Bali in Monsoon

We took a short weekend trip to Bali at Chinese New Years with our friends from Victoria who are traveling around SE Asia on their honeymoon. It was my third trip in this past year (and Joel's second) but we were just as excited to go as ever. Heading back to Ubud during monsoon season was interesting. It was less crowded than the July and September trips I'd done. It was also a little hotter at night and there were quite a few mosquitoes likely due to all the puddles of water left after the rain showers. Some things were easier, like finding a place to stay or walking down the mains streets unimpeded by tour groups. There were also a few challenges which were rain related.

We flew on one of the KLM direct flights from Singapore which is what I generally do. It's actually cheaper than Air Asia and you don't have to deal with the gong show of the discount terminal at Changi. So that's my first travel tip.

We booked Saren Indah for the weekend but the first night they were full so I went onto Agoda to look for something nice for a one night deal. On a whim I booked a brand new four star guest house/hotel which hadn't even been added to trip adviser yet. It was a gamble but we were rewarded because this was actually a very beautiful brand new place done in the traditional Balinese style that had only been open for a month. They had built large guest suites with gorgeous carved furniture and nicely appointed bathrooms and the hospitality was impeccable. The temple gardens had just been painted with gold leaf and their pool over-looking the ravine was quiet and pristine. Heaven! The place is called Pondok Pundi Village Inn. I think once they finish building their reception and restaurant building at the street it will be much more expensive then the $75 USD a night we paid.