The smok'n trip to Bali

[Daver6]

This has been going for 30 mins now, several point sources.

I thought @JohnM was going to Italy. Did he stop by Bali?

 

[TheRealTMA]

I thought @JohnM was going to Italy. Did he stop by Bali?

Yes he is but probably the screaming from being in whY can be heard as it flies over?

 

[Scarlett]

Cicadas. It’s quite amazing how they can all get into synch.

 

[Cossie]

This just came up on the ABC news page....

What's behind the chirping crickets and singing cicadas that herald the summer months?

While most are mating calls, the wrong noise in the wrong area can also leave a cricket, cicada or other bug in mortal peril.

www.abc.net.au

 

[RooFlyer]

This just came up on the ABC news page....

The ones here must be exceptionally randy.

 

[Daver6]

The ones here must be exceptionally randy.

They know who you are

 

[RooFlyer]

Breakfast this morning, and then a thankyou plate of canapés arrived as an apology from the hotel manager for the initial room issue.




I checked out and am currently in the departure lounge





I had a look at the more modern ‘hotel’ rooms, built during Covid













I just had the hotel manager visit me again to apologise for the room issue, and I told him apology not necessary. It was all fixed and the staff all wonderful.

The hotel type rooms are in their current lower-priced category, but next year they are going to swap the categories around.
These will be the higher-priced ones and the original villas the lower price category. He says the view is not good ( not so much jungle immersion) but I think it’s quite okay and it will be cooler with the breezes. All the fittings are modern and generally the room is better insulated for the aircon. Solid walls . Further from the pool but about the same to the restaurant from my present room.

The original villas, built 2005, will be refurbished ( they need it).

 

[Quickstatus]

cooler with the breezes

@RooFlyer
Comment on humidity and hotel laundry appreciated...

 

[RooFlyer]

Humidity varied. First day quite tolerable (even for a Tasmanian), yesterday was more humid, but not too bad. They are not getting their usual October rains.

The aircon in my villa struggled due to the room lay-out ( large open roof space) and the evening turn-down service leaves the door open, letting all the accumulated afternoon coolness escape.

Laundry done in my shower was exceptional value but the ironing sucked .

 

[RooFlyer]

Weather was cloudy in the morning, mostly sunny afternoons. 32 max down to 22 overnight.

 

[RooFlyer]

Now sitting in the Premier lounge at DPS airport and a bit of a reflection on the trip.

Preparation was pretty anxious for me given the vagaries of getting the Visa or at least its application and possible odd arrival processes and finding the driver at the airport. All of those were sorted.

Nandini Jungle Resort and Spa. I enjoyed my time. It was quiet and relaxing, which was the main thing I was looking for. The villas are getting dated and I would give the overall stay 4 stars or 4/5. While I didn’t stay in them, the new hotel rooms look much better and I would estimate a stay in them 5 stars.

The Restaurant 4.5/5, all staff 5/5.

Those steps - anyone remotely unfit beware.

It cost $400/ night through Luxury Escapes ( includes breakfast and one dinner) plus there was the cost of drivers, 90 mins each way. Cancellable up to 2 weeks prior.

I gave $50 in tips during the stay and happy to do so.

Good value? Probably not in retrospect, but I can be hard to please . If you can find one of the motel type rooms cheaply and are looking for a quiet, relaxing time then I would say probably grab it and go.

 

[RooFlyer]

Jetstar business Max customers can use the Premier lounge at Denpasar airport.

Lounge attendants had to call the Jetstar check-in desk to check my eligibility, even though I could show them my boarding pass with business Max in the details. Apparently the usual thing is to get a lounge pass from the check-in desk, but I checked in online and skipped that line.

It’s quite a nice lounge with plenty of seating, some quiet zones and a pretty good selection of hot and cold food and there is a bar which I suspect is paid.











WiFi pretty ordinary, sparsely occupied I lunge ATM, 0.5 Mbps down, 4 up.

Power points around those groovy orange lounges

 

[SYD]

Jetstar business Max customers can use the Premier lounge at Denpasar airport.

Lounge attendants had to call the Jetstar check-in desk to check my eligibility, even though I could show them my boarding pass with business Max in the details.

It’s quite a nice lounge with plenty of seating, some quiet zones and a pretty good selection of hot and cold food and there is a bar which I suspect is paid.

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WiFi pretty ordinary, sparsely occupied I lunge ATM, 0.5 Mbps down, 4 up.

Power points around those groovy orange lounges

That actually looks a lot better than others have described!

 

[Austman]

It’s quite a nice lounge with plenty of seating, some quiet zones and a pretty good selection of hot and cold food and there is a bar which I suspect is paid.

It's looked exactly like that for years!

The bar has always been free when I have been there, maybe just for some drinks, but you did have to ask.

Here's a photo from January, 2015:

 

[RooFlyer]

Flighty app tells me things are so far looking OK for an on-time departure T- 90 mins. 8 YO bird


Although the arrival punctuality into Brisbane isn’t so good

 

[Pushka]

That actually looks a lot better than others have described!

It's had a complete Reno it seems. You have the premium flighty @RooFlyer ?

 

[RooFlyer]

It's had a complete Reno it seems. You have the premium flighty @RooFlyer ?

The app? Yes. It’s addictive for me. It probably gives you a bit too much information, but you know exactly what’s going on. It’s linked to TripIt, so when you enter your details into TripIt, they automatically populate into Flighty.

 

[Pushka]

The app? Yes. It’s addictive for me. It probably gives you a bit too much information, but you know exactly what’s going on. It’s linked to TripIt, so when you enter your details into TripIt, they automatically populate into Flighty.

Yes, did that. Not sure I'll use it but I do have a lot of complicated flights in my future. TripIt is excellent.

 

[RooFlyer]

A view I thought I’d never see



I’m up the front. Plane looks about 1/2 full ( but not allowing for last minute arrivals!)



Menu, but I’m not hungry - meal can only be delayed for an hour ( which is better than Qantas) but there is an all fight snack menu which looks ok





Sorry if is all a bit breathless, but I’m a first time JQ flyer!

 

[SYD]

A view I thought I’d never see

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I’m up the front. Plane looks about 1/2 full ( but not allowing for last minute arrivals!)

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Menu, but I’m not hungry - meal can only be delayed for an hour ( which is better than Qantas) but there is an all fight snack menu which looks ok

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Sorry if is all a bit breathless, but I’m a first time JQ flyer!

Looks better than my DPS-PER leg on JQ. The comp water was nice.