Travel

We stayed in the Garden Villa, their basic villa. We asked for a villa with better view and privacy and this is what we got! Our villa has great privacy as there are a few others where people can actually look into your room.

For people who doesn’t enjoy wildlife or has great fear for bugs, Santi Mandala is not for you. We spotted dragonfly, butterfly, lizards, small toads, grasshoppers, geckos, monitor lizards and other random bugs. So far we are doing ok as long as these animals don’t invade into our bedroom. Haha.

This is our cosy villa hidden at a corner near the valley.

Within the villa premises, we have a little waterfall! For people who cannot sleep without complete silence, you may need a earplug.

We told them we are celebrating our anniversary and this is what they prepared for us – a flower bath! How nice! All the toilet facilities are outside in a semi outdoor environment. Perfect for the free spirited or exhibitionist.

The outdoor shower!

Our four poster bed with anti-mosquito net! Very important to keep the mozzies away!

We have a huge balcony to ourselves with a day bed and a place to laze around.

This is the view from our room! It is part of a cliff! Some calls it bushes but since we love greenery it’s nice to wake up to some greens!

The roof is made of natural material just like a traditional Balinese house.

Half a day passed by doing absolutely nothing. We woke up early for breakfast then went for a quick swim and a tan there after. Took an afternoon nap and now enjoying coffee and afternoon snack. We will be going for a spa in a while before we head off for dinner. Thereafter, we will be watching some movies we brought over in our room and that’s the end of Nyepi day for us. A truly relaxing day.

A magazine and a Sangria it cannot get any better.

This is the view we have while tanning.

Just read that my favourite chick flick writer has a new book! I’m so going to get it!

If you wonder why am I blogging during a holiday, it’s because it’s Nyepi Day today and we can only stay within the resort for the entire day! More on that in another post!

It is our first time taking Garuda Airline and there are a few good and bad! It wasn’t as bad as we have imagined it to be.

The Good

• Airline ground staff was helpful and emphatic. When we asked for better seats because of my injured ankle, they gave us a seat nearer to the entrance and with an empty seat beside us. They also allowed us to board earlier and offered us wheelchair (which I quickly rejected)

• The interior is new and clean and they actually has a video on demand, touch screen inflight entertainment system



• They provide local newspaper too

• Food wasn’t too bad (I picked the safer option, something that sounds like an Indonesian dish)
• It was a smooth and safe ride

The Bad

• Their inflight crew wasn’t too friendly, when we asked for ice in plastic bags to reduce the swelling in my ankle, I was given the black face
• Their inflight movie selection was bad, very bad. Thankfully it was a short ride!

My poor ankle.

We are almost there!

We love our resort – Santi Mandala Villa and Resort! Hidden away from the city bustles, our resort is in a small village off Ubud town. The air is clean and you will find yourself in a totally relax mode with birds chirping and crickets creaking. The staffs are friendly and everyone is smiley.

Here are some scenic pictures of the resort! More of our villa and the food in another posts!

They even have resident ducks living by the river which flows through the resort premises! Amazing.

We are going for a short getaway to Bali on 22 – 25 March 2012, next Thursday to Sunday. Nope, we are not there for the saucy bikini scene at Kuta (even thought I would love to visit one day), we are heading to Ubud, away from the beach line and into the rice paddy fields and forest trails. It will be a relaxing trip, with spa, yoga, forest trail and hanging out at tiny cafes.  It’s going to be an Eat, Pray, Love trip! Haha. Any tips or recommendations on things to do or eat?

//We promised each other to at least go on a short and a long trip every year together and I’m glad we have been doing that all these years!

My passport recently expired and I need to get a new one. It is sad that these days, passport can only last for 5 years compared to 10 when I was little. I love traveling and immigration stamps are always my pride when I flipped through them. It is like my little collection and I hate to start over again! Here are the stamps I collect for the past 5 years and I hope to have this little post to remind me of the many lovely places I visited!

Love

We went on our honeymoon to Italy! Hate their inefficiency in their airports but love their culture, art and buildings.

The proposal trip! I love Japan and love Disneysea!

The stamp on top was from Thailand and it was his first trip to Bangkok in his entire life. He loves the massage and Tom Yam soup but hates everything else. Haha. The dust, dirt and protest.

We went on a “Graduation trip” to Korea and as part of the trip, we visited the DMZ and got a tourist stamp on my passport! Haha.

Work

I was picked to attend a conference in Jakarta and was really glad to go with a few of my trainee batch.

Our company first brought us to Beijing then to Shanghai for our company retreat last year and the year before!

I was picked to attend a convention in Sydney but we landed in Melbourne for some store and factory visits. It was a work trip and a retreat combine! Awesome!

School & Friends

I was on exchange in UBC, Vancouver and I love it! I want to retire there or raise my kids there. Beautiful city, laid back and it’s the only country in the west with awesome Asian food. Haha. Love the mountains, the air and the people.

During my exchange, I travelled around the west and east coast of USA too. One city I love, NYC! Love their museums, broadways, premium outlet and central park!

Was sent to NZ for a case competition. I personally think I didn’t do too well. It was horrible. But I met a lot of friends and it was an unforgettable experience.

When on internship in Apple, I asked if I can go along a work trip to Philippines and I was granted the trip. It taught me one thing, “Ask and you may be given”.