Day one: A rooftop seafood tower and margaritas with a view

It’s my partner’s birthday and we are comfortably perched on a rooftop overlooking Jimbaran Bay, a fishing and resort village south of Kuta in Bali, Indonesia.

Two staff are headed towards us carrying a gargantuan three-tier seafood tower, replete with giant birthday sparklers; massive grins spread across their faces.

One of them, Operations Manager Agung Oka Darmawan, serenades us with a rendition of KC and The Sunshine Band’s ‘That’s the Way (I Like It)’ as they walk.

As they set the lobster, prawn, king crab and scallop-filled spire atop the table, they switch things up and burst into the strains of ‘Happy Birthday to You’.

It’s 8.30pm and the twinkling lights of Jimbaran Bay stretch out before us as we sip on frozen margaritas and chat with the animated and friendly crew.

Adriana Cocina and Bar, a short stroll from the five-star Movenpick Resort and Spa Jimbaran Bali, has just opened, perfectly timed for us as we arrived on one of Air Asia Indonesia’s first direct flights from Cairns in Far North Queensland, Australia.

The eighth-floor venue is Mexican-themed and delightfully decorated with colourful murals and LED lights - if you are looking for some Insta-worthy holiday snaps, add this place to your list.

The Mexican-inspired menu includes the obligatory tacos, but with a few twists - the al pastor octopus taco with green salsa and pickled cabbage; the shrimp and pork belly taco with avocado and chipotle mayo and the vegetarian tacos with red beans, cauliflower and mushrooms all scored highly among our group, as did the prawn ceviche and the chicken in adobo with grilled pineapple salsa.

After a couple more margaritas we bid our new friends farewell, promising to return before our trip is over.

Our bellies are more than full but thankfully, the walk back to our accommodation only takes a minute or two - we are staying at the Movenpick.

We spend the remaining hours of our first night on the balcony, admiring the view of the tropical pool, set among the palms and pink frangipanis.

Cost: Main meals are generally priced between IDR 150,00 and 200,000 - about AUD $14.50 to $20 each. The three-tier grilled seafood platter serves 3-4 people and costs IDR 1,700,000 or AUD $160. There’s also a chilled two-tier seafood platter option priced at IDR 900,000 or AUD $86.

Day two: A visit to one of the world’s tallest statues

It’s the morning of day two and we have been keen to visit the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park since we flew into Bali and from the plane, spotted the iconic 121-metre tall statue of the Hindu god Vishnu and his Garuda bird.

It’s easy to get around here by downloading the Grab app - Southeast Asia’s version of Uber.

One thing you do need to be prepared for, is the traffic.

There is tonnes of it, it’s unpredictable and there are not enough alternative routes to adequately disperse it at peak times, so always leave plenty of extra time to reach your destination.

We arrive at the park around lunchtime and quickly realise we’ve forgotten to bring hats - not to worry, there is a row of stalls at the entrance, selling an array of broad brim straw hats for a few dollars each.

Just beyond the park gates, there is a range of cafes and stalls selling trinkets like bracelets and necklaces.

There is also a small amphitheatre and a range of free Balinese cultural performances every hour between 11am and 6pm.

We pay a bit extra on our entrance tickets for a tour around the top of the Vishnu statue.

The stroll between the park entrance and the main statue takes us about 40 minutes, walking at a leisurely pace and stopping to admire other smaller - but beautifully crafted - individual statues of both Vishnu and the Garuda bird.

If you prefer not to walk up hill, you can jump on one of the buggies that will take you up the last steep ascent to the main attraction.

Photos don’t really capture the sheer size of the main statue, it is quite impressive and rightly so, the Indonesian government spent $100 million on its construction.

A lift takes us nine floors up to a mezzanine level at the statue’s shoulders - people are not permitted to climb any higher due to the sacred nature of the God’s head.

Here, a tour guide escorts us through a museum dedicated to the history of the park and the construction of the statue.

Some of the tour group opts to stand on a glass floor which shows the internal cavity of the structure, while the rest of us peep through porthole-style windows which offer beautiful landscape views.

We also have a chance to touch some of the golden and iridescent tiles, imported from India, which make up Vishnu’s gigantic crown.

Cost: A regular entry ticket to the GWK Cultural Park will set you back about IDR 120,000 - roughly AUD $11.50. Children shorter than 100cm get free entry. If you want to bundle the entry fee with the top of the statue tour and a free gift, the ticket price is around IDR 300,00, or about AUD $29 per ticket.

Day three: Kuta shopping, beach bars and Bintang

We decide to brave Kuta for the day and are pleasantly surprised by the chilled vibe.

I’m not referring to the traffic; that is as chaotic as ever.

I haven’t set foot in Kuta since 1997 and as memories of being hounded for miles by street hawkers come flooding back, I am apprehensive to say the least - I don’t want a stressful shopping experience today.

We jump in a Grab and thankfully, our driver is skilled in the art of navigating shortcuts through tiny one-way streets, barely wide enough to fit a car past the pedestrians.

We jump out at the Beachwalk Shopping Centre on Jalan Pantai Kuta, where you’ll find a mix of high-end fashion labels, unique gift shops, beachwear and food courts.

If you enter from the main street, you’ll need to pass through a security checkpoint and metal detector, which we find rather curious as there seems to be a number of other exit and entry points with no such presence.

The mall has a unique design with a large moat circling a few specialty stores on the ground floor.

The waterway is full of koi fish and we are lucky enough to catch a fish feeding, which turns into a colourful frenzy as the koi pounce on the pellets staff drop into the water for them.

After exploring the different levels, we take a walk through the streets of Kuta.

It’s not as I remember it from 25 years ago - aside from the occasional shout out from a stallholder to come explore their souvenirs and a lot of offers for a massage, the hard sells of the past from street sellers seem to be a thing of the past.

My partner points out a couple of singlet designs he likes to one salesman, but gets the message across that he needs a bigger size than the ones on display.

Before I can see what is happening, the gentleman has whipped out two plastic-wrapped singlets, which he guarantees are XL, and my partner has paid IDR 700,000 for them - about AUD $35 - without even a hint of a haggle.

The men in the shop are clearly chuffed with the sale and as we leave, I wonder out loud to my partner if the designs on the singlets he bought even came close to the ones he’d picked on the rack.

We found out later they didn’t - in fact one is emblazoned with the word “Venice”, which made us chuckle.

He now wears his Venice singlet proudly for the fond memories of Bali it conjures up when we look at it.

Walking the streets in the afternoon heat is sweaty work and we decide to finish the afternoon with a Bintang - or three - at one of the many beach huts scatted along the beachfront.

There are so many to choose from and we stroll past dozens of them before finally settling on KC Sunset Beach Sportsbar - a relaxed looking beach hut where you can opt to pull up a stool or make your way onto the sand to on of the many low tables surrounded by bean bags.

We decide on the bean bags and while away the rest of the afternoon sipping beers and watching surfers catch waves.

Tips: Check out the Kuta beachfront bars after 3pm, when the heat starts to simmer down and if you’re browsing street stalls, take a hat and a bottle of water. A bit of light banter and haggling over prices is expected in Indonesia, so the first price you’ll be offered as a tourist will likely be a smidge over the top. Have some fun bargaining but don’t go overboard - remember shop owners and assistants here generally don’t make a huge amount of money and truly appreciate every extra cent.

Day four: Factory outlet shopping, traditional massage and a Balinese blessing

We set out in the morning with the intention of finding some surfwear outlets we passed on our way home from the beach yesterday – we want to buy gifts for our daughters and I wouldn’t mind finding a new swimsuit.

We use Google maps to retrace our route and after a bit of digging around on the internet we find what we are looking for – the Billabong Factory Outlet (alongside a couple of others) on Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai.

We catch another Grab to the multi-level store and head inside.

We soon figure out that the ground floor is all new stock with prices equivalent to those in Australia, but as you head up the stairs, each floor has a higher discount on clothing, culminating at the top level which is up to 80 per cent off.

It’s a bit of legwork, but it’s worth it – I nab some swimwear for half price and a couple of singlets for the kids before we head back to the Movenpick - I have a massage booked and I am keen to check out the Arkipela Spa.

The reception and waiting room in the spa is beautiful and I am offered a fresh juice while I choose the oil for my massage.

Once that’s done, my therapist leads me through the spa doors to an expansive and tastefully decorated hall with high ceilings, which leads to the treatment rooms - there are nine.

I’m here for a one-hour traditional sasak massage, which uses deep, rhythmic strokes to relieve tension and boost circulation.

This is one of the best massages I’ve had and the niggle in my back that has been bothering me for months is all but gone when I step out of the treatment room and into the relaxation lounge, where I’m offered a ginger tea and some time to relax before leaving the spa.

Later in the afternoon, we have been lucky enough to secure a blessing ceremony with the local priest in the temple on the hotel grounds - a beautiful experience.

We finish the night off with another rooftop dinner at Adriana - and more margaritas.

Tips: If you’re staying at the Movenpick, Arkipela Spa is a must - if you have time, the spa’s signature treatment is a 90 minute massage experience designed exclusively for Arkipela. It’s an intuitive wellness treatment combining Balinese, Lomi Lomi, Swedish, Acupressure and Yoga-inspired movements and costs IDR 1,030,000 or about AUD $98.

Day five: Jimbaran Beach and a farewell nasi goreng

It’s our last day in Bali and we’re feeling a bit melancholy, so after a sleep in I head back to Arkipela Spa in an attempt to cheer myself up.

My second sasak massage is just as amazing as the first and I drink the entire pot of ginger tea in the relaxation room afterwards - I need to find some of this stuff back at home.

We start packing up early but our Air Asia flight back to Cairns doesn’t leave until 11pm, so we still have the whole day to enjoy - this thought lifts my mood.

We savour a final lunch in the Movenpick’s Anarasa restaurant - my recommendation would be to try the vegetarian nasi goreng or the poke bowl at least once - before taking a walk along Jalan Uluwatu and back along Jimbaran Beach.

Staff at the vast array of beachfront seafood restaurants are setting up for the evening’s trade - most of them are wearing hooded jumpers to avoid the sun even though the weather is hot and humid.

The bay is picturesque despite a smattering of plastic which has washed up along the shoreline - a Bali staple.

When we arrive back at the room we pack the last of our belongings and have a farewell gin and soda at Anarasa before making a final shopping trip to some of the stalls in the outdoor mall outside the hotel.

We pick up a couple of rattan shoulder bags for the kids and some small bracelets - the prices here are definitely tourist prices and unlike other stalls, individual items are ticketed so there’s not much leeway for haggling, though I am guessing the stallholders also pay premium rent for these sites.

We arrive at the airport by 8.45pm - it’s easy to navigate and we snag a top spot with power outlets to charge our phones inside one of the departure lounge cafes.

Our Air Asia flight is on time and we manage to get upgraded to an exit row which makes for a comfortable flight home.

By 6am we land in Cairns with a few extra trinkets, a few extra kilos courtesy of the tacos, nasi and Bintangs, and some treasured memories of our five days in Bali.

Where to stay and how to get there: The five-star Movenpick Resort and Spa Jimbaran Bali is 100m from the beach with a rooftop bar, tropical pool and Balinese spa. Air Asia Indonesia offers direct flights between Cairns and Denpasar three days a week.

The writer was a guest of Air Asia Indonesia and the Movenpick Resort and Spa Jimbaran Bali.

sian.jeffries@news.com.au