Westin Nusa Dua, Bali

This is our 2nd resort in Bali – the Westin Nusa Dua Resort. It’s located within the secluded Nusa Dua enclave of luxury hotels and great beaches! Security is tight due to the bombings in Bali so at the Nusa Dua checkpoint, security checks are conducted before our car is allowed to drive in. At the entrance to the hotel, we had to go through another security check with sniff dogs. Once we’re dropped at the lobby, we had to go through a security scanner. Phew! 3 checks just to get into the resort. We definitely could not complain about lack of security!

The lobby at the Westin Nusa Dua is expansive and brightly lit. There is an elixir counter where specially made drinks are available to soothe away the stress and refresh and re-energize the guests.

Our deluxe room comes with a view of the ocean! Every Westin room is fitted with their signature Heavenly beds and bath. The beds are so comfortable it feels like we were sleeping on a cloud. It makes waking up so much harder in the morning. And then there’s the shower. The shower heads alternate between massage and rain showers. If that’s not good enough, Heavenly coffee powder are also available in the room so we had our very own cups of freshly brewed heavenly coffee. Ah! It was sheer indulgence!

The pools are the best part of the Westin Nusa Dua. Westin has a free-form freshwater pool with water slides and saltwater pool. The area surrounding the pools were beautifully landscaped with waterfalls, grottoes and lotus ponds.

Nusa Dua has one of the most beautiful beaches in Bali and the Westin’s stretch has white sandy beaches dotted with very comfortable beach cocoons.

There are many activities for guests at the resort such as Westin Kids Club, traditional handicraft making, aquacise and pool volleyball. Our daughter loves the Kids Club activities. One of her favourite Kids Club activity is fishing. The minders take the kids fishing at one of the ponds surrounding the pools and boy, do they have a lot of fun!

However, the best part is the daily procession that takes place during Westin’s Unwind evening ritual. We got to witness a procession to the temple which was both colorful and interesting. Lovely Balinese maidens dressed in traditional costumes balancing offerings on their heads and local musicians took part in the procession from the lobby to the beach. For the shopping addicts, there’s an open-air shopping mall 10 minutes walk away from the resort called Bali Collection. Another security scan and bag check is conducted before we’re allowed into the mall! Traditional Balinese dances by elaborately clad Balinese dancers are performed nightly in the mall. The mall is especially popular at night with diners due to the many restaurants.

Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, Bali

I have earlier arranged with Pak Made to take us to the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces in the Tabanan region. The Jatiluwih rice terraces is a Unesco-nominated World Heritage site. It is unique due to its irrigation system (subak) which has its roots in the Tri Hita Karana, the essence of Balinese cosmology, a philosophy that seeks to maintain a harmonious relationship between God, humans and the environment.

Our drive from Tanah Lot to Jatiluwih took approximately 1 ½ hours by van. We passed many small villages on the way up and saw for ourselves the daily rituals in a Balinese’s life. Fortunately for us, there was a religious celebration in one village and all along the road were prayer altars set up in front of every single home. We also passed by a wedding party waiting for the arrival of the groom and we managed a smile from the bride when Pak Made told her that we’re tourists!

Pak Made also pointed out for us avocado and coffee trees growing in the hills. The difference with a personalized tour and a full-fledged one is that the experiences you encounter are much more personal and interesting.

You just can’t miss the imposing presence of Mount Batukaru rising above the rice terraces. Our lungs were thoroughly nourished by the cool crisp air in Jatiluwih. It’s such a treat to breathe in clean air after the acrid air in Malaysia’s haze-filled skies. We took a walk along the road to take in the natural surroundings and also show our daughter how rice is planted by the farmers. It was an interesting experience for her because growing up in a city does not afford her many chances to experience something like this. Every time we visit a country I try to look for places, activities, cultural events that’ll make up part of her education. Each of these experiences are priceless and cannot be learnt in school.

Tanah Lot Temple, Bali

The first stop on our itinerary was the iconic Tanah Lot temple which was a 10-minute walk away from our resort. Tanah Lot is a must-visit for every tourist to Bali. It is unique because during high-tide the Tanah Lot temple can be seen perched majestically on a rock in the Indian Ocean, but during low-tide you can actually walk to the temple. I’m told there are poisonous sea-snakes in the waters beneath the temple which adds to its enchantment. It was high-tide during our visit in the morning, so we had to just admire it from afar. We spent a couple of hours at Tanah Lot just immersing ourselves in the beauty of its surroundings. Tanah Lot has a kind of peacefulness that flows over you. It’s the perfect place to just sit down and meditate! Oh … for yoga buffs, the Le Meridien Golf & Spa Resort is also a great place to enjoy this activity! On the cliff adjacent to the temple we could see surfers riding the waves down below. How exciting! On the way into the temple we had passed by rows of shops along the street. So, in true tradition, we did a spot of shopping on our way back. Our daughter got up close and personal with a huge live bat in one of the shops. There are many souvenirs and trinkets and the usual t-shirts in the shops. Some of the souvenirs are quite unique. We bought lots of pencils with animal wood carvings for our daughter’s friends back home. These were very colorful and the kids were very pleased when it was distributed on our return.

Le Meridien Nirwana Golf & Spa Resort, Bali

This is a long overdue post on our holiday in Bali on September 2007. It was a free and easy holiday as we did away with the usual tours since this is not our first visit. Instead we booked our own van and driver to take us around the island. Our guide and driver, Pak Made Widana, was introduced to us by a friend and we booked his services via email. He was very obliging and regaled us with his anecdotes on the Balinese’s way of life.

Our Air Asia flight arrived at Denpasar airport at 7:45pm. As we’re told it takes between 45 mins to 1 hour to get to the resort at Tanah Lot, we requested Pak Made to drop us at the nearest KFC for some takeaway. That would be our dinner for the day. The KFC meals were different from those in Malaysia. Instead of the usual fries to go with the fried chicken, in Bali steamed rice is served with the chicken instead.

We finally arrived at the Le Meridien Nirwana Golf & Spa Resort at 9:15pm. A gong was sounded in the lobby entrance to mark our arrival, followed by a hotel staff who greeted us with a frangipani lei. It’s the first time our daughter has been greeted this way in a hotel, so she was very pleased. As with all Starwood properties, check-in is done in a very comfy sofa in the lobby where guests are served a welcome drink. Once check-in is completed we were escorted to our room by the guest services officer.

Our room was located in a separate building as the Le Meridien Nirwana’s grounds are vast and wide. Our superior room is located a short walk from the pools. The resort features 4 magnificent pools including a wading pool for kids. Beautiful cascading waterfalls are part of the pools’ features as well as water slides. Our daughter had so much fun playing in the pool this resort definitely gets her vote!
The lush 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman has been awarded “Best Golf Course in Asia” for 4 years in a row.

The best part of the resort for me is the view. The first thing that greeted us the next morning when we opened our window, was this breathtaking view of the sparkling emerald green Indian Ocean! This just took my breath away! The iconic Tanah Lot temple can be seen from the resort grounds, so breakfast at Cendana Restaurant was a treat, both in terms of food and first-class view!

Landscaped gardens and rice terraces are also integrated into the resort grounds. Local farmers tend to the rice terraces and proceeds are split among the villagers. The rice terraces are easily accessible so it's a wonderful learning opportunity for city kids. Le Meridien also organizes activities for guests in the morning. Of all the Starwood resorts that we’ve stayed in, Le Meridien Nirwana gets the vote for resort with the most breathtaking view. It’s simply unbelievable to open your window and gaze out at the Tanah Lot temple perched majestically on a rock in the Indian Ocean.