My trip to Bali was so impromptu, it was almost perfect. We booked our flight a few weeks before departure just because it was cheap, did not make any booking for hotel rooms and even got another friend to join us three days before we left.

But god knows, I’ve never felt more relaxed in my whole entire life. It was like all my troubles - gone!


We arrived in Bali early morning at around eight. Our friend Hadi had made friends with some boys there the last few times he went and so we took a cab down from the airport to meet them. We were greeted with enthusiasm and made fast friends with Kacheng & Johnny, the pair who then brought us around Kuta.

Hadi had gotten us rooms, cheap ones at that and despite our skepticism, the lodge that we checked in was actually cosy and felt almost like home for the next few days. For S$10 a night, it was a deal, of course bearing in mind that we were on a tight budget ( trip not properly planned, money not saved). And of course with what we brought, we cannot be expecting a Shangri La, yes?

I cannot exactly remember the name of the inn but it was somewhere around Kuta. Walking distance to a whole lot of surf shops around. Voila!

Farid, another friend also happened to be in Bali at that time and so the two boys decided to rent bikes the moment we had our accommodation settled.

Our first meal consisted of instant noodles cooked by the beach and it was surprisingly good, if you don‘t mind the surroundings. However, be careful of the sellers around, they can be quite pushy. They’re the ones you see lugging around big bags filled with sarongs, towels, sunglasses and even dresses. Poor Zanna was tricked into buying more than she needed and spent almost S$200 on the beach itself while all I bought was a leg massage.

If you were to travel with me, you’ll know that I’m a fan of massages. I can go like all the time.

Anyway we went back to our rooms after that with bottled beers in hand. Bir Bintang is must have by the way, even me thinks that it’s good.

Sat and make plans for the night but decided to pretty much go with the flow after much discussion. When it was night, we had dinner at a nearby restaurant, one just beside the surf shop (called Naruki) where Kacheng & Johnny are working. Solid plans made, we went back to our room to change and went for more drinks.


The boys of Bali brought us to Embargo and some other clubs along the same stretch. The best part, I don’t remember paying for entrance at all. The clubs in Bali were littered with expats, they were everywhere but the crowd made the parties even more fun. Beats the night scene in Singapore anytime!

And ooh I saw Hans Isaac that night. Except I was too proud to approach him for a picture. Heh!

Moving on. I really had fun that night but we had to get back to prepare for a long day, one that was filled with various activities.



The next morning, we missed breakfast as expected and had brunch instead.

Johnny brought us to Uluwatu after that and we had a good time tanning and meals by the beach, that goes without saying. Was that heaven? It felt like it. Spectacular view, the breeze, good food and oohhh… another massage.






Next up, Ubud, where we witnessed the Kecak dance. A dance so dramatic, it literally spooked me out. But in my opinion, if you’ve seen it once, you’ve really seen it all.


The best part of the day was of course our dinner at Jimbaran. It was a distance from Ubud but it was worth the journey. Our seafood was served fresh, beers by the side and music playing in the background. And all of that was done by the beach of course. And did I mention how cheap it was? We went crazy with the menu. Where else can you get that in Singapore?

Stomachs filled, we joined our new friends for a mini birthday celebration, one that happened at their abode right behind the shop Naruki.

The next day saw us shopping around Kuta. We went to the Surf Factory Outlet, bought clothes from brands like Mooks, Ripcurl and Hurley. Any day is a good day when you’re spending money.


Our fourth day was spent by the beach. There wasn’t much that we could do since Zanna and I were not fans of sport activities and the boys wanted to surf all the time hence we put our bikinis on and we were all set to get roasted.




That night, had dinner at Warung Indonesia and we made friends with an Aussie couple. They went back to our rooms with us and we sat drinking more beers that night.


We were prepared to fly off that night and so we spent our supposedly last day with our new friends. They watched us pack with forlorn expressions and we sat in front of their shop and listened to their singing. Luck had it that we got our dates wrong. No thanks to Lion Air’s change in flight timing and all.

And so, we rushed back to Kuta, surprisingly happy that we’re not going back to Singapore. If you must know, there were talks of throwing our passports into the sea. That was how bad we felt about heading home.

We did nothing on our fifth unplanned day. I think we’ve spent all of our money by then. But needless to say, I had a whole lot of fun on this trip. So much so that we even missed the first day of Ramadhan.

Gee!

On a parting note, go to Bali if you’ve not been there. Stay in lodges or guesthouses like we did but of course do not be scaredy cats like us and not try out the sea sports there.