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December 2009 - Christmas in Bali

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Bill and Anette with Westin Bali Xmas decorations in background
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Anette and Kimberly in the Westin Executive Club
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Bill and Anette in rented cabana by beach
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Bill and Anette golfing
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Bill and Kimberly returning from diving at Nusa Penida

Christmas in Bali

We spent our 2009 Christmas Holiday in Bali. This was our 4th Christmas spent in Bali since arriving in Indonesia in 1996.  Being regular visitors to Bali some people might find it boring to keep visiting but after probably more than 30 visits we find the magic of the "Island of the Gods" always welcoming. 

Where we stayed

We stayed at the Westin in Dusa Dua.    We have stayed at this resort several times before but this was the first time we stayed in their Royal Beach Club rooms which allowed us 24 hour access to the executive lounge.  Since our stay was over the holiday period the lounge was a little more crowded than usual but overall it was worth the upgrade as it provided full breakfast, light lunch and cocktails in the evening.  For that matter beer and certain spirits were provided gratis everyday until 7pm, a nice touch that other executive lounges do not always provide.  Overall the resort is well maintained and despite the resort being full it never felt crowded at the pool or restaurants which reflects its good design.

What we did

    
In addition to just relaxing at the resort around the pool and the beach we did the following:

  • Bill and Kimberly went scuba diving one day to Nusa Penida with Crystal Divers.  Nusa Penida is a "sister island" to Bali off the southeast side.  We have dived this location many times in the past but it was a good time for "father-daughter" bonding.
  • Bill and Anette had an opportunity to try the recently opened New Kuta Golf Course on the opposite side of Nusa Dua.  The course is fairly new (less than 2 years open) so the vegetation is not that mature.  In addition the golf course is part of a larger development which will likely take another 5-10 years to complete.  As such there are certain holes that don't have very good scenery (ie. construction sites, garbage, etc).  Despite this the course is challenging and we are glad that we finally had an opportunity to try this course.
  • Later in the week Bill and Anette had an opportunity to play several rounds at Bali Golf and Country Club in Nusa Dua.  This is a very mature course that is well manicured and maintained.  Several holes abut the ocean which provides nice views.  Well worth playing this course.
  • On another day Bill and Kimberly did some further "father-daughter" bonding by giving Odyssey Surf School in Kuta Bali a try.  The waves at Kuta Beach this time of year are fairly small which is just what we needed being beginners.  After a few try we were able to get the hang of it but since the waves were small we didn't get a very long ride which meant you needed to be quick standing up.  After the fatigue set in it became harder and harder to get up before the wave subsided.  One aspect neither of us enjoyed was all of the plastic and other household garbage in the surf.  The instructor claimed that certain times of the year the rain runoff caused Kuta Beach to be inundated with plastic from nearby rivers.  Despite this explanation we never experienced anything similar at the Nusa Dua beaches or Sanur beach.

Overall everyone had an enjoyable vacation, although with all the activities we all felt a little tired upon returning to Jakarta such that we needed a "vacation after our vacation".

A Few Photos from our Trip

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The Westin Bali pool
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Bill and Anette at hole #15 New Kuta Golf course
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Japanese Teppanyaki dinner for Xmas
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Bill and Kimberly at dinner
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Kimberly at the beach
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Photo of Kimberly with her new Xmas camera
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Slide at the pool
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Tame squirrels that were around the resort
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Anette showing off her golf swing
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Kimberly looking cool with her shades on
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Anette on the golf course
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Bill and Kimberly before our Christmas eve dinner
Last Update: 5 January 2010          Copyright © 2010 All Rights Reserved William Deertz  -  www.wdeertz.net