Ah, Bali food. Our relationship with Balinese cuisine got off to a rocky start, but a Balinese cooking class in Ubud, night markets in Sanur and simple restaurants called warungs conspired to change our minds and inform our palates. The result: an overview of the components of Balinese cooking, common Balinese dishes and where to find them when you visit Bali. … [Read more...]
Indonesia and Bali Travel Articles, Photos and Panoramas
Bali Holiday Week: Volcanoes, Diving, Temples, Cooking
For a relatively small island, Bali can pack in a lot of activities in just a week: volcano-climbing at dawn, diving in coral reefs, cooking traditional Balinese cuisine, visiting Balinese Hindu temples, taking in a traditional Kecak performance, hanging with monkeys, and enjoying a few Balinese massages.Remember when you’d return to school from summer break and … [Read more...]
Travel Snobbery and a Tour to Bali
Apparently, it’s easy to be a travel snob.Independent travelers can look down on tour groups as not being “hard core” or “authentic” enough. Luxury travelers can look down on backpackers as cheapskates one notch above street riffraff. Holiday-makers looking to relax with a cocktail on the beach are not “real” travelers while those who are trying to live on $5 a … [Read more...]
Panorama of the Week: Balinese Family Garden – Ubud, Bali
Keep your eyes open as you walk down the streets of Ubud, Bali. Tucked in between all those trendy cafes and shops, you'll find wooden doorways -- sometimes plain, sometimes intricately carved -- built into brick and stone archway gates.Take a peek and you'll find these doorways serve as portals to other worlds of green and tranquility. … [Read more...]