Day 1 - 11 December 2013
After a three-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur we arrived at Bali at 12.30 pm. We were greeted by a new airport terminal ,a modern steel framed and glass structure with a touch of Balinese architecture. Apparently the new terminal was opened a few months back and we saw that work on it was still going on.
We decided to have lunch at the airport at a cafe called Bangi Kopitiam which is a Malaysian chain of old- world coffee shops.
Our pre-arranged van and driver then took us to our hotel The Royal Beach Seminyak. The hotel, though old ,is beautiful but unfortunately the weather was unkind to us as it started to rain.So we spend the whole afternoon holed up in our rooms. Fortunately I had John Grisham to keep me occupied and happy.When the rain subsided to a light drizzle we took a walk in the garden and sat at a gazebo by the sea ,watching the waves pound on the beach as the sun set in the horizon.
Bali is majority Hindu and so to get 'halal' food is not easy. We decided to ask the taxi to take us to an Italian restaurant.We were recommended the Trattoria not too far away from the hotel. Since we couldn't enjoy the island because of the rain we decided that we might as well enjoy the food.We had Insalata al gorgonzola (green salad with Italian gorgonzola cheeze,walnuts,celery and bread crusts), Fritto Misto (deep fried floured calamari and shrimps with salad) and Mediterranean pizza with tomato sauce ,mozzarella,anchovies,capers,zucchini and shrimps.For dessert we had creme brule, profiteroll and mousse di cioccolato.Dinner was tasty and excellent and I think we had a little bit too much.
After dinner it was still drizzling so we bought umbrellas and walked along the road lined with small shops and boutiques.
Day 2 - 12 December 2013
We worked up feeling glad that the day promised to be a sunny one. Breakfast was at 8.00 am and we sat at the Husk cafe facing the pool and with a view of the sea beyond. After breakfast we walked around the beautiful garden with its two swimming pools and lush tropical plants and trees. We then settled ourselves on the black-sand beach that glistened with crystal specks.I read a book as pedlars tried to sell their wares - trinkets,batik etc.
We left the hotel at 1.00pm and had lunch at a nasi padang (Padang cuisine) restaurant and the holiday mood made us greedy as we partook a wide variety of dishes.
From the plane when we arrived yesterday we saw a new highway across an inlet, so after lunch we decided to just take a drive to the Nusa Dua highway and from there we had a good view of the planes landing and taking off.We took a big turn and headed towards Tanah Lot, passing artisan villages ,each with its own specialty - wood carving, furniture, stone carving, glass blowing, plant nurseries and small boutiques.We stopped at a small cafe over-looking paddy fields for a cup of local coffee.
