48 hours in Bali
BALI - Got 48 hours to explore Bali? Reuters correspondents use their local knowledge to help you get the most out of Indonesia’s resort island.
FRIDAY
5.30 p.m. - Enjoy the sunset. If you arrive by mid-afternoon, head for Pura Tanah Lot, a small temple perched on top of a large rock that’s cut off from the beach except at low tide. A good spot to watch the sun set over the sea. Alternatively, head for the beach for a quick dip.
7 p.m. - Have an early dinner in the open air. For those who enjoy being barefoot on the beach, dine on the day’s catch at one of the many seafood restaurants on the beach at Jimbaran Bay, where candle-lit tables are set up on the sand. Grilled fish coated in spicy sambal sauce will set your tongue burning.
Or, try La Lucciola, on Legian beach in Seminyak. It’s one of the places to be seen and serves simple, delicious food throughout the day.
9 p.m. - Restaurant and lounge Ku De Ta (www.kudeta.net) in Seminyak exudes modern chic and is popular with the post-dinner drinks crowd. Sip on cocktails until late and watch the beautiful people swan around the grounds.
SATURDAY
7 a.m. - If you have the energy, start early and head for Ubud, considered the island’s artistic centre because it attracted painters such as Walter Spies and Miguel Covarrubias, whose book, Island of Bali, is considered a classic.
8 a.m. - Breakfast at Indus (www.casalunabali.com) for lovely views over the rice terraces. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Gunung Agung, Bali’s most revered volcano — it last erupted in 1963, killing thousands.
9 a.m. - Take a sun hat, sun block, water bottle and binoculars and head for the Tjampuhan bridge, meeting place for Bali Bird Walks. Your guide will take you for a stroll through the rice fields, explain Bali’s elaborate rice culture and point out the birds — Java kingfisher, bulbul, cisticola — and local medicinal plants (www.balibirdwalk.com; tel
+62-81-2391 3801)
Alternatively, you can stroll at your own pace through the rice fields around Ubud. Start at the temple by the bridge and follow the path through the rice fields and villages. If you get tired you can flag down a passing car and hitch a lift.
11 a.m. - Head to the centre of Ubud and drop by the Puri Saren Palace, which from the late 19th century to the mid-1940s was the seat of the local ruler. Entry is free and visitors can stroll around the pavilions. The palace is also the one of the best settings for Balinese dance performances.
For some retail therapy, browse through the jewellery, book, and crafts stores around the palace.
12 p.m. - Lunch on a Balinese speciality, suckling pig, at Ibu Oka (tel +62-361 976345) just across the road from the palace, but get there before 1.30 p.m. as it’s very popular and sells out fast.
1.30 p.m. - Head for Neka Art Museum, where collector Suteja Neka has put together works by Balinese and Bali-inspired foreign artists, including I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, Arie Smit, and Donald Friend, whose diaries from Bali make entertaining reading. Also, see Robert Koke’s black and white photos from the 1930s when he and his wife Louise ran a small hotel in Bali, and a new exhibit of Balinese jewelled ceremonial daggers (www.museumneka.com)
4 p.m. - Spa time. Bali is well endowed with spas and massage centers, so you will be spoilt for choice, but Spa Hati is one of the most popular so be sure to book (www.spahati.com)
7 p.m. - For delicious Balinese smoked duck, fern tips and other local cuisine, try Kafe Batan Waru or its sister restaurant Terazo for Western dishes (www.baligoodfood.com).
8 p.m. - During your time in Bali, you’re bound to see a temple ceremony or village procession, with everyone dressed in their best and the women carrying towers of fruit and flowers on their heads.
There are dance performances next to the palace most evenings, and if you hear the sound of gamelan music in the distance, check it out — you might find there’s an all-night temple ceremony in progress and as long as you are dressed appropriately, you can join in the celebrations.
In terms of bar life, Ubud closes down early so night-owls might want to head back to Seminyak or Kuta for late-night entertainment.
SUNDAY
8 a.m. - Pick a day trip around the island. Popular choices include Klungkung and its palace, Puri Smarapura. The pavilion’s painted ceilings show scenes from daily life and punishments in hell — look for the people being boiled alive in giant cauldrons. Drive on to the walled village of Tenganan, home to the Bali aga, or “original Balinese.” The village is famous for its double ikat cloth.
Alternatively, drive through the villages north of Ubud and head to Bedugul to see the multi-tiered lakeside temple, Pura Ulun Danu Bratan.
Or, if you are short of time, head to the southern tip of Bali to see Uluwatu, a temple perched on the cliff-top high above the sea. Watch out for the mischievous monkeys who have a tendency to steal cameras, sunglasses and even wallets.
2 p.m. (or 7 p.m.) - Round off your stay with a Balinese feast at Bumbu Bali in the scenic resort strip of Tanjung Benoa (www.balifoods.com/bumbu/). The award-winning restaurant, owned by chef Heinz von Holtzen, serves fine local cuisine.
4 p.m. - If you’re craving a game of golf, head to the Bali Golf & Country Club, one of Asia’s premier courses, in nearby Nusa Dua.
(Reporting by Sara Webb, editing by Miral Fahmy)
© Reuters 2007
Source: http://www.canada.com/
Add comment July 1st, 2008