Bali Holiday May 2013 - Part 2 Sanur - Rolling Along With Kids

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This is the 2nd installment in 3 blog posts on our family holiday to Bali with Charlotte 2.5 yrs, Miss Mc 3.5 yrs and Mr Mc 18mths. This part of the trip took us to Sanur which I highly recommend for families.

Friday 24th May
After saying our goodbyes to Villa Linjong we headed across to Villa Kawan in Sanur. The traffic was not pretty but our long trip was not helped by a long way detour through Denpasar. In the end it took us 1 hour 15 minutes to get there! We arrived at Villa Kawan, situated in Jalan Kesari, and I was immediately very happy with my choice. It was very toddler friendly and the gardens and pool area were beautiful. Paula, the owner of the villa, had organised through Bali Pool Fence Hire to erect a pool fence and I was very happy with it and glad we had the extra protection around the pool.

Villa Kawan pool

Villa Kawan garden

Villa Kawan living room

Villa Kawan main bedroom

We met the gorgeous girls, Komang and Kadek, who were the maids for the villa and then ordered some takeaway lunch from one of our favourites Warung Kesari. Mrs Mc and I then headed to Hardy’s while the kids had a sleep and loaded up on some supplies. She was very happy with what she saw and had already planned to come back for a proper shop! That night for dinner we walked to the beach through the Hyatt and turned right along the beach path. We came across a restaurant called La Playa that we had enjoyed eating at last trip and got a table on the sand. The kids loved it playing on the sand while waiting for dinner and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals.

Kids playing in the sand at dinner

Dinner at La Playa

Charlotte loving her chocolate milkshake at La Playa

Saturday 25th May
We had organised with the driver of the villa, Wisma, to take us to the Safari and Marine Park. We left at 9am and it took us 1/2 hour to drive there. We were greeted in the car park to the elephants walking around with the guides, the kids were beside themselves!! Mrs Mc and Miss 3 wanted to ride the elephants so chose the leopard package. For the rest of us we were happy with the jungle hopper for $49 usd. We had a great day checking out the animals. The kids especially loved watching the elephants have a bath and Mrs Mc found the elephant ride to be great but mighty uncomfy!! I found it to be very hot walking around so headed to the water park for a quick cool off for my swollen pregnant feet. Definitely no Waterbom Park but the kids loved it and I appreciated the break.

Greeted by the elephants in the car park

Watching the elephants have a bath, we soon ended up very wet!!

Charlotte checking out the tigers

After a long and hot day we ordered in pizza and dessert from The Village restaurant. Was very tasty and the chocolate mousse I had for dessert was delicious. Our driver had made us aware that today was the Buddhist holiday of Saga Dawa and at about 8pm our villa was brought into the celebrations. For the next 3 hours the megaphone from the temple next door bellowed into the villa. Lucky the kids were already asleep, the joys of residential Bali!!!

Sunday 26th May
Woke to another beautiful morning in paradise and sent hubby around to the Bali Deli for my morning latte. He works away for 4 weeks at a time so need to make use of him while he’s around! Everyone decided to hit the beach in search of water sports and as we had Berta for the day I took the opportunity for some alone time and headed off for a spot of shopping. I headed to Hardy’s then checked out some boutiques just north of there. I spotted the Bread Basket but it was closed so kept walking till I came across The Porch Cafe. I was a bit hot and bothered by this stage so sat in the AC and order my favourite eggs benedict.

I love the room that villas have, the girls set up their own colouring in corner!

Yummy eggs benedict at Porch Cafe

Sanur Beach at high tide

I then got a taxi to Wina Optical to pick up my sunglasses and after struggling with the street numbers located the shop. I am so happy with the glasses and am looking forward to not wearing contacts all through summer. Headed back to the villa and found the others were back. They had fun on the jet skis but found walking on the beach path tricky with the strollers as the high tide had washed sand and rubbish over the path. Massage in the villa for a hour during which a big rain storm came through and it bucketed down. It was still raining when we went out for dinner to Mona Lisa at 5.30pm. We had a lovely meal and the staff were delightful with the children.

Charlotte enjoying chicken satay at Mona Lisa

Monday 27th May
Today all of us girls headed out for the day while the Dad’s stayed at the villa with Mr 18 mths. We were heading to a village 1.5 hrs from Sanur to take supplies to a local school. We drove past the Safari and Marine Park about 15 minutes and then headed through the town of Klungkung towards the Sideman area. Not exactly sure where we were but it was beautiful! We had organised this through our nanny Berta who had become involved with the village, the following is her story that she wrote to me before we went to Bali.

it’s long story… u need to change your novel with this story..
so,i found this hovel on July last year,when i had holidays in the one deep village in north bali. the View there was AMAZING!!! mountain’s feet and rice field view around.as i mentioned before.
i was surprised when i saw there’s a broken house. no proper wall and broken roof.it covered with plastic.the owner is widow with 3 kids. she gave 2 kids away because of condition,can’t feed them plus have no proper place to live.she is selling fried banana around from one house to the other house for 5 australian cent each. at that moment she and her youngest sleep in neighbor’s kitchen because of rain season.really break my heart indeed. i took photo of her house and try to send it to local TV in bali, for ask donate.but they not response it.
I post it on FB, and it doesn’t work also.. too much comment but no one want help. i wanted to transform this simple hovel to be habitable home for them to live.
Honestly, so hard at the first time.. i was desperate desperado..i can’t do it by my self.. don’t know what i have to do next, im just waiting for my friends response… But NONE!!
finally, every time i got day off i come to meet in person to everyone i know for ask donate.. so SHY!! but willing to make it real are stronger than my shy .ten thousand IDR/1$ can buy 3 bricks or roof tiles. i try to get more and more bookings also.so that i can give the bookings for other nanny friends and they usually gave me thank you money (about how much is whatever they feel wanna give)for the job that i got for them, that “thank you ” money goes to this project.
so, i start to bought the materials to build ,every time i got day off. and went there to help as much as i can. And finished now!
Now, Nannies can buy anything they wants to help the poor people with “thank you money”. once we have matching time to go.. we go together to the village to give the donation.
I am try to get more and more bookings to share to other nanny friends. they mostly work for agent which is less money that they suppose to get. i asked the lady to took 2 kids back to her.i support their school since then..i want they have a brighter future and smart. not as stupid as me
here is the story, thank you for reading
THE END

Before picture

After Berta, her friends and locals help rebuild the house

We had the most wonderful time at the village and watching the girls smiles when they were playing with the kids was magic. We had gone to Hardy’s the day before and bought supplies of notepads, pencils, sharpeners, noodles and chocolate milk for the school kids. Was great fun handing it out!

Charlotte helping Berta hand out the supplies

Charlotte had a ball!!

Great day!!

The girls loved playing with Charlottes hair

Walking through the village with our driver Made

Having tea in a locals house

The girls helping to make the bed!

One of my favourite moments in Bali

Berta and Made

The girls checking out the chickens

Charlotte and I going for a walk

Beautiful views walking down to the bathing building of the village

Berta and Charlotte

We headed back to Sanur and Berta stayed to look after the kids while us adults had an evening off. Jed and I headed over to the Rock Bar at Ayana resort and Mr and Mrs Mc headed to Hardys for a shop and Three Monkeys for dinner. We haven’t ventured to the Rock Bar before so thought we would see what all the fuss was about. We left Sanur at 4pm and it took us 1 hour to get to the resort. We lined up at the inclinator for 15 minutes then another 10 minute wait to get a table. Gorgeous views and we enjoyed our drinks and food but now we have ticked that of our list probably won’t go back, I hate lining up!!

Rock Bar

Enjoying toddler free time!!

Tasty food

Spent about 2 hours sitting back relaxing with hubby and decided to head back to Sanur for dinner. Another wait for the inclinator to get back up and as it didn’t move very far in the 10 minutes we were waiting we decided to take the stairs. Trip back took 1hr 10 min with traffic before the airport turn off horrendous. Wasn’t a bad drive as we had a great taxi driver who had waited at the resort while we were at the rock bar. We headed to Three Monkeys to catch up with Mr and Mrs Mac and hubby decided he was going to have 2 desserts for dinner and I had a lovely seafood salad.

Tuesday 28th May
Today was Mr and Mrs Mc last day. We headed to Peekaboo so the kids could have a play and they loved it. Glad to see that after our trip last September that it is still a great clean place to take kids to.

Fun at Peekaboo

Charlotte loves all the toys to play with at Peekaboo

I then headed to Kamuela Villas for a massage as I loved the one that I had last September. I hadn’t mentioned when booking that I was 20 weeks pregnant so when I got there the lady informed me that they don’t do pregnancy massages. I was quite keen on getting a massage so I left and headed up to Glo Day Spa to see if they could fit me in. I only had to wait 10 minutes and had a fantastic 1 hour massage. Even though it was more expensive I was happy with it and they had all the pillows to make it very comfy. Our family headed to Grocer and Grind for an early dinner while the Mcs packed and once again we took a taxi as it was raining again. We had a nice dinner and the staff were fantastic with Charlotte given textas and paper to draw on.

Last dinner as a family