Bali, hi again

[Cruiser Elite]

Crikey I thought J* J got you auto lounge access too - best I check our Bali booking to see zactly what we have booked.

 

[SYD]

Crikey I thought J* J got you auto lounge access too - best I check our Bali booking to see zactly what we have booked.

No, you definitely need the “Max” bundle if no QF status.

 

[bPeteb]

Did you also do the online customs declaration? For someone who has several prescriptions (nothing 'exciting') it looks daunting. Wanting you to declare everything you have?

We pre booked the cheese toastie. Might have to reconsider.

Hate waiting for luggage like that.

Yep. The admin part of arrival took no time.

Re. my comment about lounge access. I thought I overheard the lounge person saying business max didn't give access without QC or FF status. Possibly it was just business only.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Didn't even have our usual pre-flight bubbles.

I'm disappointed @bPeteb it's 5 o'clock in the world somewhere

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Did you also do the online customs declaration? For someone who has several prescriptions (nothing 'exciting') it looks daunting. Wanting you to declare everything you have?

We pre booked the cheese toastie. Might have to reconsider.

Hate waiting for luggage like that.

I didn’t declare any prescription medication on mine (again, nothing ‘exciting’). You queue up and scan the QR code… the queue was about 2-3 minutes, the scan one second. No one cared.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

They do but regular “Business” doesn’t.

It sh.ts me that they don’t have an in-between option to pay for QF pts/SCs/lounge without going full “Max” - which is basically fully Flex J…

I just went to make a booking BNE-DOS, business, and added max bundle. Lounge access is not mentioned!?

 

[bPeteb]

I'm disappointed @bPeteb it's 5 o'clock in the world somewhere

Ok, we did try the spritz

 

[bPeteb]

I didn’t declare any prescription medication on mine (again, nothing ‘exciting’). You queue up and scan the QR code… the queue was about 2-3 minutes, the scan one second. No one cared.

Compared to life pre-Colin when I had a bag full of tablets, this time I've only traveled with eliquis, and didn't think to declare. The scan of my assorted ostomy paraphernalia would have looked interesting.

Of course my bag shows on the body scan and I have to show them. One of the staff was asked if it was called an ostomy. He was so polite, and quite interested.

 

[bPeteb]

Poor driver had been sitting there for so long but they're most likely used to it. Crazy traffic as expected for the most of the drive up to Ubud.



Arrived at The Sender Pool Suites at about 2:30 and were greeted like family. Phew. I had this nagging doubt we'd arrive with no booking. One room 15 mins away and one just started cleaning so we went and had a late lunch at the restaurant Pici Pici. I could eat Nasi Goreng for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Luckily Colin likes it too!






There are just six villas at The Sender, three pairs of six, each with a shared pool. We paid not much more than $600 for the two villas for three nights!!





The little rice paddy below the villas

 

[bPeteb]

The inside of the villas just beautiful with one negative - nowhere to hang towels, or anything, in the bathroom. Nothing really to store anything out of bags apart from a hanger in the bathroom with three coat hangers. Super comfy bed. Very different bathrooms in our two villas.

 

[bPeteb]

Not doing good with this real time thing. Off to Nusa Dua at midday so here's two days in Ubud.

To explain the 'hopefully we have rooms' comment. We're traveling with a friend J and her sister. J booked the two suites/villas at The Sender through Booking.com. at some point in the recent past J contacted The Sender hoping to arrange an airport transfer. Crickets. Tried again and still nothing. There are no very recent reviews and their social media presence is a bit odd, and alarm bells started to ring.

Eventually J contacted Booking.com to check if the booking was still ok and explained why. They got a response straight back from The Sender who said they didn't have a booking for J, but did have one for my name! J had booked and was paying, but had put my name for the second suite, and The sender had created the booking in my (male) name. Yikes! Problem solved!

Back to the trip

Dinner first night virtually across the road at Balifornia. A typical 'we serve anything and everything' Japanese, Italian, Indonesian menu




Pici Pici has live music EVERY night to 11pm. When bAlt had been shown the room the earplugs were pointed out and they went straight in my ears before I hit the pillows. Even blocked out the dogs that were apparently barking through much of the night.

We didn't get room and breakfast but had breakfast at Pici Pici nevertheless.

Pici Pici as we walk out from our rooms


I can't get enough of that delicious Nasi Goreng and you even get banana fritters with your breakfast!




bAlt and I did the circuit round by, but not into, the monkey temple gardens




Love the rice paddies between and behind the buildings along our street

 

[bPeteb]

The entrance to The Sender. Blink, and you truly do miss it




Have to stop. Been told to get dressed so we can go get breakfast!

 

[Pushka]

Those monkeys are verrry scary. Nasty critters.

 

[bPeteb]

The day continues. A burger and hot dog joint down the road a bit was our lunch destination. Completely forgot pics but the burgers were just the right size and cooked well, as in not cooked well done.

Some more garden pics

Lots of squirrels in the trees around us

We've likened our bath tub to an open sarcophagus

more poolside relaxing

The proprieter (we presume) arrived while we were sitting around the pool and offered us afternoon tea as a thankyou for staying. Who were we to say no to more banana fritters

More afternoon drinks at Pici Pici


Before a very ordinary dinner at Honeymoon Kitchen. That dinner qualified as divorce material. Ok coughtails

Nice ceiling though

We finish off back at Pici Pici for dessert and more drinks to help put us to sleep over the very loud band. At least they were much better than night one!

 

[bPeteb]

Decided to book the floating breakfast for morning two. They thought it was so Goby war wanted it at 8 but wet saree all morning people. The pool was not exactly warm so this could have been a hilarious disaster. Instead it was terrific. 500k. Bargain






More pool stuff

 

[bPeteb]

bAlt and I headed out to walk off our breakfast. Off though the markets


then one missed turn had us wandering out of town. Retraced our steps and headed back into town

Nothing like a butcher with a mega


A pause for some delightful coconut icecream

Before some beers by the pool


I was sure I was buying hotdogs. I didn't realise they came sans bun

 

[bPeteb]

Last night in Ubud and we'd decided something simple with a view of rice paddies. I looked at the map, saw rooftop and two for one coughtails mentioned, and decided on Copper, just down the road. The group agreed. Booked. Then I looked a little closer and we decided maybe we'd dress up a little. It's at Bisma Eight Bisma Eight Ubud | Luxury Boutique Hotel & Villas In Ubud, Bali |, one of Bali's most awarded boutique hotels.

It was amazing.

The coughtails were something to behold


Bread like fluffy crusty clouds them amuse bouche of tuna with lemongrass

 

[bPeteb]

Entrees chosen - lumpia spring rolls, pan fried shrimp salad and Javanese salt and pepper squid

Mains - curried pumpkin soup, gulai ikan, rendang sapi and the truly gigantic, and hilarious, sticky pork ribs (orders by J's sister)

And of course dessert - raw chocolate cake, chocolate crunch and mango mousse and meringue



So much for a simple meal. No rice paddies but what a dinner. Beautiful space, gracious but warm staff, beautifully paced service that we were in control of, excellent coughtails and terrific food. If you are in Ubud, go.

 

[drron]

Thanks @bPeteb we have a cruise upcoming that will spend 2 days in Bali. Only booked 1 excursion - Ubud on your own. Sounds like we have lunch organised.
One quick question -Mrsdrron doesn't do chilli and I see the pork ribs are glazed with chilli. Could you taste it as they look tremendous.

 

[craven morehead]

Entrees chosen - lumpia spring rolls, pan fried shrimp salad and Javanese salt and pepper squid
View attachment 336664View attachment 336665View attachment 336666
Mains - curried pumpkin soup, gulai ikan, rendang sapi and the truly gigantic, and hilarious, sticky pork ribs (orders by J's sister)
View attachment 336667View attachment 336668View attachment 336669View attachment 336670
And of course dessert - raw chocolate cake, chocolate crunch and mango mousse and meringue

View attachment 336671View attachment 336673View attachment 336672

So much for a simple meal. No rice paddies but what a dinner. Beautiful space, gracious but warm staff, beautifully paced service that we were in control of, excellent coughtails and terrific food. If you are in Ubud, go.

The food looks divine