After flying nearly twenty hours to reach Bali and arriving just after midnight, the last thing we wanted to do was spend another couple of hours trying to reach our hotel.  Luckily, the Intercontinental Bali is only located about fifteen minutes from the international airport in Denpasar.  In addition to its great location near the airport and right on the beach, the hotel had a special deal whereby I was able to use eighty thousand American Airlines miles for five free nights with breakfast included.  Given that we arrived in the early hours of the morning, we went straight to our room for some much needed sleep.  The next morning, my wife and I felt refreshed and we were ready to explore the hotel and its grounds.

We stopped first at the breakfast buffet which was absolutely spectacular.  The breakfast buffet had western and eastern options, a fresh omelet station, more variety of fruit then I have ever seen, and was a great way to start each day.

Once we walked around the resort, we soon realized what a special place it is.  The grounds were manicured to perfection.  The large staff at the resort took immaculate care of every inch it seemed.

Going with the theme of Bali, there were several different pools and fountains throughout the resort.  The main central pool of the hotel overlooked Jimbaran Bay and was the perfect temperature to cool off from the warm sun.

 

 

After spending time around the pool, it was also very nice to spend time walking on the beach, especially in the later afternoon when the sun was less intense.  Just as we would finish our late afternoon walks on the beach, the sun would begin to set.

The sunsets at the Intercontinental Bali were an event.  As the sun would set, an employee from the hotel would begin to play traditional Balinese music until the sun disappeared over the horizon.

For dinner, there were several options at the hotel which were great.  But being in Bali, we wanted to try seafood.  There were several restaurants just a short walk from the hotel that had fresh smoked seafood with tables right on the beach.

Besides the immaculate grounds, the hotel staff was outstanding.  They were friendly, helpful and truly seemed to enjoy working at this magnificent resort.  Our last night at the hotel, just prior to departing for the airport, my wife and I sat relaxing by one of the tranquil pools with fountains streaming water.  I have to admit, at that moment, I didn’t want to leave the Intercontinental Bali.  Rarely, have I enjoyed a property more and I would love to go back someday.

As my wife and I prepared for our annual spring break trip, we wanted to go somewhere warm.  Being from Wisconsin, the winters can be long and harsh.  By February, the winter weather feels like it will never end and you start to wonder whether it will ever be warm again.  That said, we both wanted to feel some warmth and humidity, see palm trees and dip our feet in the ocean.  I never really considered visiting Bali until I read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert several years ago.  Her vivid descriptions of the beautiful farm land and lush vegetation of Bali really intrigued me.  Before reading this book, the only thing I knew about Bali related to the terrorist bombings of the night club several years ago.  Her book and the subsequent scenery in the movie put Bali on my list of places I wanted to visit.

The only problem with visiting Bali from the United States is that the flight is grueling.  With no direct flights a connection somewhere in Asia is necessary.  Also, due to the length of flight it takes about two days of travel to reach Bali but you do gain a day on the flight home.  Despite this, we were determined to visit Bali.  We settled on Korean Air as they offered a reasonable airfare and nice connection times through Seoul.  I have to say that after a thirteen hour flight from Chicago to Seoul and another seven hours from Seoul to Bali, I was hoping Bali would be worth it.  Luckily, the wonders of Bali speak for themselves and it was a trip that well worth the twenty hours of flying.