Ayu Sekar
The Holy Spring Temple
Thousands of steps lead down, down, down, through pristine jungle. Along the way, shrines are decorated with fresh offerings, although because we are very early, there is no sign of human life anywhere. We are heading to the holy springs of Sebatu, a little known place that is right off the tourist trail, but well
Some Taksu With Your Moksa?
Our Ubud food contributor Ayu Sekar slips into Moksa Ubud to discover the healthy kitchen concoctions the town is raving about… Ubud’s hottest healthy food ticket has to be Moksa Ubud, a new plant based food eatery that is causing a minor sensation amongst the Ubud foodies. Run by two Balinese men with an impressive
Odalan: When The God’s Descend
On this wonderful island of the gods, occupied by thousands of temples, one of the most gorgeous celebrations is Odalan. Each temple celebrates its birthday every 210 days with extra large bookings during the full moons of April and October. Each temple is dressed to the hilt. Gold and white are the preferential colours and
Renewing My Prana
Prana or life energy, otherwise known as chi, is the name of my favourite spa in Bali. Designed with an exotic Moroccan / Indian look, it has the feel of a well loved Turkish Hamam (the famous steam bath and massage centres). Gold and burgundy are the colours of its decor, with an aura that
Tenganan Trance
It ‘s no wonder that anthropologists and photographers have always been in love with the Bali Aga village of Tenganan. From Margaret Mead to Urs Ramseyer and beyond, people have taken delight in examining the cultural intricacies and habits of this walled village. Traditions run a tight ship, and almost every week of the year
Bungaya: Behind The Tourist Door
As a tourist in Bali, you see a lot of strange and wonderful things happen – these are the things that keep Bali alive and buzzing with that astounding energy. Recently the Bali Aga Village of Bungaya put on an amazing performance that should keep the local area enjoyable for some time to come. Amongst
Best Bites Along Ubud’s Jalan Monkey Forest
Monkey Forest Road is the bustling heart of the Ubud tourist scene. This cosy little street is jam packed with bars, hotels, coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques, cute eateries and lots of shopping. While some people choose to stay here in one of the many hotels and barely leave the road, others come to eat and
Tirta Empul: Bali’s Hidden Heritage
Locked way in the vicinity of Tampaksiring, Tirta Empul is one of a series of ancient and holy temples that draws the crowds every day of the year. The name, which means “holy water spring”, is bestowed on this source of holy water, which feeds a series pools and fish ponds. A group of temples
Dining At Di Abing
New on the block or rather off the Ubud block, is the Di Abing restaurant at the popular Jungle Fish venue. In fact it is the Chapung se Bali Resort which is the other half of the very popular Jungle Fish – a kind of Seminyak life style, pool party type venue in the hills
The Magical, Mysterious Danau Tamblingan
For a lake that is so far away and so remote, the misty and mystical Danau Tamblingan gets mighty crowded at sunrise. One of the holy trinity of lakes lying by Bedugul, her quiet beauty attracts hordes of people who come to take advantage of her remoteness and natural charm which is at its best
Life in A Bali Aga Village
Life carries on there pretty much as it always has. Until the 1970’s, it was one of the most secluded villages in the country and it is still the most beautiful of all the Bali Aga (Bali’s original people) villages. Even the advent of television and the ubiquitous hand phones have done little to slow
Eastern Promises in Ubud
Ah the promises of the east. The mystery, the allure, the food is always exotic. Always, there is a tang of some exotic spice, or, in the case of Japanese, the intricate preparation with the amazing attention to detail. Today we visit two Japanese restaurants, each very different in philosophy and presentation. Ryoshi is already
Ubud’s Old Gold
Ubud has embraced raw with a vengeance and every week sees a new Raw restaurant opening up. Sage, Moksa, was last week, this week who knows. Yet long before the raw revolution arrived to change Ubud’s restaurant face forever, there were places producing great cooked food, the classics, the ones we love. New places come
