Travel dates: 31.02. 2011-15.02. 2011
Since the review (2 pages below, after mine), written below by a girl and stolen by me without her permission (may the author forgive me))) - is more understandable to the uninitiated, I recommend starting with it.
+ I want to add for tourists who will visit mercury sanur, and even Bali - facts that I could not deduct on the Internet to facilitate the stay.
1. Flight. Beer has disappeared from Yekat Dutik. At all. Tuborg for sale nearby for 90 r / bank. Cognacs and others are still present.
Yes, the north wind is late, yes, it takes 12 hours to fly from Ekat, and yes - the number of seats in the Boeing (seats) is 300 instead of 240, it is uncomfortable to sit, your knees rest. We came at the beginning of registration - ask for places up to the 28th row, where the arrangement of seats is 2 + 3 + 2, and then - 2 + 4 + 2. The numbers of seats there and back are the same. You will fly again with your fellow travelers.
2. Arrival. Filling out the declaration. Knowledge of English at the level of competently rewrite from the passport the full name and country of birth)).
There are local assistants - from 10 bucks). 25 dollars - at the box office, passport control, in which they DO NOT LOOK what you wrote. Receipt of baggage. Porters are fussing - trying to cheat a tourist - a lot has been written about this - portray a bored face and slowly pick up your luggage. The import of no more than a liter of strong alcohol per check is controlled before going to the exchanger. And it doesn't matter to them where it was bought, sealed or not. However, they believed me on my word of honor that I had a liter - although it was more)))
In the airport exchange office, the exchange rate is slightly lower than in Zirkle and K at Hardis. But be sure to exchange $100. By the way, we did not find an exchanger closer than Hardis's. The course is 8880 against 8350 at the hotel (against the dollar). Hardis is the only shopping mall in Sanur.
3. Pegasus guide - Irina - Well done. positive guide. Open and honest. Check-in is not long - a deposit of 200 bucks. A room in a three-story building on the 2nd floor - without rats, with fumitox and doors creaking from moisture.
But normal soundproofing (for a hotel) and very comfortable 2 beds 1.2 meters wide each. At our request, we (2 couples) were placed on the same floor without question. Well, yes, there are minor complaints - for example, the toilet bowl is not bolted to the floor. So what? Should I change my number because of this? The clogged sink was immediately cleaned after I left a picture of a floating boat in it))). I once saw one of the living creatures in the bath - I didn’t understand from sleepiness - I turned on the light at night - it ran away ...little black ....))).
4. Food. Breakfast at the hotel. As elsewhere - know how to eat "all inclusive". No need to get drunk on the first day with everything that is served, and then write that there was nothing to eat ...About 40 different dishes, sauces, fruits and snacks. Cook 6 types of COMPOTES!! ! ! ! I diluted them with water - sugary sweet))). Food outside the hotel - on the right along the coast, the second VARUNG (the name of all local cafes who work without taxes) is the cheapest, but after the fly in the juice, they went to the third.
On the right, as you leave the hotel, Varung MAMA-Puta - the owner of ALI - will offer both duck and lobster and snake blood and ....Well, ask him yourself if you need any frills. Also not an expensive warung. Food from 20 to 50 kiloruppes. Beer from 21 to 25 kiloruppes (with our money 21 * 3 = 63 rubles). 21 in hardis, 25 in mame put. Whiskey and brandy in hardis at 110 kruppies/liter - minimum. Fruit in Hardis is poor, it is better to take it on the right at the end of the beach or along the way.
Be sure to learn English words like: noodles, rice, potatoes, shrimp, squid, chicken, pig, cow, seafood, fried. We saw a picture - Russian Vasya, oversized, gathered ALL Balinese in Varung, and stupidly repeated: IS THERE MEAT?
I repeated it 5 times in Russian. After that, he was taken to the kitchen, like: choose what your meat is? ? ? left disappointed. There are photos of dishes only in the 3rd Varung on the right on the beach, but the names do not match the menu)). To the left is also full of cafes. But they are hotel rooms, prices are higher there and "Balinese VAT" is 10-17% of the price.
In Thailand, the choice of all food is generally richer.
Even on Jimbaran - the lobster was even worse than the shrimp, and the mussels simply did not eat, it seems that they were with sand (((.
Normal European and other food in cafes about 300 - 400 meters to the right of the hotel. There are a lot of Europeans there, jazz and rock bands sing, every day is different, judging by the menu, you can take a steak for 50 kiloruppes - you will get a normal dinner.
5. Excursions. I really liked everything related to nature in Bali. Temples, on the mountain and by the sea, a volcano with a lake, coast, forests… We went with a local guide – Madi. He has a driver and a Toyota Avasta for 5 more seats. Tells a lot, interesting. He speaks very decent Russian. I recommend it, because no one from Pegasus will tell you about funeral rites or about pensions))). However, he himself could not come to the second excursion (I suspect a Bali trick) - he sent us with a driver, since his English allowed us to communicate. Twice cheaper.
And quite safe. Perfectly composes an itinerary with all your wishes. At least go to the cheapest shop, at least change money, at least buy fruit ....Don't go to the Barong dance - 8 bucks is a load of rubbish.
6. Massage. Again, on the advice of Madiya, the wife was sent to Kuta, where she was bullied for 2.5 hours for $60. Arrived satisfied. I first went to the beach to the most portly Balinese - her name is Ayu - 75 kiloruppes. You can bargain, but I weigh more than 100 kg. And he is picky about massages, so he didn’t bargain. I went once to Mama-pute, there are 50 kiloruppies and an air conditioner, but the girl weighs 50 kilos - she loses outright to Ayu. To my question to Ayu, do you massage your husband at home? She said that her husband works as a reflexologist. This is such a Balinese family!
7. Bottom line. Bali seemed to us the best country where you can fly from Ekb without transfers.
Air temperature, humidity, rain - everything is somehow adjusted for a comfortable stay. At night, sometimes just slept with an open balcony without air conditioning. The atmosphere is wonderful, greenery everywhere, clean even in the hotel, even in the village. Birds sing in all voices! In the hotel, squirrels jump on branches, in another, monitor lizards walk around the territory ...
The local population is happy with tourists, they have not yet been spoiled, as in Pattaya.
The ocean in the bay is always calm. The best for a simple swim, of course, is in Nusa Dua - it is deeper there and the sand is whiter. I took fins - they were not useful! I still swam with a mask, sandy beaches are not interesting. As soon as the wind starts, the sea is filled with surfers on parachutes. On the shore they fly with a parachute behind a boat + there are standard entertainments. In general, this is the first country where 15 - and days of rest seemed to me LITTLE! ! ! ! If you are interested in something specific - write to 66@68. en Vitaly.
Travel dates: 01.02. 2011-14.02. 2011
Location: Indonesia - Bali - Sanur area - Mercure Resort
I am writing this review not to express my admiration for the island of Bali or to merge the negative, but to try to weigh all the pros and cons I noticed of choosing this place to stay, and also to warn future guests of Bali about a number of local features, so that there are fewer unpleasant surprises for them.
1. Delivery. Nord Wind Airlines is not particularly punctual. Our stay was 14 days and 13 nights. The flight was supposed to take off on 01.02 at 21:45 Novosibirsk time. And 01.02 counted the days. Arriving at the airport, we saw the departure on the scoreboard: one in the morning 02.02. While they were being examined, the time was changed on the scoreboard: 02:35. Long story short, we left at 3 am. We expected to go to the beach and explore on February 2, but ended up at the hotel at 18:00. By this time it was already dark. In short, minus 2 days out of 14. The way back is the same nonsense. Departure from the hotel was scheduled for 8:30 (from the evening infa was cheerful on the board).
We have already packed our suitcase, well, we didn’t hand over the room until the last - and then an SMS comes from the guide - departure at 10:30. Nice, of course, extra 2 hours to lie on the beach. As the hotel guide said, for Nord Wind, delays are the norm and the regular norm. So why not immediately make a departure at 14:00 instead of 12:00 with a delay of 2 hours?
2. Weather. The beginning of February is the end of the rainy season. On the Internet, reviews like - well, just think, rain in the evening or at night ...In fact, how lucky. Maybe the whole day, and according to the locals, it can drag on for 2 days, but rarely for this time of year. In any case, besides the lost day, the wet mattresses of the sunbeds in the morning, the need to take an umbrella in case of suspicion of rain, clouds in the sky almost all the time, were an unpleasant moment. BUT the rain is warm (it's not snow and cold at home). In principle, the rains are not very annoying, the weather cleared up for the second week.
Only our Novosibirsk race was 12 people, and also Moscow and Yekaterinburg, too, if not more.
Rooms in the hotel (at least Superior in three-story cottages) are shabby. First they gave 332 (3rd floor). Dark wooden furniture, creaking cabinet doors, non-working air conditioner, electric lamp. This is half the trouble. At night, the husband woke up from the rustle in the minibar. Someone took a bite of an airplane bun, rustling plastic packaging. In the morning I climbed into the minibar, and a rat ran out. At our request, the room was changed to us (336 is better, light furniture, everything works, closer to the sea), they assured us that the rat was killed, in fact we saw it in the bushes on the same day.
What I want to say about this. It’s unpleasant, of course, to live in a room where a rat goes to eat (as far as I understand, she didn’t live in 332, she just saw where the food was put, and when tourists stop by, there is something to profit from the tourists’ money in the minibar).
But this is a hotel with living creatures in principle (gekons on the walls, local pigeons and ants on the beach, squirrels on the trees). Why should the staff care that there is a rat among the living creatures? Basically, they don't give a damn about it. Once the truth hotel was sprayed against mosquitoes.
The only way to get from Sanur to Kuta is by taxi. Taxis are inexpensive. BUT you should not take the advice of a hotel guide and take a taxi with a meter (Blue Bird Taxi): they try to wind up more on the meter. You just need to know what's what. There are a lot of taxis there (the standard of living is not very high), the competition is wild. To Kuta, the fair price is 50.000 rupees (150 rubles), a 20-30 minute drive if there are no traffic jams. Traffic jams start around 17:00 and until late at night. And with the counter, he begins to ride in circles. Depending on the impudence, it can wind up to 90.000-100.000. What happened to us. You can also get to Kuta for free with a Bali Gallery coupon (this is Duty Free outside the airport).
The meaning is this: you come, show your ticket and passport and you can buy, but they don’t give you the goods right away, and you can get it at the airport before departure. Here you already have to go by taxi according to the meter, showing the coupon in advance (we took the coupon from the hotel guide). And, lo and behold, we were taken to Kuta for 35.000 rupees. You get out of the taxi, show the coupon to the doorman of the store, he pays the taxi, you go to the registration hall, and then you look like, look (you bought only in the vodka department - expensive brands, local ones too). By the way, it was not in vain that they bought booze at Gallery - then there was no cheap balantays at the airport, only expensive, but there was no Gordon gin in Bali Gallery, but there was at the airport. So do not buy all 2 liters per person. Maybe you will see something at the airport, but there will already be an “overflow” : ). It is quite normal to travel around Kuta for 20000-30000. It is better to find a more detailed map of Kuta and Sanur on the net. I really don't know where to go.
We were in Discovery Mall - a large store with brands and a local one (you can walk to it on a map in 40 minutes). Down there (ground floor) there are a lot of cool European brand good clothes and shoes for quite reasonable money. But it didn't work for me, unfortunately.
Products bought in the supermarket Hardis. There every hour from 9:00 to 17:00 a yellow open tuk-tuk bus runs from the hotel for free. Yes, and you can walk quickly to it in 20-25 minutes. A couple of times to go, explore, and then you can take a walk. The average check is 150000-200000. In principle, as with us, you can buy for the same 450-600 rubles. I advise you to buy local yogurt in liter jars (there is with filler, there is without) - about 54.000 rupees.
4. Hotel beach. There is a coral reef in front of the hotel - you go far and everything is small. For example, I like it - I don’t like to swim at depth. The sea is calm: on the horizon you can see where the reef ends, and there high waves break against it. There are not a lot of corals on the reef, so there are separate pebbles.
True, imported pensioners also sin with this.
On the beach, basically all the sun loungers are under the trees. I strongly do not advise newcomers to pull them out into the sun - burn them for one or two.
5. Local cuisine. In the canteen, the assortment of food at breakfast almost did not change throughout the rest. No meat (except fried bacon). Moderate breakfast. Just right for retirees. Several types of noodles, stewed vegetables, rice, 3 types of pancakes, toast, 2 types of juice (apple, mango, orange, pineapple - some of them), milk and mineral water, jams, chopped vegetables, compotes, local yogurt (I advise ), fruits (watermelon, melon, pineapple, papaya, local garbage - I didn’t like any of this - in principle, Thai fruits are no match, pineapple is small and sour, mango is green and like soap, the only thing I bought and ate was rambutans and mangosteen). We ate at a nearby cafe (Warung) - Mama Putu, because it is reasonably priced and close.
If you don’t overeat, then for 100.000-120.000 rupees (roughly cut off 000 and multiply by 3, it will be in rubles, i. e. 300-350 rubles) you can eat normally: steak 40.000, soup 10.000-25.000, juice (real fresh ) 10000. Portions are large. The restaurants are more expensive, and there is an additional tax (21% = 10% like our VAT + from 5 to 11% for service, such as tips, but mandatory), so it turns out 2-2.5 times more expensive. It is worth going there to try any exotic (lobster, crabs, etc. ). I ate Peking duck in Kuta, I liked it very much.
6. Excursions. We went through a tour operator for diving, Marine Walk, rafting on the Ayung River, through local fishing. It is softly written on the Internet: the tourism industry in Bali is not developed. To put it bluntly, it's developed like shit. For the money, not very cool excursions. In Thailand we spent much less for a much better time. In order.
A. Diving (115 USD + 65 USD snorkeling). We drove 3 hours to Tulamben along narrow mountain roads. Seasick. We arrived - excitement at sea.
Immersed - there is mud. On Tulamben there is an active volcano nearby, black volcanic sand. When the sea is agitated, the water is as muddy as a swamp. In fact, for that kind of money, they could transfer the dive. Not to mention snorkeling, when I was knocked down by a wave. Plus, the volcano erupted not so long ago, all the corals died during the eruption, now they are just starting to grow back. There are 2 points - a ship (the husband dived, he says without PADI they show only the edge) and a "coral garden" (where you could snorkel if the sea was calm). Those who have dived twice say that the garden is better. In short, a waste of time and money.
B. Rafting on the Ayung River ($65 per person). Rafting 2.5 hours. It was very fun. There were 4 of us in the boat. It is better to go through Pegas - the distance is longer. Through street agencies it is $35, but you ride in a boat for 6 people (red boats from the advertisement) somewhere in the middle of the distance (we sailed by, we saw where they start rafting).
The route is not dangerous. The only thing they do not warn about is that the ascent and descent to the river takes place along a very long staircase. I do not recommend obese people and heart patients. All in all, worth it.
B. Marine Walk (or "pots" - $ 98 per person). They descend to a depth of 4 meters in a helmet, into which air is supplied through a tube from a pontoon. A little scary, but cool. Highly recommend to those who, like me, are afraid of diving. Then you can swim with a mask. After that they bring to the island of Lembongan, conduct an introductory bike ride around the island, lunch, free time and go home. By boat it takes 30-40 minutes there and the same back. What is also good is that the boat departs from Nusa Dua, i. e. 30-40 minutes drive from Sanur. In short, do not strain the rest.
D. Fishing in Bali ($60 per person for 4). We drove through a local operator along Nusa Dua. Trolling. We didn’t have much hope for the catch, so we weren’t very upset.
The men from the hotel drove from the beach, so the rest of the rest was swearing. First, as we drove off, we hooked an artificial squid on 2 fishing rods, then they changed it to a fish with hooks (I like to fish, but I don’t understand gear). Judging by the expression on the sailor's face, nothing shone for us. Ride for an hour, another. And I asked the captain to go fishing for corals. We caught some coral fish there. They fished for shrimp. BUT (crooks) the hook on the spinning rod was so big that they caught only 2 fish on their own (one turned out to be very greedy and clung to the shrimp, so her husband pulled it out, and already on deck she unhooked from the shrimp, I caught the second - the hook accidentally caught on her for the tail). The fish simply ate all the bait. The remaining 4 fish were caught by a sailor (having looked closely, they realized that the hook on his spinning rod is smaller). We swam in corals. Yes, and home (me and Vasya, our companion, were motion sick). So 4 hours of such garbage is enough.
I had a suspicion that most of the photos about successful fishing in Bali are a montage - like a man holding a barracuda or mahi-mahi with one hand, but it is really heavy. It's probably he caught a coral fish, and the hell knows what was painted on there : ).
With excursions in general, the situation is as follows: in Bali, as in Turkey or Thailand, there is no organized tourism (in the sense of large companies that carry buses or minibuses). All these excursions (with the exception of Pegasovsky, and even those subcontracted by locals who are more honest) are self-punishment. The dude has a car, so he declares himself a guide. With all the ensuing circumstances.
7. Fools. Separately, I will touch upon the issue of the local flavor of communication. At first, it bothered and annoyed me. Then I realized that the Balinese are such by nature. Fooling a tourist is the norm. In any case, in personal communication they behave better than the Arabs and Turks.
They haven’t taken us anywhere yet, but they are already trying to fool us and raise the price, but what will happen when they really take us. You can really see Bali cheaply if you read about all the sights in advance and make a route. You can catch and bargain any taxi driver who speaks English. You can also find a Russian speaker - now many of them are learning Russian (profitable). For $ 40 (this is about 5-8 hours) he will take you along the desired route. You just have to follow the map. And in no case do not give money in advance.
Since the review (2 pages below, after mine), written below by a girl and stolen by me without her permission (may the author forgive me))) - is more understandable to the uninitiated, I recommend starting with it.
+ I want to add for tourists who will visit mercury sanur, and even Bali - facts that I could not deduct on the Internet to facilitate the stay.
1. Flight. Beer has disappeared from Yekat Dutik. At all. Tuborg for sale nearby for 90 r / bank. Cognacs and others are still present.
Yes, the north wind is late, yes, it takes 12 hours to fly from Ekat, and yes - the number of seats in the Boeing (seats) is 300 instead of 240, it is uncomfortable to sit, your knees rest. We came at the beginning of registration - ask for places up to the 28th row, where the arrangement of seats is 2 + 3 + 2, and then - 2 + 4 + 2. The numbers of seats there and back are the same. You will fly again with your fellow travelers.
2. Arrival. Filling out the declaration. Knowledge of English at the level of competently rewrite from the passport the full name and country of birth)).
There are local assistants - from 10 bucks). 25 dollars - at the box office, passport control, in which they DO NOT LOOK what you wrote. Receipt of baggage. Porters are fussing - trying to cheat a tourist - a lot has been written about this - portray a bored face and slowly pick up your luggage. The import of no more than a liter of strong alcohol per check is controlled before going to the exchanger. And it doesn't matter to them where it was bought, sealed or not. However, they believed me on my word of honor that I had a liter - although it was more)))
In the airport exchange office, the exchange rate is slightly lower than in Zirkle and K at Hardis. But be sure to exchange $100. By the way, we did not find an exchanger closer than Hardis's. The course is 8880 against 8350 at the hotel (against the dollar). Hardis is the only shopping mall in Sanur.
3. Pegasus guide - Irina - Well done. positive guide. Open and honest. Check-in is not long - a deposit of 200 bucks. A room in a three-story building on the 2nd floor - without rats, with fumitox and doors creaking from moisture.
But normal soundproofing (for a hotel) and very comfortable 2 beds 1.2 meters wide each. At our request, we (2 couples) were placed on the same floor without question. Well, yes, there are minor complaints - for example, the toilet bowl is not bolted to the floor. So what? Should I change my number because of this? The clogged sink was immediately cleaned after I left a picture of a floating boat in it))). I once saw one of the living creatures in the bath - I didn’t understand from sleepiness - I turned on the light at night - it ran away ...little black ....))).
4. Food. Breakfast at the hotel. As elsewhere - know how to eat "all inclusive". No need to get drunk on the first day with everything that is served, and then write that there was nothing to eat ...About 40 different dishes, sauces, fruits and snacks. Cook 6 types of COMPOTES!! ! ! ! I diluted them with water - sugary sweet))). Food outside the hotel - on the right along the coast, the second VARUNG (the name of all local cafes who work without taxes) is the cheapest, but after the fly in the juice, they went to the third.
On the right, as you leave the hotel, Varung MAMA-Puta - the owner of ALI - will offer both duck and lobster and snake blood and ....Well, ask him yourself if you need any frills. Also not an expensive warung. Food from 20 to 50 kiloruppes. Beer from 21 to 25 kiloruppes (with our money 21 * 3 = 63 rubles). 21 in hardis, 25 in mame put. Whiskey and brandy in hardis at 110 kruppies/liter - minimum. Fruit in Hardis is poor, it is better to take it on the right at the end of the beach or along the way.
Be sure to learn English words like: noodles, rice, potatoes, shrimp, squid, chicken, pig, cow, seafood, fried. We saw a picture - Russian Vasya, oversized, gathered ALL Balinese in Varung, and stupidly repeated: IS THERE MEAT?
I repeated it 5 times in Russian. After that, he was taken to the kitchen, like: choose what your meat is? ? ? left disappointed. There are photos of dishes only in the 3rd Varung on the right on the beach, but the names do not match the menu)). To the left is also full of cafes. But they are hotel rooms, prices are higher there and "Balinese VAT" is 10-17% of the price.
In Thailand, the choice of all food is generally richer.
Even on Jimbaran - the lobster was even worse than the shrimp, and the mussels simply did not eat, it seems that they were with sand (((.
Normal European and other food in cafes about 300 - 400 meters to the right of the hotel. There are a lot of Europeans there, jazz and rock bands sing, every day is different, judging by the menu, you can take a steak for 50 kiloruppes - you will get a normal dinner.
5. Excursions. I really liked everything related to nature in Bali. Temples, on the mountain and by the sea, a volcano with a lake, coast, forests… We went with a local guide – Madi. He has a driver and a Toyota Avasta for 5 more seats. Tells a lot, interesting. He speaks very decent Russian. I recommend it, because no one from Pegasus will tell you about funeral rites or about pensions))). However, he himself could not come to the second excursion (I suspect a Bali trick) - he sent us with a driver, since his English allowed us to communicate. Twice cheaper.
And quite safe. Perfectly composes an itinerary with all your wishes. At least go to the cheapest shop, at least change money, at least buy fruit ....Don't go to the Barong dance - 8 bucks is a load of rubbish.
6. Massage. Again, on the advice of Madiya, the wife was sent to Kuta, where she was bullied for 2.5 hours for $60. Arrived satisfied. I first went to the beach to the most portly Balinese - her name is Ayu - 75 kiloruppes. You can bargain, but I weigh more than 100 kg. And he is picky about massages, so he didn’t bargain. I went once to Mama-pute, there are 50 kiloruppies and an air conditioner, but the girl weighs 50 kilos - she loses outright to Ayu. To my question to Ayu, do you massage your husband at home? She said that her husband works as a reflexologist. This is such a Balinese family!
7. Bottom line. Bali seemed to us the best country where you can fly from Ekb without transfers.
Air temperature, humidity, rain - everything is somehow adjusted for a comfortable stay. At night, sometimes just slept with an open balcony without air conditioning. The atmosphere is wonderful, greenery everywhere, clean even in the hotel, even in the village. Birds sing in all voices! In the hotel, squirrels jump on branches, in another, monitor lizards walk around the territory ...
The local population is happy with tourists, they have not yet been spoiled, as in Pattaya.
The ocean in the bay is always calm. The best for a simple swim, of course, is in Nusa Dua - it is deeper there and the sand is whiter. I took fins - they were not useful! I still swam with a mask, sandy beaches are not interesting. As soon as the wind starts, the sea is filled with surfers on parachutes. On the shore they fly with a parachute behind a boat + there are standard entertainments. In general, this is the first country where 15 - and days of rest seemed to me LITTLE! ! ! ! If you are interested in something specific - write to 66@68. en Vitaly.
Travel dates: 01.02. 2011-14.02. 2011
Location: Indonesia - Bali - Sanur area - Mercure Resort
I am writing this review not to express my admiration for the island of Bali or to merge the negative, but to try to weigh all the pros and cons I noticed of choosing this place to stay, and also to warn future guests of Bali about a number of local features, so that there are fewer unpleasant surprises for them.
1. Delivery. Nord Wind Airlines is not particularly punctual. Our stay was 14 days and 13 nights. The flight was supposed to take off on 01.02 at 21:45 Novosibirsk time. And 01.02 counted the days. Arriving at the airport, we saw the departure on the scoreboard: one in the morning 02.02. While they were being examined, the time was changed on the scoreboard: 02:35. Long story short, we left at 3 am. We expected to go to the beach and explore on February 2, but ended up at the hotel at 18:00. By this time it was already dark. In short, minus 2 days out of 14. The way back is the same nonsense. Departure from the hotel was scheduled for 8:30 (from the evening infa was cheerful on the board).
We have already packed our suitcase, well, we didn’t hand over the room until the last - and then an SMS comes from the guide - departure at 10:30. Nice, of course, extra 2 hours to lie on the beach. As the hotel guide said, for Nord Wind, delays are the norm and the regular norm. So why not immediately make a departure at 14:00 instead of 12:00 with a delay of 2 hours?
2. Weather. The beginning of February is the end of the rainy season. On the Internet, reviews like - well, just think, rain in the evening or at night ...In fact, how lucky. Maybe the whole day, and according to the locals, it can drag on for 2 days, but rarely for this time of year. In any case, besides the lost day, the wet mattresses of the sunbeds in the morning, the need to take an umbrella in case of suspicion of rain, clouds in the sky almost all the time, were an unpleasant moment. BUT the rain is warm (it's not snow and cold at home). In principle, the rains are not very annoying, the weather cleared up for the second week.
Only our Novosibirsk race was 12 people, and also Moscow and Yekaterinburg, too, if not more.
Rooms in the hotel (at least Superior in three-story cottages) are shabby. First they gave 332 (3rd floor). Dark wooden furniture, creaking cabinet doors, non-working air conditioner, electric lamp. This is half the trouble. At night, the husband woke up from the rustle in the minibar. Someone took a bite of an airplane bun, rustling plastic packaging. In the morning I climbed into the minibar, and a rat ran out. At our request, the room was changed to us (336 is better, light furniture, everything works, closer to the sea), they assured us that the rat was killed, in fact we saw it in the bushes on the same day.
What I want to say about this. It’s unpleasant, of course, to live in a room where a rat goes to eat (as far as I understand, she didn’t live in 332, she just saw where the food was put, and when tourists stop by, there is something to profit from the tourists’ money in the minibar).
But this is a hotel with living creatures in principle (gekons on the walls, local pigeons and ants on the beach, squirrels on the trees). Why should the staff care that there is a rat among the living creatures? Basically, they don't give a damn about it. Once the truth hotel was sprayed against mosquitoes.
The only way to get from Sanur to Kuta is by taxi. Taxis are inexpensive. BUT you should not take the advice of a hotel guide and take a taxi with a meter (Blue Bird Taxi): they try to wind up more on the meter. You just need to know what's what. There are a lot of taxis there (the standard of living is not very high), the competition is wild. To Kuta, the fair price is 50.000 rupees (150 rubles), a 20-30 minute drive if there are no traffic jams. Traffic jams start around 17:00 and until late at night. And with the counter, he begins to ride in circles. Depending on the impudence, it can wind up to 90.000-100.000. What happened to us. You can also get to Kuta for free with a Bali Gallery coupon (this is Duty Free outside the airport).
The meaning is this: you come, show your ticket and passport and you can buy, but they don’t give you the goods right away, and you can get it at the airport before departure. Here you already have to go by taxi according to the meter, showing the coupon in advance (we took the coupon from the hotel guide). And, lo and behold, we were taken to Kuta for 35.000 rupees. You get out of the taxi, show the coupon to the doorman of the store, he pays the taxi, you go to the registration hall, and then you look like, look (you bought only in the vodka department - expensive brands, local ones too). By the way, it was not in vain that they bought booze at Gallery - then there was no cheap balantays at the airport, only expensive, but there was no Gordon gin in Bali Gallery, but there was at the airport. So do not buy all 2 liters per person. Maybe you will see something at the airport, but there will already be an “overflow” : ). It is quite normal to travel around Kuta for 20000-30000. It is better to find a more detailed map of Kuta and Sanur on the net. I really don't know where to go.
We were in Discovery Mall - a large store with brands and a local one (you can walk to it on a map in 40 minutes). Down there (ground floor) there are a lot of cool European brand good clothes and shoes for quite reasonable money. But it didn't work for me, unfortunately.
Products bought in the supermarket Hardis. There every hour from 9:00 to 17:00 a yellow open tuk-tuk bus runs from the hotel for free. Yes, and you can walk quickly to it in 20-25 minutes. A couple of times to go, explore, and then you can take a walk. The average check is 150000-200000. In principle, as with us, you can buy for the same 450-600 rubles. I advise you to buy local yogurt in liter jars (there is with filler, there is without) - about 54.000 rupees.
4. Hotel beach. There is a coral reef in front of the hotel - you go far and everything is small. For example, I like it - I don’t like to swim at depth. The sea is calm: on the horizon you can see where the reef ends, and there high waves break against it. There are not a lot of corals on the reef, so there are separate pebbles.
True, imported pensioners also sin with this.
On the beach, basically all the sun loungers are under the trees. I strongly do not advise newcomers to pull them out into the sun - burn them for one or two.
5. Local cuisine. In the canteen, the assortment of food at breakfast almost did not change throughout the rest. No meat (except fried bacon). Moderate breakfast. Just right for retirees. Several types of noodles, stewed vegetables, rice, 3 types of pancakes, toast, 2 types of juice (apple, mango, orange, pineapple - some of them), milk and mineral water, jams, chopped vegetables, compotes, local yogurt (I advise ), fruits (watermelon, melon, pineapple, papaya, local garbage - I didn’t like any of this - in principle, Thai fruits are no match, pineapple is small and sour, mango is green and like soap, the only thing I bought and ate was rambutans and mangosteen). We ate at a nearby cafe (Warung) - Mama Putu, because it is reasonably priced and close.
If you don’t overeat, then for 100.000-120.000 rupees (roughly cut off 000 and multiply by 3, it will be in rubles, i. e. 300-350 rubles) you can eat normally: steak 40.000, soup 10.000-25.000, juice (real fresh ) 10000. Portions are large. The restaurants are more expensive, and there is an additional tax (21% = 10% like our VAT + from 5 to 11% for service, such as tips, but mandatory), so it turns out 2-2.5 times more expensive. It is worth going there to try any exotic (lobster, crabs, etc. ). I ate Peking duck in Kuta, I liked it very much.
6. Excursions. We went through a tour operator for diving, Marine Walk, rafting on the Ayung River, through local fishing. It is softly written on the Internet: the tourism industry in Bali is not developed. To put it bluntly, it's developed like shit. For the money, not very cool excursions. In Thailand we spent much less for a much better time. In order.
A. Diving (115 USD + 65 USD snorkeling). We drove 3 hours to Tulamben along narrow mountain roads. Seasick. We arrived - excitement at sea.
Immersed - there is mud. On Tulamben there is an active volcano nearby, black volcanic sand. When the sea is agitated, the water is as muddy as a swamp. In fact, for that kind of money, they could transfer the dive. Not to mention snorkeling, when I was knocked down by a wave. Plus, the volcano erupted not so long ago, all the corals died during the eruption, now they are just starting to grow back. There are 2 points - a ship (the husband dived, he says without PADI they show only the edge) and a "coral garden" (where you could snorkel if the sea was calm). Those who have dived twice say that the garden is better. In short, a waste of time and money.
B. Rafting on the Ayung River ($65 per person). Rafting 2.5 hours. It was very fun. There were 4 of us in the boat. It is better to go through Pegas - the distance is longer. Through street agencies it is $35, but you ride in a boat for 6 people (red boats from the advertisement) somewhere in the middle of the distance (we sailed by, we saw where they start rafting).
The route is not dangerous. The only thing they do not warn about is that the ascent and descent to the river takes place along a very long staircase. I do not recommend obese people and heart patients. All in all, worth it.
B. Marine Walk (or "pots" - $ 98 per person). They descend to a depth of 4 meters in a helmet, into which air is supplied through a tube from a pontoon. A little scary, but cool. Highly recommend to those who, like me, are afraid of diving. Then you can swim with a mask. After that they bring to the island of Lembongan, conduct an introductory bike ride around the island, lunch, free time and go home. By boat it takes 30-40 minutes there and the same back. What is also good is that the boat departs from Nusa Dua, i. e. 30-40 minutes drive from Sanur. In short, do not strain the rest.
D. Fishing in Bali ($60 per person for 4). We drove through a local operator along Nusa Dua. Trolling. We didn’t have much hope for the catch, so we weren’t very upset.
The men from the hotel drove from the beach, so the rest of the rest was swearing. First, as we drove off, we hooked an artificial squid on 2 fishing rods, then they changed it to a fish with hooks (I like to fish, but I don’t understand gear). Judging by the expression on the sailor's face, nothing shone for us. Ride for an hour, another. And I asked the captain to go fishing for corals. We caught some coral fish there. They fished for shrimp. BUT (crooks) the hook on the spinning rod was so big that they caught only 2 fish on their own (one turned out to be very greedy and clung to the shrimp, so her husband pulled it out, and already on deck she unhooked from the shrimp, I caught the second - the hook accidentally caught on her for the tail). The fish simply ate all the bait. The remaining 4 fish were caught by a sailor (having looked closely, they realized that the hook on his spinning rod is smaller). We swam in corals. Yes, and home (me and Vasya, our companion, were motion sick). So 4 hours of such garbage is enough.
I had a suspicion that most of the photos about successful fishing in Bali are a montage - like a man holding a barracuda or mahi-mahi with one hand, but it is really heavy. It's probably he caught a coral fish, and the hell knows what was painted on there : ).
With excursions in general, the situation is as follows: in Bali, as in Turkey or Thailand, there is no organized tourism (in the sense of large companies that carry buses or minibuses). All these excursions (with the exception of Pegasovsky, and even those subcontracted by locals who are more honest) are self-punishment. The dude has a car, so he declares himself a guide. With all the ensuing circumstances.
7. Fools. Separately, I will touch upon the issue of the local flavor of communication. At first, it bothered and annoyed me. Then I realized that the Balinese are such by nature. Fooling a tourist is the norm. In any case, in personal communication they behave better than the Arabs and Turks.
They haven’t taken us anywhere yet, but they are already trying to fool us and raise the price, but what will happen when they really take us. You can really see Bali cheaply if you read about all the sights in advance and make a route. You can catch and bargain any taxi driver who speaks English. You can also find a Russian speaker - now many of them are learning Russian (profitable). For $ 40 (this is about 5-8 hours) he will take you along the desired route. You just have to follow the map. And in no case do not give money in advance.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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