We left Singapore on Saturday evening and arrived in Bali around 10:00 pm. Our first glimpses of Bali were uneventful since it was dark. We were staying at the Conrad Hilton Bali and I was excited to see the hotel. Upon arrival we were informed we had been upgraded. We had requested an ocean view room. Instead we were upgraded to the hotel's executive suites. Two room suites with kitchen and patio, plus use of the private executive pool and dining area. We also got daily laundry service, fresh fruit in the room and discounts on services and food the hotel property. By night everything looked beautiful but I couldn't wait until morning to get my first glimpses of Bali. We ended the evening with drinks in the main lobby by the pool, listening to music and soaking up the Balinese atmosphere.
The next morning we ate breakfast and decided to spend the day relaxing by the water. It was rainy season in Bali so you never knew when a little shower would come. We enjoyed exploring the hotel grounds and relaxing in the covered lounges with a view of the water and it's ongoing activities. There's a beautiful wedding chapel that looks out to the water and on our first day there, there was a wedding going on. In the afternoon I talked Joe into a massage at the spa. We had a private room and enjoyed a two hour massage. Joe was a little apprehensive at first but came out totally relaxed. We topped the day off with a wonderful dinner at the restaurant at the hotel and an enjoyable native dance show. 
Balinese Dancers
Wedding Chapel
Sunrise at the Conrad
The following morning after breakfast and spending a little time by the water, I went to the spa for a facial and left Joe relaxing. I loved being able to take advantage of what the spa had to offer. We were fast getting used to relaxing, eating and drinking by the water and getting away from the rest of the world. In the afternoon we took a cab in to a shopping area to do a little shopping and then watched the sunset by the beach.
Our third day in Bali we hired a hotel driver and did a little exploring. Our driver took us to some local tourist shopping areas but we were anxious to see a little more of the Bali culture and sights. We saw the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, Dream Land Beach on the Indian Ocean, Uluwatu Temple and the Kecak Fire Dance at sunset overlooking the Indian Ocean and LOTS of monkeys. At Uluwatu Temple we could not wear sunglasses or earrings because the monkeys were attracted to them and would jump on you. The views of the Indian Ocean from the temple and surrounding areas were breathtaking. It was a 250 foot drop down to the ocean. The Kecak Fire Dance was very entertaining and the sunset was beautiful. We topped the evening off at a restaurant, picking out our seafood to be grilled and eating on the beach.
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park
View of Uluwatu Temple overlooking the Indian Ocean
Kecak Fire Dance
Sunset at Uluwatu Temple looking out over the Indian Ocean
Our last day in Bali our flight wasn't until the evening so we took a bus to a tourist shopping area nearby. The rest of the afternoon we spent by the executive suites pool having lunch and swimming.
We enjoyed our time in Bali. We loved our chance to just sit back and do nothing but read or enjoy our beautiful surroundings. The Conrad Hilton was amazing. I will say I was disappointed in the city areas. Not quite what I expected for this tropical paradise. Once you got away from the beautiful resort areas, you saw the everyday life of Bali. The poverty was visible everywhere and sanitation was not a priority by any means. Progress was present in this beautiful country but it was obvious that they did not know how to handle it. I did enjoy seeing and experiencing a small bit of the Balinese culture.That evening we took a late flight back to Singapore. We stayed at the Conrad Hilton this time. The next morning we did some shopping at the Suntec Shopping Mall across from our hotel. In the afternoon we went out to Resorts World Sentosa to see this new Singapore attraction. We tried out the casino but had terrible luck so we spent the rest of our time walking around this amazing complex. We ended up eating lunch at Chilis of all places. You can't imagine what is was like to go into Chilis Sentosa Island and have a margarita and cold beer along with chicken nachos and southwest eggrolls. It was a HUGE bit of home. We sat by a window at Chilis and ate and watched the happenings of Resorts World Sentosa. Afterwards we stopped in at Garrets Gourmet Popcorn of Chicago (a favorite of Oprah) and got some delicious caramel popcorn.
We had 6:00 am flight to Hong Kong and then on to Chengdu the next morning so we spent the rest of the evening at the Marina Bay Sands Casino. We came out winners again at the Black Jack Tables. I guess our luck belongs at the Marina Bay Sands! Score: Joe and Kim - 3, Singapore Casinos - 1.
Our latest R&R was a lot of much needed fun and relaxation. Singapore is an easy city to visit and we love it every time we go. I'm glad we can scratch Bali off our Bucket List. Not sure I want to return.
Love you all!
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