It was now time for Kuta the popular tourist area of Bali known for beaches and resorts and we checked into Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel, a dreamful destination. Yes, it’s so big, beautiful and splendid that I would choose to call it a destination rather than a hotel. For a family of 5 who didn’t want to restrict staying at different rooms connected by inter-room phones, we got the perfect solution without compromising on anything. Thanks to the Discovery Suite of the hotel which comprises of 2 bedrooms and 1 living room. The beautiful suite offered a home away from home with a Master bedroom featuring a King bed, private bathroom with tub, sofa, work desk and LCD television. There are also Junior Suites and Family Suites to suit the need for various guests. Well, the guests here rarely ever want to step out thanks to beautiful offerings they have. With 7 restaurants and bars, 9 function spaces, a spa, a fitness center and a spacious sculptured pool, it caters to leisure and business travellers alike. If you want to shop, you can head to Discovery Shopping Mall which is a few steps away. You can read more about the hotel here.
You would have read our first travelogue on Bali which captured our escapades of our journey from Delhi to Seminyak. Since we are trying to give you a full download of our funfilled trip, here we present the second part of our trip- Ubud. In case you missed the first part, you can click here.
A private villa with a gorgeous pool amidst nature is what our Ubud stay was all about. Nature, villa, private pool, luxury, spa, waterfall, zoo, orangutans, tiger, deer… is what we experienced at The Sanctoo Villa located in Bali’s cultural and spiritual heart of Ubud, adjacent to the world-renowned Bali Zoo.
Golden Rules for Bali:
One thing I like about Bali is that it’s a Visa free country so no issues of getting all documents in place to apply for a Visa. One just has to carry flight tickets and currency but I would suggest you to carry hotel reservations as well.
For currency, I took dollars with myself from India as you get a good rate for Indonesian rupiah in exchange of dollars. Central Kuta gives the best rate. There are multiple outlets in Bali.
If you are not taking a packaged tour, it’s important to book the right transport service. I booked my car from Sanura Tours & Travels. We explored a number of places with them. The efficient drivers came on time, the cars were clean, the drivers were friendly, spoke English, and even clicked our beautiful family pictures. Not to forget, they coordinated with us on WhatsApp too and told us about local attractions as well.
Whether you are travelling with kids or as a couple, Bali Zoo is must in your itinerary. Night at the Zoo was about fun with elephants, snakes, deers, kangaroos, lions, sunbears and tigers in their nocturnal habitat- from feeding the lions, tigers, elephants and deers to touching and playing with the deers & kangaroos who loved us too. Taking a Python snake on us was another adventure and experience altogether! Breakfast with Orangutans was also once in a lifetime experience!
Bali Swing is also a must visit if you wanna be captured at a high. Bali Swing houses numerous jungle swings ranging from 10m, to 78m above the ground and everyone has ample options to choose from a total of 18 swings. A spectacular view which overlooks the river, tropical greenery and waterfalls is a given whichever swing(s) you choose along with its own thrill and adventure. So whether you are on a solo trip or are a couple, a family or are accompanied with friends, this is a must visit.
Devil’s Tear was one of the highlights of our trip. A must must visit! Waves come in force and what we see is epic. A rainbow formed in the midst of water. Wow! What a sight. One can just sit there for hours and watch the amazing sight. Me and my family were simply awestruck with the sight. Though, one must be careful going too close to the waves. This was a part of our Nusa Lembongan trip which we booked through Sunrise Fast Cruise Bali.
Once our dates were decided, we thought of checking out the flight which works well according to our itinerary. We checked tariffs and reviews of various flights and zeroed down on Malindo Air. I had taken Malindo Air to Malaysia earlier and loved my experience and had no second thoughts about this one. We were booked on Malindo flight OD 206 which had to fly out from Delhi at 10:05 PM IST and reach Bali Denpasar Airport at 12:15 PM (Indonesia time) with a three hour stop over at Kuala Lumpur. We were happy to see that the flight was on time and after a smooth check-in at the Malindo Air counter, collecting boarding pass, immigration and security check, me and my family were relaxed. With services like extra legroom, inflight entertainment, baggage allowance and meals on board, the flights are just perfect! Regional selections in entertainment section is just what an Indian traveler would love. Another highlight was the meal. I have hated having cold meals in almost every flight whether domestic or international but Malindo was a pleasant surprise. The meals were hot and yum! Such a pleasure!
Bali is a beautiful place. While we cherished the beauty of the Indonesian island known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches and coral reefs, we could not resist shopping. Bali offers a unique experience for shopaholics too as there are variety of places to shop – from local to brands to designer stores to boutiques. One would find goods like handbags, jewellery, footwear, clothes, lingerie and much more. Foodies, fret not, there is a food market as well. Then you have beautiful crafts like paintings, sculptures, furniture, home décor etc. The paradise offers everything here that is why Bali is the heart of Indonesia like Delhi is the heart of India.
We shopped a lot in Bali and we are putting down a list for you all so that you can make the most when you go to Bali:
While in Bali, I wanted different experiences across different destinations. When we were finalizing our abode at Kuta, we chose Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel. A dreamful destination, yes, it’s so big, beautiful and splendid that I would choose to call it a destination rather than a hotel.
With the exciting life that Bali offers, our abode at Seminyak was not less thrilling. It didn’t only boast of plush interiors, chic comfort, stylish modern décor but even quintessential hospitality. We chose to stay at L Hotel, a Quintessential Brand amongst Bali’s top luxury hotels.