It's 11am on a hot summer day in Bali, and I'm in the middle of the pool, desperately trying to figure out how to do the right footwork and arm movements for Psy's 2012 hit, Gangnam Style.
There is much laughter among the other participants, while on the sidelines, someone is probably using their phone to upload images of the scene to their social media sites.
It's just another morning of free water aerobics at Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort, where my husband and I spent seven relaxing nights (mostly humid but not humiliating) as part of a Luxury Escapes package.
I avoided visiting Bali like the plague until 2016, when a friend convinced me that a resort in Nusa Dua would have the amenities of a high-end cruise ship without motion sickness.
Having visited temples, rice fields, amazing cafes, top restaurants, clifftop beach clubs and so much more on that first trip, and the following week in Seminyak in 2017, I thought I was done with Bali.
But I was wrong. Last year, I was drawn to my first all-inclusive Luxury Escapes vacation, staying at the Grand Hyatt Bali in Nusa Dua.
Apparently, I was searching on the Luxury Escapes app for hotels in Singapore, a place I love to explore. However, when he was offered a five-star hotel package in Bali that included all meals, several VIP bonuses and shorter flight times, the temptation was too great. It's time to stop favoring deals and book one.
What followed was a therapeutic week of eating, swimming, relaxing and trying to find the elusive daily complimentary coconut drink, carved with the hotel's logo and infused with the flavor of a warm swamp.
The same friend who convinced me to go to Bali in 2016 urged me to splurge on the Sofitel pool access room this time.
As I swim toward the L'OH pool bar, one of the places that accepts daily vouchers for free mocktails, I wonder how many bridges and palm trees I need to memorize until I can find my way back. Fortunately, all the rooms also have their numbers on the wall next to the pool.
This Luxury Escapes package (around $3,200 for two people) includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, a mocktail, and a bottle of wine daily. During the stay, each of us also receives a yoga session, a 60-minute massage at the SoSPA Gazebo on the beach, a cooking class, and a 50% off voucher for additional spa treatments.
To make it as easy as possible, we also opted to pay extra for round trip transfers, around $100. It's clean, air-conditioned, and punctual, although water was not included this time.
Meals operate on a voucher system and upon arrival in the evening we are given our first voucher at Kwee Zeen, an extensive international buffet in the middle of the hotel's ground floor, with separate rooms for noodles and desserts.
On our first morning we were a little confused by the few coupons because there was nothing for breakfast, which makes sense when we realize that it is the only restaurant that serves breakfast.
The lunch and dinner vouchers, split between Kwee Zeen, Toya Beach Bar and Grill and upscale Italian restaurant Cucina, are dated for the week of our stay, while the drink vouchers are dated individually. Because of the way it's stapled, I somehow manage to hand in an old drink voucher most days, but it's never a problem.
While we expect the vouchers to be for two-course meals, as was the case at the Grand Hyatt, we were surprised to find that three meals are included at the Sofitel.
So the biggest decisions we make every day are: which resort are we based at (and can we get there early enough to grab the viewing deck) and where do we want to eat?
After a few days, we become strategic about avoiding eating at the same restaurant during lunch and dinner and opting for Indonesian food whenever possible. We eventually discovered that Kwee Zeen offers excellent a la carte selections for lunch, which is a welcome change from the breakfast and dinner buffets.
Our favorites and dishes we order again are Cucina's magically tender beef carpaccio, Toya's spicy beef pastries (like a curry puff), and Kwee Zeen's Dadar Gulung (pandan and coconut fritters).
We debated limiting ourselves to just two dishes, one meal and not three, but mostly failed. To get rid of all the food, I take pictures of my well-equipped gym but never use it. The best option is a long, sweaty walk along the beach past the neighboring, mostly luxurious resorts. It's also a good way to find your next accommodation.
As our vacation comes to an end, I'll be returning to the Luxury Escapes app to check out new deals. Return to Bali? Maybe Hong Kong? Vietnam looks tempting.
Watch this space.
truth file
+ Many Luxury Escapes packages and tours can be secured with an initial deposit. While I only paid 20 percent, offers are subject to change. Luxury Escapes is currently offering a 50% deposit on some exclusive Lux deals for a limited time.
+ Luxury Escapes offers a seven-day change of mind guarantee on Lux Exclusive packages for a limited time. You can also make changes to your self-service history. This is useful if, like me, you take a long time deciding on flights and they become too expensive for the dates booked at the hotel. You can also book the package and select dates later, subject to availability.
+ There is an option for group trips.
+ Many packages allow one or two children under 11 to stay in existing beds and eat free or at a reduced price.
+ If you book transfers, Luxury Escapes will send you a form for you to fill out with your trip information. They will then send you a transfer confirmation and a suitable schedule to prepare for your return transfer to the airport.
+ Luxury Escapes is promoting its deals, offering discounts of up to 70 percent. The best way to determine the value of a deal is to do your homework. Look up the cost per night on your hotel's website or another travel booking site like Expedia or Booking.com.
+ Our set cost about $3,200 for two people, and based on menu prices and what we ate in seven days, I estimate we consumed/used about $2,000 in food, non-alcoholic drinks, and tips. At the time of our stay, the normal room rate was around $300-$400 per night. No need for a math girl – our pool access room was a hit.
+ Read a mix of reviews: Sometimes all-inclusive deals that seem too good to be true may be for resorts in more remote areas.
+ You can earn speed points on reservations.
+luxuryspcapes.com – or download the app for iPhone and Android.
