The good life for Westerners in Bali includes massages and spa treatments, and I was ready to feed the local economy with my hard earned greenbacks. My daily schedule in Kuta was rather simple:
AM
- sleep in
- enjoy free breakfast at accommodation (very common offering - usually some combination of eggs, toast, pancakes, coffee/tea/juice)
- use internet
- spa treatment (something different each day - haircut, manicure, pedicure, aromatherapy massage)
PM
- traditional Indonesian food for lunch at restaurant for $2
- hang out, siesta, nap, shop
- go to beach if it looks like a good night for a sunset (tons of locals and tourists alike would head that way once the sun headed down, and it became cooler out)
- eat a $2-3 dinner, with $1-2 drinks optional (while watching a movie if eating at Swell - I caught 40 Year Old Virgin, Anchorman, and Dodgeball)
- sleep
I learned a difference of only a dollar or two can really change the quality of the massages. The cheapest are offered by the ladies on the beach, who can be rather aggressive. Those are a negotiable $5/hour. The beach is too hot, sandy, and hot for me to enjoy it though. I had one by a pool for about $5, which was OK, however I decided to take it up a notch and go indoors.
The little menu above was for a place in the shopping area known as Kuta Square that struck a good balance between cost and quality. Air conditioning, aromatherapy, candles, and a comfortable table were well worth the extra few dollars ($7-8 total).
Yes, you can live like a King (or Queen) in Bali if you have a bit of money. If costs remain so low, I may need to build a spa component into my Asian budget!
