JAX

BALI! Balangan, Uluwatu

before you travel:

• - vitamin B for mosquitos

• - cash for exchange, $100 bills series 2006 and newer; you will get the best exchange rate with $100s and they will not except 100s older than '06

• - passport not within 6 months of expiry

• - tampons (the one your buy there are not like the ones you buy in the states)

• - convertor

• - buy duty free liquor!!!!

South Bali:

Uluwatu

Balangan Beach

This town is 30 minutes (without traffic) from the major tourist areas of Seminyak and Kuta. If you want to wake up to peaceful scenery with no one around you stay here. Getting a driver to take you to one of the hot spots, ie Seminyak's Ku-De-Ta, it is only 150,000rp (Rupiah) which is about $16US. And they wait for you there until you are done for the night and take you back to your villa! Uluwatu is the #3 surf spot in the world... but please note, it is NOT a beginniners surf spot. I would know... I tried! But that does not take away from the beauty of the 8' swells every day or your ogling the world class surfers catching these huge waves.

Places to see in ULUWATU:

View from Uluwatu Temple

* Pura Pasur Uluwatu (the Uluwatu Temple). Located on top a 250' cliff, every guide book will tell you to visit here as it is one of the 7 directional temples, which are the most holy spots on the island. I would recommend heading over around 4:30pm (there will be traffic to get in) rent your sarong and sash and head up the cliff side temple right around sunset. There is a Sunset dance at 6:00pm, it's a must see. Usually around 70,000rp but buy your ticket before you head up the temple. Now as all guide books will say, WATCH OUT FOR THE MONKEYS! I didn't believe them at first but it's not a joke. Ladies, do not wear earrings or anything loose on your person. Sunglasses and camera's are their favorite. And DO NOT feed or try and take anything away from the Monkeys. They are malicious and they will gang up on you to get what they want. If they do take something from you go find a local and ask them to help you, as they are very experienced in the way of the "sacred monkeys". * note: if you do go here have Suman the driver take you, he will get you through the entrance short cut, get your sarongs, buy your tickets and meet you at the entrance to the dance.*

MONKEYs

* Uluwatu surf spot, even if you are not a surfer you need to check this place out. I cannot describe how glorious this place is, you just have to go!

* Parang Parang Beach, you pass by this beach over a bridge (great photo op) It is small and not over crowded. Great place to learn to surf... and for surfers who missed the cave at Uluwatu, this is where they end up nearly a mile north of their original spot.

* Balangan, Another great beach larger with a very eerrie temple of death situated in the cliff side. You cannot go into the temple but you can take pictures... This is another great place to learn to surf, Uluwatu Surf School is located here, Eric and Richie will teach you all you need to know and do most of the hard stuff for you! (Balangan Surf Photography & Sunset Cafe Blacky 087 860 273 343)

Balangan Beach at Sunset

* Pecatu Indah Resort… Don't go here... it is a very gloomy sight as it took over Dreamland Beach, which used to live up to it's name and now is 100,000rp to hang out for the day. It WAS the famous surf spot but now is just a tourist attraction with over 400-hetacres of condos, hotels and a golf course… very appalling.

FOOD!! Uluwatu has some of the best Warung food you can find in Bali... (Warung: small street food stand, their version of fast food... fast being 1 hour vs. 3 hours for a meal)

--Matt's Surfer's Warang located right next to the Temple entrance, great night time atmosphere good burgers and cheap Bintang. The vodka is cheaper than most spots because it is made locally... Matt is also an American from Cali... lived and loved Bali for the last 7 years. Very friendlly and accommodating he can fill you in on what's happening in the town that week!

--YeYe's Warung, On the main road heading to Uluwatu... quaint little open air restaurant, with great decor and vibe. We went here twice because the food is delicious and the prices are excellent. YeYe is also someone you want to meet, she is very kind and her story is a good one. Meals are around 45,000-65,000rp Indian Chicken curry, Green Curry Prawns & Chili/Coconut chicken are the best… we tried.

-- Blue Fin. (at blue point) Killer bar and live music every Sunday night. The food is not the best but nothing beats the view... Blue Point offers an unparalleled view of the surf below . A hotel over the cliff with a bar Blue Fin below. You can stop by any day before 11PM on the week days, and Sunday it stays open until the surfers want to go home, with live music from a variety of local artists like the UluwatuRoots... great regae band that can sing Bob Marley perfectly but cannot speak a lick of english!

-- Sunset Grill, okay this is the BEST food in Uluwatu. The fish tacos are heaven. Okay okay maybe it was after the four Jose Cuervo Magarita pitchers we had... but they really are the best fish tacos I have ever had, and I am from Seattle... where fish makes a meal. With their no Bullshit allowed policy and shoes off at the entrance, this warung isn't catering to anyone but the surf gods. Where Tomorrow there are free Magaritas and you get a free meal if you bring Jose Cuervo and cheese that melts.

-- Jiwa Juice, it's a green restaurant that serves only natural ingredients. They have incredible blends of mixtures that aid all different types of ailments, and it doesn't matter if you have that ailment, they taste delicious! It is also a great place for breakfast, it's on the main road heading to Kuta, Jimbaron, Seminyak, Etc.

-- Cafe Bali, (in Seminyak) is delicious. All fresh ingredients and you can tell they put a lot of time and care into their food and feel of the cafe. It is also a great people watching spot. Beware that this is a case of the Balinese service… so do not think that this is a western Cafe and you will be in and out. Service is slow but not to the point where you feel neglected. You just have to be relaxed and you will enjoy every spot in Bali.

--Ku De Ta, (in Seminyak) is upscale and opposite of what you think about Bali…. but if you want to be seen this is the place to be scene at! It is a great location and the view is incredible. The prices are high and the food is small, but if you want to be surrounded by beautiful people and feel like you are the "IT" crowd you do that here. Where a pitcher of Sangria is 650,000rp ($65) but it is worth a drink.

• - Driver- Made Suman (made.suman@yahoo.com)

View from Uluwatu Surf Villas

• VRBO for a villa, a great one is Uluwatu surf villas over looking the cliffs with a full 180 view of the massive surf below. You can also trek down to the reefs when the tide is out and check the tide. https://www.facebook.com/uluwatusurfvillas

• If Suman is not available you can find drivers (not taxis) to take you around the island. For a full days trip to Ubud (1.5 hours from Uluwatu) it was 500,000rp about $50.

East Bali:

Candidasa- (pron: CH-andi Dasa)

For a more secluded experience of the island, a true vacation getaway from the hustle and bustle of Kuta and Seminyak this side of the island is truly magical. You can see the real Balinese culture on the side of the road. It is about 2 hours from the Southwest Cities (Uluwatu, Kuta, etc.) and you give up the white sandy beaches for volcanic sandy beaches… they get darker and darker as you continue up the coast going north. You lose the cliffs of Uluwatu and the endless stretches of Seminyak and Kuta but you gain reefs and coral fish. There is not a lot in terms of night life on this side of the island, so if you will miss it too much then stay put on the southwest side. I rented an estate right on the edge of "downtown Candidasa" if you really call it a downtown. This is my ideal home and I would love to replicate it. So I will fill you in on where we stayed and what we did… but this half of the vacation was mostly spent at the estate just enjoying the pure simplicity of Bali's beauty and straight up relaxing… wake up put bathing suit on, read book by pool, do yoga with Asrham instructor, eat breakfast, continue reading, snorkel, take nap on hammock, get massage, eat lunch…. and that was all before 1PM! this place is AMAZING!

Places to see in Candi Dasa

* Pura Goa Lewah: This is the bat cave temple. It is talked about in most guide books, it is built right into a cave on the side of the hill… a bat cave….! But a few things to know.. .though this temple does produce a lot of pictures it really is only good for a stop on the side of the road. You cannot go inside the temple and it literally is on the side of a very narrow road. So unless you are passing by this already do not make it a day trip. You do not get to see bats just a lot of tourist getting the same picture you will get.

* Bali Asli in Gelumpang near Amlapura: ok so this is actually a restaurant but the view and the loo are worth the trek up here even if you are not hungry…. you can always just get a drink. "Nestled in the foot hills of Mount Agung, Bali’s most sacred mountain, surrounded by rice fields, there is not a building to be seen. Bali Asli promotes Balinese cuisine and culture without exploiting it or it’s people. We embrace our community, supporting those who fish, farm and forage in the near by fields, ocean and jungle. Our menu offers authentic Balinese food using a traditional Balinese style kitchen. We cook on wood-fired, mud brick stoves, allowing the real flavours of Bali to shine. Most of our ingredients are either grown in our garden, in our neighbour’s garden or purchased from the local market. The cooking school runs unique classes themed on “a day in the life of...” every class includes an adventure into local areas off the beaten track. Whether it is learning how to plant rice or plough with a cow, fishing in a jukung canoe and cooking on an open fire or making cocktails from cashew nut wine, our students always leave with fond memories and new skills to experiment with when they get home." From their website: http://www.baliasli.com.au/ It is SOOOO worth the trek and if not for the view just to meet the owner and Chef Penny who is amazingly sweet.

Start of our 6 miles trek...

* Tenganan: talking about treks… well if you want to experience this the way we did… it is just a nice stroll through the rice fields just a mile… easy, very easy… HA! That is what they told us and we were wondering why we needed a guide for this. Well, we needed a guide because it ended up being a 6 miles hike through the jungle! Wearing flip flops and sundresses this was quite the experience, but after our initial shock this was one of those experiences we were very grateful for. Starting in a village North of Tenganan, we found a guide who was a friend of one of the staff members at the estate we were staying at. Trekking through the wilderness we found a local family hidden in the hills who climb a coconut tree for us to taste fresh young coconut… which is the Balinese cure for everything… (including the infamous Bali belly!)… The village itself was a site, after seeing how the traditional families in Bali lived this was a change. It was more traditional Hindu, they did not let their faith evolve like the rest of Bali… and as you will read it is the only place in Bali that is still practicing the pre-historic Hindu religion. The village is a "gated" community and it is also one of the oldest villages in all of Bali… there is almost 0 population growth and you can only marry members of the village. They specialize in the double sided weave, which is quite spectacular, bring cash though! It is definitely worth a trek to see this village, you do not have to take the jungle hike but it does make for a great day trip.

Food:

• -Joglo- located in Downtown Candidasa we ordered from here at least 3 times. They deliver to your villa or they will pick you up for a evening out. Talking to the driver who picked us up we found out he was actually the owner of the restaurant. The atmosphere is so warm and inviting, the decor is exquisite Javanese Joglo design with beautifully hand carved old teak wood. The menu… crab asparagus soup, curried chicken, grilled mahi mahi, the Mango Mojitos are the alcoholic beverage choice and the cucumber juice is perfect for a hot day. Their menu is very detailed and let's you know what is recommended and what is highest order… so much thought and love went into this place, it is worth a visit.

• -Bali Asli- explained in detail above, this is definitely a MUST! http://www.baliasli.com.au/

Places to stay:

* Villa Citakara Sari Estate. Villa Joglo and Yoga Bale. The most amazing house I have ever stayed in. The owner is a pleasure to deal with and there is a full time staff onsite. Ayu is the care taker and she is so wonderful! There are not enough great things I can say about this place! It was breathtakingly beautiful, secluded and peaceful, reef snorkeling off your own private beach and it still has all the amenities you would look for in a public hotel; wireless, full kitchen, room service, turn down, etc.. I almost did not want to tell anyone about this place so I do not have to compete for a calendar week! There is no other place in Candidasa like it, whether you are with your whole family on vacation or on your honeymoon this is where you want to be! I would go back in a heart beat… especially since I never wanted to leave. http://villaeastbali.com/

* Great Day Trips:

• Ubud: The drive up there you pass a lot of very interesting and cool shops with wood carvings, stone work and weaving… but don't stop! You can find everything, and I mean everything in the Ubud market for WAAAAYYYY less.

◦ The Ubud Market… if you need to find gifts for friends and family back home, if you want to update your spice cabinet with rare spices or just want to test your bartering skills this is the place to do it. Here is where I found a heaping bowl full of saffron… and for a large ziploc bag it was 100,000rp ($10) where at home you get about 10 slivers for $10. If you like woven scarves or just unique scarves in general… this is the place to buy them. The more you buy at one stand the better deals you can get… do not pay more than 100,000rp for one. Also, anything woven, table clothes- table runners- etc. this again is the cheapest place to get them. You can decorate your whole house with the things you find in this market. But do not forget to barter… because they will drop to at least 70% of the first price they offered.

◦ Pura Dalem Agung Padang Tegal… The Ubud temple of Death… these are some of the most disturbing statues I saw in all of Bali. Every village has a temple of Death, but this one really took it to the next level. You have to walk through the Sacred Monkey Forest which is now a sanctuary for the crazy monkeys. They are not as mean as the Uluwatu monkeys but they will still take your belonging and if you have food they will fight you for it. When you reach the temple you can donate rp for a sarong and sash… and please remember that even if you have a long skirt or pants that this is their tradition and you cannot enter the temple without both of them.

◦ Ubud's Pura Taman Saraswati temple… You cannot get inside the temple at certain times and you need to bring your own sash and sarong… but the entrance to the temple is worth the visit. With a water lilly lagoon with the walkway down the middle, it is a breath taking site… this is also where the Bali Starbucks is located.

◦ FAVORITE SHOPS:

▪ Uluwatu Balinese Lace, handmade lace dresses and nightgowns all in white lace. This stuff is so beautiful!

▪ "Will find name" but they have all natural bug spray that is VERY effective and made from all-natural oils. They also have amazing lotions and soaps.

▪ JEWELRY! There are a lot of little shops with great jewelry and unique designs, so just take your time when you wander the streets.

▪ Art Galleries: I didn't venture into very many, but they are everywhere and some are pretty incredible. The art work is not a traditional style of sort but they take a unique eye to already practiced techniques.

** notes on Ubud: we only went there on a day trip… I would recommend finding a place to stay and spend a night… There is so much history and art within this city it is definitely a place you could travel around

for more than a day. Bring comfortable shoes and exchange cash before… you will want small rp bills for the market (easier to barter). Your driver will not be very far from you and you can always tip him more, so

use him to help… if you are buying a lot of great things have him circle around and you can be hands free. But we trusted our driver as he was with us the whole trip…That's why Suman is the best!

• Bali Eco Cycle Tour: http://baliecocycling.com/cycling-tour/ Starting from a beautiful B&B onto of a hill over looking Crater Lake and Gunung Batur (Mt. Batur) you have breakfast then head to an organic garden where you can eat bark straight from a cinnamon tree and see the Lewak's that so thankfully make the famous "Cat-shit Coffee" and then to the starting point of a 2 hour (downhill) bike ride. It is very educational and enjoyable

◦ The Bed & Breakfast is so beautiful you get a traditional breakfast to fill you up until the end of the 3 hour trip…

◦ The organic Garden with everything from banana trees, Balinese Pineapples, damn spicy peppers, Jack Fruit, Snakeskin fruit and the infamous "cat Poop Coffee" you can see how they roast the coffee beans and even have a 6 cup tasting of the freshly ground beans.

◦ Then off to the start of the biking half. Even if you are not athletic or if you are this is fun. Do not expect a workout! You stop at traditional homes and see how the rural part of this amazing culture lives. You get private tours of the village temples and may even get to harvest some of the villagers rice in their fields. If you decide to do this bike trip bring Pens and empty water bottles with you. The school children that you will no doubt see at the Big Banyon Tree will want "western pens" because everything from the west is the best. They will take the water bottles (empty) so they can sell them back for a few cents.

◦ At the end of the trip you can either decide to take a 10 minute car ride to the restaurant that will serve you lunch or you can take the 45 minute uphill trek to food… I was wanting a workout and it was a fast pace adventure all uphill. If you want to do this portion make sure you grab a nice bike.

• Gunung Agung: I did not get to experience this part of Bali… It was on the top of my list but since we were on the edge of wet season they did not recommend we do the hike. But This Volcanic Mountain has the Holiest of Holy Temples in all of Bali Pura Besakih (Mother Temple of Besakih). You can hike to the top starting at 2AM and reaching the top around 7:30AM… because the mist lingers in around 9AM you want to get there to see the sunrise and all of Bali without the mist. If I go back (which I most likely will) I will climb this.

• Motor Bikes: Where ever you are, I would say rent a motor bike for a day and explore! It is a little disheartening at first but completely worth it once you get used to the Balinese style of driving like raging lunatics! It is a great experience to fuel your bike with petrol on the side of the road from a old Absolut Vodka bottle. There is just enough room for a towel and sunscreen under the seat and in Bali what more do you need?! You can even get a board rack if you plan on surfing. Just rent one without a destination and explore. You can always ask someone once you get lost how to get back… remember these are the friendliest people on Earth.

View from Blue Fin Bar

All in all Bali is the most wonderful place I have visited. The culture there is so inviting and you will not ever meet a Balinese person who isn't genuinely kind. From the soaring cliffs in Uluwatu to the never ending stretches of beaches in Seminyak and the black sand of East Bali you can always find your beach paradise. If you want a cultural experience you can venture to Ubud, Tenganan or anyone of the 15,000 temples on the island. This trip was not only relaxing but it was so culturally enriching and eye opening. If you can make it to Bali, go. Just go. You will not regret it and everyone should experience this unique paradise before they die. I hope this little insight to my experience in Bali helps you with your vacation planning and I also want to help the wonderful people I met there… so if you do go and have a chance go to these spots, I know they will greatly appreciate meeting you. It would not be for their business but for the relationships they can make. Enjoy! B

JAX

Friday, December 9, 2011

I workout

New Bali Pics

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Let's Talk Bali!