13 March 2013, Wednesday
It was Day 7 of our trip and we had a few hours in the morning to spend at Gili Trawangan before making our way back to Bali. Breakfast at our Alam Gili resort was sumptuous as usual.
After that, we went for a walk around our resort to take in Gili T’s beautiful white sand beach one last time. The sky was a tantalising shade of blue, with wispy streaks of white clouds floating carelessly across it. The water was clear and alluring. It was the best weather we had in the three days we were there. I gave in to temptation and soaked in the water for a short while before checking out of our hotel.
At about 11am, we hailed a cidomo and rode the horse-drawn carriage to take us to the harbour. For our return trip to Bali, I had booked a fast ferry from a company called Gili Getaway (click here). Tickets for the two of us cost IDR 1,248,000 (US$129).
The ferry was supposed to depart at 12pm but since all the passengers had already arrived, we departed ahead of schedule at 11:35am. After enduring two hours and 15 minutes of bumpy boat ride, we arrived at Bali’s Serangan harbour at 1:50pm.
The onward shuttle to our hotel was provided by Gili Getaway. At 2:28pm, our taxi departed the harbour and we arrived at our hotel, Ivory Resort Seminyak, at 3:00pm. The resort was located at Jalan Petitenget No. 35X, Banjar Umasari, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta Utara, Badung, Seminyak. We didn’t want to stay at Kuta because it was very touristy so we decided that Seminyak would be quieter and more chill. We booked a Deluxe Room and it cost US$126 for two nights.
After checking in, we ventured out to explore our surroundings. The resort was located a short distance away from the main drag in Seminyak. We spent the afternoon walking around the streets without any particular destination in mind. There were plenty of small, back streets with interesting shops and funky art galleries.
I also did some shopping and bought a couple of T-shirts and a cap from Hurley, my new favourite brand. We do have Hurley in Singapore but it is not as common as the other surf brands like Quiksilver, Billabong or Rip Curl. That’s why I like it.
At night, we went to Potato Head Beach Club in Seminyak. The main building was very modern, chic and classy. We managed to snag one of those huge beds by the poolside. It was supposed to face the sea but the sea was pitch black so we could only hear the waves but could not see the sea. It would have been amazing to see the sunset from here.
We ordered a bottle of wine to accompany our main course of grilled salmon and wagyu beef burger. Surrounded by good food, fine wine and a gentle sea breeze, I could fall asleep there and then.
The mood at Potato Head was so chill I would fly to Bali just to visit Potato Head again. It was simply lovely. A great way to wrap up Day 7 of our trip!