Thursday, May 04, 2006

Bali - I

I'd always brought along a travel guide on holidays. This round, I left both my Rough Guide and DK Eyewitness on Bali behind, and we did suffer the consequences. For 2 days, we just traveled long distant to places which are not appealing at all, wasting money and time *sigh*. On a brighter note, the holiday was good, Zara coped very well, in long car rides, on the plane, and even shopping long hours seated in her stroller or carried in the baby sling. Day 1 ~ Thurs 27th April We arrived Bali on Thursday night. A car has been sent to pick us up from Ellie's, our hotel in Nusa Dua. It was pitch dark even though it was only about 7:30pm. The owner, an English named Sam, helped us checked in. It's a small hotel, with only 8rooms, clean (most importantly) and gorgeously furnished. While Sam ordered dinner for us from a local restaurant (Ellie's doesn't do dinners), we freshened up. Zara absolutely loved the bath.
fun on the plane and in the tub
From our dinner of nasi campur (Malay : mixed rice) and fish satay, Zara only took the rice, some tempeh (Malay : fermented beans) and lots of prawn cracker (her staple diet for the next few meals). Day 2 ~ Friday 28th April There's no buffet breakfast in Ellie's, but you can order fruit muesli, pancakes, french toasts, eggs, and it'll be freshly made. You get to choose a hearty fresh juice or smoothie too. I like establishment like this, Zara is free to roam about, and because the place is small, I'm not worried she'll knock into people, or lost in a crowd. Zara had buttered toast, and half a glass of watermelon juice (for the next few days, she always had good breakfast, but took little from the rest of the meals). She wanted a dip in the pool after breakfast and mummy oblidged.

Zara absolutely likes having her back 'massage' by the fountain
In the morning, we wanted to go to this big art market Kumbasari in Denpasar (capital of Bali), but the cabbie we hired told us to go to Sukawati instead. What a con job! After 2 hours of car ride, and 110,000R poorer (~RM60) we arrived at a dirty and small market, not worthy of a visit, in a isolated town. The cabbie wanted to wait for us and do the return trip but we just told him off. We roamed around the town a bit, and then took a local transport to Denpasar.
Around Sukawati; sticks for Satay on sale and narrow alley in Sukawati market; taking the local transport back to Denpasar.
We really enjoyed walking about in the local Pasar Badung in Denpasar, it is a very big market with lots of interesting things to see.
Cooked salted fish; lady packing Balinese Gado-gado; different types of eggs (salted, blackened etc); tempeh (fermented bean cakes) of all sort
Flowers for prayers; bamboo leaves for weaving; drink vendor and a very bored Zara; local vege on sale from the baskets
After this, we went to Pantai Geger in Nusa Dua (where Nikko Hotel Bali is located). We didn't visit the hotel beach, but instead we hung around the local sea weed farms, and had grilled sea food dinner at a beach front restaurant.
After sea weed is harvested, the farmers have to dry them before selling them off; harvested sea weeds are transport by hand; women who need to take care of young kids are not spared; the sea weed farm right at the shore
Zara found a sea weed to play with; the sand around the farm is quite coarse, Daddy had to carry Zara while around walking in the farm; Zara rewarded Daddy with a hug; Daddy and Zara's footsteps
Zara loved the sand; resting on Daddy's shoulder with her head perched on Daddy's head; inspecting a sea weed

23 comments:

jazzmint said...

wow..so nice huh bali...now I'm so tempted!!! So after the flight, did Zara say she's still scared scared of it?

Egghead said...

so nice the beaches!
Zara must have had a really great time :)

lisaOne said...

never been to Bali but it's not somewhere that my hubby rather be. so, i have to resort to reading the details from your blog then.

btw, i really like the footprints of daddy and lil zara.

Allyfeel said...

Zara really enjoys herself with the fountain massage eh? She looks so happy.

Jess said...

u really like to go local market hor! :p

How u cope with zara's nap time? sleep in the sling?

blurblur said...

Wanted to go Bali, but hubby don't want to leh..so i can only drool at your pictures..;)

Yup, i like the photo of Daddy's and Zara's footprints..in fact the last group of photos are very well taken..

Zara looks pretty in that floral dress! :)

Anonymous said...

your photos certainly brought back some memories of my trip to Bali a few years back. simple, yet very colourful indeed! did you get to visit Ubud for the handicrafts?

mom2ashley said...

i like the dress she was wearing (the spaghetti strap one)..is that the one made by jesslyn? i order from her as well la!...

looks like this trip will be a memorable one for you since you found out that you are preggers with no. 2!

I really like the footsteps picture....

ZMM said...

Jasmine,
No.. in fact in the airport, she was just so amaze with all the big planes parked at those departure gates.. Not scared at all.

Egghead,
Some of the car journeys are too long for her, but I guess she still enjoys it.

Two Little Fellas,
Aaah.. maybe you can bring the two little fellas there.. I guess they are old enough to travel.

Allyfeel,
Yeah.. so happy and kept laughing, and the water kept getting into her mouth. :P

Jesslyn,
Yes, I really like to visit local market. :P
Nap time, sometimes she slept in the car in my arms.. Sometimes she slept in the stroller. Sometimes I just carried her and she laid her head on my shoulders and sleep. She's not so difficult come to nap time.

Blurblur,
Why your hubby doesn't want to go to Bali? Scared of the bombing? We stayed away from Kuta too because of this.
I like those shots of her at the beach as well.. b'cos she seemed so happy.

May,
Yes.. we stayed there in fact.. but I really think we should have stayed there from day one.

Mom2Ashley,
The body suit is from Old Navy, bought from FOS (only RM9). Do you shop in FOS? They sometimes have really nice clothes for kids.. but you have to pop in to check every now and then. There were 2 prints for this body suit, but I only bought one.. really regreted not getting the other, because the next day I went there, they were all gone. They do get snatched up very quickly, those nice ones.

ky said...

Are the toys Zara playing in the bath tub called "My 1st kitchen set" or something like that? I bought that for tien just over the weekend. And yes, both my kids prefer to play them in the bath tub too!

Like the dress Zara's wearing at the seaweed farm. FOS? It's a must shop place everytime I'm in KL.

Anonymous said...

Great Photo-blog of your Holiday! Sweet sweet!! Nice nice ~ especially pic of you with Zara.. Like the fish in basket pic too. So, when arh? ZaraMama.com? FAI TIT!!

mama23beas said...

Aiyah...sorry missed the boat leh. Congrats on new pregnancy. What a way to end a wonderful holiday;)

Contented Mum said...

Wonderful isn't it, the good new to top off a nice holidays. Congrats and welcome to the preggie club! :)

Helen said...

You mentioned some places which are not appealing at all but ur pictures tell a different story!! It looks exactly something out of Channel 11!! (Travel and Living channel)lol

Damn, now I so wanna go Bali!!!!! It looks serene and kampung-ish. As u and ur family do not take pork, so, I gather the seafood there agrees with u eh?

BTW, congratulations on ur pregnancy!!! lol Since it's that close, I gather Bali is not accredited with ur pregnancy success lor?? lol

Hey, got time come Ipoh and makan lar!~ Now this is the best time to eat and eat!!! Pregnant mar....

geeth said...

Aaah, you guys had a good holiday I see.. Nice photos too.

Lucky you that Zara was a good girl all the way :)

Babysmooches said...

Zara looks so contented resting on daddy's shoulders....

Mother Superior said...

I like the picture of the seaweed farm, with Zara & Daddy. Very serene feeling I get.

ZMM said...

Sambal-Belacan,
The rooms are nice.. With very simple but elegant furnishing. It's very homely. Very clean, well maintained and sheets smell nice. Don't expect Banyan Tree kind of standard though, because it's just a fraction of the price.

KY,
Yeah, I think it's my first kitchen set. Bought that from ToysRus.
FOS has nice offerings.. but not all the time. Hope when you next come to M'sia, they have something nice for you.

LB,
Those are seaweeds in basket, not fish!
Move over to my own domain ah? But I am not eat full nothing to do woh.. Way too much to do these few weeks.. wait.. maybe sooooon.

Mama22Beas,
Haha.. thanks.

Contented Mum,
Thanks. Aah.. you too huh.. just remember!

Helen,
The places we visited are beautiful, but not sure if it's worth the long drive though, because there are nicer things to see nearby.
Yes, nothing to do with Bali.
Ipoh mali makan?? Sure.. now I can demand from hubby and he has to oblidge. Haha!

Geetha,
That's the most important.. She was a good girl.. so we could enjoy. :P

Baby Smooches,
Very.. In fact she was kissing Daddy's lips nonstop until Daddy has to stop her.

Mother Superior,
Yes, and it's sunset time, gave it an even better effect.

Simple American,
I had posted Daddy's photos before, but I try not to do it so often.. he's very against me posting our photos on the site.. Men.. can you help me to say something?

Samm said...

Ooooh, so many pics and some rare family ones too. Do come to Ipoh for food now that u r pregnant, lol. Both of us can sure eat the town up. And Zara's getting prettier by the day. Wah, now she's gonna be jie-jie, feeling big girl ledi.

Anonymous said...

Zara is so cool...to be able to holiday so well at such a young age. I wonder if my whiney boy can do that...

I must travel with a guide too. Most of the time I rely on Lonely Planet's.

Sue said...

Was reading the comments... I just love to browse in FOS and Reject shop too, lots of nice clothes if you have the time to look :P

And I love the footprint pic too...

Passerby A said...

Congrats on your pregnancy! What great news!

LHS said...

Luckily you felt nausea after you're back from your holiday. If not, really spoil your mood in this wonderful holidays.