Birthday trip! KUL-SIN-DPS-SIN-KUL Candidasa, Ubud & Seminyak

[leo]

This is way overdue and I apologise for the delay - been caught up with work (expansion of operations into Bali, Borneo bla bla bla).

As the gf's and my birthday are only 2 days apart, I decided to make some use of them points in my Krisflyer... So it 80,000+ points for 2pax return Kuala Lumpur to Bali via Singapore in J.

The flights turned out this way (IIRC):
SQ117 KUL/SIN
SQ948 SIN/DPS
SQ943 DPS/SIN
SQ116 SIN/KUL

We initially planned to book Y but it was unavailable across all categories (saver, standard, etc). The idea was to do a north east - central - southwest bali circuit in a week, spending 3N in Tembok / Candidasa, 3N in Ubud and 3N in Seminyak area.

I kinda planned this whole thing in secret (to surprise the lady of course) and was kinda relieved that she didn't put up much of a fuss when I told her to pack on flight day and bring her passport along.

We stayed at the following places.
1. Spa Village Resort - Tembok
2. Kamandalu Resort - Ubud
3. Sofitel Seminyak Bali - Seminyak

Idea was to avoid the massive human traffic in Kuta and we successfully navigated ourselves through the maze of streets in Ubud.



So the journey began in SKL KUL, a small little quaint airside lounge in the satellite terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport.



From the windows, you would be able to usually see the aircraft bound for Singapore (usually at gate C2, 9V-SVN in this case). As it was an early evening flight, didn't have much to drink (the gf either).

No page for boarding (I suppose you get moving when you see the crowd move) - and indeed we moved. The short hop was uneventful we landed as soon as we took off (or something like that).



We parked our behinds at the SKL in Singapore till it was time to go - not much there either except some nice selection of drinks (where are the bartenders!!?!!). We were boarding soonafter and business class was rather full on that flight. Welcome onboard Mr Leo and happy birthday was my greeting



How thoughtful! Champagne was forthcoming, and it was free-flowing throughout the flight. Didn't check the brand but it was nice and dry - the way I like it.



One thought though, nuts came in packets, not bowls..



I chose the steak for dinner and the gf, fish. We both agreed that it was both overdone.



But the best part of course would be Ben & Jerrys for dessert!

Next part - Spa Village Resort

[jjpb3]

No apology needed at all, leo.

Very much looking forward to the next installments.

[leo]

thanks jjpb3, appreciate the encouragement...

Part 2 - Spa Village Resort - Tembok, Bali

Spa Village Tembok was a daunting one for us as we arrived almost 2130hrs in on that day and it was at least 2.5hrs transfer from DPS. Needless to say we were dead tired after the flight and endless glasses of champagne (anyone noticed the raffles class logo on the flutes?). We arrived at the resort almost midnight.

We checked in and were treated to three things.

1. A quick neck and back massage (15 minutes) while our registration / check-in was processed;
2. A nice foot bath; and
3. A great suite - Purnama Suite (literally meaning Moon - Purnama), we were the only ones in the resort (I booked out the entire resort, NOT)



Dumped the stuff somewhere, got a shower and died in bed till the following morning.



We obviously didn't wake up in time for breakfast the following morning, and took it easy till noontime when we finally emerged from our seductive bed. It was a daunting task I tell you.

The lady hit the sundeck whilst I roamed around a little with the camera - I find Balinese resorts are a darling to photograph. I quite like the way the architecture is around here - present yet unobtrusive.



Naturally, being Balinese, one has to have the traditional lotus pool, frog sculptures in the garden, and Buddha images here and there (the mainstay of most, if not all Balinese hotels).



Nevertheless, being on the north east coast of Bali meant only one thing to us - black sand beach.



It provided an excellent contrast to the white surf and the almost cloudless blue skies that we enjoyed throughout the trip.



Little thoughtful things were thrown in our direction during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Things like making a bird out of palm leaves.



The spa was also sublime! We signed up for the "Pegantin Malekat" package which included everything under the sun - foot thingie, 2 hr massage (I think) and ended with a milk bath..

Certainly, the food was not disappointing but rather monotonous after a while. 3 nights would be ideal.

Everything was quite elaborately decorated, sometimes without thought,



and sometimes with much simplicity and elegance...







But the best part - on-site made ice cream with assortment of flavours to choose from...

Next part - more Spa Village Resort shots...

[jjpb3]

The hotel looks very inviting.

I'm thoroughly unfamiliar with Bali the island: which part of the island is that -- i.e., how far is it from the normal must-see places like Ubud?

[SQflyergirl]

Thoroughly enjoyed this - time to go drag myself back to Bali soonish. I miss it

[kchika]

I stayed at the IC Bali in 2007 and to me it felt like your average resort. Note to self: must explore other areas of Bali next time, especially Ubud.

Looking forward to the next installment...

[leo]

jjpb3: I'll put up a map of our journey to give you a better idea of our routing. But essentially, Tembok is 2.5 - 3 hours away from Denpasar airport and to reach Ubud, it takes about 2hours drive driving in a south westerly direction pass the highlands.

SQflyergirl: Thanks for reading! Honestly, Bali is one place I don't think I'll ever tire of (perhaps the old DPS airport I'm a little tired of) - a little island with little hidden gems each and every time I visit.

kchika: Thanks for dropping by. The level of service and attentiveness, and attention into detail put into everything that they do certainly surpasses the "branded" international deluxe chains, IMHO of course.

Part 3 - Spa Village Resort and surroundings - Tembok, Bali



Being in a resort in a secluded place meant that we had to have all meals on-site.



It wasn't such a bad thing considering we were the only guests at the resort and the whole resort's staff were literally at our disposal.



Celebrating our belated birthdays and being somewhat the only guests in the resort, the resort manager set up a beautiful pool/seaside table for two.



A section of the poolside was beautifully lit with candles.



It was exceptionally beautiful as you can see by the following long exposure shots.



The lady and I were terribly spoilt with good food (which was hosted that night), champagne (DP 1999) and wine as well.





Wondering what we did we do the entire three nights there?



The day was spent in the sun, recharging our tan (and I roaming around playing the wannabe photographer).



Evenings at the spa or bar, and nights just walking hand in hand (the other hand cructhing a bottle of champagne and pair of flutes of course) on the beach.



IMHO, the treatment I received there equalled or I would say surpass that of what I received in Four Seasons Jimbaran (highly controversial, *puts on firesuit*).



Also had the chance to walk out of the resort to walk along the road and explore the miniscule village of Tembok (population 2.5 persons hehe).

Next part - To Ubud!

[leo]

For jjpb3's sake, here's a route map of this trip...

Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) - Purple pin
Spa Village Resort Tembok Bali - Red pin
Kamandalu Resort Ubud - Green Pin
Sofitel Seminyak Bali - Cyan pin

[leo]

Part 4 - Destination: Ubud

The time had come to bode farewell to the nice black sandy beach of Spa Village Resort and head toward our next destination - Ubud. Needless to say our hearts were really heavy leaving the resort, our three nights there were truly magical compared to our previous travels. A big bravo to Adrian and his team for a magnificent job done with flair and understatement.



We began our journey onboard a fairly "aged" vehicle (which added to the charm I must say), up the highlands of Mount Agung - passing many quaint little villages enroute.



The view out to sea was breathtaking and we were slightly delayed arriving in Ubud due to the numerous photo stops that I requested - all of which was obliged in the most polite manner.



There was a brief stop at the highest point of our journey approaching Kintamani, where I took the photo above - Mount Agung in the foreground, Lake Batur and Mount Batur in the back.



The sight of paddy terraces announced our arrival in Ubud - we checked into the Kamandalu Resort & Spa, Ubud. The resort layout and landscaping is fantastic, as I think it was purpose built as a Banyan Tree some time back. Nevertheless, I kinda slipped on this choice of resort as we found ourselves inundated with (not meant to offend anyone) noisy Taiwanese, Koreans and mainland Chinese tourists!!! It was a spoiler, especially coming from the tranquillity of a resort in the middle of nowhere. ARGH!



The above photograph is the view from our little villa in Kamandalu at dawn.



We were woken up rather abruptly by the sounds of diesel powered machines working the fields at 5.00am in the bloody morning. Had a paltry breakfast at the coffeeshop together with one million other people and decided that the had enough of the commotion - headed out to town thereafter.



Ubud town was an entirely different story altogether. I've always loved Ubud due to the quaintness and charm of the people - they have arts and cultural in their blood. Many photo ops of people, architecture and landscape made me run out of space on the camera (two 4gb cards).





As we soon found out, our arrival in Ubud coincided with the death of the last king of Ubud - King Tjokorda Gede Agung Suyasa.



Many craftsmen and women of Ubud were all over the squares carving, pasting, sculpting the many effigies and "floats" to be utilised during the cremation ceremony (which we didn't catch as it was due to be held over a month later).





Next part - more Ubud and food!

[phaleesy]

Very nice! Keep them coming.

[leo]

phaleesy: thanks for reading

Part 5 - A taste of Ubud...



There were several "must do" things on our list in Ubud - one of them was to sample Ibu Oka's babi guling. Purportedly the best babi guling in Bali, it is essentially a whole pig roasted on the spit.



It was good, but not mind blowing as some had described it to be - perhaps I'm not quite a fan of spicy food?



Nevertheless it was enjoyable and the lady liked it too! If you're planning on heading there, go early. They open around 11'ish and sell out by 1pm..



Ubud is really the heartland of Hindu culture here in Southeast Asia, and you can see it all around from the many little shrines scattered throughout houses, streets, hotels, shops.



It's really best to explore Ubud on foot, and wonder into little alleys and backlanes that dot the entire town.



There are plenty of restaurants in Ubud set in beautiful landscaping. Unfortunately, my favourite (Lotus Cafe) was closed for renovations.



We also visited the market where I had the chance to replenish my dwindling stock of vanilla beans at a ridiculously cheap price.



The lady bought some bags and I, some sculptures that now sit in my room in the office.



Next part - Seminyak and beyond!

[jjpb3]

Beautiful.

I miss Bali.

[leo]

jjpb3: Thanks for the compliments! I hope the map gave you an idea of the routing I did...

Part 6 - To Seminyak and beyond!

Last few shots of Ubud before we depart to Seminyak...









So it was time to leave beautiful Ubud and it's intricacies, to head to Seminyak for a fine time wining, dining and tanning once more.



We chose Sofitel Seminyak this time around - although The Oberoi would have been a nicer choice (it was full). Nice location though - right next to the apartment block of the Anantara and within 5 minutes walk from one of my favourite restaurants in Bali, Gado Gado.



One of the few beach-fronting properties. I like to stay away from the mess and beach touts of Kuta when I'm in Bali. Seminyak is a good compromise between good dining and privacy on the beach.



Comprising of a low-rise (2 floors) hotel block and several free-standing villas, I found it rather charming. Essentially we spent most of the day by the beach, lunch at the poolside cafe and dinner out.



Tanning by the beach armed with a camera provided many photo ops.



This bird was evidently thirsty



However, Sofitel's choice of landscaping ornaments left me somewhat perplexed though...

Next part - Fill the tummy!!!

[StarG]

Nice pictures!
Reminded me of how much I miss Bali...
Thanks for sharing.

[leo]

StarG: Thanks for the compliments!

Part 7 - Let's eat! (A quick update)

For the both of us, being in Seminyak only meant two things.. Beach + Food!

The abundance of nice, reasonably priced restaurants with good food made us pig out big time!



We had dinner at two notable places - my favourites really, first one being Gado Gado which was only about 5 minutes walk away from the Sofitel.



One of the few beach front restaurants, Gado Gado features some nice Meditteranean-inspired cuisine with an extensive list of old and new world wines (althought I've come to learnt that this has changed with the implementation of some serious crazy taxes on alcohol).



For starters, there was Pacific oysters au naturel and,



Ceviche of mackarel (which I didn't quite like due to the crunchy breadcrumb topping.



I highly recommend the poached seabrim roulade with linguine!



This was the result of my (then) fascination with Italian wines. Suffice to say it went surprisingly well with the fish.



The seafood platter is also worth trying. If you're planning to dine at Gado Gado, it's best to make reservations for the beach-side tables.

Next part - La Lucciola, Petitenget