Archive for November 7th, 2006
Lombok is only 30 minutes from Bali by plane, yet it is like stepping into a different era. Longterm Bali visitors, tell me stories of Poppies Lane being a sand track, and Legian being the outer reach of westernization, warungs serving only Indonesian food, and the barest of western dishes. Those days are long gone, but a trip to the south coast of Lombok, will put you right back in that era.
Riding around Lombok on my motorbike in 2004, I was amazed that on the south coast, Kuta Lombok was the only real place westerners were found in numbers. Back then there were maybe a dozen bamboo warungs and a similar number of guest houses. Riding down the ravines that drop towards to the coast, I would ask locals where the warung was, only to be told ‘tidak ada’ (don’t have). For the most part, the south coast of Lombok is untouristed, with sweeping white sand beaches and few people. Surfers are the main group that explores the coast, with the world class Desert Point, in the west, and Ekas in the east. The problem with surfing Lombok, is that to go from one side of the island to the other, will take you 4 hours, unlike the surfing in Bali, where you can take advantage of the breaks at Uluwatu and Padang Padang, then hop over to Sri Lanka and Nusa Dua, in 20 minutes.
An article from AardvarkTravel, talks about the south coast of Lombok.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 7th, 2006
Jl. Kunti is the street that extends from Jl. Seminyak. towards the Sunset Rd, featuring places such as Cabe Rawit, Bali Deli, The Villas. Across the Sunset Rd in Jl. Kunti II, and just 100 meters in is Colonial Living.
Colonial Living is a quaint looking place, that is set up like a Singapore tea house. The business card says ‘Special Vegetarian Food, Coffee & Tea’. When I stopped by this afternoon, it was a picture of tranquility, me being the only customer. I enjoyed a cup of Earl grey tea for 5,000rp. The menu is broken down into Breakfast, Salad & Starters, Pasta, Others, Dessert. There is a good sized list of teas, coffees and juices.
Colonial Living would be ideal for vegetarians, older people, or anyone looking for a quiet place, to sit and enjoy an afternoon coffee or tea.
Colonial Living
Jl. Raya Kunti #67
Seminyak
Bali
(0361) 736976
source : www.baliblog.com
November 7th, 2006
You’ve got to love Indonesia, for having absolutely no self conciousness, when it comes to advertising. We’ve all seen the small warungs with ‘bloody cold beer’ and ‘chicken gordon blue’. Check out Honda’s website, for some hilarious examples of how to use the English language.
Honda are not finished there! In fact they are just warming to the task. I don’t know who they hired to write the text on their website, but I hope his bakso stand is going well. The Supra X 125R has wheels in the
’style of gallant racing motorcycle’. Most people here in Bali ride Honda’s. They seem to be the most reliable bikes and shopping on their website adds to the enjoyment.
Terima kasih Honda!
source : www.baliblog.com
November 7th, 2006
Indonesia has some of the world’s best hotels, including the Four Seasons Sayan and the Amandari, both in Ubud. If you look hard enough you can also find small, boutique hotels that offer something quite unique. One of these is the Losari Coffee Plantation in Central Java.
Set close to the famous
Borobudor and
Prambanam temples,
Losari Coffee Plantation offers eco-luxury.
Losari has 26 villas and I must admit, the place does look great.Here in Bali we have
Sanda Butik Villas in the shade of Gunung Batukaru, plus the
Eco Lodge, further to the NW. There is another eco-lodge in the
Jimbaran Hills.
Malang in East Java is supposed to be a cool area too, for people who like clean air, cooler weather and mountains. You can fly to Yogya from Bali using Mandala Airlines, flight is about 90 minutes or so. Denpasar-Malang is also possible on Mandala, flight time about 45 minutes.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 7th, 2006
Abu Bakar Bashir, the Muslim cleric, who is thought to be the head of JI (Jemaah Islamiyah), the terrorist organisation repsonsible for the Bali bombings, has ordered a halt on terrorist activities in Indonesia.
The 68 year old said the the actions of the 2005 bombers, were harmful and a miscalculation. He asked Indonesian Mujahideen Council (MMI) members not to follow them.
Bashir spoke at a mosque in E.Java and said ““If you want to go on jihad, do not do it here (in Indonesia), but in the southern Philippines or even in Iraq.” I say that’s good news for all of us who live in Bali. The clampdown by the Indonesian police, has no doubt had an effect on the ability of JI to operate. Bashir recently attended a multi-faith meeting, and maybe someone said something that resonated with him.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 7th, 2006
Australian tourist was picked up and flung by a male elephant, while enjoying a family vacation in Bali. Mrs. Robyn Paki was seriously injured when the large elephant she had ridden, tossed her through the air, causing leg and head injuries.
Elephant rides are offered by Bali Adventure Tours, up in Taro, Central Bali, and are normally perfectly safe. Mrs. Paki was taken to Sanglah hospital in Denpasar in the back of a truck, then flown to Perth Australia. Scary stuff, but she made it.A friend of mine was recently flown to Singapore, with a mystery stomach problem. The doctor at Sanglah arranged a private jet to take him, $20,000.
Accidents can happen when you least expect them, and picking up some travel insurance can help ease the pain. One of the best health insurance policies out there is Atlas (I’m on it).
source : www.baliblog.com
November 7th, 2006