RTW TP Run in Jan 2026: Day 12 – Early Morning in Denpasar, Bali

By Nige on January 29, 2026 at 12:36 pm
Type: Post
Story: Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026 Category: Travel
Tags: Denpasar | Hilton

I’d made a comfortable start to the night, but I woke just after midnight with far too many thoughts racing around my head.

I tried again around 2am, but eventually gave in to the pull of staying awake. I knew I’d have to do my best to catch up on sleep during the flight back to Hong Kong later that day.

One of the distractions was the opportunity to watch my beloved Liverpool complete their Champions League round-robin phase at home against Qarabag. Kick-off back in the UK was 8pm, which translated to 4am in Bali.

A thumping 6–0 win went down very nicely, and I took the chance to grab another hour’s sleep before breakfast. My watch alarm eventually dragged me back into the day.

Breakfast was just as good as it had been the previous morning. One member of staff remembered that I liked a large latte and made one for me without prompting. Another appeared shortly afterwards with a small plate of two macarons, complete with a label thanking me for being a Diamond member.

That was genuinely lovely — exactly the kind of thoughtful service I dream of.

After breakfast, I headed out for my now-essential Starbucks run, walking down to the airport. It was pleasantly cool, though still unmistakably humid. As I walked, I took note of how lush everything looked and how friendly people were.

I also found myself appreciating just how well public spaces were maintained. The streets were clean and tidy, which made wandering around all the more enjoyable.

This time I visited the Starbucks just outside Domestic Arrivals. It was a nicer-looking store, although the staff weren’t quite as warm as those I’d encountered previously.

With checkout not until midday, I still had plenty of time to get myself organised.

The night before, I’d identified issues with the Cathay Pacific online check-in system.

It insisted that I needed visas for both Indonesia and Japan, neither of which was required prior to arrival.

In the end, I persuaded the system to cooperate by registering the same Indonesian D1 visa for both countries. That allowed me to check in for the flights to Hong Kong and Jakarta, though it still refused to let me check in for the onward Japan Airlines flight.

In reality, I wasn’t entering Japan on this occasion anyway. Tokyo Narita was simply the starting point for my second, nested RTW ticket — though I accepted that this level of nuance was beyond what Cathay Pacific’s system could reasonably be expected to handle.

As I packed up and prepared to head back to the airport, I reflected on just how good my stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Denpasar Airport had been. Every member of staff I’d encountered had been friendly, attentive, and genuinely helpful.

It was easily one of the best stays I’d had at any Hilton property.

And it was reassuring to know that I’d be back again for one more night in just a few days’ time.

Next up: My flight from Denpasar (DPS) to Hong Kong (HKG) on Day 12 of my Round The World trip of a lifetime.

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Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026