Saturday 15 October 2011

Day 13 Bingin

As usual we awoke to sounds of the waves lapping the shoreline. They were not loud crashing waves, so my husband knew the surf at Impossibles was not really big this morning. He would wait until after breakfast & find somewhere else to surf.




For breakfast this morning I tried the pancakes with apple & cinnamon & just had to pour over some of that palm sugar syrup. The kids couldn't go past having the coconut milk porridge with banana & cinnamon again & hubby had his usual omelette with the lot.

After breakfast, hubby went surfing with the owner Mario to Green Balls, a surf break on the southern tip of the Bukit Peninsular, further south of Uluwatu.

Today I didn't leave the Temple Lodge. The kids & I spent the day lazing around the pool, swimming, reading & generally just chilling out.




For lunch we had the mie goreng





& then the kids played with the dogs while I read a book on the day bed.
Mow the cat curled up next to me for a cat nap.





Then my daughter hopped up for a little rest as well.




At 2.30pm the boys came back from surfing, lucky for me as I had a 3pm appointment in the spa for a facial. I would of been disappointed to miss out on my facial because he was still surfing!




The facial started with a massage & I would of enjoyed more if I had of not started getting a cold. My nose started running profusely & began to drip into the lovely bowl of flowers on the floor - yuck! By the time my facial started I had started sneezing.... not as relaxing as I expected!

After my facial I checked out one of the other rooms - the Driftwood Suite. Its a lovely suite with a king size 4 poster bed & outdoor bathroom....situated right next to the pool.















Late afternoon we drank cold Bintangs, sitting on the sun lounges facing the ocean and watched the sunset which looked like molten lava melting in the sky.



At dinner tonight the kids had some pasta with a tomato & pesto sauce followed by some chai ice cream. They went to bed early again allowing us another kid free dinner. Tonight our dinner was soto ayam (spicy chicken soup) followed by tuna kebabs, tempeh salad, snake beans with chilli & garlic and saffron rice. Dessert was a pineapple & mint salad. Tonight I had a glass of sav blanc with my dinner. Didn't get the brand, but think it was from Chile & was quite nice.

Tonight is our last night at the Temple Lodge, so I go back to the room & start getting things organized for tomorrow.

Some more photos of the Temple Lodge....















Location:The Temple Lodge

Friday 14 October 2011

Day 14 in Bingin

We wake up this morning and feel a bit sad to be leaving the Temple Lodge at Bingin.

We are definitely going to miss the food here, that's for sure! Hubby enjoys his last omelette, the kids their coconut milk porridge & I try the home made museli with grated apple & cashew milk for the first time - it's delicious.

Back to the room to pack... As we have met all the other guests through our communal dinners at night, we have become quite friendly & swapped email addresses. We get to have a peek at their suites, each one being different to the next. And the kids enjoy taking them on a tour through our Gecko Suite.

Only a few months ago, Mario completed building a new villa called the Eagles Nest. It is built halfway down the cliff, accessed by some steep stone & pebble stairs.


On the first level coming down is a massive daybed with ocean views, it's big enough to sleep on.


Next level down there's a huge silver bath/shower facing the ocean.... not quite sure if anyone out to sea would be able to see you bathing, the suite is still up high on the cliff - maybe if they had binoculars!

Then there's a bedroom with canopy bed also with ocean views, in fact even the toilet has ocean views!

Mario joked that he could charge $100 per poop as he didn't know of anywhere else you could get a better view while doing your


Next we take a look at the Spice Suite which is near the day spa set back on the property.

It has a big bedroom with canopy bed, a king sized day bed in the garden...

And a huge bathroom with outdoor shower,
And a cosy lounge area

Next door is a tranquil area for yoga which is on each morning at 8am

So it's time to say goodbye to all the wonderful staff & guests we've met on this leg of our trip. We will be back the next time we come to Bali.

Next stop Jimbaran...


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Location:The Temple Lodge & Villa Puri Royan

Photos of Day 14 Bingin


Photos of the Eagles Nest Suite at Temple Lodge, Bingin





Steep stone & pebble stairs leading down to the suite




Bathtub with ocean views




Toilet with ocean views






Canopy king size bed





View from bedroom






King size day bed with ocean views










Spice Suite





Massive outdoor daybed





Outdoor shower




Lounge area





Yoga @ 8am every morning...









Entrance to Temple Lodge









Location:The Temple Lodge

Monday 10 October 2011

Day 12 in Bingin

Like most mornings we all rise early & have an hour or more to wait before the kitchen is open for breakfast.

We relax on the massive day bed that faces the ocean & read - it is so big, you have climb up onto it & has plenty of overstuffed cushions.... it can fit our family of four. Last year I found it too hot to sleep in the mozzie netted bed, so I snuck out & slept on the day bed using a sarong as my cover.



For breakfast this morning I try the exotic coconut milk porridge with banana & cinnamon, drizzled with palm sugar. My son try's a mouthful & wishes he had ordered it too. My daughter has the fruit salad & home made bread and declares the home made strawberry jam is the best she's ever tasted. She orders it for a snack one afternoon too. The juices are just amazing... So far we have tried the Vata Balancing drink - banana, dates, cinnamon & coconut milk. Tropical Row - mango, coconut & banana. Vitamin C Bomb - papaya, orange & mango. Bone Builder - orange, dates, tahini & cinnamon. Raw Choco Dream - banana, raw cacao, oats & honey. They also made a lovely chai coffee with milk & spices. One afternoon I started to get a cold & the girls made me a traditional ginger lemon honey tea.

After breakfast the kids walk back to our suite and see the monkeys have come for a visit. They come up the cliff & walk along the coral stone wall trying to steal a glass voile. We try taking a few photos, but it's hard as they don't sit still for long. I catch one in flight by sheer chance. The staff bring a sling shot out to chase them away.















We walk down the 174 or so steps to the beach & have a swim on low tide. We meet up with Hubby who has been surfing and he takes us up to the warungs to visit some Balinese friends he met when he stayed at Bingin 25 years ago. They cant believe how much the kids have grown since last year.

Back to the Temple Lodge for lunch. I order the macrobiotic bowl which is a brown rice salad with tofu, roasted seeds, veggies & herbs, seasoned with cider vinegar & sesame oil. Served with a miso/tahini sauce. Yum!

After lunch we take a walk to check out another lodge. This one is called Mu and it's owned by a German fellow. It is bigger than the Temple Lodge & doesn't seem as intimate, however it still looks lovely. Theres an infinity pool overlooking the ocean & elevated bales with day beds are scattered throughout the property.



















This afternoon I have an hr massage in the day spa. It is just wonderful and I nod off halfway through.

For dinner we join the other guests at the communal dining tables & listen to the interesting stories from Mario & Cristiana, the owners. They moved from South Africa 5 years ago & built this place from scratch. Apparently Mario doesn't like right angles, so all of the buildings have curved walls.

Tonight we share our table with some interesting people from around the globe. A Swiss couple, a French man & his Irish wife, and 2 ladies from the States. We all share stories about our lives and our love affair with Bali and the surrounding areas.

Our meal tonight is penne pasta with mushrooms & ricotta, seared tuna with roasted pumpkin salad & jam tart. So much food, I can never finish it all!

We fed our kids earlier at Kumbang Kuning bungalows a few doors down & they were in bed before 7.30pm allowing us a kid free dinner!

After dinner we retire to our day bed listening to the waves lapping the shoreline..... Ahhhh total bliss!

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Sunday 9 October 2011

Day 11 Bingin

Day 11 and we awake to the sounds of waves lapping the shoreline at the bottom of the cliff of the Temple Lodge in Bingin.



Hubby sneaks off to surf Impossibles surf break & I lay on the massive day bed facing the ocean and read my book. It's also Mow the cats favorite spot to sleep.





Breakfast for me is an omelette with mixed veggies, tomato, cheese, bacon, mushrooms, onions & spinach... served with home made ciabatta bread & some Italian coffee. Hubby had the same & the kids had the fruit salad with home made muesli, home made yoghurt covered in palm sugar. Juices all round - we try the mango, banana & coconut. The food is just so good here.... Looking forward to trying a different item on the menu each morning!









After breakfast the kids have a swim & play with Dad in the pool while I relax on the sun lounge.








Hubby decides on another surf so we follow him down the 174 or so steps to the beach. They are very steep & I have to hold my daughters hand as she slips a few times. The beach is rocky and the sand is made up of tiny shells & stones. There are massive rock formations jutting out from the water, sometimes joining to make little caves.






On low tide, there are tiny rock pools & the kids have fun finding starfish & other tiny sea creatures. We walk carefully over the rocks to get to the water.... wish we had brought some booties!

There are many small warungs dotted along the beach where you can sit in the shade with a cold drink watching the surfers on Bingin break.








Coming back up the stairs is very hard going on your legs - some steps are larger than others & they twist and wind there way up the cliff face. We find ourselves quite out of breath a few times & have to stop for a little rest.

On the way back we stop & have a look at place with beachfront bungalows. They are simple, yet clean & there is a lovely infinity pool overlooking the ocean. At $47 per night it is a real bargain. We ask if we have lunch in their little restaurant, can the kids swim in the pool - they were happy to let us. We decide to come back for dinner as the set dinner at Temple Lodge tonight is sushi & hubby is all 'fished' out from spending 9 nights of eating fish on Rote Island.






We return to our lodge & Hubby gets an 90 minute massage in the day spa - it is by far the best massage he has had on this holiday.

We go to dinner & enjoy watching the sunset with a cold Bintang. Indonesian meals tonight for everyone.... Gado Gado, Mie Goreng & Nasi Campur. All are good and very cheap.








Then it's back to our suite & the kids go to bed early, they are exhausted from swimming & walking those 174 stairs!

Hubby & I order a night cap - the same jug of gin & tonic with ginger & lime that we enjoyed the previous night. We sit on the sun lounges facing the ocean & look at all the lights from the fishing boats bobbing on the water & also the lights on the coastline curving up towards Kuta. It is just so peaceful here, we are really starting to truly unwind...

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Location:The Temple Lodge