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.
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Waking to a glorious sunrise bursting over the ocean is one of those special moments and although reluctant to move on towards Singaraja along the north-east road, it was the adventurous side that took over and it was not long before we found ourselves driving along the road out of Tembok bathed in glorious sunshine and with some stunning mountain views on our left, and, the vast still sea to our right spread out like a rich blue carpet. The ride was a tad rough and having to avoid the potholes in the road and the trucks was no mean feat, however, once past Bondalem we found the smooth bitumen highway much more to our liking, well, at least out butts did!. What impressed me about this stretch of road were the surprising panoramas with each bend we engaged. Rocky outcrops jutted out into the sea, small bays where fishermen trolled for a meal and the constant brilliance of the never ending sea stretching to the horizon dotted with prahu’s coming into shore after a night’s fishing.
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There are literally hundreds of day trips you could embark upon on your visit to Bali, but I have always found it best to get off the main tourist routes and do some exploring. Recently I spent a few days in the north-east of the island. It is a beautiful area of Bali and less frequented by tourists but no doubt in due time, this will change. Of the three main roads heading up to Kintamani we started off my using the road direct to the village of Kertabuana and by doing so avoiding the road tax payable on the main tourist route coming out at the T-Junction near Kintamani and, all the associated hassles. That in itself is a rip-off and should be banned, but, that is my personal opinion. If you wanted to enjoy a few nights around Gunung Batur then a trip down to the base of the crater lake is one that I would recommend. (Nick and I did this a few years back and stayed in Pekalongan. From here you can get over to Trunyan [for what it’s worth, at the moment] or just chill-out and relax, hiking.)
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Just like Raja’s on Jl. Legian, I have passed by the Apache restoran and bar more times than I can remember. I have always been dubious about eating establishments that are a part of a club, but it was worth a gecko I thought. Sure am glad I did.
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My favourite area in Bali would have to be in the areas to the north of Lake Bratan. Here the mountains rise from the depths of jungle terrain and rice-terraced hills, and, lakes. After visiting Danau Bratan, take a drive north to the Munduk turnoff and then head to that town. Just pass the turn-off the first delight you will encounter is Lake Buyan (the lake is located around 55 km north of Denpasar). Further on is Lake Tamblingan. These two lakes are two of the four lakes on the island of Bali which have become tourist attractions. There are areas along the Munduk road where small parking places enable you to view both the lakes. Of the two lakes, Lake Buyan is the bigger with an area of some 4.93 sq km wide.
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Indonesia currently has 16 or more species on the verge of extinction. A further 30 are classified as endangered. On the critically endangered and endangered lists are the Sumatran tiger, the Bali starling, the Javanese wild dog, the orangutans of Kalimantan and Sumatra, the Sumatran gibbon and the Sumatran elephant. Some claim the number of Sumatran elephants remaining in the wild is around 1,500, while the more conservative believe 1,000 is more likely. A further 900 or so are found in Sumatra’s elephant camps; once known as elephant training centers, the camps are now called elephant conservation centers and are designed to save the species. However, these camps have become death camps for far too many elephants, according to elephant conservationist Nigel Mason of the Elephant Safari Park in Taro, Bali.
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Art and orangutans don’t appear to have much in common. However, for internationally recognized artist Jason Monet, conservation of the threatened primate starts with bamboo. According to the Bali-based artist, the more the arts, architecture and just about everything else from food to furniture uses bamboo, the longer orangutans on Sumatra and Kalimantan will have a home. Jason has been working with bamboo for the past two years, using it for his sculptures and to frame his paintings.
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I don’t get much of a chance to get up to Ubud as I am usually bypassing it on my way to other parts of the island, but when I do it is usually to Casa Luna or my all-time favourite, Kafe Batan Waru. Ubud is one of those places where you need a week or so to explore everything – the galleries, museums, coffee shops, and of course the restaurants and warungs. I was reading a restaurant review recently about a restaurant that has achieved great notoriety, the Delicat Restaurant.
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It always pleases my heart to see that villagers are participating in caring for the environment, whether it’s on land or in the sea. And, it seems just this is happening in Bondalem in north-east Bali. Recently I was looking around the area of Tejakula not far from Bondalem. Actually I was a guest at the Poinciana Resort in Tembok, along the same stretch of road. This whole area is pristine and well worth a visit albeit off the regular tourist tracks. The pebblestone beaches are a challenge underfoot but this is outweighed with the stunning backdrop of the mountains bowing to the sea and the crystal clear waters of the Bali Sea. It is an area where it is understandable that the friendly villagers have this desire to preserve their surroundings. Basically they make a living from the sea and so it’s only natural that you would want to preserve the waters and the coral reefs.
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Seminyak and Kerobokan are full of furniture places and on a walk down Jl. Seminyak this afternoon I checked one called Apo Kayan. Located directly across the street from Pantarei restaurant, the shop has some massive pieces including benches, couches, carved wall decorations and big wooden pots. Its like land of the giants and looking around I thought the kind of person buying this stuff must either have a hotel or a a very large house. Its cool though, you won't find this stuff in a catalog. I asked the lady in charge Yohan …
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