Massages and the sunset

Sanur Beach is chill, not much night life. The locals call it snore beach. We are staying at a resort that has one of my favorite things...a swing bar! My friend Keri and I first encountered one of these in Playa del Carmen, Mexico last September. And of what fun. Drinks and swings? Brilliant. While the seats at the swing bar in Mexico were wooden, here the swings are chairs with cushions. Trouble. The bar is a circle, too, but ringed with cushioning so that you don't destroy your knees swinging. While I haven't been much of a party animal here, I have tried a few drinks made with arak, the local palm tree sap liquor. I like. I like.

Sanur Beach Hotel is a fully-equipped resort. Two pools, clay tennis courts, a gym, several restaurants and bars, one hardly has to leave the resort. Me personally, I ducked out of my room for a dip in the ocean or to sun at the pool, not much more. Many of the guests are on all-inclusive getaways, as well, swimming up to the pool bar at noon to enjoy.

My mom and I sneaked into the hotel spa in the afternoon for massages. Two hours later, we walked out refreshed and revived. The package included a full body massage, full body scrub, yogurt treatment and flower petal bath. The scrub stands out as the best part for me by far. I cannot recall the last time I had a massage. What a treat!

At low tide, the water recedes far out into the sea, exposing a large amount of the sea floor. Fisherman trudge out through the sand for an evening catch. Guests also venture out onto the newly-exposed beach looking for shells and coral. The beach is also lined with an esplanade that runs the whole of Sanur. We strolled our way to a market at the northern end of the beach, having been joined by three women, shop-owners, a few minutes before we hit the market. I have to say, I would recommend the market in Ubud over any other I've seen in Bali. The Sanur market is nothing more than left-overs from Ubud. I think the women head to Ubud to shop themselves to replenish their merchandise. Many of the boutique beach-front hotels on the northern end of the beach look like paradise.

Our last night here, we headed to Seminyak for the sunset and dinner. Seminyak is apparently the place to be seen in Bali. At the bar at La Lucciola, we sipped cocktails at the beachfront bar and watched the sun go west. A known spot for sunsets, tourists and locals alike jockey for the best seats and pictures. We showed up without a reservation and were granted a table without too much of a problem. Delicious food and a great view, dinner was almost perfect. The only issue came when the bill did. Another party's drinks and appetizers ended up on our check. It took five members of the restaurant's staff to correct. Ah, well. It's not like we had anywhere to be...