First Time For Everything
Aug 25, 2019, 5:43 pm
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Owner of 2,000 TWA shares
Posts: 812
Positioning for Our positioning Flight
Ubud was awesome. Great resort staffed by wonderful people who took care of all of our needs. The town and it's attractions, of which I did not get to everything on our list, exceeded expectations. I appreciated the kindness of the locals and their dedications to their Gods (this coming from an agnostic).
The last few days of this trip were the last pieces of the puzzle I filled in when in my planning faze. I had decided to spend our last night closer to the airport so as to not have to stress the morning of our flight out of Bali. When researching the Conrad and Hilton on Bali I had also heard a person or two saying they actually preferred the Hilton Garden Inn, ideally located across the road from the airport. I know it might have been hyperbole but I saw that it fit our needs perfectly. At the rock bottom cost of 5,000 points it was a slam dunk.
I directly hired the same driver that had taken us from the airport to Ubud for the same price, $24. It was a bargain. He arrived at 11:00am, as scheduled and off we headed back into civilization.
We arrived at the HGI at around 12:15pm and our car was scanned my security with mirrors for explosives. Our bags were x-ray'd and we passed through the mags beeping away but unfrisked. All this was the lingering result of the horrific bombings in Bali in the early 2000s.
Security Check Point
HGI Lobby
We were able to check in early and given a requested "quiet" room. Although it faced the large pool the room WAS quiet as well as having the best blackout curtains of any hotel I've stayed.
Qibla In Our Room
We went back to the lobby for lunch and my wife enjoyed a free mocktail courtesy of my Hilton Diamond status.
BLT With Cucumbers?
Mocktail
We plead guilty for hitting the room for a sissy nap. It had been a long trip and we only needed to be on the top of our game for one more night.
Following the nap, I grabbed a ride via the Grab app and requested to be dropped off at the Beachwalk in Kuta. While I had no interest in staying in Kuta I certainly wasn't opposed to seeing what all the fuss was about. Kuta is the beach/party/shopping hub of Bali. We immediately crossed the street and headed to the beach to dip our toes in the Indian Ocean (a must-do on my trip list). We enjoyed the day's waning beach activity. I could only imagine how crazy it must get on a warm day.
Indian Ocean, Kuta Beach
A wall was built between the beach and the main drag several years ago. I've read that it was to prevent sand from blowing across the road and into the restaurants that line the street. Might be a folk tale but sounds good enough for me.
Beachwalk
We walked down the main strip then headed through alley after alley looking for more swag to take home as souvenirs. It's amazing how many side streets and alleys there are loaded with all sorts of shops, spas, clubs, restaurants, hotels and tattoo parlors. I feel we just scratched the surface in our meanderings. The one natural talent I do possess is a killer sense of direction. It did not fail me here. After shopping way too much, and finally getting my Man City 2019-20 "official" kit ($12), it was off to find dinner.
Trying To Make Art While Wife Fondles Clothing
Easily finding our way back to the Beachwalk we honed in on a place we saw while in the backseat of our Grab. We wanted comfort food and, sure enough, these guys had it.
Flapjaks (Kuta Beach Wall In Background)
His
Hers
After that little party in our mouths it was time to head back to the Hilton Garden Inn before the youngins flooded the area in their party moods. We hailed an official Bluebird taxi (what a concept) and headed back to retire for the evening.
Our flight the following day wasn't until 12:00pm so we were able to get a good nights sleep. After primping and packing we landed in the lobby for the wonderful breakfast buffet, which was included with our stay as part of the Diamond benefits. We then checked out and loaded luggage and bodies into the free shuttle to the airport, a mere five minutes away.
The Hilton Garden Inn isn't nestled in a neighborhood with lots to do but it was an exceptional bargain and delivered a comfortable stay with outstanding amenities (there was also a spa under construction). We would not hesitate to stay again if it suited our needs.
Nexupt: The Final Countdown- Back To SIN With Garuda Indonesia And Westward With Finair
The last few days of this trip were the last pieces of the puzzle I filled in when in my planning faze. I had decided to spend our last night closer to the airport so as to not have to stress the morning of our flight out of Bali. When researching the Conrad and Hilton on Bali I had also heard a person or two saying they actually preferred the Hilton Garden Inn, ideally located across the road from the airport. I know it might have been hyperbole but I saw that it fit our needs perfectly. At the rock bottom cost of 5,000 points it was a slam dunk.
I directly hired the same driver that had taken us from the airport to Ubud for the same price, $24. It was a bargain. He arrived at 11:00am, as scheduled and off we headed back into civilization.
We arrived at the HGI at around 12:15pm and our car was scanned my security with mirrors for explosives. Our bags were x-ray'd and we passed through the mags beeping away but unfrisked. All this was the lingering result of the horrific bombings in Bali in the early 2000s.
Security Check Point
HGI Lobby
We were able to check in early and given a requested "quiet" room. Although it faced the large pool the room WAS quiet as well as having the best blackout curtains of any hotel I've stayed.
Qibla In Our Room
We went back to the lobby for lunch and my wife enjoyed a free mocktail courtesy of my Hilton Diamond status.
BLT With Cucumbers?
Mocktail
We plead guilty for hitting the room for a sissy nap. It had been a long trip and we only needed to be on the top of our game for one more night.
Following the nap, I grabbed a ride via the Grab app and requested to be dropped off at the Beachwalk in Kuta. While I had no interest in staying in Kuta I certainly wasn't opposed to seeing what all the fuss was about. Kuta is the beach/party/shopping hub of Bali. We immediately crossed the street and headed to the beach to dip our toes in the Indian Ocean (a must-do on my trip list). We enjoyed the day's waning beach activity. I could only imagine how crazy it must get on a warm day.
Indian Ocean, Kuta Beach
A wall was built between the beach and the main drag several years ago. I've read that it was to prevent sand from blowing across the road and into the restaurants that line the street. Might be a folk tale but sounds good enough for me.
Beachwalk
We walked down the main strip then headed through alley after alley looking for more swag to take home as souvenirs. It's amazing how many side streets and alleys there are loaded with all sorts of shops, spas, clubs, restaurants, hotels and tattoo parlors. I feel we just scratched the surface in our meanderings. The one natural talent I do possess is a killer sense of direction. It did not fail me here. After shopping way too much, and finally getting my Man City 2019-20 "official" kit ($12), it was off to find dinner.
Trying To Make Art While Wife Fondles Clothing
Easily finding our way back to the Beachwalk we honed in on a place we saw while in the backseat of our Grab. We wanted comfort food and, sure enough, these guys had it.
Flapjaks (Kuta Beach Wall In Background)
His
Hers
After that little party in our mouths it was time to head back to the Hilton Garden Inn before the youngins flooded the area in their party moods. We hailed an official Bluebird taxi (what a concept) and headed back to retire for the evening.
Our flight the following day wasn't until 12:00pm so we were able to get a good nights sleep. After primping and packing we landed in the lobby for the wonderful breakfast buffet, which was included with our stay as part of the Diamond benefits. We then checked out and loaded luggage and bodies into the free shuttle to the airport, a mere five minutes away.
The Hilton Garden Inn isn't nestled in a neighborhood with lots to do but it was an exceptional bargain and delivered a comfortable stay with outstanding amenities (there was also a spa under construction). We would not hesitate to stay again if it suited our needs.
Nexupt: The Final Countdown- Back To SIN With Garuda Indonesia And Westward With Finair
Last edited by Uncle Nonny; Aug 25, 2019 at 6:15 pm
Aug 26, 2019, 2:09 pm
#32
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,193
Everything was going so well with this trip report, until I saw you talking about Man City and wearing the shirt.
(just kidding, Arsenal fan here)
Uncle Nonny , loving it so far
(just kidding, Arsenal fan here)
Uncle Nonny , loving it so far
Aug 26, 2019, 5:11 pm
#33
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Alpharetta, GA, USA
Posts: 948
Seriously though, enjoying the report very much. We have similar plans to go to SIN, REP and DPS sometime next year so this report has given me some great ideas (and less great ideas like Balinese pizza
)
Aug 26, 2019, 5:54 pm
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Owner of 2,000 TWA shares
Posts: 812
This Is The End
This is the day we would start our journey home. A journey that would take two days to complete. We would be in the minority today by beginning our journey at the Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) Domestic Terminal. As (I think) I touched on earlier, I had several criteria for picking flights. Bag allowance, timely flights/layovers, price and choosing seats were big as was hitting as many airports as comfortably as possible Garuda Indonesia Airlines checked all these boxes.
As with Vietnam Airlines, GA allows you to bid on upgrades. Unlike VN, I believe GA actually controls the process themselves. They hit me up prior to the trip to get me to bid. I entered the minimum amount and did not hear back. A few days into our journey they tried again. I entered the lowest amount possible and, BAM!, our first leg was upgraded at a total coast of $123 for the both of us. This included priority check in, priority boarding, priority baggage, lie flats, and lounge access that lasted through both legs of our trip.
Upgrade Bid Invite
Flight Details:
GA 407 DPS-CGK (A330-200)
The DPS domestic check in was a little chaotic as you get your bags x-rayed as you enter the airport doors. Makes sense in light of the previous mentioned bombings. I was able to easily find the Garuda priority check in counter and it had no line. Odd thing is, that wasn't where I was supposed to check in. the agent told pointed us to this:
Garuda Indonesia Airlines Premium Check in
I found it to be a little over the top for an hour and a half domestic flight but I played along. The agent processed our tickets but dug much deeper into itinerary that I had anticipated. She requested copies of our outbound tickets from Singapore (to Helsinki) on Finnair. For the first time during the whole trip I was able to use the blue folder I had lugged around that contained hard copies of our flights and lodging (also backed up on Dropbox). After a few phone calls, I was convinced no one was on the other end of the line, she asked about my flight out of Helsinki (to JFK). Showed it to her on the paper I produced. I was convinced she was going to request my EZ-Pass info as well as the code to my garage door. With that out of the way, she then started the process for my wife. I told her it was all the same confirmation code. Finally, bags were tagged and boarding passes issued. Surity (priority lane) was a breeze and we were where I feel the most relieved; airside.
We stopped at the Garuda Lounge to top off. The agent spoke the most perfect Enlglish I had heard since leaving JFK (ok, maybe Pennsylvania). The lounge was two level with only a handful of people partaking. Food and beverages were on both levels. Very nice, subdued lounge.
Garuda Indonesia Lounge
We only had about twenty minutes of lounge time before heading off to our gate. Boarding was quick and painless.
Our A332 To Jakarta
Boarding, Wasn't Moving Fast So No Idea Why It's Blurry
Lie Flat
Plenty Of Legs
Both the main and min Business cabins were about half full. FAs were attentive and very cordial. I'm an FAs dream as I usual don't eat or drink anything other than water (and the AA sundaes). My wife asked only for a hot water with lemon and it was produced in no time. Flight was on schedule and off we went to Jakarta.
Goodbye Bali, We'll Be Back
Landing in CGK was uneventful and on time. We disembarked and made our way to international transfers. It seemed like we walked forever, made a million turns, and went up several escalators to reach the main terminal. The terminal was stacked with eateries and shops. We made our was through all of the ado and were able to pass through the priority security without waiting. Immigration out of Indonesia was just as easy. Back down an escalator we went and we were in the international terminal to await our connection to Singapore. We collected coffee and pastries for my wife before depositing her, with healing broken foot, near the gate in some very relaxing chairs that reclined. I hoofed around the terminal to see the shops and do some plane spotting (horrible that I didn't take pics).
Flight Details:
GA 836 CGK-SIN (B 737-800)
Boarding was ........interesting. We were scanned in and off to what we thought was our jetway. We went down a ramp to a corridor that would lead us to, well, just a long empty corridor. We walked and walked and walked. When we finally arrived at our jetway we were one gate past where we had landed a little while back on our previous flight. While the area was sterile, we were using a domestic gate. This might have contributed to us leaving the gate and taking off late. It was the longest walk I've ever had to board a plane. We were seated in row 22, which was the second row of coach. Indonesian Math?
738 Legroom, 22H
We landed in Singapore, Changi Terminal 3. After a quick stop for a pic, it was off to immigration.
My Angel
Immigration was a breeze compared to our previous stop at SIN. The agent was curious about where we were headed. I explained our next flight and he happily pointed out where the SkyTrain station was and wished me a happy voyage home. He also gave my wife two Hershey bars. Damn, why can't they all be like this?
After customs we hopped the SkyTrain to Terminal 1. We had about a half an hour before Finnair began it's early check in that was easily killed by people watching.
The check in agent took our bags, issued our tickets and presented us with our invites to the dnata Lounge, which we didn't even visit for some reason.
Only thing on my mind at this point was to visit The Jewel.
Shameless Self-Promotion
The Jewel
I light things for a living so this was a pretty cool thing to see and experience. It being in an airport made it all the more unreal. We enjoyed ourselves in the midst of the mist of the water until the crowds got to the point where we decided to move on. We went up to the top of the dome and were meat with lines and walls of people in every direction. Lines for restaurants and attractions. I kept reminding myself I was in an airport. I wondered what these people did before this was opened earlier in the summer. And what mall, let alone AIRPORT, has a two story Apple store across from a two story Nike store?
Water, Dongles, and Sneakers
I love lights. I love Apple products. I love all things Nike. However, a mall where everyone has luggage was too much for me after this long of a voyage so we made a bee line to the quasi-security and automated immigration. I say quasi as the only scanned are your carry-ons. We wouldn't be body scanned until entering our individual gate.
A little wiped and hungry, we headed off to the lounges. Our first stop was Qantas.
Qantas
My wife oohed and aahed and couldn't wait to nest down. I then took her to the BA Lounge next door and this is where she chose to set up shop. Me? I just wanted a shower so it didn't matter to me.
BA Lounge
We spent about two hours in the BA Lounge, which started to fill up towards the end. It was then onto our gate, which was a long walk from the lounges. As mentioned, this is where we would encounter proper security procedures.
We waited in line for about 30 minutes to clear through, not realizing until we got up front that we could've used priority to skip the line. Not the end of the world. Boarding for out late night flight west was quick and painless.
Finnair 132 SIN-HEL (A359)
Most likely this was the same exact plane we flew here to in 10 days earlier so I won't expound. Slept like a baby most of the way. No pizza on board but OD'd on blueberry juice (again). We slid into Helsinki on a beautiful, cloudy morning after 11+ hours aloft.
Puffy Sunrise
Our layover this time was less than five hours. We locked away our bags at the Platinum Wing Lounge and wondered the airport to shake off some rust. We crossed into Finland to peruse the Schengen side of things. There was a little more activity there but we got bored, cleared immigration and headed back to the lounge where we enjoyed the breakfast spread. I also had one last, 45 minute goodbye to Shower Room #1 before it was time to walk to the gate.
Speaking of the gate, we were not big fans of the Q&A portion of the boarding process. We were pre-cleared to a smaller holding area after having our Passports checked and boarding passes scanned. The area filled up quickly with J passengers as well elites. Being a jaded AA elite, I was also assuming there were people there solely based on filling out a credit card app. We were stuck there way too long and couldn't leave unless giving back our documents (my wife LOOOOVES visitin gbathrooms at the most inopportune times). We toughed it out and finally boarded our last leg to JFK.
So, the whole time in the planning of this trip I was waiting to sit in this seat: The Throne Seat of Finnair's A332. Truthfully, it was quite enjoyable.
2A Queen AY 132 SIN-JFK (A332)
4A King
A little more leg room, I'm convinced. Definitely more elbow room. It was a damn good seat for a A330. Flight was quick and smooth. More sleep was enjoyed.
We landed at JFK on time. So did everyone else. The Arrivals Hall was the biggest mess I've ever encountered. I do have Global Entry but my wife does not. We'll have to fix that quickly. The people that run ICE at JFK should have to wiat in that line to punch out of work each night. Complete chaos. Since no one was clearing quickly the bags were piling up in the baggage claim area. It was comical. Maybe not. Either way, grabbed bags and off to the AirTrain to long term parking.
We ended up wheels down in our driveway at 7:30pm (landed at JFK at 3:30), exhausted and happy to have had such a wonderful journey. A lot of us are solo travelers for our jobs. Traveling with my wife always teaches me to walk slower and show more patience in general as well as communicate better. The trip was so good that we could've easily spent another few weeks on the road together. That's not easy, considering she married an introverted loner.
I want to thank those of you who followed along. My grammar is horrible as I am a stream of consciousness kind of guy. I didn't take notes on the trip and everything posted came straight out of my noggin. Writing this has been almost as time consuming as the actual trip. It's also given me the courage to, perhaps, try it again but , more importantly, better document my future trips. I took hundreds of photos and sit here kicking myself for the ones I didn't take. I guess I'll just have to get back on that horse soon. Thanks.
JK
As with Vietnam Airlines, GA allows you to bid on upgrades. Unlike VN, I believe GA actually controls the process themselves. They hit me up prior to the trip to get me to bid. I entered the minimum amount and did not hear back. A few days into our journey they tried again. I entered the lowest amount possible and, BAM!, our first leg was upgraded at a total coast of $123 for the both of us. This included priority check in, priority boarding, priority baggage, lie flats, and lounge access that lasted through both legs of our trip.
Upgrade Bid Invite
Flight Details:
GA 407 DPS-CGK (A330-200)
The DPS domestic check in was a little chaotic as you get your bags x-rayed as you enter the airport doors. Makes sense in light of the previous mentioned bombings. I was able to easily find the Garuda priority check in counter and it had no line. Odd thing is, that wasn't where I was supposed to check in. the agent told pointed us to this:
Garuda Indonesia Airlines Premium Check in
I found it to be a little over the top for an hour and a half domestic flight but I played along. The agent processed our tickets but dug much deeper into itinerary that I had anticipated. She requested copies of our outbound tickets from Singapore (to Helsinki) on Finnair. For the first time during the whole trip I was able to use the blue folder I had lugged around that contained hard copies of our flights and lodging (also backed up on Dropbox). After a few phone calls, I was convinced no one was on the other end of the line, she asked about my flight out of Helsinki (to JFK). Showed it to her on the paper I produced. I was convinced she was going to request my EZ-Pass info as well as the code to my garage door. With that out of the way, she then started the process for my wife. I told her it was all the same confirmation code. Finally, bags were tagged and boarding passes issued. Surity (priority lane) was a breeze and we were where I feel the most relieved; airside.
We stopped at the Garuda Lounge to top off. The agent spoke the most perfect Enlglish I had heard since leaving JFK (ok, maybe Pennsylvania). The lounge was two level with only a handful of people partaking. Food and beverages were on both levels. Very nice, subdued lounge.
Garuda Indonesia Lounge
We only had about twenty minutes of lounge time before heading off to our gate. Boarding was quick and painless.
Our A332 To Jakarta
Boarding, Wasn't Moving Fast So No Idea Why It's Blurry
Lie Flat
Plenty Of Legs
Both the main and min Business cabins were about half full. FAs were attentive and very cordial. I'm an FAs dream as I usual don't eat or drink anything other than water (and the AA sundaes). My wife asked only for a hot water with lemon and it was produced in no time. Flight was on schedule and off we went to Jakarta.
Goodbye Bali, We'll Be Back
Landing in CGK was uneventful and on time. We disembarked and made our way to international transfers. It seemed like we walked forever, made a million turns, and went up several escalators to reach the main terminal. The terminal was stacked with eateries and shops. We made our was through all of the ado and were able to pass through the priority security without waiting. Immigration out of Indonesia was just as easy. Back down an escalator we went and we were in the international terminal to await our connection to Singapore. We collected coffee and pastries for my wife before depositing her, with healing broken foot, near the gate in some very relaxing chairs that reclined. I hoofed around the terminal to see the shops and do some plane spotting (horrible that I didn't take pics).
Flight Details:
GA 836 CGK-SIN (B 737-800)
Boarding was ........interesting. We were scanned in and off to what we thought was our jetway. We went down a ramp to a corridor that would lead us to, well, just a long empty corridor. We walked and walked and walked. When we finally arrived at our jetway we were one gate past where we had landed a little while back on our previous flight. While the area was sterile, we were using a domestic gate. This might have contributed to us leaving the gate and taking off late. It was the longest walk I've ever had to board a plane. We were seated in row 22, which was the second row of coach. Indonesian Math?
738 Legroom, 22H
We landed in Singapore, Changi Terminal 3. After a quick stop for a pic, it was off to immigration.
My Angel
Immigration was a breeze compared to our previous stop at SIN. The agent was curious about where we were headed. I explained our next flight and he happily pointed out where the SkyTrain station was and wished me a happy voyage home. He also gave my wife two Hershey bars. Damn, why can't they all be like this?
After customs we hopped the SkyTrain to Terminal 1. We had about a half an hour before Finnair began it's early check in that was easily killed by people watching.
The check in agent took our bags, issued our tickets and presented us with our invites to the dnata Lounge, which we didn't even visit for some reason.
Only thing on my mind at this point was to visit The Jewel.
Shameless Self-Promotion
The Jewel
I light things for a living so this was a pretty cool thing to see and experience. It being in an airport made it all the more unreal. We enjoyed ourselves in the midst of the mist of the water until the crowds got to the point where we decided to move on. We went up to the top of the dome and were meat with lines and walls of people in every direction. Lines for restaurants and attractions. I kept reminding myself I was in an airport. I wondered what these people did before this was opened earlier in the summer. And what mall, let alone AIRPORT, has a two story Apple store across from a two story Nike store?
Water, Dongles, and Sneakers
I love lights. I love Apple products. I love all things Nike. However, a mall where everyone has luggage was too much for me after this long of a voyage so we made a bee line to the quasi-security and automated immigration. I say quasi as the only scanned are your carry-ons. We wouldn't be body scanned until entering our individual gate.
A little wiped and hungry, we headed off to the lounges. Our first stop was Qantas.
Qantas
My wife oohed and aahed and couldn't wait to nest down. I then took her to the BA Lounge next door and this is where she chose to set up shop. Me? I just wanted a shower so it didn't matter to me.
BA Lounge
We spent about two hours in the BA Lounge, which started to fill up towards the end. It was then onto our gate, which was a long walk from the lounges. As mentioned, this is where we would encounter proper security procedures.
We waited in line for about 30 minutes to clear through, not realizing until we got up front that we could've used priority to skip the line. Not the end of the world. Boarding for out late night flight west was quick and painless.
Finnair 132 SIN-HEL (A359)
Most likely this was the same exact plane we flew here to in 10 days earlier so I won't expound. Slept like a baby most of the way. No pizza on board but OD'd on blueberry juice (again). We slid into Helsinki on a beautiful, cloudy morning after 11+ hours aloft.
Puffy Sunrise
Our layover this time was less than five hours. We locked away our bags at the Platinum Wing Lounge and wondered the airport to shake off some rust. We crossed into Finland to peruse the Schengen side of things. There was a little more activity there but we got bored, cleared immigration and headed back to the lounge where we enjoyed the breakfast spread. I also had one last, 45 minute goodbye to Shower Room #1 before it was time to walk to the gate.
Speaking of the gate, we were not big fans of the Q&A portion of the boarding process. We were pre-cleared to a smaller holding area after having our Passports checked and boarding passes scanned. The area filled up quickly with J passengers as well elites. Being a jaded AA elite, I was also assuming there were people there solely based on filling out a credit card app. We were stuck there way too long and couldn't leave unless giving back our documents (my wife LOOOOVES visitin gbathrooms at the most inopportune times). We toughed it out and finally boarded our last leg to JFK.
So, the whole time in the planning of this trip I was waiting to sit in this seat: The Throne Seat of Finnair's A332. Truthfully, it was quite enjoyable.
2A Queen AY 132 SIN-JFK (A332)
4A King
A little more leg room, I'm convinced. Definitely more elbow room. It was a damn good seat for a A330. Flight was quick and smooth. More sleep was enjoyed.
We landed at JFK on time. So did everyone else. The Arrivals Hall was the biggest mess I've ever encountered. I do have Global Entry but my wife does not. We'll have to fix that quickly. The people that run ICE at JFK should have to wiat in that line to punch out of work each night. Complete chaos. Since no one was clearing quickly the bags were piling up in the baggage claim area. It was comical. Maybe not. Either way, grabbed bags and off to the AirTrain to long term parking.
We ended up wheels down in our driveway at 7:30pm (landed at JFK at 3:30), exhausted and happy to have had such a wonderful journey. A lot of us are solo travelers for our jobs. Traveling with my wife always teaches me to walk slower and show more patience in general as well as communicate better. The trip was so good that we could've easily spent another few weeks on the road together. That's not easy, considering she married an introverted loner.
I want to thank those of you who followed along. My grammar is horrible as I am a stream of consciousness kind of guy. I didn't take notes on the trip and everything posted came straight out of my noggin. Writing this has been almost as time consuming as the actual trip. It's also given me the courage to, perhaps, try it again but , more importantly, better document my future trips. I took hundreds of photos and sit here kicking myself for the ones I didn't take. I guess I'll just have to get back on that horse soon. Thanks.
JK
Aug 26, 2019, 6:00 pm
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Owner of 2,000 TWA shares
Posts: 812
Same here about the City stuff - hope you are at least a long-suffering supporter and not a post-2012 bandwagoner - YNWA (6 times) by the way.
Seriously though, enjoying the report very much. We have similar plans to go to SIN, REP and DPS sometime next year so this report has given me some great ideas (and less great ideas like Balinese pizza)
Seriously though, enjoying the report very much. We have similar plans to go to SIN, REP and DPS sometime next year so this report has given me some great ideas (and less great ideas like Balinese pizza
)
Up The Blues
Aug 27, 2019, 3:30 am
#37
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,193
again, a great trip and report ruined by you posing with a Man City shirt... how could you,
If I ever do a trip report (chances are pretty slim.) I will sure to take my Arsenal shirt just to annoy you.
It was a wonderful read, I am glad you and your lovely wife had a great time.
PS. next trip leave the Man City shirt at home
If I ever do a trip report (chances are pretty slim.) I will sure to take my Arsenal shirt just to annoy you.
It was a wonderful read, I am glad you and your lovely wife had a great time.
PS. next trip leave the Man City shirt at home
Aug 27, 2019, 2:32 pm
#41
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: North Sentinel Island
Programs: UA Gold, BONVOY TIT
Posts: 777
Great report, reminds me of my times in SE Asia. A few notes:
- The fish treatment is actually great, I would recommend it.
- Some of the best pizza I've had anywhere in the world was actually in Bali, made by an expat Italian chef. I try to eat mostly local, but sometimes you need a break.
- Sadly, Bali has somewhat of an overrun feel to it these days, with the traffic and litter.
- The fish treatment is actually great, I would recommend it.
- Some of the best pizza I've had anywhere in the world was actually in Bali, made by an expat Italian chef. I try to eat mostly local, but sometimes you need a break.
- Sadly, Bali has somewhat of an overrun feel to it these days, with the traffic and litter.
Aug 27, 2019, 3:23 pm
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Owner of 2,000 TWA shares
Posts: 812
Still can't cover up the warmness we felt from the locals that we interacted with. Wonderful people we met every step of the way. Except the guys in Kuta that tried to sell me weed.
