The Singapore Cosplay Club brings forth to you a new event, the Mecha Art Museum!

Venue: West Coast Plaza (154 West Coast Road Singapore 127371)
Date of Exhibition: 10th September 2010 – 31st October 2010 (11am – 9.30pm)

Above photo shows Knight of Gold from The Five Star Stories.

The Mecha Art Museum is an art exhibition of Mechas made out of paper craft and each Mecha is more than 2m tall!

Above photo shows Dancougar from Dancouga – Super Beast Machine God.

Dancouga – Super Beast Machine God. A close-up of hand to show the level of details.

Dancouga – Super Beast Machine God. Frontal view.

Goldy and Dark Knight, both World Cosplay Summit Tokyo representatives will be coming to Singapore on the days of 11th, 12th, 18th,19th September 2010 to conduct cosplay workshops (free)!

The theme for cosplaying on the 12th and 19th September is cosplaying characters from mecha series . Non-mecha series cosplayers are also welcome!

Mr Goldy, wearing the costume of Gurren Lagann.

Other programmes – Cosplay Workshops, Cosplay Performances by Goldy and Dark Knight (World Cosplay Summit Tokyo Representatives), Anime Performances, etc.

Visit www.mechadesignhouse.com for more information!

Related posts:

1. GCA 2009 – Cosplay/Games/Babes
2. Gundam Fiesta Singapore 2009
3. AFA’09 – Anime Festival Asia

Today is our last day in Bali so after breakfast, we went to take a dip in the swimming pool as there wasn’t much time to go anywhere else and also we need to check-out latest by 12.30pm. I swam around for about 2 hours (until 11am) and then went back to room to take shower and pack up our stuffs.

Our room at Kuta Beach Club – while waiting for wifey to use the bathroom, I had a bit of time so took some more photos of the room. Haha!

Photo of the bathroom at Kuta Beach Club (which my wife was complaining about). For the rest of the room photos, you may also refer to “A Day in Bali 1“.

View from the private balcony in front of our room. There is also a clothes rack provided for you to hang out to dry your towels, board shorts, swimming gear, etc.

Still had a bit of time before check-out so I relaxed at the private balcony…with my remaining Bintang beer

After checking-out and leaving out luggage at Kuta Beach Club, we went out to have lunch at KFC. I wanted to try the A&W at Matahari but my friend, who have tried it previously during the trip said it wasn’t nice…

The air-conditioned lower floor was packed so we went up to the 2nd floor, which is non air-conditioned. It was pretty warm as it’s 1pm in the day!

Next, we took a taxi to Cozy Spa at Sunset Road Blok A/3 (North Simpang Siur), tel (0361) 766762. I have called to make a booking a few days ago for 4 person for 3 hours from 2pm to 5pm as our flight back to Singapore is at 10.20pm. It was planned so that we can have a relaxing massage and yet spend the time away. Please do call and make reservations as it’s very popular!

Cozy Spa – Best Regular Spa Award.

Our selection:

• Foot Reflexology Aromatherapy (1.5 hours)
• Cozy Body Sensation Massage (1.5 hours)

I can’t remember the actual prices but it was around Rp 200,000 for each person for the above selection. Both the above are good but the Foot Reflexology Aromatherapy is outstanding and I highly recommended it!

Front counter at Cozy Spa. Cozy Spa is a non-fanciful regular spa which offers very reasonable prices for their spa packages.

Cozy Spa – Waiting area / drinks counter. Wait here for your name to be called and then will be led to room by the masseuse. For the body massage, you can specify whether you like you masseuse to be male or female. As for the foot reflexology, I understand that it’s all male.

After the 3hrs of theraphy at Cozy Spa, we took a taxi back to Kuta Beach. Our favorite place! Haha!

Almost sunset time at Kuta Beach…and then I spotted a white streak in the sky…was that a shooting star?

Went to Hard Rock Hotel Bali to walk around again…

Swimming pool at Hard Rock Hotel Bali. Seems fabulous!

Entrance of Hard Rock Hotel Bali. The signage here is very popular for photo taking!

At Hard Rock Hotel Bali- guitar used by “The Rolling Stones”

Dinner time! My friend suggested to go to the nearby Hard Rock Cafe Bali.

We were led to the 2nd floor of Hard Rock Cafe Bali. There was already some dinners around already.

Hard Rock Cafe Bali – Caesar Salad.

Hard Rock Cafe Bali – Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast Rp 119, 000.

Hard Rock Cafe Bali – Cajun Fish Rp 99, 000.

After our dinner at Hard Rock Cafe Bali, we took a slow stroll back to Kuta Beach Club to retrieve our luggage and then took a taxi to Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Entrance of Ngurah Rai International Airport.

We checked-in at Ngurah Rai International Airport and then walk around the shops. A starting incident happened is that we wasn’t aware that we had to pay Rp 150,000 per pax as departure tax at Ngurah Rai International Airport as we thought all the taxes was already inclusive in the air tickets. It wasn’t mentioned that we had to pay in the air tickets itinerary too. We’re lucky that we still have some rupiah left…

Anyway, we had a fabulous 5 days in Bali and even before leaving, we were already thinking of visiting Bali again! Goodbye Bali, visit you again soon!

Related posts:

1. A Day in Bali
2. A Day in Bali 3
3. A Day in Bali 2

Usual routine of having breakfast at Kuta Beach Club but today we started the day a bit later as we only have snorkeling planned at 10am. The rest of the day will be pretty OTOT (own-time-own-target) so we are going to take things slowly…

One of the interesting decorations at Kuta Beach Club.

Waiting for the driver to come and fetch us for snorkeling at Nusa Dua. He’s late so I took the opportunity to take some day photos of Kuta Beach Club.

Entrance of Kuta Beach Club. We waited for around 10mins before the driver arrived.

Journey to Nusa Dua area didn’t take very long and we were brought to a water sports provider along Nusa Dua beach. Checked our snorkeling equipments and off to sea!

Testing in open sea on the way to snorkeling with LX3 inside the DiCAPac WP-610 Waterproof Case. Click on link “DiCAPac WP610 Waterproof Underwater Case for LX3” to read the review of the case.

Photos of fishes taken during snorkeling. It’s pretty difficult to take a good photo as the fishes are swimming around to eat the bread thrown by tourists. Yes, I wasn’t the only group there at the snorkeling site, there was around 6 to 7 boats crowding around.

Yeah, there was a few scuba divers as well too! The snorkeling took around 1 hour and we took a rest before leaving Nusa Beach.

While going up the vehicle to send us back to hotel, I spotted a lonely make-shift food stall…

Back to hotel and then we wander out again – Passing by Ramayana Hotel and Spa (as always), it looks good and location (next to Kuta Beach Club) is great too!

Rows of shops opposite our hotel (Kuta Beach Club). Our area is really convenient and there is also a 24hr convenience store next to Ramayana Hotel and Spa.

For lunch, we had a quick bite at McDonald’s at Kuta. It was lunch time and it was pretty crowded, mostly with tourists.

A very nice-looking restaurant. It look even more magnificent during the night!

With nothing much on the itinerary, we headed off to Kuta Beach to take a stroll. It’s a beach holiday after all

Kuta Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Bali.

As usual, it’s a very nice weather at Kuta Beach. It’s warm so we sat down to have some Bintang beer (Rp 20,000 each) as well as to chat with some of the locals.

Taken from our seat (with shelter from large umbrella). The surfboards are used for those who are taking any surfing lessons.

After lazing around Kuta Beach for more than 2 hours and guzzling down 5 bottles of Bintang, it’s time to move on. We went in to Mecure Kuta Bali to have a look. My, this is a nice hotel too!

Entrance of Mecure Kuta Bali.

A nice looking restaurant with swimming pool within.

Strolling around to sight-see…

More of walking around.

Passing by a restaurant/bar which had a poster – “We serve bloody cold beer”.

Passing-by the 2002 Kuta bombing memorial that was built on the site of the destroyed Paddy’s Pub on Legian Street.

Sky Garden Lounge – heard rave reviews about this place and the 3 storeys offers different lounge experience.

Ordering an Italian ice-cream to cool down from the hot weather.

Passing by a shop selling Bali kites. Kite flying seems to be a popular and traditional form of entertainment/sport for Balineses.

Paddy’s Club, believed to be the re-opened Paddy’s Pub.

Uluwatu – Hand made Balinese Lace. We didn’t go in but I remembered reading that they offer high quality lace.

Dinner time! We went around Kuta (Poppies) to look for a place to dine, after comparing a few, we settled for Un’s Restaurant!

Un’s Restaurant – Complimentary frozen margarita. This rocks!

Un’s Restaurant – Superb setting and ambiance! We were given seats outdoor.

Un’s Restaurant – We were given complimentary chicken nugget before our main course. Completely surprised by this!

Un’s Restaurant – Mango juice Rp 12,000. Wifey had Banana juice Rp 12, 000.

Un’s Restaurant – It started to drizzle slightly and we were moved indoors. It was a good move as towards the end, the rain was pouring down fiercely!

Un’s Restaurant – Red snapper fillet Rp 89,000. Fantastic!

Un’s Restaurant – Greek Salad Rp 39,000.

Un’s Restaurant – Complimentary Krupuk.

Un’s Restaurant – Rendang Beef Rp 55,000. The total for the dinner came up to Rp 241,362 (inclusive of 6% service and 10% tax). The meal at Un’s Restaurant was one of the best I had in Bali and I highly recommended that you dine here too!

The rain have started to cease and we hurriedly made our way back to hotel to meet up with our friends to try to finish up the Absolut Berri Vodka. We also did some swimming in the night and it’s cold! Tomorrow will be our last day in Bali and time seems to pass by so fast when you are having fun. Nevertheless, we still look forward to spend another fulfilling day in Bali!

Related posts:

1. A Day in Bali
2. A Day in Bali 2
3. A Day in Bali 4

The next morning, after breakfast at Kuta Beach Club, we met up with Ketut

(our English-speaking driver) at 9am at our hotel lobby. Check out “A Day in Bali 1” for my review of him!

Today’s itinerary is as follows:

• Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
• Pura Ulun Danu (Lake Bratan)
• Pacung Rice Terrace (Lunch)
• Gitgit Waterfall
• Pura Tanah Lot (Watch Sunset)
• Dinner

After around 2 hours of winding journey (going into the hilly areas), we reached Jatiluwih Rice Terraces. It lives up to it’s name

Jatiluwih as Jati and luwih, where Jati mean really and Luwih mean beautiful. Jatiluwih is a favorite tourist destination in Bali,

famous with the beautiful rice terrace unfolding from the foot of mountain until the coastal side.

A local passing by with his cow at Jatiluwih Rice Terrace.

We met a local couple taking wedding photographs at Jatiluwih Rice Terrace and asked for their permission to take as well, which

they kindly obliged.

You can take a breather here while enjoying the magnificent view of Jatiluwih Rice Terraces.

Beautiful panorama scenery of Jatiluwih Rice Terraces.

Time for lunch and we went to Labhagga Restaurant Pacung which offers superb views of Pacung Rice Terrace while you dine.

Labhagga Restaurant Pacung is located at Jl. Raya Baturitim Tabananm Bali and is buffet-styled. The buffet lunch costs Rp 85,000 for each adult and we

also ordered 2 large Bintang at Rp

30,000 each as well as 1 lemon juice at Rp 12,5000. Total for 4 person adds up to Rp 495,000 (including Rp 41,250 tax and Rp 41,250 service).

Wide variety of food selection at Labhagga Restaurant Pacung. Many more available too!

My first serving at Labhagga Restaurant Pacung.

The nice view of rice terraces and the mountain from our table while having lunch. There is no need for fans/air-con as Pacung is

in the highland with cooler temperature.

A close-up view of the Pacung rice terraces.

While leaving Labhagga Restaurant Pacung, saw a few locals playing music outside…

Next destination is Gitgit Waterfall, which Ketut (our driver) recommended to go after lunch as we need the energy boost.

The reason being that we need to walk for approximately 30 mins before reaching the waterfall and the terrain is relatively rough,

with uphills and downhill climbs.

Passing by a group of children playing around…

Gitgit Twin Waterfall.

Gitgit Twin Waterfall (in dynamic mode). Wonder why this trip I am playing so much of the dynamic feature…hahaha!

Children Playing Tarzan at Gitgit Waterfall, Bali, Indonesia

A shop selling various products – drinks, spices, souvenirs, etc. Well, it’s not cheap here…

Magnificent view of Gitgit Waterfall. You can feel the energy of the water from here!

Alright, time to leave Git Git waterfall…passing by some shops on the way out.

Following, we went to Pura Ulun Danu (Lake Bratan).

Magnificent architecture at Pura Ulun Danu Bratan.

You can go for a cruise if you like and enjoy the cool weather…

Pura Ulun Danu (Lake Bratan). What a heavenly-like

view!

Pura Ulu Danu was built in the 17th century on highland Lake Bratan. This gem-like temple is half on the mainland, half on a tiny

island. The complex is dedicated to Vishnu, the preserver, in his guise as Dewi Danu, who protects all living creatures. Small

and charming, it comments on the spirit of place without leaving a big footprint. A peaceful, shimmering vision.

Locals fishing around Pura Ulun Danu (Lake Bratan). Wonder whether they

have caught anything?

At another quieter area of Pura Ulun Danu (Lake Bratan)…

For those interested to take cruises, you may do so here. There are various transport available – speed boats, atap boat, sampan,

etc.

My friend wanted to go pick strawberries but they are not in-season yet (mentioned by our driver as well!). How are the

strawberries in Bali? Are they any good?

On the way to Tanah Lot, we were caught up in a massive jam

and our vehicle wasn’t moving at all. Also, in Bali, most areas only have 1 lane for each way. As it’s taking too long, our driver

suggested that we walk instead so as not to miss the sunset at Tanah Lot. The jam was acutally caused by a kite competition! The

kites are huge and protruding out from the vehicle body, which made the transporting very slow!

Some of the locals who participated in the kite competition gladly posed for us to take photos.

Entrance fees for Tanah Lot is Rp 10,000 per pax. Think we

have walked for 30 mins and have not reached yet….hahaha!

Finally reached and we just missed the sunset at Tanah

Lot…. so sad!

Beautiful panorama of Tanah Lot Temple.

Excerpt from Wikipedia.org (Tanah Lot)

Tanah Lot is a rock formation off the Indonesian island of Bali. It is home of a pilgrimage temple, the Pura Tanah Lot

(literally “Tanah Lot temple”) and a popular tourist and cultural icon for photography and general exoticism.

Sunset at Tanah Lot.

This area holds the holy snake, where you can pay to have a look…

Queuing at Tanah Lot Temple. Wonder what is that for?

Superb sunset view at Tanah Lot.

Sunset at Tanah Lot. Still lots of people around capturing

the moments!

Walking out to the carpark from Tanah Lot and passing by the

many retail shops. We left before the large crowd at Tanah Lot left but was still caught in the massive jam. It’s probably due to

the the after-effect of the previous jam as well as the peak hour. It took us around 1.5 hours to reach back to Kuta Beach Club (our hotel) and after-which, we thank Ketut for his good service for the 2 days. We decided to

split up with our friends to have some romantic time on our own (they also need so!).

For dinner, we took a taxi from Kuta Center to Warung Sobat at Jl Batu Belig No. 11A kerobokan Kuta.

Interior of Warung Sobat. Fantastic ambiance!

Warung Sobat – Fresh Garden Salad Rp 15,000.

Warung Sobat – Spring Roll Rp

10,000.

Warung Sobat – Griglia Mistro Marinara Rp 32,000. It’s a seafood mixed grill consisting of tuna fish, ocean fish, calamari and prawns.

Warung Sobat – Scampi Fritti Rp

27,000.

Warung Sobat – complimentary dessert. What a nice gesture! it’s good too!

We also had 2 large Bintang at Rp

27,000 each and total for the dinner is Rp 138,000. Very reasonable pricing and yet superbly tasty! Hmmm…I think I prefer Warung Sobat over Made’s

Warung…

After dinner, we went to Hard Rock Hotel Bali.

CenterStage at Hard Rock Hotel Bali, which hosts a live band every

evening. Initially, we wanted to have a drink here before we end the night, but the place was way too smoking for us so decided to

just take a walk around Hard Rock Hotel.

Walk around for a while and took some photos. Then, we strolled back to our hotel for an early rest as we had a long day.

Tomorrow, we will be going snorkeling at Nusa Dua. I had

initially planned to go Nusa Lembongan but then decided to go for a simple one instead. For the snorkeling package, it was arranged

by Ketut (our driver) for USD20 per person for 1 hour of snorkeling (inclusive of equipment and boat rental). There will be someone

to fetch us from our hotel the next morning at 10am.

Related posts:

1. A Day in Bali 1
2. A Day in Bali 4
3. A Day in Bali

We met up with our English-speaking driver at 8.30am (after breakfast at Kuta Beach Club) at our hotel lobby. I have booked for his services via email before reaching Bali and he charged Rp 400,000 per day (around 10 hours) which includes 7 passenger vehicle with air-con, driver, gasoline and parking fees. After engaging 2 full days of his services (visiting around Bali), I found him to be honest, polite, safe (driving), punctual and willing to accommodate (change of plans, itinerary taking more the 10 hours, etc). Highly recommended! I forgot to take a photo with Ketut but I will definitely use his services again when I travel to Bali the next round! His contact details are below:

Driver: Ketut Darmayasa
Email: ketut_balidarma@yahoo.com
Hp: +62 85237151520

Today’s itinerary will be:

• Ubud
• Tegallalang Rice Terrace
• Kintamani Volcano
• Coffee Plantation
• Uluwatu Temple
• Jimbaran Bay (Seafood)

First stop – Ubud market. If you are interested in cultural shopping, you may visit Tohpati Village (hand-made Balinese batik), Celuk Village (Silver craft centre), Lodtuduh Village (painting craft) and Mas Village (Wood carving) while on the way to Ubud.

Food and drinks stall in Ubud market.

Ubud market- Balinese bamboo wind chimes.

An overview of Ubud market. It was slightly drizzling when we were there.

Ubud market – wet area where many food products are sold to the locals.

Balinese performing their morning prayers at a temple located at Ubud market.

Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka at Jl. Tegal Sari No 2. Ubud. It was not opened yet when we arrived so we waited around for a while. It’s better to be early than late as they close once they sell out for the day. By the way, Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka was also recommended by Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations show.

We got a table inside and made our orders – Daging Babi Guling Rp 40,000, Sprit (drink) Rp 7,000, Fanta (drink) Rp 7,000 and Krupuk (crackers) Rp 7,000.

Daging Babi Guling Rp 40,000 at Warung Babi Guling. This is superbly tasty! Yum yum! We only ordered a small portion to share as we wanted to go on tasting other delicacies.

Next, we ask Ketut (driver) to bring us to Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck Diner) which was located a stones throw away at Padang Tegal, Ubud.

The interior of Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck Diner) – very spacious area with Indonesian-styled seating on a raised platform. Fantastic setting and ambiance!

Famous Bebel Bengil Crispy Duck Rp 68,000 at Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck Diner). This rocks!

We also ordered Barbecue Pork Ribs Rp 65,000 at Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck Diner). I still prefer the Bebel Bengil Crispy Duck!

Other then the above, we also ordered 1 Avocado Juice Rp 24,000 and 1 Mango Juice Rp 26,000. Total for the meal is Rp 211,365 (including 5% service and 10% tax).

While eating halfway, it started to rain and we got stuck in the our pavilion so we really took our time to consume our food. For every pavilion, I noted there was 2 waitresses around waiting for any call for service. When it was raining, they also quickly help to lower the blinds to shield us from the splashing rain. The rain was big but short…and we were able to continue with our journey.

Next destination, we went to Tegallalang Rice Terrace.

Tegallalang Rice Terrace – offering a spectacular view of rice terraces.

Tegallalang Rice Terrace is also known for having the longest row of art shops in the whole of Bali. I had initially planned to have lunch here but we were too full after the breakfast at our hotel and snacks at Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka and Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck Diner). Haha!

Next, we went to Kintamani (Mount Batur), which is an active volcano and it has erupted about 24 times since year 1800 and still active up to now. On the right side is Lake Batur, the largest lake in Bali and is used as an irrigation source. With the beautiful panorama and cooling weather, it is clearly the must-visit place for tourists!

For those more who are more adventurous, you can try trekking at Mt. Batur to catch the sunrise, you start the trek around 2am and trek for 3hours before reaching the optimal point for watching the sunrise. I wanted to plan for this but had violent reactions from my travel mates. Haha!

Following, we went to a Oka Agro Wisata Bali (Farm / Coffee plantation) at Br. Temen, Susut, Bangli (Jurusan Tampaksiring – Kintamani) Bali. Here you can see a Balinese roasting out Bali Coffee.

Guess what? The famous coffee seeds that are digested and then dumped out by Luwak (Asian Palm Civet). From left to right, coffee seeds that are dumped out, coffee seeds that are cleaned and coffee powder (roasted and grounded). I didn’t dare to open the container which has the dumped out coffee seeds to take a whiff. Haha!

We were given some samples for tasting. From left to right, ginger tea, lemongrass tea, chocolate, Bali coffee and ginseng coffee. I find all of them nice! By the way, they also sell the powder here so if there is anything to your liking, you can buy it. We bought 1 packet of 450g natural lemongrass tea (100% organic) at Rp 180,000.

Free Bali tobacco for anyone who smokes! Natural as well! ^^;

There is a kept Luwak (Asian Palm Civet) for all visitors to view. The Luwak must be sniggering that all these folks are eating my dump! Wahaha!

Since we are here, just gotta try the Luwak Coffee at Rp 30,000 per cup. I thought it was very aromatic but too heavy for my taste but nevertheless, it’s still a very good coffee! My friend said it was not his cup of tea, of course it’s not, because it’s a cup of coffee! Wahaha! Corny joke…

Uluwatu Temple – Please take off your glasses, hats, earrings, hair pins or anything loose. Otherwise, the monkeys around will snatch it away from you!

Fantastic view of the cliff and the ocean.

Uluwatu Temple, built on the cliffs of Indian Ocean.

Here comes the monkeys…there are many of them and they are very fast! If they managed to snatch anything away from the tourists, there are some locals around to help recover the item by feeding the monkeys. In return, they ask for tips from the tourist when they are returning the item. This incident was witnessed by me!

Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of Bali’s kayangan jagat (directional temples) and guards Bali from evil spirits from the SW, in which dwell major deities, in Uluwatu’s case; Bhatara Rudra, God of the elements and of cosmic force majeures. Visitors are not allowed into the temple’s compound.

Look at the amount of people around to catch the sunset. The further end is a circular stage where many people are gathering around to get good seats to watch an art dance called Kecak Dance, which is held every night at Uluwatu Temple. It costs Rp 70,000 and starts at 18：00.

Sunset at Uluwatu Temple (landscape).

Sunset at Uluwatu Temple (portrait).

Sunset at Uluwatu Temple (portrait & using dynamic mode).

Sunset at Uluwatu Temple. The sun is dissappearing soon and we chose to leave before the rest of the tourists move off to avoid any jam in the carpark.

Finally, it dinner time and we headed off to Jimbaran Bay for seafood. We took a while to locate the Lia Cafe Jimbaran (my choice as it’s reasonably priced) as our driver wasn’t too sure of the place. The other place in Jimbaran Bay, which I will try if I have more time will be Sharkey’s Seafood.

Fresh seafood for selection at Lia Cafe Jimbaran.

You dine at the beach area overlooking the sea. For those who are able to come earlier, you can catch the sunset from here too!

Too dark here, so I have to use the flash to show you what’s on the table. We ordered a large Bintang beer here for Rp 30,000.

Here comes our side dishes – soup, salad, potatoes, rice, vegetable and 4 different types of sauce.

Lia Cafe Jimbaran – Paket (package) B consists of fish (0.5 kg), crab (0.5 kg), prawn (7 pcs), clams (7 pcs), 2 soft drinks, soup, salad, potatoes, rice, vegetable, 4 different types of sauce and dessert (fruits) for Rp 200,000. My friends had this!

Lia Cafe Jimbaran – Paket (package) C consists of lobster (0.5 kg), crab (0.5 kg), prawn (7 pcs), clams (7 pcs), 2 small bintang beer, soup, salad, potatoes, rice, vegetable, 4 different types of sauce and dessert (fruits) for Rp 290,000. My wife and I had this! We both love it!

I think we had dinner for almost 1.5 hours and Ketut (driver) waited patiently at the carpark for us to finish. By the time he sent us back to hotel, it was already 9.40pm and over 13 hours since he met up with us in the morning at 8.30am. No complains from Ketut. Superb attitude!

Passing by the hotel bar area and there was a live band going on. It was a Saturday night!

The receptionist at Kuta Beach Club told us that our room have been changed to a double bed configuration. They have previously told us to pack our luggage and they will move it to the new room once it’s ready (since we are out). So here comes the photos of the room…the table lamps are of different colour…

Kuta Beach Club – Standard Double Bed room. Well, I got the room (at a good location) at around S$100 per room per night so it’s decent enough for me but wifey was complaining about the dirtiness of the washroom, the bedsheets, mosquitoes, etc, etc, etc…

Kuta Beach Club – our double bed room is on the ground floor as opposed to the twin bed which was on the second floor. I believe all room types comes with their very own private balcony for relaxing but this particular location is good as it faces the swimming pool!

The next day, Ketut (driver) will be meeting us at the lobby at 9am. The itinerary is as follows:

• Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
• Pura Ulun Danau (Lake Bratan)
• Pacung Rice Terrace (Lunch)
• Gitgit Waterfall
• Pura Tanah Lot (Watch Sunset)
• Dinner

Please do check back again!

Related posts:

1. A Day in Bali
2. A Day in Bali 2
3. A Day in Bali 4

Hi all, how are you doing? Guess where I am?

I am at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 waiting for the 1905hr Jetstar Asia flight to Bali, Indonesia. For this trip, there will be a change as it not just me and wifey; my friends (another couple) will be joining as well.

Stop by DFS (Duty free shop) and bought 1 bottle of Cape Mentelle (red wine) S$30, 1 bottle of Larrikin Barro (white wine) S$32 and 1 bottle of Absolut Berri Vodka S$26.10 so that we can consume it while in Bali.

The flight took around 2hours 30mins and it around 2205hr when we reached. Walking out from Ngurah Rai Airport (Denpasar, Bali).

Then we went to queue at the Taxi Service counter (right side after you get out of the entrance) to get our voucher (Rp 50,000) to Kuta Beach Club.

Taxi ride took around 20mins due to the traffic and we finally reached our hotel – Kuta Beach Club.

After we checked-in, I walk around the lobby and snap the entrance view of Kuta Beach Club. I have made reservation for double bed but was given twin bed as the hotel was running full. This was rather disappointing as the reservation was made on 22nd March 2010, about 4 months from our check in date.

Welcome drink at the lobby of Kuta Beach Club, Bali.

First Bintang beer of the trip! Think it was the most expensive I had of the trip too (Rp 45, 000 for 1 large Bintang)!

Had our snacks at this nice-looking restaurant where the food was anything but good. It was rather expensive (see beer price above) as well and clearly a tourist trap. Haha! After the dinner, we went back to the hotel to have some Vodka before going to bed.

The next morning, we had breakfast buffet (inclusive) at Kuta Beach Club. Decent but nothing to shout about…

Nice view of lobby of Kuta Beach Club in the day. We went to the reception after breakfast to request for a change of room to double bed – managed to get 1 room changed and was promised the other change the following day.

Next, we went back to room to change and head off to the swimming pool. Yeah!

Photo above is taken with LX3 camera inside the DiCAPac WP-610 Waterproof Case.

Photo taken with DiCAPac WP610 Waterproof Underwater Case for LX3. Click on link to read the review of the case.

Sunken pool bar where you can order drinks while swimming but it doesn’t start business till around 11am.

Around the pool area, there is facilities for playing table tennis (free) if you like to.

Following the swim, we showered, got changed and then went out to walk around to grab lunch as well as sightsee.

Rip Curl shop in Kuta. My friend got a pair of slippers here.

Passing by Hard Rock.

Then we went to Kuta Beach to walk around. What a nice beach!

Along Kuta Beach, there are many peddlers around selling sarongs, drinks, tempoaray tattoo, massage, surfing lessons, etc.

Lunch at Salvador which is along Kuta Beach. They offer water pipe (Sisha) smoking too!

Giant Beach Burger Rp 37,000. Yummy! We also had 3 large Bintang beer at Rp 29,000 each.

Cheese Burger Rp 25,000.

Spaghetti Marinara Rp 32,000. It was tasty though I would prefer it a bit more wet.

My friend bought a coconut from this stall along Kuta Beach but he said it wasn’t nice…and threw it away…

Mercure Kuta Bali – The hotel is just along the beach and it looks fantastic! I had initially considered to book this hotel but as we are not going to hang around too much in the hotel/beach, I thought it is more appropriate to go for a hotel which costs lower and of reasonable location away.

It’s a hot day so we went to Matahari to walk around and also to enjoy the air-con. There is a supermarket in Matahari as well so please get your drinking water, snacks, beer, etc here as the prices are generally much lower than other retail shops.

You can try the Fish Spa Therapy at Matahari at Rp 100, 000 for 20 minutes.

Bali Hai beer at Rp 15,500, bought from the mini mart beside our hotel (Kuta Beach Club).

Also got Bintang Beer at Rp 17,000.

Around evening time, we stroll beach to Kuta Beach. Bali is truly nice beach holiday destination!

It’s almost sunset and many people are already gathering around to see it. Kuta beach is known for it’s fantastic sunset view!

Enjoying the sunset view at Kuta Beach.

Another sunset view at Kuta Beach.

The sun is almost gone…

Went back to Kuta Beach Club to freshen up. Above photo shows the area where we had our breakfast in the morning.

There is also a pool table beside the swimming pool. I know it’s chargeable but I can’t remember the rates.

Out on the streets again.. this time for our dinner at Made’s Warung Kuta.

Horse carriage for rental. Remember to negotiate if you like to go for a spin…ermm…horse ride.

Dinner at the famous Made’s Warung at Kuta. There was already a long queue when we reached!

The interior of Made’s Warung. I wanted to sit upstairs as it’s not so crowded but my friend retorted that it might be warm and I told him that there are windows/fans upstairs. Nevertheless, we still got a table downstairs (courtesy of my friend) just in front of the entrance – with the company of many waiting customers behind us and the free smell of carbon monoxide from the vehicles that whizzes by. Now this is hot (& smelly)!

Made’s Warung – view from the 2nd storey.

Made’s Warung – Lumpia Udang (Shrimp Spring Roll) Rp 25,000.

Made’s Warung – Sate Chicken Rp 30,000.

Made’s Warung – Curry Chicken (comes with rice) Rp 65,000. This is very good!

Made’s Warung – Caesar Salad Rp 40,000.

Made’s Warung – Gado Gado Rp 25, 000.

Made’s Warung – Nasi Campur Special Rp 55,000. Total bill came up to Rp 306, 000 for 4 persons, other then those dishes mention above, we also had 1 Aqua Rp 7,000, 2 Banana Honey Juice Rp 30,000, 1 Mango Juice Rp 15,000 and 2 Nasi Putih Rp 14,000.

Walking back to Kuta Beach Club and passing by Hard Rock again.

Going to have an early night we have booked a driver to bring us around for the whole day tomorrow. The itinerary will be

• Ubud
• Tegallalang Rice Terrace
• Kintamani Volcano
• Coffee Plantation
• Uluwatu Temple
• Jimbaran Bay (Seafood)

Check back again!

Related posts:

1. A Day in Bali 4
2. A Day in Bali 3
3. A Day in Bali 1

The yearly Singapore Food Festival (first started in 1994) is back again and this time featuring the culinary cultures behind different Singapore Chinese dialects. From 16th to 24th July 2010 (4pm to 11pm), Clarke Quay Reed Bridge is transformed into Clarke Quay Food Street where you can enjoy and savour many unique flavours! For more information on other programs on Singapore Food Festival 2010, please head off to http://singaporefoodfestival.com.sg/.

There are more than 30 famous restaurants and hawkers available for your selection. Payment of the food is done via Singapore Food Festival Souvenir Card(Kopitiam Card).

Fortune Food Popiah is having a long queue. Uncle is wondering whether he should eat the popiah as there are so many food available!

Another stall selling Pork & Bun. I didn’t get to try any of the food as I already had lunch and it wasn’t time for dinner yet but I am keeping it in mind to come back again before 24th July 2010. If you are interested in the price and food available, please visit “Local delights by famous hawkers and eateries at Food Street (Source: Soshiok)“. Please do visit Singapore Food Festival 2010! For tourists, you may want to check out deals on Singapore Hotels too!

Related posts:

1. Beerfest Asia 2010
2. Lantern Festival at Chinese Garden
3. A Week in Singapore 4

In preparation for my upcoming trip to Bali, I went to scout around for a waterproof case for my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 camera so that I can have the option of taking the camera into the water. The research made available a few options for shooting under wet conditions – 10bar underwater housing, Nereus Waterproof Housing WP-500 and DiCAPac WP-610 Waterproof Case. The 10bar housing is definitely over my budget and is more suited for the serious & professional users. The Nereus WP-500 is good value for money (S$45) but I wasn’t really comfortable as the bag is clamped tight with 2 plastic strips and 3 screws. I needed a product that gives faster and easier access such as the DiCAPac which uses Velcro and sealed with waterproof zipper. DicaPac WP-610 for LX3 (made in Korea) is priced at S$89 and comes with free postage in Singapore. The delivery was very fast as well – I made the order on 14th July 2010 and received it on 16th July 2010!

DiCAPac WP-610 waterproof case is also compatible with various camera models. Check the DiCAPac Fitting Guide if your camera is not listed above. It is most likely that DiCAPac will have suitable case for your camera.

Another side view of the box. The waterproof casing is recommended for swimming, surfing, kayaking, snowboarding, bathing, rafting, wake-boarding, snorkeling, etc.

Extracted from http://www.dicapac.com.sg/

Features of DiCAPac

• Guaranteed underwater performance for up to 30 ft (10m) depth.
• UV coated polycarbonate lens allow consumers to take clear pictures.
• With more transparent and flexible case for convenient camera control.
• Reliable closing system with waterproof zipper and Roll & Double Velcro.
• JIS (Japan Industrial Standards) waterproof test 8 grades.
• Individual Quality check up.

Dimension & Weight: 190 x 142 mm (7 1/2″ x 5 2/3″), 130g Fits digital cameras up to 125mm in length and circumference no more than 250mm.

Contents in package

• Case & Lens
• Sponge (for supporting the camera)
• Silica-gel
• Neck Strap
• Extension Connector (for zoom lens)
• Manual

Prior to usage, it is recommend in the manual to conduct a leak test by putting a piece of tissue paper in the waterproof case and then submerged it in water, shake it around and leave it for a couple of hours. After that, remove the tissue paper and check whether it’s dry. For my case, I found it to be perfectly dry.

Although I do not expect that the photos will come out professionally but it’s more of having the novelty to snap photos while in the water so that I can have some memories to reminisce. This is a vast improvement from previous experiences where I have to leave the camera on dry land (or even the hotel) when I am out having fun in water sports.

So now it’s really putting it into use during my trip to Bali and then update with a review.

Updated on 12th Aug 2010. Hey, I am back from Bali!

Photo above is taken with LX3 inside the DiCAPac WP-610 Waterproof Case. Swimming pool at Kuta Beach Club.

In the swimming pool with DiCAPac WP-610 Waterproof Case fully submerged.

Testing in open sea on the way to snorkeling with LX3 inside the DiCAPac WP-610 Waterproof Case.

Photos of fishes taken during snorkeling.

It’s pretty difficult to take a good photo as the fishes are swimming around to eat the beard thrown by tourists. Yes, I wasn’t the only group there at the snorkeling site, there was around 6 to 7 boats crowding around.

Yeah, there was a few scuba divers as well too!

The DiCAPac WP-610 Waterproof Case was pretty usable and have met my usage requirements. I was able to take the camera out from the case with ease whenever required without using any other tools. The removing of the camera from the wet case does requires a bit more care to ensure that water does not flow into the dry compartment. There wasn’t any leak from when I use it both in the swimming pool (1 hour) as well as the open sea (1 hour). But I did noticed that there was some condensation inside the case while at pool even though I left the silica gel inside the case together with the camera. It was probably due to the strong sun shining at the case while it was floating on top of the water. As for the open sea, there are constant waves splashing against the case at all times so it basically wet throughout. This is my opinion and may not be true. But even with the slight condensation (not touching the camera), the camera was still functional but I was quite skeptical and quickly kept it away from the sun (hide it under a beach towel).

As for the quality of photo taken with the camera in the case on dry land, I wasn’t able to spot any noticeable difference or drop in quality so I reckon that the lens cover clarity was up to par. The only thing I was quite afraid is whether I will scratch the surface of the lens cover when I was having fun or when it’s kept in my luggage bag. So please take note of this! The photos taken in the water was of resonable quality, of course, it will not compare to the professional stuff but it works! Perhaps, I should find another trip to snorkel in more still and clearer water to make further assessment. I also forgot to try taking videos in the water! Yeah, excuses again to go for a trip, right? Haha!

The DiCAPac WP-610 Waterproof Case was rather bulky and it drew the attention and stares of envy from other tourists! So whenever I was not doing any water sports, I will take the camera out from the case for easier carrying around. The neck strap provided made carrying of the case in water easier and it was easy to swim around with the case slung around the shoulder too!

My conclusion is that the DiCAPac WP-610 Waterproof Case serves my purpose well enough and is of reasonable price range. The main thing is that there was absolutely no leak (did not try more than 3m deep) and of durable quality. I seriously consider it a good buy and will recommend it to anyone (casual users) who wants to capture fun memories while engaging in any water activities!

If there is anything you wish to know further, please do ask in the comments. Thanks.

Related posts:

1. Lumix LX3 Accessories
2. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
3. A Day in Bali 3

Passing by Esplanade area, so decided to head off to Merlion Park to hang out for a while and take some photos. Merlion Park is located near Marina Bay, Singapore and is a popular tourist attraction. Walking along Esplanade Bridge towards Merlion Park.

Mini-Merlion – great for children to take photos with.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlion):

The Merlion (Malay: Singa-Laut) is an imaginary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot of Singapore. Its name combines “mer” meaning the sea and “lion“. The fish body comes from Singapore’s ancient name back when it was a fishing village — Temasek — meaning “sea town” in Javanese. The lion head represents Singapore’s original name — Singapura — meaning “lion city” or “kota singa”.

Marina Bay Sands – there are still some construction on-going but the main block is already open. You can also visit the Sands SkyPark which is 200m into the sky and see the spectacular views of Singapore.

The Merlion was used as the logo of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in use from 26 March 1964 to 1997 and is a well-known icon of Singapore.

From Merlion Park, you can see also see the beautiful views of the Marina Bay.

The tall buildings from the Singapore Central Business District forms the backdrop of Merlion.

One Fullerton – You call find swanky restaurants and bars here, most offering high floor-to-ceiling windows with great views of Marina Bay.

Another angle of the Merlion.

Visitors who wants to take a river cruise can buy tickets at Singapore River Cruise (next to Merlion). For 30 mins ride, the fees per adult is S$15 and children is S$8. There is also the 45 mins option, which is at S$20 for adults and S$10 for children.

I am done with my relaxing and enjoying the breeze so it’s back to the Esplanade. On the far right of the photo, you can catch a glimpse of the Singapore Flyer!

Think I will be back again another time in the evening/night to capture the night view of Marina Bay. Maybe I will hold on for a while until Marina Bay Sands is fully open?

Related posts:

1. Singapore Flyer
2. Jurong Birk Park Singapore
3. Marina at Keppel Bay

20th June 2010 (Sunday) marks the day that I attended Beerfest Asia 2010. I wanted to get tickets for 19th June 2010 (Saturday) so that I can hang around later but it was already sold out. The event was held at Marina Promenade (F1 tracks behind Singapore Flyer).

Beerfest Asia 2010 is starting at 6pm and there was already a queue waiting to go in at around 5.50pm. This is the second year that Beerfest Asia is running and offer the opportunities to sample over 250 kinds of beers!

Collected my “1-Day OCBC Exclusive” tickets which I paid in-advance with OCBC credit card for S$12 each.

The “1-Day OCBC Exclusive” ticket comes with 2 redeemable beer. I had initially thought that we can choose the 2 beers that we wanted but at the entrance, we were given a redeemed beer each and another beer token (black) to redeem the other beer of choice in the event. The redeemed beer didn’t come with any label as it must have peeled off while in the ice bath. I had a peek at other attendees’ bottle and it’s actually “Super Bock“. Wifey finds it up to her liking!

Sol beer, imported bottled beer from Mexico.

Jaz Beer and Starker from Malaysia. Starker won the gold at Asia Beer Awards for wheat beer category. Wheat beer is my top favorite and I didn’t managed to try Starker…

Wheat Beer (Source)
Gold: Starker Aromatic Wheat Beer, Starker Brewery, Napex
Silver: Brewerkz Wheat Beer, Brewerkz, Brewerkz
Bronze: Pump Room Wheat Beer, The Pump Room

Dead Frog Brewery from Cananda and Storm Brewery from Indonesia. Had a chat with the folks at Storm Brewery and he mentioned that the crowd on Saturday night was packed to the brim! Hmmm..I’m glad that I came on a Sunday… self consolation… hahaha

Sabeco from Vietnam which carries Beer 333, Saigon Export and Saigon Special. I had lots of them during my trip to Vietnam!

Brewerkz Restaurant & Microbrewery – winner of “Outstanding South East Asian Microbrewery Award”. (Source)

6 Drunk Men – featuring Fosters, Pure Blonde, Red Rock Lager, Victoria Bitter, Magners Cider, etc.

Singha beer from Thailand.

Since the event was held at the F1 tracks behind Singapore Flyer.. there is a showcase of a few F1 cars as well.

Beerlao from Laos. The banner mentioned “Asia Best Beer” (Voted by Times Magazine). Must find opportunity to try this beer!

B.I.D carries various beers – James Boags (Australia), Konig (Germany), Warsteiner (Germany), Samuel Adams (USA), etc.

Went to change for S$30 worth of Beerfest chips. Paid by OCBC card and got 5% off so I paid only S$28.50.

Food and snacks are available at Beerfest Asia 2010!

Sausage platter at S$14.

Outdoor sitting area for dining while you watch World Cup matches at the screen.

North Taiwan Brewery have some interesting concoction – Honeydew Melon Fruit Beer and Li Chee Fruit Beer.

König Pilsener from Germany.

Storm Beer, brewed in Bali. I would love to try the rest of the range (especially Storm Brewing Iron Stout) when I am in Bali next month.

Trying our Storm Golden Ale (brewed in Bali). I love it!

Golden Ale (Source)
Gold: Archipelago Summer Ale, Archipelago Brewery, Archipelago Brewery, Singapore
Silver: Storm Golden Ale, Storm Brewing, Storm Brewing
Bronze: Brewerkz Golden Ale, Brewerkz, Brewerkz, Singapore

Sky is getting darker but the crowd is still starting to pour in.

Live entertainment at Beerfest Asia 2010. Enjoy fantastic live music while you drink beers!

Moving out to enjoy the cool breeze…

Redeemed a Brewerk Golden Ale from Singapore.

Carlton Pure Blonde, good for ladies who are more weight conscious as it’s low carbohydrate. The beer ambassador mentioned to me that 6 bottles of Pure Blonde is equivalent to a slice of bread. Wow!

Low Carbohydrate Lager (Source)
Gold: No Winner
Silver: No Winner
Bronze: Carlton Pure Blonde, Carlton & United Breweries Ltd, 6 Drunk Men

I left around 9pm to go for dinner but the event actually goes on till 12 midnight. Look at the amount of people still enjoying themselves!

Anyway, Beerfest Asia 2010 is a really great event for beer lovers to have the opportunity to sample different brew and concoction of beer under one roof. It’s also a good event to arrange for a get-together session with friends and enjoy beer! I will be sure to attend the next year’s Beerfest Asia 2010!

Related posts:

1. Singapore Food Festival 2010
2. AFA’09 – Anime Festival Asia
3. Web Wednesday Singapore 19.0