Om Suastiast! January 2017. Bali! Hotel's restaurant. I was 9years 1mo.
Bali, Indonesia
MONKEYS, MOUNT AGUNG, TEMPLES
• Bali is an island province of Indonesia
• Bali's capital Densapar, population 4,2 million, mainly Hindus
• Length 145km, width 80km, highest point Mount Agung 3031 meters
• Mount Agung had erupted in 1963 and again in November 2017
• Languages: Balinese and Indonesian
• Bali has over 500 reef-building coral species
First night in Bali Island, Amed: done. We slept among flowers set everywhere inside our Villa. In the morning it was drissling while sunshine. The sea was calm up to Lombok Island in front of us. Breakfast in Restaurant Safka was menu-based, Eggs Benedict, congees, lattes, juices, waffles, and more, all good, served us by Ms. Made.
LUGGAGE NO-SHOW
Our luggages didn't arrive to Bali Airport (Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport) belt after busy transfer in Melbourne. Wait and wait, no-show. Late, hotel manager begun to work on this. Days later we received two luggages of three, delivered to hotel. My little blue roll bag which contained clothes, toys and my diary, didn't come all week. Only when leaving Bali, at the airport, we got it back. No explanation, just very bad service which made us feel bad.
Hotel Griya has 14 Villas, we got Villa No.14 with 3 bedrooms (we were six persons), separate kitchen/living room building with DVD. Villa was arranged around swimming pool, three double sun beds with open view over the Bali Sea. Actually, we had three building, mountain on side and sea in front, over 100 meters above the sea level. Sort of a mini castle, walled space with stepping stones over fish pond to walk in from the main door.
Breakfast: chicken congee, pouched eggs, sausages, bacon, juices, coffee. After, we collected two bags clothes to laundry service. Weather was hot but otherwise perfect, not humid. Swimming, jumping, snorkeling in our Villa's pool was fun. A lot of sunshine!
I took with MaMa a massage in Hotel Griya Villas. Oil massage, one hour. Onto massage bed, face towards the hole in it, relax. Later I was turned onto my back, eyes covered, more massage. Toes and hands were massaged, pulled and pushed. I recommend this service.
After massage I went swimming. Next, I wrote diary and finally we watched a movie. Dinner at Restaurant Safka had a music band, they played Beatles, movie music and popular old music. BaBa asked Day Tripper and they really played it. Great fun!
PURA LEMPUYANG TEMPLE SAFARI
After breakfast we had a mountain/temple/water palace safari. Driver took us about an hour narrow roads on mountains between layered rice paddy terraces. We arrived to 2000 years old Lempuyang Temple, Pura Lempuyang in Karangasem Regency on Bali Island. Our driver gave us colorful sarongs to cover legs.
1700 steps to walk up the three levels.
Lempuyang hotness! Next we climbed up those dragons guarded steps.
Split Gate of the first level. Mount Agung behind the clouds.
We were in a jungle. Major temple was on the first level. Steps to walk up, lots of Hindu statues and gates. We continued to second level called Pura Idu Raku Dukuh, 30 mins walk up the mountain. Actually, BaBa went there by motorcycle taxi. Second level was smaller than first level but had great views over the valley towards Bali's main volcanic mountain Mount Agung.
It was a hot and rainy day. Our guide had a long stick to keep monkeys and snakes away during the walk.
- Shopkeeper used slingshot to shoot angry monkeys, to keep them away
We reached second level and decided not to continue to highest, the third level. Over 1500 steps more was needed to go the peak. We skipped it, our friends made it! We walked back down. It was jungle on the left and right with cobras and monkeys. Monkeys followed us, aggressively asking food which we didn't have for them. BaBa didn't have slingshot or stick but somehow managed to keep angry monkeys away!
- Bali monkeys were tall and angry with sword-like teeth!
Family portrait was taken by a Canadian visitor lady. Behind us the Split Gate and behind it volcano Mount Agung. And the weather was hot.
Black/white checkered fabric on both sides of steps is for decoration. Many road side statues had also fabrics around. And I had that colourful sarong around. Explanation given by our driver:
- Looks better!
TIRTA GANGGA WATER PALACE
A former royal palace, built in 1946. Destroyed in 1963 by eruption of Mount Agung, the biggest volcano in Bali. Tirta Gangga is a garden park with fountains, fish ponds and bridges. Some colourful fish were one meter tall. Many old-looking statues, Indonesian style.
- Nearby was a photo opportunity with long, fat snake!
There, Sir-D and Sir-K studying Tirta Gangga Water Palace, can you find us! We returned from Pura Lempuyang and Tirta Gangga Safari to hotel late afternoon. In spite of mosquitos, hotness and angry monkeys this was a good safari. We saw local life. At hotel directly to the pool. Dinner at Restaurant Safka. Night, a thunderstorm lasted all night.
January 20, 2017. Bali, Indonesia.
Morning was sunny. After major breakfast hotel's eCar service drove BaBa from Restaurant Safka up hill to Villa No.14, so full was he. Playing in pool. Could still hear some thunder behind nearby mountains. Time goes slowly in Bali, so we watched a few DVD-movies. Beef dinner at Safka.
Bali is on the equator line: imaginative divide between Northern and Southern Hemisphere. At Bali Denpasar International Airport we had pick-up to our hotel in Amed. That makes day's traveling 4-hour flight to Melbourne, then 5-hour flight to Bali, and still 3-hour car drive to hotel. Mountain road to hotel in eastern Bali.
• Flight from Melbourne to Bali, Indonesia, 5 hours, Boeing 787
• Hotel Griya Villas and Spa, Amed, Abang, Bali, Indonesia, 3 nights
• From Hotel to Bali Airport, 120km, 3 hours drive
• Flight from Bali to Singapore, 3 hours
Leaving Bali, Hotel Griya Villas, Indonesia. After 3-hour car drive we arrived to Bali Denpasar International Airport. We finally got back my roll bag which had been held in the airport. Then a 3-hour flight to Singapore, we arrived after midnight early Sunday.
Island-Hopping World Tour
• Bali was a stop during our World Tour
• World Tour from December 10, 2016 to January 26, 2017
• Beginning of the tour I was 8 years 11mo old
• World is not flat, we went to the left, arrived back from the right
• After 21 flight hours over Pacific Ocean the world feels still big
• Got some mosquito bites, nothing more serious
TOTAL 48 days including starting and ending days
Our World Tour route from right to left
World Tour Islands
From Helsinki to
1. The Bahamas, Nassau (via Miami, USA)
++ Hotel Atlantis Resort, waterpark, dolphins, scenery, quality
-- No problems
2. Easter Island, Chile (via Santiago)
++ Moai era, BirdMan era, nature, touring trips
-- Mosquitos, street dogs, Internet problems
3. Tahiti Island, Papeete, French Polynesia
++ Hotel InterContinental, views, pools, dinners, dance shows
-- Mosquitos
4. BoraBora Lagoon, French Polynesia (visited 3 BoraBora islands)
++ Lagoon, beach, mountain, service, shows, lagoon/jeep safaris
-- Mosquitos, main island street dogs and forest dogs
5. Rarotonga Lagoon, The Cook Islands (via Tahiti)
++ Muri beach, pool, jeep safari, lagoon, shows, jungle
-- Mosquitos, hot, beach dogs, pricing of breakfasts elements
6. Aitutaki Lagoon, The Cook Islands (visited 8 Aitutaki islands)
++ Hotel Pacific Resort, views, pool, dinners, lagoon cruise, shows
-- Mosquitos
7. New Zealand: Auckland, Rotorua, Tongariro, Wellington
++ Views, dinners, geologic, nature park, cafees, hotels
-- No problems
8. Bali Island, Amed, Indonesia (via Melbourne, Australia)
++ Views, friendly service, dinners, juices, jungle temple
-- Mosquitos, hot, angry monkeys
9. Singapore
++ Hotel Shangri-La, quality, service, pools, restaurants, Orchard Rd
-- No problems
Back to Helsinki
FLIGHTS
No.1 from Helsinki to Miami, 10,5h night flight, Finnair
No.2 from Miami to Nassau, 30mins, American Eagle
No.3 from Nassau back to Miami, 30mins, American Eagle
No.4 from Miami to Santiago, 8h night flight, Latam
No.5 from Santiago to Easter Island, 5,5hours, Latam
No.6 from Easter Island to Tahiti, 5hours, 5 time zones, Air Tahiti
No.7 from Tahiti to BoraBora, 50mins, Air Tahiti
No.8 from BoraBora back to Tahiti, 50mins, Air Tahiti
----- flight had a stop on Raiatea Lagoon, French Polynesia
No.9 from Tahiti to Rarotonga, 3hours, Air Tahiti
----- flight got a technical problem, back to Tahiti, 2nd try ok
No.10 from Rarotonga to Aitutaki, 50mins, Air Rarotonga
No.11 from Aitutaki back to Rarotonga, 50mins, Air Rarotonga
No.12 from Rarotonga to Auckland, 4,5h night flight, Air New Zealand
----- NZ car tour from Auckland to Wellington, around 800km
No.13 from Wellington to Melbourne, Australia, 4hours, Jetstar
No.14 from Melbourne to Bali, Indonesia, 5hours, Boeing 787, Jetstar
No.15 from Bali to Singapore, 3hours, Jetstar
No.16 from Singapore to Helsinki, 12h night flight, Finnair
TOTAL 16 flights, 65 flight hours, 48.000 kilometers
HOTELS
No.1 Miami - Hotel Element, rm 249, one night
No.2 Bahamas - Hotel Atlantis Resort, rm 8549, 4 nights
No.3 Easter Island - Hotel Ota'i, Hanga Roa, rm 135, 4 nights
No.4 Tahiti - Hotel InterContinental Resort, rm 180, 2 nights
No.5 BoraBora - Hotel Pearl Beach Resort & Spa, Bungalow No.50, 7 nights
No.6 Tahiti - Hotel InterContinental Resort, rm 386, one night
No.7 Rarotonga - Hotel Pacific Resort Rarotonga, rm 209, 4 nights
No.8 Aitutaki - Hotel Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Bungalow No.114, 3 nights
No.9 Rarotonga - Hotel Pacific Resort Rarotonga, rm 44, one night
No.10 Rotorua - Holiday Inn Hotel, rm 615, 3 nights
No.11 Tongariro - Hotel Chateau Tongariro, rm 121, one night
No.12 Wellington - Museum Art Hotel, rm 343, 5 nights
No.13 Bali - Hotel Griya Villas and Spa, Villa No.14, 3 nights
No.14 Singapore - Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, rm 683, 4 nights
TOTAL 14 hotels, 43 hotel nights, 4 night flights
SAFARIS, TOURS, MUSEUMS, POINTS OF INTEREST, SHOWS
• Bahamas Nassau Airport - Welcoming 3-man guitar band
• Bahamas hotel - Birthday drumming show during dinner
• Bahamas - Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park
• Bahamas - Dolphin Cay dolphin show and photos
• Bahamas village - Jazz band at a street restaurant
• Easter Island - Museo Antropologico P. Sebastian Englert
• Easter Island - Moai, BirdMan tours with Mr Roberto, 3,5 days
• Tahiti Airport - Welcoming Tahitian guitar and singing group
• Tahiti hotel - Polynesian Warrior Drum and Dance dinner show
• Tahiti hotel - Great views at Hotel InterContinental Resort
• BoraBora Christmas Eve - Polynesian Drum/Dance dinner show 1.
• BoraBora Christmas Day - Polynesian Drum/Dance dinner show 2.
• BoraBora - Shark-Feeding lagoon Safari with Captain Will
• BoraBora - Jeep Safari day with Mr Steve
• BoraBora - Kayaking trip to the edge of islet Motu Tevairoa
• Rarotonga Airport - Welcoming guitar music by an old man
• Rarotonga New Year - Polynesian Drum and Hip-shaking dinner
• Rarotonga - Jeep Safari day with Mr Chico
• Rarotonga - Trip to Punanga Nui Market near Avarua Beach
• Aitutaki hotel - Aitutaki trio, harmonic music during dinners
• Aitutaki hotel - Polynesian Warrior Drum and Dance dinner show
• Aitutaki - Lagoon Cruise Safari with Captain Fantastic Andrew
• Aitutaki - Bicycle trip from hotel passing Arutanga Harbour
• Rotorua - HoBbiToN Movie Village tour: Lord of Rings, The Hobbit
• Rotorua - Te Puia Park geothermal and Maori culture show
• Rotorua - Te Puia Park Maori singing, warrior dances, faces
• Rotorua - Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Park, geyser
• Lake Taupo - Huka Falls on Waikato River
• Tongariro National Park - Happy Valley, Whakapapa village
• Tongariro National Park - Ruapehu volcano, Tawhai Falls
• Waiouru - National Army Museum of New Zealand
• Wellington - Museum Te PaPa of New Zealand culture
• Wellington - Waterfront and Hikitia steam-driven crane boat
• Wellington - Cable Car Museum and Wellington Botanic Garden
• Wellington - Hippopotamus Restaurant in Museum Art Hotel
• Bali hotel - Band, movie music, popular olds, Beatles
• Bali - Pura Lempuyang Temple Safari and Mount Agung
• Bali - Tirta Gangga Water Palace Safari near Mount Agung
• Singapore - ArtScience Museum: NASA, A Human Adventure
TOTAL 38 experiences, over 30GB photos and video
GET-PREPARED FOR WORLD TOUR
• Vaccines: Hepatiitti-A; Hepatiitti-B; Tetanus
• Insurance: Persons; Things; Contact info
• VISA: ESTA.org for USA entry
• Medicine bag: Travel; Adult; Junior; Care things; Docs
• Hygiene bag: Dental; Shampoo/care; Combs; Scissors; Shaving
• Electronics: Phones; Cameras; iPad; Cables; Plugs; Loaders
• On-Travel: Clothes; Flight pillows; CabinBags; CargoBags
• Holiday clothes; Shirts and all
• Sunglasses; Sun hats; Sun oils
• Swimming: Snorkeling; Fins; RashGuards; Shoes
• Trip arrangement by Aventura, Helsinki
• Trip schedule and budget
• Trip process: Targets ➙ Flights ➙ Hotels ➙ Pickups ➙ Tours
• Trip documents: Tickets, Vouchers, Schedule, Contacts
• Other documents: Passports, Credit cards, Driving licences
• Principle: less to carry is better
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