In Reply to: Hire car, Kuta, Lovina , east coast ? posted by hools on Friday, 28. March 2008 at 18:54 Bali Time:
...Greetings, Hools!! First off I would say, Lose the motorcycle idea!!! You want to have SOME fun on your vacation, right?? But a car is another matter; just do it!! But take it easy!!!! Keep on the left, let everyone who wants to pass you do so. The beeping all around you is meant as friendly warnings. After a few hours you'll have the hang of it and you can relax a bit. Finding the way north is also NO PROBLEM; I would recommend via Bedugul, but there are other possibilities. The biggest hassle will be getting out of Kuta. Once your out, easy-peasy. Now for the long bit. Hools, if you really want to do something different this time, then why are you simply making the rounds of Beach resorts,where you will meet all the same kinds of people, doing all the same kinds of things, eating all the same kinds of food? Be genuinely "dangerous" and skip Amed and/or Candi Dasa and spend 1-2 nights in Tirtagangga. There are a number of homestays, but I think best for you would be either Puri Sawah or else Tirta Ayu [the second is located within the grounds of the (former) Royal Bathing Pools.] In any case, go eat once at Puri Sawah, chat with the owner, (a countryman of yours), sit in their little Pavilion middle of the rice-fields, and order the Chicken Wings in Honey-Lemon Chilli sauce. There are 4-5 tables, but kick your shoes off and sit at the raised table in the corner. Relax and listen to the water trickling thru the irrigation canals. Try lunch in Warung Rijasa; real Balinese food!!(Nasi Campur, 12,000 Rupiah) Contact Ketut Kuta. A great guy and an excellent guide!! Tell him his friend from Amsterdam told you to contact 'Mr. Casanova'. He'll know who you mean. ; He'll take you for nice treks through the jungle. If you arrive on a Friday, have him take you into Karengasem for the big Saturday morning Pasar (the people will be VERY surprised to see you!!) Visit the Puri, the royal household. Karengasem was once the most powerful Kingdom in Bali, and they owned Lombok as well. Walk up the hill and sit at the little roadside warung that will give you one of Bali's most spectacular views!! You can also descend the stone stairway and become part of the scenery yourself. Take the short drive further north and stop by the Berina rice fields for some righteous ooh-ing and ah-ing. Take a dip in Royal Pool and see how THAT feels. Warning: NO nite-life!!!!!!! Bintangs are available, but maybe not really ice-cold. Very few tourists around, these days. Night time is very quiet, but a good book will get you thru it. Best of luck Hools, and if you do decide to follow my advice, I'd be really curious to hear how it all went. Cheers.