Sunday, May 27, 2007

THE BALI RESTAURANT GUIDE

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

We try to cover all places serving traditional Balinese food and the best of international cuisine in Bali. If you don't find the name of a restaurant which has been recommended to you by someone, this doesn't mean we don't know about it. We try to visit ALL new restaurants and entertainment spots but only include those which we feel are good and reliable enough to list.

Our PERSONAL FAVOURITES are underlined and listed in RED. They range from cheap eateries to outstanding restaurants which would succeed anywhere in the world.
THE BALI RESTAURANT GUIDE TO SANUR

CAFE BATU JIMBAR, Jalan Danau Tamblingan No. 152, is a casual sidewalk cafe and popular with regular visitors to Sanur and expatriates who meet here for breakfast, lunch or dinner under large trees. You can choose from a number of fresh fruit juices, healthy salads and light dishes; the vegetables and herbs are grown at the owner's farm near Bedugul. In the back of the outdoor restaurant is a good book shop which carries also international newspapers.

The air-conditioned KAFE WAYANG, Komplek Sanur Raya No. 12 - 14 at the By-Pass opposite the Radisson Hotel, has become quite popular during lunch time. Local business people enjoy the relaxing (indoor) tropical garden setting, the creative Asian and Mediterranean cuisine, and the excellent desserts. From 4 p.m. until late you can also choose from a variety of tasty "Tapas". Friday night is Jam Session from 9:00 p.m. – see Bali after Dark.

TELAGA NAGA (operated by the Bali Hyatt hotel in Sanur and located right opposite the hotel on the main road) has a beautiful garden setting with ponds and ducks, bridges, pavilions, and usually well prepared Chinese food. Try the "Smoked Duck". The birds served here are imported from the United States and have – unlike their Asian relatives – a lot of tender meat. I can also recommend the Chicken in Sesame Sauce (in many places known as 'Bon Bon Chicken'), the Hot & Sour Soup, and their Scallops in Black Bean Sauce. Expect to pay hotel prices, i.e. dinner for two around US$50 to US$60 with some beer but without wine.

Also relatively new for Sanur (although established in Seminyak and Kuta for some time already, see reviews below) is the open-air GATEWAY OF INDIA, Jalan Danau Tamblingan a bit South of the Bali Hyatt hotel and on the same side of the road. The Indian food here is delicious and irresistable, and it cannot be compared with any other restaurant in Sanur claiming to serve food from the sub-continent. The setting here is more pleasant than their other two branches, and prices are reasonable. For details please turn to the review of the Seminyak branch further down.

A great place for reasonably priced Thai Food is the MEZZANINE at Puri Santrian in Sanur. The Thai Chef Supachai definitely knows what he is doing, and we really enjoy his Beef Salad, Thom Yam Goong and other dishes. But talk to him personally to place your order and specify how spicy you like it. Expect to pay around 150,000 Rupiah per person without drinks.

The SANUR BEACH MARKET restaurant at the end of Jalan Segara serves from noon to 9:00 or 10.00 p.m. a choice of Indonesian, Chinese and Balinese dishes with an emphasis on seafood. Great location, good food in an unpretentious setting, and reasonable prices. For real local flavor, visit BABI GULING GIANYAR on the By-Pass near the SPLASH BAKERY between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. This very simple restaurant serves the most delicious "Babi Guling" (roasted suckling pig, a famous specialty of the town of Gianyar) for 4,500 Rupiah per portion. Around 7:00 p.m. they are usually sold out!

Bali's most popular host is back! After having to leave KOKI because of a dispute with the local owner, personable Austrian Olaf Aistleitner and some of his excellent staff can be found nowadays at the air-conditioned ARENA Sports Cafe at Jalan By-Pass No. 115 in Sanur, close to and on the same side as McDonalds. The original small and very basic pub has been redecorated and a separate, more quiet restaurant section, a large bar and a billiard room have been added, and Olaf continues to serve large portions of his excellent home-cooking like "mother used to make it" (wish I had a mother cooking like this). The menu has been expanded to list now about 80 dishes from countries such as Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, Holland, Norway, Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, India, Japan and more.

Start your meal with an Italian Octopuss Salad, Japanese Tuna Sashimi, Australian Rock Oysters, Feta Cheese or Smoked Salmon; then continue with Austrian Beef Goulash with Spaetzle, Beef Fillet Forestier with sauted Portabella mushrooms, pepper sauce, cranberry gelee and potato croquettes, Chilli Basil Squidd, Fillet of Swordfish or the delicious Fillet of Silver Dori with lemon butter or Bumbu Bali. Or order some German sausages (Nürnberger, Weisswurst, Wiener, etc), a real Grilled Pork Knuckle (about 1.5 kg) or Pork Kidneys in a delicious creme sauce, followed by some unforgettable desserts such as Apple Strudle, Creme Caramel, Tiramisu, Ice Cream Napoli etc.

Whatever you order, there will never be a reason to complain. Regular guests are mostly expatriates including many Chefs of Bali's leading hotels. Prices are very reasonable ranging from about 25,000 Rupiah to 96,000 Rupiah (for a huge fillet steak weighing 400 grams). Beer (Bintang, Foster, Corona and a number of German and Belgian beers), all kinds of spirits, cocktails and a growing choice of wines from Australia, Europe and Chile are also reasonably priced. See you there!

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THE BALI RESTAURANT GUIDE TO KUTA
(incl. Tuban, Legian, Seminyak, Kerobokan, etc)

The largest number and variety of restaurants is located in this area stretching over about 4 to 6 miles from the airport to Basangkasa further North, and the following list covers just a few of my personal favorites:-

KETUPAT, Jalan Legian Raya 109 in Kuta, serves a great variety of specialties in very pleasant surroundings. The menu includes traditional Balinese food and dishes from all parts of the archipelago. You find different soups, chicken, beef, duck, lamb, seafood and vegetarian delicacies from Bali, Sumatra, Jawa, Sulawesi, Maluku, and other parts of Indonesia. In addition to the usual pork, beef, and chicken 'Sate' you find here barbecued skewers with goat meat, prawns, tuna, squid, and even 'Sate Lilit' with minced crab or duck meat. Seafood lovers can choose from different preparations of lobster, crabs, prawns, calamari and all kinds of fresh fish. Vegetarians will enjoy salads and tasty main courses with beans, potatoes, spinach, bean sprouts, young fern leaves, etc. The menu features photographs and explanations of each dish. Expect to pay about 80,000 to 120,000 Rupiah per person which is not cheap for Bali. But don't forget, this is real Indonesian 'haute cuisine' (which you normally only can find in some private homes but never in restaurants), well presented, and served in surroundings which will please most visitors.

MADE'S WARUNG on Jalan Pantai in central Kuta near the Bemo Corner has been an institution in Kuta since the early 70's. This has been THE place to see and be seen for nearly 30 years. In the early days, MADE'S was the only 'after-hours' place in Kuta. They kept selling toilet paper, mosquito curls, snack food and drinks until 8:00 p.m. in the evening when everybody else closed around 7:00 p.m. The owners Peter and Made opened in August 1996 a new, quite similar but larger and more comfortable MADE'S WARUNG in Basangkasa on the way to the Oberoi Hotel (see below).

Hidden away a few meters down the narrow lane next to the original MADE'S WARUNG is UN'S PARADISE RESTAURANT. In a pleasant garden setting you can enjoy well-prepared Swiss and Italian specialties such as Carpaccio, Gnocchi, Ravioli, tender imported steaks, fish, prawns, and a few vegetarian dishes. Our favourites are the pepper steak and the entrecote – both served with delicious sauces – and the seared tuna in dill sauce! Main courses range from 60,000 to 100,000 Rupiah. There is a small choice of wines, many liqueurs and cocktails, special coffees and teas, and even Balinese Arak and Brem. A live band entertains diners, and many guests at the horse shoe bar come just for a chat with the Swiss owner Peter Erni.

Really close by and near the Bemo Corner on Jalan Pantai Kuta No. 11B (across Jalan Legian to the North) is a branch of GATEWAY OF INDIA which serves delicious Indian food in very simple surroundings at acceptable prices (for details read the review of the Seminyak branch further down).

POPPIES restaurant on Poppies Gang (lane) nearby has also been well-established for over 25 years. In a beautiful garden setting you can choose from a number of Asian and Western dishes including, soups, curries, lobster and steaks. It's very pleasant for a leisurely lunch in the shade of large trees, but in the evenings the place tends to become crowded with tourist groups. The food was never outstanding, and recently the prices have been increased considerably.

TJ'S Mexican Restaurant, also on Poppies Gang, has become an institution over the years and is well-known for tasty food, good music, excellent margaritas and strawberry daiquiris, and to meet regulars around the far corner of the long bar. Pleasant garden setting, good service, great salads.

KORI Restaurant & Bar, hidden away in nearby Poppies II Lane, offers comfortable open-air seating in pleasant surroundings (tropical garden with several ponds, nice decoration and atmosphere). Service is attentive, and the menu lists specialties from many countries such as Indonesian Satays, Thai beef salad, Thom Yam, and Green Chicken Curry, Singapore Chilli Crab, Australian beef steaks, tuna steaks, beef burgers, pork chops, Caesar salad, and Italian pasta. There is a good choice of desserts (from Balinese Black Rice Pudding to Bavarian Vanilla Cheese Cake), and they have several kinds of delicious home-baked breads with a crunchy crust. Good food, nice presentation, large portions and a good, reasonably priced wine list. (KORI is also home of the Bali Wine Club, a group of 24 expat businessmen who meet here on the last Friday of each month for lunch and to enjoy selected wines.) They offer to park your car a few hundred meters away as you cannot leave it in the narrow, often congested lane.

POCO LOCO, Jalan Padma Utara in Legian, has two sometimes busy bars on different levels and offers a choice of Mexican dishes, good salmon steaks and other grill items, a delicious but very heavy "Muddy Mud Pie". Tequila shooters are served by the walking "Mini-Bar", and there is good music and a lively atmosphere. The restaurant is open daily for dinner from 6 p.m. until about midnight. The "in-crowd" arrives after 9 p.m.

The small air-conditioned sushi bar RYOSHI, Jalan Raya Seminyak 17 (with branches in Jalan Melasti in Kuta as well as in Sanur and Ubud) serves Sashimi, Sushi, Tempura, Miso soup, and other Japanese dishes at low prices. It's interior is simple but comfortable, and the restaurant is often crowded during meal times. The larger TAKE, Jalan Patih Jelantik (the small road between Kuta and Jalan Imam Bonjol) with a second branch in Jalan Padma, offers a wider choice of well-prepared specialties from various areas of Japan. For good Sashimi or Teppanyaki, Shabu-Shabu and Sukiyaki prepared at your table visit either the KURUMAYA at the Bali Padma Hotel in Legian (Tuesday nights "All You Can Eat"), or the smaller but more elegant TEPPANYAKI restaurant at the Japanese managed Bali Imperial Hotel in Seminyak.

KUNI's Japanese Restaurant is located at Jalan Laksmana No. 80. When you enter this modern open-air restaurant through the lounge you pass the bar and a small sushi counter. Dining tables are well-spaced with most of them on the open terrace and some tables in the narrow garden with Frangipani trees and Hibiscus. Choose from small but beautifully presented servings of Sashimi, delicious Spicy Tuna Rolls (a new experience even for Japanese), Beef Shabu Shabu Salad, Tempura, fried Kushiyaki skewers with chicken, chicken liver, sliced ox tongue etc, grilled sardines or swordfish, or Sukiyaki from Australian beef. There is also a choice of noodle and rice dishes including Unadon (with grilled eel). The set dinner for 90,000 Rupiah ++ per person (minimum three guests) with 10 courses is especially good value. All dishes are well-prepared and presented, and the service from the Japanese manager and the local staff is attentive, very friendly and professional. Green tea, Japanese beer and sake are offered as expected, but there is also a small choice of wines from Australia and Chile. Monday closed.

The Japanese BLUEFIN Restaurant in Jalan Kartika Plaza opposite the KUTA PARADISO hotel serves excellent fusion cuisine in modern surroundings. The large menu lists many creative and delicious sushi rolls, foie gras and all traditional Japanese dishes. Specialties include Chilli Ayo, a combination of baked scallops, shrimps and squid topped with a chilli mayonaise and fish roe, Dobin Mushi, a clear mushroom-seafood soup, and there are Sushi Rolls filled with cab salad, eel, shrimps, squid, salmon, tuna, lobster, avocado, cucumber and even liver pate and cream cheese! Main courses include steak, seafood combination plates, lobster etc. In addition to Western deserts there are Red Bean and Green Tea Ice Creams. The wine list is small but acceptable, seating is equally comfortable at the few tables or at the Sushi bar, and the service is attentive. BLUEFIN has immediately become one of our regular places. (Other Japanese restaurants to check are INAGIKU located in its own Japanese style building in the garden of the Grand Hyatt Resort in Nusa Dua or the cozy Japanese restaurant at the Bali Cliff Resort.)

The "new" (opened in 1996) MADE'S WARUNG in Basangkasa on the way to the Oberoi Hotel offers a wide choice of dishes (on the menu and on notes on the walls) from many parts of the world: local "Nasi Campur" (a mini rijsttafel) and Gado Gado, Japanese Sashimi, their own version of a Thai "Tom Yam" soup, good prawn and squid dishes, pasta, acceptable steaks, etc), plus a variety of cakes, delicious home-made coconut ice-cream, fresh fruit juices and good Capuchino (served either hot or iced). Try the "Arak Madu" or "Arak Lemon di Blender" (the local rice liquor with either just honey, or with honey and lemon, prepared in a blender). They offer also a choice of imported wines at reasonable prices. From morning to late night you'll see many regulars who've been coming to Bali since Peter (the Dutch owner) and his Balinese wife Made started their first "Warung" in the center of Kuta in the early 70's. Have a look at the various shops adjacent to the restaurant, too.

Thai food is served in the air-conditioned KIN KHAO Thai Restaurant, Jalan Raya Seminyak. However, their "Thom Yam Gung", Fried Fish Cakes, Green Papaya Salad, Spring Rolls, a Green Chicken Curry, and "Hormok" (steamed mixed seafood) are recently lacking the spiciness and character of real Thai food – although you can specify when ordering how you'd like your food. Most dishes are 30,000 to 60,000 Rupiah. The same owners operate the larger, more luxurious branch in Jalan Kartika Plaza. The food there is equally "touristy", and the prices are about 50% higher than in Seminyak

The GOLDEN LOTUS inside the Bali Dynasty Resort in Tuban is well-known for a wide range of good Chinese dishes and 'Dim Sum' (during lunch on Sundays) which are served in comfortable hotel surroundings. The unpretentious but air-conditioned B.M.J. (Bak Mie Jakarta) restaurant, Jalan Raya Kuta No. 22 on the main road between Kuta and the airport, does serve a tasty version of the fried noodles (Bakmie) which it was named after, but I used to enjoy also their 'Dim Sum' (also called 'Yum Cha') -- a variety of small dumplings, steamed buns and other mini delights served in rattan baskets. Inside the baskets you find steamed dumplings filled with prawns and pork ('Siu Mai' and 'Har Gau'), or shark fin ('Yu Chi Gau'), crisp-fried rolls with prawns, and 'Char Siu Bau', rather filling barbecued pork buns. The prawns and other ingredients were always fresh, and the prices are about Rupiah 8,000 per basket (a fraction of what you would pay in Hong Kong or Taipei). Recently, however, the portions have become smaller, and the quality has gone down, too.

Other recommendable and more comfortable Chinese restaurants in the Kuta/Tuban area are PLAZA BALI located between the By-Pass and Jalan Raya Kuta and EMA Restaurant, upper floor at the DFS (Duty Free Shoppers) complex at the circle on Jalan By-Pass. Both serve tasty food including Dim Sum. EMA has even an English language Dim Sum menu with photos and it is a favourite of many expat residents for Sunday lunch.

The very popular LA LUCCIOLA (with a truly outstanding beach front setting next to the Petitenget temple and great views of Kuta's famous sunsets) serves a range of modern Italian specialties. Food and service have improved recently, and for dinner you'll need a reservation. Recommended for at least a "sundowner".

The long-time famous GADO GADO (at the end of Jalan Dhyana Pura) features a similar beach front location and has changed from a Disco to a restaurant again (that's how this legendary place started over 30 years ago). The setting is pleasant and the service attentive. The new menu is quite similar to the old menu at KU DE TA featuring freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters, saffran seared scallops, a sushi sashimi platter, soft shell crab on soba noodles, grilled river prawns, atlantic salmon fillet, lobster tempura, duck breast, rack of lamb, beef tenderloin, etc. as well as some vegetarian dishes which are all well prepared and presented. There are a number of desserts such as Mango Mousse, Creme Brullee or Mocca Panna Cotta. The wine list is impressive for Bali standards and starts at around 190,000 Rupiah. GADO GADO has become serious competition for other up-market restaurants in the Seminyak area. Call 736-966 to reserve a beachfront table.

Another popular eatery with an outstanding beach front location is ZANZIBAR, Jalan Pantai Arjuna – turn left at the end of Jalan Double Six. The menu lists a good choice of Western and local dishes, seafood specialties and many kinds of tasty pizza. All dishes are well prepared, prices are very reasonable (many dishes are around 30,000 Rupiah, wines start around 160,000 Rupiah), and it's often difficult to find a table on the open terrace.

In the center of Seminyak, nearly opposite Double-Six-Road at Jalan Legian 494, you'll find on the third floor TERAS or LA TERRAZZA, an Italian-run roof-top restaurant with a long bar, good drinks, sometimes too loud music, and a large, airy terrace. The friendly staff serve many (thin-crust) pizzas for 40,00 to 65,000 Rupiah.

Located about 100 meters further north is PANTEREI, a beautiful modern restaurant serving Greek specialties in comfortable surroundings. Panos Bournias, the Greek founder, has recently opened the new NERO Bali Restaurant & Bar at Jalan Legian 384 right opposite AROMAS in Kuta. NERO's design is very stylish and simplistic with modern furniture, huge mirrors, hanging plants and water features, candles and well-placed spot lights. You find on the menu appetizers such as tuna carpaccio, Thai beef salad, and a Mezze platter, and for main courses Lemon Chicken, lamb chops, cooked (not char-grilled) steaks, Middle Eastern Kebabs, and a number of seafood preparations. Imported wines start at 150,000 Rupiah, and you'll pay for a dinner for two about 100,000 to 150,000 Rupiah without drinks. They serve food until 1:30 in the morning, and the street-side bar attracts walk-in guests during the whole evening.

LA PORCHETTA Italian Grill & Seafood Restaurant is a pleasant open-air eatery on Jalan Legian near Jalan Melasti and very close to "Peanuts Disco". Australians who know these restaurants from Melbourne will love it. Nice informal style, friendly service, tasty, reasonably priced food (pasta, pizza, steaks, fish, and lobster from 30,000 to 120,000 Rupiah), but the wines are on the expensive side at 300,000 Rupiah per bottle for table wines and 580,000 Rupiah for Sparkling Wine. After 1:00 a.m. they serve only pizza, but the restaurant stays open 24 hours.

KAFE WARISAN, Jalan Raya Kerobokan, about one or two kilometers further north from Seminyak/Basangkasa, is run by the enthusiastic French chefs Said Alem and Nicolas Tourneville ("Doudou") who used to work as Chef for French Ambassadors in Indonesia and Algeria. This pleasant and trendy open-air restaurant shows attention to all details and an interesting and frequently changing menu (including a good number of vegetarian dishes). Entrees include Salmon & Tuna Tartar, Escargots served in Roasted Mushrooms, and there is even a home-made Foie Gras. You can continue with a Oriental Lamb Soup, followed by one of the pasta dishes or Duck Confit with Puy Lentils, Roasted Rack of Lamb with Baby Beans and Artichokes, Half-Grilled Baby Chicken, or Pan-fried Veal Medallions. For seafood lovers there are Grilled Tasmanian Salmon with Mushroom Fricassee, Prawn and Butterfish Meli Melo, or a Scallops and Mushroom Fricassee with Creamy Spinach and Saffron Veloute. To finish your meal you can choose either Créme Bruleé, Chocolate Mousse with Poached Pear, or Frozen Almond Souffleé. On the drink list you find a number of drinkable French wines from 190,000 to 450,000 Rupiah, a good choice of cocktails, five different kinds of tea, Espresso, Capuchino, and Bali Coffee. Service is attentive, and prices are very reasonable (a three-course dinner for two will cost you about 400,000 to 500,000 Rupiah – and more if you add a bottle of wine). The "new" KAFE WARISAN has definitely been a very welcome addition to Bali's restaurant scene, and it seems to become better and more popular every month! Don't go without a reservation (tel. 731-175).

THE LIVING ROOM is located at Jalan Petitenget between the Petitenget temple and the Intan Beach Village hotel. This pleasant open-air restaurant with tables in the candle-lit garden has a distinctive colonial atmosphere with terracotta floors, high ceilings, paintings, antique marble tables and carved chairs. The menu lists quite well prepared and presented "modern Asian" creations influenced by Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, etc. Appetizers and main courses are priced between 35,000 and 99,000 Rupiah plus 15% which is not cheap. There is a good selection of wines from Australia, France and Italy starting around 190,000 Rupiah per bottle. Owner Daniel Vannequé runs also the "SuKHa Gallery" offering folk art, antiques, and furniture.

KU DE TA is currently Bali's most trendy restaurant in a top beach front location next to the Oberoi Hotel. The modern architecture and interior design of the bar and dining areas go well with the "fusion cuisine" of the Australian chef. On the menu you find a selection of freshly shucked oysters imported two times per week from Australia and France and served with a champagne vinaigrette. There are many salads, grilled Australian yabbies (small freshwater crayfish), seared scallops, a seafood stew, lamb rib eye, venison rib and beef tenderloin. The interesting wine list features many wines from Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand and South Africa and starts around 190,000 Rupiah per bottle. Sparling wines by the glass are 60,000 Rupiah to 160,000 Rupiah, and bottles range from 290,000 Rupiah for VALDIVIESCO Brut from Chile to 1,990,000 Rupiah for a bottle of KRUG Brut Grande Cuvee. The service staff is well-trained and attentive, and prices are generally reasonable. There are comfortable deck chairs right on the beach to watch Bali's famous sunsets, and you can choose from nearly 30 Cuban cigars such as BOLIVAR Coronas Junior, COHIBA Coronas Especiales, H. UPMANN Connoisseur No. 1, HOYO DE MONTERREY Sort Hoyo Coronas, MONTECRISTO Especial No. 2, PUNCH Punch Punch, or ROMEO YULIETA Exhibition No. 4 from about 90,000 Rupiah to 400,000 Rupiah.

Even more pleasant (in our opinion) is the small THE BREEZE restaurant of the THE SAMAYA villa resort near KU DE TA and next to LA LUCCIOLA. The relaxed beach front setting, great sunset views, the sound of the waves and good service make this one of Bali's most romantic places for fine dining. German Food & Beverage Director Torsten Schubert used to work at the "Petersberg" when Bonn was still Germany's capital and cooked for many heads of state, and he is most of the time either in the restaurant or in the kitchen and always happy to receive special requests. The menu includes a delicious pan-seared Foie Gras with sweetbread-asparagus ravioli in a morel cream sauce, Tequila-cured salmon tartar with green pea cakes, a lobster bisque with a smoked goat cheese spring roll and a tomato tortilla soup. The "Duck Tasting" consists of duck prepared three different ways (US duck breast on pumpkin gnoccis in a cola-soda-chilli sauce, stuffed duck neck on vegatable tabbouleh salad with red-onion jam and a smoked duck and mushroom ragout in a thin crispy dough basket sitting on corn and roasted peppers), or choose the roasted quail with baked ratatouille tacos, the Angus beef tenderloin with spicy black grape marmelade and horseradish potatoes or the roasted lambloin with crispy potato crust with wild forest mushrooms and yellow pepper juice. For seafood lovers there is pepper crusted tuna fillet with spicy mango glaze & a delicious salsa cilantro-risotto cake, Alaskan black cod with charred jalapeno-basil vinaigrette and pan-fried "yam" mash, mahi-mahi fillet with pineapple-red onion relish or curry glazed jumbo prawns with apple-vanilla chutney and a portabella-risotto cake. For the small appetite or during the afternoon or late evening there are a number of "Tapas" to choose from including marinated mushrooms with balsamic vinegar, Feta cheese with pesto, marinated artichokes, stuffed vine leaves with a garlic-yoghurt dip, smoked duck breast & mushrooms in a taco shell, turmeric shrimp vol-au-vents, etc. The quite extensive, reasonably priced wine list starts at less than 120,000 Rupiah for a bottle of local wine and 280,000 Rupiah for imported wines. An outstanding dinner for two costs about 700,000 or 800,000 Rupiah (without wine) which is MUCH less than you would pay for this quality of food served in comparable surroundings in other parts of the world. Don't miss it (telephone 731-149 for reservations) !

Another recommendable eatery – although in a totally different class – in the same area is MYKONOS TAVERNA, a simple Greek tavern in Jalan Laksmana No. 52 (Jalan Oberoi) with another outlet in the same road and more branches in Sanur and even in Jakarta. Simple but very tasty Greek specialties such as a Patzaria Salad (beetroot in garlic, vinegar and olive oil), tender Calamari Skaras (grilled and soaked in lemon, olive oil, dill and oregano, served with warm potato salad), delicious Silotakia Tiganita (chicken liver with onions, garlic, mushrooms, chilli, oregano and olive oil), Keftes (meatballs with various sauces), Mousaka (oven-baked layers of potato, ground beef and aubergines), lamb chops and various Kebabs are served with vegetables and potatoes at prices between 15,000 Rupiah and 55,000 Rupiah! Portions are huge, and the (limited) choice of wines is priced from 140,000 Rupiah to 280,000 Rupiah per bottle. Great value for money, great tavern atmosphere with Greek music, friendly, very informal service (similar to places like this in Greece), and crowded every night. Call 733-253 for reservations.

TRATTORIA Cucina Italiano is another simple open-air restaurant located in Jalan Oberoi and serving excellent home-cooking at very reasonable prices. Choose from the daily changing antipasti, salads, home-made pasta, tasty main courses and sweets, all priced between 15,000 Rupiah and 59,000 Rupiah. A limited wine list with still acceptable prices, friendly service and the relaxed atmosphere have made the TRATTORIA very popular with the international and Italian crowd who often bring the whole family. Around 10 p.m. all tables are usually occupied (not open for lunch, and currently no credit cards accepted).

Good news for lovers of Indian food: finally there are some restaurants in Bali where you can enjoy the real thing. GATEWAY OF INDIA in Seminyak, Jalan Dyana Pura (Gado Gado) No. 10, is located nearly opposite of SANTA FEE. They offer an excellent choice of Indian specialties which will NOT disappoint you. Regrettably there is no air-conditioning, and sometimes you have to listen to very loud music from nearby bars and pubs, but the food here is GOOD! Our favourites are Masala Papadum, Seekh Kebab, Gosht Shahi Korma, Mutton Pasanda, Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) and Butter Chicken Tikka, yellow and black Dhal, Aloo Gobi, Navratan Korma, Raita, Garlic Naan, Cheese Naan and the delicious Peshawari Naan. A feast for four or six is about 300,000 to 400,000 Rupiah (most dishes are 30,000 to 40,000 Rupiah). (Bring your own wine, as the wines offered are not exciting at all and never properly chilled.) Newer branches are near the Bemo corner in Kuta and on Jalan Danau Tamblingan in Sanur.

The QUEEN'S TANDOOR, Jalan Seminyak 73 opposite MADE'S WARUNG, serves now the same delicious Indian specialties in Bali for which it is famous in Jakarta since 1986. Enjoy the mouth-watering delicacies from the tandoor oven or the slowly cooked chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetable Curries, Masallas and Kormas with rich sauces full of fresh herbs, spices, fruits and nuts. There are freshly baked breads such as various Nans, Papadums and Chappati to accompany your meal, and Kulfi, the Indian ice cream, is the best way to finish it.

For German specialties and sausages you can try the open-air MAMA'S restaurant in Kuta which is open around the clock and serves substantial German homecooking at low prices. The wide choice includes hot dogs and many other sausages, Frikadellen (German meat balls) and burgers, spit-roasted chicken, pork roast, Rouladen (German beef rolls), and huge pork knuckles. In addition to local draft beer, imported beers and German schnaps there is also a limited but well-priced wine list. There are tables and a bar downstairs as well as on the upper floor where you also find a large billiards table and life music in the evening. Owner is the German Honorary Consul Reinhold Jantzen. (You like dining with Consuls? Then you should also visit the Swiss Consular Representative Jon Zurcher who entertains guests in his SWISS RESTAURANT at the new Istana Galleria in Kuta.)

Quite good Swiss-German meals at low prices are also served in plain surroundings in the PEPITO KAFE, Jalan Kediri 36A, next to the Pepito Supermarket in Tuban. Roger Jahn, a retired Swiss Guard of the Pope, offers a "Bavarian Breakfast" with Weisswurst, Brezn and a beer at any time of the day for 32,500 Rupiah, a choice of smoked and dried hams with melon, asparagus and toast (32,000 Rupiah), sliced pork leg "Castellan Style" (44,000 Rupiah), various steaks (39,000 to 64,000 Rupiah), and a number of Swiss and German sausages with onion sauce or gravy, French fries and salad for about 30,000 to 38,000 Rupiah. His nice Vol-au-vent (which he calls "Bouchees Royale"), two pastry shells filled with tender beef cubes in a creamy white sauce, is just 29,500 Rupiah, and a bottle of imported "Erdinger Weissbier" is 42,000 Rupiah. There is only a limited selection of wines, but give it a try — you might become a regular! Jahn's latest promotion is a set lunch menu including appetizer, main course and desert for 27,500 Rupiah !!!

If you like elegant surroundings in a top beach front setting and attentive service, there is no better choice than the new air-conditioned SAILFIN Seafood Restaurant, part of the THE WAVE entertainment complex at Jalan Pantai No. 1 in Kuta (opposite the Hard Rock Resort). After a drink in the spacious and comfortable lounge area with bar you can choose either a table inside or on the open terrace. Right now, prices are reasonable for both food and beverages but will probably increase after the intoductory period. On our first visit we loved the Coquilles Saint Jaques (delicious scallops), king prawns, baramundi fillet and Lobster Mornay, all well-prepared by the Australian chef. On the second visit we were disappointed by the "Sailfin Paradise Seafood Platter for Two" which consisted of a few prawns, squid, one small bug (or rock lobster), one not so fresh crab, and lots of local fruit. Most of the wines on the limited wine list were out of stock. Expect to pay around 300,000 to 450,000 Rupiah for two, not including drinks.

There are also several restaurants (INDAH SARI, MINI, SC, etc) along Jalan Legian in Kuta which display on the roadside fresh fish, lobster, crabs and prawns on ice. You select your favorites from the display and tell the staff how to prepare your dish (grilled, steamed, boiled etc). The BALI SEAFOOD MARKET and KUTA SEAFOOD on Jalan Kartika Plaza between Kuta and the airport offer a wide choice of fresh seafood and live entertainment including Balinese dances.

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THE BALI RESTAURANT GUIDE TO JIMBARAN BEACH

The best place for fresh seafood is still Jimbaran Beach with its rows of open restaurants right on the sandy beach near the Bali Inter-Continental Resort and between the Keraton Hotel and the airport. The number of eateries is fast increasing, but the original six restaurants on the airport side of the Keraton Hotel (LIA is our favorite) are still the most reasonably priced, and they serve the same delicious food. All kinds of fresh fish, squid, crabs, prawns, and lobsters are prepared on the open grill (burning coconut husks instead of charcoal) with exotic herbs and spices.

A large grilled snapper with vegetable, salad, rice, potatoes, several sauces, and different sambals costs for instance at LIA's around 40,000 Rupiah per kilo; one kilo of grilled prawns is about 90,000 Rupiah, lobster (actually crayfish) 150,000 Rupiah per kilo, and a large bottle of beer is 12,500 Rupiah. Not extremely cheap any more but still good value for money, and a great place to watch Bali's famous sunset!

However, be warned: the 25 or so restaurants between Inter-Continental and the Four Seasons resort charge much higher prices (they pay 30% and even 40% commission to drivers and guides), and their prices for wine are rediculous! Visitors to the restaurants closer to the fishing harbor (near the airport) AND the restaurants between the Inter-Continental and the Four Seasons often complain on the "BALI travel FORUM" about being overcharged and/or cheated on the weight of the fish or lobster they ordered.

Forum contributor Dell wrote on July 19th, 1999, after a visit to the often recommended Cafe Intan: "I suspect they all have rigged scales. To walk to the surf after dusk, then turn around and let your gaze scan the hundreds of flickering table candles which stretch far into the distance and contemplate the scale of the fraud that is being perpetuated every night is a humbling experience." (Just an idea: if you take a full bottle of water it's easy to test the scales.)

For fine (but rather pricey) dining the Bali Inter-Continental Resort is hard to beat – the KO Japanese Restaurant with its elegant teppanyaki room, sushi & sashimi bar and music lounge is one of the best in Bali, and the SINGARAJA garden restaurant is well-known for good food and excellent service. The Ritz-Carlton's PADI garden restaurant (just a few steps down from the lobby) advertises to serve the island's best and most authentic Thai cuisine. But even if you let your waiter or the Chef know you like your food as spicy as in Bangkok, you will be served in most cases a rather "touristy" version of Thai food.

For a very pleasant lunch you should try the delicious pizzas, salads and outstanding desserts at the Four Seasons Resort's PJ's (Pantai Jimbaran) set right on the beach. You can also reserve a table here for a very private and romantic dinner lighted by dozens of candles and just a few feet away from the water. Food, service and prices are what you'd expect at a Four Seasons.

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THE BALI RESTAURANT GUIDE TO THE BUKIT, NUSA DUA & TANJUNG BENOA

The "Bukit", the hill south of Jimbaran Bay, is becoming more popular every day. An increasing number of residential buildings take advantage of the spectacular views of Kuta, Sanur and the mountains from the slope facing north, and there are also quite a number projects being developed on the steep cliffs facing the South. It's not surprising that new restaurants are attracted by the new neighbourhood, too.

Excellent Thai cuisine is served at THE TERRACE at the Amanusa Resort. The menu is small listing only six appetizers, three soups and seven main courses. We enjoyed the popular Gai Hor Bai Toey, tender chicken pieces deep fried in pandan leaves, a spicy Tom Yam Goong and the milder Tom Khar Gai, a chicken broth with coconut milk. This was followed by a sensational Red Duck Curry and King Prawns with Chilli and Basil. All dishes are prepared as spicy as you would get them in Thailand, and the service, surroundings and the view over the Nusa Dua golf course and the sea are outstanding. This unique combination is easily worth the rather high prices: around 100,000 Rupiah++ for appetizers and soups, and around 200,000 Rupiah ++ for the main courses. Not really much for a dinner you'll not forget for a long time.

The nearby BUMBU BALI Restaurant (& Cooking School) in Tanjung Benoa adjacent to NUsa Dua, is operated by Heinz von Holzen, the author of the book "The Food of Bali" and former food guru of the Grand Hyatt and Ritz Carlton hotels in Bali. A visit here IS A MUST if you are interested in authentic local cuisine. In beautiful surroundings you can enjoy appetizers such as "Ayam Pelalah" (chicken with chillies and lime), beef, chicken and prawn Satay, or "Jokut Kakul", a tasty snail soup with lemon grass and black pepper. Main dishes include "Ayam Betutu" (roasted chicken in banana leaf), delicious "Siap Mapanggang" (ox tongue in sweet nutmeg sauce), "Satay Lilit" made from minced seafood, and "Ikan Pepes", and grilled fish in banana leaf. You can choose from a range of exotic desserts such as Black Rice Pudding, Coconut Pancakes, etc. Or indulge yourself by ordering the "Balinese Rijsttafel" which consists of 14 different dishes served together with white, yellow, and red rice (even a vegetarian version of this feast is available). You can end your meal with various gourmet coffee preparations or special flavoured Indonesian teas (apple, apricot, black currant, cinnamon, orange, peach, raspberry, strawberry, vanilla, etc). Service is very attentive, and prices (about 120,000 to 200,000 Rupiah per person for a huge meal) are very reasonable for the unique experience. On Fridays there are Balinese dance performances from about 8 p.m. (If you book certain villas through Balivillas.com, you enjoy FREE participation in the popular Balinese cooking classes conducted by Heinz.)

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THE BALI RESTAURANT GUIDE TO UBUD

CAFE LOTUS has been an institution for many years. Located in the center of Ubud between the main street and a large, beautiful lotus pond in front of a temple (designed by the famous artist I Gusti Nyoman Lempad) this pleasant open-air restaurant serves a variety of Italian pasta dishes, some Asian and local specialties such as the Balinese duck 'Bebek Betutu', and a good choice of cakes and fruit juices. Although the prices here are quite steep for Ubud standards, CAFE LOTUS is busy the whole day.

Nearly across the road is CASA LUNA offering a number of Balinese and Mediterranean dishes which look very interesting on the menu but can be a bit disappointing, and a branch of the well-known RYOSHI serving good Sushi, Sashimi and Tempura until midnight at rather low prices.

MURNI'S WARUNG, located next to the Campuan bridge, is another of Ubud's institutions. Built on several levels between the road and the river, this is an excellent place to try the 'Bebek Betutu' (order one day in advance to be sure) and other local specialties. The more elegant BRIDGE CAFE cascades also down over several levels – right opposite on the other side of the river – and offers creative 'Pacific Rim' cuisine i.e. tasty culinary creations with influences from Thailand, India, China and Japan as well as local specialties, salads and vegetarian dishes. Try the Szechuan Pancakes filled with deep fried duck, the Thai Chicken Pizza, or the Chilly Prawns. Very pleasant atmosphere and good service.

Not to be missed is DIRTY DUCK or BEBEK BENGIL in Padang Tegal about one kilometer south of Ubud's main street. Forget their special "Crispy Duck" which is very dry and sometimes rather tough. Their range of other Indonesian and Western dishes, however, is quite tasty, the garden setting very pleasant, and the live background music in the evenings creates a nearly magic atmosphere.

Another of Ubud favorites is ARY'S WARUNG, a stylish side-walk bistro in the center of town with creative oriental/international cuisine and a choice of interesting vegetarian dishes. The Tasting Menu for lunch includes four dishes and one glass of wine for 130,000 or 160,000 Rupiah, the Dinner Tasting Menu six dishes and two glasses of wine for 190,000 or 250,000 Rupiah, always plus tax & service. Expect delicacies such as Lobster Wonton, Tuna Parfait with caviar and Wasabi cream, Seared Sea Scallops, Sauted Green Pepercorn Pate with green papaya salad, Carpaccio of Venison, Steamed Snapper with red chilli butter, Jumbo River Prawns sauted with chilli, garlic and ginger, deboned Roasted Quail, Rack of Lamb with chilli mint sauce, and Roasted Veal Cutlets with Wasabi butter. The desserts are equally creative; try the Durian Créme Brulleé! The wine list offers a good choice of Australian and French wines, and the service is friendly AND professional. ARY'S has become another place for Fine Dining in Ubud.

On the way to Sayan between the Campuan Hotel and the Pita Maha Resort is the rather new INDUS Restaurant operated by the same owner as Casa Luna. Well-spaced tables on two levels offer a beautiful view over the Campuan river valley, the service is very friendly, and they serve a wide range of health food. You can choose Italian pizza, ravioli and fettucini, Middle Eastern Mezze, Chinese spring rolls, Thai Thom Kha Kai soup, and Indonesian nasi campur, gado gado, and even a Balinese "Smoked Duck Feast" for only 90,000 Rupiah for two. There are many seafood and vegetarian dishes, various interesting fresh fruit juices such as apple with mint juice or carrot, spinach, parsley & celery juice (to clean your blood and for detoxification), lassi, herbal teas and special coffees. If all this sounds too healthy, there are also delicious sweets, a (disappointingly) small selection of wines, but an acceptable choice of cocktails.

Evenings you'll meet many foreign residents in NAUGHTY NURI'S Warung on the same road to Sayan. Boston-born Brian, Nuri's husband, buys every Thursday fresh tuna in Benoa, and they serve on Thursday nights delicious tuna Sashimi, tuna steaks, and tuna satay at rock-bottom prices. Daily fare includes various Indonesian dishes, steaks, lamb chops, and large slabs of ribs which are barbecued on a long charcoal grill in front of the place. But better go easy on their excellent Martinis – after a few of these you won't mind the price of about US$4.00 per drink or the somewhat uncomfortable and extremely "local" surroundings, and the next day you might even not remember how you got home or where you've been the night before! Actually — why is Nuri called "naughty"??? Many people asked, but Brian won't tell!

MOZAIC opened in 2001 on Jalan Raya Sanggingan, the road from Campuhan to Sayan, and is run by Franco-American Chef Chris Salans (ex French Laundry in Napa valley). It offers very pleasant out-door and in-door seating, excellent service and attractive presentation of Chris' creative cuisine. The menu changes daily and depends on the availability of fresh ingredients. You can either order a 3-course Gourmet Dinner and choose your favourites from the menu but we recommend to order one of the Chef's Tasting Menus. Each consists of seven courses and there are three choices: either the "Classic" Menu Degustation, a "Vegetarian" or "Experimental" version offering delicious surprises with every single course. The 3-course dinner and all Tasting Menus are equally priced and are at 450,000 Rupiah++ per person (800,000 Rupiah++ including matching wines) a real bargain. If you prefer to bring your own wine, they charge 75,000 Rupiah++ corkage per bottle. On the small but well-chosen wine list you find 16 open wines, and bottles start around 300,000 Rupiah++. We always enjoy the truly outstanding food – probably the best you can find in Indonesia. A meal at MOZAIC is a fine dining experience you won't forget; don't miss it! MOZAIC is closed on Mondays, all other days reservations are required. Please call 975-768.

LAMAK Restaurant & Bar is another of Ubud's best eateries. It was opened in February 2002 and is located on Monkey Forest Road a bit South of the soccer field next to SAI SAI bar. The quite unique design is by Made Wijaya (Australian Michael White), and the restaurant is operated by the German Chef Roland Lickert. The tempting menus (different for lunch and dinner) include Asian, international and vegetarian dishes such as Seaweed Salad with Balinese Satay Lilit, various fried noodles with Spiced Szechuan Chicken, with Asian Greens and Glazed Tofu, or with Black Bean Fish, Stir-fried Scallops on Green Tea Noodles, and Bruschetta with Salmon Tartar. There is an great Shitake Mushroom Cappuccino soup and a unique Balinese Bouillabaisse, and for your main course Crispy Salmon, Balsamic Glazed Beef Steak, Pancetta-wrapped Pork Fillet, Lamb Cutlets, Duck Breast with Red Pepper Pesto, and Seafood Pasta. Delicious sweets include Orange & Ginger Brulee, Fried Forest Berry Ice Cream on Baileys Cream, and a Chilled Pina Colada Soufflé. Gourmets may be impressed, wine lovers will certainly be delighted: you can choose from 8 wines by the glass from 22,000 to 27,000 Rupiah and from nearly 50 bottled wines from France, Italy, Australia, and California starting at 95,000 Rupiah. (You can buy all wines to take out at prices about 30% lower which might make LAMAK Ubud's best bottle shop.) There is also a choice of Cuban cigars. The reasonable prices for food and wine help to relax in the open-air lounge and cocktail bar downstairs, on the upstairs terrace or in the air-conditioned dining room on the upper floor. LAMAK is open every day from 11:00 in the morning to 11:00 p.m. Roland runs also WARUNG ENAK in Pengosekan (south of Ubud) where he serves tasty specialties from Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Lombok, Bali and other islands of Indonesia in pleasant surroundings and at reasonable prices.

Other restaurants recommended by foreign residents and recent visitors are PESTO CAFE, Jalan Raya Campuhan, for tasty Indonesian dishes and international snacks at low prices, AASHIANA at Jalan Monkey Forest 129X for over 300 excellent Indian AND (surprise) Chinese specialties from Szechuan, Canton, Shanghai and Beijing, TERAZO, Jalan Suweta just North of the Royal Palace, and the CINTA GRILL on Monkey Forest Road for trendy fusion cuisine, BATAN WARU (Western and Indonesian Brasserie type food), CAFE DES ARTISTES, Jalan Bisma 9X, for Belgium cuisine and some Indonesian and Thai dishes at low prices, GAJAH BIRU for authentic Indian cuisine, GAYA for simple Italian dishes, located above the gallery with the same name in Sayan, the KOKOKAN CLUB in Pengosekan for tasty Thai dishes, COFFEE & SILVER on Jalan Monkeu Forest for breakfast, brunch and all-day dining with tasty snacks, tapas and international mains and an interesting children's menu, INDIAN DELITES, THREE MONKEYS, KAMPUNG KAFE, and TEPI SAWAH.

Selamat Makan !

INTRODUCTION TO BALINESE/INDONESIAN FOOD & RESTAURANTS

PRICES & OPENING HOURS

Eating out in Bali can NOT be compared with the culinary delights and variety you can expect in the great cities of this world, but the number of good restaurants and the choice of different cuisines is increasing every year.

Prices, style, food presentation, decoration and service vary and range from very basic to luxurious and from extremely cheap to expensive (by Bali standards but still dirt cheap if compared with New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo or London). You can still have a tasty meal at one of the many food stalls (warungs) for 8,000 Rupiah, and you can spend US$60 and more per person (without wine) in some of Bali's top restaurants.

Although not cheap, the Balinese dance performances presented during a buffet dinner in some hotels for about US$50 per person are memorable events you should attend at least once (the open stage at THE OBEROI offers perhaps the most attractive setting).

Other culinary events, aimed more at the local community, are special dinners at THE CONRAD and THE LEGIAN introducing the products of visiting wine makers and/or guest Chefs and the "Wine & Cigar Dinners" and the spectacular anniual Gala Dinners of the BCP (Ten Chefs – 10 Courses) at THE RITZ CARLTON (650,000 Rupiah to 1,400,000 Rupiah per person, usually including selected wines).

The monthly lunch meetings of the "Bali Wine Club" and the "Chaine des Rotisseurs" Black-Tie Dinners are for members and their guests only. If you've booked a villa through Balivillas.com and are seriously interested in good food and wine, please call us to arrange your attendance.

In all restaurants outside the large hotels you can expect to pay from 20,000 to about 200,000 Rupiah for a main course. A beer adds 8,000 to 30,000 Rupiah to your bill, and if you really want to live it up and order a bottle of imported wine or champagne this will set you back at least another 160,000 Rupiah. (WARNING: in some hotel restaurants this extravagance carries a very steep penalty.) Usually 10% service charge is included in your bill. If not, a tip of 5% or a maximum of 10% is appreciated but not necessarily expected. Hotels always add 21% (11% tax & 10% service) to your bill.

Most restaurants in Bali are open until 10:00 or 11:00 p.m., and a few eateries in tourist areas keep their kitchens open until 12:00, 1:00 a.m., or even around the clock. For a late sushi or sashimi dinner you can go to any of the RYOSHI restaurants (until midnight). LA PORCHETTA and MAMA'S in Kuta stay open 24 hours. Another late night place is SANTA FE in Jalan Dhyana Pura, and there are quite a number of simple PADANG RESTAURANTS in Kuta, Sanur, and Denpasar which serve also food around the clock.

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YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF CUISINES

Whether you long for an original Austrian Wiener Schnitzel, Chinese delicacies such as Hong Kong style Dim Sum, Smoked Duck from Szechuan or Scallops in Black Bean Sauce, German Wurst or Rindsrouladen, Greek Souvlaki, Indian Tandoori Chicken or Rogan Josh, Italian Lasagna or Pizza, Japanese Sushi, Yakitori or Shabu-Shabu, Korean Bulgogi Beef and Kimchi, Mexican Enchiladas or Tacos, Spanish Tapas or Paella, Swiss Cheese or Beef Fondue or a spicy Thai Tom Yam – you can get it in Bali.

Although based on original recipes, the preparation of the dishes is often adapted to the local taste and the availability of certain ingredients and the results are not always predictable. However, if you don't insist on comparing the Balinese version of international delicacies with those prepared in the country they originate from you can usually expect a rather enjoyable meal.

In addition to restaurants specializing in one type of cuisine you find many (usually not very trustworthy) places which offer a wide range of Chinese, Indonesian and Western dishes. For emergencies, there are also branches of KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN, MACDONALD'S and PIZZA HUT as well as a HARD ROCK CAFE. These Western fast food outlets have recently become very popular with young Indonesians.

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INDONESIAN FOOD AND COOKING

Indonesian home cooking can be excellent, but finding a restaurant serving good local Indonesian food in pleasant and comfortable surroundings is difficult. Some tiny food stalls and "Warungs" offer one or two excellently prepared local specialties but the primitive surroundings easily spoil the experience for many visitors. On the other hand, Indonesian food served in well-decorated and comfortable Western-style restaurants is often specially prepared for foreigners and has not much similarity with the authentic version.

The centerpiece of any Indonesian meal is steamed or boiled rice. Accompanying dishes include various preparations of chicken, duck, beef, (in Bali also pork), goat, all kinds of seafood and vegetables, either steamed, boiled, braised, stir or deep fried, roasted or grilled over coconut husks. Other ingredients used to give Indonesian food its unique flavours are chillies, coconut, peanuts, garlic, ginger, saffron, basil, cardamon, lemon grass, lime, nutmeg, pepper, shallots, soy sauce, tamarind, turmeric and several kinds of shrimp paste. (They weren't called the Spice Islands for nothing, you know.) The result is usually very tasty but not unbearably hot – as long as you avoid the small green chillies and different kinds of 'Sambal' which are often served together with your meal.

Indonesian delicacies served in many restaurants and hotels include 'Sate' (charcoal-grilled skewers with small pieces of chicken, beef, pork, prawns or minced seafood) served with a peanut sauce, 'Gado-Gado' (a half-boiled combination of various vegetables with peanut sauce) and 'Nasi Goreng', tasty fried rice with either meat or shrimps.

For Indonesian "High Cuisine" – not to be confused with local home cooking – visit the restaurant KETUPAT in Kuta. For a down-to-earth experience of Indonesian food you should visit the night markets and/or the food halls in or adjacent to some shopping centers (e.g. Tiara Dewata) in Denpasar. For a dollar or so you can try "Bakso", different "Sate" (including the Balinese "Sate Lilit" made from minced seafood), and many other local delicacies.

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NASI PADANG FROM SUMATRA

In every Balinese town you will see a number of very simple restaurants which display 10 or 15 different plates and bowls with cooked food in a glass box next to the entrance. Chicken, beef, fish, liver, eggs and different vegetables are prepared in the style of Padang, a major city in Sumatra. When you sit down at a table, the waiter brings a plate of rice and one plate of every single dish to your table. You eat whatever you like, and you will be charged when you leave only for the food you've eaten. Usually a meal with many different dishes is two or three US dollars. Many Nasi Padang Restaurants in South Bali i.e. Sanur, Jimbaran, or the Kuta area are open 24 hours a day.
TRADITIONAL BALINESE FOOD

There are two traditional Balinese dishes you should not miss: It's a must to try the Babi Guling, the crispy skin and pieces of grilled suckling pig which is a specialty of the town of Gianyar, and the Bebek Betutu, a delicious duck specialty, slowly baked in banana leaves together with many different herbs and spices. To try "Babi Guling" watch out for signboards at small restaurants which specialize in this dish. The "Bebek" you should try in MURNI'S WARUNG next to the bridge in Campuhan, Ubud.

The best place to experience a whole range of authentic Balinese dishes including Sate Lilit made from minced prawns and fish, a delicious grilled marinated fish, and Nasi Kuning, yellow rice often served at celebrations, is the BUMBU BALI Restaurant in Tanjung Benoa adjacent to Nusa Dua (Jalan Pratama, Gang Nusa No. 5B). This unique and comfortable restaurant was opened in December 1997 by Heinz von Holzen, the author (and photographer) of "The Food of Bali" – a book which is a must for everybody interested in exotic cuisines. Heinz is the former food guru of the Grand Hyatt Bali and the Ritz Carlton hotel, and his restaurant is a temple devoted to traditional Balinese cuisine.

Inside the nearby RUMAH BALI Heinz opened in March 2006 the BALINESE VILLAGE CENTER – a carefully designed compound to stage cultural shows for up to 340 guests, art exhibitions, theme parties or private dinners. In various traditional pavillions the preparation of rice, vegetable and meat dishes is demonstrated, and you can also watch the destillation of and taste the home-made Arak and Rice Wine. Moreover, during most mornings the VILLAGE CENTER is the venue of Heinz' popular Balinese Cooking School for visitors. (If you book certain villas through Balivillas.com, you enjoy FREE participation in the cooking classes conducted by Heinz. Don't miss it!

To learn more about Balinse specialties and how to prepare them, please visit our Balinese Recipes pages providing over 70 recipes for traditional Balinese food preparations.

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BEER, WINE, AND LOCAL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

In restaurants you'll pay for a large bottle of local beer between 12,000 and 80,000 Rupiah (plus 21% tax and service charge in hotels). A small glass of mediocre Australian table wine costs 20,000 to 60,000 Rupiah ++. Prices for a bottle of any better wine start between 160,000 Rupiah and 500,000 Rupiah, depending on where you are. Prices for wine and champagne in many hotels are outrageous compared with Western countries.

The good news is that the choice of available wines from Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal and South Africa has recently increased. If you think the prices of these imports are too high, you should at least try the HATTEN wines, one rosé wine and two types of white wine made from grapes grown in North Bali and sold in restaurants for 70,000 to 130,000 Rupiah and in hotels for sometimes 450,000 Rupiah ++ per bottle. The same company is producing also a rosé sparkling wine named "JEPUN" with a refreshing fruity taste. "JEPUN" is about 50% to 100% more expensive than HATTEN Rosé. HATTEN's newer white sparkling wine named "TANJUNG" is also getting quite popular.

"Wine of the Gods" is a company which produces wines in Bali from grape juice imported from the Margaret River region in Western Australia. Their "Premium Chardonnay" and "Shiraz" are quite drinkable. The winery is open six days a week from 9 am to 5 pm for tours and tastings and is located at No. 885, Jalan By-Pass, Sanur, near the Benoa harbour turn-off.

Most foreigners like the local BINTANG beer. Many restaurants and pubs also serve BINTANG "draft". Other locally produced beers are ANKER, CARLSBERG, SAN MIGUEL and the less popular BALI HAI beer. In hotels and supermarkets you can also find well-known brands imported from Australia, Germany, Japan, and even China (Tsing Tao).

Beer is available in all supermarkets and many smaller shops. Wine is very expensive in supermarkets but nowadays there is a number of specialized wine shops where you can find a good choice of imported wines at more reasonable prices. Have a look at the WINE HOUSE at Jalan Kerobokan opposite KAFE WARISAN, the BALI WINE SHOP, Jalan By-Pass 546 in Sanur, BALI DELI in Jalan Kunti and the BALI LIQUOR STORE, Jalan Kunti No. 18 in Seminyak, and at BEST WINES & SPIRITS, Jalan Tangkuban Peradu No. 50, Kerobokan. The LAMAK Restaurant in Ubud offers an excellent choice of imported wines at reasonable prices. The best source to buy Cuban cigars is CIGARS & CIGARS at Kuta Poleng Mall B-5, Jalan Setiabudhi near the DFS circle at Jalan By-Pass in Kuta.

Some religious (Moslem) groups are trying to make the consumption of alcoholic beverages illegal in Indonesia, and there is a possibility that in future alcoholic drinks will either not be available at all or can only be served in international hotels and only to foreigners.

This is really bad news for all Balinese who have enjoyed Arak, Tuak, and Brem as long as anybody can remember. It is a tradition that in all villages the men meet in the evening in "drinking clubs" where they discuss the news of the day and get slowly stoned on their rather potent home brews.

Tuak (about 5% alcohol) is a sweet palm wine made from the juice of the coconut palm flower which is stored for about one month for fermentation. Brem is made from black glutinous rice and coconut milk; the alcohol content is about 7% to 9% after three days fermentation. Most popular with foreigners is Arak: a colorless, sugarless spirit distilled from either Brem or Tuak with 20% to 50% alcohol content. A whole bottle costs about Rupiah 8,000, and it is usually served 'on the rocks' as "Arak Attack" or "Arak Madu" (Arak, lemon or orange juice, and honey). You should try it at least once. There is no hang-over as long as you don't mix your drinks, and many visitors don't order anything else after they have discovered Arak.

BALI WEDDINGS

Everything You Need to Know About Getting Married in Bali


MARRIAGE LAWS, LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES

Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia and is subject to Indonesian Laws. Every couple considering getting married in Bali must comply with these Laws.

In accordance with Law No. 1 of 1974 concerning marriages in Indonesia (Article 2 (1): "a marriage is legitimate if it has been performed according to the laws of the respective religious beliefs of the parties concerned."

All couples who marry in Indonesia must declare a religion. Agnosticism and Atheism are not recognized. The Civil Registry Office can record marriages of persons of Islam, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian-Protestant and Christian-Catholic faiths. Marriage partners must have the same religion, otherwise one partner must make a written declaration of change of religion.

The Religious Marriage under Islam is performed by the Office of Religious Affairs (Kantor Urusan Agama) in a ceremony at a mosque, the home, a restaurant, or any other place chosen by the couple and is legal immediately after the ceremony.

A Christian, Hindu or Buddhist marriage is usually performed first in a church or temple ceremony. After the religious ceremony, every non-Islamic marriage must be recorded with the Civil Registry (Kantor Catatan Sipil). Without the registration by the Civil Registry these marriages are not legal. Recording by Civil Registry officials can be performed directly at the religious ceremony for an additional fee.

Persons of non-Islamic faith are required to file with the Civil Registry Office in the Regency where they are staying first a 'Notice of Intention to Marry' as well as a 'Letter of No Impediment' obtained from their consular representatives.

For the issue of the Letter of No Impediment to Marriage by your Consular Representative you will need to present for youself and your fiance(e) your Passport(s) valid for more than 6 months and Certified Divorce Decrees (absolute/final) and/or Death Certificates regarding the termination of all previous marriages. Please contact the Consular Representative of your country for details well before your intended date of marriage.

The following countries have Consulates or Consular Representatives in Bali. The telephone and fax numbers must be prefixed with 62-361 when calling from abroad. Australia (Consulate, also representing Canada, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries in emergencies), Jalan Hayum Wuruk No. 88 B, Tanjung Bungak, Denpasar, Tel. 241-118, Fax 241-120; France (Consular Agency), Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai No. 35, Sanur, Tel. 285-485, Fax 285-485; Germany (Honorary Consulate), Jalan Pantai Karang 17, Sanur, Tel. 288-535, 288-826, Fax 288-826; Italy (Honorary Vice Consulate), Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai, Jimbaran, Tel. 701-005, Fax 701-005; Japan (Consulate), Jalan Raya Puputan, Renon, Denpasar, Tel. 234-808, Fax 231-308; Mexico (Honorary Consulate), Jalan Moch. Yamin 1A, Renon, Denpasar, Tel. 223-266, Fax 231-740; Netherlands (Consular Agency), Jalan Raya Kuta 99, Kuta, Tel. 751-517, Fax 752-777; Norway & Denmark (Honorary Consulate), Kawasan Bukit Permai, Jimbaran, Tel. 701-070, Fax 701-074; Spain (Honorary Consulate, currently vacant); Sweden & Finland (Honorary Consulate), Jalan Segara Ayu, Sanur, Tel. 288-407, Fax 287-242; Switzerland & Austria (Consular Agency), Kompleks Istana Kuta Galleria, Blok Valet 2 No. 12, Jalan Patih Jelantik. Kuta, Tel. 751-735, Fax 754-457; United Kingdom (Honorary Consulate), Jalan Mertasari 2, Sanur, Tel. 270-601, Fax 270-572; U.S.A. (Consular Agency), Jalan Hayam Wuruk 188, Denpasar, Tel. 233-605, Fax 222-426.

For the Notice of Intention to Marry you have to submit the following documents for both partners to the Civil Registry Office (show the original and present a photocopy):

* Certificate of the religious marriage;
* Passport for foreign citizens, or KTP (Identity card) for Indonesian citizens;
* Certified birth certificate;
* Certified divorce decree (absolute) or death certificates regarding the termination of all previous marriages;
* Four 4x6 cm photos, both partners side by side;
* Foreign citizens:
o 'Letter of No Impediment to Marriage' issued by your Consular Representative for Bali or Indonesia;
* Indonesian citizens:
o Never married: letter Surat Keterangan Belum Kawin from Kepala Desa or Lurah (mayor);
o Men aged 18-21 and women aged 16-21: parental letter of consent, signed across the materai/tax stamp Rupiah 2,000.

Before the marriage, you and your fiance(e) also may wish to file with the Civil Registry a prenuptial Property Agreement (Surat Pernyataan Harta) which must be signed before a local Notary Public. This contract is necessary if you wish to hold property separately during the marriage. In the absence of such a document, Indonesian marriage law assumes joint ownership of property, and subsequent property acquisitions by the Indonesian partner will be regulated according to the laws restricting foreign property ownership.

Two witnesses over the age of 18 are required. They must show the originals and present photocopies of their passports if they are foreign citizens or KTP (identity cards) if they are Indonesian citizens. Civil Registry employees can act as witnesses.

The Civil Registry office has a Mandatory Waiting Period of 10 working days from the date of filing. This waiting period may be waived for tourists presenting a guest registration form (Form A).

Islamic Marriage Certificates (Buku Nikah) issued by the Office of Religious Affairs (Kantor Urusan Agama) are legally valid in Indonesia and do not require registration with any other agency if you are going to live in Indonesia. However, if you might move somewhere else in the future (and who knows?), get a marriage certificate issued by the Civil Registry and an officially certified translation right away (see below).

All other Marriage Certificates will be issued by the Civil Registry usually on the same or next day. A sworn English translation of the marriage certificate should be obtained for use abroad. It is not necessary for the marriage certificate or translation to be registered by your Consular Agency. However, to have the sworn translation of the marriage certificate verified or a special translation made by the Consulate of your home country or the Consulate of your country of residence might prove useful.
WEDDING ARRANGEMENTS

Balivillas.com offers a FREE Wedding Ceremony if you book one of the more luxurious villas for 7 days or more. We will also assist with villa decoration, catering & party service and transportation. Please visit Romantic-Weddings.com, our associated Wedding Co-ordinator, for additional Bali wedding arrangements such as more elaborate ceremonies, handling of legal formalities, rental of bridal dresses, hair styling, make-up, flowers, dancers & musicians, photo & video shooting etc.

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No matter if you want to stay at a romantic private villa, a resort on the beach or a secluded hotel, Balivillas.com can arrange just the right honeymoon accommodation to meet your needs and make your honeymoon truly special and memorable.

BALI CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2007

January 2007

1 New Year's Day
20 1 Muharram 1428 H - Moslem New Year


February 2007

17 Tumpek Kandang - Special day of thanks for the gift of livestock
18 Chinese New Year


March 2007

16 Mekiyis or Melis - a purification ceremony held in welcoming "Nyepi". It is a long procession of Hindu adherents carrying temple effigies and other sacred symbols, heading to beaches or springs where the purification rituals are held, Throughout Bali.
18 Tawur Agung Kesanga - Held to welcome Nyepi holiday at every family compound; followed by procession of Ogoh-Ogoh (huge monster / evil dolls)
19 Nyepi - Balinese New Year; The I Saka New Year 1929, the day of absolute silence for Hindu followers
24 Tumpek Wayang or Tumpek Ringgit - Special day of thanks for the gift of Art.
31 Mohammed's Birthday - Moslem Holiday


April 2007

6 Good Friday - Christian holiday on which the Church keeps the anniversary of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
8 Easter - Christian holiday to commemorate the resurrections of Jesus Christ
14 Saraswati - Special day of thanks for the gift of Knowledge
18 Pagerwesi - Special day for meditation to enhance balance in the world
28 Tumpek Landep - Special day of thanks for the gift of metal


May 2007

13 Kuningan - Believed to be the ascendant day of ancestral holy spirits and deities, back to the eternity
17 Ascension Day - Christian holiday on the 40th day after Resurrection of Jesus Christ


June 2007

1 Vaishakha - Buddhist holiday to celebrate the birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism
1 Tumpek Uduh or Tumpek Pengatag - Special day of thanks for the gift of fruit-bearing plants
Mid Bali Art Festival XXIX - Exhibitions and Art Performances at Bali Art Center, Denpasar, until Mid July
27 Galungan - Praying for the victory of virtue (Dharma) upon evil (Adharma)


July 2007

7 Kuningan - Believed to be the ascendant day of ancestral holy spirits and deities, back to the eternity
28 Saraswati - Special day of thanks for the gift of Knowledge


August 2007

11 Isra Mi'Raj Prophet Mohammed - Muslim holiday to commemorate the 'enlightenment Day' of Prophet Muhammed
17 Indonesia Independence Day - A public holiday throughout Indonesia


September 2007

15 Tumpek Kandang - Special day of thanks for the gift of livestock


October 2007

13-14 Idul Fitri - Muslim festival to end fasting month
20 Tumpek Wayang - Special day of thanks for the gift of Art


November 2007

10 Saraswati - Special day of thanks for the gift of Knowledge
14 Pagerwesi - Special day for meditation to enhance balance in the world
29 Tumpek Landep - Special day of thanks for the gift of metal


December 2007

31 Idul Adha - Moslem holiday known as cattle sacrifice and hajj pilgrim
25 Christmas - Christian holiday to celebrate Jesus Christ' birthday
29 Tumpek Uduh - Special day of thanks for the gift of fruit-bearing plants

INTRODUCTION TO BALI, INDONESIA




WHERE IS BALI?

The island of Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia and is located 8 to 9 degrees south of the equator between Java in the West and Lombok and the rest of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba and Timor) in the East. Flying time to Jakarta is about 1.5 hours, to Singapore and Perth (Australia) 2.5 and 3 hours, to Hong Kong about 4.5 hours, and to Sydney/Melbourne about 5.5 to 6 hours.
GEOGRAPHY:

The island of Bali has an area of only 5,632 square kilometers (2,175 square miles) and measures just 55 miles (90 kilometers) along the north-south axis and less than about 90 miles (140 kilometers) from East to West. Because of this it's no problem to explore the island on day tours. You can go wherever you want on the island and return to your hotel or villa in the evening.

Located only two kilometers east of Jawa, Bali's climate, flora and fauna are quite similar to its much larger neighbour. The island is famous for its beautiful landscape. A chain of six volcanoes, between 1,350 meters and 3,014 meters high, stretches from west to east. There are lush tropical forests, pristine crater lakes, fast flowing rivers and deep ravines, picturesque rice terraces, and fertile vegetable and fruit gardens. The beaches in the South consist of white sand, beaches in other parts of the island are covered with gray or black volcanic sand.
FLORA:

The wide variety of tropical plants is surprising. You'll see huge banyan trees in villages and temple grounds, tamarind trees in the North, clove trees in the highlands, acacia trees, flame trees, and mangroves in the South. In Bali grow a dozen species of coconut palms and even more varieties of bamboo.

And there are flowers, flowers everywhere. You'll see (and smell the fragrance of) hibiscus, bougainvillea, jasmine, and water lilies. Magnolia, frangipani, and a variety of orchids are found in many front yards and gardens, along roads, and in temple grounds. Flowers are also used as decorations in temples, on statues, as offerings for the gods, and during prayers. Dancers wear blossoms in their crowns, and even the flower behind the ear of your waitress seems natural in Bali.
FAUNA:

Elephants and tigers don't exist any more in Bali since early this century. Wildlife, however, includes various species of monkeys, civets, barking deer and mouse deer, and 300 species of birds including wild fowl, dollar birds, blue kingfishers, sea eagles, sandpipers, white herons and egrets, cuckoos, wood swallows, sparrows, and starlings. You can watch schools of dolphins near Lovina, Candi Dasa, and Padangbai. Divers will see many colorful coral fish and small reef fish, moray eels, and plankton eating whale sharks as well as crustaceans, sponges, and colorful coral along the east coast and around Menjangan Island near Gilimanuk.
CLIMATE:

You can expect pleasant day temperatures between 20 to 33 degrees Celsius or 68 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. From December to March, the West monsoon can bring heavy showers and high humidity, but usually days are sunny and the rains start during the night and pass quickly. From June to September the humidity is low, and it can be quite cool in the evenings. During this time of the year, you'll have hardly any rain in the coastal areas.

Even when it rains in most parts of Bali you can often enjoy sunny days on the "Bukit", the hill south of Jimbaran Beach. On the other hand, in Ubud and the mountains you must expect cloudy skies and showers throughout the year (this is why the international weather reports for "Denpasar" or "Bali" mention showers and rain storms during all times of the year). In higher regions such as in Bedugul or Kintamani you'll also need either a sweater or jacket after the sun sets.
POPULATION:

Bali's population has grown to over 3 million people the overwhelming majority of which are Hindus. However, the number of Muslims is steadily increasing through immigration of people from Java, Lombok and other areas of Indonesia who seek work in Bali.

Most people live in the coastal areas in the South, and the island's largest town and administrative center is fast growing Denpasar with a population of now over 370,000. The villages between the town of Ubud and Denpasar, Kuta (including Jimbaran, Tuban, and Legian, Seminyak, Basangkasa, etc), Sanur, and Nusa Dua are spreading rapidly in all directions, and before long the whole area from Ubud in the North to Sanur in the East, Berawa/Canggu in the West, and Nusa Dua in the South will be urbanized.
ECONOMY:

This southern part of Bali is where most jobs are to be found, either in the hotel and tourist industry, the textile and garment industry, and in many small scale and home industries producing handicrafts and souvenirs. Textiles, garments, and handicrafts have become the backbone of Bali's economy providing 300,000 jobs, and exports have been increasing by around 15% per year to over US$400 million. Textiles and garments contribute about 45%, and wood products including statues, furniture and other handicrafts 22% to the province's total income from exports. Silver work is ranked third (4.65%) with 5,000 workers employed. Main buyers are the US and Europe with 38% each, and Japan with 9%.

Important agricultural products besides rice are tea, coffee, tobacco, cacao, copra, vanilla, soy beans, chilies, fruit, and vegetable (there are now even vineyards near the northwest coast). Bali's fishing industry and seaweed farming provide other products which are important exports.

The new free-trade regulations will create some problems for Bali's exporters as they do not allow to employ children. Most children here work for their parents, and this is part of the process of acquiring professional skills and kind of an informal education which has been very important in the Balinese society for centuries.
WHAT MAKES BALI SO SPECIAL:

There is the combination of the friendly people, the natural attractions, the great variety of things to see and do, the year-round pleasant climate, and the absence of security problems. And then there is Bali's special "magic", which is difficult to explain.

As soon as you step off the plane you might sense the difference. In the villages you'll notice the quietness and wisdom in old people's faces, and the interest and respect in the young's. Old men sit at the road side caressing their fighting cocks. Beautifully dressed women walk proudly through rice fields and forests carrying offerings on their heads to the next temple. There is the smell of flowers, and in the distance you hear the sound of gamelan music.

Gods and spirits have been an important part of Bali's daily life for hundreds of years. Gunung Agung – Bali's holy mountain – is internationally regarded as one of the eight "Chakra" points of the world. This may be more than an coincident. Watch out, the moment you feel the magic of this island, you're addicted for the rest of your life.

To quote the "BALI travel FORUM" contributor "Si Badak" who posted the following message on September 4th, 2000:

"The intricate patterns of Batik. A walk on the beach at low tide,near where a stream flows into the ocean at, for instance, the bottom of Jl. 66 in Seminyak, will show you where some ideas originate. Because of different coloured minerals in the sand, swirling patterns are intermingled by the action of the tide meeting the out-flowing stream very reminiscent of Batik design. For many years it was forbidden to depict human or animal forms so that people had to look to other natural forms for ideas. It would be good to hear on this from the real experts.

Shining delight upon the faces of newly arrived visitors, "baru datang" to local people, as they forge ahead into the great unknown that is Bali. Confronted by a sea of golden faces, the visiting children are the first to smile and reap emotional profit as they are cosseted and cuddled by every Balinese woman or man they meet : sale or no sale, children are all adored as spirits newly returned from the after-life. Giving a happy smile in the direction of Balinese children is a very rewarding pass-time also ; the proud Mum or Dad are only too willing to stop for a chat, even without a language in common !

Boys and girls who are there to Party, Party, Party ! These are no different to the Party Animals to be met on the Costa Brava, in Baja California, at Blackpool, Bondi or anywhere people go for a good time. Doesn't matter which nationality, although loud they are seldom obnoxious unless you attempt to impose your ides of decorum upon them. A smile and a snippet of badinage works well. Even WE were young ! Do you remember ?

An erect old lady on her 1940s bicycle, pedalling through traffic while carrying 1000 eggs, in cartons 60cm square, balanced precariously we think, upon her head of old, honorable grey. Thoughts of very large omelets pass through tourists' minds but seldom has one of these ladies of remarkable poise been seen to provide entertainment by falling over. Carrying heavy buckets of water on their heads, from an early age, has given them a balance and strength to be envied by olympic gymnasts.

Pairs of men on motor-bikes who deliver newly made, wooden beds on their heads and shoulders from town to country. Sometimes they can be seen carrying as many as three mattresses in the same way, or even a bundle of pillows larger than themselves, buffeted by the slip-stream of passing trucks : the man on the pillion is responsible for load security while the driver controls the bike and attempts to keep them both steady. One wonders if this merchandise gets tested along the way, maybe at about 2pm ?

The "8 Ps" are not often in evidence ON this blessed isle, i.e. "proper prior planning & preparation prevents pathetically poor performance". How many more time are we to see the streets of Kuta being excavated for the installation of yet another public utility ? To date we have had : drains at roadside dug and covered up, asphalted a week or two later : footpaths to be paved and raised above drains : excavations for telephone lines followed 6 months later by excavations for more cabling and each time asphalting carried out when the pot-holes have been allowed to mature to their full, axle-shattering width and depth : oops ! Then ? "The drains are not deep / wide enough, let's do it all again !" Town planning ?

Early morning on the beach at Legian towards Seminyak. A light breeze wafts aromas of the morning's rice to the fisherman, sarung and basket tucked up near his waist, casting his net into the surf in the hope of some extra food for his family. Old ladies and gentlemen appear for a bath, cautiously dipping into the water, fully clothed, at its shallowest. Tourist joggers and power-walkers come thundering sweatily along, ( to the amusement of locals from a less punishing lifestyle), to be joined by a few enthusiastic dogs, barking happily, who add to the fun by companionably running between their legs.

Gunung Agung can be seen raising his mighty head above his vassal clouds to see what his subjects are up to. Having made his ritual inspection he draws his court around him and, usually, hides for the rest of the day: he doesn't go away, the Balinese people know he is still there, unseen but all-seeing as he ponders upon the doings of everybody, even the stupid tourists!"

Saturday, May 26, 2007

HOTEL IN JAKARTA

Willtop Hotel
P Jayakarta Street 44
Phone: (021) 6287888

Tugu Asri Hotel
Jatibaru Street 7-9
Phone: (021) 31926292

Treva International Hotel
Menteng Raya Street 33
Phone: (021) 31900240

Travel Hotel
Mangga Besar VIII Street 21
Phone: (021) 6012721

Sriwijaya Hotel & Restaurant
Veteran I Street 1
Phone: (021) 3440409

Sofyan Cikini Hotel
Cikini Raya Street 79
Phone: (021) 3140695

Sofyan Betawi Hotel
Cut Meutia Street 9
Phone: (021) 3905011

Sheraton Media Hotel & Towers
Gunung Sahari Raya Street 3
Phone: (021) 6263001

Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta
Jend Sudirman Street Kav 1
Phone: (021) 5707440

Setiabudi Hotel
Dr Setiabudi Raya Street 24
Phone: (021) 5254640

Kartika Chandra Hotel
Jend Gatot Subroto Street Kav 18-20
Phone: (021) 5251008

Jusenny Hotel
Senayan Street, S-3/29
Phone: (021) 7206565

Jayakarta Jakarta Hotel
Hayam Wuruk Street 126
Phone: (021) 6496760

Jatra Hotel
Bandengan Selatan Street 20
Phone: (021) 6922921

Jakarta Sultan International
Jend Gatot Subroto Street
Phone: (021) 5703600

Ibis Tamarin Hotel
KH Wahid Hasyim Street 77
Phone: (021) 3912323

Ibis Slipi Hotel
Letjen S Parman Street Kav 59
Phone: (021) 5331570

Wisma Indonesia
Kelapa Dua Street 43
Phone: (021) 4401502

Via Renata
Erlangga II Street 8
Phone: (021) 7258801

Sehat Hotel
Mangga Besar Raya Street 177
Phone: (021) 6280638

Pondok Wisata Pasir Putih
Pasir Putih III Street 6
Phone: (021) 64711970

Willtop Hotel
P Jayakarta Street 44
Phone: (021) 6287888

Tugu Asri Hotel
Jatibaru Street 7-9
Phone: (021) 31926292

Treva International Hotel
Menteng Raya Street 33
Phone: (021) 31900240

Travel Hotel
Mangga Besar VIII Street 21
Phone: (021) 6012721

Sriwijaya Hotel & Restaurant
Veteran I Street 1
Phone: (021) 3440409

Sofyan Cikini Hotel
Cikini Raya Street 79
Phone: (021) 3140695

Sofyan Betawi Hotel
Cut Meutia Street 9
Phone: (021) 3905011

Sheraton Media Hotel & Towers
Gunung Sahari Raya Street 3
Phone: (021) 6263001

Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta
Jend Sudirman Street Kav 1
Phone: (021) 5707440

Setiabudi Hotel
Dr Setiabudi Raya Street 24
Phone: (021) 5254640

Kartika Chandra Hotel
Jend Gatot Subroto Street Kav 18-20
Phone: (021) 5251008

Jusenny Hotel
Senayan Street, S-3/29
Phone: (021) 7206565

Jayakarta Jakarta Hotel
Hayam Wuruk Street 126
Phone: (021) 6496760

Jatra Hotel
Bandengan Selatan Street 20
Phone: (021) 6922921

Jakarta Sultan International
Jend Gatot Subroto Street
Phone: (021) 5703600

Ibis Tamarin Hotel
KH Wahid Hasyim Street 77
Phone: (021) 3912323

Ibis Slipi Hotel
Letjen S Parman Street Kav 59
Phone: (021) 5331570

Wisma Indonesia
Kelapa Dua Street 43
Phone: (021) 4401502

Via Renata
Erlangga II Street 8
Phone: (021) 7258801

Sehat Hotel
Mangga Besar Raya Street 177
Phone: (021) 6280638

Pondok Wisata Pasir Putih
Pasir Putih III Street 6
Phone: (021) 64711970

HOTEL IN JAKARTA

Willtop Hotel
P Jayakarta Street 44
Phone: (021) 6287888

Tugu Asri Hotel
Jatibaru Street 7-9
Phone: (021) 31926292

Treva International Hotel
Menteng Raya Street 33
Phone: (021) 31900240

Travel Hotel
Mangga Besar VIII Street 21
Phone: (021) 6012721

Sriwijaya Hotel & Restaurant
Veteran I Street 1
Phone: (021) 3440409

Sofyan Cikini Hotel
Cikini Raya Street 79
Phone: (021) 3140695

Sofyan Betawi Hotel
Cut Meutia Street 9
Phone: (021) 3905011

Sheraton Media Hotel & Towers
Gunung Sahari Raya Street 3
Phone: (021) 6263001

Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta
Jend Sudirman Street Kav 1
Phone: (021) 5707440

Setiabudi Hotel
Dr Setiabudi Raya Street 24
Phone: (021) 5254640

Kartika Chandra Hotel
Jend Gatot Subroto Street Kav 18-20
Phone: (021) 5251008

Jusenny Hotel
Senayan Street, S-3/29
Phone: (021) 7206565

Jayakarta Jakarta Hotel
Hayam Wuruk Street 126
Phone: (021) 6496760

Jatra Hotel
Bandengan Selatan Street 20
Phone: (021) 6922921

Jakarta Sultan International
Jend Gatot Subroto Street
Phone: (021) 5703600

Ibis Tamarin Hotel
KH Wahid Hasyim Street 77
Phone: (021) 3912323

Ibis Slipi Hotel
Letjen S Parman Street Kav 59
Phone: (021) 5331570

Wisma Indonesia
Kelapa Dua Street 43
Phone: (021) 4401502

Via Renata
Erlangga II Street 8
Phone: (021) 7258801

Sehat Hotel
Mangga Besar Raya Street 177
Phone: (021) 6280638

Pondok Wisata Pasir Putih
Pasir Putih III Street 6
Phone: (021) 64711970

HOTEL IN JAKARTA

Sentral Hotel
Pramuka Raya Street Kav 63-64
Phone: (021) 4225511

Sari Pan Pacific Hotel
MH Thamrin Street 3
Phone: (021) 31905527

Sahid Jaya Hotel
Jend Sudirman Street 86
Phone: (021) 5704444

Royal Hotel
Ir H Juanda Street 14
Phone: (021) 3804301

Rensa Sofyan Hotel
Duren Sawit Raya Street 108
Phone: (021) 8615509

Redtop Hotel
Pecenongan Street 72
Phone: (021) 3500077

Raddin Ancol Jakarta Hotel
Lodan Timur Street 7
Phone: (021) 6405641

Megapro Hotel
Proklamasi Street 40-42
Phone: (021) 3923131

Megah Gemilang Hotel
Mangga Besar Raya Street 38-AS
Phone: (021) 6592949

Mandarin Oriental Jakarta
MH Thamrin Street
Phone: (021) 39838888

Le Meridien Hotel
Jend Sudirman Street Kav 18-20
Phone: (021) 2513131

Le Grandeur Mangga Dua Hotel
Mangga Dua Raya Street
Phone: (021) 6128811

Ciputra Jakarta Hotel
Letjen S Parman Street
Phone: (021) 5660640

Chitra Hotel
Toko Tiga Street 23
Phone: (021) 6596283

Cemara Hotel
Cemara Street 1
Phone: (021) 3908215

Bumi Johar Hotel
Johar Street 17-19
Phone: (021) 3145746

Borobudur Jakarta Hotel
Lap Banteng Selatan Street
Phone: (021) 3805555

Pondok Nirwana Motel
Letjen Haryono MT Jl Street Kav 26
Phone: (021) 8093103

Podomoro Hotel
Agung Utara Raya Street, A/5
Phone: (021) 6402070

Astika Hotel
Mangga Besar Raya Street 76
Phone: (021) 6256688

HOTEL IN JAKARTA

Puri Mega Hotel
Rawa Mangun Street 59-A
Phone: (021) 4214744

Puri Jaya Hotel
Percetakan Negara V Street 5
Phone: (021) 4215320

Prinsen Park Hotel
Mangga Besar Raya Street 83-85
Phone: (021) 6289101

Prapanca Hotel
Prapanca Raya Street 30-31
Phone: (021) 7262603

Pitagiri Hotel
Palmerah Barat Street 110
Phone: (021) 5359359

Patra Jasa Hotel
Jend A Yani Street 2
Phone: (021) 4240608

Paragon Galeri Jakarta Hotel
KH Wahid Hasyim Street 29
Phone: (021) 3917070

Kristal Hotel
Tarogong Raya Street
Phone: (021) 7507050

Ibis Mangga Dua Hotel
P Jayakarta Street 73
Phone: (021) 6250101

Ibis Kemayoran Hotel
Bungur Besar Raya Street 79-81
Phone: (021) 4210111

Horison Hotel
Pantai Indah Street
Phone: (021) 6407000

Hillside Bukit Indah Hotel
RA Kartini Street 9
Phone: (021) 7502628

Hangtuah Boutique Hotel
Hang Tuah I Street 2
Phone: (021) 7237323

Grand Hyatt Jakarta
MH Thamrin Street Kav 28-30
Phone: (021) 3901234

Bintang Griyawisata Hotel
Raden Saleh Street 16
Phone: (021) 3922566

Banyuwangi Sintera Hotel
KH Samanhudi Street, B-34/32
Phone: (021) 3857551

Banian Bulevar Hotel
Tj Duren Raya Street Kav 1
Phone: (021) 5662288

Augusta Hotel
Lingkar Luar Street 1-A
Phone: (021) 5453132

Atlet Century Park Jakarta Hotel
Pintu Satu Street
Phone: (021) 5712041

Aston Hotel Jakarta
Garnisun Dalam Street 8
Phone: (021) 2515151

Arwana Hotel
Mangga Besar VIII Street 7
Phone: (021) 6009925