Jaunted

Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) is the international airport for Bali and proves to be very busy with heaps of international and domestic flights zooming in and out. Once we navigated our way through check-in, paying our 40,000 rupiah (approx. $4) departure tax —a requirement in Indonesia—and cleared security, it took a few more minutes to find the hidden entrance to the lounge. Note: the terminal lacks adequate signage, but the lounge is opposite the apron.

The lounge was one moderately-sized room with plenty of cushy arm chairs but, like the general waiting area, only few seats were available. Once we found one, we took a nice deep breath and settled in to experience it all. Naturally, we logged on to the complimentary wifi and started snapping some photos.

The centrally located food and beverage bar was fully stocked with all types of goodies, including bottled water aplenty. As you would expect, Bali was hot and humid, so we cracked open a bottle and grabbed some nibbles. Despite the choices of both sweet and savory food, we dove into the banana leaf parcels for a surprise. We were never disappointed with the food we ate on the island, so this tiny adventure wasn't so scary. To our delight, it was resap ayam betut, an Indonesian grilled chicken with peanuts and spicy chili sambal and lemongrass side. It was so good we had a few during our time in the lounge.

We passed over the odd grouping of western-looking sandwiches while perusing the dessert side of the mini bar. A handful of different petit-fours and tarts were for the tasting. It might have been the over-indulging on the spicy food, but the sweets left us unsatisfied.

In all, the lounge served its purpose for a relaxing place to sit. Unfortunately, the residual fumes from the smoking-room crept into the main lounge and made the experience less pleasant. We are sensitive to cultural difference, but would have also enjoyed the option for having a Bintang or glass of wine. Hopefully, with a completely refurbished terminal to be completed by the middle of 2013, a fresh new lounge with plenty of space and amenities will be a priority.

[Photos: Rayme Gorniak/Jaunted]