The last week-long family trip (to Korea) was when I turned 6-Oh. Bali was next choice and should have been scheduled last year when I turned 65 but I was out of the country then ticking off a dream trip. So here we are — the entire caboodle minus 1 😔 — finally having our highs in BALI.
We touched down on an early morning flight to Denpasar and was promptly whisked away to Seminyak to spend the rest of the day there. Potato Head Beach Club was planned as an entire day’s destination and activity and on hindsight, that worked out really well. A friend has just been here and we thought the young members of the family would enjoy the vibe here. And so we started our holiday in a beach (Seminyak) and ended the holiday week in another beach (Nusa Dua). In between, we managed to develop temple fatigue 😂🙄🤣
This family trip was just an idea a few months back. Frustrated with a domestic trip to Boracay or Siargao, we finally found a date to travel together. Semestral break and vacation leaves filed, we were off to the Indonesian island of Bali! Same beach holiday, plus throw in some art and culture. My second time and a first for everyone else. Our lodgings are in the more quiet part of the island — Nusa Dua — but I planned on at least a whole day here in the more hip, more vibrant Seminyak.
Entrance to the Potato Head Beach Club
Potato Beach Club
Potato Beach Club
Todo Gayak Sa Seminyak! (Loosely translated: All geared up for Seminyak!) Both Seminyak and Nusa Dua are resort towns in this Indonesian island province. Nusa Dua (where I stayed the last time) is nearly at the southern tip facing Bandung Strait while Seminyak is on the island’s west facing the Indian Ocean. Both boast of high-end hotels, cafes and bars. Where Seminyak will “dictate” your holiday pace, Nusa Dua lets you have it on your own pace. More tourists and expats find Seminyak more vibrant, while Nusa Dua’s gated resorts promise a lot more quiet and exclusivity. You can bet the golfers are in Nusa Dua as the only golf course in the island is here. But the party people? They’re in Seminyak. Not wanting to miss this vibe, the young adults in our family just have to be here! And true enough, they were not disappointed.
Kaum Restaurant is on the 2nd floor with a perfect ocean view.
Sundown Cocktails
And so, here we are landing in Denpasar International Airport one early morning with a full sunny day ahead of us. What to do? To start the day, we had a forgettable breakfast in The Haven. Bleh. Big mistake. Wasted money on a mediocre buffet. After brekkie, some explored the shops while a couple of us found a spa. Now, you can’t go wrong on that. Next, we trooped to Potato Beach Club for beer and sundown cocktails. The calamari and nachos complete the scene. So did the many day beds and poolside lounge chairs facing the ocean. C’est la vie! We have dinner reservations at Kaum Restaurant in Potato Beach Club but that will have to wait till sunset at 6pm. Meanwhile, the beach beckons. My sleep-deprived family hits the beach like there’s no tomorrow. Happy here, even just having a drip and people-watching.
The pool by the shore.
Pre-dinner aperitif
As for dinner, we got that one right. KAUM Restaurant offered good Indonesian dinner and a great sunset view. Just that I need to go easy on spices lest my hyperacidity acts up again. Indonesian dinner through and through but spices on the side please. The Gado Gado, Nasi Goreng, Sate Babi and Sate Ayam, the Grilled Prawns with special sauce (2 orders of those prawns please!). There’s the fresh tuna marinated in lime and other spices (ooops….), plus the shrimp dumplings. You bet the sun set without much fanfare as we wolfed down every yummy morsel. Oink Oink. 🐖🐖🐖
Seminyak Sunset
Dinner at Kaum Restaurant
By the time we were done with dinner, we were eager to go back to our hotel and take a dip in the pool. Alas! The pool water’s cold! You’d have thought it’s warm being summer, but Bali enjoys very pleasant temps — warm during the day but not sweltering hot, and cool, breezy evenings. And cold water in your pool 🧜🏻♀️
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