A few days in Bali

When I used to think of Bali, I would think of beautiful paradise beaches and that is about it. Then I read that mildly annoying but fairly entertaining book “Eat, Pray, Love,” in which the author spends three months there as part of a post-divorce-finding-herself trip around the world. She described it as an island with a vibrant culture, a community of artistic ex-pats and surfers, and very kind Balinese people. I still wasn’t quite sure what to expect when the plane landed in Denpasar last Friday….Here are the highlights of what I discovered:

Hotel: We stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Nusa Dua, which is the nice area with all the resorts. The hotel was the sprawling kind- I still didn’t know my way around on the last day (much to Mario’s teasing). I usually don’t like how those hotels make you feel like you could be anywhere beachside, but the Balinese culture still came through at this one. The restaurants were top notch, complete with entertainment. In fact, out first night we had an incredible Balinese feast at the hotel restaurant. There was a dance performance going on throughout dinner, and more food than you could imagine. It was there that we tasted the two Bali specialties that became our favorites- nasi goring (delicious fried rice with veggies and seafood or meat), and suckling pig.There was also every kind of grilled meat and seafood, salads, and satays that you could imagine. Mario is even considering adding the feast to his Top 5. And by the way he is worried to come across as a lenient judge, but wants me to point out that since I got to Sydney we have been eating especially well.

The People: The people are so accommodating and friendly. The service-oriented culture reminded me a bit of Thailand, but maybe more laid back. Every single person without fail enthusiastically asked us, “Where are you from?!” And whenever we'd answer “Sydney” and they would say, “Darling Harbour!” or “Kings Cross!” or “Bondi Beach!” The Australian presence is so strong that they even say “no worries.” An interesting fact about people in Bali is that they are named according to their birth order Wayan (1st born), Made (2nd), Nyoman (3rd), Ketut (4th), and the 5th born goes back to Wayan. Of course there are plenty of nicknames to save confusion. We had a taxi driver (named Made) explain all this to us, and luckily I had read it before because it was very confusing to Mario hearing it for the first time.

Kuta: Kuta is to Australians what Cancun is to Americans. It is basically an “urban center”, but right on the beach. The beach is long and wide, and the waves are perfect tubes, one after the other. Great place to watch the surfers do their thing. You can walk along the dirty little streets and buy any sort of knock off or knickknack your heart desires, and you are bargain for EVERYTHING. I bought red Ray Ban fakes (they look real!) for three dollars and my first sarong for 1 dollar. The nightlife in Kuta is apparently horrid (think Cancun during spring break..and Aussies get even drunker than Americans usually). A few hours in this part of town was enough.

Seminyak: This was by far our favorite discovery. It is the trendy part of Bali with amazing boutiques and hundreds of really cool international cafes and restaurants. After the morning in Kuta we headed up here and went to Ku de ta- a really cool beachside bar/restaurant. It reminded me of something you’d find in Miami but much more chill. It was Sunday afternoon when we were there, and there were heaps of gorgeous international types sipping bloody marys or passed out poolside. There was no shortage of 6 ft tall Aussies girls with no tan lines or cellulite prancing around, their martinis spilling every few steps. I got a chicken caesar and a mojito and watched the day fade away in style.Late afternoon at on the beach looking at Ku de ta (adorable naked boy too) Cocktails at night, what a setting..

Jimbaran: By far the most memorable meal for me was on the beach at Jimberan. You get there and choose from dozens of restaurants on the beach, and when I say on the beach I mean that the tables are right up to the surf. We chose a place that promised us a 40% discount (they all promised something). We went inside and literally chose our dinner, which was all alive in tanks. We got 6 jumbo shrimp, a lobster, and a garupa fish.Everything was grilled to perfection and served with rice, hot sauces, and greens. We ate the fresh feast while the surf crashed onto our feet. Amazing.

Warungs: The Warungs are “food stalls” serving traditional Balinese food. They are informal restaurants where you either sit at picnic tables with other tourists and locals (all mixed together) or you can get little huts where you can recline while you eat. (I loved all the reclining in Bali…all the cool bars in Seminyek were complete with beds.) We went to one called Made’s Warung where we enjoyed nasi campur and satays. We both accidentally ate too much sambal (chili paste) and had burning lips for hours.Mario loved the pork satays.I loved eating in comfort!

The trip was really relaxing and fun. We didn’t get to do everything we wanted to (no snorkeling and didn’t get to go to Ubud, the artistic center of Bali located in the rice hills). Next time I go there I’d love to rent a villa, but there is something to be said for the comfort and convenience of the Grand Hyatt. Plus, the breakfast buffet there was out of this world!