Honeymooning in Bali a Fantastic Experience
By Sabariah Mohamed Osman
One week before our trip to Bali on 12th November, my sister told me to cancel the trip as there were warnings that Bali would not be safe due to the impending execution of the Bali bombers the very same week. We tried to make alternative arrangements and sourced for bookings to other destinations, but it was too late and most of the hotels and flights were full. We decided to go Bali anyway with heavy hearts as we thought that there might be many restrictions due to the security concerns.
Here’s a glimpse into our itinerary while we were holidaying in Bali.
12th Nov 2008
Our flight on Lion Air was scheduled to depart at 0620hrs. Although it was a budget flight, meals were still served on board! And more importantly, even though the interior was not very well maintained, the seatbelts were in working condition. Phew!
We arrived safely at about 0930hrs, and checked-in at the Mercure Kuta Bali Hotel. On our first day there we did a lot of surveying and planned our itinerary for the rest of our stay in Bali.
13th Nov 2008
At 0800hrs, we were picked up from our hotel and headed to a village where we experienced White-Water River Rafting. The entire rafting distance was 24km and it took us 2 hours to reach the finishing point.
I found rafting to be very enjoyable and great deal of fun, probably because we almost capsized and also narrowly avoided going into the wrong lane which would have been very embarrassing as we would have needed to be rescued. Haha!
In the evening, we took a trip to Uluwatu where we watched the Kecak Dance.
After the performance, we headed to Jimbaran for a romantic dinner by the beach.
14th November 2008
More adventure! We had various water sports activities lined up for the whole day. We went para-sailing, enjoyed a high speed banana boat ride and went scuba diving.
The breathtaking view from up above. |
This was before we flipped. |
In the evening, we made a trip to Tanah Lot where the one of the famous temples in Bali is located. Afterwards, we proceeded to have a romantic dinner on the cliff.
15th November 2008
Shopping day! We rented a scooter which cost less than SGD10 for 24 hours. The streets in Bali are very narrow so scooters are considered the best mode of transportation.
One thing about shopping in Kuta: You have to keep bargaining in order to get the best price. But of course, when shopping in the boutiques, the prices are fixed.
16th November 2008
A day of relaxation! We had made a reservation for a spa treatment at 4pm. It was 5 hours and we ended just in time to have dinner and check-in for our departure back to Singapore. The session consisted of a Traditional Javanese Massage, Facial, Body Scrub (Lulur), Flower Bath, Cream Bath and Pedicure.
Tari Spa at Bali Garden Hotel |
Centro, the largest shopping mall in Kuta |
Despite the apprehension that we felt before the trip, overall, the experience was fantastic, and our initial fears were unfounded. Bali is a city rich with tradition. They provide wonderful service and there is so much to do, see and even learn. It was a great honeymoon and to top it off, it was our first trip together ever since our relationship started in 2002.
