Charlottes diary - A 16 year olds trip to Bali

Here is MY (Charlotte, 16 yrs) 14 day TRIP TO BALI!- hopefully I don’t bore you with my overload of recommendations and experiences.

DAY 1
Started off the very CHILLY day with a trip up to a place where they mind your car for about $10 a day (that includes airport dropping offs)
Plane was surprisingly good- AIR PARADISE- great food and brilliant service (better than GARUDA)
those airport seats seem to get smaller and smaller every time I go on a plane, however, I didn’t need to sleep

EVENTUALLY arrived at MELASTI resort LEGIAN (where we will never stay again). The resort was nothing special- but when it came down to it "we only slept there". One pool was very nice but the other had a few filter problems- no ear infections though.
We were annoyed that they hadn't followed our request to be in the newer section- however the older section had bigger rooms WITH HUGE I mena HUGE bathrooms by hotel standards.

Dinner – SAWASDEEKHA (thai restaurant) Jl. Werkudara no. 523 Legian. I recommend No. 12 on the menu. It had a fantastic atmosphere with little huts and open garden and pond. Kids would love it.

DAY 2
BREAKFAST a la MELASTI- don't go for the buffet stuff- you are wasting your time- head straight to the guy who will make your eggs any style or an omelette! VERY YUM
Spent day checking out town and great shops.
Went to GENEVA- best place to shop
Jl. RAYA KEROBOKAN – no. 100
Bought all sorts of handycrafts and artefacts- gorgeous shell boxes (AU$2), jewellery(about 50 cents), beaded things, had great lamps($4)- one that I had bought over here for $90! Deffinately worth a look
Bought GUCCI handbag in markets- about AU$10- the top ten shop everyone raves about wasn’t that FABULOUS- still fakes- some $200- when the stuff on the street(when looked for and found) is the same quality.
Beaded thongs about AU$5

DAY 3
Our destination – KUTA GALLERIA- WHOOOPPPPS- we meant BALI GALLERIA- "TAXI"- kuta galleria is fairly non-exsistent with very few shops- BALI GALLERIA- was GREAT- we arrived at 9:30 not knowing the shop (DFS) opened at 10. We were waiting by the door when the opened for us. So the 7 (2 families) of us were greeted by all the shop assistance. The shop was $$$ compared to the streets- it had GUCCI, TIFFANY's- but the surf clothing like home was comparably cheaper, because of the DUTY FREE- so there were still some great stuff. Bought ROXY sunny's US$59
Then bought formal dress fabric- silk- at ALTA MODA- a fantastic shop with a man that matched our skin colours with fabrics till he found something for us 3, 16 yr olds. The shop had some Ozzie designers in it- always a good sign.
DAY 4
Much spent lazing round pool (MELASTI and PADMA- as it was just up beach road- made friends with security guard).
Bought more bracelets (see it, like it, buy it- the MOTTO which everyone must live by in BALI) ranging from 75cents- AU$2- for good ones 10,000
Found great patisserie in SEMINYAK- Jl. RAYA LEGIAN- Café MOKA- worth a look. Great chocolate things.

BARGAIN of day – OREO cookies 80 cents in mini-mart
Wrap pants- 3 for $11.50- should pay about 30,000R each- morning price 25,000.

JONI's RESRAURANT for dinner- JALAN YUDISTRIA
Had live band- HIGHLY RECOMMEND- sizzling fajita's- "joni's favourite-on the menu" make your own…. Soo cool. You can use their big pool during the day when you buy a drink a stuff- cool.

DAY 5- off to UBUD
Started off the day with horrible breaky- omelette line was too long- Danish UHH!
Dad hired a car (KIJANG) from all the "TRANSPORT" people that corner you at every chance. It is fine driving- although it may seem CRAZY- everyone is only going about 40km/h.
Arrived at HONEYMOON GUESTHOUSE run by an Australian and Balinese couple. (www.casalunabali.com) FABULOUS little cottages in traditional style- 4 poster beds, fab pool, beast part- open ceiling marble bathrooms! (family room was soooo good!)
Dinner at MIRO's- nothing to rave about.

DAY 6
Great breaky to eat at room- fill out what you would like and at what time and its delivered to your very own VERANDA/porch. Ncie mango juice.

Not a lot for the kiddies to do in UBUD so the "cant be bothered teens" hung around the pool- and read. Parents did the cultural temple thing.
market in Ubud was slightly depressing- very poor children. Most of the stuff is the same at legian- but we found most of them a little more eager for money so they would give you lower prices. More wooden artefact like things.
Bought- HUGE secret agent watch for cousin with skull and what not- 30,000 R

DAY 7 and 8
POOLSIDE again
MURNI's WARUNG- Campuan- great little place hanging over river
CASA LUNA restaurant- run by our HONEYMOON GUESTHOUSE- some of the best food we had the entire trip- recommend strawberry juice.
OTHER best food of trip was found at – Café Wayan - monkey forrest rd. GREEAAATTT little garden place.

DAY 9 – Back in LEGIAN
Bad experience with TROPIK- bar and restaurant- the only bad one- waited 1.5 hrs for meals- a few came then we ended up walking. Ate OREO's for dinner.

DAY 10
WARUNG YOGYA- what a great little place- great Indo. Food. Satay was the best I had. (Jl. Padma Utara)
Ate there various other times.
Bought Louise Vuitton bag- "speedy design" – 60,000 R (absolute lowest she would go)
Went into Kuta for dinner – didn’t find footpaths that annoying- got used to doing a few steps then a jump.
CALIFORNIA-MEXICAN – in poppies lane 1- much the same food as JONI's- more $$ as it was a weel known restaurant.

DAY 11
Back to GENEVA- bought even more than my suitcase could handle
Bought DVD's in a quiet back street- bought about 100 for 10,000 each. All fab quality- new Harry pot., shrek2, final friends series (so I don’t have to wiat till September), raising Helen, stepford wives- all the newies- some which haven’t even hit Oz yet.
Dinner at JONI's again

DAY 12
Headed into KUTA for some slightly cheap surf shop- shopping. 180,000R (under $30) for a top that would be about $40 here.
Checked out JAYAKARTA POOL- quite nice but prefer PADMA. Beach isn’t ncie for swimming- grotty and SOOO RIPPY- apparently 1 person drowns of KUTA per week! YIKES.

DAY 13
Got hair braided- right before we went home- go it done at MELASTI spa- who did a very ncie job for 120,000 R- took 3 hrs on my shoulder length hair and lasted a week and a half before it got fluffy.
Went to MATAHARI department store which wasn’t that crash hot. Leave the kids by the pool. HOWEVER they had some good spots shoes for great prices.
WARUNG OCHA's- absolute hands down best INDONESIAN we had- and overall best food- just a small warung on the main rd Jl. RAYA seminyak. GREAT mie goreng- JUST FABULOUS- can't even beign to describe the fabulousness of this food- went there about 3 or 4 times. Quick taxi ride- costing 8,000 R to get there

DAY 14 – BALI to OZ
Very stressful-
Last minute shopping, and then trying to cram it into suitcase- SERIOUSLY leave your bag at least half empty- and DoN'T offer to buy too much for other people- you are only disadvantaging yourself.
Got to airport- OVERJOYED- flight was now BALI-SYD-MELBOURNE instead of MEL – SYD…. YIPPPPPEEEEEEEE! Cutting off a few hrs. Slept with head hanging out in aisle. Arrived back to sub-zero temperatures, OUCH, pack a spair pair of trackies in the hand-luggage.
Got through customs fine- only interested in getting BB GUNS! Wooden stuff and DVD made it! YAYAYAYAYAY!- dvd's wree my high priority.
Nothing broke in our baggage BUT dad manage to break some sheel plates that mum bought from GENEVA- trying to cram too much in the boot of car!
ALL IN ALL A FAB TRIP
Remember SEE IT LIKE IT BUY IT- or u will have regrets