I love credit cards so much! v6.0 - 2023 (see first page for add'l details)

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I realized that I never wrote about the Legian Resort in Seminyak. It was a lovely resort on the beach with stunning tired infinity pools overlooking the beach. At just 66 rooms and only 3 stories it had a nice small boutique feel. What an absolute relief it was to enter my suite and feel the cool air blasting from the a/c after 6 nights of a near-boiling bedroom at the Umana lol. Sorry not sorry I like to sleep in a freezer when it’s hot outside. The resort is open-air, the only a/c parts are the rooms, the gym (which was nice and cold!) and the spa.

I will say that the rooms were a bit dated for my taste, but it works for the Legian and adds to their charm. Service here is outstanding in all aspects. The room had free snack jars which were re-filled daily (veggie chips, cookies and spiced peanuts), but I seldom touched them because I was rarely hungry here. The water pressure in the shower was amazing.

I booked on an AmEx FHR rate, which included a US$100 f&b credit. That covered dinner for me for 3 nights, 2 of which were in their fancy restaurant, the other at their bar on the beach (I couldn’t even come close to finishing the items that I ordered here). It also included breakfast, which while wasn’t as plentiful as the Umana, was still very good. The French toast was particularly good.

The sunsets here were the things that dreams are made of. Most days I’d workout for 2 hours, have breakfast, spend a few hours in a lounger facing the ocean, head into town for a bit, then head back to the Legian to watch the sunset. It was very relaxing!

There really isn’t much to do in Seminyak other than enjoy the sun (unless you want to do full day trips, which I did from Ubud), but it was extremely enjoyable. I’d definitely go back to Seminyak, not sure that I’d stay at the Legian, I would probably try to find somewhere a bit less expensive (the Oberoi was next door as were a few others that I’d research). All the rooms at the Legian were oceanfront, so it would probably be a top contender for me, plus I really enjoyed the small size of the resort and the pools, the gym and the overall ambiance.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

My overall thoughts on Bali? In one word: OBSESSED. I plan on returning in September, 2026. Would love to go back next year but ds and I are going to Hawaii and Australia in early October, I don’t want to go in rainy season and summer is not possible with dd home from uni. Which leaves 2 years from now. Something to plan for / look forward to! I highly recommend visiting —probably one of my favorite places. I wish it wasn’t so far away.

Maybe not for everyone, particularly with the insane traffic. I think the trick is to spend at least 5 or so nights in each area to really settle in and get the feel for it. Next time I’d like to spend at least 6 or 7 or more nights in Ubud, 5 or 6 nights in Seminyak and a few in Labuan Bajo (I must visit Komodo NP). Plus 3 or 4 nights in Tokyo on my way there and 4 nights in Taipei or Singapore on my way home.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

The EVA lounge in Taipei is nice. Food was quite good, MUCH better than what AC serves in their lounges. I’m super tired — only slept 3 hours last night and with a symphony of several crying babies on the 5 hour flight from SG—>TPE I wasn’t able to sleep a wink. Hopefully I’ll get at least a few hours on the flight tonight.

Not sure if I’ve mentioned that I’m heading to Rome / Florence and Bologna in 12 days. I had 4 FNCs expiring at the end of September (I had HH extend the to the end of October for me) and had originally booked myself into the Aleph Curio Collection for 4 nights in Rome using all 4 FNCs. However when HH merged with SLH I switched to the D’Inghiliterra in Rome, which just re-opened after an extensive renovation. I am super excited for this hotel — the cash rate is an obscene US$1,500.00 / night.

I’m then booked at the Leone Blu Suites in Florence, which I booked through AmEx using a Luxury Escapes offer (spend $1k save $200). It looks really nice, right on the river and only a handful of rooms.

The only reason I booked Bologna is to get home. I won’t try to fly BA out of Florence this year after the unmitigated disaster that was my trip from London to Florence on BA last year. I have a single room with balcony booked at the Hotel Corona D’Oro — I booked direct with the hotel and wanted to switch to using URs, but the rates had doubled, so I’ll be paying cash here.

I’m flying Toronto—>Montreal—>Rome (using AP points) and Bologna—>London—>Toronto (using Avios). Just 16 nights, but I am excited! Then I’ll be home for 6 weeks before ds and I head to London for 6 nights for the Arsenal game and Christmas lights / markets / shopping.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I can’t seem to stop posting today lol.

I did the HH upgrade from basic—> Aspire in early summer. I have now received 2 FNCs (one for the upgrade, one for the renewal!), plus I have another from the free basic card I got in early summer. I need to decide my best strategy to use them — might have to use them in Hawaii with ds, so will need to ask the diamond desk to extend them to the end of October.

If anyone knows of great HH redemptions in Honolulu please post! I’m not super fussy as long as the rooms are clean and quiet and the hotel is well-located. Though luxury certainly never hurts.