuta Beach*
So pretty! The sun was shining so brightly that day haha
Continued walking and shopping at the shopping street and the weather was seriously killing!!! Damn damn hot okay!! Was sweating from top to bottom. We decided that it was too hot to continue walking, so we randomly chose a cafe and stopped by to enjoy some ice cold Bintang beer!
Headed back to the hotel after that to get changed and to wait for our driver which we told him to come pick us.
Next up, lunch!
The last time, we tried the Bebek Bengkil Dirty Duck Diner at Ubud for the 'so-called famous duck'.
But it turned out to be OK OK ONLY LA.
So this time I did my research and decided to try out another place called Bebek Tepi Sawah. They have many branches around Bali. We went to the one nearest to our hotel in Beachwalk, Kuta.
*Ordered two types of duck, I forgot the names but seriously DAMN GOOD!!!*
Love it like mad!!! So sooo goood!
*And also sate lilit*
Took some pictures while waiting for our driver because he MIA after we were done with our lunch.
Next stop, Uluwatu Temple (also known as the cliff temple). Wanted to come here on the last trip but due to time constriction, had to remove it from itinerary. So I was super glad we finally made it here this time!!!
*The temple at the end of the cliff*
So so soooo pretty !!! Love this place!!
Oh hi mischievous monkey.
While waiting for the sun to set :)
And also watched my first cultural dance. Forgot how much we had to pay but it wasnt cheap. Its called the Kecak dance, where they will dance while the sun is setting at the background.
In my opinion, not worth the time and money la. Ok la this is my PERSONAL opinion only. Really nothing much they do other than chant 'cak cak cak cak cak' non stop which annoys the hell out of me -.- Maybe I get annoyed easily la but I really didn't enjoy the show. All I did was take pictures while the sun was setting and also kept complaining, and disturbing Hou, asking him when only they will stop chanting lol.
*Kecak dance going on*
While I was more interested in this :D
After it was all dark and the dance was finally over, we headed to our next destination, Jimbaran Bay for dinner by the beach!!
Omg I remembered 3 years ago, I was so soooo SOOO DISAPPOINTED when I couldnt go there because it was raining on the night we planned to go there.
Ok la I planned this whole trip, so this whole trip is about the places that we didnt manage to go on our last visit and also some places that I felt was worth going back to bring his parents and brother. Haha =P
Sometimes its good also that they ALWAYS make me plan everything on every single trip, because I get to choose where I wanna go, what I wanna do and where I wanna eat LOL.
Had some trouble finding the cafe I wanted to go to, because the driver was not familiar with that area, but with some gps help we found it in the end.
Chose this cafe among all the other cafes because according to all my research I did online, this is the cafe that wont have cut throat prices while food also still okay.
*YAY candlelight dinner by the beach FINALLY!!*
If only I could do this everyday man....
Had 2 seafood combo platter which has almost everything
But because I do not like seafood and I dont eat seafood other than fish, so the highlight of this dinner is just the environment for me :) But the rest enjoyed the food very much. :)
Called it a night after that. Headed back to our hotel, bathed and then headed out to the streets to buy some snacks.
And an unfortunate incident happened where Hou's brother got targeted by pickpockets. Was a bad experience but we managed to get the handphone back because seriously, they picked the wrong guy to mess with. Haha Hou's brother is damn fierce and strong and he knows muay thai and so long story short, he caught hold of that guy, twisted his arm till he had to drop the phone.
After that incident, we were so scared and phobia that we decided to just go back to the hotel and chill in the room with snacks, and beers.
Day 2
Woke up the next morning for breakfast as usual and after that, we went back to the room to pack up our stuffs as we were checking out that day to head to our villa in Seminyak.
Also got changed for our surfing lessons later in the afternoon at 2pm. Yeap when the sun is at its hottest. Its no wonder I'm a black chicken now FML MAN :(
I can never ever have nice fair skin because I love the beaches and sun too much T.T
The surf school that we joined sent a driver to pick us up at our hotel and dropped us at the shop where we changed to our surfing suits and got our surf boards.! Wheee super exciting!!
Would definitely recommend this surf school!! We paid 30USD per person for 2.5 hours lesson, inclusive of insurance.
Everyone was super professional, especially the instructors, who never gave up on me hahahahaha. And also they take safety very seriously by putting so damn many lifeguards in the water with us, and always watching out on all of us. I felt like I was in good hands :)
*Odysseys Surf School*
Even though its more expensive than alot of the other schools around, but I feel for what we get, its totally worth it !!
*All suited up, prepared for our new adventure yipppie!!*
I was a super excited girl because I really really really REALLY wanted to learn how to surf!!
*YEAH BABEH SO READY FOR THIS!*
Started off with some ground training on the beach before we did the 'real thing'. HAHA
I was the only girl among our group which were all guys and the rest were guai lous lol.
All listening very attentively to whatever he was saying.
*paddle paddle paddle harder harder harder*
I was like 'WHAT ? SERIOUS? omg how can so fast hahah.' Start to panic lol.
Anyway the first few times, the instructor will be there holding our boards and giving us the 'push' we need for the momentum and also screaming instructions at us, whatever he taught us previously on the beach.
And I just couldn't do it for the first few times. I just kept falling and falling and falling.
I get even more gan cheong everytime I try to remember everything I learned on the beach, and him screaming at me 'RIGHT LEG FIRST RIGHT LEG FIRST' or 'OK NOW UP, STAND UP RIGHT LEG NOW'. Then I will be so kelam kabut and faiL in the end and get smashed by the waves T.T
And the most tiring part is, getting back out into the ocean, going against the waves to go further out to try to catch the waves again. The board is not light, plus its not easy going against the waves okay. Fighting against the waves and making sure it doesnt push me back to the beach. Seriously, that was the part that drained all my energy.
And some waves are like so super BIG and strong that even if I tried to jump up to avoid it, I end up getting smashed by it many times T.T While my board go flying around lol.
After 30minutes I totally couldn't take it anymore, so I dragged my board out of the water and sat by the beach and just watched the surfers. Then one of the lifeguard came to me and asked if I was ok plus offered me drinking water.
Then 10 minutes later, I decided I wont give up now. So I went back in and finally after many tries and also with the help of my instructor who never gave up on me, I found out the technique and managed to ride every single wave that I caught!!! Woooohoooo this shows that we should never give up no matter how hard it is!!!
That amazing feeling when I rode the waves for the first time. Feels so fking goood !!!!!!!!!!
All I had to do is follow his instructions and I managed to ride it every single time.
It goes like this 'On the board now...... ok paddle paddle paddle paddle faster faster faster faster NOW UP UP!!!'
And thats my cue to do the 3 steps that he taught me to stand on the board. Hehe
1st step: Push up
2nd step: Right leg on the board
3rd step: Both legs and jump up on the board
One thing that I still cant do was to stand up without his instructions, I dont know when is the correct timing to stand up on the board. Its like he said when you feel the waves is pushing you and the momentum is the hardest, its the correct time to stand up. But everytime I tried to do it on my own, I fail.
I only can do it when he's there to shout instructions to me on when to stand up. Coz timing is very important. If stand at the wrong time, theres no momentum, confirm cant ride it.
Could tell from the look on my face that I was super happy and enjoying myself hehe eventhough I had to drink so much saltwater and get smashed by the waves uncountable times!!
*Super love this candid picture of us walking out after our 2nd break to go ride more waves woohoo*
This happened like 3 times straight in a row so I knew it was my limit d. If I continue stressing my muscles, I am gonna be OKU d. HAHA Orang Kurang Upaya.
So I guess surfing was the highlight of our trip. Seriously I love it so much that I'm thinking of buying my own surfboard now !!!
Bring me back to where I can surf all day longggggg
Our happy faces after the end of our lessons.
And true enough, after that day, my arms and legs ached so badly I was practically limping and I couldnt even lift my hands up without screaming. Imagine how much pain I have to go through if I wanna get dressed LOL.
But all that pain was so worth the fun and experience we gained seriously from the bottom of my heart!
Next, was lunch at our favorite warung in Kuta. Dined there previously on our last trip and I remembered the food to be really good so we took his family back there to eat and true enough the food was amazing. Haha totally forgot the name of the warung sorry. And no pictures either because there were 3 hungry surfers gobbling up the food. LOL
Our driver came over next and drove us to our villa in Seminyak where we were gonna be staying for another 2 nights.
Its the sister villa of our previous villa, also under the same VHM management but honestly, I was quite disappointed with the place. Couldnt compare with our previous stay at the other villa. Haha so no pictures okay. No point taking. Sumore more expensive than our other villa last time and pool so small sumore.
Dropped our bags, lazed around then it was time for dinner. Dinner was at the famous Naughty Nuri!! Last time I wanted to try it so badly but didnt managed to so this time, it was a must. Caught a cab there and the queue was horrible. We waited close to 1.5 hours I think before finally getting a table.
But the ribs. WAS TO DIE FOR. Haha too gooood. Or maybe because we were super hungry already. But now Malaysia also got la, taste the same. So noneed to go until Bali to makan.
*Their famous pork ribs yum like mad can die*
Done with dinner, and we headed to the massage centre right outside our villa and had a good 1 hour massage. Omg damn goood !! Especially when my muscles ache like mad. But I was screaming like mad because it was damn damn painful but after that my muscles felt so relaxed!
Called it a night and I just died on the bed.
Day 3
Had our maid come in to clean the place and also cook us breakfast. Then we got dressed and our driver was already waiting for us.
SS while waiting for the rest LOL
First stop, Kopi Luwak farm.
The coffee machine used to filter the kopi luwak powder
And all the other teas and coffee that comes free if we order the kopi luwak. This is my favourite part always haha.
And the expensive kopi luwak that I still dislike.
2nd stop, Ulun Danu Bratan, also known as the Lake temple.
This would be my 2nd favorite temple!! So so pretty too!!
First thing we saw when we arrived at the temple was some Babi Guling carnival and they were giving out free babi guling. Omg our lucky day!
So pit stop for some babi guling. And it turned out to be the BEST babi guling we'd eaten throughout the whole trip. Like seriously the meat was so flavorful and tender!!
*So sorry piggy :P*
Next, was visiting the temple. Apparently, this is one of the most photographed temple in Bali. And I can definitely see why.
*SO SO SO PRETTY RIGHT!!*
Seriously all the temples that we visited were all so pretty I cant decide which is my favorite la!
Then there was more fooling around and taking jumpshots.
*Our Hi-5 jumpshot muahaha*
And I love this picture. Photo credits to Hou's brother haha
Next stop was Tanah Lot, also known as the Water Temple, to watch the sunset.
The journey from this temple to Tanah Lot was approximately 2.5hours. It was a really long journey plus we had MULTIPLE pit stops to get Babi Guling to tapao to the car and makan. Haha
His parents went crazy for babi guling after having the too-awesome-and-free Babi Guling at the temple, and so anywhere that was selling, we would definitely stop by to get some. But we couldn't find anything similar to the one at the temple!! Still the temple one was the bombbb man..
Reached Tanah Lot way too early and so we had some time for shopping. And then it starting raining cats and dogs, but thank god the sky cleared up after and we witnessed such a beautiful sunset. Definitely one of the best I've seen :)
*Tanah Lot, the cursed temple*
Apparently, if any couple goes to Tanah Lot, they will be cursed by some duno what and will eventually breakup/separate.
I really dont believe in this kinda curse la. But right, the first time we went there 3 years ago, somehow the gang we went with right, 3 were attached, 2 brokeup after the trip and the other 1 which is me and Hou survived it. *Tsk tsk going strong ok we both* LOL
It might just be a coincident la. But other than my gang, I heard quite alot of people who broke up with their partner after going to Tanah Lot. haha, still dont believe the curse lo me.
So this time, Hou was afraid of going back but I said 'hey come on, we survived the first time. And I seriously dont believe in this curse la. so lets try it again hahahahha'
*Wouldn't miss this beautiful view for some curse -.-*
Called it a day after that, and we went back to Seminyak and had dinner at Warung Eny, which ALL the food that we ordered turned out to be damnnnn goood!!
Hehe was our lucky shot, cause we just simply googled it on tripadvisor and randomly picked one which was near our villa. I miss Bali food already!! :(((
Headed back to the villa after dinner, bathed then out we went again for massage.
Seriously my life there is damn good la. I wakeup, makan go for tour and makan then at night come back bath then end the day with massage. Life feels damnnnn goood okay!! Should do this more often, right Hou? *hint* XD
Day 4
Had breakfast in the morning, cooked by our maid then we packed our stuffs and checked out. Our driver came and our first itinerary was souvenir shopping and the best place to do that is at Sukawati market.
And I bought alot of stuffs till I went broke, because hor, the people there know who to attack one lo. They just kept attacking me as I walk by and tempt me with all those pretty things and I cant tahan one lo!!
So at last I just kept buying and buying. I just eye on the item I want. tell Hou the price I'm aiming for then I just walk away, while my darling bf will do all the bargaining for me. And every single time he will walk out the winner haha. His bargaining skills really damn good la. Good for me, save all my saliva lol.
*Sukawati market*
*Pit stop taufu at the roadside*
Final stop for the day before heading to the airport was, Tegalalang Rice Terrace.
Nothing much to do there except see paddy lor. I would recommend leaving this out of the itinerary if you're running out of time. But if you got nothing to do, wanna find a place to chillex then theres a restaurant, where we can sit outside overlooking the rice terrace and enjoy some cold drinks and snacks. That was the only part that I enjoyed only lol.
After that was driving another 3 hours back to the airport and that was the end of our trip. We spent soooo much money on FOOD seriously.
Felt so lucky that I could join his family on this trip and it was kinda an all expenses paid trip other than my own air ticket and shopping hehe. Thankiew Hou and your daddy mummy too ofcourse :P
And also during this trip, I managed to do EVERYTHING and went to ALL the places i wanted to go to that we left out on our previous trip 3 years back. So yeap felt very satisfied.
So I guess this is the last time, Bali. Probably wont be going back again, UNLESS for the surfing hahaha.
p/s: buy me a surfboard please someone
Next post will be soon! On our koh lipe trip. Definitely have to blog about that as it was also my birthday trip :P
-mun-
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