11th-19th May. Kuta - Bali

We checked out at 12 and flew to Denpasar, landing in the evening. We got a taxi to the Dewi Sri Hotel on Jalan Legian, Kuta. We got a great deal as the hotel was renovating their pool and restaurant. We stayed here 6 nights and used it as a great base as it was in a great location. We had our first foot reflexology on the first night, Ricky was not convinced with a man massaging his feet yet! Although afterwards felt light on his feet. On the 12th we walked to Jalan Pantai Kuta to rent a moped and drove straight to Sanur. Lotus was unfortunately closed so we headed down Kalan Tamblingan to Rhyoshi, which was also closed. It was then that we realised it was Galungan period in Bali- a period of Hindu ceremonies. We thought it was a safe bet going to a hotel on the beach. It was great food and great service in a small garden by the sea. The 13th we had a fiasco with the bike as we tried to change it for somtheing a little cheaper. It was only a pound cheaper so we shouldn't have bothered! Of corse a kilometre down the road, the back wheel completely deflated and began to become unsteady. Then it stared raining which didn't help!! After attempting to ride 2 people on it, we decided it would be easier for Ricky to carry on driving round the one way system back to the motorbike shop and for Lucy to walk back the way we'd driven. It worked out fine in the end as they gave us a great new bike for the remaining few days. We thought we'd treat ourselves to a Hard Rock lunch after the ordeal. Spotted a Haagen Daz milkshake on the menu which was without doubt the highlight of the day! Headed back to watch some True Blood and had a wonder before going for a drive. We decided to go for dinner back where the old villa was in Seminyak. Found a cute Italian restaurant on the sidewalk of the beach and had a nasi goreng. On the 14th we started off with a Boost juice for breakfast, then went on a ride down to Jimbaran on the scooter. We wondered along the beach then decided to head back to Kuta, and chilled before dinner at Nasi Bali, a restaurant along Jalan Legian. The 15th was a hi-light, as we booked and went on a day of white water rafting and a visit to an elephant sanctuary as a package. We were picked up at 9am and collected 2 other couples on the way, a really friendly middle aged gay couple from Miami, and a younger Indian couple. We were dropped off at the start of the rafting and had an hour and 45 minutes of great fun and breathtaking scenery, including waterfalls and the amazing carvings on the rock face along the riverbank. At the finish we had a hot shower anf an included buffet lunch. then a transfer to the Taro elephant park/reserve. We were taken on a ride through the jungle on the back of an elephant called Daisy and then got to feed them bamboo. We drove back to Kuta and got a KFC before crashing after a long day. On the 16th we went for lunch at the Lotus restaurant in Sanur, a restaurant which Lucy used to go to with her family when they lived there. Ricky had beef rendang and Lucy the Mie Goreng, fried noodles. It started raining on the drive back and so we got soaked on the moped, and spent the rest of the day around Kuta, before going to Made's Warung restaurant for dinner, where they had live balinese dancing.The 17th saw our one and only attempt to surf, with big dumping waves it wasn't great conditions for beginners so we quit and went to Nasi Bali restaurant for a ham and cheese toastie/(jaffle). We sent a message to Rory, a friend from school that night and found out he was staying really close so went and surprised him and the others he was staying with.The following day we spent time with them at their hotel (fat yogi's) and waited for some other friends to arrive there from Thailand. We had dinner at a restaurant called havanna club next to Fat Yogis and relaxed for a bit before heading to the clubs on Jalan Legian. We had a good night, including Ricky getting up with Jiaxi to sing wonderwall with a live band. We ended with a Maccy D's for good measure.