
Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort, Bali
For Australians, Bali is only a short flight, particularly if you live in Perth.

Balinese Dancers
Within a matter of hours, you can immerse yourself in a totally different culture and climate. Bali is a great getaway place for all manner of holidays, be it surfing, shopping, or a family escape. Being only 8.62 degrees south of the Equator, it's always 'summer'. Sometimes too hot. Sometimes too humid, and occasionally a little wet - but not for long. There are downpours and then it dries up and the sun shines through.
After not having travelled to Bali for 25 years, we went there on a whim! We are neither Generation X nor Y. More like Baby Boomers. No matter what your age, you will fit in here.
My husband was reading the Travel section of the Sunday Newspaper and saw the promo. I smiled and nodded approvingly. Within ten minutes we had ourselves a holiday. We also had a fabulous deal, and something like 12 months to use it.

Scenery en-route to Resort
Getting to the Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort at Tanah Lot was easy. On arrival at Denpasar Airport, the 'meet and greet' person with the sign sporting our name ushered us to a driver who delivered us, in air-conditioned comfort, to the hotel through the hustle and bustle and craziness of the afternoon peak hour. It didn't matter. The scenery was great and the thousands of motor scooters zipping past kept us entertained for the one and one half hour's crawl through the traffic.

View from Reception
The wait was worth it. The wow factor of the view was enough to keep us happy for eight days. I hadn't paid much attention to the deal, apart from the price which was very reasonable. I didn't bother reading the fine print! And, I didn't need anyone reciting it in detail after what had become a long journey. My attitude changed in an instant: Included were: daily breakfasts; eight one hour Spa Treatments; a romantic dinner for two in 'Driftwood" their top restaurant; a cooking class for two; a lunch for two at the Golfers Terrace; a guided walk; yoga classes; and I don't remember what else! The accommodation component of the holiday cost us the same as we would have paid for the Spa Treatments in Sydney. This was looking good.

Grounds, Breakfast, Golf Course
Our Deluxe Ocean View room was perfect, and the views across the cascading pools to the Indian Ocean evoked an immediate feel of serenity.

One of the Four Pools
The grounds of the resort are extensive, with the Greg Norman designed golf course bordering it.

Tanah Lot Temple in the Background of the Golf Course
What to do?
Relax: Swim, sleep, read books, gaze out to sea as you laze in one of the many ocean-side balé. There are four swimming pools surrounded by sun beds, recliners and balés. A few waterslides make for fun for the young and young-at-heart.

Relax in a beachside balé
Exercise: The well equipped gym was almost empty on the few occasions I used it. Guided hikes, or walking and exploring the grounds is a more visually attractive pastime.
Be Pampered: A full selection of spa treatments are available including massages, facials, foot treatments, manicures and pedicures, as well as massages in a balé.

Tranquil Spa
Play Golf: With so much to do, we only found time to play two rounds. The course is nice, the hire clubs were pretty good, and the caddies were a great help in many ways. Firstly, giving some good tips, and secondly retrieving lost balls from gullies and rice paddies. Booking an early tee time allows you to avoid the heat of the day.

Caddies give great service
Cook Nasi Goreng: Sign up for one of the classes and cook outdoors like a TV Chef.

Outdoor Cooking Class
Visit Tanah Lot Temple: This was a surprise. Little did I know that on the other side of the fence behind the 7th green was a village. You could see the Temple from almost everywhere, but the village, the eateries and market stalls were a surprise. It soon became apparent that Sunset at Tanah Lot was a major tourist attraction. There was tranquility on one side of the fence, and mayhem on the other!

Tanah Lot Temple at Sunset
Themed Dinners: There's something on offer every night, such as the seafood beach BBQ's or Balinese Legong Dance Dinner.

Setting up for the Beach BBQ

Balinese Legong Dance Dinner
After a full day of activity, eating in the resort is a good fallback situation, particularly if you've attended one of the Happy Hours in either the Sunset Lounge or the Driftwood Bar, or Cocktails on the lawn. If you do feel like venturing out, the Concierges can recommend several good restaurants a short taxi ride away.

Driftwood Restaurant
Shopping: Opportunities abound here for the keen shopper. The Resort offers information and outings to Seminyak and Kuta, with the Concierges keen to point you in the right direction.
Explore Bali: There are many touristy things to do outside the resort. These include the Monkey Forest, a choice of Safari Parks, Coffee Plantations and tours of the Countryside.
Business or Honeymoon: Both an obvious offering of the Resort. During our stay, a massive marquee appeared on the foreshore to celebrate a wedding with at least 200 guests. That was topped off with an impressive fireworks display.
Booking your trip: Look out for Deals. We booked through
Luxury Escapes, a company that runs all sorts of travel deals within a limited purchasing window. 'Pan Pacific' have their own '
specials' package offers, and some Google searching revealed other sites like '
Best Hotel Offers' coming in at 50% off the published price.