I can
safely say that day 5 officially started after we checked-in at The Apurva Kempinski.
By the time we entered our room it was already
half past midnight.
As soon as we
opened the door into our 2nd floor room we were greeted by a sculpture of a Javanese Candi (Hindunese or Buddhist temple).
A Scultpure of a Javanese Candi Adorned The Entrance Into Our Room - A7R2 + Batis 2/25
The room was spacious,
furnished elegantly and spanking clean. Just nice to settle in after a long day full
of drama.
The Bed Which Was Big Enough For The 4 of Us - A7R2 + Batis 2/25
And a Cozy Balcony With Great Pool View -A7R2 + Batis 2/25
When we
woke up in the morning, we came to realize just how big and grand The Apurva
Kempinski is.
One of The Wings in Pala Restaurant - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
The Main Hotel Complex as Seen From Pala - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
I’ve been to Ayana before
and I thought Ayana was something. But The
Apurva Kempinski was something and more…
The hotel looks like a majestic palace sitting on a cliff overlooking
the Indian Ocean. The sheer size, grandeur and opulence of the whole complex was truly mindboggling, to say the least. There are 15
storeys separating the lobby and the ground floor. In addition, there's also a basement
under the main Restaurant, Pala. The
basement connects the wings of the hotel so that guests will have sheltered
access to Pala even under extreme weather.
And according to the staffs, by the end of the year they will start
operations of Indonesia’s first underwater restaurant in the hotel.
View From Lobby Level - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
And of The Complex From Lobby Level, Taken From Lift Lobby - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
The Apurva
Kempinski was truly designed and built with a clear vision and purpose. The Apurva Kempinski is without a doubt, the best hotel I’ve ever been
to.
Lobby Area - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
Courtyard to Drop-off Point - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
After we
finished breakfast, we headed to the city to take care of some administrative
matters which we cleared by late mid-day. The kids were already growing impatient from
being stuck in the car and couldn’t wait to get off.
For day 5,
I had arranged for us to explore Seminyak.The only place to get down in Seminyak is Seminyak Square since the
neigbouring upscale mall Seminyak Village is still a work in-progress. The last time I was in Seminyak was during
honeymoon with the missus back in 2009.But we didn’t explore Seminyak that much then other than a stop at Ku De
Ta.Things have changed quite a lot ten
years later.
From
Seminyak Square we made our way to a swanky café called “Titik Temu”, stylized as “.
Temu” serving great coffee and food.This chic café is hidden off Jalan Kayu Cendana, behind Tokyo Skipjack,
opposite the upcoming Seminyak Village.
Titik Temu Signage - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
Going In! - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
It took us quite a while to find Titik Temu as we were unsure of our way around. Titik Temu is nested very nicely in a little
garden. It was time for our late lunch
too, the kids were “hangry” especially Lincoln.
We had grilled cheese, churros, banana fritters and lots of drinks – my favourite
being the Bandrek Latte. The original Bandrek, is a drink made of ginger, palm sugar, cinnamon and condensed milk. In Titik Temu they upgraded the humble Bandrek by adding steamed milk for a smooth, gentle texture and yet bold flavours from the ginger and the cinnamon.
Before we
left, we had some time to take photos and just soak up the great garden atmosphere.
Linc & Lind - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
From Titik Temu, we started our exploration
of Seminyak in Jalan Kayu Aya. Jalan
Kayu Aya is littered with gorgeous boutiques, ice cream shops, cafes and
restaurants. Unfortunately the stuffs
here are very pricey so we mostly window shopped.
Cool Gelato Shop Called "Ice Ice Baby" - RX100 Mk3
Streets of Seminyak - RX100 Mk3
One of The Petite Shops Selling Cute Trinkets Outside Tokyo Skipjack - A7R2 + FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM
After we
were done exploring Jalan Kayu Aya, we decided to go to the famous RivaReno Gelato
which was a good half kilometer away from Seminyak Square whilce chomping on Itimtuktuk's popsicles. Along the way we saw roadside art galleries, colourful
places such as Motel Mexicola and The Bali Boat Shed. Seminyak is certainly a lively and colourful
neighbourhood.
One of Many Roadside Art Galleries - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
The Colourful Bali Boat Shed - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
After a good 15 minute walk, we finally arrived in RivaReno Gelato.
Outside RivaReno - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
When we
arrived in RivaReno we feasted on a plate of waffles with 2 scoops of gelato
and a fruit ice bar. It was a hasty stop as we noticed the skies turning
dark.
Cozy Interior - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
From Another Angle - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM
Waffles & Gelato - RX100 Mk3
As soon as we finished the dessert,
we made a run for Seminyak Square.
Again, it was a very funny experience… Running to avoid rain... We missed going to 2 other famous cafés by the names of Kim Soo and Neon
Palms, just because of the weather - but the missus managed to snap a nice photo of Kim Soo for remembrance.
Kim Soo From Outside - RX100 Mk3
Will
remember to drop by those cafes on the next visit for sure.
Still Had Time For Photo Outside Sea Circus Seminyak - RX100 Mk3
And luck was certainly on our side, the moment we reached Seminyak
Square the rain dropped everything they had onto mother earth.
Since we
couldn’t go anywhere else, we decided to just return to the hotel as the
kids were already exhausted.Along the way we
made a stop at a Pepito Supermarket to get dinner and finally arrived back in
the hotel with the rain still unabated.
Day 5 was
another enjoyable day.For me and the
missus it was a day of re-discovery while for the kids, they had a lot of
sweets……. 4 servings of gelato and ice cream over the span of 5 hours in Seminyak...
Here’s a
closing shot for this entry:
Lindsay in Tokyo Skipjack - RX100 Mk3
~ Photos taken with Sony A7R Mark 2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM, Zeiss Batis 2/25 & Sony RX100 Mark 3 ~
~ Videos taken with DJI Osmo Mobile 2 + Samsung Galaxy Note 9 ~
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