Bali
7 January 2019 - 11 January 2019
Expenditure per person
Flights
7 January 2019 - AirAsia Indonesia SGD 127.50
SIN - DPS (Air Fare + 20kg checked baggage)
11 January 2019 - Scoot SGD 133.00
DPS - SIN (Air Fare + 20kg checked baggage)
Accommodation
7 - 11 January 2019 SGD 55.86
Airbnb (SGD 167.59 in total)
Car Hire + Driver
thecheapesttravelbali.com SGD 81.15
Toyota Avanza (paid IDR2,540,000 cash in total)
IDR540,000 for 10 hours (2 days)
IDR350,000 for 5 hours (1 day)
IDR700,000 for 11 hours to far east of Bali (1 day)
IDR200,000 airport drop off from Denpasar area
Extra hour charges: IDR60,000 per hour
Activities
Sunset ATV Tour SGD 104.76
quadbikingbali.com (via Paypal)
Cash
Brought IDR5,250,000 cash SGD 417.67
Left with IDR45,800 at the end of trip (Spent IDR4,357,533.34 in cash)
(excluding car hire)
7 January 2019 - AirAsia Indonesia SGD 127.50
SIN - DPS (Air Fare + 20kg checked baggage)
11 January 2019 - Scoot SGD 133.00
DPS - SIN (Air Fare + 20kg checked baggage)
Accommodation
7 - 11 January 2019 SGD 55.86
Airbnb (SGD 167.59 in total)
Car Hire + Driver
thecheapesttravelbali.com SGD 81.15
Toyota Avanza (paid IDR2,540,000 cash in total)
IDR540,000 for 10 hours (2 days)
IDR350,000 for 5 hours (1 day)
IDR700,000 for 11 hours to far east of Bali (1 day)
IDR200,000 airport drop off from Denpasar area
Extra hour charges: IDR60,000 per hour
Activities
Sunset ATV Tour SGD 104.76
quadbikingbali.com (via Paypal)
Cash
Brought IDR5,250,000 cash SGD 417.67
Left with IDR45,800 at the end of trip (Spent IDR4,357,533.34 in cash)
(excluding car hire)
Total SGD 919.94
Currency Exchange
I exchanged SGD500 for IDR5,250,000 at Unique Money Changer near Bedok Mall.
The rate at that time was SGD 1 to IDR 10,500
I exchanged SGD500 for IDR5,250,000 at Unique Money Changer near Bedok Mall.
The rate at that time was SGD 1 to IDR 10,500
Other than sufficient cash to spend, please remember to bring and apply SUNSCREEN throughout your trip in Bali. It's so damn sunny and hot. I'm now 1-2 shades darker after Bali.
7 January 2019 -Monday
Jason and I departed for Bali from Singapore at 10.35am, and Vincent departed from Kuala Lumpur at 10.30am. We purchased flights with similar timings so that we could arrive in Bali around the same time.
Flights from Singapore to Bali usually take 2.5 hours. We arrived in Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) at 1.30pm due to a slight delay during departure in Singapore. There were no aero-bridge for us to disembark the plane. So we descended the mobile airstairs and boarded the shuttle that fetched us from the aircraft to the immigration hall.
Once we have cleared immigration, we purchased SIM cards at the airport's Telkomsel booth which costs IDR250,000. I felt it's way overpriced, but for the convenience of not having to hunt for SIMs later, we settled for it still. It was advertised to last for 7 days with unlimited data. But I received SMS later on stating that my MAXstream 5GB package for 30 days will expire on 11 January 2019. I really don't know why or how, and I don't really mind as long as I have sufficient data until I leave Bali.
We scheduled for our driver to pick us up at 1.30pm. But we could only meet him at 2.30pm because we had to wait for Vincent to clear immigration. His flight arrived slightly later than ours, but the queue went crazily long in just 15-20 minutes after Jason and I started queuing. As there were a number of people behind us, Vincent didn't want to cross the line by joining us directly at the front of the queue.
We booked for the car + driver service with The Cheapest Travel Bali at the rate of IDR540,000 for 10 hours. The name of the car charter company sounded cheesy, but they have tons of great reviews on TripAdvisor.
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Our driver Komang held a paper with my name and flight number on it, and waited for us together with a whole lot of other drivers. We greeted him and followed him towards the parking lot to retrieve his car.
We made our first stop at Ayam Tulang Lunak Malioboro for lunch.
We spent IDR397,900 for this meal. We ordered 1/2 Crispy Fried Chicken, 1/2 Salted Egg Chicken, Fried Egg Tofu, white rice and iced lemon teas. The chicken were quite dry, but the flavors are good. The chicken bones are soft and can be eaten together with the flesh.
Once we're done with lunch, we headed towards Uluwatu Temple and Komang asked if we wanted to try Kopi Luwak. We are open to recommendations so we stopped by Bukit Sari Pecatu which is located nearby Uluwatu Temple.
Once we're done with lunch, we headed towards Uluwatu Temple and Komang asked if we wanted to try Kopi Luwak. We are open to recommendations so we stopped by Bukit Sari Pecatu which is located nearby Uluwatu Temple.
We were guided through a pathway and the personnel explained the different types of coffee beans they have in the compound, the process of making their coffee and teas, as well as the luwak animal.
Once we are done with the brief tour, we were brought to a seating area to taste test their range of teas and coffees. We also ordered two cups of Coffee Luwak at IDR50,000 per cup.
The Coffee Luwak was not filtered, so there are bits of grounded coffee in it that makes it unpleasant to drink. We were supposed to let the grounded coffee bits settle at the bottom of the cup before drinking it, but we didn't thought of it at that time, so we had a hard time swallowing the coffee.
Even though I didn't like the coffee, I loved their Mangosteen Tea. It reminded me of the grape flavor powdered glucose that I use to drink when I was young. I bought a pack of Mangosteen powdered tea at IDR195,000.
Even though I didn't like the coffee, I loved their Mangosteen Tea. It reminded me of the grape flavor powdered glucose that I use to drink when I was young. I bought a pack of Mangosteen powdered tea at IDR195,000.
We continued our journey towards Uluwatu Temple and arrived at the parking lot 10 minutes later. Komang helped us to purchase the entrance ticket at IDR30,000 per pax. Visitors have to wear the purple sarong and orange cloth that they provide in order to enter the temple compound.
We found a spot to watch and capture the sunset. However, we were ambushed by monkeys right when the Sun starts to set. We abandoned mission and secured our belongings before the monkeys snatched them away. However, Vincent was unlucky as a monkey managed to take his spectacles. He ended up paying IDR20,000 to the fruit lady to retrieve his spectacles.
I didn't want to doubt the staff, but somehow I felt that the monkeys ambushed us because the staff was around. Before the staff approached us, the monkeys are already nearby but they did not harass us at all. They played, ran around, fought with each other, but they did not come near us. But once the staff came over and did small talks with Vincent, the monkeys suddenly gathered and climbed onto the railings around us. I felt that the monkeys targeted Vincent because the staff is right beside him.
Once the monkey took Vincent's spectacles, the staff called for the fruit lady nearby whom threw a fruit towards the monkey. The monkey let go of Vincent's spectacles once it got hold of the fruit.
I didn't want to doubt the staff, but somehow I felt that the monkeys ambushed us because the staff was around. Before the staff approached us, the monkeys are already nearby but they did not harass us at all. They played, ran around, fought with each other, but they did not come near us. But once the staff came over and did small talks with Vincent, the monkeys suddenly gathered and climbed onto the railings around us. I felt that the monkeys targeted Vincent because the staff is right beside him.
Once the monkey took Vincent's spectacles, the staff called for the fruit lady nearby whom threw a fruit towards the monkey. The monkey let go of Vincent's spectacles once it got hold of the fruit.
We were upset by the monkey incident, so we exited the compound and headed to Jimbaran Beach for dinner. Komang brought us to Ganesha Cafe.
We requested to sit at the front row facing the ocean. It was a great experience having fresh seafood by the water in a candlelight atmosphere.
After we have ordered our drinks, we went to the front of the restaurant to choose our menu. Fresh seafood are displayed in tubs with the prices indicated on a laminated paper.
The staff will ask for your table number, followed by your choice of seafood. Just tell them how much you want and they will weigh it in front of you. You can choose how you want the seafood to be cooked as well. We chose for all our dishes to be grilled.
We had grilled squid, prawns and fish. Rice and vegetables comes together with our orders. Our dinner came to a total of IDR1,592,000.
After dinner, we headed to our Airbnb for check-in. We bought a carton of mineral water at IDR48,000 at a convenience store on the way over. We met up with the Airbnb host - Bagus and he gave me a quick tour of the house before leaving us to rest for the night. We paid Komang IDR540,000 for the car booking of the day.
8 January 2019 - Tuesday
The sky was already so bright at 6am++, so I woke up around that time too. I went around the house and took pictures because I wasn't able to do that last night.
It takes a long time for the air-conditioning to fill the bedroom with cool air. Plus, the shower in our connecting room is not clean. Green specks came out of the shower head which totally grossed me out. There are 4 bathrooms in the house, so I went to the other bathroom for a thorough shower to wash off the green specks from my hair and body. Eww. There are bar soaps around, but no shower gel or shampoo. I did a big mistake by washing my hair using the bar soap, which ruined my hair until I salvage it with hair conditioner five days later back in Singapore.
Even though WiFi is available, the connection is weak. The router is right outside our room, but I could hardly connect to it in my own room. I wasn't able to watch YouTube videos as well. I resort to using my mobile data most of the time. The floor isn't impeccably clean, it felt like it hasn't been mopped for awhile. The pillows were very thick, which made my neck uncomfortable after a night's sleep. So I used my neck pillow instead.
We paid S$167.59 for 4 nights. Although the Airbnb host is very friendly and helpful, I wouldn't opt to stay here again for my next trip.
Even though WiFi is available, the connection is weak. The router is right outside our room, but I could hardly connect to it in my own room. I wasn't able to watch YouTube videos as well. I resort to using my mobile data most of the time. The floor isn't impeccably clean, it felt like it hasn't been mopped for awhile. The pillows were very thick, which made my neck uncomfortable after a night's sleep. So I used my neck pillow instead.
We paid S$167.59 for 4 nights. Although the Airbnb host is very friendly and helpful, I wouldn't opt to stay here again for my next trip.
We scheduled for our itinerary to start at 9am, but Komang has already parked and was ready for us at 8.40am.
Our first stop of the day - Tegenungan Waterfall.
In order to save time, we chose to have breakfast there as well. The entrance fee for Tegenungan Waterfall is IDR15,000 per pax.
Our first stop of the day - Tegenungan Waterfall.
In order to save time, we chose to have breakfast there as well. The entrance fee for Tegenungan Waterfall is IDR15,000 per pax.
We had breakfast at Bumbu Asli International Warung because the restaurant overlooks the waterfall.
We ordered coconut water, fried mee (mie goreng), fried rice (nasi goreng) and crispy duck. Our breakfast costs IDR 293,250 in total. The coconut water was so cold and refreshing. It's a must have in the hot Bali weather.
We descended the steps towards the waterfall after breakfast. There are several photo taking spots along the way which will surely thrill the insta-addicts.
Our plan was to visit Goa Gajah after this, but we were so exhausted after climbing up the steep steps from the waterfall area that we decided to skip Goa Gajah and go straight for lunch at Kintamani.
Jason wanted to buy more Coffee Luwak for his friend, so Komang brought us to Segara Windhu Coffee Plantation which is situated along the way to Kintamani.
Jason wanted to buy more Coffee Luwak for his friend, so Komang brought us to Segara Windhu Coffee Plantation which is situated along the way to Kintamani.
After a tour around the garden and brief demonstration, we ordered a cup of Coffee Luwak at IDR80,000 to share. We were also offered a tray of their coffee and tea samples to taste.
They brew the coffee right at the table, and the coffee is sieved. So there are no grounded coffee bits in the drink itself. It is more palatable this way.
Next stop: Lunch at Kintamani. In order to enter the Kintamani area, we have to pay a fee of IDR30,000 per pax to the personnel by the road side.
We stopped by the side walk to take some pictures before heading to the restaurant, and we could see Mount Batur clearly.
We stopped by the side walk to take some pictures before heading to the restaurant, and we could see Mount Batur clearly.
We had buffet lunch at Sari Mountain View Restaurant, which offers an incredible view of Mount Batur. But there are a lot of flies around the buffet line and tables, which made me very uncomfortable and irritated.
The buffet costs IDR121,000 per pax. The food was okay, I'm just glad I didn't have food poisoning from all the flies roaming around the restaurant.
After lunch, we departed to Terrace River Pool Swing. I wanted to visit Tegallalang Rice Terrace, but Komang brought us to Terrace River Pool Swing. I think he mentioned about the swing to Vincent during the car ride, and Vincent unknowingly agreed to go there. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed it.
After lunch, we departed to Terrace River Pool Swing. I wanted to visit Tegallalang Rice Terrace, but Komang brought us to Terrace River Pool Swing. I think he mentioned about the swing to Vincent during the car ride, and Vincent unknowingly agreed to go there. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed it.
The guide introduced the various activities in the area at a charge, but we were not interested in taking the swing or flying fox. So we only paid IDR50,000 per pax to walk around the area.
This place reminded me of my fear of heights.
Once we're done taking pictures, we headed towards Pasar Ubud for some shopping. I wanted to get the round cane bags that I've seen most girls carried around in Bali.
Once we're done taking pictures, we headed towards Pasar Ubud for some shopping. I wanted to get the round cane bags that I've seen most girls carried around in Bali.
We bought 5 round cane bags at IDR510,000 (after bargaining).
I would suggest you to close the deal once the bargained price is acceptable and reasonable. Please refrain from bargaining a ridiculously low price as this would irk the store owners. They are trying to make a living as well.
I would suggest you to close the deal once the bargained price is acceptable and reasonable. Please refrain from bargaining a ridiculously low price as this would irk the store owners. They are trying to make a living as well.
The store owners started to pack up around 5.30pm. So we left the market and went for dinner. Komang recommended us to try out the pork ribs at iiga warung Mas Ubud Bali.
We returned to our Airbnb after dinner, and paid IDR600,000 for the car + driver service to Komang. The rate is still IDR540,000 for 10 hours, but we exceeded the hire service by one hour. Hence, we paid another IDR60,000 for the extra hour.
9 January 2019 - Wednesday
We woke up real early today because our itinerary starts at 7am. Our plan was to visit the east of Bali - Pura Lempuyang Luhur, also known as the Gate of Heaven. I brought my neck pillow and jacket along so that I could nap in the car.
The rate for the car + driver hire is IDR700,000 because the journey to the far east of Bali will take 2 hours. The boss offered us 11 hours of hire service instead of 10 hours.
The rate for the car + driver hire is IDR700,000 because the journey to the far east of Bali will take 2 hours. The boss offered us 11 hours of hire service instead of 10 hours.
We stopped by at a random babi guling stall on our way to Pura Lempuyang Luhur.
This is my first babi guling, so I'm not sure how it should taste like. I don't fancy the vegetables, and the pork skin is kinda hard to chew. The satay is good, but slightly salty. I would rate this a 2 out of 5. We paid IDR160,000 for 4 persons.
The drive up to the parking area of Pura Lempuyang Luhur is super steep. It's almost a 45 degree slope and you definitely need a vehicle with manual transmission to advance up the slopes.
The drive up to the parking area of Pura Lempuyang Luhur is super steep. It's almost a 45 degree slope and you definitely need a vehicle with manual transmission to advance up the slopes.
Once we're at the parking area, we approached the wooden booth to rent sarongs and offer donation as the entrance fee to the Lempuyang Temple. Sarongs are mandatory. You can wear your own sarong or rent one with the ladies by the booth. The sarong rental fee is IDR10,000 per pax. On top of that, we gave IDR20,000 as donation for entrance.
The Gate of Heaven is 5 minutes away from the parking area. But the slope is very steep as well.
That's Mount Agung in the photo. It's the one that erupted one week before our arrival in Bali.
The locals were preparing for a ceremony that will be held on 11 January, Friday. Hence, stages and ceremonial cloths have been put up around the temple.
We queued to take pictures with the Gate of Heaven and waited around 15 minutes for our turn.
We queued to take pictures with the Gate of Heaven and waited around 15 minutes for our turn.
After this, we went to Taman Tirtagangga.
The journey down the slopes is equally as scary as the drive up.
The journey down the slopes is equally as scary as the drive up.
The entrance ticket for Taman Tirtagangga (Water Garden) is IDR40,000 per pax. There aren't much to see, so it's not a mandatory attraction to visit in Bali in my opinion.
The weather is too hot to not succumb to buying ice cream after that.
Komang showed us a brochure on an airplane themed restaurant as a suggestion for lunch. We decided to try it out for the experience of dining in an aircraft. It's approximately an hour drive from Taman Tirtagangga, which is also on the way back to the city.
The dining area is very warm, and it became uncomfortable after awhile. The service is polite and friendly, but the dishes and drinks are served at a slower pace.
We ordered tomato-based pasta with omelette wrapped pork, pork ribs with fries and fried chicken with fried potatoes. The food was average, and I don't think I will want to visit again even if I'm a local. It's really just for the experience of an airplane themed restaurant. Our lunch totaled to IDR466,042.50. |
After lunch, we went back to the city for massage. Komang recommended Bali Orchid Spa, and we paid IDR600,000 each for the Orchid Lulur 2 hour spa package.
My masseuse was quite strong. She popped my back just seconds into the massage. But Vincent and Jason commented that their masseuses were not satisfactory. So I guess you could consider other spas/massage services if you're planning for a Bali trip.
After the spa session, we stopped by a shopping mall because Vincent and Jason wanted to buy shorts. But we left after buying milk tea from Chatime because the stores in the mall resembles those in Singapore and Malaysia. Our milk teas cost IDR25,000 each.
After the spa session, we stopped by a shopping mall because Vincent and Jason wanted to buy shorts. But we left after buying milk tea from Chatime because the stores in the mall resembles those in Singapore and Malaysia. Our milk teas cost IDR25,000 each.
We went to Naughty Nuri's for dinner because pork rib is life.
We have been wanting to try Naughty Nuri's since our employment in Macau. And now we've finally tried it in its place of origin. It's a fun atmosphere to dine in. The servers are friendly and the food quality is great. We paid IDR448,450 for this meal.
We went back to our Airbnb by 8pm and paid Komang IDR850,000 for the car hire of the day, which includes 2 extra hours of IDR150,000. The rates for the car hire this day was higher, so I wasn't sure if the overtime charges is still the same at IDR60,000. So I gave Komang IDR150,000 in total for the 2 hours overtime.
We went back to our Airbnb by 8pm and paid Komang IDR850,000 for the car hire of the day, which includes 2 extra hours of IDR150,000. The rates for the car hire this day was higher, so I wasn't sure if the overtime charges is still the same at IDR60,000. So I gave Komang IDR150,000 in total for the 2 hours overtime.
10 January 2019 - Thursday
Today is our last full day in Bali. We started our itinerary at 8am and chose to have breakfast at Warung Mak Beng. It is situated at Sanur, and they offer a fish and rice set at IDR55,000 each. The set comes with white rice, fried fish and fish head soup. This is the best meal I've had in Bali so far. The fish is tender and the soup is so homey, warm and just awesome.
Our meal costs IDR190,000 in total, including our ice teas.
We then visited Nusa Dua beach area and we were all drenched in sweat after minutes of walking under the unforgiving Sun. We went to the Waterblow area, but the waves are too calm which is insufficient to create the famous waterblow effect. When the waves are strong enough, the water will 'explode' through the narrow gaps between the rocks and the effect will resemble a geyser.
We then visited Nusa Dua beach area and we were all drenched in sweat after minutes of walking under the unforgiving Sun. We went to the Waterblow area, but the waves are too calm which is insufficient to create the famous waterblow effect. When the waves are strong enough, the water will 'explode' through the narrow gaps between the rocks and the effect will resemble a geyser.
We also visited the beach. Vincent went in for a dip while we hid in the shaded part of the beach.
Once Vincent is out of the water, we walked towards Pirates Bay Cafe & Restaurant for some snacks and drinks.
We went back to our Airbnb after this and paid Komang IDR350,000 for the 5 hours car hire. Our ATV pickup is at 2pm, so we showered and rested until then.
It took 1.5 hours to get from our Airbnb to the ATV spot at Yeh Gangga Beach.
We have paid IDR1,100,000 each for the 2 hours Sunset ATV Tour (single bike) via Paypal 2 days earlier.
It took 1.5 hours to get from our Airbnb to the ATV spot at Yeh Gangga Beach.
We have paid IDR1,100,000 each for the 2 hours Sunset ATV Tour (single bike) via Paypal 2 days earlier.
We had to read the rules before starting the tour and sign for acknowledgment.
Once we're all ready to go, they led us to the bikes and strapped our legs with jeans protector to shield our legs from the heat of the engine.
Once we're all ready to go, they led us to the bikes and strapped our legs with jeans protector to shield our legs from the heat of the engine.
They also taught us how to turn on the engine, accelerate, brake and change gears.
Two personnel will be following us on the tour. One will be riding the ATV in front as a guide, and another person will be tailing behind us. The one behind also tries out the water level and tide, as well as keep a look out when we're entering narrow paths.
Two personnel will be following us on the tour. One will be riding the ATV in front as a guide, and another person will be tailing behind us. The one behind also tries out the water level and tide, as well as keep a look out when we're entering narrow paths.
We stopped twice along the tour and the guide helped to take pictures of us on the ATV.
Before heading back to the main quarter, we stopped by a restaurant called Warung Tulus Lobster for 15 minutes.
We didn't watch the sunset even though this tour was named after it. Sigh.
Meh, I'll just look at it through a filtered photo.
Meh, I'll just look at it through a filtered photo.
We drove back to the main quarter for some snacks before leaving. They asked if we would like to have chicken or beef sausage before we went for the ride, and we all chose chicken sausages. We are also entitled to one bottle of soft drink as indicated on the website.
Our drop-off service was supposed to fetch us straight back to our Airbnb. But we asked if he could drop us off at Wahaha in Seminyak instead. The driver agreed to it and offered to wait for us and then fetch us back to our Airbnb at IDR150,000. We were fine with it cause he already knows how to go to our Airbnb.
We had a fulfilling meal because it's our last dinner in Bali. We spent IDR723,400 for this meal. We preferred Wahaha over Naughty Nuri's. The atmosphere in Wahaha is much friendlier and the overall food quality is better as well. But if we're looking at just the pork ribs, Naughty Nuri's is slightly better. |
11 January 2019 - Friday
It's time to leave Bali!
We arranged for a 10am airport drop-off service with Komang at IDR200,000. We met up with our Airbnb host's dad to handover the keys before leaving. Komang made a stop at a souvenirs mall/market on the way to the airport because Jason wanted to buy postcards. But the mall/market that we went to did not have them. So we went straight to the airport after that.
We arranged for a 10am airport drop-off service with Komang at IDR200,000. We met up with our Airbnb host's dad to handover the keys before leaving. Komang made a stop at a souvenirs mall/market on the way to the airport because Jason wanted to buy postcards. But the mall/market that we went to did not have them. So we went straight to the airport after that.
Jason and Vincent both bought postcards at one of the airport shops. The information counter directed us to Periplus to purchase stamps. We bought one stamp for international postage at IDR15,000 each. After that, we handed the postcards to the information counter for posting.
We were afraid that we would run late for our flights. So we bought sandwiches at the Periplus Cafe for take away. The sandwiches came with fries too!
We were afraid that we would run late for our flights. So we bought sandwiches at the Periplus Cafe for take away. The sandwiches came with fries too!
We walked towards our boarding gate after we've checked in and went through immigration.
We spotted a small cafe selling Macau Portugese Egg Tarts, so we bought some to try (not recommended). We sat at their high counter to finish up our take away sandwiches as well.
Oh, I also bought Pia Legong as souvenir. Komang helped us to purchase it at IDR100,000/box when we were enjoying our spa on Wednesday. They offers three types of fillings - cheese, chocolate and mung bean. But we only got the chocolate and cheese pies. I think it tastes alright, but my boyfriend and colleagues raved about it. They loved it so much and my boyfriend was complaining that I didn't bring back enough for him.
There are 8 pies in a box, so be sure to buy enough for your family and friends! But bear in mind that the pies are best consumed within 2 weeks.
There are 8 pies in a box, so be sure to buy enough for your family and friends! But bear in mind that the pies are best consumed within 2 weeks.
And that's all about my trip to Bali!
Remember to bring sunscreen if you're planning a trip to Bali!
xoxo
Sylvs
Remember to bring sunscreen if you're planning a trip to Bali!
xoxo
Sylvs