Bali Regional Guides
Discovery Mall Evolving
After a 10 year absence from Bali having had these years in Yogyakarta, Central Java, I returned in 2003 to see many changes had occurred on the island of Bali. One place that particularly took my attention was the near completion of the Discovery Mall on Jalan Kartika Plaza. At that time I can recall mentioning to my wife as we passed on our way from the airport that the white edifice would be a ‘white elephant’. How wrong was I in my statement. Of course every year I have returned to Bali since 2003 and over the years I have seen the Discovery Mall evolving into one of the best shopping complexes on the island. There are not many tourists to the island that dislike the place as it offers an excellent choice of restaurants, coffee shops and stores, but also affords spectacular ocean views from the rear of the building. Little by little over the years a new shop or restaurant has been added, another bank installed in the complex making it a delightful place to spend a few hours, or in some cases with over-enthusiastic shoppers, a whole day.
Date: July 1st, 2008 |
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Threads of Life
The Indonesian archipelago occupies an esteemed place in the world of textiles. Peoples of this vast chain of islands use a wide variety of woven, embroidered and resist-dyed techniques to prepare fabrics of great ingenuity and beauty. – Indonesian Textiles: Michael Hitchcock .
More and more traditional textiles and their ritual use are disappearing, becoming endangered if you like, across the archipelago. Unless practices are handed down through generations then indeed their fate is cast. However, there is a couple, Jean and William Ingram, who have lived in Bali full-time since 1993, and now reside in Ubud who have forged a unique co-operation with Yayasan Pecinta Budaya Bebali in order to have these natural-dyed and handmade ritual textiles and their production survive. Threads of Life can be found in the centre of Ubud and is a place highly recommended for those lovers of Indonesian textiles. You can purchase textiles on the premises, watch the various techniques in the processing, or even get involved and sign up for one of the participation classes. The two hour class is an Introduction to Indonesian Textiles and the three hour class is an introduction to textiles and their use in Indonesian Culture.
Date: June 18th, 2008 |
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The Lombok Project
Lombok has always lagged behind Bali in regards to tourism. These days, Lombok is used as a stepping stone to the nearby Gili Islands. This doesn’t mean that there is nothing to do on the island. On the contrary, Lombok is an island of stunning palm-fringed, white sand beaches and the interior of the island has majestic panoramas overlooked by Gunung Rinjani. Add to that the mystical Sasak culture and you have a perfect island holiday. There are a multitude of five star resorts and a variety of other accommodation to suit all budgets. At …
Date: June 1st, 2008 |
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Shark Delicacies
For as long as I can remember on my travels I have never imbibed in seafood cuisine that contained shark meat of any kind. As a scuba diver and an environmentalist, I do have a very healthy respect for these beautiful creatures. There are those that don’t considering them the scourge of the oceans. This is not to say that I haven’t had my fair amount of run-ins with them and on one particular occasion, it was almost a fatal meeting with a large Tiger Shark. Even after that I still harbor a healthy …
Date: May 28th, 2008 |
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Dapur Alam
Quite accidentally I read about this new eatery in a local magazine a few months ago. Dapur Alam opened in February and has been steadily increasing its clientele mainly due to the high quality of food and, I consider this to be the reason why it has become so popular now with locals, domestic and foreign tourists. Dapur Alam means ‘natural kitchen’ in Bahasa Indonesia. Located on Jalan Patih Jelantik, Dapur Alam is nestled in a gully and can be easily missed. However, you will find most taxi drivers know about the place. I went there with my Javanese wife and a Swiss friend of ours who considered himself a connoisseur of Javanese cuisine having spent some months in Jakarta. The first impression of Dapur Alam is one of warmth mainly because of the two open-air pavilions where people sit and eat, and the general friendliness of the staff who come from various islands in the archipelago. The seating arrangements are purely simple. Wooden benches with mock, marble-topped tables give Dapur Alam that, well, natural ambience. There is even a special playground area set aside for kids.
Date: May 22nd, 2008 |
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Royal Cremation: Ubud
There is one thing that I encourage all visitors to Bali to do is witness a cremation. Culturally and spiritually inspirational, Balinese cremations are a colourful and, depending on the caste level, an extravaganza to rival any funeral in the world. Naturally, over the decades I have seen many but I was fortunate in the late 80’s to see preparations and then the whole funeral procession and subsequent cremation of a person of Brahma lineage. Respect for and worship of God and ancestors is the basis of the Balinese religion. The combination of Hindu elements makes the whole process a moving experience and one that is not to be missed.
Date: June 20th, 2008 |
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Sheppy’s Bar and Restaurant
I am always on the lookout for a good warung or restaurant that serves delicious cuisine wherever I travel in the archipelago and on my last sojourn to Bali, I discovered a great place. Sheppy’s restaurant is located on Jalan Melasti in Legian and I must have passed this place many times but never really noticed it. Across the road from the traditional markets, Sheppy’s is owned by an Australian and offers not only excellent food, but great service from a friendly staff. I particularly liked Sheppy’s because of its openness to the street making it a nice to place to people-watch, enjoy a meal or just a drink. The restaurant is very clean and one thing that really impressed me was the toilet. It was super-duper clean and not like you find in many places on the island of Bali. Candika and I ate at Sheppy’s many times after discovering the place and each time I was definitely not disappointed. The menu far is a good selection of Indonesia and western foods, all cooked to perfection and reasonably priced.
Date: June 3rd, 2008 |
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Han Snel’s Retrospective Exhibition: Ubud
Numerous foreign artists have made Bali their home and created their own themes and styles in painting the Balinese and their culture and religion. Bali became an artist enclave for avant-garde artists such as Walter Spies, Rudolf Bonnet, Arie Smit and the most famous being Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur who married Ni Pollock, a renowned legong dancer. The 1920’s saw an artistic flurry on the island and the Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias noted that local paintings served primarily religious or ceremonial functions. Han Snel was another of these foreign artists to grace the shores of Bali. Han Snel was born in 1925 in Scheveningen, in the Netherlands. After his arrival in 1946 with the Dutch military forces he was immediately tasked with fighting Japanese troops and the newly born army of the Republic of Indonesia. As most visiting artists do, Snel immediately fell in love with the island. Like Mayeur, he married a local girl and subsequently applied for Indonesian citizenship and embraced Balinese Hinduism. In Ubud there is an exhibition of Han Snel’s paintings that most visitors who have a penchant for art will like to see.
Date: May 29th, 2008 |
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Silver in Ubud
As most tourists who have visited Bali and travelled to Ubud will know, there are a prolific amount of galleries and one of the most famous being the Neka Gallery, amongst others. A stroll around the side streets and gangs will provide you with the opportunity to visit other fine art galleries. When we think of art it is, more often than not, associated with paintings. But, in Ubud there are galleries that sell other artistic items such as wood carvings, jewellery, stone carvings and silver products. One such gallery for silver items is Studio Perak. This magnificent place also specialises in silver-smithing courses.
Date: May 25th, 2008 |
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Kafe Batan Waru: Tuban
As a great lover of Javanese food I am a regular patron at Kafe Batan Waru in Tuban. The sister restaurant to the one in Ubud, the cuisine is just as delicious and although not in a garden setting, the décor more than makes up for this. Located opposite Waterbom Park in Tuban and a stone’s throw from the Discovery Mall, Kafe Batan Waru is not your ordinary open-air warung. Adorning the walls on one side are beautiful collection of flora and fauna prints, and the other, classic prints of Indonesia during the colonial era. The décor is practically simple with polished, long wooden tables and benches giving the place that touch of class. I particularly like the ‘feel’ of the restoran, warm and comfy. And, as with all upmarket restoran the service is first-class.
Date: May 10th, 2008 |
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