témoignage – Travel with Mi

Eringer Hotel & Spa | Hôtel & Spa 4 Vallées

Ayant pris deux entrées adultes pour les bain d’Heremence en mars dernier sur realdeal.ch je me suis dit que j’aurai le temps d’y aller avec mon chéri avant l’été.

Grosse erreur ! Monsieur mon docteur love n’avait pas une minutes avant l’échéance des bons. Mais attention ! Je déteste ne pas pouvoir faire de surprise à mon copin ou ne pas pouvoir aller où je le souhaite, alors j’ai contacté realdeal.ch et ai demandé une rallonge de temps, ils ont été compréhensifs et m’ont mis l’échéance en septembre. MERCI au service client 🙏🏼.

Cet été c’est avec grande surprise que l’Eringer hôtel s’abonne à mon compte sous les réseaux sociaux, je m’abonne puis jete un œil ! Quelle belle surprise de voir qu’en faite les bains d’Heremence sont attenant à l’hôtel Eringer !

Ni une ni deux je me dis que je vais faire une surprise à mon amoureux et réserver une nuit à l’hôtel.

Je me rend donc sous Trivago ! Et je vois que la chambre avec balcon avoisine les 300 CHF ce qui est abordable pour un hôtel comme l’Eringer quartes étoiles.

Nous sommes arrivé le lundi puis repartie le mardi avec des étoiles plein les yeux !

Je vais commencé par l’hôtel, nous y avons déposer nos valises avant les bains et whaou !

Une chambre cosy, une salle de bain fonctionnelle et bien équipée. Des coussins moelleux, une machine à café et une vue panoramique sur les montagnes à couper le souffle depuis le balcon ! Nous étions très heureux ! Nous avons trouvé des peignoires et des chaussons dans les armoires. J’avais choisi la chambre double avec balcon mais nous avons été upgradés dans une chambre King size avec balcon.

Un hôtel cosy, bourré de charme, du bois, des fleurs séchées, des baies vitrées donnant sur des montagnes mélange de modernité dans un énorme chalet.

Nous sommes descendu au spa. Vêtu de sa modernité et de boiserie, un spa d’un qualité supérieur, bains chauffés intérieurs et extérieurs, douches tropicales , tisaneries, chambres relaxantes donnant sur les montagnes, bulles et buses vous accompagnerons ainsi que les fontaines ! Quoi de mieux ?!

Vraiment une expérience sensorielle intense pour nous deux.

Puis est venu l’heure du repas. Accueil au top ! Bravo car rarement accueilli comme ça aussi poliment et avec beaucoup de raffinement. Le seule bémol : rapport qualité/ prix… 25chf l’entrée (très belle certes) mais avec 4 petits morceaux de truite. Dommage. Nous étions un peu déçu MAIS ! ATTENTION peut être que cela varie avec les saisons. Le choix de la carte est un peu light mais peut être qu’en hiver le choix est plus ample.

Par la suite nous sommes aller au bar intérieur pour régaler nos papilles avec des cocktails ! Le cadre est fabuleux ! Et les cocktails excellents ! Je vous met quelques petites photos du cadre. Vous pouvez y déguster aussi un trio de burger.

Après une bonne nuit de sommeil pour mon fiancé et une courte nuit pour moi je suis descendu au petit déjeuner !

Alors croyez- moi le buffet à volonté est exquis ! Des viennoiseries au petit déjeuner intercontinental, juste incroyablement bon. Le service toujours au top !

Notre expérience à toucher à sa fin malheureusement, nous avons chaleureusement remercier le réceptionniste puis nous sommes repartis.

Lien instagram pour plus de photos @mariemickelis 😉

My last trip in Bali

My last trip to Bali, where nothing goes according to plan. Yes, sometimes in life we make mistakes, but they’re not irreparable. This time I traveled as if for the last time. I challenged myself on things I’d never done in five trips!

The big pluses…

Challenges…

Those who know me know that I’m more into challenging myself than staying in my corner. Like everyone else, I have fears and phobias. But this time, there’s no question of listening to them again: solo restaurants, solo clubbing, solo walks on the beach, solo sunsets, all solo, socializing in a way that usually scares the hell out of me. A successful challenge!

Friends…

It was so nice to see my friends again, to be able to share time with them, unfortunately not all of them because of their schedules. But preparing Juliana for her interview in front of our apple crumble pie par made me extremely happy! We had a lot of laughs! Then she introduced me to her son, Nara, a real little pile of electricity, as adorable as anything, very jovial and mysterious, a bit like his mom, Agung was there too and is as adorable as ever. They’re a fantastic couple and so mythical! What a pleasure to see them! I think of Juliana as my little sister, and I love her very much!

I also meet again Batiste a old friends of mine, still so adorable !

Business class!

I was upgraded to business class on an A380 departing from denpasar. For the lucky ones, you may come across a ticket agent who tells you that the plane is overbooked and upgrades you to first or business where there’s room! What an experience! Champagne Moet & Chandon at the entrance (I confess that stressed to sleep as I was I mixed all that with my medication) result I slept like a baby for 7 hours. Menu, mattress, clean toilets, pyjamas – you guessed it, I don’t want to travel in second class anymore, it’s a horror hahah!

For those of you who don’t follow me on instagram, I got my first surfboard costumized just the way I wanted it. It’s hard to get used to balancing on it, especially as it’s so light, but riding it is a real pleasure. I left it in Bali with Ali, my instructor, and he lets me use my wonderful board, which he thinks is great!

Surfing (with Ali and Nawir)

So those who know me know that I have weight problems and therefore heart problems. I was very disappointed with myself during this trip in terms of surfing. I was fixated on productivity instead of pleasure and appeasement. I realized it too late. I say to myself that it will be for another time with Ali, the best surf instructor.
He told me what was wrong and why I still couldn’t ride a big wave like I used to. Yes, I’d lost 6 kilos since May, so I had less strength and it was showing in my paddling. Thank you Ali for your patience and kindness! You’re the best surf buddy we could ever wish to have.

The restaurants…

Wow! I went to lots of restaurants I didn’t usually go to. From the cheapest to the most affordable. One restaurant that left a deep impression on me was Ina Re, where I tasted some truly delicious dishes, all accompanied by an adorable hostess/waitress: Audrey.

Jamu couse with Jamu Sehati :

The great opportunity of participating to their work shop ! Puji is an amazing teacher, I feel blessed that we could eat together at her home. She teached me so many tips with the jamu 💓🙏🏼

A little less cool…

Aster apartment :

Unfortunately big bug for this apartment hotel, I’m not here to down accommodation I can just tell you to always, ho great god, always take you a hotel with pool.

This apartment continent of apartments: bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, washing machine and dryer. I thought to myself, this is incredible! But that wasn’t counting the mini balcony measuring 30 cm by 1 meter, and the pillows, which unfortunately smelled of mould… I loved it, but the pool, pillows and balcony are important to me.

Echo beach designer apartment :

A huge apartment that had a living room with no air-conditioning (and in Bali air-conditioning is a must). Well, discomfort after discomfort, I decided to change accommodation. I’m comfortable with the heat, but not so much when it’s 30 degrees inside my apartment, especially when I’m cooking next door.

Funny fact : I was locked out on the balcony for an hour in the middle of the night at two in the morning because the door slammed on its own, so I had to call the emergency number. They were very kind to come and open the balcony door! Really superb staff! Shame about the air-conditioning.

Two Da¥ in Wallis ( White pod, Saint -Bernard Lac, Lavey-les-Bains)

This summer, we headed for Les Cerniers in Monthey to spend a night at the Whitepods in Valais with my partner. A lovely gift from a friend.

We arrived at 4.30pm, as check-in starts at 3pm. Then, after the presentation of the city, we went to Lavey-les-Bains in 30-degree weather, which was fabulous. My boyfriend had never been there, so it was an opportunity to show him around, and the good news is he loved it. We did the bubble baths, the spinning tops, the Norwegian bath and the light therapy. We felt a relative soothing sensation in the water.

Then at 6.30pm we climbed into our Cosy Pods, as our meal would be delivered at 7.30pm.

We savored the view, the calm, the splendor after a twenty-minute walk up from reception. On the downside, there’s no transport for people with reduced mobility, and the size of the meal is more like an appetizer than a main course.

But that didn’t spoil this splendid moment for anything! We rested with a majestic view of the mountains from our bed. A good bed, air-conditioning, heating and a dream bathroom, a shower with perfect pressure, toilets, plenty of towels and a hairdryer.

Waking up the next morning was difficult, as we’d been hungry all night. However, we knew that breakfast was waiting for us 20 minutes from our pods! So cute, this little inn belonging to the estate! Very Swiss breakfast: bircher, charcuterie, cheese, pastries. We savored this before packing our suitcases, which were waiting for us at reception, and heading off to Sion for a little tour of the town, eating lunch there and then a lovely surprise awaited us.

The magic of Lac de Saint Léonard. It’s been a very hot couple of days, so we were glad to be sheltered in this 15-degree year-round cave, which welcomes an average of 100,000 visitors a year. We were surprised by the good atmosphere on the boat, but also by the formation of the cave and its magnificent stone deposits. Then, the water was very clear, littered all over with rainbow trout introduced by man. Why should this be? Because these fish clean the water, then if there are impurities they die, which raises the question of whether the cave is polluted. The boat ammara and we headed back up towards the heat, our eyes full of stars. If you haven’t already done so, I strongly advise you to take this excursion.

We’ve already come to the end of these two emotional days! We’ve been charmed by the Valais.

A word of advice for the white pots and the Lac de Saint-Léonard: take a sweater, or a little wool, it’s always better for the more chilly among us.

Jamu Sehati, jamu paradise

The story begins with a random stroll through the streets of Ubud. I was wandering the streets without necessarily having a goal. I remember stopping in front of the shop and not being able to take my eyes off the fridge with the drinks inside, the color of the neat labels, but also the smell of the shop.

I remember running into a man with black plugs in his ears, and he let me taste the Jamu Balance and the White Tumeric. I knew that Switzerland had never had anything so good on the shelves of supermarkets or even small health food stores.

I took 8 packages from him and he gave me some ecens to try out, which I found adorable. I had taken some small packages for people to try out and some large ones too. But with one suitcase I wasn’t going to get far and it was impossible to bring back more.

I returned to Switzerland depressed after the end-of-year holidays, which I’d spent alone without my family. So I put incense in my abalone and made myself a Jamu Balance (I’m writing these few lines with my Jamu Red Ginger because I’ve just eaten and it’s the only one that soothes my stomach from the pain of sibo).

There you have it, my little Indonesian corner. Then I gave a taste to some friends who really liked it, so I thought I’d take some home for them when I got back to Ubud. I took so much that I had to buy another suitcase. During my stay in Ubud, I used to drink jamu Balance every morning in a bottle, otherwise I drink it hot in Switzerland.

I then looked at the Swiss Jamu market, but found nothing. Then, at the Jamu Sehati boutique (hait means heart in Bahasa Indonesian) I find it charming, everything is well put together after three years of fetching my Jamu sometimes from Canggu where I’ve seen them grow. Their marketing is incredible, who knew you could prevent so many ailments with medicinal herbs?

Three years after their constant use, I can assure you that my blood sugar levels are better, they’ve stabilized, my hair is growing back and, above all, I feel much better inside. I no longer need a cardiologist, except for the logical follow-up once every five years.

I decided to write to them and tell them that I wanted to represent them in Switzerland, because I think they deserve to be better known throughout the country, by doctors, spas and hotels. After some discussion, we agreed that I would return from my travels with a certain quantity that I would like to resell. So if you know any buyers, please help me, tell your friends, spas, hotels, sports centers, beauty salons, etc., about me. I’ll do what’s necessary to buy large quantities and resell them to you.

http://www.jamusehatiubud.com/

The stupidity that shortened my stay by one month.

Taking my single entry visa too late before it was approved.

As you may know, you need visas to go to Bali, for example the e-voa, multiple entry and so on. But here I had promised myself to stay for two whole months, with the 60-day single entry visa that doesn’t require any renewal, so no need to take 30 days and then go to Jimbaran to reapply for a visa renewal at immigration. Basically, I bought my visa 9 days before my departure for 112.00 francs. It was indicated that the maximum return time was 8 days. To apply to the immigration service, you must guarantee that you have more than 2,000 francs in your account. Of course, you should always go through the Molina Imigrasi website for this type of procedure if you’re on your own, as it’s the one and only trustworthy site in my opinion

I arrived at Geneva airport with my visa still not approved, and the hostess told me: »You cannot board the flight if your visa is not valid for 30 days »…. I thought I was having a heart attack, so I had to change my flight from June 22 to May 22…It was horrible!600 Francs thrown out the window…But you know how I am, I always think there’s an advantage somewhere.Here the advantage was no less, as I was able to reunite with my lover, with whom it was a heartbreak to leave without him.Bali is great, but if your heart’s not in it, it can be a problem for your drive. For the first time, I was extremely sad when I got there, but I think that’s normal when you’ve found the man of your life.

In conclusion, make sure you get your visa on time, and fight for your right to a 60-day visa, even if Geneva airport thinks that only 30-day visas take precedence.Within 1 day my visa was approved. What a lesson it was the first time I’d stayed for such a short time.

Things to know about Ubud…

I wanted to write a rather personal article about my feelings towards the town of Ubud. I was very pleasantly surprised on my first trip; it went very well despite some inconveniences at a hotel that I won’t write about here. As I’ve always said, I’m not here to criticise a place or tell you anything about something I don’t like/didn’t like.

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve felt things very strongly, a little more than the average person, and having to live with my hypersensitivity isn’t easy every day. I have to pay attention to places that are steeped in history, and believe me, in Ubud it was impossible to escape my hypersensitivity.

Let’s take the hotels first, now you know one of the reasons why I had to leave my first hotel in Ubud as quickly as possible.

Now let’s talk about my second trip. Before settling into my first staycation, Ada and I went to Griya Beji Waterfall and then Goa Gajah.

I landed during a ceremony at the Waterfall, and I can still hear the screams of the people performing the ceremony. For me, it was difficult to have so many people and so much shouting around me, it had quite an impact on me – it was to exorcise their moral pain.

I felt very heavy coming out of the ceremony, a big weight on my shoulders. We took the car and ate before heading off to Goa Gajah. The Goa temple is one of the first Buddhist temples on the island. I went into the cellar at the feet of the elephant. And that was the straw that broke the camel’s back: my stomach and chest hurt for two days after I went there. The effect was quite direct, and I had a hard time getting rid of it as I didn’t have my own little tricks to get rid of what had to go and purify my hotel room (be careful when you burn palo santo or white sage in a hotel, think of the smoking detector and the smell of white sage).

Basically, my pain lasted until my next stay-cation. After that it calmed down a bit. This experience was very strong for me, especially in Bali. If you’re as sensitive as I am, Ubud is full of history and energy of all kinds. Bali is a very spiritual island, so if you’re having problems putting off your trip to the island, it’s probably because you’re not ready to embark on your spiritual journey and it would be better to take this as a sign that you can postpone your trip.

Let’s talk a little about sarongs, the magnificent, colourful pareos that the locals wear from Thursday to Sunday and on the evenings of full moons – there are two full moons a month, the new moon and the full moon.

But that’s not all: there are also ceremonies in the temples. As a tourist or expat, you should be aware that it is imperative to wear a sarong when visiting the temples. If you don’t have one, you can find them everywhere at the Ubud market, and the locals at the entrances to the temples will have some for you. Personally, I’d love to buy the lace top that the women wear with the sarong, with the belt over it. At immigration I’ve seen people in sarongs, but it’s mainly the staff who hand out sarongs to tourists/expats who aren’t dressed according to the conditions imposed to enter the state building that is immigration. A sense of the values of the country you live in is very important for social awareness.

The little extras:

When you see the little baskets of offerings on the ground, please pay attention, they are offerings.

Dinara Hotel

What can I tell you about the Dinara Hotel?

Having been to Tirta Empul before, which is Bali’s chakra, because yes, the Earth has chakras, I learned this very recently. After my karmic cleansing ritual, I entered the Dinara Hotel. I’m by nature very sensitive, and when I go to busy places I quickly absorb the energies that are gravitating around me, which isn’t easy in everyday life.

If I explain this here there’s a good reason, when I go to Ubud I’m very little quiet and relaxed, despite my love for this incredibly interesting town.

I’d like to start by introducing you to the very spacious room, equipped with air conditioning, tv, desk, dressing room, and a huge bathroom with bathtub and fully-equipped shower, all indoors, which makes everything more awesome, especially when you go during the rainy season believe me it’s very practical. A large balcony or terrace if you’re on the ground floor, extremely pleasant, with a table, chair and bench that could double as a bed if you were so comfortable on it. Fan to give a little breeze, as we were on the second floor and had balconies. Good news too, mosquito nets are very important in Bali, for mosquitoes, dengue fever, but also all the other animals, insects and the whole tutti. The value for money defies all competition.

Let’s move on to the facilities:

The spa, where I had a Balinese massage, felt chills all over my body, it was full of energy, so much so that all the accumulated energy came out, I cried. Yes, I cried a lot in Ubud, so when you’re sensitive, you’re touched not only by the beauty of the place, but also by the soaring energies. The therapist was utterly adorable and really put me at ease. She told me that I had accumulated a lot of karmic stuff. Imagine going to Tirta Empul to clear all my karmic energies to really cleanse myself of my old lives, apparently it worked well but I had to take some energies that didn’t belong to me into those lovely fountains. In short, the spa is a place with great therapists, slightly professional.

Yoga classes are also part of the facilities, but I haven’t tried them out as they’re not very active for me, and I like to sleep in too. So I can’t give you an opinion on it.

As for the co-working space, I usually write in my room so as not to be disturbed by noise or anything else. The co-working space was not open when I was there. In December, the hotel was not very busy.

The hotel’s Melali restaurant serves breakfast, snacks and dinner! The restaurant is very well designed, with a mix of co-working space, terrace and pleasant interior! And I say that after having eaten there every evening. They also offer room service, so don’t worry if you prefer to have breakfast or dinner in your room from 7am to 10.30pm.

On the other hand, there’s no laundry service, but there are two Laundry services around the hotel, one 50 meters away, the other opposite.

Well located in Tegalalang, about 20 minutes by scooter, the site is quiet and beautiful. And 10 minutes by scooter from the Cretya beach club. You won’t be too far from the center, so away from the hustle and bustle of Ubud center, but close enough by scooter.

So much for the Hotel Dinara, a lovely, zen-like place to stay.

When I was talking about value for money. I stayed there for three days for 213CHF/ 3’701’250 IDR/ 223,19 EU/ 239,04 USD. Hotel Dinara’s promise of zen atmosphère is more than lived up to; you even receive a discount voucher for the spa and breakfast on arrival.

Must try in Bali !

Jamu Loloh Cemcem

Green, healthy drink is a kind of Jamu is sweeter than an ordinary Jamu, it taste smooth and refreshing. The mixture of liquid palm sugar neutralize the bitter taste of leaf. It contains so many benefits for the body as reducing high blood pressure and prevent digestive disorders. I taste it ! As a person with cœliaque issus for years I was surprise of the direct results of the benefits on my stomach and my bowels.

Durian

I had heard a lot about the durian, this stinky fruit, with a pasty texture and the appearance of a poqué pique. Curious to form my own opinion, I had the pleasure of discovering it at Penglipuran Village, and honestly I was surprised. Admittedly, the smell is very strong, yet the taste is so sweet. The very pasty texture may be that the durian you are testing is too ripe, if it is compact this may mean that it is very young. Little advice: the best ones are located along the road.

Trying durian at Penglipuran Village

Sunset

Sunset in Bali is an event not to be missed, no matter where you watch
it from, it’s well worth the detour. It usually takes place between
5:45 and 6:30 pm. This is the perfect time to go to a beach or beach
club to enjoy the moment. If you go to a beach club, be sure to
reserve your place. My advice is to go to the beach, whichever one you
choose, and enjoy the moment alone or with a friend. If you like beer,
go and buy yourself a Bintang so you can relax by the water. Of
course, don’t forget to take your bottle with you too. You’ll see lots
of people enjoying this moment, which is well worth the detour.

Jamu

Jamu, or herb in Indonesian, is a mixture of herbs. There are many
different kinds. If I had to choose one addiction, it would be an
addiction to jamu. Unfortunately, in my country we can’t find any. The
best shop where you can find them is in Ubud at Jamu Sehati, I’ll give
you the link here: https://jamusehatiubud.com . There’s lots of
choice. The classic ginger, turmeric and black pepper will always be
my favorite, fresh or hot, the benefits on your digestive, immune,
urinary and joint systems are impressive. Stomach aches diminish, and
colds become rare. It prevents several illness. The more turmeric you
use, the more effective it will be on your joints with daily use.

I’m not going to write about must-tries like surfing or yoga in this
article, you know they’re Bali essentials.

Ada Tour

Who is Ada Tour? Here I’m going to tell you about the best tour guide I’ve ever met. Not only a great person, but an incredible concept. This person has become my friend. However, I’m going to remain objective in my article to help you choose him for his (too) many qualities. A top job for an extraordinary person! Ada tour is the company of good humor, laughter, good advice on Bali, quality videos and souvenir photos. As a solo traveler, taking videos and photos of yourself requires a lot of organization, which is why I needed a driver with experience and a passion for what he does. Really good prices, considering all the work he does! Never a hassle, only good humor!

Whether you’re a family, a couple, or solo, Ada will take you on a journey through breathtaking scenery, stopping off at restaurants where the value for money is total. I’d also like to point out that tour guides have a hectic lifestyle, are constantly on the road and have little time for themselves. If you’re self-employed, you know that if you don’t work, the money doesn’t come in. This job is extremely difficult and requires admirable tenacity!

Value for money: highly respected, for the trip from Canggu to Ubud I remember paying 200,000 IDR or 11 CHF/12.20 EUR/13 USD. For a whole day visiting Pendlipuran Village I remember paying 600,000 IDR or 34.80/36.60 EUR/39.00 USD. Ada will obviously take you to a corner of paradise if you don’t know Bali, otherwise he’ll recommend restaurants that live up to your expectations. In my opinion, for a driver who speaks perfect English and Russian, who gives excellent advice, with whom you can laugh and talk freely, and who also listens to good music and takes photos and videos to delight your family and friends, it’s a small price to pay. Not forgetting Ada, who delighted you by letting you try lots of local specialities, for me it was the durian, which has since become my favorite fruit.

I can’t think of a better driver than him. I recommend him from the bottom of my heart !

Website : https://adaqtour.wordpress.com/

YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@Ada-Evi?si=Iuub6dHTkF5y3ZYY

Solo traveler avantages & disadvantages

Loneliness is the hardest thing to deal with I’d say when you travel, maybe not the first time, but after the second time.
Sometimes you want to see places, do things, but you can’t do it simply because you’d like your friends to be with you at the snap of a finger to experience what you’re experiencing with you. Sharing has always been my kiff, I need intensity in my life and to do things with passion, otherwise I get bored very quickly.

I feel like I know Bali a little better than my own country, that I’m more touched by this country than my own. I mean, above all, the culture and the local people touch me enormously. I’ve been traveling since I was a little girl, and we moved almost every year, so I’m not particularly attached to my own country.
I like to share my experiences with you by writing, at least it’s immortalized!
This is just my opinion, not a general one.

It’s out of the question to write negative things, opinions on what I didn’t like, it’s very important for me to tell you only about what I liked, because everyone will have their own opinion on the places, the attractions, the food. What I like won’t always be to everyone’s taste. Between Indonesian restaurants, hotels/hostels and sometimes expensive attractions that are really worth it. So let’s move on to the pros and cons of traveling solo.

Advantages

– You never get bored with yourself.

– No obligations, just freedom.

– No one can put you in a bad mood but yourself.

– You do what you want, when you want, where you want. You’re in control of what you want.

– You meet people. My most memorable encounters were with locals. I fell in love with their philosophy, which I found extremely rich in knowledge and interesting.

-If you need help, ask around.

– Get out of your comfort zone. – Let yourself be guided by your own desires.

– You’re never really alone.

Disadvantages

– Feeling alone.

– Making friends when you’re an introvert can be tricky (believe me, I know what I’m talking about).

– Tourists sometimes don’t respect your limits when you’re out alone, so it’s up to you to make them respect you.

As you may have noticed, there are more positives than negatives. That’s how I felt about my various experiences as a solo traveler. Of course, there were times when I felt very alone, but out of that loneliness came ideas that I still have today. So thank you to all the people who inspired me.