Posted by Shane on Sunday, 7. February 1999 at 16:17 Bali Time:
We had spent weeks preparing for our trip to Bali by scanning Bali Forum daily and the information gleaned was invaluable. Restaurants recomended here such as La Lucciola were superb and the coffee and cakes at Kafe Teras in the Bali Rani hotel were something to yearn for after 4 weeks of delicious but unusual Indonesian fare.Other surprise additions to the list are Pantarei Mediterranean Restaurant on Jl Raya Seminyak for ambience and gt. cuisine, Kura Kura in the same area for people watching and snacks, Aromas on Jl. Legian for superb croissants,lassy and unusual fruit drinks. Most of the traditional warungs serve iced fruit drinks and a range of Indonesian cuisine at a fraction of the prices of their counterparts on the main shopping streets but be cautious as some are not entirely hygienic. We bought many delicious take-away meals from a small warung next door to the Garden View cottages on Jl Padma Utara, Legian.
The entire family needed haircuts at various times so we trie d a number of Salons and every single one was a great success. Johnny 's Salon at Legian Kelod 363, Komp Si Doi Plaza was our introduction to Balinese head massage ( not for the faint-hearted , but great afterwards !) The Balinese are tremendous artists and that applies to everything including their hair styling techniques. Route 66 Salon on Jl. Double Six was another great find , their beautician was also very competant and the massage gentle and thoroughly enjoyable. In Ubud we discovered the Nur Salon which specialises in traditional Balinese healing massage using various herbs supposed to be excellant.
Trips to a number of temples were somewhat marred by the constant niggling of hawkers. It is a good idea to go fully armed with your own sarongs and ceremonial ties as this eliminates the first problem . Uluwatu was magnificent but the monkeys there steal everything not tied down including sunglasses. We learnt to deal with the hawkers throughout Bali by ignoring them, making no eye contact and never speaking to them unless we were genuinley interested in the goods for sale. There is absolutely no need to be rude as they are simply trying to make a living and soon disappear if you show no interest. A larger number of beggers than before seem to hang around Jl. Legian and Raya Seminyak at night , generally with tiny babies in tow. A rather depressing sight but small- change is all they are after and often old tennis balls and pens for the children will bring a smile to their faces. Theft seems to be an ever increasing problem and we were unfortunate enough to have a wallet taken from a handbag in Denpasar which contained passport, credit-card, travellers-cheques etc. A word of advice to all travellers, write down the numbers of T\C as you use them. Have your passport number, date and place of issue, your arrival card and the name and telephone number of your embassy kept separate from your wallet and passport and preferably leave your passport and wallet in safe-keeping at the hotel only removing small amounts of cash for daily use. The police are always polite but will require a cxash handout before parting with their Report. Ask for a receipt for the cash and they might change their minds. This also applies to the traffic police who seem to stop every foreigner on principle. Keep 20,000 rp. in a pocket for the occassion! We were stopped 3 times in one trip to Denpasar. Always wear helmets when on motorbikes and carry an international drivers licence on every journey. Note:- Traffic lights are often behind the white stopping line and quite frequently hidden in the foliage of trees, an ideal lurking spot for traffic cops.
Ubud and the surrounding area is quiet and beautiful after the bustle of Kuta. We were lucky enough to find the Alam Indah villas in Nyuhkuning village, a 5 min. drive from the centre of Ubud.Set in magnificent gardens overlooking rice paddies and a gorge they have to be one of my treasured memories of Bali.All the villas are decorated in traditional Balinese style although with European bathroom facilities .Enormous teak beds encased in mosquito netting on the verandahs are for balmy nights and meals provided by the Cafe Wayan are often served at the outdoor setting there. Fellow guestvillas are discreetly hidden behind banks of lush foliage, all in all a great experience.Tel\fax 62 361 974629.
The Ubud area is crammed with some of Balis best artists. The surrounding villages are renowned for their silver and gold smiths, sculptors and artists amnd many of the shops in Ubud sell their work. The Market on the main street opens at about 5.30am. and needs at least a couple of hours to be fully enjoyed.Everything from handwoven Ikat to T.shirts and electrical goods are available there at some of the best prices in Bale and bargaining is easy andenjoyable.
Ubud is a good starting point for White-wter rafting. We chose the Bali Adventure group and spent an enjoyable afternoon taking in the scenery along the river.
From Ubud we headed off to Trawangan Island via the slow ferry which leaves from Paddangbai (about20,000rp p.p ). The latter was a bad mistake as 4 hours on that rattletrap was enough to kill all enthusiasm for the islands.It is noisy , dirty and most uncomfortable but if the US20 for the Mabua Express (the fast ferry ) is too great then take something soft to sit on because on an overcast day the top deck or stairs down into the hold are your best bet.
On Gili Trawangan we were fortunate enough to stay at Vila Ombak which has first class accommodation in the form of Lumbungs and bungalows set in beautiful gardens on the beachfront. The restaurant there was also a treat. Coral gardens on the eastern side of the island provide constant entertainment to snorkellers and the trips to Turtle House offered by Dino v. worthwhile. For teenagers this has to be the perfect holiday venue as the restaurants all start showing pirated movies at 3.30 pm. and continue throughout the evening until parties start at Rudi's .
Just a few other hints before signing off. Ladies take tissues with you when shopping ( especially in Denpasar) as the toilets are starting-block style and never have toilet paper !For Bali Belly try the local medicine S.G. Tablets as they are very effective.
Hope this has been of some use to someone out there .