Our trip continued with an early morning departure from the Keraton at The Plaza Hotel in Jakarta to the Soekarno–Hatta International Airport. The departure time was 8:25 am so we found ourselves up and out of the door at a dreadfully early hour. The good news is that we were in the car on the way out by 5:15 am and made it to the airport in record time since there was no traffic!

Our driver was waiting for us by 5 am!

The Keraton at the Plaza hotel prepared some to-go breakfast for us since the restaurant was not yet open

Flying through Jakarta–no traffic this early!

BOOKING

We booked our ticket using United MileagePlus miles and, since it was a First Class award, we were eligible to take this flight in the premium cabin as well, even though it was quite short. Here are the other flights we had taken as part of this award:

• Lufthansa Boeing 747 First Class – New York JFK to Frankfurt FRA (LH 405)
• Thai Airways A380 Royal First Class – TG 921 Frankfurt-FRA to Bangkok-BKK
• Thai Airways B772 Royal Silk Class – TG 431 Bangkok-BKK to Denpasar, Bali-DPS

CHECK-IN 

Our driver dropped us on the curb and we made our way into the check-in counters:

The security was quite thorough and had a few stages, the first was just a quick scan to get into the check-in area:

The first security screen

The First Class cabin had a dedicated lane and we made our way to the very friendly and helpful Singapore Airlines agents:

With boarding passes issued and bags checked, we headed through a 2nd and quite thorough security check.

The airport’s check-in area

After security, we cleared immigration and had to pay the 150,000 IDR departure tax (~$8.66 US). This is no longer necessary, beginning Feb 2015 airlines have been required to include this tax in their ticket prices.

Making our way through the airport, we found the lounge:

We were entitled to use the Esplanade Lounge, you can find our full review of it here: Esplanade Lounge – Jakarta-CGK International Airport.

The lounge was exclusively for Singapore Airlines customers:

BOARDING

Around 7:30 am we made our way to the boarding gates. There was a ticket and passport check before gaining entry to the waiting area.

We enjoyed a dedicated boarding door and for just the First and Business Class passengers.

A neighboring, but virtually identical plane

SEAT

We entered the cabin and found quite an ancient interior but quickly settled into our seats, 1F and 1E:

The cabin had certainly seen better days and was far from anything nice or exciting. There was a nice festive touch as they had installed Christmas wreaths throughout the cabin.

The seat had some pretty serious 1980s throwback mechanical adjustment levers:

Although the seat is listed as fully flat, it was far from it when we tried it. Although it did end up being a decent cradle style angled flat seat and certainly did the trick for our very short ~550 miles (~880 km) and 1 hr 35 min flight!

IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Given the seats, it should come as no surprise that the IFE was ancient was well. Once we unfolded the screens, we found tiny old school 4:3 displays:

And they certainly weren’t touch screens, it’s all grimy remote control for switching channels.

There were also monitors installed on the bulkhead that displayed our flight map:

MEAL SERVICE

After being seated we were served piping hot towels and pre-departure beverages.

Shortly after take off, we were presented the breakfast menu which had the following choices:

• Malay style prawns in red chili paste with spiced vegetables and steamed rice
• Seared tournedos of beef with thyme juice, roasted vegetables, and seared asparagus
• Scrambled egg with chopped chives, grilled chicken sausages, sauteed mushrooms and hash brown potatoes.

After ordering, the table was set and fresh fruit and pastries were served.

For the main course, I ordered the Malay style prawns and found the choice to be terrific:

The red chili paste had a healthy amount of heat and tons of great flavor.

Even with such a short flight, we had plenty of time to window gaze!

A Garuda Indonesia B747 at the gate

CGK’s domestic terminal

Flying over all sorts of cool islands

Approaching Singapore: they have a bit of a port here

And after about an hour, touchdown at Singapore’s Changi airport!

SERVICE

At every encounter, we were addressed by name and found the flight attendants to be extremely professional, courteous and attentive. Even where the hard product might have been lacking, they certainly made up for it on service.

Once off the plane, we scurried into the city for just a few short hours before our next flight at 8 pm later that evening:

BOTTOM LINE: While it was an old aircraft and a short flight, we certainly got a good taste of Singapore Air’s award-winning service and enjoyed our quick hop over to Singapore.

The post Singapore Airlines B777-200 First Class Jakarta-CGK to Singapore-SIN (SQ 953) first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

There are 3 options all in the same area: Pura Indah, Executive and Esplanade. The designated Singapore Airlines lounge for First and Business Class passengers was the Esplanade Lounge, so that’s where we headed.

Additionally, this lounge appears to the be the only lounge that is exclusively for Singapore Airlines premium cabin passengers. There didn’t appear to be any other way to enter, i.e. no other airlines use the lounge and it’s not possible to purchase entry from what we gathered.

The first thing you’ll notice about this lounge is how big it is—it’s absolutely enormous. And, it’s essentially 2 lounges in one: one side for Business Class and the other for First Class, each with its own seating areas, food station, bars etc….

We arrived bright and early around 6:30 am and found a pretty empty lounge with a decent breakfast spread. There was Traditional Indonesian porridge with condiments, chicken sausage with fried rice or white rice and a few other items.

Somewhat interesting that there weren’t really any Western choices as seems common, but, then again, why would there be? It is a Singapore Airlines lounge located in Jakarta.

Peeking into the Business Class area, the food options all appeared identical along with the style and quality of the lounge. The only discernible difference was that the First Class had a few leather seats.

Actually, on a closer pass, the First Class side had marginally better food. For example, there wasn’t just “Porridge” as there was on the Business Class side but “Seafood Porridge.” Is it bad that I would have much preferred the breakfast food sans seafood?

The bathrooms were clean and in good shape:

The one major complaint of the experience was that the WiFi is PAINFULLY slow, so don’t expect to accomplish much on your visit:

BOTTOM LINE: All in all, the lounge was pretty exclusive but rather average. I don’t think it will be up for any awards anytime soon, but, was a quiet, uncrowded place to pass the time.

The post Esplanade Lounge – Jakarta-CGK International Airport first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

Just to give you an idea of the behemoth that is Jakarta, it currently ranks as the 2nd largest metro area in the world with 30+ million inhabitants:

That being said, a trip to Jakarta can be as brief as you want to make it — we stayed for 2 nights as part of a stopover from Bali to Singapore and felt that we amply covered the highlights.

1. START: We have the tour starting at the Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta’s upscale, luxury shopping mall. We stayed at Keraton at The Plaza, a Luxury Collection property by Starwood and thoroughly enjoyed it (full review here:Keraton at The Plaza, Jakarta – Hotel Review – Jakarta, Indonesia).

View from our room at the Keraton

We listed most of the Western hotel chains on the map for 2 reasons: they are often bookable with points and Jakarta is the type of city where you might want to skip the Airbnb and go with the comfort and security of a global, Western brand.

2. From the Plaza Indonesia, you’ll walk down one of Jakarta’s major boulevards in the central business district, Jalan MH Thamrin. The thoroughfare participates in Jakarta Car Free Days, which means it is closed from 6:00am until 11:00am to traffic every Sunday. As you head north down Jalan MH Thamrin, you’ll first see the large fountain and traffic circle that divides the road:

Jalan MH Thamrin on a car-free Sunday

3. After about a 10 minute walk, you’ll approach Jakarta’s first modern department store, Sarinah. Built using Japanese war reparation funds, the multilevel store opened in August 1966. The Sarinah project was conceived by President Sukarno, who named it after his childhood nanny.

We recommend a visit to satisfy all of your souvenir shopping needs — the goods were all reasonably priced and seemed to be of good quality:

And, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can go all in and purchase your own Batik wardrobe to fit in with the locals:

4. Once you’ve made your purchases, continue north on Jalan MH Thamrin towards the National Monument (MONAS); you can’t miss it.
The National Monument is a 433 foot (132 m) tower in the center of Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta, symbolizing the fight for Indonesia. It is the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia, built to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence. Construction began in 1961 under the direction of President Soekarno. MONAS was opened to the public in 1975. It is topped by a flame covered with gold foil.

Despite visiting on a rainy day, Merdeka Square was filled with domestic tourists and plenty of street vendors trying to make a buck. You can even take a carriage ride.

If you end up here on a nice day, there’s an observation deck at the top that is worth a peak.

5. Next stop: the Istiqlal Mosque. This religious site is Southeast Asia’s largest mosque which isn’t surprising given that some 90% of Indonesia’s 250 million people identify as Muslim, making Indonesia the most populous Muslim country in the world.

By: Anthony Cramp – CC BY 2.0

By: a_rabin – CC BY 2.0

6. Leaving the mosque, head north again towards the metro station called Juanda.

View of neighborhood bordering the trainline

Grab a ticket from the counter and head north to Station Jakarta Kota.

Jakarta Kota is a popular rail hub with tons of traffic:

7. Wander through the crowds at the transit hub onto the streets and witness everyday life for many Jakartans:

8. Continue north towards Fatahillah Square (Taman Fatahilah):

Formerly known as Batavia City Square (or Stadhuisplein in Dutch), it is the best and most famous place in the city to revel in the colonial Dutch history of Jakarta, or Batavia as it was called by the Dutch from 1619–1949. It is currently home to the Jakarta History Museum, Wayang Museum (puppetry) and Fine Art and Ceramics Museum. The plaza is named for Indonesian national hero Fatahillah.

Check out this map of Batavia from 1780!

9. No trip is complete without a visit to Cafe Batavia. Set in a 200-year-old building on the northwestern corner of Fatahillah Square, Batavia Cafe is the second-oldest building in central Jakarta after the Fatahillah Museum. Come visit Cafe Batavia and step into 19th century Jakarta during the colonial era!

From here, we took a cab back to the hotel, but beware! Jakarta is famous for its traffic, so, while the cab ride was just 5 miles and cost only $3.50 USD, it took us nearly an hour!

Other notes & recommendations:

• About 1 mile north of Fatahillah Square, you’ll find Sunda Kelapa Harbor. This is the old port and hosts a few wooden sailboats that can be worth a look.
  

  By: Cuncun Wijaya – CC BY 2.0

• Close to the starting point near The Plaza is a store called “Alun Indonesia” where you can find handmade crafts from the region. You can visit them on the web here: Alun Indonesia.
  
• Lara Djonggrang Restaurant “While many Jakartan restaurants lack atmosphere, that accusation could never be levelled at Lara Djonggrang – as you enter it’s easy to think you’ve stumbled across some lost temple. One that serves perfectly executed and creatively presented imperial Indonesian cuisine from across the archipelago. They offer Makassar-style squid and crab, Alor-style tamarind shrimp, and lobster cooked like they do in Aceh, with two kinds of chilli. There’s a good wine list and staff are well informed and efficient. Prices are quite affordable considering the quality. Oh, and the bar is in fact created from an actual 200-year-old temple, which was set to be demolished until it was deconstructed and rebuilt here.”
• Flea Market at Jalan Surabaya “This particular spot in Menteng is prominently known as a must-go-to place when visiting Jakarta.  The Jalan Surabaya or Surabaya Street Market stands attractively as one of the few surviving ‘theme markets’ which still retains its authenticity and pride after all these years of the ‘modernization’ wave. It is no surprise that the market still has its faithful customers and still attracting new ones. People constantly come here to either buy or sell anything considered as ‘antiques’.For those who are not aware yet, the Jalan Surabaya Market is an ‘antique’ market, or in  harsher tones ‘flea market’. It sells various items that usually attract collectors, historians, those who simply want an extra touch of authenticity in their living room. On the contrary, those trying to get rid of stuff that are not really considered hip since last century also finds the solution in Jl Surabaya. The Market started its business around 30-40 years ago and in the beginning consisted merely of several stalls selling China Porcelains. It then experienced expansion in terms of size and variety.  It enjoys a 500-meter length in the pleasant residential area and a colorful variant of stores for customers and sellers to choose from.” More info at: StreetDirectory.com Jalan Surabaya Market: The Hunting Spot for Antiques.

The post Walking Tour: Jakarta, Indonesia first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

Fleet of Mercedes

We came upon a huge fleet of Mercedes Kompressors and we jumped in one with chilled towels (with the Keraton logo) and a small snack waiting on us in the backseat. It was my fanciest exit from an airport to date.

Ready to ride in style!

Map:

It was the first time we’d traveled by car at more than 30 mph that week (island time in Bali), so a “50 minute” ride to the hotel turned out to be more like 35 minutes. Of course, by that time, we’d grown used to the cars being checked thoroughly by security before driving onto the hotel grounds (still a little disturbing), but, once finished, we were driven up to the small hotel lobby. The check-in and concierge area was small but very nice, modern and clean.

The agent checked us in efficiently and accompanied us to our room. On our way up, she asked if we wanted the points amenity or breakfast. But, since the breakfast was for just one person, we opted for the 500 points.

Room

Our room (we were upgraded to a Junior Suite Executive, which is now called the Executive Room after some rebranding…) was very sleek, very large and very elegant — everything a business traveler from any part of the world would love.

It was definitely a business traveler’s hotel (not exactly homey; more like a penthouse NYC condo) and we were probably the very first honeymoon couple they’d ever seen, but we were more than happy with the decor and size. Jeffrey still talks about the room as his favorite hotel room ever, so that’s kind of a big deal.

The ceilings were gigantic – probably 10-12 feet tall and the floor-to-ceiling windows (in a corner room) overlooking the city were the highlight of the room.

Well, I should say they were the highlight of the room for me. Jeffrey’s highlight was the personalized stationery that he found waiting for him on the desk — yes, Jeffrey’s name was printed on hotel stationery (letterhead, envelopes, and business cards). He was so impressed with himself that he even sent a letter home to his parents.

The bathroom area was quite nice, too, with plenty of room and a huge, rainfall shower, which is always a plus.

Similar to the St. Regis hotels, we were assigned a butler who will pack/unpack luggage and press up to two items daily.

The hotel’s location along Jakarta’s popular Jalan Thamrin street couldn’t have been better – we were connected to Plaza Indonesia, a huge, luxury shopping mall (lots of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc.). The area is probably the most luxurious in the city and also a great jumping off point to explore other areas (we walked all over!). There are plenty of Starbucks just steps from the hotel, which is always a sign that you are in a very Western area, whether that’s a good or bad thing…

Restaurant

Another cool aspect of the hotel is their lounge and full-service restaurant, Bengawan. With all the executive rooms, you get complimentary tea, coffee and soft drinks in your room.

But, you also get complimentary evening drinks (5 hours of happy hour!) and an a la carte menu in their restaurant. We had dim sum, iga kambing bakar and nasi goreng. The food is delicious and it’s a great way to try new dishes. And, talk about a good deal!

BOTTOM LINE: All in all, we loved our time at the Keraton at the Plaza and would definitely recommend it to anyone planning a stay in Jakarta. It’s ultra fancy with all the special touches (even personalized stationery!) and a fantastic view from the huge windows.

The post Keraton at The Plaza, Jakarta – Hotel Review – Jakarta, Indonesia first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

We knew we needed to fly fro Bali to Jakarta for weeks (if not months), but for whatever reason never booked a flight. We were partly putting it off having heard not-so-great things about Jakarta and I guess we were a little nervous to go. In fact, up until the day before our flight, we were still deciding whether we should extend our stay in Bali/Ubud or fly to Singapore early or bite the bullet and go to Jakarta. We finally ended up booking our Air Asia flight the day before departure for $156.67 USD total (for the two of us).

Of $156 total, $99 was for the flight, $18 to check two bags, $18 to pick seats, and $21 in taxes/fees

CHECK-IN

We made it to the Domestic Terminal of the Bali airport in Denpasar a few hours early and were immediately greeted by a confusing process. We had to flash a copy of our itinerary at the ticket window to gain access to the terminal, although we just kind of waved a generic email from our iPhone and it seemed good enough for the ticket checker. We found the domestic check-in counters and began the part of the trip that made us most nervous about the Air Asia flying process: the checked baggage policy.

Good fun dealing with Air Asia and their baggage policies…

At the time of booking, we paid for one 25 kg bag each, figuring it would be more than enough. When we loaded the bags up, the first 2 weighed in at 46 kg, so good to go, right? Well, not quite. We had a 3rd bag that we had planned to carry on but the agent said that we would need to check it, meaning it had better weight 4 kg or less. Once it was clear that we would be a few kg over, she told us about the Air Asia policy that every 1 kg over limit costs 117k rupiah, or about $10…. per kilo! Crazy! After looking sufficiently shocked, we scrambled to pull a few items out of the checked baggage and switch it to our carry-ons (it’s always the worst to be those people at the check-in desk). We were still a bit over but she let it slide.

Done with the check-in, we continued on towards the gates. We had to pay a 40k rup/person exit tax. Why not just add this to ticket fee?! And, the most puzzling part was that it was literally one agent taking money at a desk and then, behind him, an agent scanning the ticket you just purchased…why that operation takes 2 people, I do not know. #employment?

At the second (and supposedly more thorough) security screening, our 3+ bottles of water made it through just fine.

As were wandered through the Domestic terminal, we quickly realized that we were two of the very few Western tourists that had this idea. It was literally packed with Indonesians. And, they didn’t waste any of those tourism tax dollars flooding into Bali on an A/C unit here, making it quite hot and full of natural human smells.

BOARDING

The Air Asia boarding process was one that was unfamiliar to me for an airport but felt much more similar to a bus. In fact, the whole terminal feels more like a bus station than an airport. We killed a bit of time in the Sanur Executive Lounge:

The flight was finally called at 3:10 pm and everyone gathered in the area made a mad rush for the shuttle.

No scanning here, just glance and rip their part of the ticket, then we were crammed onto bus. No real surprise here as being a budget airline often means you skimp on those expensive airport gates and just bus over to the plane.

Air Asia was obviously not messing around when it comes to turning the aircraft around. When we arrived on the shuttle bus, they were still deboarding the in-bound flight. We stayed on the bus for 4-5 mins after the final passenger deplaned and the flight crew gave the thumbs up–ready for the next batch! So, maybe a 4-minute cabin clean/turn on the ground.

SEAT

Jumping on the plane, we saw that the first five rows appeared to be premium seating, but I’m not sure if that actually meant more legroom or just faster deplane.

We had row 14, seats A and B, a “premium” exit row with more legroom but still VERY little room compared to a Delta exit row.

Getting ready for take-off:

MEAL AND SERVICE

Not wanting to miss any sort of new cultural airplane experience, I couldn’t pass up trying the meal options. All things considered, the choices were quite affordable:

I ordered the Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak: “A Malaysian favorite fragrant coconut rice served with Pak Nasser’s special chili samba and tender chicken rendang, accompanied with fried anchovies, crunchy groundnuts, and hard-boiled-egg.”

The food wasn’t half bad! Good luck being able to purchase a tasty hot meal on a 90-minute flight on a United or Delta flight!

The in-flight service was all around good. The flight attendants were upbeat and friendly and easily switched between Indonesia and very articulate English.

Flipping through the Air Asia magazine provided me much entertainment –check out this digital weight scale which can be bought in-flight:

Digital weighing scale, it might sound steep at about $20 US, but I bet they sell quite a few to the victims that they just charged $10/kilo overage at check-in

And reading up on Ala Farah Quina, Indonesia’s NOT photoshopped “Celebrity Chef”–I wonder what qualified her?

But, by far the most entertaining was reading the detailed article about a plane crash, while in-flight on a plane! This seems like a topic that should be off limits, no?

With the flight nearing an end, we stored our tray tables and raised seatbacks on the approach into Jakarta-CGK.

Landing in Jakarta, we saw 2 big plane graveyards. There were lots of 747s, the few that still had clear enough paint to read were those of Batvian Air.

Once we landed, it was a pretty quick deplane into a hanger-looking type facility. As soon as we were back in the A/C, the baggage carousel was right there. The terminal for domestic arrivals like ours was rather small.

Our bags were off pretty quickly and we headed out to find our driver meeting us from the Keraton Hotel.

BOTTOM LINE: Despite being tripped up by the checked baggage weight limit, we were pleased with this low-cost Asian carrier and would fly them again–on a short flight only though, the legroom left much to be desired.

The post Air Asia Flight QZ 7529 – Denpasar/Bali-DPS to Jakarta-CGK Indonesia first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

After an amazing 5 days around Bali (visiting Seminyak, Kuta and Ubud), it was time to head to our next destination: Jakarta, Indonesia. After leaving the Villa Semana in Ubud, we went to the Domestic Terminal at Ngurah Rai International Airport — 22 miles and a little over one hour’s drive away.

We were dropped off at the curb, then we made our way through the airport and check-in:

Entrance of Bali’s new airport

Good fun dealing with Air Asia and their baggage policies… we had to unpack and repack our bags at check in.

Watch out, while extending our stay in Bali sounded attractive, I don’t think the same would hold true if it were in quarantine

As we made our way through the domestic terminal, we quickly realized that tourists made up a tiny minority of inter-Indonesia air travel. Of the thousands of people traveling that day, just a handful looked to be tourists. Jakarta is definitely not on most tourists’ destination list.

Sanur Executive Lounge
(NOTE: This lounge was in the old domestic terminal which is now closed. The new domestic terminal, open September 2014, is 4x the size.)

We made it to the lounge and, as expected, were able to enter using Priority Pass.

The first thing we noticed was how small the lounge was and that it was absolutley crammed with people. It look pretty fricken miserable.

It eventually started to clear out a bit but it was still quite crowded

Also, on a quick pass the food looked rather sketchy. The only item that appeared to be a safe bet from dying of some foodborne illness was a mango/cheese sandwich.

After closer inspection, the food actually turned out to be quite good and the lounge quickly began to redeem itself.

We sampled two types of Balinese cakes, a rice and chicken dish wrapped in a banana leaf, a chicken and curry stew with rice, something called “Single sausage” with a very weird consistency. In total there were 4 desserts and 4 hot dishes.

While we ate, lounge attendants continually came by trying to sell us 30 minutes massages for about $6.50.

BOTTOM LINE: Not worth the extra fee to get a guest in ($25 with Priority Pass) but it was nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the main terminal which was PACKED.

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We knew before we ever left the US that we wanted to do a bike tour of Ubud. I’d done a bike tour of Tuscany when I studied abroad and it was one of my favorite memories from my time, so I was really looking forward to learning more about the area in Ubud with a long bike tour. Plus, what’s more romantic than a bike ride through the rice paddies on your honeymoon? Many tours were advertised for appx $30, leaving at 7 or 8am and returning by 2pm, so we knew it wouldn’t be hard to do once we arrived.

As luck would have it, we were chatting with the Swiss owner of our hotel (Villa Semana) upon arrival and he very kindly offered to take us on our own private tour — and it certainly was not what we were expecting! Because Jurg made the “tour” seem so impromptu, we were under the very wrong impression that it’d be more of an informal ride where he’d point out the highlights as we glided by.

Signs of life in the surrounding countryside of Ubud

We were to meet at 7am the next morning, a bit early as Jeffrey and I can never pass up a (free) breakfast: sliced fruit, croque monseiurs and lots of coffee. As we ate (a lot), we looked up to see Jurg getting decked out in professional riding gear for our very unprofessional ride. We ended up leaving at 7:40am, a bit later than planned, because Jurg had to teach me the ins and outs of mountain biking and its gears (I’m more of a cruiser gal). He also made sure I understood how to “properly get in the saddle.” I could already tell this ride would be more than I bargained for.

Biking through the rice paddies

Soon enough, we were off – up and down very steep hills, riding in the streets mostly — with cars zooming by just inches from me. (I’ll pause here to remind you that Charleston, SC is very, very flat.) The hot, humid air at 8am had me regretting my breakfast almost immediately. Luckily, I got plenty of breaks when I had to get off my bike to either push it up the hills (because my legs were too weak to peddle up) OR down the hills (because, again, Charleston is very flat and I had visions of flying head-first over the handlebars and having to cut short my honeymoon). As you can imagine, Jurg was less than impressed.

Here I am lagging behind, as usual

Along the way, Jurg stopped to tell us interesting things, like where Donna Summers used to live and to point out where old hippies smoke drugs. Turns out, Jurg is part of the team that goes around literally executing people for having drugs (Bali’s drug laws are pretty strict). Jurg wanted to be sure that these guys who were “on his list” saw him around town. (Another side note, it was around the time that we’d stop outside of some “hippie houses” to let them know that Jurg was watching them that I saw my breakfast again.)

We rode past many homes and people, but my very favorite part of the day was riding through the rice paddie fields. There was a small footpath we rode on that was mainly used by the rice farmers. We were up close to the rice fields and, many times, were the only people within view. Other times, we were just a few feet away from the rice farmers, and we really felt like we’d uncovered a secret that no tour company would be able to show us. The rice paddies were so beautiful – so surreal.

Google Map:

We were beginning to grow a real appreciation for Ubud and the Balinese as a people – we found them to be exceptionally hardworking and always friendly. Jurg told us that Balinese women do all of the heavy lifting. I found it quite interesting and was very thankful not to be from here if that’s the case.

Rice paddies along the way

After about 12 miles around the city and surrounding countryside, Jurg led us back to Villa Semana where we ate lunch by the main pool. It was worth staying at Villa Semana just for the private bike tour. Not only did we feel very welcome at the hotel, but the added benefit of the bike tour – which felt like something shared between old friends rather than a hotel owner and guests, was much better than any paid group tour could ever offer. Jurg offered more details about the people and places we passed, first hand knowledge of living in Bali for years (shared with just the two of us rather than rehearsed for a group setting) and background details on the passerbys (“she’s French, she just arrived in town and she thinks she’s above the law!”).

The bike tour was the very best way to quickly get acquainted with the town on our first full day. And, it’s turned out to be my favorite memory – and story – from our time in Bali.

The post Bike Tour of Ubud – Bali, Indonesia first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

After leaving the bustling Seminyak area, we headed by shuttle car to Ubud, in central Bali — about 1 hour and 20 minutes away.  No sign tells you you’re in Ubud, you just sort of… arrive. Nothing changes between the countryside and the city- just sparse bits of human life followed by trees and vacant land.

The above should shed some light on what it’s like getting around Bali. A ~15 mile drive will take well over 1 hour.

Finally, we turned down a little lane and came up to our picturesque hotel – it couldn’t have been a sweeter hotel.

Just back from our hike around the hotel grounds with a friendly hotel staff member

The hotel, just like the town, is set among the mountains – and the back of the hotel actually looks out over a cliff. There’s not just one building but the villas are spread out and there aren’t but 30 villas, so it is a small, tranquil hotel. The hotel advertises itself as the perfect honeymoon and it truly was. The small staff was welcoming and very friendly — we had the same waiter for lunch and dinner each day and it made you feel like you were visiting someone’s home rather than staying in a hotel.

Check-In

Hotel check-in

Leading to the villas

Peaceful sitting right by the river

The Room

Our hotel room was the Villa Pool Garden View. We had our own cute little pool as well as a huge suite that was beautiful and calming.

Front door to our villa – so romantic!

Our villa

Honeymoon decor

The hotel grounds were just perfectly peaceful – with the infinity pool overlooking the river down below and tons of greenery, you really felt the slow speed of life. As soon as we arrived, I could feel the Balinese way of life was much more prevalent at this hotel (and town) rather than at the bustling W filled with foreigners.

Infinity Pool

Lotus ponds and trickling water everywhere

Traditional Balinese decor

The Restaurant

All three meals of the day were served on the terrace overlooking the infinity pool overlooking the mountains/jungle. Indonesian, Thai and Western foods were offered and it was fun to try new things. It seemed that each dish was cooked to order so, while it took a little extra time, it was always very fresh and extra tasty with interesting spices and unique flavors. The best part about the family feel of the hotel was that we were able to eat dinner, then walk back two hours or so later when we were ready for dessert. No matter where we were or who we saw, the hotel service was always A+++.

Dinner with a view

The hotel gift shop was a jackpot of perfect Balinese souvenirs that were authentic rather than just cheap tchotchkes found on the side of the road peddled only to foreigners. We brought back the traditional “wedding couple” wood carvings – a perfect souvenir from our honeymoon. While we were in the gift shop, we ran into the owner, Jurg, who was originally from Switzerland but has been living in Bali for years. He knew a lot of history and culture and was eager to share what he knew with us. He was very hospitable and even offered to organize a bike ride for the two of us the next morning (more on that later).

The Spa

The owner, Jurg, said the spa was the “best spa in Asia” and I think I’d have to agree. In addition to our bike ride, he offered / insisted to also plan our spa afternoon. Because of the small size of the hotel, we were able to enjoy the spa in complete privacy. The spa is located down the mountain from the rest of the hotel and overlooks the flowing river. It is peaceful and ever so calm. We decided on the “Harmony Package” – $155 USD for a 2 hour couples treatment and bottle of champagne. They are sure to advertise that, when they’re finished, “the room is yours to do whatever you like.” Awkward.

The spa bathtub filled with roses.

Welcome area of the spa

Additionally, the hotel’s location in the town of Ubud was fantastic. We felt safe walking around the streets by ourselves (and the hotel graciously gave us umbrellas when it was raining) and it was so fun to see how the Balinese in Ubud lived and worked (much differently than Seminyak tourists!). The rice fields were just stunning – words can’t describe the picturesque beauty of these fields – and were just steps away from our hotel.

Rice fields near the hotel

BOTTOM LINE: Ubud is truly one of my favorite destinations and it wouldn’t have been the same without Villa Semana!

The post Villa Semana Resort & Spa Review – Ubud, Bali first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

We weighed our options and ultimately decided to leave in the morning to visit the temples Tanah Lot and then Taman Ayun –with a few more options in the back of our minds, depending on how much time we had and how ready we were to get back. Although visiting the temples was, of course, the highlight of our day trip, it was also quite interesting just riding around Bali. The resorts are super-luxurious, but when you’re driving around a non-resort area, it is (of course) quite a contrast from the luxe hotel pools + club music. We passed rice fields on the sides of roads with workers up to the waists in water using their hands — not machines — to harvest the rice. Plenty of stray dogs (and kids) were roaming around and we drove by beautiful, unkempt temples everywhere. Again, quite the contrast from the modern, hip W Hotel. It is so nice to get out of resort-land when you’re traveling and get to know the real culture and island– it’s always surprising when you see a $200 dress for sale in the touristy area and yet you can buy a giant water bottle for only 10 cents.

First Stop: Pura Tanah Lot

We headed first to Pura Tanah Lot, Bali’s most popular temples. In local language, it means “Land in the Sea” because it was built on a very small island just off the coast of Bali. Legend has it that a man named Dang Hyang Nirartha built the temple during the 16th century as a shrine to the sea god of Balinese mythology, Dewa Baruna. Before entering the temple, you must walk through Balinese souvenir shops and pay 30k/person plus 5k for car parking (about 65k for 2 people), which equals about $5 USD.

Headed into Tanah Lot

In front of Tanah Lot

When we arrived, there were tons of tourists flocking to the temple…

Multitudes of tourists

Our driver let us out in the parking lot, then we walked through the souvenir shops to get to the temple. Although there were plenty of tourists, they all seemed to be Indonesian. After talking to a few who insisted on taking photos with us, we found out that most of the tourists were from the nearby Indonesian island of Java, visiting Tanah Lot on their school break. For some reason, they found American tourists much more interesting than the temple itself… and, lucky for us, we were the only American tourists there… There’s no telling how many Indonesians have a picture of my face now…

Hanging out with fellow tourists

Souvenir shops outside of the temple

Because it was raining, we opted not to cross through the water and actually get up close to the temple (as non-Balinese are not allowed entrance to the temple itself), but we stayed on the cliffs and viewed the temple from about 50 feet away. As the tide rises, the temple is actually surrounded by water, so you can’t even walk up to it.

Second Stop: Pura Taman Ayun

After leaving Pura Tanah Lot, we headed to our next temple: Pura Taman Ayun. This temple was built in 1634 by the Mengwi Kingdom and is surrounded by a moat. Now, it’s considered a public park of sorts and town events are held in the extensive courtyards. It’s got much fewer tourists than Tanah Lot and is a much more enjoyable place to wonder. The courtyards and lotus-blossom-filled pools makes it peaceful and calm. We even were able to climb to the top of one of the temples and see around the city.

Visiting Pura Taman Ayun

The thing I most remember about visiting this temple is the sheer number of roosters they had collected around the temple and caged. Soon, we learned that the roosters were actually used for cockfighting and we stumbled upon the large cockfighting arena on the grounds. Although the cockfighting is sometimes done for religious ceremonies, it is used mostly for gambling.

The Cockfighting Arena

Bottom Line: After our day of driving around and visiting the two main temples, we were ready to get back to the W for more beach and pool lounging. We really enjoyed exploring some of the island and learning more about Balinese culture from our kind driver. One of the most interesting things we learned was about the Balinese naming system: regardless of gender, each Balinese is named one of four names based on birth order. The firstborn is “Wayan”, second is “Made”, third is “Nyoman” and fourth is “Ketut”.  Pretty intriguing… and confusing! Our day of exploring the south end of Bali was well spent and it was worth going to both temples to see the very different architecture and landscape at both.

The post Bali Day Trip: Tanah Lot/Taman Ayun first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

But, when we ventured away from the private pool and quiet oasis of our villa, the rest of the W always had a lot going on and plenty to experience. There was always a lively party, plenty of Balinese culture to take in and rum drinks overflowing by the pool – no matter what time of day or night. Much of the crowd was always gathered at one of the two on-site restaurants, so this post will cover all the details and our experience at both dining options.

ON-SITE RESTAURANTS OVERVIEW

The W Bali has two on-site restaurants: Starfish Bloo and FIRE. There’s also a handful of bars (the Woobar, the Ice Bar, the Chill Bar…), but the only two kitchens that serve breakfast are Starfish Bloo and FIRE.

Both Starfish Bloo and FIRE are indoor/outdoor, so the experience can either be a more casual outdoor meal or a bit fancier indoors. Either way, the views are phenomenal and the music is bumpin’ with the W soundtrack.

The Starfish Bloo restaurant serves Pan-Asian cuisine with a more stylish vibe. The decor is a bit fancier than FIRE’s — with huge, round wooden booths that weren’t so great great for privacy but did add to the quirky, hip-ness of the W (as if that needed any additions). Starfish Bloo serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

FIRE is more grill-centric and meat-centric, a nice coupling to Starfish Bloo’s seafood focus. The atmosphere is a bit more casual. What FIRE lacks in decor (compared with Starfish Bloo), it makes up for in flavor. Every dish we tried from the grill was fresh and flavor-packed.

STARFISH BLOO DINNER

Our first experience at either of the two restaurants was at Starfish Bloo, where we headed just after check-in for a late dinner. We were fighting days and days of jetlag, but wanted to stay awake long enough to enjoy a Balinese meal and take in some of the hotel.

The tasting menu is 450 rup = $40 USD. We were able to split one tasting menu because we weren’t too hungry– we’d each had about 4 too many airplane “breakfasts” at 3am. As part of the tasting menu, we tried the ASINON BOGOR (a Balinese tuna “sambal matah”), the AYAM BETUTU “GILLMONUK” (an awesome curry chicken spice dish) and the SEMUR DAGING SAPI (coconut milk beef). Our waitress was helpful in suggesting dishes and we really enjoyed our first taste of Balinese food.

We soon realized how quickly the food adds up– even when splitting! The tasting menu provided the perfect amount of food to split and we were glad to try three dishes right off the bat. Our waitress also kindly brought us a mango sorbet to finish — what a delightful surprise! Our first sample of  Bali’s food was a success. You just have make the decision to have the “we’re on vacation” mindset so your jaw doesn’t drop at every. single. price. at the W.

As far as drinks go, we weren’t too surprised to find that they were way too sugary and weak — all for about $15/drink. Dually noted. And, again, you’ve got to get that vacation mindset before you go around pinching pennies at the W.

Dinner with a side of jet lag (yikes!)

FIRE BREAKFAST

Next up, we chose FIRE as our first breakfast experience. Before ordering, we confirmed that, with the Platinum Amenity, anything — buffet or a la carte (or both) — is included. Jackpot.

So, when in Rome, right? We first sized up the buffet and, although we usually skip the buffet and order from a la carte, this is, quite possibly, the only buffet that I’ve ever deemed worthy of going back for seconds. I mean… this place knows how to cook up a delectable buffet: there was a huge selection of cured meats and fruit. Then, we saw the Indonesian food area with vegetable curry and sausage dishes. Next, we found the Indian food area, THEN the make-your-own-omelette area and FINALLY the pastry area.

That just covered the buffet — the a la carte menu offered even more delicacies, including seared foie gras. Yes, we’ll have some of that, too.

Delicious foie gras for breakfast…yes, please

Each dish we tried tasted better than the last– and, the servers were at our table often to offer us freshly squeezed juice and cappuccinos with a “W” dripped on top in chocolate. The fantastic service and the never-ending options had me contemplating staying at the breakfast table for our entire time in Bali. This, my friends, is the definition of vacation.

STARFISH BLOO BREAKFAST

The next day, to be fair, we had our breakfast at Starfish Bloo. Starfish Bloo is a bit more elite and only serves villa and suite guests at breakfast. I guess breakfast is usually included in those rates and they just send you here? We sat outside with a view of the ocean and were promptly offered coffees and freshly squeezed juices. We again opted for the buffet– another illustrious, never-ending buffet but this one didn’t quite fit our tastes as much as FIRE did. There were many more seafood and Asian options and, frankly, I’m just not super pumped about have sushi before 9am. Let me make it clear that this buffet was not worse, it just wasn’t what I would prefer as much as someone else might.

Dim Sum

Outdoor breakfast at Starfish Bloo to start our day

Apart from the typical continental breakfast, the buffet also had a dim sum station, a sushi station and then the standard pancake, french toast…American options. Although everything was delicious and very fancy, FIRE was the clear breakfast winner in my book because it had so many unusual and delicious options (like Indian and Indonesian choices) that I couldn’t get at an American hotel.

As a side note, it was interesting to note the price of alcohol (extremely, extremely expensive) vs. the price of sushi — they had sashimi tuna and snapper sitting out at the buffet. Although (slightly) tempting, we opted to skip the Vanilla Bellini at 220K = $20USD!

BOTTOM LINE: Although we tried nearby local restaurants, the variety of options available at the W restaurants was unmatched. Although the hotel restaurants were a little pricy (such is life at hotel restaurants), they were tasty and delicious, which is more than I can say for the majority of on-site restaurants in many other hotels. Plus, the free breakfast buffets could not have been better.

The post W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak – Bali, Indonesia – Hotel Review Part 2 first appeared on Weekend Blitz.