We recently spent 3 nights at the Holiday Inn Resort, Baruna Bali following our birding expedition to West Papua. I chose this hotel since both my husband and I have lots of Priority Club points from various promos over the last few years and it didn’t hurt that I have permanent platinum status from my Priority Club Visa from Chase. I knew that we had a good chance of an upgrade………and it came through! Award nights go for 20,000 points. I could have booked the Intercontinental for 30,000 points a night but I thought this location was better for shopping and sightseeing.
As you first arrive, there is a security guard on the gate.
The lobby is large and comfortable. Our room wasn’t ready but since we had been upgraded to an ocean view, we didn’t mind waiting.
The decor is pretty generic but it was clean and there was a nice lounge on the balcony. The room had one of those annoying glass-walled bathrooms but fortunately there are blinds to cover it up. I would have like to see some Balinese art on the walls. We had a great view of the pool and the sea just beyond. The hotel is right on the beach.
There are actually 2 pools but we hung out at the main one. There are nice cabanas surrounding the pool and since we were traveling in low season we never had trouble getting one. Nice swim-up bar and happy hour at 5.
This stone sink in the bathroom near the pool is typical of Balinese sinks.
Massage ladies still ply the beach but they are not allowed into hotel grounds. The hotel has a spa but it’s expensive. We chose to go to day spas nearby which were really cheap-$10 for a standard one hour massage.
The first night we had the All you can eat pasta bar but it was a bit strange. It’s not like the ones where the dishes are pre-made and you help yourself. They bring you a card and you mark off which sauces, meats and vegetables you want and which noodles to serve it over. The pastas did taste good but the service was a bit slow. We are more the buffet type than the fine dining type so others may prefer the individually ordered pasta method. A dessert is included and we both opted for some ice cream from the gelati bar.
Even if you have to pay for this hotel, it’s generally around the $100 mark so a good value. It’s well located in the heart of Kuta and walking distance to several shops, we even walked to and from the Discovery Centre. Taxis are best obtained on the street after you exit the grounds so you can bargain with them. We tried to get Bluebird taxis with meters as they were the best value. In the map below, A marks the hotel and the X marks the Discovery Centre and you can see how close the hotel is to the airport. We were not disturbed by aircraft overhead. If you want to get to the Bali Bird Park from here, you are probably better off hiring a taxi for the day. Traffic is terrible in Kuta so start early!
As I mentioned in my Eco-Lite post on the Bali Bird Park, it can be easily accessed from Ubud. When I was planning this part of the trip, 5 days of R&R in Bali after the challenging birding adventure in West Papua I had to decide whether to stay in the pleasant small town of Ubud in central Bali or at one of the beach resorts. Since I was short on cash and had Priority Club points to burn I ended up splitting the stay between 2 nights in Ubud paid and 3 nights in the Holiday Inn Baruna Beach on points.
I booked this resort on Hotels.com as I was working towards a goal of 10 nights to earn a free night in the Welcome Rewards program and these 2 nights put me over the top, plus I used the Ultimate Rewards mall to click thru.
Cendana Resort is well located in the centre of Ubud on Monkey Forest Road within walking distance of both the Monkey Forest and the Art Market. It’s reasonably priced at around $50-80 depending on room type and season. We arrived in the night so didn’t get to see the gardens at first but the room itself was gorgeous! I love traditional Bali/tropical decor and this place has it in spades! A large bathtub was a welcome sight after roughing it in Papua!
The next morning, we were delighted by the beautiful gardens surrounding the large swimming pool. Our room looked out onto a rice paddy giving a rural feeling even though the hotel is on Monkey Forest Road. There were a few birds flying over the rice paddies.
The room rate includes a delicious buffet breakfast including my favourite pineapple pancakes!
The one criticism I could make was the very small cages the myna birds were kept in. They are beautiful birds, tame and can talk pretty well but I would have preferred to see them in a large aviary where they could at least see each other if they can’t be kept together. Birds are flock creatures and don’t like to be alone.
Yesterday I launched my new series designed to help people find mini-trips to appreciate birds closer to home or on more conventional trips to beach resorts such as Bali. All the information on Bali Bird Park is in the first post but I took so many photos, I thought I would follow up with more here so I don’t make the informative post harder to load.
When you first enter, you will see lush gardens and several birds on stands or wandering about the park. They have photographers there if you want to have a photo posing with the birds.
Then you will pass by some large aviaries and habitats featuring various Indonesian birds and a few from Australia. You can also see some baby Eclectus Parrots that are being handreared.
Then you pass through the Birds of Paradise exhibit.
Next there is a huge walk-in aviary featuring birds from Bali. You can see the highly endangered Bali Starling here but they are kept separate for their security. They are in a breeding program trying to increase the numbers.
Next you will pass a few random bird exhibits including some birds of prey.
Then you will come to a free-flight show that they do around 11am featuring both birds of prey and some dazzling macaws. This was one of the times my camera was fogging up due to the humidity and intermittant rain.
As you leave Bali Bird Park, you will see a well-stocked gift shop with bird themed paintings, jewelry and knick-knacks. I bought out the bird bling when we were there but they have probably replenished it by now………they do take credit cards!
Find yourself at the Bali Bird Park to witness the largest and finest collection of Indonesian birds in the world plus fantastic birds from Africa & South America. Encompassing two hectares of botanical landscape, the park provides sanctuary to almost 1000 birds of 250 different species.
Our innovative approach towards the display of rare and tropical birds has progressed from traditional exhibits to that of showcasing mixed species in their natural habitats & in large walk in Aviaries and free range throughout the park.
The park accommodates an amazing display of flora with more then 2000 tropical plants including 50 varieties of palms alone and attracting numerous butterflies.
Incorporating a breeding, research and veterinary facility within the complex, the park has a high success rate in the captive reproduction of exotic birds such as the Bird. of Paradise and Hornbill.
HOW DO YOU GET THERE?
Bali is in the South-East Asia zone for frequent flyer awards. You will need to fly to the airport of Denpasar (DPS) which is served by many international and domestic airlines including Singapore Airlines, Thai, Garuda, Malaysian and Virgin Australia. Bali is my recommended entry and exit point to Indonesia when venturing further afield to places like West Papua.
Location of Bali Bird Park – A
Once you are there, you can stay in the wider Kuta beach resort area or closer to the bird park in Ubud. Most tourists will hire a taxi for the day and make Bali Bird Park part of a full day sightseeing trip. If you want to stay there longer and not feel like you are wasting money having a taxi sit around for several hours, you can be dropped there from Ubud for 100,000 rupiah ($10) with bargaining. It would be more from Kuta. Buses and bemos plying the Kuta-Ubud route can drop you at the corner and you would have a short walk down there. When you are ready to leave, walk back up to the main road and flag down a passing bemo or taxi.
HOW MUCH IS IT AND WHEN IS IT OPEN?
Operating hours :
The park and restaurant is open from 09.00 a.m until 17:30 p.m daily. Except on Balinese New Year ( Nyepi )
Entrance Ticket :
Adult US $ 23.5 + 10 % general tax
Child US $ 11.75 + 10 % general tax
Most major credit cards are accepted both for entry and in the gift shop.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SPEND THERE AND WHAT SHOULD YOU SEE?
If you book a full day Bali sightseeing tour, they will rush you through the walk-in aviaries, maybe let you see the Birds Of Prey show and take a few photos in an hour or so, then rush you off to shops where they get a commission. I don’t recommend this approach, especially if you love birds. We got there shortly after it opened and stayed there 5 hours and would have stayed longer if we didn’t have plans to meet friends later on. It was raining at first off and on in the high humidity which kept fogging up my lenses so many of my photos will look a bit smoky. It was a real joy to see the birds I had seen in West Papua from far away up close. The park is beautiful, habitats are well-planted, the birds are well taken care of and some of them are even very friendly!
The highlight for me was the Papua Aviary with all the birds flying freely in a huge walk-in aviary. Some birds like the Birds of Paradise and Pesquet’s Parrots were in their own large cages but they still had plenty of room. Here’s a shaky walk through, sorry I messed up the zooming in with my DSLR on video mode.
VALUE TO CONSERVATION
Bali Bird Park plays a key role in protecting and conserving Indonesia’s endangered wildlife.
The Park have successfully bred many species, including the rare Pesquet’s Parrot and numerous Bali Starlings. We accommodate more than 40 species of protected Indonesian birds in the park, a growing number of which are now breeding successfully under the care of our staff.
The staff are proud of their new additions some of which can be seen in their incubators through the observation windows of the laboratory & nursery building.
WHERE TO STAY NEARBY ON POINTS
Several hotel chains have properties in the greater beach resort area surrounding Kuta where you can use your points. I have given rates for free rooms but you may also use cash and points for some hotels. In alphabetical order:
Best Western: Has 3 hotels in Kuta. We spent one night in Best Western Kuta Villa for 12k points which was ok if you have an early flight as it is near the airport but I wouldn’t spend a vacation here. The staff were nice and gave us breakfast boxes as the buffet wasn’t open when we left.
Choice: Not represented
Club Carlson: Not represented
Hilton: Conrad Bali for 50k points.
Hyatt: Grand Hyatt Bali for 12k points or Bali Hyatt for 5k points. This is a favourite for Chase Ultimate Rewards customers.
IHG: Intercontinental Bali Resort for 35k points and Holiday Inn Baruna Bali for 20k points. My review here. We spent 3 nights at the Baruna on points and were happy with it. It’s right on the beach, has a huge pool that isn’t over-crowded, good breakfast buffet and walking distance to several markets and spas. Massages are very cheap in this area, roughly $10 an hour and you will need one (or more) if you just got back from Papua! I would recommend this hotel to those who are seeking a middle-class place on the beach but those seeking luxury would prefer the IC.
SPG: 4 properties which participate in SPG. The Sheraton Kuta goes for 10k points, the Le Meridien Bali Jimabaran, Westin Resort Nusa Dua and Laguna Resort & Spa Nusa Dua all go for 12k points. The Westin Ubud is expected to open in Dec 2013.
Wyndham: 3 Properties – Ramada Resort Camakila & Ramada Bintang Bali Resort fro 16k points and Ramada Resort Benoa Bali for 8k points.
INDIE HOTELS: Having typed all that, if I were to go back to Bali I would go straight to Ubud. Even though it’s also touristy, it’s not nearly as hectic as the beach resort area and I am not really a beach person. There are no points redemptions in Ubud until they finish the Westin but you can still get miles if you go through Pointshound or Welcome Rewards through Hotels.com. If you join Hotels.com, they will send you promo codes every now and then for 10% off but you will forego Welcome Rewards points. If you book Cendana Resort where we stayed through Pointshound, you would get 200 UA miles per night. I will do a separate review, this was an awesome place!
PHOTOS
I took so many pics at Bali Bird Park, I will have to continue some on a separate blog post otherwise this one will take forever to load. I’ll start you off with the fabulous Papua Walk-In Aviary here. As I said before, I had problems with the lens fogging up so that messed up some of the photos. More photos are here.
This new series which can be found under the Ecotourism menu at the top is going to feature places which aren’t a full-on birding or eco-tourism adventure but still offer a quick connection with nature and birds in particular. I am hoping to make ecotourism a more accessible experience even for people who don’t have the time to venture off into the rainforest. Some Eco-Lite Mini-Trips will be in exotic locations frequented by “normal” tourists and some will be close to home depending on where you live. I will try to post a new one every week, starting with the Bali Bird Park tomorrow. Eco-Lite Mini-Trips will include:
Bird parks and zoos with walk-in aviaries that resemble the bird’s native habitats
Hotels that have an atrium or similar mini-habitat with birds
Parks in large cities that have interesting birdlife
Educational exhibits that encourage an interest in conservation
The benefits of these “Eco-Lite” visits are:
Allowing a quick connection with nature for the busy professional
Providing a place where people can bring young children safely so they may learn about birds and develop an interest to seeing them in the wild when they are older
Support conservation projects in the wild with proceeds from ticket and gift shop sales
Allow people to see exotic birds up close and personal so they may later be able to identify them more easily in the wild
Support breeding projects that are trying to increase the population of endangered species
Learn more about bird habits and their status in the wild
Eco-Lite reports will include information about:
OVERVIEW
HOW DO YOU GET THERE?
HOW MUCH IS IT?
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SPEND THERE AND WHAT SHOULD YOU SEE?
Several months ago I blogged about the Club Carlson properties which are located near good birding areas or in gateway cities. Like all the other hotel chains, they have adjusted their rates but unlike most chains who had major devaluations, there are some great bargains for eco-travelers.
Even though I had already booked our stay at Radisson Summit Hotel & Golf, Panama which is very close to Soberania National Park, I called customer service and got them to rebook it at the lower rate. Here’s the complete list of hotels changing categories in 2013 and some key hotels to note below. Almost all the properties in India went down a category (too many to copy), and there are new bargains in the gateway cities of Sao Paulo, San Jose CR, Johannesburg, Cape Town & Tahiti. You can’t win ’em all and there were increases in Belem, Brazil, Guatemala City and Bangkok. Remember, if you have any of the superb Club Carlson credit cards, your last night will be free so if you book 2 nights, you will pay for 1 and get the last one free!
While hotel chains don’t offer many options for eco-travelers other than airport gateway stopovers, it doesn’t hurt to maximize the few they do have!
Pointshound is a fairly new hotel booking engine that gives you frequent flyer miles in your choice of several airline programs. This is a great option for people who don’t travel enough to get any benefits from joining hotel loyalty programs but still want to earn some miles and book using a secure credit card payment system. The one frustrating thing I have found is that many smaller hotels and lodges want you to email your credit card details which is very insecure as you don’t know who will have access to them. Even if the lodgekeepers are honest, it doesn’t mean someone passing by or cleaning the waste bins may not see it. I like being able to use either Paypal or
First you need to join Pointshound. It’s free and if you use my link, both you and I will get a bonus 250 points when you book your first room.
Here’s how to find eco-lodges to book on Pointshound. Let’s use the example of Montverde, Costa Rica which is famous for its cloud forest, Respendant Quetzals and great birding. I have chosen to earn United miles since that is the next goal I need to achieve for a future trip. (Not my real dates, just being used as an example). Pointshound supports 3 of the airlines (AA, UA, US) on my Top 8 Frequent Flyer Programs for Eco-tourists.
Booking Pointshound
Since I have been researching this town for my upcoming trip, I know that it’s easy and cheap to get a taxi for the short ride to the park entrance but if your lodge is too far out of town you will be limited on dining choices. The first screen you see will be sorted on popularity and show which airline program you chose and a list of how many miles you will earn.
Pointshound booking
It’s a good idea to check out the map view to see what location suits you. I also like to check the reviews on Trip Advisor to be sure the hotel is well located and there aren’t too many complaints, especially from people with at least 10 reviews overall.
Map View
As I scan the locations, prices and descriptions, Cala Lodge jumps out at me for being an attractive small lodge but close to town which is important since we aren’t renting a car but using public transport on this trip. The reviews on Trip Advisor are good and I am pleased to see that one of the owners is a knowledgeable birding guide.
Select the lodge you want and you will see this screen that tells you the price and how many miles you earn. Choose the room you want, in this case the standard room will do.
Pointhound booking
Lastly, fill out the screen and see the confirmation of the price and how many miles you will earn, also which account they will credit to (which I blacked out here). Be sure to check the cancellation policies and make sure you are comfortable with them. For more information about Pointshound, see their FAQ page.
When you are traveling to and from West Papua, many flights will require a layover in Makassar (UPG). So what can you do to pass the time?
UPG the main airport in Sulawesi
Sultan Hasanudin Airport
GO INTO TOWN
The airport is about an hour’s drive from town so make sure you have enough time to get back and catch your onward flight. If you have less than 6 hours, don’t bother, traffic is pretty congested and you don’t want to risk being late. If you have a full day as we did, there are a few things you can do in town. It’s pretty hot and humid so be prepared for the weather. Taxis will cost around $10-12 and a bus will cost around $2. The bus drops you at a bus stop in the centre of town and this is where you catch it to get back to the airport so make sure you remember where it is, even take a photo of it on your phone so you can communicate with taxi drivers.
Airport Bus Station
Once you are in town, the main “sight” is Fort Rotterdam which is a short walk from the bus stop. There is a nominal entry fee around $2 and you have to pay extra to enter the exhibits. They wouldn’t allow photos inside.
Outside Fort Rotterdam
Entry and ticket office
Fort Rotterdam buildings
Fort Rotterdam buildings
Fort Rotterdam buildings
Statue outside the fort
By the time we finished seeing the fort, it was pretty hot and near lunch time so we went to an underground shopping mall called MTC. There is a large supermarket here, a food court and lots of small shops that are interesting to look at for local fashions.
MTC Mall Makassar
MTC Mall Makassar
Even though our flight wasn’t until 2am-ish, we were sleep deprived after a busy day in Kuta the previous day changing money and ordering tailored clothes so we headed back to the airport to relax. Other places to visit in Makassar include Losari Beach and a butterfly sanctuary called Bantimarung which we probably would have visited if we hadn’t been so tired. Other suggestions can be found on Trip Advisor.
WHAT TO DO IN THE AIRPORT
Makassar’s Ujung Padang Airport is a large, modern airport with plenty of shopping.
Shop in UPG airport
They also have a short stay place that also offers massage called Home In & Spa opposite Gate 6. If you need some shut-eye, 6 hours day use will cost 350,000 rupiah ($35) single and 425,000 rupiah ($43) double. The Indonesian Massage (with great smelling oil) cost 225,000 for 1 hour ($23) and you can get longer massages if you want. Reflexology is $125,000 ($13) not sure how long you get. The showers are nice and hot with excellent water pressure! This was money well spent as it allowed us to freshen up and be well rested for being picked up in Biak at 6am the next day for birding.
There are several restaurants in the airport with both Indonesian and Western cuisine at very reasonable prices. I couldn’t resist getting a root beer float at A&W (we can’t get them in Australia)! If you are in business class, see my post on the Executive Lounge, good food and free internet!
I am not the sort who would spend extra $$$ just to have a larger seat and better meal, but when a deal comes along that allows you to buy one business class seat and get one free making it equal to the cost of buying two economy seats at normal price I’d be a fool to pass it up! Sriwijaya is one of the airlines you might be flying if you visit West Papua.
JAYAPURA – MANOKWARI (DJJ_MKW)
Although we booked in business class, there was an aircraft change to a plane that had only economy seats. I suggested to the check in lady that she give us a row of 3 seats to ourselves in the front of the plane and she agreed. She also escorted us through the airport past the departure tax desk and paid our tax, then she brought us to the business class lounge and made sure we could still get in since we only had economy boarding passes. I have to give them top marks for customer service and making us as comfortable as possible since they changed the aircraft.
Jayapura Executive Lounge
MANOKWARI – SORONG (MKW-SOQ)
No lounges in Manokwari. This time it was a two class aircraft and we got our business class seats. They were very comfortable and we even got driven to the plane in a private car as opposed to a bus. The seats were very comfortable and we got a snack for the short flight.
Sriwijaya business class
Business class snack – Sriwijaya
SORONG – MAKASSAR – SURABAYA (SOQ-MKW-SUB)
This flight was pretty full with a dive tour group taking up most of the seats. It was pretty amusing to see the looks on their faces when they had to walk past the grungy backpackers to their seats in economy! Although this leg is sold as a through ticket, you actually have to change planes in Makassar aka Ujung Padang. There is no business class lounge in Sorong but there is one in Ujung Padang. We had the same seats as before on the plane for both legs and once again were offered a meal but I forgot to get pics. The business class lounge in Ujung Padang is pretty nice with a well-stocked buffet of Indonesian dishes, sweets and hot pancakes.
This was where I made a mistake – I didn’t book a guide in advance, thinking it would be easy to just call one when we got there as it was low season. Wrong! I already had some sources such as Benny from Biak who has guide contacts in Sorong and a website that was advertising day birding trips. The itinerary from Papua Expeditions looked great- several Birds of Paradise (BOPs) and Black Lories amongst other birds. First thing I did upon checking into the Royal Mamberamo was to load the website to get the phone number and call or text them. But wait – no phone number on the whole site! I sent an email but didn’t get a reply. Benny from Discover Papua texted me back that his guide wasn’t replying. My husband and I were on our own. I went back online to try to find phone numbers for other guides or at least trip reports showing where the best places were. I found a couple trip reports that said Black Lories were in the Hutan Lindung area at km 14, about 8km past the airport.
We had the hotel book us a car and driver, explain to the driver where we wanted to go and tell us the price – 70,000 rupiah an hour. First we went out on the Makbon Road in search of lowland forest that looked “birdy”. We passed a few villages and finally found a likely spot. The villagers were curious about us but understood that we wanted “burung” which means birds. One of them even knew where to find a Twelve-wired BOP further away but we would have been too late. We walked down the road but didn’t hear or see anything interesting, just a few barn swallows.
Village on Makbon Road
Curious villagers
Barn Swallow
Mosque on Makbon Road
Interesting monument on Makbon Road
We went back to Hutan Lindung to try our luck. It was around 11am by now so too late for real birding but we tried! We did hear the screech of cockatoos flying in the distance but couldn’t see them. We gave up and had the driver bring us back to the hotel.
The next morning, we got up early and once again hired a car and driver, bringing our bags with us so we could be dropped at the airport afterwards. Last chance birding for West Papua! We would only have time for a couple hours in Hutan Lindung. This time we did much better. Cockatoos were heard but not seen again. We saw a pair of Black Lories doing a fly-by off in the distance. And I could swear I heard Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrots in a tree near the road but within the foliage. They sounded like the ones we saw in Nimbokrang and I could see movement but not a clear shot of a bird. As usual, I got great photos of leaves! Then again, I managed to get some butterfly shots so it wasn’t a total photographic loss!
Taxi we hired by the hour for trip to Hutan Lindung
Entrance to Hutan Lindung Taman Wisata
Entrance to Hutan Lindung Taman Wisata
Lowland forest of Hutan Lindung
Trees where we heard the Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrots
Tiny bird on branch near the bottom
Silhouetted bird in tree, anyone know what it is?
Butterfly
Butterfly
Just missed the Black Lories who did a quick fly by
We had the hotel book us a car and driver, explain to the driver where we wanted to go and tell us the price – 70,000 rupiah an hour. First we went out on the Makbon Road in search of lowland forest that looked “birdy”. We passed a few villages and finally found a likely spot. The villagers were curious about us but understood that we wanted “burung” which means birds. One of them even knew where to find a 
