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Bali Diary Day 15-17: Last days in Seminyak at Blue Karma Resort
Crazy how quickly time flies when you are having a good time. We arrived in Bali two weeks ago, but it felt like we just arrived yesterday. Our holiday was coming to an end and for our last stop we decided to head back to Seminyak again. Seminyak really is the center in Bali when it comes to hip and inventive fashion boutiques, designer stores and art studios. We really liked the laid-back atmosphere and all the options available and for us it was the perfect place to spend the last days of our vacation.
From Nusa Dua it was a short ride of half an hour to get back to Seminyak. Our last hotel, the Blue Karma Resort, was very central, located in a small side street and within walking distance from shops, restaurants and to the beach.
When the driver stopped in front of the hotel we were really positively surprised how close everything was to us. However you would never know that you are only a stone-throw away from the crazy-busy streets because when you enter the hotel it is really quiet and you find yourself in a green, relaxing oasis. A fantastic hideaway.
The staff were friendly and attentive and checked us in quickly and guided us past the pool up to our room called “Jojoba”. The resort has 9 luxurious villas from one to four rooms all with private pool and a suite room which we chose for the last two nights. We walked up some stairs to get there, outside is a terrace with bean bags, when you enter you will find yourself in the spacious master bedroom equipped with everything you would be looking for in a hotel room: air-con, large TV, mini bar, a big couch etc. The bathroom is also very spacious and half outdoors, half covered.
Throughout the hotel from the lobby to the rooms you will find original paintings and sculptures creating a very special ambiance. The site was designed by Alexa Aquila Genoyer who combined artistic creativity, comfort, ethnic design and a flourishing garden to make Blue Karma Seminyak a vacation paradise. The main pool in the garden soon became our favorite hang-out spot. We were lying on the sun beds talking to other guest and eventually ordering drinks and food from the restaurants to the pool.
On our first evening at Blue Karma we met up with a local who lived in Seminyak for a while and wanted to take us around the area. He met us at our hotel and together we walked by to a nearby place where you can rent scooters. Having him with us was very convenient since he could haggle with the shop owner and got us the scooter for a very good price. Then he leaded the way and we followed him on our scooter through Seminyaks busiest streets. He first took us to his favorite Babi Guling place, this dish is a speciality in Bali. Then he took us to a great ice cream place which serves really unique ice cream flavors like dragon fruit, chili etc. and from there we drove to a night market where vendors are trying to sell their things and there are also many small and inexpensive food stalls. It was great to have him as our guide as he could really tell us a lot about Bali and his favorite places and he told us which local dishes to try. Together we ended the day at Double-Six beach drinking beers at La Plancha.
Once we got back to our hotel we just fell in our bed after this eventful day and crashed out.
In the morning after a quick swim in the pool we put on a shirt and headed to the outdoor restaurant where breakfast is served. The previous day we selected a breakfast menu which they prepared freshly for us. There is of course a Balinese style breakfast, their special Blue Karma breakfast, Lebanese breakfast etc. to choose from.
Me and my boyfriend ordered a different menu so we could try things from each other. Additionally they set up a small buffet with fresh fruit, bread, cake and homemade jams from where you could choose as much as you like. Everything was really fresh and tasty.
It was our last full day so we decided to go on a last adventure and go exploring a little bit. We decided to drive to Tegenungan waterfall with our scooter and from there explore the surrounding areas. The waterfall is located near Ubud, not really close to where we were staying but we were keen and wanted to go their anyway. With google maps it was no problem getting close, just at the last part we got a little bit lost but after some locals from the nearby village with whom we communicated mostly with gestures and hand signs we found back on track.
Once we got there we had to pay a small parking fee and entrance fee to get in. You have a wonderful view over the waterfall and the rice fields and in order to get to the waterfall you have to climb down some steps. Bring your swimming costume as you can swim in the waterfall. Also I can recommend you to go there early in the morning or late in the afternoon to beat the crowds.
Later on we also drove to a nearby market, a recommendation by some locals. There you can find some strange and wonderful things and try really cheap and delicious street food. I wish I would know the name as it really was off the beaten track- we were the only foreigners at the market.
To end the day we drove back to Seminyak and decided to check out the popular Potato Head Club. We arrived just in time for sunset and enjoyed some cocktails and food while watching the sun go down and listened to the tunes of the resident DJ.
The next morning came and that meant that our Bali trip was really coming to an end. We spent almost three weeks on the island of gods and enjoyed every minute if it.
We spent the morning at the pool and enjoyed our last Balinese breakfast. On our final day we just wanted to take it easy, relax a little bit, go shopping and spend some last hours by the beach.
For the afternoon we had a reservation at La Laguna, a very quirky location with a great menu and cocktails. We ended our last day with food and cocktails, especially the lemon grass creme brulée served on spoons is absolutely mouth-watering.
Before making our way back to the airport we had a quick stop at Bali Blue Karma to say goodbye to the staff and to pick up our luggage. The receptionist called a taxi for us which took us to the airport. Our flight was with Emirates who just started to do flights to Bali the same year. Our next stop: Dubai.
Thanks for Blue Karma Resort Seminyak for the lovely stay. We are going to miss Bali and can’t wait to come back soon.
More on: http://bluekarmaresort.com