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Bali - Do, Stay, Eat?
Posted by Ed (429 days ago)
SUNSET
- have a drink and watch the 'in' crowd at Ku De Ta bar
- have a drink at the new Anantara hotel's roof top bar
- take the drive to Tanah Lot temple and enjoy the view
BEDUGOL (located in the centre of the island)
- take the kids to the rope course at Tree Tops and Botanical Gardens (quite a challenge for adults too)
- check out one of the many spice farms
- drop by the market to buy fresh organic strawberries
- definitely visit the twin water falls and swing into the cooling water on the tarzan rope
MOUNT BATUR (also in the centre of the island NE)
- unbelievable views - stop at one of the restaurants overlooking this volcano that last erupted in the 60's
- spend a couple of hours in the hot springs
UBUD
- do some shopping for handicrafts, jewelery etc...
- check out the monkey park and zoo
- have lunch at one of the hotels with views over the river (my favourite is Bambu Indah - one of the best views in a rustic setting and the chef is unbelievable - but you have to place your order a couple of hours in advance - try the grilled bbq chicken)
JIMBARAN
- enjoy a fresh seafood dinner on the beach
(I am based in Hong Kong)
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Posted by Dive bum (428 days ago)
DIVE
- see beautiful soft/hard corals and macro life in Padang Bai
- sharks, great underwater scenary and the occasional Mola Mola in Candi Dasa
- super drift dives, Mola Mola, Mantas in Nusa Penida
- a pretty large wreck very close to shore with lots of reef fish, occasional sharks, macro life, huge parrot fish at Tulamben
SANUR
- lots of cheaper hotels on the beach (more US$70 than the US$400+ of Jimbaran)
- mooch along the beach footpath that runs for a few miles. Stop for a cool beer and ridiculously cheap lunch en route
- wake to views of Mount Agung in the distance
- don't get disturbed by loud bars/clubs
DRIVE
- around the island (get a proper guide)
- check out the fab views of rice fields, mountains, lakes etc
- visit temples (Besakih, 'the Mother temple' is very impressive and also provides excellent views), Tanah Lot is a short but interesting walk from Le Meridien hotel - relatively cheap with nice gardens and pool, also has a good gold course and fab views of the sea crashing against the cliff
BUY
- wood carvings
- statues/furniture and get them shipped
- paintings (we especially like Keliki miniatures - easy to transport...)
- Ubud and surrounding villages are probably best for this
DRINK
- Bintang beer, of course (much like Heinekin)
EAT
- Lots of nasi goreng (seems to have improved hugely over the past 8 years we've been visiting)
- Satays/sates with satay/sate sauce (yum, yum)
- Roast duck or suckling pig
DON'T
- stay in your hotel compound all day waiting for the next buffet to start
- step on the lovely offerings that abound on streets, near shop entrances, if you can help it
- lose your humour when bargaining for cheap batik sarongs or a snorkel trip on the reef...but DO bargain
(I am based in Hong Kong)
Posted by Ed (55 days ago)
You must:
- talk the short walk through the rice fields to Sari Organic restaurant - spend the afternoon lounging on the day beds, enjoy the view, read a book, and get healthy with tasty organic dishes
- if you are on a budget - or if you just want something other than 5 star... stay in one of the 3 rooms at Sawah Sunrise - brand spanking new overlooking the rice fields just up from Sari Organic - and only 30 bucks a night - this is one of the views you get http://www.flickr.com/photos/tourtobali/3756701973/
One of my favourite places in Bali - and in sharp contrast to Sari Organic - is Naughty Nuri's Warung & Grill - or as I refer to it 'Cheers' on Steroids... follow the smoke billowing onto the street and you'll have found one of Bali's most famous institutions. This wooden grill shack in Ubud that served as the 'unofficial Obama election HQ' smacks of character, or should I say characters. On any given day you'll find a mix of the famous, and not so famous as eclectic expats and the occasional celebrity (Anthony Bourdain, Donna Karan, and Dolph Lundgren to name a few have indulged in Nuri's fabled martinis) crowd around tables to enjoy the ice-cold beer, tasty burgers, ribs and a laugh or two.
These two restaurants are musts if you are making your way to Ubud.
(I am based in Hong Kong)
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