I want to add for tourists who will visit mercury sanur, and yes Bali - facts that I could not subtract 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. Luggage collection. 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))). From living creatures I once saw someone 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 to eat your meat ?? ? 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. . 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, even change money, even buy fruit....Do not go to the Barong dance - 8 bucks is terrible nonsense.
6. Massage. Again, on the advice of Madiya, the wife was sent to Kuta, where she was tortured 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!!! ! Vitaly.
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.
If not for the unwillingness of his wife to make a transplant, then he would fly either by Qatar or Singapore lines. Upon arrival, Denpasar airport greeted us with heat, stuffiness in the room and a wild queue at customs... 4 flights arrived at the same time, from Russia, Japan, China, and from somewhere else. 40 bucks for two solved the problem. A young Balinese with some kind of badge offered to solve the problem of standing in line for $100. We agreed on 40))) I took the passports, passed them through customs, left, returned 5 minutes later with visas and stamped passports. The luggage was already waiting, bags in the mouth, meeting with the meeting party, and now we are rolling in the car to the hotel. Accommodation is instant at the hotel, 100 dollars deposit, for some reason not a single credit card was rolled, I had to leave cash, I must say that for all the time it was never possible to pay with credit cards, apparently the country is on the list of risky ones and payment by bank transfer is blocked ,
ATM cards were served without problems. Cash can be removed. So when traveling, check with banks whether your credit cards will work there or not.
Accommodation and room. Fine. Room 117 in the center of the hotel on the first floor. Clean, everything works, the room is not dead, instead of a balcony - a courtyard surrounded by tropical vegetation - excellent. Cleaning in the room, no complaints, at 15-30 was cleaned every day. By the way, there is the option of cleaning the room in the morning. Upon arrival, we were asked when it would be more convenient for you to clean up. Slippers bathrobes, tea, coffee, refrigerator, safe in the room, everything works, everything is monitored. The territory of the hotel. Not big, green, though we went around all of it only on the last day. And so they cruised from the room to the dining room and the pool, the beach, and the lobby) The pool on the beach is the norm, in my opinion very warm water. The second pool in the garden is bigger and deeper, they swam there only on the last day. Hotel beach and sea. The beach is good, all sun loungers under palm trees, no umbrellas.
But they are not needed. Ebb and flow, as elsewhere in Bali full moon and new moon maximum, see the schedule. The water in the sea is not that dirty, but you can’t call it clean either. At low tide it is clear when the tide is high, not a fountain. The beaches are cleaned every day, but don't expect a Seychelles beach to be clean. Very nice beach on Nusa Lembongan (an island near Bali 45 minutes by speedboat on ocean waves))). White sand, crystal water, but if you live there, do absolutely nothing there. However, I did not fly here for the beach, and, accordingly, some inconveniences did not cause any negative reactions from me or my wife) When the sea receded, you could either drink cocktails in the bar or swim in the pool. I must say we were VERY lucky with the time of the visit, there were NO people in the hotel In general... yes, and we were the only Russians there))) But the day before departure, the hotel was already full, over the past two days, people have increased, as well as compatriots...
So there were no problems with places on the beach, near the pool. Tours. In principle, there is nothing special to see... Lake Bartran, the Palace in Tirtaganga, the Temple of Tanah Lot, waterfalls, rafting deserve attention. From the tour operator you can take a survey, the rest by yourself. The car provided by the tour operator for 9 hours costs 75 dollars. You can negotiate cheaper with the locals, but keep in mind that firstly, it’s not a fact that he will have rights, that he will take you where you need to go, and that he will not push you souvenirs. Please note that such a driver, upon arrival at some point of interest, will notify all merchants that you are his client, and, accordingly, the price tag will jump for you, because merchants will have to roll back this driver. So choose. The driver from the travel agency has another advantage, he NORMALLY understands English))) And is also a kind of guarantee that they will not try to cheat you)) They have normal. ) Car or bike for rent,
According to the local guide, this is the first time he observes this here. Didn't take the money. Organized an excursion instead of diving. A sort of compensation for wasted time. Diversified the next day, in the same place, everything was OK. The rest of the dive on the main sites, Yu on the 4th. 4-ka for the fact that on the Manta Point site the local guide got lost a little and led the group in the wrong direction, plus it took a long time to disembark from the boat. As a result, the floor of the group floundered on the surf for 20 minutes. In general, at that time, manta rays were not seen, unlike others. Which once again confirmed that diving there is better with ours. For calm diving I recommend Crystal Beach. Easy drift at a depth of 17-12 meters, for 50 minutes, at the exit of almost 100 bars, those who go in for diving will understand how easy this site is, complete relaxation) There, on the other hand, there is another safari site on it. depth 24-30 meters 40 - 45 minutes. During one dive we met three manta rays, a mola-mola, a nurse shark, turtles. . . Cool.
At the entrance there is a strong downward current. up to 23 meters, then a calm drift along the wall. Another not wealth is diving with local clubs. They gather a group anyhow, i. e. you can dive by the time of the dive already 10-15 times, and someone makes the first dive in Bali and did not dive, as a result, the dive may be stopped due to a beginner. already at 30 - 35 minutes. It's a shame to climb with a balloon clogged more than half. Dear divers, the same would not be bad to think about colleagues.
Here is such a rest. Liked it, satisfied. Mass of impressions. Will I go again, I don't know. There is still Komodo in the area. Maybe I’ll visit Bali again, but I just won’t go, there are still plenty of places where it’s worth soaking the fins.
There will be questions - write. I will answer everyone
• Flight: We flew with Transaero - my husband and I were seated in different places at different ends of the plane, although we were asked to be seated together. We were supposed to take off at 23.00, and took off at 02.30. There were enough seats on the plane and we were very lucky, we switched places with another couple, and in the end 1 seat was free. The plane is very dirty. We were very lucky that we got a blanket and 1 working TV, although there was nothing to watch there either, the whole flight showed the same concert and spearfishing. The food was disgusting!! ! The flight was without refueling directly Moscow-Denpasar, flew a total of 12.5 hours.
• Hotel: Upon arrival at the hotel, the impression was quite normal. When checking into the room, we were forced to leave a deposit of $ 100 (although I don’t understand what it was for, but more on that in order). Settled in the room, everything is fine, the room is the same as in the picture, of course, very shabby furniture, but still. On the very first day, we discovered that the drain in the toilet was broken, the water was constantly gurgling, the shower was leaking...... We managed on our own, we did it ourselves. It seemed to me that there was some kind of smell in the room, I attributed it to their incense (or rather, the stench, plus a lot of humidity), it was not possible to fall asleep! As it turned out later, 2 mice lived in our room, under the table by the bed in the socket and behind the wardrobe. Having found “pets”, I ran to the reception to sort it out, naturally they didn’t believe me and sent their employee to our room. The employee came, looked and, not finding the mouse, was about to leave, but the husband insisted that he inspect the room in more detail. They moved the bed in the presence of a hotel employee, and found under it the “life products” of mice (that's where the strange smell came from). After that, the hotel employee suggested that we sprinkle mouse poison in the room and go to the reception tomorrow morning!! ! Those. we had to stay in the room, not only to sleep with the mice, but also with the poison…. . Normal? ! At the reception they said that it was already late (1 am), and let's talk tomorrow, only after the scandal we were moved to another room. We were given a room of equal value, but there was no apology!!! ! Moved and forgot about us…. . Bastards!!!! ! What can you say about room cleaning? Well, since under the bed, which can be easily moved away, there were products of the "life activity of mice", probably disgusting! The toilet and sink were washed in the same way.... As for bed linen and towels, they were changed every 3 days. Used towels were cleaned every day, but new ones were not put in, only as they were pumped. Bed linen was also changed every 3 days, but it seems that it was not washed, but as in Soviet times it was moistened with water and dried without washing! The ebb was very felt on the beach, the ocean went far, it was possible to walk to the breakwaters on foot. The ocean itself was quite dirty (jelly-like algae, sea urchins, and other inhabitants), and the sand on the shore too (a bunch of cigarette butts, plastic bags, bottles, cans, etc. ), the sand as well as the pool, they rarely clean it ! ! ! ! The only thing that pleased in this hotel was the food for breakfast, a good buffet! But then again, once having lunch there, choosing dishes from the menu, they brought us vile sandwiches and a twisted fish cutlet, all the products were used after breakfast leftovers (we know this for sure, because my husband is a chef).
• About the currency in Bali: it is possible to exchange 1996 dollars and small bills (1.5, 10.20), but at a very low rate.
• Restaurants and cafes: National food is very spicy, so I advise you to go to European restaurants. We found a very good Japanese "Ryoshi" and an Italian "La Baccaroma" these wonderful restaurants are located near the "Hardeis" supermarket in Sanur, 10 minutes drive from the hotel. Not far from our hotel there was a restaurant "Slavyanka", its owner is a Russian. But the food there is not very good, it was just nice to see the menu in native Russian and the usual names of dishes. A herring is not a herring, potato pancakes are not potato pancakes, but I generally keep quiet about mayonnaise..... The staff speaks only English, but Russian music.
• Excursions: Instead of a tour operator's excursions, we hired our guide for $50 and drove through the same places for much less money! From the tour operator we bought an excursion to about. Java for $350 per person. Our guide was Russian-speaking, but unfortunately he only read paper and did not give answers to the questions asked. did not understand Russian! Here is an English-speaking guide for you! My advice to you, if you want to visit Java, buy your own tickets and a book with sights. Hire a taxi driver and ride as much as your heart desires! A ticket Denpasar - Jakarta (Java) costs $ 40 - economy, 50 - business (the planes are very clean and even in the economy class there are large comfortable leather seats, I have never seen such in Russia, although I fly quite often. ).
We flew back through Singapore, and then I really regretted that we flew with Transaero. This time they put us on the plane on time, but we sat waiting for the landing for 1.5 hours!!! ! Everything would be fine, but it was terribly hot on the plane, the engines were running, but there was no ventilation and at least some kind of air access! The air conditioners did not work during the waiting period. In addition to the lack of air conditioning and waiting, the toilets did not work, and there was a smell throughout the cabin. Horror!!! ! The food was terrible as usual. The flight lasted 2.5 hours to Singapore and 10.5 hours to Moscow.
For a very long time I dreamed of going to the island. Bali, but expected something more heavenly. There is some disappointment and some sadness for Fr. Bali upon arrival in cold Moscow...... The nature there is really very beautiful, however, it is very dirty. The inhabitants are simply amazingly friendly; there all the time you want to smile… Oh, Bali…….
For myself, I made several conclusions, if I fly somewhere to Asia, then only on Singaporean or Thai airlines !! ! And if I go to about. Bali, then not in this hotel!