“What an Experience!” was all I can say.
We rushed to the airport right after the Treasure Hello Tour Concert because we have a flight to catch at dawn. This was my first time to travel internationally after the pandemic so we were quite excited and nervous.
There were five of us who will go to Bali Indonesia but since we have to attend a concert we decided to meet at the airport instead. Me and Khristine will be coming from MOA Arena and my other three cousins, Jayson, Merlene and Krystal will be coming from home. We just decided to meet at the airport to save time. It was our routine that when we travel we get to the airport 3-4 hours before our flight. My aunt fetch us at MOA Arena and we dropped by at the Jollibee first because we got hungry from all the singing and jumping at the concert. After which we headed to the airport.
We arrived at around 12 midnight. Just in time to have our things checked. We got inside and the first thing we looked were our checked in section. When it was not yet opened, we weigh our luggage to the checked in counter to have the kilo checked. We were allowed only five (5) 7kilos hand carry bags and two (2) 20kilos checked in bags. When we see that our 7kilo luggages were higher than the expected weight, we transferred some of our things on the checked in bags. Mine was 8.5 kilos, my cousin Tin’s luggage’s weight was at 10 kilos and Krystal was at 12 kilos. It took us a while but we made it. We hand carried our bags and made it to the checked in.
Since it was still early to go to our boarding gate, Merlene, Jayson and Krystal have their dinner at one of the stalls at the airport. They bought siopao and noodles. I only bought a gum to chew on the plane as a prevention for my ears to get hurt during take off or landing. Also, I’m already full and I will just eat at the plane in case I get hungry since we have food included on our flight. While they were eating, Khristine had a mishap, the lock of her luggage got stuck for no reason, we tried keying the password lock but it won’t pushed through. It was so stressful for my cousin that she had to watch youtube hacks for it. We repeated the process but failed. After a while, we were called to board and decided to fix the luggage later. When we were about to board, the airline staff asked if we wish to have our luggages checked in for free since it was a full flight. We gladly accept the offer and hand them in our luggages before entering the plane.
We just ate our inflight food and slept throughout the flight.
Welcome to Bali Indonesia
Upon arrival, we followed the crowd to the exit and as I walk I can’t help but be in awe at how big and modern their airport was. It was like a giant hotel where lighting and arts were seen. It was also well lit. Very far from the Philippines Airport. We went straight to the immigration and we were just asked how long we were staying and had our picture taken. Before we go out, we were instructed to have our e-customs form after we got our baggages and before exiting the airport.
After we exited the airport, we head to the wifi stores to buy e-sim. Then, my cousin chatted with Dui (pronounced as Dwee), our driver, via WhatsApp to inform him to meet us at the airport exit to drive us to the hotel. One thing that I found shocking was that the driver seat of their cars and lanes were opposite of what we have in our country. In Bali Indonesia, the driver’s seat was on the right (where the usual passenger seat was placed) and the lane directions followed the driver’s position.
We stopped over at the Mcdonalds to buy our breakfast. Their menu has a lot of varieties which I kind of envied. They even have hot and cold chocolates. OMG! When will we have it in PH Mcdonalds? hihi We ordered pancake, sausage McMuffin with egg, and hash brown for take out so we can rest at our airbnb.
Uma Budhas Guest House
We arrived at our guesthouse named UMa Budhas Guest House at around 10:35am. It was scorching hot since it was also Summertime in Bali Indonesia. We booked three (3) rooms for two (nights) and our rooms were separated into small houses near the pool. Merlene and Krystal’s room was the one facing the pool, Khristine and My room was the one in the middle, and Jayson’s room was the one facing the pool’s stairs (you may click the link above to see the actual look). We were called in by the host to give us the keys and inform us of some of the house rules then we proceeded to each of our rooms to unpack and sleep before our tour.
UMa Budhas Guest House Rating:
Here’s a rundown of my rating.
| Criteria | Rating |
| Accommodation | 4 |
| Ambiance | 4 |
| Ventilation | 3 |
| Cleanliness | 4 |
| Friendly Staff | 5 |
| Breakfast | 4 |
| Wifi | 4 |
The Good Side: The whole place was beautiful with a garden around the pool. It was very relaxing outside. The room was clean and spacious making us comfortable to move around without hitting each other. The charging station was also enough, you just need to buy a universal charger fit for their socket. The staff were also friendly and easy to call when needed. They were very helpful too. They helped us cook for our food leftovers for breakfast and has given us sweet fruits. The wifi was okay too.
The Down Side: The first thing I checked upon entering the room was the CR. If you have been following my travels for quite some time now. You’ll know that I’m very particular with the CR of the house/hotel/villa/room I’m staying in. The CR here was clean but it’s soo open making the light so dim at night that it made me uncomfortable. Like the CR has the basics sink, bowl, and shower. The sink and bowl was placed near the door with a roof, while the shower was placed right after the bowl without a roof, like it was open. It was okay in the morning, but at night I feel heavy as I shower as the light only covers the side with the roof and the shower side was dim that I had to support the light with my phone’s flashlight to make the light brighter. And knowing that it was open and we are in the middle of rice fields, made me think a lot of thoughts like, what if a snake will come, or a frog, or anything. Made me paranoid. Lol! but of course, it’s just a me thing. Some of you will be okay with it and find it interesting and that’s okay. Also, during our stay there, the air condition was being turned off for certain times at night making the ventilation not okay. On our last day here, there was also a brown out and it took them some time to open any generators. But other than that it was okay.
The final verdict. I will still include it on my list for “to book again” in case I will go back to Bali despite the inconvenience because the place was okay. Although, if you are travelling with your kids, you have to look out for them because the walking space was just near the pool and we don’t want them fall into the pool.
Indonesian Batik
It was two o’clock in the afternoon when we heard a knock from our room’s door and it has woken us up from our nap. It was our cousin. They were knocking to tell us to prepare since we will start our tour around Bali. We quickly get ready and proceeded to the lobby. There, our driver/tour guide was waiting for us.
We first headed towards Indonesian Batik, a store where they sell authentic Batik clothing. You can see also outside that the Indonesians hand crafted the Batik dye on cotton silk garments. Their technique was precise and graceful.
Sunsri House of Jewelry
After we finished checking the Indonesian Batik, we headed to a Full-Service Jewelry Manufacturer named Sunsri House of Jewelry. This Jewelry house was an experience. When we entered, we were welcomed by the staff and led towards the Jewelry Museum where we saw the tools they used in creating Jewelries back in the day without the updated machinery and technology. After which, we were toured at the Jewelry Factory where we saw the Jewellers doing its craft by hand. Then last is the Jewelry Gallery where we saw the finished product. It was like the IKEA of jewelry. 🙂
Bali Bird Park
We were told by Dui that we were just near Bali Bird Park. Actually it was not on our itinerary but since it was just along the way, we decided to check it out. Bali Bird Park was well a park with birds. Upon arrival, we studied the park trail through the photos placed near the ticket booth to decide whether we can make time for it. Realizing that the trail was a bit long, we decided to pass with this one and just take a picture outside.
Luwak Coffee Bali Plantation
We headed towards Luwak Coffee Bali Plantation after we visited Bali Bird Park. This plantation has no entrance fee. Upon entry, we were greeted by the staff and he toured us around the plantation. There, we saw different coffee beans planted, each has its own names. Also, we saw a real life Luwak caged and protected. Then after the plantation, we were guided to where they made coffee using traditional tools or equipment. The staff will explain how each coffee bean was being brewed differently to retain its freshness and taste. I was actually amazed at how easy it is for us to distinguished the quality of the beans based on its smell. It’s not always that I get to experience this so I find it amazing. Once we were done interacting with the local coffeemakers, the next stop was coffee and tea tasting, we were given 15 shot glass with coffee and tea to try and if we liked it we can buy it at the store inside.
Batuan Temple
We made our way to the Batuan Temple, the first temple on our itinerary. The Batuan Temple was located in the middle of the road. It’s one of the old temple with vibrant spirit of Balinese culture. We were first welcomed by the locals who worked at the Temple and gave us a Sarong to wear, it was required when entering holy places in Bali. The locals also have sense of style. They look at what we were wearing and actually pattern the skirt they will give us to match our outfits. They also help us wear it properly to ensure it won’t get loose as we roam inside the temple.
Tegenungan Waterfall
Our last itinerary for the day was the Tegenungan Waterfall. This waterfall was one of Bali’s most famous and largest waterfalls, standing 15 meters high. Fed by the Petanu River, which flows from Kintamani Batur volcano to Tampaksiring, Ubud, and Blahbatuh village, the waterfall contributes to the stunning natural scenery in the area.
The path to the waterfall was quite steep, so we had to be careful going down. I managed okay at first, but I had to stop midway because I started having difficulty breathing. I decided to go back to the cottage near the route entrance to rest, drink water, and apply my ointments to relax and get my breathing back to normal. I waited there for my cousins to return. I get tired easily and breathe quickly during strenuous activities, so I kept things to a minimum. The view from the cottage was lovely, so I enjoyed watching the waterfall while I waited for them.
My cousin informed me that the water at the waterfall was cold. Since there were many people swimming, my cousins decided to just dip their feet in the water instead of swimming. They took a few pictures and then we headed back up to go to our Guest house and have dinner.
My G Warung
We were dropped off by our driver at My G Warung, a Bar and Grill near our Guest house, once we completed our itinerary for the day to eat dinner. We ordered Nasi Goreng, Chicken Satay, and Spring Rolls. The food was really delicious and filled us up after a long day.
We walked to our hotel after we got our dinner to get enough rest for the Day 2 tour.
Photo credits for some of the photos go to my cousins.
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