Intercontinental Bali Resort Джимбаран Intercontinental Bali Resort Jimbaran

Rested with my wife March 5-14.2009.

The hotel was chosen for a long time. I wanted it to be on the first line, so that the tides were small, the territory was green, the city was not far, etc. If we take into account these requirements, then the desires were justified. The hotel area goes directly to the beach. Green, well-groomed, perhaps even overly J, a little confusing layout of buildings (internal transitions can get lost), but after a couple of days you get used to it. Upon check-in, you will be asked for a $300 deposit or a credit card. It seems to be a trifle, but unpleasant. It feels like you are suspected in advance of something L. Even in Egypt, this was not the case. Immediately offered a room in the 3rd building on the last, fourth floor. The room is large and spacious, with windows towards the green garden. Didn't like it because of the smell of dampness (like in cellar J). A two-room suite with an ocean view was immediately offered, but for an additional fee.

We thought that $ 80 per day, the surcharge is not reasonable and asked to see more rooms. Here we encountered the first incomprehensible moment. Though politely, they explained to us that everything is busy now - a large influx of tourists (as it turned out later, more than half of the building was empty) and very few rooms available. As a result, reluctantly offered a room on the first floor. The smell of dampness was present here too, but we decided to stay. In the future, they were satisfied - a quiet place, ocean views, a restaurant only 2 minutes away, no need to move around the labyrinths of the building, the sea is nearby, and if there was a constant war for free sunbeds in the center of the hotel, then here (southern part), the hotel it has always been free.

The room, in principle, is not bad, a large bath, shower, modern toilet, large double bed. Cleaned daily 2 times a day. Bedding is changed only on request, towels every day.
The only thing that does not allow giving the room 5 stars is the smell, an antediluvian TV and, probably, a dresser of the same age, combining a refrigerator and a stand for this TV. In principle, the whole issue looked anachronistic, that only the phones of the release of 1992, yellowed from old age, were worth it. But, as soon as you leave the room, these little things stop annoying. The area around the hotel is wonderful. Many artificial ponds with lotuses, fountains and their own wildlife. I would especially like to note the central lake with huge fish, herons, water lizards, frogs, etc. The hotel is fenced and guarded on three sides. Only on the north side is open space, but there is security there too. The brochures say that the hotel has its own beach, but in fact the coastline is not divided in any way. The sunbeds are above the beach. You can move freely along the coast.

The place is calm, which struck me, very few people prefer sea holidays. Mostly crowds near the pools. Although the sea is very warm and shallow near the shore. The waves were every day, sometimes less then more, but not dangerous, at least for adults. In the prospectuses they wrote that the water in the Jimbaran area is clear and clean. In fact, there are problems with cleanliness. Home - garbage. Depending on the current and direction of the wind, a lot of rubbish floats in the water, bags, food leftovers, leaves, paper, etc. Sometimes it is almost imperceptible, but there were days when it was simply disgusting to enter the water. Especially annoying plastic bags at the bottom. The beach in the hotel area is still kept clean, but outside the territory, it's a dump. The tides are insignificant, but the tides are fast, in the evening, in about an hour, an hour and a half, the water fills 4-5 meters of the coast. Lots of staff on site. Everyone is busy with something, like in an anthill.
But, everyone is smiling, trying not to interfere and help as much as they can. As for the surrounding area, the hotel is located in the village (namely the village, do not listen if they tell you that Jimbaran is a city. A big village! ). Accordingly, there are no entertainment, cultural or decent shops here. It is worth noting inexpensive shops, such as minimarkets, located 10-20 minutes walk towards the airport. Prices for related products, drinks, food, you will be pleasantly surprised. For example, the cost of drinks differs from hotel prices by… 6 times! Speaking of prices for "food" in Intercontinentale.

In my opinion, this is the biggest disadvantage of the hotel. Having such a large number of visitors and not making money selling food is just some kind of blasphemy! On the territory there are three restaurants, "hotel", Italian and Japanese. In the latter, we were not, because.
not adherents of this cuisine, but about the rest we can say: very expensive and ugly expensive (about Italian). We decided to celebrate our arrival at the hotel restaurant, a modest (one dish for each, plus beer and a cocktail) dinner for two cost us 800.000 rupees ($73), and this is without meat, seafood and some local exotic. In general, in the evening, in a huge hotel, an empty restaurant looks strange. What can we say about the Italian restaurant. I visit Italy several times a year, and I can say that the prices are very similar, but Bali is not Europe, is it? A very strange situation, besides, literally 5 meters away, behind the hotel's fence, there is a whole network of small cafes, where prices are much nicer, and as I understand it, almost the entire hotel had dinner there. Cafes are located right behind the southern fence of the hotel, you can either go from the side of the city, but it’s easier and shorter right along the coast. In these cafes, almost only seafood. At the same time, rice, a minimum of vegetables, etc. will not be forgotten.

A distinctive feature of these cafes is that you yourself can choose seafood (fish, shrimp, crabs, oysters, squid, etc. ) that will be prepared for you (cooked, fried, grilled, etc. ). Live weight prices. For example, shrimp from $12 per kg, lobster (lobster) $24 per kg, etc. A chic dinner for two with lobster, fried seafood, grilled tiger prawns and wine with beer cost 380.000 ($34). If you do not show off, then it is quite possible to eat up for 15-20 dollars. At the same time, tables stand right by the water, so a romantic atmosphere is provided - the ocean, sunset, starry sky ...

As for entertainment, this is not Egypt. The hotel does not host any shows. All in your hands. In Kuta, the town closest to the hotel, it is very hot, even in the evening. As a rule, all cafes and restaurants are not equipped with air conditioners, and there are many visitors. The audience is very diverse, and usually hangs out in their own companies.
Prices in Kuta are average, but it should be remembered that travel from the hotel and back will cost you 80-120 thousand rupees. By taxi, because there is no other transport in Bali. Speaking of taxis, if you're traveling short distances, it's best to use a metered car. And if you intend to travel around the island, it is better to negotiate with private drivers. Prices for "carriage", depending on the mileage, range from 20 to 50 dollars. For example, for 50, we traveled all over the central part and the northern coast. You can bargain cheaper if the car is worse.

These are all material values. The main advantage of a holiday in Bali is complete detachment from the hustle and bustle of the modern world. Arriving in Bali, you find yourself in paradise. Yes, modern industry does not sleep here either. First of all, this concerns transport and infrastructure for tourists. But, it is worth closing your eyes to this, as you will find yourself in a completely different world.

For us personally, the real surprise was the attitude of the Balinese towards their roots, traditions, and the island as a whole. The first thing that strikes tourists is the absence of imported goods and products. I don't know what goods are not produced in Indonesia. J. That's where the "support of the domestic manufacturer" is felt! Small business is just phenomenal! At the same time, there are no particularly successful and no less. Everything is about the same level. In Bali, there is no caste division of people according to the availability of money. Yes, money is important to them, but only for people who work with tourists. In some places, especially visited by tourists, you even remember Egypt or Turkey, but basically, the Balinese are very hardworking and do not strive for quick money and wealth. For us Europeans who are already accustomed to the American way of life, this is really amazing. All of the above, first of all, is reflected in the quality of goods.
Believe me, with great pleasure we ate chicken (yes, yes, exactly chicken, and not "modified" chicken) grown on rice and corn, not chemistry; with pleasure they ate rice, which differed not only in taste, but also in size J; they ate fruits of various sizes and shapes, with a natural taste and smell, etc. Almost all the food in Bali is natural. There is a constant struggle to preserve the traditions of growing plants and cooking products in natural conditions, without modern innovations. Do not think that this only applies to food. The island also has a very developed production of clothing and footwear. If you are not an adherent of "modern" trends, then Bali will turn out to be paradise for you! We have never seen so many different clothing options.

Of course, it is not without its downsides. Get ready that the attitude towards tourists in Bali is somewhat "strange". In what way is this objectionable? Largely.
First of all, regarding prices. If you want to buy some thing, not in a store, then they will sell it to you, at least twice as much as the locals; get ready to pay for visiting parks, exhibitions, etc. from 10 to 50 thousand rupees, when admission is free for locals; if you come to dine in a restaurant, then do not be surprised if your driver is fed there for free, etc.