small flea market in Seminyak

not far from the entrance to the Oberoi and Seminayk square there is a small market with mostly clothes, a few handicrafts, a little jewelry. obviously you need to bargain, when you ask for a price most tend to be 250K. but they do go down, a lot. i was also told that the prices tend to be higher during high season (july-august and Aussie school holidays) than the rest of the year and of course it is Semyniak and i don't think it helps on the prices either.

we went there midday and it was really quiet. it is open every day.

there is another small market with the same kind of stalls on Seminyak square.

depending on how well you bargain and what type it is, a dress will be anywhere in between idr 60K and 200K i guess - most of the stalls sell the same things so i think it's good to look around and make competition work it's magic.

kiddies afternoon @ el parque

my friend A. took us (Bibs, Bobsy & myself) to El Parque this afternoon - a lovely kids/family restaurant in Semyniak. this is exactly the type of place that I was longing for in Amman.

located in the backstreets of Seminyak, the place has a lovely atmosphere and plenty of stuff to keep the kiddies busy... entrance fee is 60k and it's open from 8am to 10pm. they also organise parties and extra activities some days after school. you can find lots of info on their facebook page and here is their website.

the staff is very nice and are helping you to look after the kids if needed while parents can sit and have a nice lunch, a cup of coffee or some refreshing juices. they have a no-nanny policy, it's all about family time.

the gardens are really nice to play in. Bibs was sooo happy to be on the swing and of course to play in the small sand pit (even though since we arrived she has been on the beach every day. she can simply not get enough).

Bibs had a panini with homemade fries (forgot the pic) which was nice (idr 35K++) - the menu is quite extensive with lots of different foods on there - including a couple of purees for the smaller ones.

Bibs and Bobsy also enjoyed the indoor play area... with toys. they haven't seen many of those since we arrived as we are still waiting for our shipment.

when we left they called us a taxi and and took us back to the door. there is also a small shop that i have to explore next time.

and then this is what we came home to. Bobs really has some surprises up his sleeves. i don't need to say that the kids are thrilled. i don't mind as long as i don't have to clean the thing!...

from Petitenget to Seminyak square

walking in Amman wasn't an easy job. walking in Seminyak isn't either. the only difference is that here the roads take you somewhere: to a shop, to a cafe, to a restaurant or to the beach! in Amman, i could walk in my neighbourhood and apart from my little corner shop there was nothing to look at! so yes i have to brave the cars and the scooters and the beeping taxis - but at least i walk into a shop, buy a dress or have a coffee on the way.

and here are a few pics of my first walk into Seminyak...

bought a dress there

bikes and petrol in an Absolut bottle! everywhere in Bali... big drinkers of Absolut?

love this little alley - full of authentic Balinese houses

 

a little bookshop - exchange, sell, buy

a hidden temple

lunch @ coco bistro, discovery mall

i always find it a bit scary to take the kids out when i don't have a car and even more when i don't know where I am going and what's it's going to look like! well yesterday an Australian friend took us to Discovery mall in Kuta. we went there because i really wanted to go to a toy shop - Bibs is playing with the same 2 things we had space for in the luggage and i think she needs a couple of other things while we still wait for our shipment. well in the end i didn't go (to the toy shop)... but we had a walk around the mall (pics next time) and we went for lunch at Coco Bistro.

Bibs wanted chips! so we decided on that restaurant. it is located on a kind of esplanade on the back side of the mall - facing the sea.

we shared a pizza, which wasn't bad at all. the dough was really thin, which in my opinion is always a good thing. idr 55K. Bibs had cheese and ham sandwich with chips! (idr 24K) and a strawberry milkshake - she liked that, but unfortunately it wasn't made with fresh strawberries (which is probably why she liked it). 

They however have lots of fresh juices (ask for any combo) as well as lots of fresh ice tea - I had a green tea with lemon.

if you are looking for an international type of cuisine, it seems to be a decent choice - though as you can see on the mall's website, there are plenty to choose from. service was efficient and friendly, also they had a high chair for my little man - i still have to find out if that is the norm or not around here.

my first walk on the beach

we have mostly been spending our days at the pool and recovering from the jet lag... however a couple of days ago we took a stroll on the beach here in Semyniak. Bibs absolutely loved it - Bobsy was just enjoying himself in the pushchair, listening to the waves and having the wind in his face.

no swimming here, but the sea is absolutely beautiful.

view of the beach 

...but surfing yes! beginners out for a lesson

even the crabs are artists in Bali

the tides are huge here, which make the beach an amazing place to walk late afternoons

Bibs enjoying herself playing with the sand

Bibs doing yoga - my first mission is to find her a yoga teacher. she is in the right place i believe