Бали - остров богов и тысячи храмов Bali - the island of the gods and thousands of temples

The Indonesian island of Bali is lost in the vast ocean of time, retaining its childish wisdom and serene beauty. People call it differently: some call it paradise, others call it the abode of the gods, others call it the island of love. Everything there is mysticism and mystery, where legends are intertwined with reality, and it is impossible to understand where the fairy tale ends and life begins....I would like to tell you about the Melia Bali hotel. In June 2001, together with my husband, we spent our HONEYMOON in this hotel. As an employee of a travel agency, I approached the choice of a hotel very carefully and was not mistaken. I'll start with the flight Moscow - Denpasar - Moscow on a / k Transaero. The plane was loaded to capacity, but the twelve-hour flight from this a / c was a pleasant surprise thanks to the sympathetic flight attendants. Blankets, disposable slippers, a blindfold for sleep, two meals a day and DVD players brightened up all the hardships of the flight. We arrived at 10-40 local time, Balinese time. The first thing you notice when leaving the plane is the sweet smell of flowers, which is present absolutely everywhere, so much so that upon arrival home, all our things were saturated with it. . So, after going through passport control, we left the airport to look for our transfer. We were pleasantly surprised when we saw a sign with our names on it. We were met by the local Russian-speaking guide Putra. The transfer, like all subsequent excursions, turned out to be individual, only we, the driver and the guide. I must say that the guide we got was just wonderful! While walking to the car, they put on beads of flowers, whose fragrance, I repeat, is everywhere. In the car, while getting to the hotel, the guide offered bottled water to everyone, and gave a short sightseeing tour of the island. Upon arrival at MELIA, I was very impressed with the architectural solution of the reception area - the lobby - harmoniously combined with the garden. In Bali, in general, I was fascinated by the special openness of architecture, when nature is perceived as the basis, and the buildings seem to fit into the landscape! Local authorities have officially passed a law that the buildings on the island should not be taller than a coconut palm. This is due to the religious beliefs of the local population. . It is believed that the space from the ground to the top of the palms is reserved for people's lives, and the gods live above... Religious ceremonies of the Balinese are aimed at glorifying the gods, asking for support from the spirits of ancestors and appeasing evil spirits. Gods and demons are equally revered here, as evidenced by their daily offerings (canang sari), the production of which is painstaking work. Chanang saris are small baskets woven from palm leaves, where they put flowers, rice, pieces of food, coins. They are left for ancestors in home temples, for demons at the threshold of a door or at a dangerous street intersection. …. In the lobby, we were offered to sit on sofas, brought a refreshing local orange drink and we waited for the guide to return. He, at this time, having taken our passports, went to register us. And we went to wander around the hotel, never ceasing to admire. An hour later, we had 2 electronic keys, 2 cards for beach towels, as well as an envelope with a description of excursions and all kinds of discount coupons. We saw our suitcases in the room. In general, from the moment we received our luggage at the airport, we were not allowed to touch them. We got an ideally located room in building 3 on the second floor. Everything is nearby, but at the same time there is no hype of the pool as in 4, and the crush of the reception as in 2. Bananas grew in front of the windows, with almost ripe bananas. In the morning, squirrels came running to the balcony. If they were not fed, they themselves stole the cookies specially left for them. The room itself is not big, but quite comfortable and clean. There was a pot of orchids on the table. There are a lot of them in MELIA, and according to Putra in Bali, orchids grow only in the houses of "expensive" houses. We took DE LUXE. Great for a couple. The rooms had everything you need: 7 towels for two, 2 bathrobes, slippers, mini-bar, plasma, large TV, individually controlled air conditioning, dehumidifier, tea / coffee set, safe, shower gel, lotion. / body, shampoo, hair conditioner, toothbrushes with paste (new ones were posted every day), threads with a needle, shower caps and a hairdryer, and even cotton pads and sticks... The only thing was that they asked for an iron and ironing board by phone, they brought them to us within 10 minutes and not taken away until the end of the holiday. The staff is friendly and welcoming, always ready to help. The rooms were cleaned 2 times a day, they took out the trash, changed towels and sheets every day. We never saw any cleaners. In the morning, returning from breakfast, we always had 2 bottles of drinking water. On the day of arrival in the evening they brought us a present from the hotel - pineapple boats and a sweet cake in the shape of a heart - a gift for the newlyweds. But there was another surprise that we accidentally saw when we looked down from our second floor to the first - a wish for a happy honeymoon for us was written in a beautiful pattern on the sand. My delight knew no bounds. So, we went to explore the territory. The hotel is very calm, not crowded, you rarely see anyone on the floor during the day and in the evening. Everywhere is finished with expensive woods, soft lighting. It is located in a stunning, fabulously beautiful garden with flowers and tropical trees, ponds with fish, a huge pool of an unusual intricate layout with carved stone bridges, with white fragrant plumeria flowers falling around, bordered by the lush greenery of palm trees, taking you to a world of serene tranquility and relaxation. On the territory there is where to walk, there is even a track for running. There is a free fitness club, an excellent spa with excellent programs. There are many restaurants for every taste, there is an open restaurant near the beach overlooking the ocean, trees grow right there, along which chipmunks run. When ordering, the waiter brings a bowl of cookies and you can feed them from your hand. We mainly used the main restaurant, breakfasts were included, but it makes no sense to fly to Bali on an all-inclusive basis, outside the hotel you can eat very tasty and not expensive. For breakfast, the assortment of dishes did not change, but the variety was such that every day you could try something new. This is European, and Japanese, and Chinese breakfasts. A large selection of fruits, but the most delicious ones, such as rambutans and guava, are taken apart in the morning, and closer to 10 o’clock they are replaced with herring or tangerines. But every day at least 5-6 types of fruit. Food for every taste, prepared perfectly. A 5-minute walk was a magnificent shopping and entertainment complex BALI COLLECTION. There almost in all restaurants the menu is translated into Russian. Of all, we liked the Laguna restaurant the most, and we dined there all the time of our stay. They didn’t take meat often, they ate seafood. They also have amazing fresh juices, I would even say fruit purees, instead of juice. On the last day, the attendants arranged a farewell dinner for us, presented us with a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice, and all evening the musicians sang only for us... Separately, I would like to say about the beaches in Bali. The island of Bali is not surrounded by an inland sea, but by an ocean with its ebb and flow. . This natural phenomenon of nature is observed off the coast of the ocean in all the resorts of Bali, somewhere more, somewhere less. Twice a day the water rushes ashore and twice a day recedes. The tidal wave in the ocean is associated with gravity from the moon. At our hotel, the ebb and flow of the water was quite pronounced, on the one hand it became impossible to swim, but on the other hand, you can take a closer look at the ocean life. The water went down 200 meters. I was very curious! The beach has a schedule of ebb and flow, if you are active it is not critical, because you can see the island, but there is something to see! The tide schedule can be additionally viewed at http://www.island-wave.com/tideschart.html by starting to plan your vacation in advance. By clicking on the month you are interested in, you will see a table with the day of the month, the time of day from 6 am to 6 pm and a number characterizing the strength of the tide. Great sandy beach with fine golden sand. The beach strip is wide and long, there were enough sunbeds for everyone and always. Several staff members are responsible for the cleanliness of the beach, who clean it from algae and pieces of coral brought by the tide and maintain order during the day. You can continue for a long time, but, as they say, it's better to see once than hear a hundred times!! ! In conclusion, I want to say that I spent 2 unforgettable weeks in Melia Bali, and sincerely fell in love with this hotel. Have a nice rest and wonderful impressions!