Your rating of this hotel:
10.0
from 10
Hotel ratings by criteria:
Rooms:
8.0
Service:
9.0
Cleanliness:
9.0
Food:
10.0
Amenities:
10.0
Good day to all readers! Here we are in the southern hemisphere. And that was Indonesia!
Flights. They flew to Singapore with Turkishami. Very convenient for our location and reasonable price. Flight Simferopol - Istanbul-Singapore and back cost only 19.404 hryvnia ($ 2.308). Turkishi, as always, are on top (in the literal and figurative sense), but, if possible, see that the connection is at least an hour in Istanbul. Especially on morning flights, there is a huge crowd in front of air security and there is a chance to lose up to an hour there.
Flight Singapore - Denpasar and back booked on the AirAsia website and paid by credit card. For our dates it turned out 487 $. Check-in was done at home before departure via the Internet. It’s not necessary to do this for a flight from Singapore, you still need to check in your luggage, and there are no people at the counters, but for Denpasar it’s also not necessary, maybe with or without body passes, everything in the general queue for all AirAsia flights is only 3 counters . You waste about an hour.
Overweight is treated with loyalty. If there is a lot, step aside and scatter it over your hand luggage without any problems. If you are planning meals on board, I recommend booking food in advance on the website, it comes out cheaper, though the food is fast food - like Mivina and hamburgers. In our opinion, it is better to have a snack at the airport or take something with you.
There were about 5 hours between flights in Singapore, which fly by unnoticed at the local air terminal. Kinetic rain is especially mesmerizing… Complete relaxation…
Also booked a domestic flight to Java in Jojokyarta. LionAir came up on time, but the card payment did not go through, so I bought Garuda (there is a departure an hour later from Denpasar and an hour earlier from Jogji, the prices are almost the same). Garuda does not accept other people's cards online, so I had to write off and pay through the Jakarta travel agency. Well done guys, they respond to emails very quickly, the commission is minimal.
So, the flight cost 2021 hryvnia ($ 248) with all taxes and air fees (at Garuda they are included in the price). On-line check-in is not possible for Garuda domestic flights, but you can do it in advance. Garuda has an office in Bali Collection, although there were no crowds at the counters at the airport.
In general, air transport in Indonesia is developed unlike our beautiful country, and the prices for flights are so reasonable that one could compare with bus transportation in an unforgettable homeland. For example , the Indonesian LionAir made the largest ever deal with Boeing for the purchase of 76 ! newest Boeing 737-900. And we can only dream...
Currency exchange. In Indonesia, upon arrival, the currency was exchanged at the airport for 100 dollars. There are a lot of exchangers, the rate is the same - 930.000 = $ 1, in Nusa Dua they changed in the village of Bualu, to the right of the entrance, 300 meters, a little in the depths near the massage 955.000-960.000 for $ 1.
Cards in Bali-collection and shopping centers are normal, you can pay, they take dollars, but we preferred to pay in rupees.
In Singapore, cards are accepted everywhere, but cash, of course, is also needed. The rate at the hotel was 114 syngodollars for 1 US dollar, the average rate in the city was 119 for $ 1. The largest is 123, in Suntec City Mall, but it's clearly not worth going there because of this.
Hotel Indonesia. In Bali we booked Ayodya ($2934 for 11 nights). The choice was between her and GrandHyatt, but, in our opinion, the choice was a success! The hotel is wonderful! All negative reviews, I think mind games with cockroaches. And the latter, obviously, win. We rented bicycles and traveled all over the beach and hotel coast, almost to Cape Tanjung Benoa. Believe me, there are many good hotels. But! The widest, largest and best beach at Ayodya, the hotel area is larger at GrandHyatt, but is it for the better, because there are more people there too? In other hotels, somehow everything is crowded and the complete absence of the sea at low tide.
Were in the Intercontinental on Jimbaran, so there is generally a passage yard.
So, in order. We settled after midnight - the number, of course, had already been determined - it was 2135 in the left wing from the reception on the first floor. Sveta liked the number immediately. There are no walking paths nearby, therefore, no one except the gardeners walks, and the trees create a kind of shade, respectively, the sun does not shoot into the room during the day. There is no dampness as such, or rather, it is, but in all rooms and on all floors, well, who doesn’t like tropical humidity with its richness of smells - welcome to that Motherland ...for the smell of exhaust gases ...There are mosquitoes, but with the help of a fumigator they are dispersed. In the room we were greeted with a bowl of fruit and cookies and a bouquet (well, it's true, for whom it's important)
A lot has been written about breakfasts, they say, everything is egg and scrambled. Dear fellow pagans! For all our travels, we have not seen a more refined and varied breakfast (in beach hotels! ).
Of course, “monotony” can get boring in 2 weeks, but it is unlikely that most vacationers have smoked butterfly fish or Parma ham for breakfast at home. Or maybe you have kim-chi every day? Or fried rice with vegetables? Probably, for the stomach of an exhausted Olivier, dumplings and sturgeon with vodka in the morning, breakfast is certainly not good ...And then there are the monitor lizards (crocodiles! ... ) swimming, and the cranes are trying to beg for a piece of bread. . It's just a disaster… Breakfast officially starts at 7 am, but at 6 everything is already covered and you can come. Covered in two restaurants, mostly and near the beach. The assortment is the same, but, and delights in the form of Korean-Chinese cuisine have a place to be in the main. There were few people, both at breakfast and in the hotel as a whole. And that's good! Somehow, the Chinese came in large numbers for three days - well, noisy. . Now I can’t lure Sveta to China, she doesn’t like noisy companies.
The room service suited us too.
Cleaned, replenished, and always had time to do it before lunch, while we were on the beach. Tipping is standard - $ 1 or 1.000 rupees. I really liked the national style robes - light and comfortable. I wanted to buy them home, found only in the hotel store. For non-English speakers, there is a young guy at the reception, but apparently he has been working recently - he doesn’t know some questions.
About the carelessness of the staff. Sveta had a birthday. Back at home, I sent an email to the hotel with a request to order a bouquet for her from me. They ordered a bouquet for me, but they forgot to bring it exactly at the appointed time ...He asked if there would be a gift from the hotel - they offered a choice of cake or flowers, but since Sveta does not eat sweets, he naturally chose a bouquet. They said it will be by 20.00 - you take a walk somewhere, and we will quietly bring it in.
Well, we walked and walked ...We came around 20-15 - there was no bouquet ...We sat down to drink our favorite rum and cola, then a girl near the terrace with a bouquet drew herself - sorry, they say, knocked, do not open. But! All these are solvable trifles, they do not affect the running gear and can be anywhere!
About the beach. The beach - I repeat, the best in the surrounding area, not only because of the tides, it is definitely the only beach where you can swim at low tide not very far from the coast. But! It's also wide and long! The rest of the hotels nearby, with the exception of the GrandHyatt, have very narrow and small beach areas. The beach is very similar to both Mexican and Dominican ones. There were enough sun loungers for everyone. As always, the fellow-pagans delighted with their indomitable craving for native-resort rubbish. Apparently, the times of the conquerors of the seas have passed, where you could buy everything from the natives for colored glass, now it’s the other way around ...In addition to the sellers of rubbish, masseurs walk along the beach.
We recommend right away - it’s better to go to the village outside the hotel and immediately outside the gate, on the left, 200 meters away, in the Prada complex, a wonderful massage parlor. On the beach under a canopy with dirty hands 300 thousand rupees = $ 31, in the cabin 250 = $ 26, with a discount of $ 225 = $ 24 for two for 1 hour in a cool place and with disposable underwear. The pool near the beach is good, it works until late, but it closes differently, sometimes at 19, or even at 21. There is no special animation in the hotel - aqua aerobics during the day, various shows with dinner in the evening, but for an extra charge.
So, if you are a romantic who loves stylish, but at the same time simple things with comfort and unobtrusive, but constant care of the staff, this hotel is for you.
Nutrition. Eating outside the hotel is not difficult. The nearest one is 5 minutes on foot outside the gate to the village of Bualu and cafes start almost from the entrance. There are chain stores, for example, Laguna and Prada, which are present both in the village and in the Bali collection, and Mai-Mai only in the village.
Almost all prices are on the same level, and the surroundings, quality and serving of dishes are according to your attitude. For example, I liked the food itself more in May-May, and Sveta in Laguna, but the atmosphere and service in Laguna are a level higher. Almost everywhere there are Russian-speaking employees. For example, in Laguna (www. lagunagarden. com) - this is Arini - the administrator of the cafe. Very cheerful and talkative person. We ordered local dishes from them, including the specialty - baby guling (milk pig), but, for me, it’s so hard, and we like fish and shrimp more.
We also went to the bali collection. Walk for about 10 minutes. Of the interesting cafes not in the Balinese style, we paid attention to the Brazilian one, there is meat, a lot of meat, but we went for sea food. The price level is the same as in the village, the difference is only in the names.
We dined once in Kuta, it turned out to be more expensive than in Nusa Dua, but without much food enthusiasm ...
On the first day we went to Jimbaran to celebrate Sveta's birthday. Not a bad atmosphere, the ocean is splashing nearby, somewhat reminiscent of Goa, but a show off from the Sunset on Jimbaran series? ? What sunset? The sun goes behind the mountain, and not into the sea… There are many cafes, but visually one stands out in terms of the number of people - this is Minega (www. minega. com). We were in the neighboring ones, but something was not right, and the prices were a little higher, and the servants were worse. The range of seafood is almost the same for everyone. We can’t say that the taste is bad, but in Ceylon and India, sea food is cooked better. Dinner without alcohol, but with fresh juices in the village cost 220-250 tons of rupees = $ 23-26, on Jimbaran -250-300 = $ 26-31 + taxi 47-60 tons of rupees = $ 5-6 one way. I think you can go to Jimbaran just for the atmosphere. From the point of view, you can also eat deliciously in Nusa Dua. Discounts are available everywhere, you just have to ask. The size is from 10 to 30 percent, there may be bonuses in the form of drinks, nuts, first, garnish or dessert.
Tours.
Back at home, we planned excursions and pulled out the coordinates of guides from the Internet. As a result, Artu became our guide in Bali, a young man of 25 years old with his Suzuki minibus for $ 45 per day per car, speaking good Russian, and the routes eventually developed in a similar way.
First day, departure at 8 am: woodworking village (Ubud) - Elephant Cave (Goa gajah) 15.000 rupees = $ 1.5 per person - temple of flowing water (Pura tirta empul) 15.000 rupees / person - road over Lake Batur with a view of volcano - Besakih temple - rice terraces - black volcanic sand beach - Jimbaran. We reached Jimbaran around 16:00. We are not religious pilgrims, but we consider it a must to see the places listed in UNESCO. Not everyone liked it, for example, you can skip the elephant cave without regret. Guides don't really like to go to Besakih - the mountain road is far away, but the temple with the volcano in the background is very beautiful. Keep in mind, the entrance is free, but the locals do not allow cars to reach the temple for 1 km.
You have to either walk in the heat or hire a bike for the amount "from the lantern". So, the French in front of us gave 100.000 rupees = $ 10, in short, they are bred by local tourists for money. Initially, it was planned to go to Lake Batur, but there is nothing to do there if you are not going to swim to the ethnic village or climb the volcano, and the views from the road above the lake are excellent. Keep in mind, Artoo does not go anywhere with you, he is only a driver, well, a storyteller on the road "for the Balinese life. "
The second trip with Artu went like this: departure at 8 am - Jatiluwih rice terraces 15 t rupees per person = $ 1.5 - temple on Ulun danu lake 30 t rupees = $ 3 per brow + 5 car - Taman Ayun temple (Taman Ayun) 15 rupees / person - monkey forest 15 rupees / person - Tanah Lot temple (Tanah lot) 30 rupees + 5- hotel. Since we examine everything quickly, we were already at the hotel by 18.30 with traffic jams. The temple on the lake took 1st place in our rating of attractions in Bali, the terraces and Tanah Lot are also good.
The forest of monkeys and flying foxes is also interesting, especially for those who like nimble monkeys, but you don’t have to visit Taman Ayun - nothing special except a couple of beautiful photos. They didn’t stay at Tanah Lot for sunset - it’s already beautiful, but I liked the view of another small temple Pura Batu Bolong (standing on a cape with a hole) on the right, facing Tanah Lot. They also tried luwak coffee, I don’t know if it’s real or not, but with a good entourage and a real live luwak next to the table.
Another trip to Uluwatu was planned, but there were too many temples and we left it for later ...
We also took a taxi to Kuta (75 t rupees = $ 8 one way). Kuta itself did not seem interesting to us even once, a lot of Australians, cars and little relaxation. We visited the Discovery and Matahari shopping centers, we thought to shop ...But it’s not fate, somehow everything is completely local.
As I wrote above, we flew to Java on our own - visiting Borobudur and Prambanan was definitely in our plans. About the flight is described above, and we found a guide in Java through a Balinese guide. Agreed for 700 tons of rupees = $73. Since the flights are early, the problem is to take a taxi to the airport. You need to either negotiate with the taxi driver in advance (60 rupees = $ 7), or order a hotel taxi (150 rupees = $ 15). We chose the first one. So, upon arrival in Jogje, we were met by Malikov (Malig)! It turned out that he speaks good Russian, although initially they agreed on an English speaker. And, in general, he turned out to be an excellent interlocutor and narrator about Java and Indonesia. If interested, I have phones. Route in the end: Prambanan - Borobudur - Jogji center - airport. Malik offered to see the Sultan's palace, but it is open until lunch, and we did not have time, traffic jams in Java are not bad.
Borobudur (entrance for foreigners $20/person) and Prambanan (for foreigners $18/person), of course must see, which can not be said about the main street of Jogji - this is real Indonesia! Dvizhuha, crowd, dust and fry! Because Sveta does not like crowds, now this is her “favorite city” ...(still the Chinese go there ... ). But we rode a cycle rickshaw around the center, in fact, there is nothing more to do there. And, yes, Sveta has also been in the role of a film star, well, they are very popular with Indian women, they asked for pictures with whites. As Malig explained, schoolchildren from the provinces who come to Jogju very rarely see white people in their homes and we are all actors from films for them - Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. (It's so nice! ) By the way, the lunch at the restaurant that Malig brought to was very good, perhaps the best ever in Indonesia.
Shopping. In principle, the Bali collection is quite enough - all the brands represented in Bali are there. Lots of clothes and accessories for surfers Rip Curl, Billabong.
There is a multi-brand Sogo store from the international ones, Nautica is interesting there. And the only supermarket on Nusa Dua. In Kuta, all the same "boutiques" and many locals. Souvenirs are also in Bali collection, which in Kuta are represented by the same exhibits. Of the interesting things, we bought in Ubud in a workshop crafts made of two-color hibiscus and crocodile wood. Be sure to bargain! Before boarding the bus, the price may drop by half. Near Borobudur, they bought two masks made of wood with natural dyes for $6. All the little things for yourself and for gifts, mainly in the Bali collection. Everywhere in shopping centers they paid with credit cards. Everything went without problems.
Speaking of taxis. We traveled by taxi of all Balinese companies. Believe me - there is NO difference in the presence of a taximeter! There may be only a cunning driver who takes you by the tenth roundabout, but this is inherent in any country.
The rest of the traditionally offered Balinese entertainment, such as zoos, water parks, bird and monkey parks, etc. , we initially rejected, this is too much for Russo tourists ...
Well, as if in Indonesia and all (in short). The country is beautiful, and despite the proximity to the ends of the earth (for Russian speakers, of course) it is a must to visit. It sounds trite, but we would go back there again, and more than once.
We flew to Singapore with AirAsia. As I wrote, the crowd at the registration is huge and cannot be avoided. The flight left with a delay of half an hour, but that's acceptable.
What struck us as we approached Singapore was the abundance of ships. We live in a seaport city, and even for us it was amazing. The Garden City welcomed us with a private transfer to a hotel of our choice and that was Swissotel The Stamford!
Hotel. The tower of this particular hotel with HarborView from the 37th to the 56th floor was booked in advance.
But… our room was not available and had to settle for a view of the bay, the wheel and Marina Bay Sands hotel… from the 60th floor of business room 6052 as compensation. It seemed to us that this view is even better than in the direction of the downtown skyscrapers. The hotel is excellent, which is not surprising for Singapore. Room, service, breakfast - everything is beyond praise, perhaps it was the best city hotel in all our travels.
Transport It is convenient to move around the city by metro, the stations are located in the right places, the fare depends on the distance, we traveled 2.5 singodollars with a return card for 1 singodollar, You can take a pass for several days for 14 singodollars. We recommend taking a taxi to remote places where there is no metro
Since there was not much time in Singapore, only two and a half days, the program was initially full.
In the first half of the day, it was planned to get acquainted with the city and visit the nearby malls. Suntec City Mall is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. We do not recommend wasting time on it - there is no shopping there, and apart from the fountain of wealth and a good exchange rate, nothing interesting. And then, the fountain works only in the evening and is not particularly impressed. But next to the pier there is the final stop of sightseeing and excursion double-deckers. Tickets can also be purchased from the driver. Departure on two routes every 15 minutes, you can get off and on at any of the stops during the day. The cost of pleasure is 27 syngodollars = $ 23 per day. Thus, having traveled along two routes, we perfectly saw the city and understood what we liked and what we didn’t need for nothing. So, for example, for small India, in our opinion, a glance from a bead is enough ...We highly recommend starting your acquaintance with Singapore with this, you will immediately have an idea about the city.
On the second day, we visited Orchard Roads and one of the highest rated malls, ION Orchard, where you can get: 1) by taxi, 2) by sightseeing bus for free (you have a ticket for a day), 3) by metro. We recommend that you do not waste your precious single time on other shopping centers - EVERYTHING is here and all brands will be in your hands. After lunch, the path lay in Chinatown for lunch and for souvenirs (there are the same three options to get there). Lunch was in real Chinese style, it's a pity they forgot to bring frog legs to us ...Next, by excursion bus to the Marina Bay Sands hotel, on the roof of the sky park. Although we had a gorgeous view from our room, we still wanted new sensations. The hotel is beautiful, the view from the observation deck too. The cost of pleasure is 20 syngodollars = $ 16 without time limit. For the garden and swimming pool surcharge separately. The shopping mall at the hotel is very beautiful, with an artificial river and a la Venetian gondolas, but, keep in mind, there are few middle-class brands, mostly high-boutiques.
Back to the hotel, coffee break and evening walk to the Merlion and then along the river to Clarke Quay. It's very romantic! The city sparkles, cafes beckon with a wonderful smell of seafood, walking people are friendly! Again I want to go back ...The lights out was about 22.
The second day began with a trip to the zoo. We took a taxi back and forth (about 40 syngodollars). Entrance 27 syngodollars = $ 23 using wagons to move around the territory and a boat for a tour of the lake (this can be safely omitted). The zoo is very beautiful, and not only or not so much with living creatures, but with the very location and presentation, which, by the way, is not surprising for Sing. Coffee at the hotel, check-out from the room (you can leave things at the hotel and use the entire infrastructure) and to Sentosa. Here we were waiting for Vivo City Mall, riding on a monorail (2.5 SGD) to amusement parks and riding a cable car (26 SGD = $ 22) in a full circle - to the mountain and to Sentosa.
Before the entrance to the middle station of the cable car, you have to walk long enough through 2 shopping centers, you can even get lost. The shopping center is not bad, the first place in the rating of malls in Singapore, but I'm sure you will like ION more, although there is shopping here. I was surprised that many retail premises, a supermarket are located below the subway level, 4 levels below the ground. Food court, where we ate on the third level ...At 20 o'clock we returned to the hotel and sat on the 73rd floor in a cafe near the window overlooking the night Sing until the transfer. To be remembered!
In Singh, we managed to see everything according to our plan, a Ferris wheel was also planned, but since our floor in the hotel turned out to be higher than this wheel, why? In principle, one more day would be useful for a trip to the botanical garden and to Sentosa in Universal Park, but this is more, probably with children. .
Regarding shopping in Singh, all brands are international: here is the whole Inditex Group in the form of Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, and Mango, and the real Lee Cooper and so on and so forth.
Prices for the same product are more expensive than in Kyiv. I liked Aé ropostale, it is not represented in Ukraine, it is a very fashionable and comfortable American brand. I haven't looked at electronics. In shopping centers I saw the price of Sony Xperia S, about 2800 hryvnia, much cheaper than ours. In general, there are few brands, mainly Samsung in the first place. Sveta wanted to see children's clothes and shoes, so we found a "specialized" Forum shopping center on Orchard Road. Yes, indeed, for children, but the brands are unknown. and the prices are outrageous. We do not recommend wasting time
As always the trip was a success! Asia never ceases to beckon, amaze and dissolve in it. Positive enough for a month after. As always, one never ceases to be surprised that there is life at the “end of the world” from “civilized” Ukraine, and in many respects it is better than ours.
That ordinary people with whom we communicated are always friendly, benevolent and strive to know our distant world, despite the difficult life and small earnings. What we wish for all of you.
Best travels of your life!
Flights. They flew to Singapore with Turkishami. Very convenient for our location and reasonable price. Flight Simferopol - Istanbul-Singapore and back cost only 19.404 hryvnia ($ 2.308). Turkishi, as always, are on top (in the literal and figurative sense), but, if possible, see that the connection is at least an hour in Istanbul. Especially on morning flights, there is a huge crowd in front of air security and there is a chance to lose up to an hour there.
Flight Singapore - Denpasar and back booked on the AirAsia website and paid by credit card. For our dates it turned out 487 $. Check-in was done at home before departure via the Internet. It’s not necessary to do this for a flight from Singapore, you still need to check in your luggage, and there are no people at the counters, but for Denpasar it’s also not necessary, maybe with or without body passes, everything in the general queue for all AirAsia flights is only 3 counters . You waste about an hour.
Overweight is treated with loyalty. If there is a lot, step aside and scatter it over your hand luggage without any problems. If you are planning meals on board, I recommend booking food in advance on the website, it comes out cheaper, though the food is fast food - like Mivina and hamburgers. In our opinion, it is better to have a snack at the airport or take something with you.
There were about 5 hours between flights in Singapore, which fly by unnoticed at the local air terminal. Kinetic rain is especially mesmerizing… Complete relaxation…
Also booked a domestic flight to Java in Jojokyarta. LionAir came up on time, but the card payment did not go through, so I bought Garuda (there is a departure an hour later from Denpasar and an hour earlier from Jogji, the prices are almost the same). Garuda does not accept other people's cards online, so I had to write off and pay through the Jakarta travel agency. Well done guys, they respond to emails very quickly, the commission is minimal.
So, the flight cost 2021 hryvnia ($ 248) with all taxes and air fees (at Garuda they are included in the price). On-line check-in is not possible for Garuda domestic flights, but you can do it in advance. Garuda has an office in Bali Collection, although there were no crowds at the counters at the airport.
In general, air transport in Indonesia is developed unlike our beautiful country, and the prices for flights are so reasonable that one could compare with bus transportation in an unforgettable homeland. For example , the Indonesian LionAir made the largest ever deal with Boeing for the purchase of 76 ! newest Boeing 737-900. And we can only dream...
Currency exchange. In Indonesia, upon arrival, the currency was exchanged at the airport for 100 dollars. There are a lot of exchangers, the rate is the same - 930.000 = $ 1, in Nusa Dua they changed in the village of Bualu, to the right of the entrance, 300 meters, a little in the depths near the massage 955.000-960.000 for $ 1.
Cards in Bali-collection and shopping centers are normal, you can pay, they take dollars, but we preferred to pay in rupees.
In Singapore, cards are accepted everywhere, but cash, of course, is also needed. The rate at the hotel was 114 syngodollars for 1 US dollar, the average rate in the city was 119 for $ 1. The largest is 123, in Suntec City Mall, but it's clearly not worth going there because of this.
Hotel Indonesia. In Bali we booked Ayodya ($2934 for 11 nights). The choice was between her and GrandHyatt, but, in our opinion, the choice was a success! The hotel is wonderful! All negative reviews, I think mind games with cockroaches. And the latter, obviously, win. We rented bicycles and traveled all over the beach and hotel coast, almost to Cape Tanjung Benoa. Believe me, there are many good hotels. But! The widest, largest and best beach at Ayodya, the hotel area is larger at GrandHyatt, but is it for the better, because there are more people there too? In other hotels, somehow everything is crowded and the complete absence of the sea at low tide.
Were in the Intercontinental on Jimbaran, so there is generally a passage yard.
So, in order. We settled after midnight - the number, of course, had already been determined - it was 2135 in the left wing from the reception on the first floor. Sveta liked the number immediately. There are no walking paths nearby, therefore, no one except the gardeners walks, and the trees create a kind of shade, respectively, the sun does not shoot into the room during the day. There is no dampness as such, or rather, it is, but in all rooms and on all floors, well, who doesn’t like tropical humidity with its richness of smells - welcome to that Motherland ...for the smell of exhaust gases ...There are mosquitoes, but with the help of a fumigator they are dispersed. In the room we were greeted with a bowl of fruit and cookies and a bouquet (well, it's true, for whom it's important)
A lot has been written about breakfasts, they say, everything is egg and scrambled. Dear fellow pagans! For all our travels, we have not seen a more refined and varied breakfast (in beach hotels! ).
Of course, “monotony” can get boring in 2 weeks, but it is unlikely that most vacationers have smoked butterfly fish or Parma ham for breakfast at home. Or maybe you have kim-chi every day? Or fried rice with vegetables? Probably, for the stomach of an exhausted Olivier, dumplings and sturgeon with vodka in the morning, breakfast is certainly not good ...And then there are the monitor lizards (crocodiles! ... ) swimming, and the cranes are trying to beg for a piece of bread. . It's just a disaster… Breakfast officially starts at 7 am, but at 6 everything is already covered and you can come. Covered in two restaurants, mostly and near the beach. The assortment is the same, but, and delights in the form of Korean-Chinese cuisine have a place to be in the main. There were few people, both at breakfast and in the hotel as a whole. And that's good! Somehow, the Chinese came in large numbers for three days - well, noisy. . Now I can’t lure Sveta to China, she doesn’t like noisy companies.
The room service suited us too.
Cleaned, replenished, and always had time to do it before lunch, while we were on the beach. Tipping is standard - $ 1 or 1.000 rupees. I really liked the national style robes - light and comfortable. I wanted to buy them home, found only in the hotel store. For non-English speakers, there is a young guy at the reception, but apparently he has been working recently - he doesn’t know some questions.
About the carelessness of the staff. Sveta had a birthday. Back at home, I sent an email to the hotel with a request to order a bouquet for her from me. They ordered a bouquet for me, but they forgot to bring it exactly at the appointed time ...He asked if there would be a gift from the hotel - they offered a choice of cake or flowers, but since Sveta does not eat sweets, he naturally chose a bouquet. They said it will be by 20.00 - you take a walk somewhere, and we will quietly bring it in.
Well, we walked and walked ...We came around 20-15 - there was no bouquet ...We sat down to drink our favorite rum and cola, then a girl near the terrace with a bouquet drew herself - sorry, they say, knocked, do not open. But! All these are solvable trifles, they do not affect the running gear and can be anywhere!
About the beach. The beach - I repeat, the best in the surrounding area, not only because of the tides, it is definitely the only beach where you can swim at low tide not very far from the coast. But! It's also wide and long! The rest of the hotels nearby, with the exception of the GrandHyatt, have very narrow and small beach areas. The beach is very similar to both Mexican and Dominican ones. There were enough sun loungers for everyone. As always, the fellow-pagans delighted with their indomitable craving for native-resort rubbish. Apparently, the times of the conquerors of the seas have passed, where you could buy everything from the natives for colored glass, now it’s the other way around ...In addition to the sellers of rubbish, masseurs walk along the beach.
We recommend right away - it’s better to go to the village outside the hotel and immediately outside the gate, on the left, 200 meters away, in the Prada complex, a wonderful massage parlor. On the beach under a canopy with dirty hands 300 thousand rupees = $ 31, in the cabin 250 = $ 26, with a discount of $ 225 = $ 24 for two for 1 hour in a cool place and with disposable underwear. The pool near the beach is good, it works until late, but it closes differently, sometimes at 19, or even at 21. There is no special animation in the hotel - aqua aerobics during the day, various shows with dinner in the evening, but for an extra charge.
So, if you are a romantic who loves stylish, but at the same time simple things with comfort and unobtrusive, but constant care of the staff, this hotel is for you.
Nutrition. Eating outside the hotel is not difficult. The nearest one is 5 minutes on foot outside the gate to the village of Bualu and cafes start almost from the entrance. There are chain stores, for example, Laguna and Prada, which are present both in the village and in the Bali collection, and Mai-Mai only in the village.
Almost all prices are on the same level, and the surroundings, quality and serving of dishes are according to your attitude. For example, I liked the food itself more in May-May, and Sveta in Laguna, but the atmosphere and service in Laguna are a level higher. Almost everywhere there are Russian-speaking employees. For example, in Laguna (www. lagunagarden. com) - this is Arini - the administrator of the cafe. Very cheerful and talkative person. We ordered local dishes from them, including the specialty - baby guling (milk pig), but, for me, it’s so hard, and we like fish and shrimp more.
We also went to the bali collection. Walk for about 10 minutes. Of the interesting cafes not in the Balinese style, we paid attention to the Brazilian one, there is meat, a lot of meat, but we went for sea food. The price level is the same as in the village, the difference is only in the names.
We dined once in Kuta, it turned out to be more expensive than in Nusa Dua, but without much food enthusiasm ...
On the first day we went to Jimbaran to celebrate Sveta's birthday. Not a bad atmosphere, the ocean is splashing nearby, somewhat reminiscent of Goa, but a show off from the Sunset on Jimbaran series? ? What sunset? The sun goes behind the mountain, and not into the sea… There are many cafes, but visually one stands out in terms of the number of people - this is Minega (www. minega. com). We were in the neighboring ones, but something was not right, and the prices were a little higher, and the servants were worse. The range of seafood is almost the same for everyone. We can’t say that the taste is bad, but in Ceylon and India, sea food is cooked better. Dinner without alcohol, but with fresh juices in the village cost 220-250 tons of rupees = $ 23-26, on Jimbaran -250-300 = $ 26-31 + taxi 47-60 tons of rupees = $ 5-6 one way. I think you can go to Jimbaran just for the atmosphere. From the point of view, you can also eat deliciously in Nusa Dua. Discounts are available everywhere, you just have to ask. The size is from 10 to 30 percent, there may be bonuses in the form of drinks, nuts, first, garnish or dessert.
Tours.
Back at home, we planned excursions and pulled out the coordinates of guides from the Internet. As a result, Artu became our guide in Bali, a young man of 25 years old with his Suzuki minibus for $ 45 per day per car, speaking good Russian, and the routes eventually developed in a similar way.
First day, departure at 8 am: woodworking village (Ubud) - Elephant Cave (Goa gajah) 15.000 rupees = $ 1.5 per person - temple of flowing water (Pura tirta empul) 15.000 rupees / person - road over Lake Batur with a view of volcano - Besakih temple - rice terraces - black volcanic sand beach - Jimbaran. We reached Jimbaran around 16:00. We are not religious pilgrims, but we consider it a must to see the places listed in UNESCO. Not everyone liked it, for example, you can skip the elephant cave without regret. Guides don't really like to go to Besakih - the mountain road is far away, but the temple with the volcano in the background is very beautiful. Keep in mind, the entrance is free, but the locals do not allow cars to reach the temple for 1 km.
You have to either walk in the heat or hire a bike for the amount "from the lantern". So, the French in front of us gave 100.000 rupees = $ 10, in short, they are bred by local tourists for money. Initially, it was planned to go to Lake Batur, but there is nothing to do there if you are not going to swim to the ethnic village or climb the volcano, and the views from the road above the lake are excellent. Keep in mind, Artoo does not go anywhere with you, he is only a driver, well, a storyteller on the road "for the Balinese life. "
The second trip with Artu went like this: departure at 8 am - Jatiluwih rice terraces 15 t rupees per person = $ 1.5 - temple on Ulun danu lake 30 t rupees = $ 3 per brow + 5 car - Taman Ayun temple (Taman Ayun) 15 rupees / person - monkey forest 15 rupees / person - Tanah Lot temple (Tanah lot) 30 rupees + 5- hotel. Since we examine everything quickly, we were already at the hotel by 18.30 with traffic jams. The temple on the lake took 1st place in our rating of attractions in Bali, the terraces and Tanah Lot are also good.
The forest of monkeys and flying foxes is also interesting, especially for those who like nimble monkeys, but you don’t have to visit Taman Ayun - nothing special except a couple of beautiful photos. They didn’t stay at Tanah Lot for sunset - it’s already beautiful, but I liked the view of another small temple Pura Batu Bolong (standing on a cape with a hole) on the right, facing Tanah Lot. They also tried luwak coffee, I don’t know if it’s real or not, but with a good entourage and a real live luwak next to the table.
Another trip to Uluwatu was planned, but there were too many temples and we left it for later ...
We also took a taxi to Kuta (75 t rupees = $ 8 one way). Kuta itself did not seem interesting to us even once, a lot of Australians, cars and little relaxation. We visited the Discovery and Matahari shopping centers, we thought to shop ...But it’s not fate, somehow everything is completely local.
As I wrote above, we flew to Java on our own - visiting Borobudur and Prambanan was definitely in our plans. About the flight is described above, and we found a guide in Java through a Balinese guide. Agreed for 700 tons of rupees = $73. Since the flights are early, the problem is to take a taxi to the airport. You need to either negotiate with the taxi driver in advance (60 rupees = $ 7), or order a hotel taxi (150 rupees = $ 15). We chose the first one. So, upon arrival in Jogje, we were met by Malikov (Malig)! It turned out that he speaks good Russian, although initially they agreed on an English speaker. And, in general, he turned out to be an excellent interlocutor and narrator about Java and Indonesia. If interested, I have phones. Route in the end: Prambanan - Borobudur - Jogji center - airport. Malik offered to see the Sultan's palace, but it is open until lunch, and we did not have time, traffic jams in Java are not bad.
Borobudur (entrance for foreigners $20/person) and Prambanan (for foreigners $18/person), of course must see, which can not be said about the main street of Jogji - this is real Indonesia! Dvizhuha, crowd, dust and fry! Because Sveta does not like crowds, now this is her “favorite city” ...(still the Chinese go there ... ). But we rode a cycle rickshaw around the center, in fact, there is nothing more to do there. And, yes, Sveta has also been in the role of a film star, well, they are very popular with Indian women, they asked for pictures with whites. As Malig explained, schoolchildren from the provinces who come to Jogju very rarely see white people in their homes and we are all actors from films for them - Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. (It's so nice! ) By the way, the lunch at the restaurant that Malig brought to was very good, perhaps the best ever in Indonesia.
Shopping. In principle, the Bali collection is quite enough - all the brands represented in Bali are there. Lots of clothes and accessories for surfers Rip Curl, Billabong.
There is a multi-brand Sogo store from the international ones, Nautica is interesting there. And the only supermarket on Nusa Dua. In Kuta, all the same "boutiques" and many locals. Souvenirs are also in Bali collection, which in Kuta are represented by the same exhibits. Of the interesting things, we bought in Ubud in a workshop crafts made of two-color hibiscus and crocodile wood. Be sure to bargain! Before boarding the bus, the price may drop by half. Near Borobudur, they bought two masks made of wood with natural dyes for $6. All the little things for yourself and for gifts, mainly in the Bali collection. Everywhere in shopping centers they paid with credit cards. Everything went without problems.
Speaking of taxis. We traveled by taxi of all Balinese companies. Believe me - there is NO difference in the presence of a taximeter! There may be only a cunning driver who takes you by the tenth roundabout, but this is inherent in any country.
The rest of the traditionally offered Balinese entertainment, such as zoos, water parks, bird and monkey parks, etc. , we initially rejected, this is too much for Russo tourists ...
Well, as if in Indonesia and all (in short). The country is beautiful, and despite the proximity to the ends of the earth (for Russian speakers, of course) it is a must to visit. It sounds trite, but we would go back there again, and more than once.
We flew to Singapore with AirAsia. As I wrote, the crowd at the registration is huge and cannot be avoided. The flight left with a delay of half an hour, but that's acceptable.
What struck us as we approached Singapore was the abundance of ships. We live in a seaport city, and even for us it was amazing. The Garden City welcomed us with a private transfer to a hotel of our choice and that was Swissotel The Stamford!
Hotel. The tower of this particular hotel with HarborView from the 37th to the 56th floor was booked in advance.
But… our room was not available and had to settle for a view of the bay, the wheel and Marina Bay Sands hotel… from the 60th floor of business room 6052 as compensation. It seemed to us that this view is even better than in the direction of the downtown skyscrapers. The hotel is excellent, which is not surprising for Singapore. Room, service, breakfast - everything is beyond praise, perhaps it was the best city hotel in all our travels.
Transport It is convenient to move around the city by metro, the stations are located in the right places, the fare depends on the distance, we traveled 2.5 singodollars with a return card for 1 singodollar, You can take a pass for several days for 14 singodollars. We recommend taking a taxi to remote places where there is no metro
Since there was not much time in Singapore, only two and a half days, the program was initially full.
In the first half of the day, it was planned to get acquainted with the city and visit the nearby malls. Suntec City Mall is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. We do not recommend wasting time on it - there is no shopping there, and apart from the fountain of wealth and a good exchange rate, nothing interesting. And then, the fountain works only in the evening and is not particularly impressed. But next to the pier there is the final stop of sightseeing and excursion double-deckers. Tickets can also be purchased from the driver. Departure on two routes every 15 minutes, you can get off and on at any of the stops during the day. The cost of pleasure is 27 syngodollars = $ 23 per day. Thus, having traveled along two routes, we perfectly saw the city and understood what we liked and what we didn’t need for nothing. So, for example, for small India, in our opinion, a glance from a bead is enough ...We highly recommend starting your acquaintance with Singapore with this, you will immediately have an idea about the city.
On the second day, we visited Orchard Roads and one of the highest rated malls, ION Orchard, where you can get: 1) by taxi, 2) by sightseeing bus for free (you have a ticket for a day), 3) by metro. We recommend that you do not waste your precious single time on other shopping centers - EVERYTHING is here and all brands will be in your hands. After lunch, the path lay in Chinatown for lunch and for souvenirs (there are the same three options to get there). Lunch was in real Chinese style, it's a pity they forgot to bring frog legs to us ...Next, by excursion bus to the Marina Bay Sands hotel, on the roof of the sky park. Although we had a gorgeous view from our room, we still wanted new sensations. The hotel is beautiful, the view from the observation deck too. The cost of pleasure is 20 syngodollars = $ 16 without time limit. For the garden and swimming pool surcharge separately. The shopping mall at the hotel is very beautiful, with an artificial river and a la Venetian gondolas, but, keep in mind, there are few middle-class brands, mostly high-boutiques.
Back to the hotel, coffee break and evening walk to the Merlion and then along the river to Clarke Quay. It's very romantic! The city sparkles, cafes beckon with a wonderful smell of seafood, walking people are friendly! Again I want to go back ...The lights out was about 22.
The second day began with a trip to the zoo. We took a taxi back and forth (about 40 syngodollars). Entrance 27 syngodollars = $ 23 using wagons to move around the territory and a boat for a tour of the lake (this can be safely omitted). The zoo is very beautiful, and not only or not so much with living creatures, but with the very location and presentation, which, by the way, is not surprising for Sing. Coffee at the hotel, check-out from the room (you can leave things at the hotel and use the entire infrastructure) and to Sentosa. Here we were waiting for Vivo City Mall, riding on a monorail (2.5 SGD) to amusement parks and riding a cable car (26 SGD = $ 22) in a full circle - to the mountain and to Sentosa.
Before the entrance to the middle station of the cable car, you have to walk long enough through 2 shopping centers, you can even get lost. The shopping center is not bad, the first place in the rating of malls in Singapore, but I'm sure you will like ION more, although there is shopping here. I was surprised that many retail premises, a supermarket are located below the subway level, 4 levels below the ground. Food court, where we ate on the third level ...At 20 o'clock we returned to the hotel and sat on the 73rd floor in a cafe near the window overlooking the night Sing until the transfer. To be remembered!
In Singh, we managed to see everything according to our plan, a Ferris wheel was also planned, but since our floor in the hotel turned out to be higher than this wheel, why? In principle, one more day would be useful for a trip to the botanical garden and to Sentosa in Universal Park, but this is more, probably with children. .
Regarding shopping in Singh, all brands are international: here is the whole Inditex Group in the form of Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, and Mango, and the real Lee Cooper and so on and so forth.
Prices for the same product are more expensive than in Kyiv. I liked Aé ropostale, it is not represented in Ukraine, it is a very fashionable and comfortable American brand. I haven't looked at electronics. In shopping centers I saw the price of Sony Xperia S, about 2800 hryvnia, much cheaper than ours. In general, there are few brands, mainly Samsung in the first place. Sveta wanted to see children's clothes and shoes, so we found a "specialized" Forum shopping center on Orchard Road. Yes, indeed, for children, but the brands are unknown. and the prices are outrageous. We do not recommend wasting time
As always the trip was a success! Asia never ceases to beckon, amaze and dissolve in it. Positive enough for a month after. As always, one never ceases to be surprised that there is life at the “end of the world” from “civilized” Ukraine, and in many respects it is better than ours.
That ordinary people with whom we communicated are always friendly, benevolent and strive to know our distant world, despite the difficult life and small earnings. What we wish for all of you.
Best travels of your life!
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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