Honeymoon to Bali/Maldives in Star Alliance First: Lufthansa, Thai, Singapore & ANA
Aug 24, 2014, 3:17 pm
#47
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: DL Diamond, WN A-List, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 685
Thanks for the kind words, glad you guys are enjoying the trip reports!
Sep 29, 2014, 9:39 am
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: DL Diamond, WN A-List, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 685
Thai Airways Royal First Lounge and Royal Orchid Spa – Bangkok-BKK
Our experience with the Thai Royal First Ground Service was short and speedy — just like it’s supposed to be. After touching down from our Frankfurt, Germany to Bangkok, Thailand journey (read more about our flight here: Thai Airways A380 Royal First Class – TG 921 Frankfurt-FRA to Bangkok-BKK) at 6:01am, we were welcomed at the gate by a Thai Airways staff member. Once she gathered us together with one other First Class passenger, she led us to a golf cart and promptly whisked us away through connecting security and masses of other passengers to the First Class lounge. We were inside the lounge (clear across the airport) by 6:25am… that’s what you call first class service and record fast speed.
Zooming through BKK airport
Thai Airways Royal First Lounge
“Royal First Lounge at Concourse D, Level 3 – 1,400 sq.m. has been allocated for Royal First Class passengers with the capacity to accommodate 134 passengers at one time.
Opening hours: 05:00 am. – 01:00 am.
Facilities:
Lounge Access :
Once in the lounge, the first question we were asked was, “When do you want your spa treatment? And, do you want a full body massage?” Uh… Yes. And. Yes. So, they said, “OK, we’ll come get you at 7:15.”
The First Class Lounge is huge and has a gigantic staff. We were seated in the lounge quickly and juice was delivered immediately. They left an iPad with a full menu with us — interestingly, there were very few Thai dishes on the menu, mainly variations of bacon and eggs (maybe this was because it was only 6am?).
Speaking of 6am, it was very early for Jeffrey’s blanket “This is the best travel experience of my life…ever,” but he still felt the need to say it… and it hasn’t been proven wrong yet.
Following our small waiting time, we were led across the hall to the Royal Orchid Spa, which was, again, huge. After waiting in their waiting area for another 10-15 minutes, the two of us were split up and led to private rooms. Once there, the masseuse asked me to change into a pair of small mesh underwear. She made me feel very comfortable and seemed to take her time– my comfort was her top priority. You just cannot beat a hot oil massage after a long flight!
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Spa
“Royal Orchid Spa at Concourse D, level 3 – 667 sq.m. is primarily designed to serve Royal First and Royal Silk Class passengers with a full range of spa services.
Opening hours: 06:00 am. – 11:30 pm.
Lounge Access:
“Treatment Menu:
Touch of Silk (Full Body Oil Massage – 60 minutes for First Class only)
Start your journey with a relaxing Touch of Silk, full-body oil massage. Performed with the unique ‘Thai touch’, this massage will help to prepare your body for your onward flight by increasing blood circulation as well as relieving muscular tension and helping to provide necessary hydration for your skin. On completion of your Touch of Silk massage, you will be left with an overall sense of well-being and total relaxation.
Royal Thai Massage (Full Body Massage – 60 minutes for First Class only)
Thai massage is perceived as one of the most precious of Thai traditional therapies. Royal Thai Massage helps to stimulate blood circulation, reduces edema caused by travelling and reduces body fatigue. With its unique acupressure techniques, expertly applied to your body, you will find your mind relaxed and muscles relieved, following the stress of your journey.
Neck & Shoulder Massage (30 minutes)
The Neck & Shoulder Massage is a great way to relieve stress which has built up from the rigors of everyday life from working long hours at your computer. Using specific techniques the therapist will work to loosen tight muscles around the neck and shoulders whilst simultaneously assessing how much tension is held in the body and how best to release it. You will board your flight feeling more relaxed and a little lighter around the shoulders.
Foot Massage (30 minutes)
Let’s help prepare you for your onward journey, by taking the weight off your feet and giving them a relaxing massage, which they truly deserve. Foot massage is a well-known relaxation therapy to help take care of tired feet. The gentle touch of the therapists hands and the deeper pressure from their fingers, create a sense of overall relaxation and will help to stimulate your vital organs.”
While my experience was nothing short of fantastic, it was Jeffrey’s first spa and massage experience, and he came out of his room with his eyes wide open, feeling very awkward. So awkward, in fact, that I’ll let him explain it in his own words…
This experience is highly awkward for the first time spa-goer. I entered and was told to take ALL of my clothes off and put on this tiny pack of “underwear.” I had to do a double take because it was the size of a single folded sock.
She then tried to enter the room a time or two while I was still naked and changing clothes. Finally, I was ready in just underwear and the spa gown that was left on the bed. The first thing she said to me was to take off the spa gown.
Wait, what? I just put it on!
Then, I realized it’s so I can lay down on the table. The massage lasted for 15-20 minutes, while it felt extremely good it also felt rather invasive at times. Lots of very, very upper thigh massaging. But again, I had no other massage experience to compare it to.
In fact, by the end of it I got the sneaking suspicion that most First Class men are solo business travelers and might be interested in a little more than what I had ordered…
Once I showered and came out of my room, Jeffrey was waiting on me at the front desk of the spa. They had called for our flight and were rushing to get us to the boarding area on time for boarding. Because we had spent all of our time in the spa, we weren’t able to try any of the food from across the hall in the lounge, but the massage left us feeling relaxed and ready for our next long plane ride.
BOTTOM LINE: If you’re flying First Class into BKK with a layover, RUN (or, more realistically, allow the friendly Thai Airways staff to zoom you via golf cart) to the Royal Orchid Spa! The massages are first rate and are the perfect remedy to jet lag and fatigue. The service of Thai Airways never fails to be some of the best air service in the world.
---------------------
You can find the full post with photo gallery and proper formatting here: Weekend Blitz - Thai Airways Royal First Lounge and Royal Orchid Spa – Bangkok-BKK
Our experience with the Thai Royal First Ground Service was short and speedy — just like it’s supposed to be. After touching down from our Frankfurt, Germany to Bangkok, Thailand journey (read more about our flight here: Thai Airways A380 Royal First Class – TG 921 Frankfurt-FRA to Bangkok-BKK) at 6:01am, we were welcomed at the gate by a Thai Airways staff member. Once she gathered us together with one other First Class passenger, she led us to a golf cart and promptly whisked us away through connecting security and masses of other passengers to the First Class lounge. We were inside the lounge (clear across the airport) by 6:25am… that’s what you call first class service and record fast speed.
Zooming through BKK airport
Thai Airways Royal First Lounge
“Royal First Lounge at Concourse D, Level 3 – 1,400 sq.m. has been allocated for Royal First Class passengers with the capacity to accommodate 134 passengers at one time.
Opening hours: 05:00 am. – 01:00 am.
Facilities:
- 2 VIP Rooms
- 6 Private Corners
- 22-seat A-la-Carte Dining Room
- Wi-Fi Internet Corner with 2 PCs
- Slumber Rooms
- Shower Suites
- Toilets with Wheelchair Accessibility
- TG First Class Check-in Facility
Lounge Access :
- Royal First Class passengers departing the same day on TG operating flight (One guest departing same day on any Star Alliance operating flight allowed)
- First Class passengers departing same day on any Star Alliance operating flight (One guest departing same day on any Star Alliance operating flight allowed)
- Royal Orchid Plus Platinum card holder departing same day on TG operating international flights (One guest departing same day on TG operating flight allowed)"
Once in the lounge, the first question we were asked was, “When do you want your spa treatment? And, do you want a full body massage?” Uh… Yes. And. Yes. So, they said, “OK, we’ll come get you at 7:15.”
The First Class Lounge is huge and has a gigantic staff. We were seated in the lounge quickly and juice was delivered immediately. They left an iPad with a full menu with us — interestingly, there were very few Thai dishes on the menu, mainly variations of bacon and eggs (maybe this was because it was only 6am?).
Speaking of 6am, it was very early for Jeffrey’s blanket “This is the best travel experience of my life…ever,” but he still felt the need to say it… and it hasn’t been proven wrong yet.
Following our small waiting time, we were led across the hall to the Royal Orchid Spa, which was, again, huge. After waiting in their waiting area for another 10-15 minutes, the two of us were split up and led to private rooms. Once there, the masseuse asked me to change into a pair of small mesh underwear. She made me feel very comfortable and seemed to take her time– my comfort was her top priority. You just cannot beat a hot oil massage after a long flight!
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Spa
“Royal Orchid Spa at Concourse D, level 3 – 667 sq.m. is primarily designed to serve Royal First and Royal Silk Class passengers with a full range of spa services.
Opening hours: 06:00 am. – 11:30 pm.
Lounge Access:
- Royal First Class passengers departing same day on TG-operated international flights
- Royal Silk Class passengers departing same day on TG-operating international flights (Neck & Shoulder or Foot Massage only)
- No guest allowed”
“Treatment Menu:
Touch of Silk (Full Body Oil Massage – 60 minutes for First Class only)
Start your journey with a relaxing Touch of Silk, full-body oil massage. Performed with the unique ‘Thai touch’, this massage will help to prepare your body for your onward flight by increasing blood circulation as well as relieving muscular tension and helping to provide necessary hydration for your skin. On completion of your Touch of Silk massage, you will be left with an overall sense of well-being and total relaxation.
Royal Thai Massage (Full Body Massage – 60 minutes for First Class only)
Thai massage is perceived as one of the most precious of Thai traditional therapies. Royal Thai Massage helps to stimulate blood circulation, reduces edema caused by travelling and reduces body fatigue. With its unique acupressure techniques, expertly applied to your body, you will find your mind relaxed and muscles relieved, following the stress of your journey.
Neck & Shoulder Massage (30 minutes)
The Neck & Shoulder Massage is a great way to relieve stress which has built up from the rigors of everyday life from working long hours at your computer. Using specific techniques the therapist will work to loosen tight muscles around the neck and shoulders whilst simultaneously assessing how much tension is held in the body and how best to release it. You will board your flight feeling more relaxed and a little lighter around the shoulders.
Foot Massage (30 minutes)
Let’s help prepare you for your onward journey, by taking the weight off your feet and giving them a relaxing massage, which they truly deserve. Foot massage is a well-known relaxation therapy to help take care of tired feet. The gentle touch of the therapists hands and the deeper pressure from their fingers, create a sense of overall relaxation and will help to stimulate your vital organs.”
While my experience was nothing short of fantastic, it was Jeffrey’s first spa and massage experience, and he came out of his room with his eyes wide open, feeling very awkward. So awkward, in fact, that I’ll let him explain it in his own words…
This experience is highly awkward for the first time spa-goer. I entered and was told to take ALL of my clothes off and put on this tiny pack of “underwear.” I had to do a double take because it was the size of a single folded sock.
She then tried to enter the room a time or two while I was still naked and changing clothes. Finally, I was ready in just underwear and the spa gown that was left on the bed. The first thing she said to me was to take off the spa gown.
Wait, what? I just put it on!
Then, I realized it’s so I can lay down on the table. The massage lasted for 15-20 minutes, while it felt extremely good it also felt rather invasive at times. Lots of very, very upper thigh massaging. But again, I had no other massage experience to compare it to.
In fact, by the end of it I got the sneaking suspicion that most First Class men are solo business travelers and might be interested in a little more than what I had ordered…
Once I showered and came out of my room, Jeffrey was waiting on me at the front desk of the spa. They had called for our flight and were rushing to get us to the boarding area on time for boarding. Because we had spent all of our time in the spa, we weren’t able to try any of the food from across the hall in the lounge, but the massage left us feeling relaxed and ready for our next long plane ride.
BOTTOM LINE: If you’re flying First Class into BKK with a layover, RUN (or, more realistically, allow the friendly Thai Airways staff to zoom you via golf cart) to the Royal Orchid Spa! The massages are first rate and are the perfect remedy to jet lag and fatigue. The service of Thai Airways never fails to be some of the best air service in the world.
---------------------
You can find the full post with photo gallery and proper formatting here: Weekend Blitz - Thai Airways Royal First Lounge and Royal Orchid Spa – Bangkok-BKK
Oct 22, 2014, 8:57 pm
#50
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: DL Diamond, WN A-List, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 685
Nov 18, 2014, 10:23 am
#51
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: DL Diamond, WN A-List, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 685
Thai Airways B772 Royal Silk Class – TG 431 Bangkok-BKK to Denpasar, Bali-DPS
Fresh off of multiple amazing flights (Lufthansa Boeing 747 First Class and Thai Airways A380 Royal First Class), numerous world class lounge experiences (Lufthansa First Class Lounge – New York and Lufthansa First Class Lounge – Frankfurt) and, most recently, a full spa and massage experience at the Bangkok lounge (Thai Airways Royal First Lounge and Royal Orchid Spa – Bangkok), we had been traveling for about 54 hours so far and were getting ready to reach our (first) final destination of Bali, Indonesia. That being said, we weren’t entirely “over it” by this point, but getting pretty close, so, when the time came to board, we were more than ready to embark on our final flight to become one step closer to a normal bed and hot shower (not that we didn’t enjoy plenty of hot showers in the lounges).
OVERVIEW
We booked this flight about 6 months before our departure date as part of our multi-country award ticket with United Airlines MileagePlus miles (more on our booking can be found here: Award-Booking Honeymoon trip with United miles…All in First Class).
By using United award miles, we were able to take advantage of its routing rules to have 1 free stopover, 1 free open-jaw and 2 long connections that allowed us enough time to explore the city (aka 2 more free stopovers). It looked like this:
Airline: Thai Airways
Flight # TG 431 (THA431)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200 (B777-200, B772)
Depart: Bangkok-BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport
Arrive: Denpasar-DPS, Indonesia Ngurah Rai International Airport
Cabin: Royal Silk Business Class
Seats: 12K, 12J
Distance: 1,832 miles (2,948 km)
Scheduled time: 4 hours 25 minutes
BOARDING
After enjoying hot oil massages in the Thai Airways Royal Orchid Spa, we were running rather tight on time for our 8:50am departure. I wrapped up a few minutes before McCown and had gathered our things and stood outside pacing back and forth for her to hurry up and meet me outside. We made it over to our gate, D1A, at about 8:30am, just moments before the final call and the closing of the boarding door:
We scurried out to the bus that would take us to the plane after a decent little hike (maybe as much as 10 minutes? But who knows, we were both entirely dazed by this point):
Despite being a far-from-full flight, the ground crew had 2 mobile boarding ramps deployed and ready for us.
We made it onto the plane and into our seats on the Boeing 777-200 Royal Silk cabin, 12K and 12J.
Thai Airways Boeing 777-200 seat configuration
Traveling pretty light: our rather empty cabin
THE SEAT
The 30 passenger cabin was probably only around 30-40% full when the boarding door closed (just about as soon as the late bus, including us, boarded).
We had angled lie flat seats which turned out to be a little worn but still in good shape.
You might call me crazy or extremely spoiled by this point, but having just come off of Lufthansa First on a B747 and Thai Airways Royal First on an A380, the seats in this business class Thai Airways B777 cabin seemed rather narrow and much less comfortable:
IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
The audio-video units were probably around 10-12″ and controlled by a remote at the seat. The interface and media selection was virtually identical to that of the A380 flight. This included the awesome selection of programs! The entertainment selection –movies but especially the TV shows– were great. They had entire seasons of many popular shows: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, etc…
The controls were great; the handset remote was very easy to use and the screens were easy to navigate.
MEAL SERVICE
A few minutes after getting airborne, a flight attendant came over to confirm my “Personal Meal,” the beef curry which I had ordered using the website in advance of the flight. I figured that it had been about 2 years since our last venture to Thailand and I didn’t know when I’d be back so I wanted to get the most authentic Thai curry I possibly could (even if it was just airplane curry) during our short 3 hours in Bangkok.
After a few minutes, the cart came around with cashews and aperitifs:
“Can you do a Bloody Mary?”
For the first course, we had Thai shrimp and scallops with a tomato and mozzarella salad.
I ended up with a green beef curry with white rice and egg noodles, just to make sure I wasn’t lacking in starches.
McCown ordered the Panang Chicken served with white rice. We’d have to say this was the winner of the 2; again, McCown out ordered me by just choosing from the regular catering menu and not ordering ahead. This red curry dish was much spicier than the green beef curry.
It would have been a shame not to pair this meal with a Thai beer:
Rounding up the meal service on our 4.5 hour flight was a dessert of Strawberry, Vanilla and Chocolate mousse:
SERVICE
Again, we were absolutely spoiled over the past 2 days leading up to this flight but the service, as is usually the case with Thai Airways premium cabins, was perfect. Since our destination was the vacation destination of Bali, there was a pretty equal mix of vacationers, business travelers and families traveling on our flight. I think this relaxed tone of the passengers was noticeable among the airline staff as well. The flight attendants were attentive and professional but also relaxed and friendly. Either way, with a rather empty cabin, they were able to complete the meal service without too much effort and retreated to the galley as we tried to get a few hours of rest.
We experienced some great views as we departed Bangkok and approached Bali:
A few minutes of flying time south of Bangkok
On approach to Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai International Airport
We had an on-time landing and taxied to the terminal:
We decided to arrange a visa expeditor service through our hotel, the W Retreat & Spa, for an additional $30 US per person. We had a good experience with the service, although the terminal didn’t seem that busy and many of the people that were on our flight who did the normal visa process were waiting beside us at baggage claim so it didn’t really save us that much time.
The terminal looked brand new and was in great shape:
The VIP Immigration Clearance agent pushed our bags on a cart straight out to the hotel car that was waiting for us in the pickup area. All in all, this was a very painless process.
BOTTOM LINE: Whether international long haul in Thai Royal First or flying Royal Silk Business Class on a much shorter flight, Thai Airways maintains a great standard in service, meal quality and entertainment on all of their flights.
---------------------
You can find the full post with photo gallery and proper formatting here: Weekend Blitz - Thai Airways B772 Royal Silk Class – TG 431 Bangkok-BKK to Denpasar, Bali-DPS
Fresh off of multiple amazing flights (Lufthansa Boeing 747 First Class and Thai Airways A380 Royal First Class), numerous world class lounge experiences (Lufthansa First Class Lounge – New York and Lufthansa First Class Lounge – Frankfurt) and, most recently, a full spa and massage experience at the Bangkok lounge (Thai Airways Royal First Lounge and Royal Orchid Spa – Bangkok), we had been traveling for about 54 hours so far and were getting ready to reach our (first) final destination of Bali, Indonesia. That being said, we weren’t entirely “over it” by this point, but getting pretty close, so, when the time came to board, we were more than ready to embark on our final flight to become one step closer to a normal bed and hot shower (not that we didn’t enjoy plenty of hot showers in the lounges).
OVERVIEW
We booked this flight about 6 months before our departure date as part of our multi-country award ticket with United Airlines MileagePlus miles (more on our booking can be found here: Award-Booking Honeymoon trip with United miles…All in First Class).
By using United award miles, we were able to take advantage of its routing rules to have 1 free stopover, 1 free open-jaw and 2 long connections that allowed us enough time to explore the city (aka 2 more free stopovers). It looked like this:
- Depart New York-JFK on Lufthansa to Frankfurt-FRA. We arrived in Frankfurt, Germany and had an appx 23 hours layover; this allowed us to stay the night without it counting as a stopover.
- Next flight was Frankfurt-FRA to Bangkok-BKK –> Denpasar-DPS (Bali). This was the beginning of our open-jaw.
- After about a week in Bali, we purchased a cheap ticket on Air Asia from Denpasar-DPS to Jakarta-CGK and explored the Indonesian capital for 2 nights.
- From Jakarta-CGK, we flew to Male-MLE in the Maldives via Singapore-SIN. The flight out of Jakarta concluded our open-jaw segment and we purposely picked an 8+ hour layover in Singapore which allowed enough time to explore the city for a few hours.
- With the Maldives counting as our stopover, we stayed for a little less than a week and then began the trek home flying from Male-MLE –> Singapore-SIN –> Tokyo-NRT –> Newark-EWR. This concluded our United award ticket.
Airline: Thai Airways
Flight # TG 431 (THA431)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200 (B777-200, B772)
Depart: Bangkok-BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport
Arrive: Denpasar-DPS, Indonesia Ngurah Rai International Airport
Cabin: Royal Silk Business Class
Seats: 12K, 12J
Distance: 1,832 miles (2,948 km)
Scheduled time: 4 hours 25 minutes
BOARDING
After enjoying hot oil massages in the Thai Airways Royal Orchid Spa, we were running rather tight on time for our 8:50am departure. I wrapped up a few minutes before McCown and had gathered our things and stood outside pacing back and forth for her to hurry up and meet me outside. We made it over to our gate, D1A, at about 8:30am, just moments before the final call and the closing of the boarding door:
We scurried out to the bus that would take us to the plane after a decent little hike (maybe as much as 10 minutes? But who knows, we were both entirely dazed by this point):
Despite being a far-from-full flight, the ground crew had 2 mobile boarding ramps deployed and ready for us.
We made it onto the plane and into our seats on the Boeing 777-200 Royal Silk cabin, 12K and 12J.
Thai Airways Boeing 777-200 seat configuration
Traveling pretty light: our rather empty cabin
THE SEAT
The 30 passenger cabin was probably only around 30-40% full when the boarding door closed (just about as soon as the late bus, including us, boarded).
We had angled lie flat seats which turned out to be a little worn but still in good shape.
You might call me crazy or extremely spoiled by this point, but having just come off of Lufthansa First on a B747 and Thai Airways Royal First on an A380, the seats in this business class Thai Airways B777 cabin seemed rather narrow and much less comfortable:
IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
The audio-video units were probably around 10-12″ and controlled by a remote at the seat. The interface and media selection was virtually identical to that of the A380 flight. This included the awesome selection of programs! The entertainment selection –movies but especially the TV shows– were great. They had entire seasons of many popular shows: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, etc…
The controls were great; the handset remote was very easy to use and the screens were easy to navigate.
MEAL SERVICE
A few minutes after getting airborne, a flight attendant came over to confirm my “Personal Meal,” the beef curry which I had ordered using the website in advance of the flight. I figured that it had been about 2 years since our last venture to Thailand and I didn’t know when I’d be back so I wanted to get the most authentic Thai curry I possibly could (even if it was just airplane curry) during our short 3 hours in Bangkok.
After a few minutes, the cart came around with cashews and aperitifs:
“Can you do a Bloody Mary?”
For the first course, we had Thai shrimp and scallops with a tomato and mozzarella salad.
I ended up with a green beef curry with white rice and egg noodles, just to make sure I wasn’t lacking in starches.
McCown ordered the Panang Chicken served with white rice. We’d have to say this was the winner of the 2; again, McCown out ordered me by just choosing from the regular catering menu and not ordering ahead. This red curry dish was much spicier than the green beef curry.
It would have been a shame not to pair this meal with a Thai beer:
Rounding up the meal service on our 4.5 hour flight was a dessert of Strawberry, Vanilla and Chocolate mousse:
SERVICE
Again, we were absolutely spoiled over the past 2 days leading up to this flight but the service, as is usually the case with Thai Airways premium cabins, was perfect. Since our destination was the vacation destination of Bali, there was a pretty equal mix of vacationers, business travelers and families traveling on our flight. I think this relaxed tone of the passengers was noticeable among the airline staff as well. The flight attendants were attentive and professional but also relaxed and friendly. Either way, with a rather empty cabin, they were able to complete the meal service without too much effort and retreated to the galley as we tried to get a few hours of rest.
We experienced some great views as we departed Bangkok and approached Bali:
A few minutes of flying time south of Bangkok
On approach to Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai International Airport
We had an on-time landing and taxied to the terminal:
We decided to arrange a visa expeditor service through our hotel, the W Retreat & Spa, for an additional $30 US per person. We had a good experience with the service, although the terminal didn’t seem that busy and many of the people that were on our flight who did the normal visa process were waiting beside us at baggage claim so it didn’t really save us that much time.
The terminal looked brand new and was in great shape:
The VIP Immigration Clearance agent pushed our bags on a cart straight out to the hotel car that was waiting for us in the pickup area. All in all, this was a very painless process.
BOTTOM LINE: Whether international long haul in Thai Royal First or flying Royal Silk Business Class on a much shorter flight, Thai Airways maintains a great standard in service, meal quality and entertainment on all of their flights.
---------------------
You can find the full post with photo gallery and proper formatting here: Weekend Blitz - Thai Airways B772 Royal Silk Class – TG 431 Bangkok-BKK to Denpasar, Bali-DPS
Dec 5, 2014, 8:52 am
#52
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: DL Diamond, WN A-List, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 685
W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak – Bali, Indonesia – Hotel Review Part 1
Stop One on our honeymoon was Bali, Indonesia and stop one of our Bali trip was a few days’ stay at the W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak. Prior to our arrival, we had flown from Charleston – NYC, NYC – Frankfurt, Germany, Frankfurt-Bangkok, then finally Bangkok-Denpasar, Bali — arriving in Bali two days after departure. Tired doesn’t even begin to describe us.
But, upon arrival at the W, our excitement quickly took over and we couldn’t wait to explore the grounds and get to our private pool villa (say what?!) ASAP. I have always loved the fun, quirky atmosphere at W Hotels, but this W blew the others away by a long shot. Everything was done perfectly – from the outdoor reception area to the (standard) funky jams blaring through the speakers to just the right amount of young, hip hotel guests – everything about our first impression was a winner.
More details on the property are coming in a future post, so this one will stick to our booking/check-in process and our room.
But first, a quick peek at the entrance to the hotel and the long driveway down to the hotel’s main entrance (to get you as far from the busy street as possible…. And, to build anticipation):
The hotel entrance off of the main road
Long drive into the hotel
BOOKING
From Jeffrey: I knew that we wanted to go to Bali and I had an idea that I wanted to use some combination of hotel points given that I had been saving them up for this trip and that my hotel status can sometimes have value (free upgrades to suites, free breakfast, free internet etc…). The two programs that I had been using were Starwood Preferred Guest and Hyatt Gold Passport; I was happy staying with either program. Here’s an overview of the Starwood and Hyatt properties in Bali: Ultimate Honeymoon: Which Starwood Property In Bali?
When I had it narrowed down, I emailed a few of the properties to see about making an award booking and then confirming a suite using a cash upgrade; most of the hotels were helpful:
My question: I see that I can book the “Wonderful Garden View Retreat” room for 20,000 Starpoints per night during these dates. If booked, can you advise if it would be possible to pay cash to receive an upgrade to a Suite or Villa?
W Bali Response: ….should you wish to have a confirmed upgrade, the extra charges for each night will be the following :
Upgrade to Marvelous Suite : extra USD 325 plus taxes per night
Upgrade to 1 Bedroom Villa : extra USD 225 plus taxes per night
After I pushed back a bit on the $225 upgrade price (I read about offers of $90/night online) I got the hotel to agree to an upgrade price of $175/night: “We are more than happy to offer USD 175 plus taxes per night as the extra charge for a 1 bedroom villa upgrade. Trust that it is the best offer we can do for that period. Please let us know once your booking is made, so that we can assign the villa accordingly.”
So in the end, I was able to book the 1 Bedroom Villa at a rate of 13,000 Starpoints (thanks to a 35% off award booking coupon– normally, it’s 20k Starpoints/night) + $175 ($211.75 after tax) per night. Normal rates for the “Marvelous One Bedroom Pool Villa” for this period were appx $726 per night, so I end up with a return of:
($726 – $211.75) / 13,000 Starpoints = 3.95 cents/Starpoint. I consider this a fantastic return on my Starpoints for a great room at a great property. If you were considering a booking and didn’t have the 35% off award coupon, this would still be a pretty good use of Starpoints at 2.57 cents/Starpoint.
AIRPORT TRANSFER
At the time of booking, the hotel emailed me to offer a few extra services to help with our arrival:
We ended up booking the Toyota Innova airport transfer for $23 + the Express Immigration Service for $30 per person and were pleased with both services.
CHECK-IN
Once the driver dropped us off at the outdoor “lobby”, we headed straight for the check-in/reception desk that was just beyond the driveway.
We were immediately offered a tasty, exotic fruit juice and the process of check-in was fast, easy and painless. And, bonus: the check-in desk is right next to the bar and between the pool and hotel rooms, so we were able to get started people watching right away. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do first: pool, beach, private pool? My head was spinning.
At check-in, we were offered a few choices for a SPG Platinum amenity and chose the breakfast, which entitled us to the eat at any of the restaurants every morning.
We were taken (by golf cart) on a semi-winding route to our row of villas. While the pool/lobby area is loud and makes you feel like you’re in the middle of an awesome party, they’ve done a fantastic job of keeping it quiet in the villas’ area.
The “lobby”
Check In / Reception Area
THE ROOM
On the narrow road to our villa:
The entrance to our very own villa!
I’ve never had a hotel room with a private pool before and this was the most perfect start to our honeymoon. A private pool!?! I never wanted to leave. We ended up spending a good bit of time in our cabana and enjoying some quiet time by the pool. Although we really loved the big pool and being in the middle of all the activity going on there, it was nice to have an escape and rest while still enjoying the beautiful weather outside.
View from our front door
After oohing and ahhing at our very own pool, we were led inside the villa and shown around. The inside was almost as large as our apartment at home – and way trendier.
The door from the pool area opened up to our “bedroom” with the bed facing towards the pool. To the right was a sitting area with a welcome amenity waiting on us. The bathroom area was to the left with a dividing wall. The bathtub was nestled in the corner with a view of the pool area and cabana. There was plenty of closet space and sink space to really settle in and make ourselves at home.
The studio feel made the villa seem even bigger, but the dividing wall between the bathroom and bedroom areas gave plenty of privacy and tons of extra closet room. And, even though the villa was basically a studio, there was plenty of separation, which helped Jeffrey to catch up on some work at times without me staring over his shoulder.
THE BATHROOM
For a decent chunk of change ($75+?), they were willing to come in and draw a romantic bubble bath for you. Awkward? We didn’t try it…
And, for a final personal touch, we were greeted with a celebratory package of (what looked like homemade) chocolate candies and pomegranate martinis — intricately displayed with a pig and a scale. While we’re not sure the meaning of the pig (or the scale…?), it was quirky and cool, just like the W.
BOTTOM LINE: If you’re interested in celebrating a special occasion in Bali, the W is the perfect destination. Filled with young, trendy vacationers, this place has both a party atmosphere and fancy restaurants as well as plenty of private space to rest and relax. And, these private pool villas are hard to beat.
---------------------
You can find the full post with photo gallery and proper formatting here: Weekend Blitz - W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak – Bali, Indonesia – Hotel Review Part 1
Stop One on our honeymoon was Bali, Indonesia and stop one of our Bali trip was a few days’ stay at the W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak. Prior to our arrival, we had flown from Charleston – NYC, NYC – Frankfurt, Germany, Frankfurt-Bangkok, then finally Bangkok-Denpasar, Bali — arriving in Bali two days after departure. Tired doesn’t even begin to describe us.
But, upon arrival at the W, our excitement quickly took over and we couldn’t wait to explore the grounds and get to our private pool villa (say what?!) ASAP. I have always loved the fun, quirky atmosphere at W Hotels, but this W blew the others away by a long shot. Everything was done perfectly – from the outdoor reception area to the (standard) funky jams blaring through the speakers to just the right amount of young, hip hotel guests – everything about our first impression was a winner.
More details on the property are coming in a future post, so this one will stick to our booking/check-in process and our room.
But first, a quick peek at the entrance to the hotel and the long driveway down to the hotel’s main entrance (to get you as far from the busy street as possible…. And, to build anticipation):
The hotel entrance off of the main road
Long drive into the hotel
BOOKING
From Jeffrey: I knew that we wanted to go to Bali and I had an idea that I wanted to use some combination of hotel points given that I had been saving them up for this trip and that my hotel status can sometimes have value (free upgrades to suites, free breakfast, free internet etc…). The two programs that I had been using were Starwood Preferred Guest and Hyatt Gold Passport; I was happy staying with either program. Here’s an overview of the Starwood and Hyatt properties in Bali: Ultimate Honeymoon: Which Starwood Property In Bali?
When I had it narrowed down, I emailed a few of the properties to see about making an award booking and then confirming a suite using a cash upgrade; most of the hotels were helpful:
My question: I see that I can book the “Wonderful Garden View Retreat” room for 20,000 Starpoints per night during these dates. If booked, can you advise if it would be possible to pay cash to receive an upgrade to a Suite or Villa?
W Bali Response: ….should you wish to have a confirmed upgrade, the extra charges for each night will be the following :
Upgrade to Marvelous Suite : extra USD 325 plus taxes per night
Upgrade to 1 Bedroom Villa : extra USD 225 plus taxes per night
After I pushed back a bit on the $225 upgrade price (I read about offers of $90/night online) I got the hotel to agree to an upgrade price of $175/night: “We are more than happy to offer USD 175 plus taxes per night as the extra charge for a 1 bedroom villa upgrade. Trust that it is the best offer we can do for that period. Please let us know once your booking is made, so that we can assign the villa accordingly.”
So in the end, I was able to book the 1 Bedroom Villa at a rate of 13,000 Starpoints (thanks to a 35% off award booking coupon– normally, it’s 20k Starpoints/night) + $175 ($211.75 after tax) per night. Normal rates for the “Marvelous One Bedroom Pool Villa” for this period were appx $726 per night, so I end up with a return of:
($726 – $211.75) / 13,000 Starpoints = 3.95 cents/Starpoint. I consider this a fantastic return on my Starpoints for a great room at a great property. If you were considering a booking and didn’t have the 35% off award coupon, this would still be a pretty good use of Starpoints at 2.57 cents/Starpoint.
AIRPORT TRANSFER
At the time of booking, the hotel emailed me to offer a few extra services to help with our arrival:
We ended up booking the Toyota Innova airport transfer for $23 + the Express Immigration Service for $30 per person and were pleased with both services.
CHECK-IN
Once the driver dropped us off at the outdoor “lobby”, we headed straight for the check-in/reception desk that was just beyond the driveway.
We were immediately offered a tasty, exotic fruit juice and the process of check-in was fast, easy and painless. And, bonus: the check-in desk is right next to the bar and between the pool and hotel rooms, so we were able to get started people watching right away. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do first: pool, beach, private pool? My head was spinning.
At check-in, we were offered a few choices for a SPG Platinum amenity and chose the breakfast, which entitled us to the eat at any of the restaurants every morning.
We were taken (by golf cart) on a semi-winding route to our row of villas. While the pool/lobby area is loud and makes you feel like you’re in the middle of an awesome party, they’ve done a fantastic job of keeping it quiet in the villas’ area.
The “lobby”
Check In / Reception Area
THE ROOM
On the narrow road to our villa:
The entrance to our very own villa!
I’ve never had a hotel room with a private pool before and this was the most perfect start to our honeymoon. A private pool!?! I never wanted to leave. We ended up spending a good bit of time in our cabana and enjoying some quiet time by the pool. Although we really loved the big pool and being in the middle of all the activity going on there, it was nice to have an escape and rest while still enjoying the beautiful weather outside.
View from our front door
After oohing and ahhing at our very own pool, we were led inside the villa and shown around. The inside was almost as large as our apartment at home – and way trendier.
The door from the pool area opened up to our “bedroom” with the bed facing towards the pool. To the right was a sitting area with a welcome amenity waiting on us. The bathroom area was to the left with a dividing wall. The bathtub was nestled in the corner with a view of the pool area and cabana. There was plenty of closet space and sink space to really settle in and make ourselves at home.
The studio feel made the villa seem even bigger, but the dividing wall between the bathroom and bedroom areas gave plenty of privacy and tons of extra closet room. And, even though the villa was basically a studio, there was plenty of separation, which helped Jeffrey to catch up on some work at times without me staring over his shoulder.
THE BATHROOM
For a decent chunk of change ($75+?), they were willing to come in and draw a romantic bubble bath for you. Awkward? We didn’t try it…
And, for a final personal touch, we were greeted with a celebratory package of (what looked like homemade) chocolate candies and pomegranate martinis — intricately displayed with a pig and a scale. While we’re not sure the meaning of the pig (or the scale…?), it was quirky and cool, just like the W.
BOTTOM LINE: If you’re interested in celebrating a special occasion in Bali, the W is the perfect destination. Filled with young, trendy vacationers, this place has both a party atmosphere and fancy restaurants as well as plenty of private space to rest and relax. And, these private pool villas are hard to beat.
---------------------
You can find the full post with photo gallery and proper formatting here: Weekend Blitz - W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak – Bali, Indonesia – Hotel Review Part 1
Dec 5, 2014, 9:44 am
#53
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: United Premier, EK Skywards Blue, AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, Lufthansa Miles & More, Aeroplan
Posts: 79
Bali is gorgeous!!! I went there on vacation with my uncle and his family + 1 of my friends...we were so sad to leave!!! My friend cried on my shoulder while we waited to board!!! But it's probably in my destiny to return!
Jan 4, 2015, 2:04 pm
#56
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: DL Diamond, WN A-List, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 685
W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak – Bali, Indonesia – Hotel Review Part 2
Everything about the W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak was fun, lively and the perfect place to begin our honeymoon. As I’ve covered in a previous post about the hotel (you can read it here), our very own pool villa was everything I always wanted in a honeymoon + more.
But, when we ventured away from the private pool and quiet oasis of our villa, the rest of the W always had a lot going on and plenty to experience. There was always a lively party, plenty of Balinese culture to take in and rum drinks overflowing by the pool – no matter what time of day or night. Much of the crowd was always gathered at one of the two on-site restaurants, so this post will cover all the details and our experience at both dining options.
ON-SITE RESTAURANTS OVERVIEW
The W Bali has two on-site restaurants: Starfish Bloo and FIRE. There’s also a handful of bars (the Woobar, the Ice Bar, the Chill Bar…), but the only two kitchens that serve breakfast are Starfish Bloo and FIRE.
Both Starfish Bloo and FIRE are indoor/outdoor, so the experience can either be a more casual outdoor meal or a bit fancier indoors. Either way, the views are phenomenal and the music is bumpin’ with the W soundtrack.
The Starfish Bloo restaurant serves Pan-Asian cuisine with a more stylish vibe. The decor is a bit fancier than FIRE’s — with huge, round wooden booths that weren’t so great great for privacy but did add to the quirky, hip-ness of the W (as if that needed any additions). Starfish Bloo serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
FIRE is more grill-centric and meat-centric, a nice coupling to Starfish Bloo’s seafood focus. The atmosphere is a bit more casual. What FIRE lacks in decor (compared with Starfish Bloo), it makes up for in flavor. Every dish we tried from the grill was fresh and flavor-packed.
STARFISH BLOO DINNER
Our first experience at either of the two restaurants was at Starfish Bloo, where we headed just after check-in for a late dinner. We were fighting days and days of jetlag, but wanted to stay awake long enough to enjoy a Balinese meal and take in some of the hotel.
The tasting menu is 450 rup = $40 USD. We were able to split one tasting menu because we weren’t too hungry– we’d each had about 4 too many airplane “breakfasts” at 3am. As part of the tasting menu, we tried the ASINON BOGOR (a Balinese tuna “sambal matah”), the AYAM BETUTU “GILLMONUK” (an awesome curry chicken spice dish) and the SEMUR DAGING SAPI (coconut milk beef). Our waitress was helpful in suggesting dishes and we really enjoyed our first taste of Balinese food.
We soon realized how quickly the food adds up– even when splitting! The tasting menu provided the perfect amount of food to split and we were glad to try three dishes right off the bat. Our waitress also kindly brought us a mango sorbet to finish — what a delightful surprise! Our first sample of Bali’s food was a success. You just have make the decision to have the “we’re on vacation” mindset so your jaw doesn’t drop at every. single. price. at the W.
As far as drinks go, we weren’t too surprised to find that they were way too sugary and weak — all for about $15/drink. Dually noted. And, again, you’ve got to get that vacation mindset before you go around pinching pennies at the W.
Dinner with a side of jet lag (yikes!)
FIRE BREAKFAST
Next up, we chose FIRE as our first breakfast experience. Before ordering, we confirmed that, with the Platinum Amenity, anything — buffet or a la carte (or both) — is included. Jackpot.
So, when in Rome, right? We first sized up the buffet and, although we usually skip the buffet and order from a la carte, this is, quite possibly, the only buffet that I’ve ever deemed worthy of going back for seconds. I mean… this place knows how to cook up a delectable buffet: there was a huge selection of cured meats and fruit. Then, we saw the Indonesian food area with vegetable curry and sausage dishes. Next, we found the Indian food area, THEN the make-your-own-omelette area and FINALLY the pastry area.
That just covered the buffet — the a la carte menu offered even more delicacies, including seared foie gras. Yes, we’ll have some of that, too.
Delicious foie gras for breakfast…yes, please
Each dish we tried tasted better than the last– and, the servers were at our table often to offer us freshly squeezed juice and cappuccinos with a “W” dripped on top in chocolate. The fantastic service and the never-ending options had me contemplating staying at the breakfast table for our entire time in Bali. This, my friends, is the definition of vacation.
STARFISH BLOO BREAKFAST
The next day, to be fair, we had our breakfast at Starfish Bloo. Starfish Bloo is a bit more elite and only serves villa and suite guests at breakfast. I guess breakfast is usually included in those rates and they just send you here? We sat outside with a view of the ocean and were promptly offered coffees and freshly squeezed juices. We again opted for the buffet– another illustrious, never-ending buffet but this one didn’t quite fit our tastes as much as FIRE did. There were many more seafood and Asian options and, frankly, I’m just not super pumped about have sushi before 9am. Let me make it clear that this buffet was not worse, it just wasn’t what I would prefer as much as someone else might.
Dim Sum
Outdoor breakfast at Starfish Bloo to start our day
Apart from the typical continental breakfast, the buffet also had a dim sum station, a sushi station and then the standard pancake, french toast…American options. Although everything was delicious and very fancy, FIRE was the clear breakfast winner in my book because it had so many unusual and delicious options (like Indian and Indonesian choices) that I couldn’t get at an American hotel.
As a side note, it was interesting to note the price of alcohol (extremely, extremely expensive) vs. the price of sushi — they had sashimi tuna and snapper sitting out at the buffet. Although (slightly) tempting, we opted to skip the Vanilla Bellini at 220K = $20USD!
BOTTOM LINE: Although we tried nearby local restaurants, the variety of options available at the W restaurants was unmatched. Although the hotel restaurants were a little pricy (such is life at hotel restaurants), they were tasty and delicious, which is more than I can say for the majority of on-site restaurants in many other hotels. Plus, the free breakfast buffets could not have been better.
---------------------
You can find the full post with photo gallery and proper formatting here: Weekend Blitz - W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak – Bali, Indonesia – Hotel Review Part 2
Everything about the W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak was fun, lively and the perfect place to begin our honeymoon. As I’ve covered in a previous post about the hotel (you can read it here), our very own pool villa was everything I always wanted in a honeymoon + more.
But, when we ventured away from the private pool and quiet oasis of our villa, the rest of the W always had a lot going on and plenty to experience. There was always a lively party, plenty of Balinese culture to take in and rum drinks overflowing by the pool – no matter what time of day or night. Much of the crowd was always gathered at one of the two on-site restaurants, so this post will cover all the details and our experience at both dining options.
ON-SITE RESTAURANTS OVERVIEW
The W Bali has two on-site restaurants: Starfish Bloo and FIRE. There’s also a handful of bars (the Woobar, the Ice Bar, the Chill Bar…), but the only two kitchens that serve breakfast are Starfish Bloo and FIRE.
Both Starfish Bloo and FIRE are indoor/outdoor, so the experience can either be a more casual outdoor meal or a bit fancier indoors. Either way, the views are phenomenal and the music is bumpin’ with the W soundtrack.
The Starfish Bloo restaurant serves Pan-Asian cuisine with a more stylish vibe. The decor is a bit fancier than FIRE’s — with huge, round wooden booths that weren’t so great great for privacy but did add to the quirky, hip-ness of the W (as if that needed any additions). Starfish Bloo serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
FIRE is more grill-centric and meat-centric, a nice coupling to Starfish Bloo’s seafood focus. The atmosphere is a bit more casual. What FIRE lacks in decor (compared with Starfish Bloo), it makes up for in flavor. Every dish we tried from the grill was fresh and flavor-packed.
STARFISH BLOO DINNER
Our first experience at either of the two restaurants was at Starfish Bloo, where we headed just after check-in for a late dinner. We were fighting days and days of jetlag, but wanted to stay awake long enough to enjoy a Balinese meal and take in some of the hotel.
The tasting menu is 450 rup = $40 USD. We were able to split one tasting menu because we weren’t too hungry– we’d each had about 4 too many airplane “breakfasts” at 3am. As part of the tasting menu, we tried the ASINON BOGOR (a Balinese tuna “sambal matah”), the AYAM BETUTU “GILLMONUK” (an awesome curry chicken spice dish) and the SEMUR DAGING SAPI (coconut milk beef). Our waitress was helpful in suggesting dishes and we really enjoyed our first taste of Balinese food.
We soon realized how quickly the food adds up– even when splitting! The tasting menu provided the perfect amount of food to split and we were glad to try three dishes right off the bat. Our waitress also kindly brought us a mango sorbet to finish — what a delightful surprise! Our first sample of Bali’s food was a success. You just have make the decision to have the “we’re on vacation” mindset so your jaw doesn’t drop at every. single. price. at the W.
As far as drinks go, we weren’t too surprised to find that they were way too sugary and weak — all for about $15/drink. Dually noted. And, again, you’ve got to get that vacation mindset before you go around pinching pennies at the W.
Dinner with a side of jet lag (yikes!)
FIRE BREAKFAST
Next up, we chose FIRE as our first breakfast experience. Before ordering, we confirmed that, with the Platinum Amenity, anything — buffet or a la carte (or both) — is included. Jackpot.
So, when in Rome, right? We first sized up the buffet and, although we usually skip the buffet and order from a la carte, this is, quite possibly, the only buffet that I’ve ever deemed worthy of going back for seconds. I mean… this place knows how to cook up a delectable buffet: there was a huge selection of cured meats and fruit. Then, we saw the Indonesian food area with vegetable curry and sausage dishes. Next, we found the Indian food area, THEN the make-your-own-omelette area and FINALLY the pastry area.
That just covered the buffet — the a la carte menu offered even more delicacies, including seared foie gras. Yes, we’ll have some of that, too.
Delicious foie gras for breakfast…yes, please
Each dish we tried tasted better than the last– and, the servers were at our table often to offer us freshly squeezed juice and cappuccinos with a “W” dripped on top in chocolate. The fantastic service and the never-ending options had me contemplating staying at the breakfast table for our entire time in Bali. This, my friends, is the definition of vacation.
STARFISH BLOO BREAKFAST
The next day, to be fair, we had our breakfast at Starfish Bloo. Starfish Bloo is a bit more elite and only serves villa and suite guests at breakfast. I guess breakfast is usually included in those rates and they just send you here? We sat outside with a view of the ocean and were promptly offered coffees and freshly squeezed juices. We again opted for the buffet– another illustrious, never-ending buffet but this one didn’t quite fit our tastes as much as FIRE did. There were many more seafood and Asian options and, frankly, I’m just not super pumped about have sushi before 9am. Let me make it clear that this buffet was not worse, it just wasn’t what I would prefer as much as someone else might.
Dim Sum
Outdoor breakfast at Starfish Bloo to start our day
Apart from the typical continental breakfast, the buffet also had a dim sum station, a sushi station and then the standard pancake, french toast…American options. Although everything was delicious and very fancy, FIRE was the clear breakfast winner in my book because it had so many unusual and delicious options (like Indian and Indonesian choices) that I couldn’t get at an American hotel.
As a side note, it was interesting to note the price of alcohol (extremely, extremely expensive) vs. the price of sushi — they had sashimi tuna and snapper sitting out at the buffet. Although (slightly) tempting, we opted to skip the Vanilla Bellini at 220K = $20USD!
BOTTOM LINE: Although we tried nearby local restaurants, the variety of options available at the W restaurants was unmatched. Although the hotel restaurants were a little pricy (such is life at hotel restaurants), they were tasty and delicious, which is more than I can say for the majority of on-site restaurants in many other hotels. Plus, the free breakfast buffets could not have been better.
---------------------
You can find the full post with photo gallery and proper formatting here: Weekend Blitz - W Retreat & Spa Bali Seminyak – Bali, Indonesia – Hotel Review Part 2
Jan 11, 2016, 3:39 pm
#57
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: DL Diamond, WN A-List, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 685
Another post in a very belated trip report, it's taking us quite a while to find the time to finish this one!
Bali Day Trip: Tanah Lot/Taman Ayun
We were having the best time just hanging around our hotel (W Retreat & Spa Bali) during the first part of our honeymoon, but finally felt like we should venture out and explore more of the island. After speaking with the hotel concierge about how to best leave the property and see some cool sights in the area, we settled on hiring a car and driver by the hour. The W had a few prescribed routes for sightseeing, but the beauty of being able to rent a car + driver is that you can easily custom tailor it to what makes sense for you.
We weighed our options and ultimately decided to leave in the morning to visit the temples Tanah Lot and then Taman Ayun –with a few more options in the back of our minds, depending on how much time we had and how ready we were to get back. Although visiting the temples was, of course, the highlight of our day trip, it was also quite interesting just riding around Bali. The resorts are super-luxurious, but when you’re driving around a non-resort area, it is (of course) quite a contrast from the luxe hotel pools + club music. We passed rice fields on the sides of roads with workers up to the waists in water using their hands — not machines — to harvest the rice. Plenty of stray dogs (and kids) were roaming around and we drove by beautiful, unkempt temples everywhere. Again, quite the contrast from the modern, hip W Hotel. It is so nice to get out of resort-land when you’re traveling and get to know the real culture and island– it’s always surprising when you see a $200 dress for sale in the touristy area and yet you can buy a giant water bottle for only 10 cents.
First Stop: Pura Tanah Lot
We headed first to Pura Tanah Lot, Bali’s most popular temples. In local language, it means “Land in the Sea” because it was built on a very small island just off the coast of Bali. Legend has it that a man named Dang Hyang Nirartha built the temple during the 16th century as a shrine to the sea god of Balinese mythology, Dewa Baruna. Before entering the temple, you must walk through Balinese souvenir shops and pay 30k/person plus 5k for car parking (about 65k for 2 people), which equals about $5 USD.
Headed into Tanah Lot
In front of Tanah Lot
When we arrived, there were tons of tourists flocking to the temple…
Multitudes of tourists
Our driver let us out in the parking lot, then we walked through the souvenir shops to get to the temple. Although there were plenty of tourists, they all seemed to be Indonesian. After talking to a few who insisted on taking photos with us, we found out that most of the tourists were from the nearby Indonesian island of Java, visiting Tanah Lot on their school break. For some reason, they found American tourists much more interesting than the temple itself… and, lucky for us, we were the only American tourists there… There’s no telling how many Indonesians have a picture of my face now…
Hanging out with fellow tourists
Souvenir shops outside of the temple
Because it was raining, we opted not to cross through the water and actually get up close to the temple (as non-Balinese are not allowed entrance to the temple itself), but we stayed on the cliffs and viewed the temple from about 50 feet away. As the tide rises, the temple is actually surrounded by water, so you can’t even walk up to it.
Second Stop: Pura Taman Ayun
After leaving Pura Tanah Lot, we headed to our next temple: Pura Taman Ayun. This temple was built in 1634 by the Mengwi Kingdom and is surrounded by a moat. Now, it’s considered a public park of sorts and town events are held in the extensive courtyards. It’s got much fewer tourists than Tanah Lot and is a much more enjoyable place to wonder. The courtyards and lotus-blossom-filled pools makes it peaceful and calm. We even were able to climb to the top of one of the temples and see around the city.
Visiting Pura Taman Ayun
The thing I most remember about visiting this temple is the sheer number of roosters they had collected around the temple and caged. Soon, we learned that the roosters were actually used for cockfighting and we stumbled upon the large cockfighting arena on the grounds. Although the cockfighting is sometimes done for religious ceremonies, it is used mostly for gambling.
The Cockfighting Arena
Bottom Line: After our day of driving around and visiting the two main temples, we were ready to get back to the W for more beach and pool lounging. We really enjoyed exploring some of the island and learning more about Balinese culture from our kind driver. One of the most interesting things we learned was about the Balinese naming system: regardless of gender, each Balinese is named one of four names based on birth order. The firstborn is “Wayan”, second is “Made”, third is “Nyoman” and fourth is “Ketut”. Pretty intriguing… and confusing! Our day of exploring the south end of Bali was well spent and it was worth going to both temples to see the very different architecture and landscape at both.
---------------------
You can find the full post with photo gallery and proper formatting here: Weekend Blitz - Bali Day Trip: Tanah Lot/Taman Ayun
Bali Day Trip: Tanah Lot/Taman Ayun
We were having the best time just hanging around our hotel (W Retreat & Spa Bali) during the first part of our honeymoon, but finally felt like we should venture out and explore more of the island. After speaking with the hotel concierge about how to best leave the property and see some cool sights in the area, we settled on hiring a car and driver by the hour. The W had a few prescribed routes for sightseeing, but the beauty of being able to rent a car + driver is that you can easily custom tailor it to what makes sense for you.
We weighed our options and ultimately decided to leave in the morning to visit the temples Tanah Lot and then Taman Ayun –with a few more options in the back of our minds, depending on how much time we had and how ready we were to get back. Although visiting the temples was, of course, the highlight of our day trip, it was also quite interesting just riding around Bali. The resorts are super-luxurious, but when you’re driving around a non-resort area, it is (of course) quite a contrast from the luxe hotel pools + club music. We passed rice fields on the sides of roads with workers up to the waists in water using their hands — not machines — to harvest the rice. Plenty of stray dogs (and kids) were roaming around and we drove by beautiful, unkempt temples everywhere. Again, quite the contrast from the modern, hip W Hotel. It is so nice to get out of resort-land when you’re traveling and get to know the real culture and island– it’s always surprising when you see a $200 dress for sale in the touristy area and yet you can buy a giant water bottle for only 10 cents.
First Stop: Pura Tanah Lot
We headed first to Pura Tanah Lot, Bali’s most popular temples. In local language, it means “Land in the Sea” because it was built on a very small island just off the coast of Bali. Legend has it that a man named Dang Hyang Nirartha built the temple during the 16th century as a shrine to the sea god of Balinese mythology, Dewa Baruna. Before entering the temple, you must walk through Balinese souvenir shops and pay 30k/person plus 5k for car parking (about 65k for 2 people), which equals about $5 USD.
Headed into Tanah Lot
In front of Tanah Lot
When we arrived, there were tons of tourists flocking to the temple…
Multitudes of tourists
Our driver let us out in the parking lot, then we walked through the souvenir shops to get to the temple. Although there were plenty of tourists, they all seemed to be Indonesian. After talking to a few who insisted on taking photos with us, we found out that most of the tourists were from the nearby Indonesian island of Java, visiting Tanah Lot on their school break. For some reason, they found American tourists much more interesting than the temple itself… and, lucky for us, we were the only American tourists there… There’s no telling how many Indonesians have a picture of my face now…
Hanging out with fellow tourists
Souvenir shops outside of the temple
Because it was raining, we opted not to cross through the water and actually get up close to the temple (as non-Balinese are not allowed entrance to the temple itself), but we stayed on the cliffs and viewed the temple from about 50 feet away. As the tide rises, the temple is actually surrounded by water, so you can’t even walk up to it.
Second Stop: Pura Taman Ayun
After leaving Pura Tanah Lot, we headed to our next temple: Pura Taman Ayun. This temple was built in 1634 by the Mengwi Kingdom and is surrounded by a moat. Now, it’s considered a public park of sorts and town events are held in the extensive courtyards. It’s got much fewer tourists than Tanah Lot and is a much more enjoyable place to wonder. The courtyards and lotus-blossom-filled pools makes it peaceful and calm. We even were able to climb to the top of one of the temples and see around the city.
Visiting Pura Taman Ayun
The thing I most remember about visiting this temple is the sheer number of roosters they had collected around the temple and caged. Soon, we learned that the roosters were actually used for cockfighting and we stumbled upon the large cockfighting arena on the grounds. Although the cockfighting is sometimes done for religious ceremonies, it is used mostly for gambling.
The Cockfighting Arena
Bottom Line: After our day of driving around and visiting the two main temples, we were ready to get back to the W for more beach and pool lounging. We really enjoyed exploring some of the island and learning more about Balinese culture from our kind driver. One of the most interesting things we learned was about the Balinese naming system: regardless of gender, each Balinese is named one of four names based on birth order. The firstborn is “Wayan”, second is “Made”, third is “Nyoman” and fourth is “Ketut”. Pretty intriguing… and confusing! Our day of exploring the south end of Bali was well spent and it was worth going to both temples to see the very different architecture and landscape at both.
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You can find the full post with photo gallery and proper formatting here: Weekend Blitz - Bali Day Trip: Tanah Lot/Taman Ayun
Jan 20, 2016, 7:17 pm
#59
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: DL Diamond, WN A-List, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 685
We spent a total of 5 days in Bali, 3 in Seminyak and 2 in Ubud. While I (always) wish we could have stayed longer, I found this to be a good amount of time to get a feel for Bali. Hope that helps!
Jan 27, 2016, 3:15 pm
#60
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: LH
Posts: 20
Thank you. how did you find Seminkak ? I find that the online Hotels are cheaper elsewhere.