Y rock to Bali.

[GarrettM]

So we last went to Bali in June of 2010. I remember it mostly for us both getting sick, and coming home to a new Prime Minister. And we pretty much agreed we'd never go back.

However the school holidays in July were particularly taxing for MrsGM on several fronts. First she was quite unwell for the duration. Plus she had to deal with the vast majority of child and house duties, on top of coordinating the budgeting and fundraising efforts for our daughter's calisthenics trip to Darwin.
So when all of that was out of the way I wasn't surprised she suggested a quick getaway, although I did question her suggested destination.

Fortunately I was due for a little time off work right after the Olympics, and she'd already arranged her sister to come to Perth to watch the kids, so when she told me she'd already booked flights a significant logistical hurdle had already been cleared.
As for the kids, we simply told them mum had been offered a paid trip with a plus one for a future story which is why they couldn't go. It's happened previously so they had no reason to question it. And my request for them to teach me some of the Indonesian they learn at school was passed off as a mere coincidence. You just have to love kids....

Booking accommodation was simple. Some friends had recently spend 10 days at the Hard Rock in Kuta and MrsGM was enthused by their pics, so we booked three days in a "basic" room, and crossed our fingers.

 

[GarrettM]

JQ116 PER-DPS A321neo

Not a hell of a lot to say about this. Budget airline that is rightly beneath many in these parts. The boarding process was a shambles. They called the back 10 rows first and nobody came forward. Then they called the rest and everyone hopped up. We were at the front of one line, but they let the whole other line in first. Ended up standing there for about 30 minutes or so.
Once on board we were in 26B and C, but as it turned out A went unclaimed so we spread out for slightly more comfort.
No seatback IFE, but the seat itself was fine, with more leg room than I was expecting.
EST DEP: 1640 - ACT DEP: 1702
EST ARR: 2020 - ACT ARR: 2030

So we made up a bit of time, but would lose all that and more dealing with immigration. MrsGM had thought she'd arranged evisas but what she'd actually done was pay tourist tax levies ahead of time. So we had to line up for well over an hour, but it was eventually sorted and we moved on to finding our hotel transfer.

 

[GarrettM]

Given we arrived at the Hard Rock well into the night taking pics outside was difficult. But got a few of the room. This is a deluxe corner king which is probably among the most basic options they have. But for two adults and three nights it was more than adequate. It's a very family oriented premises so I suspect these rooms aren't too hard to book.



Considered stealing the pillow but it wouldn't fit in my carry on anyway.



Not sure about having this bloke on the walls in this day and age, but he didn't interrupt my sleep.



Another angle of the room. As I said more than adequate.


We were pretty tired after the flight but not quite ready for bed, so checked out the bar. which is called CentreStage. They have an inhouse band that plays right on top of the bar. It's actually very loud, but you don't seem to hear it in the rooms which is good.



Finished the day with a couple of Jazzy Passion mocktails. Passionfruit, watermelon, mango juice, sweet sour mix and brown sugar. Tasty.

 

[GarrettM]

Thursday.

It's been nine years since we last woke up without a child to deal with, and boy did we enjoy the experience. We didn't even get out of bed until after 9am!

And then it was off to the buffet which was more than adequate. No pics I am sorry to say. It was quite busy and with all the kids I didn't want to run into any issues. But it was everything you'd expect. Plenty of options, eggs all sorts of ways, and a dedicated kids corner with fruit loops, lollies and other unnecessary items. Only let down was the coffee. They had it, but it wasn't brilliant.

And then a little explore followed by a swim.

This is the view of the pool (or part of it) which can only be accessed from the third floor exit. You need your room card to get out, but not in. You can rent one of 16 or 17 cabanas for the day. Not sure what that costs. They'll deliver food and drinks to you and I bet it's a decent way to spend an afternoon. You can see in the middle there is the swim up bar.


Part of the other half of the pool. As I said it's big. Under the orange roof in the middle there is the Splash Cafe where we would have lunch every day. To the left of this image you would find the dedicated littlies pool with water slides and all sorts.


A little post-swim sunbake. Not for long with my skin mind you.



And the interior courtyard, where we did a little warming up again after the dip. Mine golf, giant jenga, giant connect four, covered love seats. It's a nice spot.

 

[GarrettM]

As all Hard Rock properties do, this one was full of musical memorabilia. Not sure how much faith to put in any of its provenance mind you. Guitars supposedly played by Clapton, Beck, Sting. An electronic keyboard used by Sir Elton. Plenty more. I remain dubious.

Apparently this is a dress once worn by Taylor Swift at a birthday party, right next to a bikini that Britney Spears perhaps wore.

No doubt about the quality of the food at the Splash Cafe. This is the Rockstar Splash Board. BBQ wings, calamari, popcorn chicken, nachos and cheesy spring rolls.


Washed down, naturally, with a Bintang from the tap.


I guess, for anyone interested, here is the full list of dining options at Hard Rock Kuta : Bali Dining at Hard Rock Hotel Bali

 

[Pushka]

As all Hard Rock properties do, this one was full of musical memorabilia. Not sure how much faith to put in any of its provenance mind you. Guitars supposedly played by Clapton, Beck, Sting. An electronic keyboard used by Sir Elton. Plenty more. I remain dubious.

Apparently this is a dress once worn by Taylor Swift at a birthday party, right next to a bikini that Britney Spears perhaps wore.View attachment 404088

No doubt about the quality of the food at the Splash Cafe. This is the Rockstar Splash Board. BBQ wings, calamari, popcorn chicken, nachos and cheesy spring rolls.
View attachment 404087

Washed down, naturally, with a Bintang from the tap.
View attachment 404086

I guess, for anyone interested, here is the full list of dining options at Hard Rock Kuta : Bali Dining at Hard Rock Hotel Bali

We took our then 10 year old to Hard Rock Cafe for his birthday. He has never forgiven us because they made him stand on the table as the staff gathered round and sang Happy Birthday. He is not that kind of kid, unlike his older brother.

So we are next off to Bali in October and it is MrP's birthday and now I know where to book dinner.

 

[GarrettM]

One of the big selling points of the Hard Rock is their "Sound of Your Stay" option, which lets you book a guitar for 24 hours or so. They also have a "Rock Royalty" package which goes further but that's beyond us.
But a guitar in the room sounds just dandy, so after our lunch board I arranged it with the services desk. It's a $300 refundable deposit, and you get a pick of a bunch of old Mexican-made Fenders (which are fine), a multi-fx board, and of course headphones to minimise disruption to others.
I asked for, and received, a re-issued 1972 telecaster custom. Very similar to something I would like to eventually buy.

APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE FOR THE SINGLET AND SHORTS PIC



And after a little floor-based noodling we headed out for a walk because MrsGM was keen to see a man about a turtle.
The Hard Rock is just around the corner from the Bali Sea Turtle Society and she was hoping to see some babies released.
Turns out we timed it quite well.



These are olive ridley sea turtles, which are quite common. On this day they were releasing 79 of them, to mark the 79th anniversary of Indonesian independence which was to be officially celebrated on the 17th of August.

I got a few long videos, but they are very long and not easy to post here. Little buggers are quite cute though.
Anyway that took us through the afternoon and then back to the hotel to prepare for dinner, and the first little setback of our short trip.

 

[Denali]

Would like to know how much the cabana costs - you should splurge - and glad you did the guitar hire thing, maybe a income stream for Mr Denali and you should visit as he has 70's fenders

So youre only away for 3 or 4 nights or moving elsewhere after these nights? Enjoy the sun!

 

[Pushka]

Would like to know how much the cabana costs - you should splurge - and glad you did the guitar hire thing, maybe a income stream for Mr Denali and you should visit as he has 70's fenders

So youre only away for 3 or 4 nights or moving elsewhere after these nights? Enjoy the sun!

Do not talk about this thread to your husband.

 

[GarrettM]

Would like to know how much the cabana costs - you should splurge - and glad you did the guitar hire thing, maybe a income stream for Mr Denali and you should visit as he has 70's fenders

So youre only away for 3 or 4 nights or moving elsewhere after these nights? Enjoy the sun!

It was three nights in total. A very quick getaway. I'm not sure what the cabanas cost, but they are incredibly popular and hard to secure. I think perhaps those who do the Rockstar Royalty thing might get one included but not sure. It wasn't meant to be for us at any rate.

We actually got home very early Sunday morning just gone, but I'll get to that part of the trip soon enough.

Since then I've been waylaid on and off by post-Bali belly, which I most assuredly will not be referencing again at any point.

 

[GarrettM]

Apologies for the delay in returning to this report. It was a particularly busy weekend. Will take me a couple days to get through it still.
Thursday night dinner in Bali, and MrsGM had identified a likely spot.

Sukun is the in-house restaurant at Amnaya Resort which is also in Kuta.

Sukun Restaurant

It serves mostly traditional Balinese cuisie which is what she was after.
Lovely relaxed atmosphere, although the service was a little lax.


The beers were appropriately cold.


Bit perplexed by the complementary amuse-bouche. Some shredded chicken on cracker, a potato gem on tomato sauce, and something else that escapes me. Clearly not memorable.



The chicken skewers though were quite delicious. As was the crispy duck.


Unfortunately the signature chicken dish we ordered came out ridiculously undercooked and inedible. We cut it open and it was essentially raw. Extremely disappointing. I must say the staff were very apologetic but I'm not sure how such a mistake could be made.

Naturally that item was removed from our bill, and we were given complementary deserts. I opted for the Kintamani lime pie, while she went with the double chocolate mud pie. Probably enough to salvage the review. It was a nice spot and what they did well was good. But not sure it was enough to consider a return.

There was also some strange wall art. Apparently some sort of commentary. Whatever.
Democracy



Something to ponder in the taxi back to the hotel. By this time we were very tired, so it was pretty much straight to bed.

 

[GarrettM]

Would like to know how much the cabana costs - you should splurge - and glad you did the guitar hire thing, maybe a income stream for Mr Denali and you should visit as he has 70's fenders

So youre only away for 3 or 4 nights or moving elsewhere after these nights? Enjoy the sun!

Just remembered this. I imagine trying to do this in Aus would be a nightmare of administration, insurance, and just general lack of trust in people.
Sure I could visit, but I don't think my wife would let me, and then I'd probably never want to leave!

 

[GarrettM]

Friday would be a pretty cruisy day. Back to the breakfast buffet, ahead of more time in the pool and relaxing in our room watching The Decameron on Netflix. Highly recommend for those not familiar with it.

I also swapped my guitar for something a little more modern.


Picked this one cause I used to have one in the same colour, albeit with a maple fretboard. Not a fan of the black plastics but I was just borrowing not buying so who cares really.

We also booked dual massages in the Rock Spa

Opted for the aptly named Rhythm Sticks - warm oils and bamboo rollers across all areas. Glad I didn't ask for the deep massage. The firm was solid enough. Was actually pretty good in most spots, but total murder on my calves. Felt like I was being flattened like a chicken breast at times. On the back was a different story. Bliss.


Well and truly tenderised and relaxed we got changed and went for a late arvo swim and some Happy Hour lychee martinis from the pool bar.

And then it was off for a short walk to find dinner. This time we would just see what lured us in.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Do not talk about this thread to your husband.

Or mine @Pushka and @Denali !

 

[GarrettM]

Turns out, we are Temple goers. No not that kind of temple.

Temple by Ginger Moon

I had no idea who or what Ginger Moon was, but the place had a nice vibe to it so we walked in.
They only seem to have their menus in PDF form online, so here it is for anyone who cares.

 

[Pushka]

Turns out, we are Temple goes. No not that kind of temple.

Temple by Ginger Moon

I had no idea who or what Ginger Moon was, but the place had a nice vibe to it so we walked in.
They only seem to have their menus in PDF form online, so here it is for anyone who cares.

The menu sounds wonderful and the price is rather sweet.

 

[GarrettM]

We ordered the Bali nachos, the crispy duck pancakes, and steamed buns with barramundi and suckling pig - both of which came in threes.

All of it was extremely good. Here's a blurry pic of the nachos and steamed buns.



Obviously there was beer.



And the company, as ever, couldn't be faulted.


For dessert we went in opposite directions. I ordered the rather excellent chocolate tart, while she went with the Coco Nuts. Coconut icecream, coconut meringue, coconut ball and coconut jelly, all served in a coconut. It might sound like too much but it was brilliant. 100% recommended.

The only negative, and certainly not limited to this spot, is smoking continues to be allowed practically everywhere. It's a real downer but I won't hold it against the restaurant.




Well satisfied we ambled back to the hotel, and stopped by one of the big market shops looking for little trinkets for the kids. Didn't see a lot of interest, but did spot these.



I wouldn't have one in my house but each to their own. In the end for the kids we just got a handful of different lollies and treats from a couple convenience stores. They were more than happy with that.

 

[GarrettM]

I should say in regards to that dinner we got caught out in the cash department thanks to the combination of tax and service charges. We had not quite 1 million IDR with us, which would have been more than enough to pay for everything. But once you throw on the roughly 22% addition of taxes it ended up being just short.
Not that it mattered we just paid with a card instead, but it was slightly annoying.

 

[GarrettM]

Time to finish this one off, and in truth there's not a lot more to it.

SATURDAY

Our departure flight was scheduled for 2120 (SPOILER: it would not leave at 2120) so we had to think about how we would approach the day given we were due to check out at 1400. I also wanted to go watch some of the Freo v GWS AFL game and MrsGM was keen on some sort of massage/pedicure option. Clearly we'd be splitting up at some point.

As it happens the Hard Rock allows guests to use its amenities even after check out. This may or may not be a universal thing I simply don't have enough experience with hotels to know. So after breakfast and a swim we arranged our airport transfer and went for another walk.
Checked out a couple little markets, bought a few more things for the kids and agreed to meet back at the room about 1330.

She went... somewhere. And I decided to go to Matildas for the footy.
Passed this billboard on the way. Either they've got the poor bloke chained in the kitchen or they're telling porkies. Who can say for sure.


And on to Matlidas for the footy.


Enjoyed a couple of lemon Bintangs. Thanks @Pushka for that tip.


Only watched the first half of the footy due to needing to get back. Pleased to follow it up later and find out the Dockers lost.


Made it back to the hotel at the agreed upon time, to find MrsGM had already packed all our gear and was ready to go. She was keen to head back down for lunch and another swim.

Given it was Independence Day the Republik Burger struck me as most appropriate.


We enjoyed another poolside drink and then showered and changed, before relaxing in the courtyard again.


After that there was just enough time to enjoy a complementary soft drink in the main bar, and it was time to head to the airport.

 

[GarrettM]

Unfortunately on arriving at DPS we learnt our flight would be delayed at least an hour because of the storms in Perth. At least we'd already checked in online and avoided any queue issues. Immigration was smooth enough, ate a light meal at Made's Warung. Nothing special really. And then just moped around for a few hours, either trying to find power for phones or stretch the legs.

JQ117 would eventually board around 2200 and we'd be in the air some time after, landing in Perth at roughly 0200. Finally back in our own bed just after 0300. Unfortunately there was already a child in it, and I would be forced to hit the couch - with the dog - where I'd attempt to sleep until the other child jumped on me a couple hours later. Like we'd never left.