Keep following the un-travelled path Nor-East...

The North: After a month in the south of Bali we decided to move north.  We found a private car that took us up there for RPH300,000.  The ride in total took us about 3 hours.  It went from Sanur to Amed.  If you are thinking of going to Tulamben, where the diving is…don’t! Go to Amed and stay there… Then take a dive shop lift, moped or taxi to go diving. The drive itself follows the coast, very nice and worth the trip.  You also pass the monkeys in the mountains, they are pretty fun!  Amlapura is the last main city that you come across before going into the north.  Go there for food and other necessities; they have big stores before you go through the mountains to the north coast.  Going into Amed is awesome, you travel along windy roads through the hills with rice terraces on either side.  Stop and take photos, enjoy the sites, it’s spectacular. 

            At the crossroad town of Culik you can either go straight or take a right, a right takes you to Amed and straight follows the coast to Tulamben and Singaraja. I recommend going right and heading to Amed.  We stayed at Kadek Homestay.  Go to them if you are on a budget, they were great.  The son, Kadek, speaks English and can help you get around with a moped, food, or directions.  Oceanfront rooms cost RPH100,000 a night.  It was fantastic; we stayed for a month and will do it again if we head to the area.  Breakfast was included along with Balinese coffee.  If you want to keep going along the paved road there are numerous lodgings to choose from.  In fact there are a few more small towns that you can stay in we just chose this one due to its proximity to the dive shop. Another we can recommend is

            As divers we wanted to rent tanks and go diving on our own, which is exactly what we did.  You pay a few dollars for a tank then $0.75 for porter fees.  There are dive sites in Tulamben and Amed.  Tulamben has shore dives and a famous wreck called ‘The USS Liberty’ that are fun and easy.  In front of Amed there are a few more currents but more creatures and features to see.  We chose to dive with Baruna in Amed; they are run by a colorful Frenchman named Antoine and have instructors and dive students that are fun and knowledgeable. If you’re a diver I recommend them.  The diving it self is average, the water temp is plenty warm, there is stuff to see, but there is not any huge attractions.  That being said, if you are there go and dive the Liberty and some of the drift dives, there are some pearls hidden in the water. As divers you will know what to look for and what to expect.

            Food in the north is subpar.  It’s very basic, probably due to the dry climate.  I said earlier in the writing that I found the best fried chicken outside of Alabama but I stand corrected…there is a man on the corner of Culik that sells “Frend Chicken”. Its top notch, it was RPH5,000 a piece, if you are in the area go eat it, FANTASTIC! Better than KFC and every other fried piece of chicken. He speaks very little English but he’ll understand how many fingers you hold up, he is on the main road towards Amed in Culik, ask around, everyone knows him. We ate there many a time and kept on coming back for more.

            If you want to feel pampered on a budget follow the road a few miles till you get to a bar/homestay called ‘Wawa Wiwa’, it’s on a bend over looking the ocean.  You can get rooms there for $30 or just get a beer and enjoy the infinity pool overlooking the ocean.  It is one of those places that makes you appreciate working hard and saving for your vacation.

Wawa Wiwa

            If you want to go for a drive there are some waterfalls about an hour past Tulamben that we went to, and if you keep on going there are many more to venture to. We found that we preferred to go for a dive than relax.  If you’re a diver you will get bored quickly.  The sand is pebble and black sand, which isn’t pleasant, but if you want to get away go to the north.  Overall it’s much different but very quiet.  One thing to check out is Arak, its similar to moonshine, with a twist!  It’s sold in water bottles for RPH15,000-60,000.  It is a rice wine; you need to check it out! The drink itself can be dangerous but is sold by the locals and drank by the locals. Most of the men sit around drinking this at night and conversing.  We recommend to drink it with honey, lemonade and lime, but please….drink with caution and a pack of cards!!!