Bali by Wheelchair

As became our custom, each big day was followed by an easy one.  This day we sat by the pool and ordered room service for lunch. We went shopping over the road in the afternoon, and ran into Made, who we organised to take us to Sanur tomorrow. We had tea at Bumbu Bali 1 Cooking School restaurant, just left out of the resort.  They conduct cooking classes three times a week, including a visit to the Jimbaran fish markets and their specialty is traditional Balinese food cooked on a mini bbq at your table. They also have a good wine selection, not so traditional but welcome, and I had a couple of glasses of Cape Discovery Sauvignon Blanc. As usual the whole experience was a fraction of the price we would pay at home, and indeed the food alone is a valid reason for visiting Bali.

We had yet another lazy morning before being picked up by Made at one o'clock to go to Sanur.  He lives right across the road from the resort, so if we sit on the steps he sees us and gets his car.  Very handy. The first place we visited in Sanur was the beach markets, where we were swarmed by desperate vendors. I paid too much for two tops, but Chelsea, the bargaining pro, did much better. We then had lunch at Segara Seaside Bar and Restaurant, where I tried an Orange Bintang.  Almost as nice as the lemon. There weren't many people around, but it was hotter than usual, and this is a quiet part of Bali compared to Kuta.  The beach stretches for five kilometres, but very few tourists were taking advantage of it. On our way back we visited a quaint fixed price department store, which was interesting. Made even too hot for ducks

The minute Made drove up the resort driveway he picked up another fare to go to the Billabong outlet, which was good for him. We went to tea at Mr Bob's Bar and Grill, close to Bumbu Bali.  Again this was a good choice, being right on a little cove, their own private section of the Indian Ocean.  I had a whole grilled snapper, much to Chelsea's disgust, and it was beautiful. It was interesting to note that Mr Bob's is at the back of what looks like a family compound called the Matahari Hotel.  The rooms appeared to be clean and modern, and when I looked it up on Mr Google I discovered that they range from around $45 a night.  I would certainly consider that if I stayed at Nusa Dua again.  This was our last night here before moving to Kuta for two nights, and we arranged for Made to pick us us after checkout around 11am tomorrow.

We checked out as planned and Made dropped us at the Grand Mega Resort, located on the Ngurah Rai bypass, a very busy road into Kuta. Like the Bounty, this hotel had an opulent looking reception area, but upon entering the funky purple themed room it was obvious that once again maintenance was not a priority. It did not really matter, however, that doors did not fit or the aircon didn't work well, or the tv above the bath(?) had no remote, as we were only there to sleep after all.  The sheets were clean and the purple towels reeked of lavender. After settling in we had lunch and I went for a swim. Last time we were in Bali Chelsea had a tattoo done by a guy called Adix (another Made), and they have stayed in touch ever since.  He came over and met us and we went up to La Plancha Bar at Double Six Beach at Seminyak, then on to Sushi Hana in Kuta. We were back safe and sound by 8pm. Chelsea slept while I watched yet another episode of Harry Potter on the telly.

Once again we took our time getting up, and then after breakfast we took the free hotel shuttle to Discovery Mall in downtown Kuta.  The hotel is a little way out of the main part, and so it is a good idea to get the shuttle, especially in the heat. We had planned on buying a suitcase for Chelsea and we just happened upon a Buy One Get One Free promotion, so ended up with two medium sized purple bags.  We picked them up after finishing shopping at the market stalls and then having lunch while watching a torrential downpour happening outside. We got a Bluebird cab back to the hotel and had to listen to the very chatty Sumatran driver giving his opinion on girls from different countries and the shapes of their faces.  Lucky he only charged us $2! After dropping off our goods we decided to investigate the mall across the road, Mal Bali Galeria, and had to enlist the services of the security guy with his red flag to get us across. When we got into the mall we discovered th...

On this, my fourteenth day in Bali, I was woken at 4.30am by the biggest thunderclap I have ever heard.  Amazingly I went back to sleep again. The rain continued, on and off. We checked out of the hotel at 12 but left our bags until 6pm when the shuttle driver, Toto (probably another Made), was to take us to the airport. We went to Beachwalk Mall with another driver and it took forever because of the traffic so we decided not to see Star Wars which we planned to do.  Instead we wandered around the shops, had Burger King, and watched the employees of Johnny Rockets American style burger joint dancing randomly.  I also watched dozens of carp being fed while Chelsea shopped in H&M.  All too soon, however, it was time to go.  We made it to the airport in plenty of time to access the Premier Lounge, which, unlike in Brisbane, had plenty of food and free alcohol.  The flight back wasn't full so we had a whole row each, until some tosser decided the...

I intended this to be a travel guide specifically for people in wheelchairs who might be thinking of visiting Bali, and I hope it has provided some useful information. Obviously a week is not long enough to give a comprehensive analysis of the possibilities involved, but it is a start. My general opinion, based on our experience in the southern part of Bali is that it is a beautiful place full of beautiful people, and if you can get there you should not regret it. However, do not expect that if you are in a wheelchair that you will be able to access a lot of the more traditional areas. If you have strong helpers who can haul a wheelchair up and down stairs, or you don't mind being carried with or without the chair by willing Balinese, then you will see much more.  I believe that gradually things are improving, with the provision of the occasional cement ramp, and modern hotels and shopping centres with elevators, but there is still a long way to go.  In my fortnight there I ...