Quite some time back, I did a review on flying KLM Business Class to Bali. That post sort of ended in a cliffhanger, because I didn’t continue with what I did after I reached Bali. The fact was that I was there for a weekend holiday with my family. As my intention was to relax and enjoy the moment, I did not think of writing a “review” for this blog. However, over the days, every time I flipped through my photo album and saw the pictures taken at Bali, warm feelings would swathe over me. I thought it would be a waste if I don’t record this particularly enjoyable trip!
The resort in particular is The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali, which is situated south of Bali, further south from Kuta Beach. My flight landed in Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) at about 8pm and I was whisked to the resort by the dedicated airport transfer to Westin Resort.
Arriving at The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali
My family had taken earlier flights to Bali and had already checked in. Therefore, all I needed was to meet my sister at the reception and register my name with the hotel.
The hotel lobby was so posh and the spaces so wide and tall, it really made me roll my eyes at Singapore’s hotels. The staff were also very proactive is helping out, despite some language barrier. Overall, my first impression of the resort was quite good, considering that it was late and I was a little tired from the travelling.
Dinner at Hamabe Japanese Restaurant
After leaving my stuff in the room, which was a loooong way from the reception, I quickly rushed to look for something to eat. By then, it was almost 10pm and most of the eating places in the resort was closed.
Luckily for me, Hamabe Japanese Restaurant was still open (and in fact, was one of those that opened till late). The ambience of the restaurant was very different from the family-style design of the resort. The dimly lit surroundings and heavy furnishings in dark tones made it feel more club like. There was no crowd, so the peace and silence added to the sobriety.
Food wise, the pricing was ahem… on the high side. I ordered something simple – Udon Soba with Tempura – since sashimi was not really my cup of tea and I didn’t feel like sushi I am a sucker for fried food.
The food didn’t disappoint, though. The tempura looked more like it was deep fried in Southeast Asian style, but the taste and freshness was actually on par.
I also ordered dragon fruit juice infused with some alcohol. I must say alcohol surely don’t mix well with fruits.
2 Bedroom Ocean Suite
Since it was a family outing, the rooms we got were suites. There were 2 bedrooms joined by a living and dining room. All rooms faced the sea.
For my room, there was a walk in closet accompanying the spacious sleeping area. And to be honest, having slept on single beds all my life, I still have not gotten used to sleeping King sized beds. I do like that there were 4 pillows for me to fill up the extra space around me.
Bathroom
The bathroom came equipped with toiletries – from toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving kit, shower cream, shampoo, hair dryer and towels – one could just show up at The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali with just his clothes.
Yes, Asian style hospitality really make European and American hotels look third world.
Oh, did I mention bathrobes and slippers were available too? Try asking for them in European hotels.
Room View
Our rooms faced the sea, which in turn looked out to the east. Early in the morning, we got to view the sun rising from the horizon and casting a magical spell on everything outside the window. All these, of course, cannot be captured by a normal camera phone.
Breakfast
Breakfast was at the main dining hall looking out to the resort’s swimming pool. The space was vast and there were plenty of stations catering to different taste buds.
The one station that got the most queues was the Omelette station. In fact, there were 2 of them to spread out the queue. The star was of course the Balinese Omelette!
Swimmng Pool
The only downside about the dining place was that it was non air-conditioned. Even though I sat under a fan, I was still sweating. It got stuffier the further away from the pool, which was quite unfortunate!
Speaking of the pool, it was a combination of pools that made up the whole swimming area. Lining the sides of the pools were rows of deck chairs for those who want to sunbathe – provided clouds cleared. There was also a fake landscaped mountain over at the children’s pool.
However, given my experience at Indonesian resort pools, I would rather dip myself into the ocean. But of course, I also barely touched the seawater!
Beach
The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali owned quite an extensive beach front, which was terrific for its guests. Similar to the swimming pools, they lined up many deck chairs, or varying designs and sizes, to cater to those who wanted to be near the sea, enjoying the wind in the hair and smelling the salty seawater.
Ikan Restaurant & Bar
The main beach facing restaurant was Ikan Restaurant & Bar. For some reason, it was not crowded at all. When I got tired of the sun, I snuck back under the shade from the palm trees in Ikan and ordered some fancy drink and fries. Basically some comfort food. And it was so basic that I didn’t even take pictures of them!
We also had our lunch at Ikan. Obviously, my default order was Nasi Goreng or Indonesian Fried Rice. It’s difficult to go wrong with Indonesian Fried Rice in Indonesia!
The Nasi Goreng came with its standard set of fried rice, sunny side up, chicken satay, cracker, sambal belacan and salad. For the uninitiated, Indonesian Fried Rice tend to be sweet, though most Singaporeans will not know it, because they would usually order the spicy version or add tonnes of sambal chilli before tasting dish in its originality.
What I found amusing was how they stacked the rice into a cone – I thought it was supported by a literal cone underneath, but no, it was a solid cone of nasi goreng!
My sisters ordered Mee Goreng, or Indonesian Fried Noodles. To be frank, it was the first time I had Indonesian Fried Noodles in Indonesia. Again, the chilli was on the side (which I believe was an arrangement catered for the Western tourists), so I got to taste the original sweetness. I would stick to Nasi Goreng, if you ask me.
And for the fun of it, we ordered their coconut juice for a dash of tropical holiday goodness. And oh mai… the “young coconuts” were so darn huge!
Heavenly Spa
We went for our scheduled spa / facial in late afternoon. The spa was so popular that we had to be split up and scheduled so far back!
Due to the expanse of the resort, we had to take a 5 minute walk through landscaped paths into the far corner of the resort where the spa stood. And yup, that isolation gave the spa an out of the world feel.
My treatment included a soak in the hot bath, which was also where we got to keep our stuff in the lockers. The whole spa was a-maze-ing, and trust me, without the guidance from the staff, I would never be able to find my way around!
After the soak, I was led to the private room where I began to have my facial. I chose to have facial only, because I was afraid my sunburnt back could not take the pulling and stretching from the massage lol
To be honest, I still don’t understand why women would want to spend an hour and a half or more just to wash their faces and apply masks. I mean, I do apply mask, but I do it at home and it was over in 20 minutes. Half the time I was there, I was sleeping (and snoring away) *shrugz*
After the treatment, I was led to another section of the spa for the post-spa drink and relaxation. Each person got a gigantic sofa-bed-ish seat and I felt like a king sitting in the middle of it! Thereafter, I was led out back into civilisation and sunshine.
Gym
As my session ended earlier, I went to snoop around the resort grounds. That was when I was able to take a look at the empty gym (really, who goes to the gym on a chillax holiday?).
I must say, for a place that was in a resort meant for decadence and sloth, the gym was well stocked There was plenty of treadmills and bikes, not to mention weights machine and free weights.
Walking Around the Beach
And since there was more time before dinner, my sisters and I walked down the length of the beach, basically crossing over several resorts. There were some resorts with F&B very close to the beach, where we were literally walking in between their tables, and there were those which were generous in their space.
We stopped near a place called Pirates Bay Bali, because there was construction around the area and dusk was falling. Instead, we turned inland to take a brief look at the local shops lining the road. Those who want to buy souvenirs at a discount (compared to the resorts’ souvenir shops) should really pop by.
Dinner at Ikan Restaurant & Bar
We were back at Ikan Restaurant & Bar for our dinner booking. Ikan was not a buffet place, but it had lots of choices on the menu.
We ordered a platter of grilled delights (only good if there is enough people) which consisted of satay, crayfish, mussels and fried food. We also ordered grilled chicken and fish for variety. And of course, we had coconut juice again, which were served in its humongous coconuts.
Post Dinner Hang Out at the Beach
We hung out at the beach after dinner to walk off some of the food coma. We ended up lazing on the deck chairs, listening to the waves crashing into the darkness before us, feeling the wind and watching the lights from planes in the distance.
Parting Words
The following morning, we spent more time at the beach again, while waiting for check out. This time around, I made sure I woke up early enough to catch the sunrise.
And that, marked the end of a memorable summer holiday.
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Till then, stay wanderlust!
The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali
Kawasan Pariwisata Nusa Dua,
Btdc, Jl. Nusa Dua No.3,
Bali 80363, Indonesia
marriott.com
+62 361 771906
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Chinese