Photo of the Day: Pasar Maja Langu

by Barrie | June 17th, 2011   Tweet

A great time to check out a shopping fiesta in Bali is the day following Nyepi. This day is a Balinese holiday known as Ngembak Geni. On this day all shops that are Balinese owned are closed with the only shops being open are those owned by traders from other islands.

What is special about this day is the Pasar Maja Langu on the beaches from Tuban up to Seminyak. Here, the traders are allowed to sell their goods on the beach. This once a year event is fabulous and always popular with the locals and domestic tourists as well as those from overseas. It’s a great family event with the market open from morning until late at night. Besides the great shopping, there are stalls set up selling food and drinks, and in general, it is a fabulous family-orientated atmosphere.

Handicrafts at Centro Discovery Mall – Tuban

by Barrie | June 17th, 2011   Tweet

Centro Discovery Mall in Tuban has evolved into one of the best shopping complexes on the island. There are not many tourists to the island that dislike the place as it offers an excellent choice of restaurants, coffee shops and stores. It also affords spectacular ocean views from the rear of the building.

Little by little over the years a new shop or restaurant has been added, another bank installed in the complex making it a delightful place to spend a few hours, or in some cases with over-enthusiastic shoppers, a whole day. If you are one of those people who really can’t be bothered trudging around traditional markets or down sidestreets searching for handicrafts and the ilk, then Centro has you covered.

On the ground floor off to one side you will find an expanse of handicrafts for sale. Okay, you will pay a lot more here than you would say, on the streets, but it’s hassle-free shopping and then after, head upstairs for something to eat or perhaps, a coffee or beer. Ideal place for the lazy shopper. Hey, that’s me!

Yet Another Warning for Travellers to Bali

by Barrie | June 13th, 2011   Tweet

It was only at the beginning of the year travellers were warned about a Legionnaires disease and now it has risen again with the Australian Government issuing a ‘Please be careful’ advice to all travellers to Bali. In the article that appeared in the West Australian newspaper on the weekend, several returning travellers to Australia have been hospitalised.

Legionnaires is a deadly disease and the warning should not be taken lightly by any tourist. Of course, and as always, the Bali Health Department is right on the ball with this matter. The disease is commonly contracted, or so thought, by unclean air-conditioning. Cooling towers in large buildings are a breeding ground. Read the article and take heed of the notice.

Accommodation in Candi Dasa

by Barrie | June 7th, 2011   Tweet

The most underrated part of Bali has to be Candi Dasa. It is a peaceful enclave that once was a tourist stronghold, but, slipped as a major tourist destination on the island for a while. Thankfully this beautiful place is having a resurge in popularity. Candi Dasa has so much to offer the traveller. Besides the beautiful beaches, markets and arty shops, Candi Dasa has some stunning sunsets.

Candi Dasa has excellent accommodation in all the price ranges, some of the best restaurants on the island, and it is ideally located for visiting some of the greatest attractions Bali has to offer. It’s only a short ride to places like the Bali Aga village of Tenganan, the scenic beauty of Gunung Agung, the Tirtagangga Water Palace at Amlapura, and many more.

Here are just a few places that will make your stay in Candi Dasa a pleasant one:

Alila Manggis
Candi Beach Cottages
The Watergarden
Rama Candi Dasa
Puri Bagus
Kubu Bali
Ashyana Candi Dasa
Alam Asmara Dive Resort
The Nirwana Resort & Spa
Villa Sasoon

The Potato Head Club in Seminyak

by Barrie | May 30th, 2011   Tweet

Bali is one of those destinations that is ideal for budget travellers with accommodation to suit and places to eat that don’t scare the shit out of your wallet. Bali also is a fabulous place for those who are, shall we say, less worried about money. The constant infrastructure in Bali lends itself to both of these travellers.

It never ceases to amaze me at the amount of new hotels being built, restaurants opening and the number of places where you can rage-your-bum off and rock n’ roll to your heart’s delight. New places of entertainment such as the recently opened Potato Head Club in Seminyak.

I read about this amazing new place in a newspaper today and although not as good as Ku De Ta, it certainly gives the place a run for its money, so to speak According to the article: The facade of this towering venue is pretty cool. Designed by Indonesia’s architect-of-the-moment, Andra Matin, the exterior of the horseshoe-shaped amphitheatre is covered in more than 12,000 vintage teak shutters, recycled from Dutch colonial-era buildings scattered across the Indonesian archipelago.

Then there are the amazing flavours bursting from Potato Head’s dishes and cocktails such as the Kookaburra, which boasts an exciting mix of lemongrass- infused gin, vanilla, lemon juice and delicious passionfruit foam.

Potato Head Beach Club is located on Jalan Petitenget, Seminyak.

Website: http://www.ptthead.com

33rd Bali Arts Festival

by Barrie | May 31st, 2011   Tweet

Starting on the 11th June and going through until the 9th July, the Bali Arts Festival will prove to be bigger and better than previous years. The Bali Arts Festival opens with its traditional Grand Parade in downtown Denpasar scheduled to kick-off at 2:00 pm on Saturday, June 11, 2011.

The festival is a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions and other related cultural activities. If you have yet to see this on your visits to Bali then do so; it is a cultural experience not to be missed and considering all the events during the festival are located in Denpasar, then getting there will be no problem.

The Bali Arts Festival is an event not to be missed by lovers of Balinese culture and for families, it makes a great few days out for the kids as well as being a learning experience for them.

Here is a full programme of the entire festival courtesy of Bali Discovery.

Image Courtesy: lleidapatina.com

Photo of the Day: Pura Ulu Danau Bratan

by Barrie | May 29th, 2011   Tweet

The two most photographed places on the island of Bali undoubtedly are the sea temple of Pura Tanah Lot and the other, Pura Ulun Danau Bratan located 2 hours north of Kuta on the shores of Lake Bratan. The temple is one of Bali’s kayangan jagat or directional temples and protects Bali from evil spirits but for the visiting tourist or traveller, it is a surreal and pleasant place.

Pura Ulun Danau Bratan was built in 1633 by the raja of Mengwi on the western shore of Lake Bratan. Dewi Danu, who is the Goddess of water and fertility, is the honoured deity. The temple itself sits in well manicured gardens and attracts local and foreign visitors. The two obvious part of the temple are the structures set on land and the ones set on a point, extending into the lake.

Photo of the Day: Surfers at Senggigi Beach – Lombok

by Barrie | June 5th, 2011   Tweet

On my last visit to Lombok we decided to upmarket our accommodation a tad from our usual homestay tradition and chose the Sengggi Beach Hotel. The long stretch of stunning coastline 10 klms north of Ampenan known as Senggigi Beach is in reality the tourist centre of the island of Lombok.

Dotted along the coast are numerous luxury resorts and all manner of accommodation to suit the traveller and tourist alike. But it was on one occasion shortly before sunset I noticed surfers walking along the beach toting their boards. I soon found out why. Opposite the hotel, around 250 yards offshore was a perfect break. The annoying thing was I left my telephoto lens back in the room and sunset was close and so I made the best of it.

A Few More Festivals in Bali

by Barrie | June 3rd, 2011   Tweet

Bali, being tourism generated, has a lot of festivals throughout the year just like the Bali Arts Festival I wrote about in a previous article. A majority of these festivals are excellent for families on holiday in Bali and most are a definite must-see mainly because of what they have to offer.

Of course the Balinese have their own festivals relating to their culture and religion such as Kuningan and Galungan to name just two, as well as temple festivals. All of these festivals are fabulous for tourists to see. However, the special festivals geared towards tourists occur during different months of the year. Here is just a selection in no particular order.

Ubud Readers and Writers Festival: The Festival is an annual-ongoing event, held each October, in a month that commemorates the first Bali bombing. This festival is the largest and most prestigious literary gathering in the South-East Asian region and is recognised as being one of the most important artistic and cultural festivals in Indonesia.

What I like about the festival is that is has so much to offer. There is a wide range of writing related workshops for adults such as travel writing, writing for the media, editing and publishing, memoir writing, short story writing and novel writing.

Denpasar Street Festival: This festival occurs on the 31st December every year. What’s cool about this festival is that not only are the parks and public places used for exhibitions and the ilk, the streets are also utilised creating one huge party atmosphere. The good thing about having the festival in Denpasar is that is will showcase all the fabulous things one can see and do in this bustling city.

Nusa Dua Festival: Occurring in August, the Nusa Dua Festival is a week-long event centered around the Nusa Dua Resort and is a definite must-see for families visiting Bali. Like so many other festivals throughout the year, it features many Balinese attractions including singing, dancing and eating as well as numerous stalls selling all manner of goods

Bali Kite Festival: The annual Bali Kite Festival is held near Sanur Beach during the month of July and this year it will be the 22nd – 24th. The three-day event showcases kites in all shapes and colours from around the world. Other attractions include a traditional gamelan orchestra providing music and a host of other entertainment. Some of these traditional giant kites measure around four metres in width.

Kuta Carnival: This carnival is held on Kuta Beach and is one of the best for kids of all ages and parents. It’s a great family atmosphere and includes a host of events. Balinese arts, cartoon exhibitions, movie screenings, Balinese food, sand sculpture competitions and lots more.

Kuta Sidewalk Festival: Held on the 17th August every year which is the date of Indonesia’s Independence Day. The Balinese celebrate this important date by putting on a 3-day sidewalk festival in Kuta. There is an array of events occurring during this festival and they include sidewalk stalls, traditional culture presentations, Balinese arts and crafts, a food bazaar and games for the kid and even cooking competitions. Another great family festival.