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!!!

The Jellyfish Story

I think about once a week a funny story about my life should be shared with the World...

So here it is....

            On the Caribbean island of Roatan: Myself, my Lady Friend had her best friend staying with her...lets call her "Twinkle", got into a little trouble! 

            Her best friend is terrified of the water, especially the dark ocean water.  Finally after copious amounts of encouragement we decided to take her friend into the water. The three of us decided to swim into the ocean...into the unknown....have you been out there as a stranger to it?! 

           We swam out naked, rosy-cheeked and happy as could be...however, about ten minute's swim out my Lady decided to get stung by a jellyfish.  The jelly wrapped himself around her wrists and from the buttocks to the ankle.  So my Lady friend looks at me and says in a way as to not scare 'Twinkle' - "I gotta go in"!! Obviously I know why, but 'Twinkle' is nervous as to the reason because we didn't want to terrify her further...so I held onto her whilst the Lady swam in.  We made our way in...slowly. By the time that we got in we noticed that the Lady had taken all of my clothes to run up the road to our house!  'Twinkle' and I made our way up the street hiding my privates to get to our house! Once there we burst into the bathroom only to find my Lady naked in the shower.  Immediately, as the happy Hero, I grabbed a pair of my underwear from my room, tore them to shreds to soak them in vinegar to help my Maiden in distress. 

           We ended up spending the whole night in the shower trying to subdue the stings...as the sun rose, the bathroom looked like a scene from a crack movie! Ripped clothes, water, empty plastic bottles, and a few broken, hurt but happy and in love individuals.  

A tip from this story...always know your first aid!!! 

Say no to STD's and other Inconvenience's!

Health: When you think of non-western nations your first thought isn’t top-notch healthcare.  Well in the case of Bali you would be surprised.  We had to use the doctors and dentists on a few instances and were extremely pleased.  The first thing we visited was the dentist to do a few cleanings and a couple fillings.  Each filling and each cleaning was £20.  The service itself was good, the dentist and hygienists spoke English and were extremely knowledgeable.  Each place that we looked at ahead of time was clean and had modern equipment.  Coming from the States, I was impressed with the price for a person without dental insurance and after seeing British dental work… I was impressed with the skill and quality.  Overall I highly recommend that if you need work done then get it done in Bali. Don’t be afraid, it’s cheap and done very well. As people who have had work done in non-Western countries, Bali is the top of our list.

            The next adventure to the medical facilities was the hospital. We chose BIMC in Kuta.  Again I had my doubts but I was quickly singing their praises after seeing how clean and up to speed they were. 

We went in looking to get chest x-rays for our visas and came out impressed.  The staff were again knowledgeable and friendly, they spoke English and accepted credit cards from all over.  They had medical specialists that came in each week to go along with the trained doctors that were there around the clock.  It is a very western hospital as most patients were non-Indonesians.  I was impressed again with how cheap it was and how nice the facilities were. I would recommend them if you need anything done whether it’s a sever case of Bali Belly or road rash.

            As far as insects go in the north it is dry so we did not experience any mosquitos or pests other than flies.  In the south it is much wetter so you will run into mosquitos and other biting insects.  Mini marts all carry the basic needs from hangover cures to tampons. Basic things with travel health are like anywhere tropical, its hot and sunny… wear sunblock and drink water.       

The Art of Balinese Shopping - Even the Men Will Enjoy!!!

Markets/Shopping: As far as shopping goes Bali is relatively cheap by SE Asia terms and definitely by western standards. After traveling though Thailand and Malaysia I found Indonesia much cheaper. Unless you want a Chang tank top, save your money (Malaysia had very cheap electronics however, I heard the same about Jakarta in Indonesia). Expect to bargain most places as it is expected. We heard that if you can get 60%-70% off the original price you made a good deal. Remember that they have a price they are willing to go to but they can only go so low. Don’t buy at the first stall, walk around and banter. Most shops sell very similar items with a few different gems hidden away so keep looking!  

      

       For example in Sukawati we bought 2 pairs of swim trunks and a sarong for RPH120,000.  It was originally RPH300,000 so we figured that was a good bargain down. But we also insulted a few people by bargaining to low on other stalls. If you really like something buy it though because it is probably cheaper than the countries that you are from. 

            Markets that we went to were Sukawati, Ubud, and the venders in Sanur and Kuta. Sanur and Kuta have the same things as in Sukawati just less stalls. Most places you find Jewelry, clothes, Bintang shirts/hats, art, and penis shaped carvings. Everything in these shops is negotiable. We went to Sukawati on a Wednesday mid day and were the only white people so we were hounded by people, it wasn’t all that bad though because they wanted to make the first sale of the day which if they make a fair deal to start the day then they have good luck and fortune for the rest of the day. The market itself was easy to find, it’s on the main road in Sukawati with a large sign out from saying ‘Art Market’. There are maybe 100 stalls total, it’s not very clean and quite tightly packed but was worth the trip. We went because we heard it had more to offer than Sanur and Kuta. Sukawati is worth the trip but only for a few hours, and is only about a 20-minute drive from Sanur by motorbike.

            Ubud had many of the same things as Sukawati and if your bargaining skills are decent, ours are hit and miss, it’s almost as cheap.  Expect to pay a little more but not much. We didn’t do too much shopping there but did walk around and haggle. The bonus of the Ubud market was it had the same things as other markets but more to offer as far as carvings, religious items, and jewelry. It was also cleaner than other markets as it was tailored to more of the wealthier vacationers. Most of the shop owners here all paid the same price for their items-they just know they can get a bit more for it since people are more hesitant to haggle prices. Be wary of any “hand carved” item, we kept getting offered these 'treasures' only to see the same one across the street. People also drive around on their bikes pedalling souvenirs. 

              After all this information, if you still don't want to/can't be bothered/or are too intimidated to haggle, then there is a gem of a shop in Legian (5 mins up the road from Kuta). If you google/ask around/or speak to any tourist, they will know of..."Ketut's!" Ketut has about 4 shops right next to each other, that is packed from floor to ceiling with clothes, bags, wallets, sarongs etc etc. Everything is fixed price, she also hands out water whilst you shop, and it's full of Aussies who have been going back and shopping here for years and years. She will remember you, and those fixed prices are some of the cheapest around. This is somewhere I recommend and I will be returning to.

            The night market in Sanur also sells things to tourists but also everyday items. Not much selection but if you need something in a pinch and can’t get out to the other markets give it a try. Jewelry stalls at all of the markets sell pendants made from everything from jade to mother of pearl, wood carvings and figures, and chains of metal or thread to go with it. Expect to bargain here, again if you think its one of a kind, walk across the street and see if the other guy sells it too. There are some very beautiful pieces though and we bought a few for gifts and whatnot. Shopping here is fun but exhausting, even if you don’t want to buy anything it can be good sport. Don’t feel pressured to buy and have fun trying to get a low price.    

            If you have come to Bali without an adaptor for your electrical items, they sell them pretty much everywhere on all streets in all towns. But we found the cheapest adaptors to be sold in Circle K mini-mart (which are on every corner you seem to look!) for around RPH10,000 where as in the stalls they sell them for RPH50-100,000! If you are a reader, there are a few book stores located in the major tourist towns. They have second hand books but they can also order them for you if you are staying a while. Bookstores seem to have a variety of languages: Dutch, German, French, English, and Spanish. If you bring back books they give you some money for them so you basically rent the book. If you are only traveling through for a few weeks and have some extra room in your bag throw in a book or two, someone might want to read it and its slim pickings on the islands. A lot of the hotels and Homestays' had there own libraries for people to read for free. That’s a bonus if you want to keep yourself occupied while sitting by the pool.

Enjoying a beer....or 10!

Alcohol/Bars: As a couple we drink for 2, it can get expensive. Bintang is the beer of choice; it tastes like beer. We always bought tall boys, large, and they ran about RPH25,000 in the shops. If you are a wineo, then bring your own! On a budget, you cant get wine at a reasonable price. It will run you the same if not more than a bottle of spirits. Coming from California, and knowing Californian wines, I would never pay the prices of these wines offered...ever.

           Bars obviously cost more. In Kuta there are bars everywhere so there is quite the nightlife. If going out, just walk around till you find a bar that you like the vibes, lots of young people, so the bars are more party atmosphere. 

A well known club in Kuta is Sky Garden, it has numerous dance floors/rooms/bars catering to all music needs. It is indoor, outdoor and serves just about any cocktail or drink that you are going to want. If you get there early then you avoid the RPH100,000 cover charge.

           

           Sanur is different. We went out in both places on multiple occasions, found that Kuta we stayed out and Sanur we went home early.  As far as the bars in Sanur go… lots of old men looking for love. They had sports bars that showed Aussie and Kiwi sports, makes sense because they are the majority of the tourists.

            In Sanur there wasn’t the party atmosphere but that was ok. Still wanting to drink, another plan was needed.  If you go to the liquor store you can find cheap deals on bottles. We found 700ml bottles of vodka or whisky for RPH120,000. If you want to pre-game or drink with someone, that is the way to do it. Flying to Bali you will go through customs, we bought 2 litre’s for cheap as you can only enter the country with 1 litre each and kept them in our bag, this option is much cheaper. Going out and drinking at bars is not as cheap as other places we have visited but that’s how you meet people. Good Luck and have fun!