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FIND YOUR DREAM HOLIDAY
In September 2022, we were fortunate to travel to Bali for a 9-day stay in Legian. This trip was part personal holiday and part business trip as we attended several meetings whilst on the island. As a family we were very excited to once again travel abroad and demonstrate that, whilst you still have to take covid precautions, international travel is back and safe.
Not unlike our travel experience of July, and supporting the recent comments in the media, both our flights were delayed departures for 2 hours. Pleasingly completing customs and immigration in Melbourne was quicker than past experiences, and once onboard and in the air, our flights were uneventful, as expected.
Upon arrival in Bali, it became very clear the arrival procedures have changed as the country re-opens post-pandemic. As you walk into customs, visitors first need to be granted permission to obtain a visa on arrival, and the line to obtain the visa took us close to 90 mins to clear. After obtaining the visa you then proceed to passport clearance, and the line at this location took up just over 60 minutes to clear, so please note at present, after flying, be prepared for a possible 150-minute wait till you clear customs and immigration procedures.It was safe to say we were very glad to meet our transfer and finally leave the airport bound for our accommodation, a dip in the ocean, some cap-cay and a cold beer before enjoying a good night’s sleep.
Our accommodation for this trip was a return to The Champlung Mas Hotel. Located in a quiet lane 5 minute’s walk from Legian beach and 2 mins’ walk to the nearest shopping strip, this property is a very affordable option for a 3.5-star listed hotel. Consisting of 1 rooftop and 1 ground-floor pool with swim-up bars, an open-air restaurant, and only 3 floors high with an easy lift and disabled ramp access, this property ticks all the boxes when looking for an affordable, well-located, quiet and comfortable property.
This trip intended to mix a little business and pleasure and, in some ways, travel with the family to show everyone we can travel safely in this post covid environment. Hence on this visit to Bali, the day’s pleasure would consist of deciding to sit by the pool or walk down and sit on the beach for the day, and for the majority of the days, the beach won the majority vote.
Walking the streets of Legian, the effects of the pandemic are still evident. As you can see, many retail stores are still closed, and the open stores are keen to obtain your business and engage in the price banter Bali was famous for. We found on some occasions, some store owners were a little more aggressive and would sight the effect of the pandemic on their business, however, remaining polite and continuing to purchase from a store, most owners were very obliging. We also noted that prices have not been affected by the pandemic, so the traditional mass purchase of t-shirts, board shorts and hats continued for our family.
Legian Beach was a very welcome location to spend most of the days. Not as busy as we have seen in the past, every day we were able to secure a beach lounge and umbrella without issue, and whilst you will continue to be approached by locals selling their product, answering with a polite ‘No’, everyone was very respectful, and over the week spent on the beach, we enjoyed some wonderful conversation’s with the local people, and it only enhanced our positive opinion of the local Balinese people.
Each evening we chose a different location to dine at and enjoy the local cuisine; however, our favourite place to dine at is a very small Warung, located down a small lane 5-minute walk from the hotel. We found this establishment on our last visit to Bali, returned on this latest visit, and continued enjoying their stunning, local, and affordable cuisine.
To change things up, we decided to enjoy a day at Waterbom Park. This is Bali’s feature water park and is home to water slides for all ages and excitement levels and something we recommend all families visit if time allows. This was our 2nd visit to the park, and on this occasion, it was more enjoyable due to the lesser number of visitors, most likely caused by the covid pandemic. At no stage did we have to queue for a long time for any rides, food or drinks, and our kids certainly enjoyed the day riding most of the water slides and enjoying the many pools within the complex. The price for food and drinks is inflated, as you would expect; however, certainly still cheaper than comparative parks located within Australia. To get to Waterbom Park from our hotel, we hailed a taxi and paid approx IDR70,000, which equates to approx AUD$7.00 so certainly not an expensive journey in each direction, and for those travelling with kids, it is money and time well invested to visit Waterbom Park for a day.
Before travelling to Bali, we agreed as a family to enjoy a day of snorkelling, so on our first full day on the ground, we decided to book our day. Bali Natural Tours hosted our day, and they were in a word, outstanding! Our driver was excellent, our private vehicle transfer was in impeccable condition, the logistics, snorkelling gear, and location were of the highest class, and we can certainly recommend using Bali Natural Tours when on the ground in Bali for any day touring, and on our return, we will once again, utilize their wonderful services.
It was a privilege to again travel abroad after the covid pandemic. Bali was chosen very deliberately as the destination for the family, and we do not regret the decision. Whilst the island has not returned to 100% of patronage with the hustle and bustle of tourists, it was a lovely few day’s relaxing, winding down and enjoying the wonderful Balinese hospitality. The people of Bali are warm, courteous, inviting, and respectful, and we shall return over the next year or so, and we are grateful for the opportunity to travel again to the beautiful island of Bali!
