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mariaclaragomez276 · 4 years

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Independent Minds: Max Loong, Hidden Hills Villas

It’s no surprise that actor, model, and TV presenter turned hotelier and wine connoisseur Max Loong has high standards and impeccable taste – no doubt some of which he inherited from his late mother, an art consultant for Christie’s. His first boutique hotel venture in Bali is as multifaceted as his career, a unique collection of hilltop residences where no two villas, or experiences, are the same.

Breaking the cookie cutter cycle of corporate chain hotels, Hidden Hills Villas takes the meaning of bespoke to new heights of privacy, personalisation, and quite simply, perfection. You won’t find set mealtimes, a main restaurant or loungers lining the pool. Instead, chefs grill just-caught fish in your villa, while your butler will bring you a mixologist-made cocktail – whenever and wherever you fancy.

What does being ‘Independently Minded’ as an hotel owner mean to you?

Each one of our guests is independently minded, so we as hotel owners need to get on the same page and be even more independently minded. The world has tried for too long to put people in categories, create cookie cutter templates for groups of people. Gen Y has shown us that the new traveller wants to have a unique experience and Gen Z will show us that we need to start caring for our planet more and have a sustainable approach in everything we do.

As a family-run business at Hidden Hills Villas, we have taken this to a whole new level – from the design of our villas, whereby no two rooms are the same, barely any furniture piece you find more than once and with unique artefacts – we really do create that warm feeling guests appreciate about their real home away from home. Our team members love their jobs, and they show this from the heart in truly tailor-making your vacation to your liking.

What was the inspiration behind the hotel, and where do you continue to find sources of inspiration?

The inspiration behind our hotel was that we were tired of hotels that might have all the elements of luxury, but you would wake up in the morning and literally not know if you were in Hong Kong or New York. This corporate hotel chain experience that the world had become decades ago, had to be broken. We were not the first by all means, but we wanted to take it one step further.

With my late mother and co-founder Beatrice’s decades of experience working in the world of art, as an art consultant for Christie’s Auction House amongst others, and with my 20 years’ experience in the entertainment industry producing TV shows, movies as well as unique events, we wanted to create an interior design experience that rivals the best of the best in the world, and from the feedback from our guests, it seems we have done something right. I constantly travel and love staying in great properties all around the globe and I am always inspired by some of the amazing counterpart hotels and hotel owners who put as much love into their projects, the way we do.

How do you think your hotel stands apart from other boutique hotels?

Most hotels overuse the word boutique but don’t offer that boutique experience. At Hidden Hills Villas from arrival to departure, our entire service experience comes from the heart, because we believe that a happy team is needed to have happy guests. We have created a small professional family amongst our employees who have been with us since our opening five years ago – when asked what they love about their job, for most the answer is being part of the Hidden Hills Villas family. Our truly personalised experience begins with the first communication we have with our guests, which starts when we proactively reach out to each one of them prior to arriving, discussing how we can tailor their vacation to their personal preferences.

We place a big emphasis on returning guests and keep track of every guest’s particulars so that when you choose to come back, we ensure that we remember how you liked your breakfast or which favourite restaurant you would like to make a reservation at. Of course, our in-house F&B experience follows the same philosophy and we try to adjust our meals according to your liking, may it be with a private cooking experience in the comfort of your villa, or by finding a specific local fresh fish on the market that morning if this is what you fancy that day. At Hidden Hills Villas, we not only still believe that “customer is king” but also that our customers are our friends and family.

If you only had 24 hours to get a taste for your hotel experience, what would you recommend a guest must do?

Firstly we would pick you up in our luxurious van so your transportation to and from our resort is seamless. Check-in already happens prior to your arrival so all you need to do is enter the villa of your choice, as with Hidden Hills Villas you know exactly which villa you will get. We have anything your heart desires, from Studio Villas to One, Two, Three, Four, and Five Bedroom Villas. Our Ocean View Villas all come equipped with a private pool. I would recommend you stay at Villa Sekapa, one of our Two Bedroom Villas. For the afternoon we would organise a soothing one hour signature Balinese massage followed by a 30-minute foot massage in the comfort of your villa.

Many of our guests agree that there is hardly a better place on the island to view the magical Bali sunsets than from our little paradise, and what better way to enjoy these than with one of our many local signature cocktails that are handcrafted by Italian mixologist Davide Mollica. We would serve some delicious pre-dinner snacks, like our homemade Vietnamese spring rolls or our unique tri-colour tacos with our secret sauce and fresh mango.

Shortly after we invite you to experience our unique in-villa dinner experiences, whereby our Chef Ayu personally comes to your villa and whips up one of the best BBQ experiences with fresh fish, tiger prawns and lobster from the market, as well as any meats and sides of your choice, paired with a nice bottle of wine. I myself study wine, and am in my final level of WSET diploma at the moment, so wine is a big thing for me.

Top the night off in one of our many natural stone bathtubs overlooking the Indian Ocean. Our beds are heavenly as we have spared no expense getting the top-of-the-line Therapedic mattresses with 400 thread count satin linen, for the perfect night’s sleep. In the morning we will bring you a freshly prepared breakfast experience right to your villa, with many choices from any style eggs, to our healthy bowls, seasonal fruits, Nespresso coffees and of course fresh croissants. By the end of the 24 hours we would have already assisted you in extending your flight by another 24hrs so we can start all over again, but we save that for those who want to come and experience it for themselves.

How would you describe your own perfect luxury experience?

My own perfect luxury experience are moments and experiences that are priceless. Those magical moments when you have to simply just take it in and say, “Wow, I have arrived in paradise and if this was my last day on earth, I would be in the perfect place for it.” It is what we are trying to achieve with our project. I must say though that one of the best experiences I ever had was when a guest relations manager would anticipate every one of our wishes before we even knew we had them. I know this sounds insane but it truly happened. He would plan things out for us and propose it to us, we loved the idea as it was exactly what we wanted in that moment and minutes later we could just hop in the car that was already waiting for us outside, taking us to that experience.

Do you have a vision for the future of the hotel?

Absolutely, even though 2020 has been the toughest year for us, our team, the island of Bali and the hospitality industry around the entire globe, sometimes you have to take those challenging times and turn it into something positive. We decided to expand our resort by building more villas which will create our entry level category of studio style villas. These are still individual villas but are more like a hotel room experience, in contrast with the larger, suite style villas we already have, giving the opportunity to experience true affordable luxury.

We are also adding a lounge and a common pool area to create a place for our guests to gather and socialise. But again, the best part about our concept is that you do not have to see any other guests if you don’t want to, and you can get all the luxury hotel amenities within your villa, for those who seek out pure privacy.

We want to expand the brand and have been actively looking into various other locations and are focusing on a property in the US at the moment. With our next property we want to be fully sustainable from the construction to operating the business, offering our own home-grown produce in a farm-to-table experience. Our ultimate goal is to create fully sustainable hotels with independently minded experiences, which are fully personalised and unique, listening to each and every one of our guest’s needs.

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jo-shanebali · 4 years

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We've been to Bali Too!

Day 1: Getting There

2/03/2020: Up at four thirty and dressed. With the last minute items added to suitcases, we woke the kids to give out farewell kisses, but were greeted with signs that being awoken had not impressed them. Mitch dropped us off at Williamtown well before six for our seven o'clock flight.

Once at check in we hit our first hurdle of the day. When answering questions Jo told them that her phone storage battery was in the checked luggage and was told to remove it. A frantic search of her luggage ensued, off to the side of the check in desk just like the Chinese and Indians that we have laughed at on previous occasions. Upon finally retrieving the rogue item, the charger was safely stored in her carry on and suitcases sent through check in. Shane had batteries in his check-in but said nothing.

Standing in line for coffee, one of Shane's colleagues tapped him on the shoulder. Pete was returning from Bali, just checked in for his flight to Dubbo. He told us it was unusually quiet for the time of year, surely as a result of Coronavirus and emphasised not to worry too much about getting around, the light blue taxis were the better ones but they were all okay. Just make sure that they have a meter on. Beers will cost only a few dollars, particularly in resorts and that if we did get ripped off, it would still be cheap, just not as cheap.

Newcastle Airport- Jo looking disheveled after the suitcase search

The flights were quite good, only an hour and a bit to Brisbane. This is where we ran into Ryan, our niece Ashley’s husband. He was on business with Boeing for a few days so we had a quick chat while waiting for the queue to move up the aisle. Then straight on the shuttle as our luggage was going directly to Bali and within no time we were going through security at the International Terminal, with three hours to kill. Some of this time was spent sorting out Jo's passport which was rejected at the immigration auto check. She had to queue and go through manually. First stop was duty free where we only intended to buy a litre each for Bali but nothing for home as when we travelled via Sydney, the duty free was only ten dollars cheaper than Dan's. Not worth it, but Brisbane had two litres of Absolut Vodka for fifty five dollars. We grabbed four bottles for home.

Loaded up and ready to go, and on the way to Gate 76A we passed Brisbane River Grille who were advertising two eggs on sourdough with a two for one deal. Stopping in there for a quick breakfast, two meals, a coffee and chai latte for about eighteen bucks, it was while we were finishing up that our flight was called for boarding. We effectively walked straight onto the plane without too much of a wait and straight to row twenty one. The seats were comfortable, leg room sufficient and the meal provided half decent. About five and a half hours later, at two o'clock local time, the plane touched down in Denpasar. It was well worth paying the extra few hundred bucks to fly with Virgin than with the alternative, the "worst airline" that we had ever flown with.

After ticking off drugs with the immigration card, just prescription meds, not a boogie bag full of whatever and disembarking at Denpasar, we were herded onto shuttle buses that took us to the terminal, successfully maneuvering through the drugs issue (after some explaining), and the temperature gauge picking up if we were crook. Upon exiting the terminal, drivers and their signs were everywhere looking for their clients. Our names finally appeared on cardboard and our driver Made, who pushed our luggage to a clear area and told us to stay put while he retrieved his van, reappeared from the confusion, invited us inside and with the luggage in the back and gave us a bottle of cold water and a cold hand towel each. It was much appreciated.

Welcome to Bali

Made drove like a madman, not unlike the Arab that drove us to the airport in Paris the previous year. Squeezing through gaps that never existed, creating extra lanes at traffic lights that also never existed and blowing the horn at anyone that got in his way. Scooters everywhere risking their lives while maniacs pushed them out the way. Not that they were too innocent themselves. We were soon to find out that this was normal.

Once at the resort boom gate that got us into the Belmond, Jimbaran Puri, the security guard ran the long stick with the mirror around the underside of the car and allowed us in. Thank goodness, we weren't suicide bombers and were rewarded as such with a cold drink each at reception. Orange juice, ginger and lychee plus another cold hand towel and a small flower arrangement for Jo. Then entouraged to our golf buggy, we were driven to our villa where decorations adorned the entry celebrating Shane's 60th birthday. Once inside we were treated to a small birthday cake, candles and a song, a resort shirt for Shane and not forgetting Jo's 58th birthday, a small ornamental turtle made from turtle shells for her. Our butler Ayu gave us a great start to our holiday.

Villa No.65. Traditional celebration ornaments

After our arrival and reception by our butler we cracked open a couple of beers by the pool followed by a dip which was really warm. The pool was around seven metres long by four metres wide. Apart from the area where we could get in, about a foot deep, the rest of the pool was five foot deep and rectangular in shape, but unlike our pool in Phuket, this one was definitely private. Anything was good in the humidity.

Greetings from Bali

The couple of drinks early on led to another one within happy hour. We then headed for a walk down the beach in the direction from where we had just come, the airport.

The first thing that struck us was the filth on the beach, the second was the smell as the locals though it was a good idea to burn the plastic. Bali is apparently just one of dozens of Indonesian islands that are not coping with marine and coastal litter landing on their beaches. Only two years ago some 1.2 million tonnes of ocean rubbish landed on local beaches. Over thirty percent were plastics. Bali's problem is with its locals who are responsible for eighty percent of the rubbish that washes up. Hotel workers and villagers dump their rubbish in the rivers and with the increased flows of the rainy season, off it goes, disappearing downstream. Out of sight out of mind. This has been going on for decades.

Jimbaran Bay

Kuta Beach in December (Jakarta Post)

Maybe a quarter of the way towards the airport we turned about and headed back, politely harassed by hawkers trying to get us into their restaurants, all amongst the debris. With our dinner in mind, and back at the resort, if we had chosen one of the hawkers’ restaurants we would have had the pleasure of the wafting fumes of the local fishermen's fires.

Safely back, we traded a voucher for our first cocktail, the vouchers given to us at reception. Seven meals, seven cocktails and a couple of massages each. Although mostly empty, the few available dinner tables on the sand were filling up. As it was, the beach had a reasonable drop off to the water so from where we sat the rubbish wasn’t visible. We could still smell it. We asked for a table and were duly obliged, on the sand. The waiter took our order and so on it went.

Sand seating at the Belmond

The rest of the evening was lovely, ordering the Balinese BBQ and entertained by what the barman described as a gay band. It was in fact a "guy band", four males singing requests (if they knew them). They were pretty good, their dulcet tones punctuated the moaning and screaming of the local mongrel dogs rooting on the beach in the background. Their back drop was a magnificent sunset. As the meals arrived we enjoyed them accompanied by the aroma of burning plastic piercing the air as we ate. In the end we paid the bill, retired back to our pool for an evening dip. The temperature was hot during the day but quite pleasant during the night.

The "gay band" entertaining everyone

With the first day behind us we hit the sack by ten thirty.

Day 2: A Walk Around the Town

3/03/2020: Being up at six thirty meant that we had plenty of time for a tea, a coffee and swim before breakfast, listening to Leonard Cohen on the Bose. We were only entitled to breakfast and lunch or dinner in our package so a late breakfast would negate the need for lunch. That's was the plan anyway.

By nine we were at breakfast, a buffet type deal with a separate menu for breakfast of the day, mostly egg dishes. We chose the eggs and grabbed other food from the buffet as well, crispy bacon, small snags, fruit, cereals etc. Teamed up with some flavoursome juices, if this was the norm then we were more than happy. After breakfast we checked out the main pool and Jimbaran Bay from the edge of the sand. It was then back to the pool where we lazed around until housekeeping interrupted us to clean the room. We told them to give us fifteen minutes and we'd get out of their way.

This was to be the norm, every morning

Deciding to walk along Jimbaran streets and back along the beach, we strolled along Jalan Yoga Perkanthi, the laneway to our resort until hitting what we thought may have been the main street. No sooner had we turned the corner that Roberto from Timor-Leste bailed us up. He was standing next to his scooter on the side of the road and started giving us a spiel about where he was from and the great opportunity he was going to give us. He gave us a couple of cards that were to be torn open and a prize won. Once opened he carried on and on about the great prize that was inside. Shane won a couple of t-shirts that he could pick up at the Karma Group offices around the corner. Joanne however had won majorly. There was a gold circle inside the card that had to be scratched. It would contain one of three prizes. Firstly seven days at a Karma Resort in Bali, secondly a GoPro camera or finally a couple of million Rupiah. He carried on as if excited, and if we came with him to the office, Jo would get the prize and he would get a hundred bucks commission. Karma are a group that manage time share resorts around the world and for a couple of grand buy in and five hundred or so bucks maintenance fee per year would allow us a week holiday somewhere. Not for us.

After Roberto finished waffling on, we said no and moved on. He couldn't believe that we knocked him back. He must have been pretty confident that he had us hooked but it wasn't the case. We were told before we left that if we rocked up to Karma's offices once in Bali and put up with a couple of hours of hard sell they would give us a week anyway so we knew exactly what Roberto was on about before he started.

The street was very busy with cars and scooters. The footpath was narrow with obstacles constantly in our way, pushing us onto the road. Small and large temples were everywhere and shops catering for locals scattered along. We walked a fair way before heading up a side street towards the beach. Jalan Segara Wangi was lined with a mixture of large houses, businesses and cramped corridors where it looked like the poorer people lived in humpies either side. A fair bit of vacant land as well. A common theme for all of our walk was the rubbish around that nobody cleans up. It reminded us of villages in Fiji, Vanuatu and Phuket. They all looked the same.

Jalan Uluwatu runs parallel to the beach

Accommodation of some of the poorer folk

Approaching the end of the street, larger beachfront sheds came into view. We were in the centre of the seafood restaurants and were blocked for a while from accessing the sand, eventually finding a way through and landed right next to the Aroma Resto Bar which we took advantage of with a couple of beers before deciding to return to Belmond for a couple more. After the first one, Jo was falling asleep in her chair so she ended up back at the room for an afternoon snooze. Shane followed not long after but being locked out spent half an hour in the pool.

Heading back for happy hour, one of the bar staff asked us if we wanted to book a table for dinner, we looked around, nobody to be seen. We questioned her as why it was necessary but she didn't understand. What she did say however was that the place was empty due to the Indonesian government banning incoming flights from China, most of their business and they were hurting*. Their loss was our gain, no obnoxious Chinese tourists to deal with. No table ended up being booked as no-one was around.

We found out later that all outside tables were booked out

Ending up being seated just inside in a pretty good spot, the afternoon was spent watching storms brewing but nothing seemed to be coming towards us. Then everyone outside started picking up their stuff and heading inside, no storm but strong winds bringing some rain. We experienced our second great meal in two nights which capped the day off perfectly.

Patrons enjoying the outdoors, unlike us. Then the rain hit

Dinner done, we headed back for a swim, patch sewing on our travel blanket and bed.

* The ban on China was due to a new virus, Novel Caronavirus or COVID19. It was spreading around the world with the Chinese city of Wuhan being the worst hit and thought to be ground zero. The whole city was locked down and field hospitals set up to cope with the thousands of sick and dying. China was declared a hot spot and by the end of March the world had a pandemic on its hands with most international travel banned.

Day 3: Lunchtime Massage and Afternoon Food Tour

4/03/2020: Up and off to breakfast before eight. Today we had a food tour booked so we would eat lunch with our voucher instead of dinner. It had been raining all night and it was our first wet, overcast day. Eggs Florentine was the focus today, eggs a bit runny for Jo. She had something else, then back to the pool.

Oranges today. Looked like a cross between an orange and a lime. Not sweet and not particularly juicy

It wasn't too long after we jumped into the pool that housekeeping again interrupted us to clean the room. We told them to come back later, to do our room at twelve when we had the first of our massages. Hopefully with a happy ending.

The massage parlour was quite exposed and to the south. Once introduced, the madame gave us forms to fill out regarding our health, their get out of gaol card and showed us samples of what kind of oil we wanted rubbed in. We were then shown to a small shower / toilet room where we stripped off, put on the gowns and paper undies. Resurfacing, the ladies that were to do the duties were then introduced. Shane had Tri who had to give him a strong massage, Jo couldn't remember who gave her a normal one. Once his back was cracked, she got stuck into it and he felt every bit of it. There's a fine line between pleasure and pain but there was no happy ending. Maybe second time around. Jo was very sunburnt as remarked by both ladies at the start and offered aloe vera. As promised, they returned after the massage with the gel from the aloe vera plant and rubbed it into her skin. Bonus!

Immediately after the massage was our lunch which we ranked on a par with the dinners. Seafood for both, large grilled prawns and fish of the day.

Massage Parlour

We again took it easy by our pool until it was time to head to reception for our 3pm meeting for the food tour. Jo suggested leaving a half an hour early and to check out the tours. We were particularly interested in Ubud as it came recommended by several people. There were several good places amongst the AsiaWorld fact sheets so we grabbed a few and told the travel dude that we would book a tour first thing the next morning. Our food tour was beginning.

Our guide was a lady called Sunarti. She was a chef. Originally from a small village in Java, she moved to Bali to live with an Aunt to finish high school and Uni in Denpasar, married and had 3 children including twin boys born in November just like ours. This was a connection between us that seemed to impress her.

We were approaching peak hour in Denpasar so the drive was arduous. The first stop was to a street stall where a Balinese favourite treat was sold. Created by a lady called Murniati Widjaja who entered and won a competition in 1982 to come up with a national drink for Indonesia. It was served in a bowl which was a concoction of ice chips, condensed milk and creamy coconut syrup with a variety of chunky fillings including avocado, jackfruit, jelly like cincau, and coconut flesh, called Es (Ice) teler. It was quite sweet and quite refreshing, very popular with the locals and tourists alike. Sunarti told us how local people would stop at a stall to enjoy a bowl on their way home from work.

Sunarti extolling the popularity of Es Teler

Back in the car and to a home style biscuit factory where a traditional favourite called pie susu was produced. A group of women working from an open shed producing 1000 packs a day, nine biscuits in a pack. We were taken out the back where it was evident that the women made the biscuits from scratch, one would knead the dough, another would break some off and put it in a hand press to make the tart like shell. A third woman would make the caramel type custard to fill the tart and then into a couple of ovens. Out the front of the shed was a group of women who would individually stack the biscuits and package them up. They were working pretty hard but were happy and pretty chatty. The day was cool with the rain but the chat stopped when the heat was on, according to our guide. These home factories are everywhere and each may add a personal touch to the recipe.

The local biscuit factory. About eight women make and package 9,000 a day

Next was a food produce market used by the locals. Wide variety of fruit, vegetables and chickens (not stored on ice). There were also several stores selling the little basket offerings that appeared all over the place. Apparently, they are put out in groups of five, three times a day by families (this occurs at the several shrines in our hotel too). Old ladies with baskets on their head who acted as porters, little kids pulling on Jo's shirt selling packs of tissues for five thousand Rupiah, Shane gave her seven thousand. Snake skin fruit, skinned bamboo root, jack fruit, dragon fruit and eggs covered in salt. So many unusual foods and people made for an unforgettable experience.

Old mate sold our guide this lovely bamboo shoot

The next stop was the night food market. We got there fairly early so there was plenty of room. Sunarti took us around and explained all of the stalls before we chose what we wanted. All bar one was Muslim and they were shut. No pork tonight. We both chose the same, a spicy omelette pancake filled with bits of vegetables and minced meat called Martabak Ayam followed by Bakso Ayam, a dense chicken meatball in a clearish broth with rice vermicelli, some green stuff and some other stuff. Once Sunarti had our order we took a seat at the Bakso Super Purwoharjo tables while she ordered our meals. The food was different and very tasty. We were not disappointed that’s for sure.

I tasted much better than it looked

After dinner, and having been dropped off back to the Belmond at a decent hour, we managed to grab our free cocktail and be entertained by a group of performers and gamelan orchestra dancing several traditional dances including the Balinese Legong dance as well as the Cendrawasih, Baris and more. It was excellent bar the couple that thought it fine to let their toddler walk amongst the orchestra and dancers, touching all the instruments while they recorded him.

Balinese traditional dancers

That was it, day over. Tomorrow, an easy one with a trip to bogan heaven, Kuta Beach.

Day 4: A Half Day in Kuta

5/03/2020: Up at six thirty for a swim this morning, we could hear the rain all night and it had just stopped as Shane hit the water. Everything was wet, including the towels. Lesson learnt. Jo had other priorities with a sick Sophia at home but after a while and a phone call or two, she managed to jump in the pool as well.

We decided to take it easy today but punctuate it with a few hours in Kuta, shopping and checking out the beach so we headed for reception and asked them to organise a car. The concierge said a hundred and fifty thousand for one way. We settled on four hundred and fifty thousand for a half day, jumped in with a local called Markay and were well on our way before eleven. The conversation quickly turned to shopping with Markay suggesting a stop at a store called Krisna to which we agreed. This was a massive store full of all sorts of gear from clothing and homewares to knick knacks. After a quick stop and a few souvenirs we continued on.

Our next stop was within the Jalan Kuta Art Market and the nearby Matahari Centre. The stall holders were immediately onto us, trying to sell us their fake products. Jo went straight for them, looking for cheap Mimco and other purses and bags, as well as shoes. Shane a few shirts and some boardies. An order from Soph had Jo looking for a pair of Converse sneakers. She found some but the seller wanted the cost of a fair dinkum pair back home. Jo offered him 300,000 rupiah but he refused. After walking away, the guy chased her down the road to make the deal. He then had the audacity to ask her for a tip for his efforts.

The Matahari Centre was similar to the Krisna Centre with not much to interest us. Neither was anywhere as interesting as the walk to get there. Viagra, prostitutes, all on offer and strangely enough targeting Shane. He walked to and fro several times and each time they made the offer. They must have thought he was weakening.

Next was a walk to the end of the markets and onto the sand where we were hassled about surfing lessons. As if. Legion Beach was clean from the top down to the water where all of the people were but north to Seminyak and south to Kuta was covered with debris and rubbish. At least a couple of loaders were cleaning it up.

Rubbish on the beach up to Seminyak

We'd just about had enough but a stroll back to where we were dropped off led us to the shops again. Shane bought a shirt in a shop (took a while to find one big enough), he also bought a floppy hat and small bag for tomorrow's golf. Jo bought more bags or such.

Bartering over some purses

Upon reconnecting with Markay, within no time we were back at the resort doing the usual. Lazing in the pool and heading over for a cocktail before dinner.

Early one tonight, Ubud tomorrow and looking forward to it.

Day 5: Ubud

6/03/2020: Around eight o’clock we headed over to reception to meet up with our guide from AsiaWorld, Katut. Once underway he explained that the fourth child is named Katut and then it recycles so the eighth child was Katut. We're sure he said he was the seventh so we couldn’t work it out.

Heading out into leaden skies with light showers, we were continually passed by scooter riders with all their wet weather gear on. The labourers in the back trays of the trucks done the best they could. Small tarpaulins over their heads or just got wet. The brochure listed a set programme for what we paid for but our guide suggested other stuff which we were happy with. So we deviated slightly from the original plan.

Our first stop was a batik shop in a nearby regency, Gianyar. Batubulan to be exact. This required that we travelled over a toll bridge to get there. The Nusa Dua-Ngurah Rai-Benoa Toll Road or Bali Mandara Toll Bridge crossed what seemed a very shallow Gulf of Benoa. As we travelled, Katut explained to us that the area we were heading to were batik producers. The “factories” were run by local villagers, the money made going toward helping run the village as well as income for the workers. This theme repeated throughout Bali with the silver and pottery industries etc.

Local labourers trying to stay dry

Katut suggested that we drop into Sari Amerta Batik Collection for a look around. Out the back were several women using looms to weave fabric. We were shown the different finishes and how they achieved them. The two weavers were creating a patterned silk fabric where the pattern is set out and the fibre dyed accordingly. They then had to strictly adhere to the pattern so as the final product was as desired. The other women were creating batik fabric for whatever, clothes, home furnishings and such. Creating patterns and images on fabrics, for the shop maybe? Maybe not.

Inside the shop was quite impressive and no photos allowed. There were rows and rows of garments and silk scarves, from batik shirts and tops in all sizes to tourist type batik wax stamps. Very interesting. We were quite entertained by the skill of the women out back and left the store with a couple of hundred dollars of goodies.

A batik woman

A woman of the loom

Next stop was a short drive north to a traditional Balinese house with family temple in Singapadu. We turned right into a lane off Jalan Raya Singapadu, a couple of doors from Bigpig Supply HQ. This was great. A substantial property of about a quarter acre of which half was the living quarters and gardens of the family and half the family temple.

The sign on the front entry gave the house number, family name and the number of males, females and children living there

As we entered through a stone portal, the entrance led past the community kitchen and onto a path which linked the individual pavilions of the family members. We all live under the same roof but these people didn't. All rooms were individual and bare. The bedrooms were just that, a bed. To protect them from the inclement weather they relied upon wide roof overhangs and drop down cane roller blinds. Next to, and to the rear of the kitchen was the bathroom. It backed onto the laneway, next to the entrance. In front of the bathroom was a building that contained their grain and whatever else they needed. To the rear were the living quarters.

It was explained that this was a patriarchal society. Women would move into the husband’s family compound and become part of that family. In the event of divorce or separation, the woman would leave and return to her family, leaving behind any children as they are “his” property.

Entrance to the traditional Balinese house

The temple area was exceptional. Delineated by a high stone fence from the residence, the pamerajan at the north eastern corner was strewn with family and other shrines. Apparently, shrines are dedicated to family ancestors as well as the Hindu Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Their shrine, the sanggah kemulan takes the form of a miniature wooded structure raised on pillars and containing three compartments, one each. All mounted on a masonry column.

Sounds about it

Only a kilometre and a half down the road was the metalsmithing village of Celuk and the next stop. The Prapen Jewellery Store selling silver jewellery. The store was named after the Indonesian name for forge, perapian or the workshop of a metalsmith and started four generations ago to sell their jewellery directly to the cruise ships that docked nearby. Skilled metalsmiths with limited finances are provided with tools and designs and given work. As with the batik place we were shown around a small workshop with an example of this work prior to going into the store. This gave us a feel about the skill involved in making pieces with such intricate detail.

Four different processes were used to create the jewellery, Carving where a piece of metal is pressed onto a base of black pitch with patterns created by chiselling, Openwork where a pattern is placed on a piece of sheet metal and pierced onto a base of black pitch, Granulation where hundreds of tiny metal granules are soldered onto a base and Metal Weaving, the process of creating bracelets made of woven strands of silver wire.

Which process is going on here?

After our workshop experience we were directed into the showroom and escorted every step of the way. No pictures in here. The display was intriguing but not too much different than any other jewellers. Jo bought a small bead for her Pandora bracelet, we rested at the carp pool and we moved on.

The serenity of the carp pool

By eleven we were in the village of Batuan and entering its nearly one thousand year old temple, Pura Desa and Pura Puseh Batuan. We parked across the road behind a large open pergola type building where traditional Gambuh dance performances took place (but not today) and we would borrow a sarong for respect whilst inside. It was then like we were in a game of Frogger trying to cross Jalan Raya Batuan.

The temple, as testified by inscriptions at the front gate, was over a thousand years old going by the Balinese Saka calendar, based on lunar cycles. It was constructed in 944 isaka but still approaching one thousand years old by our Gregorian calendar. It was also a Tri Kahyangan member, a three temple concept preached by Mpu Kuturan to the Balinese Hindu community around the 10th century. The concept goes like this. The Pura Desa or Village Temple is a place to worship God Brahma the Creator, Pura Puseh to worship God Vishnu the preserver and the Pura Dalem to worship Lord Shiva the Destroyer.

Once inside the temple was typical Balinese comprising of three areas, Nista Mandala or outside area, Madya Mandala the middle area and Utama Mandala or main temple area. From the central courtyard we faced the Kori Agung containing a closed doorway meaning explicitly for the gods. As with the entrance, two rather large characters stood either side of the door. Don't know whether they were welcoming or not. Below them were a pair of not so friendly looking Dwarapala, on one knee with mace in hand. There were also dragons at the base of the stairs. To the right was a Bale Kulkul where drummers played Kentongans to summon and entertain the locals to the temple.

As we moved further towards the back we encountered similar buildings and statues that more than likely had a different significance. At the back of the temple was another building that held bits and pieces that had come from the temple over time. Probably from the maintenance and rebuilding over the centuries. Villagers were responsible for the upkeep of the temple. The “priest” for the temple is an elder from the village who can have a family and normal life.

All in all, an interesting experience, well explained by Katut.

Kori Agung is the main shrine within Utama Mandala, the temple's holiest courtyard

Following the temple we were asked if we would like to visit an art gallery which we did. Turning right a couple of blocks away and up a tight lane led us to the front door of Dewa Putu Toris Gallery. As with the jewellers earlier, we were escorted all the way and denied photos. As we worked our way through the gallery, the paintings were either ordinary at best or far too large. As a consequence we completed one lap and back to the car. The monkeys were next.

At a quarter past midday after a short trip north we arrived at Mandala Suci Wenara Wana, the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Here amongst over twelve hectares of forest and temples were over one thousand Balinese long tailed monkeys, or macaques to be exact. They were divided into seven groups geographically divided comprising of the Central group, the largest with over two hundred monkeys as well as the Temple, Selatan, Cemetery, Michelin, East and New Forest groups. The New Forest group was the smallest with just over a hundred monkeys.

Once inside Katut warned us about trusting the little buggers. They’ll steal hats and sunglasses if you’re not careful and have no food or water bottles on display. Don't look them in the eye, feed them or try to touch them as they may become aggressive. Just mind your own business and give them a wide birth. We did this and apart from some curiosity, they were so used to humans that they ignored onlookers and went about their business, playing around, eating and preening each other. This area was not an enclosure and monkeys were free to roam the village. They have been known to enter homes and steel food.

Moving through the different areas was like an obstacle course as not only did they not pay any attention to people moving about, they sat about on walls and the middle of pathways, making the humans move around them. We took our time wandering about before returning to the entrance for our next stop, tucker.

Keeping the young ones at a distance from the public

This one stole the water from a woman and quickly took the lid off

Not far from the monkey forest was a quick stop off at the markets before lunch. The Erlangga Organic Resto was next and served us fine food with a fine view. We were driven around to a rear car park, then escorted to an outdoor covered dining area adjacent to rice paddies at various stages of growth. Katut pointed out that a paddy to the side was ready for harvesting as it was starting to yellow whereas the paddy next to us, although the same height was not. It was still green but not far behind. All paddies were linked by manmade water channels fed by the nearby stream.

The channels were blocked so as the water was directed to the correct paddy

It was mid afternoon and the day was drawing to a close. Earlier on Katut asked us if we wanted to visit a coffee place on the return trip. We agreed and ended up at the Satria Coffee Plantation where amongst other offerings, served Kopi luwak or Balicatpoochino. When we arrived we were greeted by a young woman called Devi and escorted on a path through their property being shown different herbs, spices and such as we went. We then entered a work area where an old lady was cooking up some coffee beans at the back. Trays of different beans and ingredients were in bowls to the side and Devi demonstrated the crushing of the beans into powder as we looked around. After exiting we passed a couple of cages with civets sleeping on an elevated platform. We were then shown to an outdoor seating area where we waited for our tea and coffee samples to be served.

Trays and bowls of ingredients. Old lady roasting some up down the back

Asian palm civets were said to be, along with bats, the cause of the SARS caronavirus nearly twenty years ago. Over eight thousand people contracted the contagion, killing 774. SARS started in China just as the current caronavirus did through close contact or eating exotic animals. Many civets are captured and kept in cages, fed only coffee cherries to maximise their output of digested seed. Devi made a point of saying Satria only kept their civets for a few days and released them. Who knows where they got them from.

The civets eat the coffee cherries and only partially digest them, fermenting them on the way through. People sift through their scat to retrieve the cherries and produce the so called "ultimate bling coffee"

We had no sooner settled in at the outdoor area when the tea and coffee samples were put in front of us. Some were nice, some not so much and some were awful. The samples included ginseng, coconut, vanilla and avocado coffee as well as saffron, lemon grass, rice and rosella tea.

One of the awful ones. Ginger tea

Yum! Balicatpoochino

That was it. No sooner had we finished our experience that we were back in the car, being chauffered back to our resort and prepare for happy hour and dinner.

Early one tomorrow so early to bed.

Day 6: Golf and Lobster

7/03/2020: Today was an early one, Stu put the pickup time forward to quarter past six and was knocking on the door before six. He didn't have a cab so we needed to find one somewhere at this ungodly hour. There was no-one at the Belmond so they walked back to the Fox Hotel and asked reception to order one in. A taxi quickly arrived and after being reminded by Stu to turn his meter on and being shown on his phone how to get there, we had soon arrived with not much time to spare.

Having had security do the mirror under the car trick again, we pulled up out the front and were greeted by some of the caddies. Pleasantries exchanged and the handing over of 2.3 million Rupiah each, we met our caddies who promptly took us to the driving range for a thirty or forty ball warmup. Things weren't looking good if the warmup was any indication.

Caddies waiting for the warmup to finish

The course was magnificent but quite empty. The description of the course could be done no better than their web page itself. It read.

"The tee box on Hole # 1, sets the tempo for the front nine, with beautifully mature trees set in parkland terrain, against a backdrop of spectacular ocean views. Upon reaching the green on hole # 4, a spectacular view can interrupt one’s putting, all the way to the majestic Gunung Agung! The high point is reached at Hole # 7 tee box, where the ocean view may hinder the shots required to conquer one of Indonesia’s longest holes, a par 5 of some 620 yards! Then, it’s onwards to Hole # 8, where your tee shot must traverse a “jungle” ravine to the winding fairway spread out beyond. And last but not least, while Hole # 9 club selection is critical on this tricky par 3 with its elevated peninsula green surrounded by water and greenside bunkers.

Having completed the “first stanza”, it’s on to beautifully rolling coconut groves, with strategically located lakes on holes # 11 and 12 to test the nerve and skill of all golfers. A plethora of well placed bunkers are to be navigated on the par 5, hole # 13 before landing on the nestled down green. Following the playing of two gentle par 4’s, holes # 14 & 15, one must be ready for the strong finishing holes, commencing with Hole # 16, a par 5 carved from amongst high dunes, with the prevailing wind almost all ways in your face! Then, we cross the road to a game breaker, the par 3, 17th hole, where playing for the first time, golfers may well ask, “where’s the fairway”! Yes, your tee shot needs to be somewhat precise, as tee boxes and the green are the only dry piece of land on the hole!

Hole # 18 a 400 yard dogleg left, draped by a lake all the way down the left side of the fairway, brings you to the 18th green directly in front of the clubhouse terrace, where many golfers will be watching your par puts! "

Off we go. Shane's caddy Daihu and Stu's on the back. He didn't ask her name

Apart from the blistering sun and draining humidity which called for plenty of water (and a few beers), we were going through balls like steam. Stu said not to worry as people around the course come out of the vegetation and sell the ones they've found in the scrub. Which they did. The vegetation was so lush that if a ball missed the fairway or rough, they were pretty well gone. Not that our caddies would give up easily. They spent plenty of time in there looking. Not only did the girls look for our balls, they also carried club options to the ball, suggested which club to use and where to aim. They also carried a sand bucket all the time to repair our divots, of which there were plenty. When on the green they would mark our balls, pick them up and give them a polish, replace them and recommend where to hit the ball and how hard. Golfing dumbed down but quite good.

After Shane breaking 130 and Stu twenty shots better, it was all over. Particularly after Shane tried to line up a date with his caddy and Thomas. She was thirty four with no husband or kids and Thomas could use a woman. Didn't happen though as she went shy on him.

A long birdie putt for Stu on the green of the one hundred and thirty yard nineth

Stuart was keen on lobster and usually stayed at Legian when in Bali so after a cab back to our rooms, we gave ourselves a half an hour to meet up again and head for a feed. Stu's girlfriend, Ilene from the Philippines was over as well. A bit over an hour after we returned from golf we were headed out again.

One of the local haunts for a good feed was actually called "The Lokal" in Legian. Stu swore by it as it was owned by an Aussie. Bacon and egg rolls on the breakfast menu. We had lobster mornay, chips and salad all round. Pretty good. One hundred bucks a couple with a few coldies.

Lobster at the Lokal

After lunch we walked to Legian Beach and back towards Kuta along the sand until we hit a shopping centre that Stu was after Ilene was keen for, and the Candylicious shop to stock up on lollies for her daughter back home. Jo bought draught beer flavoured jelly beans as well as champagne flavour and pancakes and maple syrup flavour. We then headed to a café called The Kitchenette where e ordered fruit juice and tea. Stu ordered water but the server forgot. It took ages to get his attention, the same when we wanted our bill.

The day's humidity had taken its toll. Storms were brewing and by the time the rain hit we were in a Bluebird taxi, giving him instructions that the meter was to be on and we wanted to be taken to the three or four factory outlets while he waited with meter running. He couldn’t do it as he had an appointment a short time after. We all piled out into the rain and jumped into another Bluebird taxi that had pulled up behind us. This driver was happy to meet our request of being the driver for our shopping expedition for surf brand bargains. By now it was flogging down. The roads were flooding but traffic was still chaotic. All in all, shopping lasted for a couple of hours and when we were dropped back at our hotels, the fare was under seven dollars. It was arranged for Stu and Ailene to get their swimmers and come back to our villa for a few drinks and a swim. Two drinks were had in the room and then we decided to head to the restaurant to have our free cocktails and some dinner. Shane was feeling ill again and didn’t want to eat so we decided that Stu and Ailene could use our meal voucher for a seafood dinner for two and Stuart pay for a main and dessert for Jo. Apparently, the seafood feast didn’t live up to Stuart’s expectations.

Following a big day we were all so knackered that we agreed to postpone the swim until lunchtime tomorrow. Early one to bed.

Day 7: Stu and Ailene

8/03/2020: Starting the last full day in Bali rather lazily, with the usual enjoyable breakfast, was in due partly to yesterday taking its toll. Jo as usual was on Facebook, contacting people at home and getting the "goss", Shane reading the New York Times. Although Bali was Caronavirus nervous, with only a handful of cases if you could believe the government (prayer will keep everyone safe sort of thing), the contagion was beginning to tear through other parts of the world with the instigators China at eighty thousand cases, Italy approaching ten thousand cases and Spain and France just revving up, Australia had well under one hundred cases. That didn't stop the numb skulls at home from panic buying, unnecessarily emptying the shelves of staples. For some strange reason they considered that wiping their backsides was as important as eating, clearing the shelves of toilet paper. Shane would do his bit though, saving the family from afar.

No toilet paper? New York Times to the rescue.

Yesterday was exhausting, we were golfed out, shopped out and rained out. After breakfast and a few coffees we hit the pool. Stu and Ailene were due soon and the fridge was stocked. We had ordered ten Bintangs and a bottle of wine for the day before but hadn't used them. Their mid morning arrival and a stocked mini bar meant that a few hours of less than salubrious but quality pool time befell us.

The villa oasis

As you'd expect, the Bali sunshine and parched throats meant that the beer and wine didn't last long. Within a few hours we would be heading back to the nearby Fox apartments where Stu and Ailene were staying. Straight up to the rooftop where we could sit under cover by the pool and relax a bit more. If that was possible. The intent was to have a swim but it didn't eventuate. The views were great on both sides. A distant airport and bay to the west and the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue on the hillside to the east. A football match provided some short lived entertainment below.

Infinity pool

Kick off at lapangan Yoga Perkanthi

As it was our last full day in Bali, it was also Stu and Ailene's last day, flying out late in the night. She flew out to Manilla at eleven and he back to Darwin at one. No curfews here. They had booked for an extra night to make use of the room and facilities until time to head to the airport. In the interim we would eat a late lunch/early dinner at a ribs restaurant that Stuart loved called Naughty Nuri's Warung and Grill. It turned out a bit of a disappointment though as since it was franchised and the taxi driver dropped us off to the nearest one, it wasn't his usual haunt and the quality was below par. Still a good night though.

Ribs at Naughty Nuri's Warung and Grill

After dinner we taxied back to Fox, said our good byes and walked back to the villa, via a few drinks at the bar. We finished off taking it easy and starting to pack.

Contemplation and packing to end the day

Tomorrow we will take in the GWK Park to kill time before our flight home.

Day 8: Heading Home

9/03/2020: Shane was up late due to being up all night with splats. Asia doesn't agree with him. Jo was up early for a swim and more packing, a ten o'clock massage and breakfast alone. She also took Shane's second massage as he bailed out due to fear of embarrassment. Our luggage was to be picked up at ten to twelve as we thought that we were to check out at twelve. Last night we got our check out letter and ancillaries bill. It said we checked out at one, gaining us an extra hour so Jo rearranged our bag collection and rescheduled our driver.

When Jo arrived after eleven from both massages, plus a 20 min facial thrown in for free, Shane got-up and started packing. Before long it was in the pool for the last time, shower and get the bags ready for collection. The porter turned up early and we sent him away until later. Just before one we called him to have a second go before walking to reception followed by our porter, bags and side kick all by golf cart. By the time we had paid our thousand bucks in extras it was quarter past one and time to reunite with Markay from a few days before.

One last garden ornament

Jo had talked him down from six hundred to four fifty rupiah to take us around to a site or two before dropping us of at Ngurah Rai Airport about five. This would give us plenty of time to get our plane home. First, and as it turned out, last stop was the cultural park a few kilometres away. The Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park was opened by President Joko Widodo only eighteen months earlier.

Markay was very helpful, parked at the bottom and jumped on the shuttle with us to make sure we bought the right tickets to get to the top. This cost Rp125,000 each but before we left the ticket booth he suggested we get the Rp30,000 golf buggy to the top and walk back down, which we did. With this he told us he would meet us down at the carpark when we were finished.

Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue

Rising above Bali's Bukit Peninsula, the statue depicts the Hindu god, Lord Wisnu, the protector of the universe. He is riding the mythical eagle and national emblem, Garuda who represents loyalty and selfless devotion. Kencana represents the crown of gold mosaic

The tower had only two floors available to the public, the ninth floor where we were given the story of the myth and the twenty third floor where we could get to a reasonable view from a few large portholes in the eagle's back or at Wisnu's shoulders. There were small glass floors showing the steel work below and information boards on the wall all explaining the construction's technique. There was not much to photograph, further suggesting that the restrictions on cameras were a rort.

After elevating back to ground floor and collecting our stuff we were soon back out the front of the tower and heading back down the hill. The park was constructed within an old limestone quarry with large and tall swathes of limestone left amongst the voids where it was taken. These voids became the access roads, some leading to other temples and displays. Just down from the tower and to the right was a replica of Garuda overlooking Lotus Park. It was quite large and clearly showed the finished product and technique of attaching the triangular copper sections to the frame, fusion welded and patina. To the side of this was a large representation of Wisnu, overlooking his plaza.

Wisnu Plaza. A sarong had to be put on when entering this site.

It was all downhill from there. To the shuttle bus and car park that is. It was not long after four but we had had enough and told our drive to take us to the airport where we settled in with a couple of cups of tea until our check in opened. At Bali the large suit cases were scanned before check in, not after, so we had to time it right.

We passed this guy numerous times on our journeys. I Gusti Ngurah Rai, the national war hero who led the Balinese armed forces following the Indonesian Declaration of Independence due to the subjugation by the Dutch. He and all of his troops were killed in battle after he ordered a paputan (fight to the death) during the Battle of Margarana

Joining the queue, we thought that there was an unusually large number of old people, explained once Jo noticed the Viking Cruises tags on their bags. It seems that the Viking Princess had been denied docking somewhere in Java due to caronavirus and had sailed to Bali who also denied them docking. After sitting off the coast for a while, Bali sent health specialists out to test them all and they all tested negative. They were then tendered into shore and the ones that had had a gut full were flying to Brisbane and then home. The ship then headed to Colombo, probably almost empty.

Once on the plane we got a pleasant surprise: We had jagged the emergency exit seats with plenty of leg room. Yippee!! Down side was in the event of an emergency landing it was our responsibility to open the emergency hatch which was above the wing and assist people to evacuate. The rest of the flight was a doddle.

We were twenty five minutes late for take off thanks to all the passengers from the cruise and their 3 check in suitcases each. If it wasn’t for them the plane would have been half empty and left on time. The pilot made good time though as we landed in Brisbane ten minutes early. Not being too sure what the procedure would be on landing in Brisbane with changing from international to domestic flight, we had declared our timber/shell items and were directed to a customs officer to ask what we had. Lollies, biscuits and instruments made from coconut shells was our answer. Okay, thanks for declaring now keep on moving. Gee he didn't even look at our gear. Anyway, once out of the secure area we had to head to the Virgin Domestic transfer desk. Our luggage was reweighed and sent through to loading. We got straight on a shuttle bus and straight to the domestic terminal, giving us two hours before our flight to Newcastle was to leave. So much for thinking time would be tight.

In transit for the final time

Jo was excited to be having the window seat on last leg but was soon to discover it was a windowless seat. For some reason it was a wall. Again, the flight was easy and in no time we were touching down at Newcastle airport. She had arranged for Eve to pick us up with the plan to park nearby and wait for a phone call once we had collected our luggage to save on parking fees. While waiting near the luggage carousel Jo noticed Eve and our almost year old grandson Mason standing waiting for us. She flew over and tried to get Mason to walk as he had just done for the first time a few days earlier. He wasn’t going to oblige so he got scooped up and smothered in kisses. Oops, sorry Eve, hello sweetheart and a kiss for her too.

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