Surprising Bali RealBali.com

11 ORIGINAL PLACES WHERE YOU CAN EXPERIENCE A DIFFERENT SIDE OF BALI

By Thibault Masson, Founder of RealBali.com

I’ve put together this quick, but interesting, list of things to do in Bali that are slightly off-the- beaten-track. They are original, some a bit quirky, but I like recommending them to my visiting friends and to the guests staying at my family villa Adagian near Seminyak (http:// www.realbali.com/adagian/) and my beach retreat Bulung Daya (http://www.realbali.com/ bulungdaya).

There’s more to Bali than cheap bars in Kuta, as I keep telling my friends who have never seen that side of Bali.

I hope that you will enjoy my selection. Drop me a message at [email protected] to let met know.

RealBali.com 1 Surprising Bali RealBali.com 1. GOURMET TREK IN NORTH SEMINYAK

Having a great time in Bali as a romantic couple can mean conjuring up all your senses. A great person to touch, great things to see, great food to eat. Yes, food and love have been intertwined for millennia in human history. Here are 4 gourmet Bali restaurants located in the same area of Bali, in North Seminyak. I know them pretty well as my villa rental Adagian (http:// www.realbali.com/adagian/) stands nearby. They all offer fine food, excellent service and stunning décor. My advice: Book a table at night, when the ambiance is magic.

#1 Merah Putih: Indonesian nouvelle cuisine in a glass cathedral When our French honeymooning friends sat at the restaurant’s table, they could not believe that they were still in Bali. This place was so hip, so sophisticated, so urban. We had barely rode our

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This restaurant is not your usual local restaurant. It proudly flies the flag of contemporary Indonesian cuisine. So, this is precisely why it is called Merah Putih (Red and White), from the colors of the Indonesian red and white flag.

This is a showcase for modern Indonesian cooking, with a menu detailing two kinds of plates:

traditional recipes cooked in a contemporary manner

brand new recipes created using Indonesia’s best fresh ingredients

This is also a showcase for contemporary Indonesian restaurant architecture. Imagine yourself sitting in a sort of modern cathedral, with high glass walls that filter out solar rays to prevent the place from turning into a tropical greenhouse. Well, they do have actual trees inside the restaurant! A mezzanine comprises a lounge and three private dining ‘pods’ made of teakwood that can be reserved for private functions.

My personal advice:

Call to book a table: It is a popular place, you do not want to wait for 30 minutes or to have to come back

Avoid groups: It looks and sounds like a cathedral, so groups can be very noisy. Come early and at booking time ask to be seated away from any group.

Wear something nice and not too short: This is a posh place, so wear something better than a Bintang tank top. The air conditioning can be chilly, too. Long trousers and shirt for men, a nice dress for women.

Have dinner, not lunch: The place is much more romantic at night, it looks less like a greenhouse too.

Directions: Jalan Petitenget No. 100x, Kerobokan, Kuta Utara, Badung, Bali 80361 +62 361 8465950

#2 Sardine: Romantic rice paddies in urban Bali Sardine is famous for its great French-Indonesian food, but also for its very romantic dinners with views on rice paddies.

Make it a surprise to your lover: Book a table for dinner, hop on a bike (around 8 minutes from my Villa Adagian) and drive her/him there. Imagine her/his surprise when, after leaving a busy Indonesian street, both you step into this beautiful restaurant: a beautiful bamboo structure with a view on (seemingly) endless rice paddies. A night, uplighters make the evening scene almost picture perfect. T

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Before dinner, have a drink close to the rice fields. Lights have been carefully set in the rice paddies, in order to create a very romantic décor.

The food is inspired by “cuisine du soleil” or “sun cuisine” in French. It means that it is great cuisine adapted to warm weather. It’s like Southern France food mixed with Indonesian and Balinese classics (Sardine’s founder, Pascal Chevillot, is French, but the chef, Michael Shaheen, is actually from California). As the “Sardine” name implies it, the restaurant is very strong on seafood. The menu changes daily to adapt to the kind of fresh fish that the staff manages to buy from the Jimbaran market.

My personal advice:

Book a table for dinner, it is much more romantic as the rice paddies are all lit up

Come early to have a pre-dinner cocktail and sit side by side on the couches overlooking the rice fields

Avoid the place when the weather is very hot as this open-air restaurant has only fans, and no air conditioning

Directions: Jalan Petitenget No. 21, Kerobokan, Kuta, Bali 80361, +62 811-3978-333

#3 Métis: Haute French cuisine with an Indonesian art gallery Originally, the French word “métis” is used for a person of mixed heritage. Unsurprisingly, the Métis Restaurant and Galley in Bali offers a mix of Mediterranean cuisine with Balinese influences and ingredients. Foie gras and soufflés are very popular at Métis.

The experience is bit like that of Sardine, but in a more upscale atmosphere: open air restaurant, rice fields view, French-Indonesian fusion food. However, this place is also about looking at beautiful objects and furniture in the gallery. Beautiful works of art that they can ship to your home.

If you know Bali, you may have been to a similar place, combining a restaurant with an art gallery, and called Warisan. Actually, the 2 former chefs from Warisan left the place and created Métis.

My personal advice:

Just as at Métis, avoid the place on very hot nights

Come for dinner, it is more romantic

Book your table ahead, ask to be seated at a table with a good view on the rice fields and the lotus pond

If you want real Indonesian food, not French cuisine, go to Merah Putih instead

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Directions: Jl. Petitenget No. 6, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361 +62 361 4737888

#4 Mozaic: A beach restaurant where fashionable clothing is de rigueur Located on the Batubelig beach, the Mozaic Beachclub is expensive. But when you step into the place, especially at night, you understand why. It is a very beautiful place, with a spectacular décor, a very nice pool, very well-trained staff, and amazing food.

The Mozaic Beachclub is the sister restaurant to the very famous Mozaic Restaurant Gastronomique in Ubud, created by Chris Salans. The chef has gathered a wealth of experience from this work in London, New Zealand and Australia. This is great, international haute cuisine. Fresh food with a lot of different flavours.

If you are looking for a place to pop the question, well, this is a great choice. Mozaic also has an art gallery with items from famed brand Lotus Art de Vivre. These are exquisite little things that you could hide in his / her napkin before asking him / her to marry you.

My personal advice:

Come to the lounge for sunset, to enjoy the poolside bar and the trendy ambiance

After sunset, climb up the stairs and have dinner. Wear your best outfits.

Mozaic is only 10 minutes away from my Villa Adagian, but you could get lost as it is a bit hard to find on the Batu Belig beach. Look at my map to understand where it is located.

Directions: Jl. Pantai Batu Belig, Seminyak, Bali, +62 361 4735796

I hope that this short list of romantic Bali restaurants will help you create indelible memories with your loved one. Exploring Bali can definitively mean going from one gourmet restaurant to another. Just mix and match: Have a light lunch at a local warung and then dress up to go to one the fabulous Bali restaurants.

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From an extravagant Arabian Nights-themed private spa suite in Seminyak to the intriguing “Happy Marital Life” rituals (vaginal smoking, anyone?) in a very upscale spa, as well as to a Bali massage for gay couples on a honeymoon, I’ve tried to list original Bali experiences for you. Some kinds of Balinese massage offered on the island can be pretty unique and are among the top things to do in Bali. I call them unconventional massages: they are not erotic, but they can put your body into a state that it is quite sensual. For a couple spending their holiday in Bali, it can be a very nice sensory foreplay, in a very nice, upscale Bali spa.

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First, let me state again that unconventional massage, to me, does not mean erotic massage. It is more about clean, decent, well-know places offering quality massages with a twist. Plenty of places in Bali offer regular Balinese massages, from spas to hotels, from local women offering traditional massage on the beach in Amed to posh L’Occitane spa at Kupu-Kupu hotel in Ubud.

Here, it’s a more personal list, all about experiences that can create bonding memories between your spouse and you. And can also be great conversation pieces with your jealous friends once you are back home.

#5 Arabian Nights massage in extravagant private suite at Prana Spa Bali Picture this. You are not Mr and Mrs Smith, or Mr and Mrs Lee, anymore. You are a fantasy Indonesian royal couple, the king (raja) and his wife (rani), or maybe Oriental emperors from an imaginary country located somewhere in the Middle East.

Both of you are laying down, almost completely naked, side by side, in one of the private rooms of your palace. When you entered the room, a servant cleansed your feet. Next to your beds, in a sea of cushions, is a plate of delicious Turkish delights. You are getting the delicate “Queen Scheherazade massage”, while your husband is having a more muscle-relieving “King Shahryar massage”. You know that after the massage comes a private Kama Sutra yoga session and finally a romantic bath infused with natural herbal aphrodisiacs.

Does it sound extravagant? Over the top? It is! Just know that the most expensive massage package in the private suite of the Prana Spa Bali lasts 5 hours and costs 5,700,000 Rupiah (i.e. around AU$530, €373 or US$500). Obviously, the spa offers regular messages, in a great looking setting too, at a much cheaper price (e.g. signature body massage at 450,000 Rupiah (around €30). But this is an unforgettable experience, for instance during your honeymoon trip or just the afternoon before your vow renewal.

My personal advice:

Book well in advance, the place is quite popular, despite the price tag

Choose a shorter (1 hour), cheaper option, and still experience the exotic ambience

Group packages are available, a great idea for a hen / bachelorette party

Remember that you will have to pay a 21% tax on top of prices listed

Directions: Jln Kunti No.118 x, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, +62 361 730840

#6 Get your vagina royally smoked (like a high class Javanese lady) Did you know that in Indonesia a whole beauty industry had developed around women’s “intimacy care” ? That upper-class Javanese women took part in a 6-day pre-wedding ritual that involves Kendedes (“vagina smoking” or “vagina fogging”) and Asmaragama (“love

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All this is the result of an intriguing mix between folk tales, herbal remedies, hygiene, seduction and business savviness. The beauty industry has turned some Javanese traditions into expensive, elaborate rituals. Vagina beauty is very serious here: first, for hygienic reasons, as it is supposed to prevent and cure infections, among other things. Second, Indonesia women, like plenty of women in South-East Asia, believe that having a tight vagina is key to have better sex and retain a husband.

This belief is so spread out that you can walk into any store, small and big, and ask for special herbal teas (“jamu”) that can keep your vagina clean and tight. So, people who cannot afford high-end spas can still get their tight vagina in a tea bag.

Now, let’s be proper. To a non-initiated eye, Balinese spa menus do not carry such exotic items as vagina smoking. But if you go to the high-class Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa, you will find, among the “Happy Marital Life” beauty and massage rituals range, the 4.5-hour long “Royal Marital Happiness” package. Here’s what you get :

Relaxing aromatic foot bath

Pelvic floor exercise + basic relaxation

Asmaragama massage

Volcano body wrap

Intimacy care

Bust treatment

Milk flower bath

Facial

Light meal + orange juice

Spa Gift

Let me explain out 3 items for you:

Pelvic floor exercise + basic relaxation: It is is like Kegel exercises done with a sensual goal in mind. Actually, if you live in South-East Asia, you’ve probably heard of this.

Asmaragama massage: this “love massage” is supposed to to increase sexual stamina. Asmaragama massage oil contains some natural aphrodisiacs that “improve the elasticity” of blood vessels.

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Intimacy care: this is vaginal smoking, also called Venus Smoke in the US. This is supposed to cleanse, cure and beautify your vagina. Basically, you sit on top of a chair with no seat. Under you, fumes waft from a burner containing ratus, i.e. very nice smelling dried scented herbs.

The “Royal Marital Happiness” package is 4.5 hours long and costs $168. Click here for the address, directions, contact and more photos of the Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa for a Nusa Dua massage.

Directions: Taman Sari Spa, Jl. Taman Sari No. 15 – 17 Taman Mumbul, Nusa Dua, Bali, +62361 771720

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A REFRESHING WEEKEND IN A STUNNING, OVERLOOKED LAKE DISTRICT

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Are we really renting a Bali villa or have we been mysteriously been teleported to a Swiss chalet? Why are there some many eerily empty hotels and villas in this area where stands one of the most photographed temples in Bali, Pura Ulun Danu Bratan (you know, the pyramid-shaped one on the mountain lake)? What attracted the Dutch colonists so much to this part of Bali that they opted to spend their vacations here? And why do I think that this Bedugul area is a very romantic, yet strangely overlooked, place to spend a big weekend?

Imagining yourself waking up on a cold morning, in a wood chalet with a view on a lake surrounded by high mountains covered with green trees. In the bed, under the comfortable blanket, your spouse stirs. You get up, put a sweater on, go down the stairs to the kitchen and make yourself a cup of Balinese coffee. You step outside the French windows and look over Lake Bratan, the very lake on which stands the most iconic temple in Bali.

Now, you get back up to the stairs, get back under the blanket, enjoy the warmth of your spouse’s body. What a romantic way to escape the crowds and the heat of Kuta and Seminyak.

Bedugul and Bratan Lake: Why travel guides are wrong to tell you that it is only worth a day-trip When I read my travel guide, I was told that the temple of the lake (Pura Bratan) was indeed one of the most iconic sights in Bali. But as it takes only 30 minutes to visit it and as there is not really much else to do up there, it would be better to make it a day-trip from Ubud or Seminyak, or maybe to stop by it on your way to Lovina.

How wrong you are, Mr Travel Book! Staying in this area, called the Bedugul region, for 3 days actually made for in love with Bali much more than any busy street or crowded beach in Kuta.

True, if you think that you can find a nice hotel there and eat in one of several nice restaurants in the area, you will be disappointed. The key is to rent a house and to cook a bit for yourself (breakfast at least).

Here are few points that makes it worthwhile to plan a weekend in the area:

#7 Bedugul Area: Cool temperatures, fresh air and fresh fruits • Cool air. When they occupied the island, the Dutch would come here to rest from the tropical temperatures. While located less than 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Denpasar, Bedugul enjoys a mild mountain weather due to its location at an altitude of about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) above the sea level. The average temperature is around 18-24° Celsius, so it gives you a great reason to snuggle happily under the covers at night.

• Fresh fruits, fresh flowers, fresh vegetables. The Bedugul area is very famous in Bali for its fresh produce. For instance, the strawberries are the best in Indonesia. Visit the local market and see the baskets full of colorful fruits like dragon fruit, mango, guava, kiwis, leeches, rambutan, apples, berries, etc. I bought lots of fruits from the market and had them for breakfast, lunch and dinner in my rented Bali chalet.

#8 Iconic Ulun Danu Bratan Temple

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• Yes, Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, the famous floating temple on Lake Bratan, is great to look at it. This Hindu Bali temple was built in 1633. Can you imagine that this actually a lake sitting in an ancient crater? If you stay like me in a villa / chalet nearby, you can visit the temple almost all alone in the morning, before the buses of Javanese and foreign tourists invade the place starting 10 AM.

#9 Lake Bratan, Lake Buyan, Lake Tamblingan & Gitgit Waterfall • 3 lakes, 1 volcano, a scenic drive! You get 3 natural lakes, not just 1! Overall, there are 4 mountain lakes in Bali. One is near Mount Batur, in East Balu, but the three other ones are right here, in Bedugul, within a few kilometers of each other: Lake Bratan, Lake Buyan and Lake Tamblingan. The drive on the crater rim road is stunning. On one side, you can see the lakes drowned by lush trees. On the other side, the slop goes all the way down to the sea. There are monkeys all along the road, be warned!

• Highest waterfall in Bali. Drive for 20 minutes, to the other side of the crater, and you reach the 35-metre (100 feet) high Gitgit waterfall. I really likes this place, with the waterfall spraying fresh water on us (bring a sweater!). You can actually swim in the water under the waterfall. You have to hike a gentle trail along lots of souvenir shops, but it’s worth it.

#10 Great for Kids: Bali Botanic Garden and Treetop Adventure Park • Bali Botanic Garden: A huge, 160-hectare botanic garden, with more than 2,000 species of trees and flowers from Bali and eastern Indonesia. In season, the orchids are very nice to see. I have not had the time to see it yet.

• Bali Treetop Adventure Park: Lots of fun for kids and grown-ups, can actually bee challenging according to one of my friends.

#11 Swiss chalet rentals and creepy abandoned hotel • The Chalet: Different from renting Bali villa without personality: I call this a chalet because this experience really reminded me of my vacations in Switzerland. The villa / chalet was made of wood, with beautiful French windows overlooking Lake Bratan. Very comfortable, nice furniture and free wifi. The bathtub was very retro looking, which was full of charm (we ran out of warm water at some point, but we called the maid and she went out her way to get things repaired in record time). If you live in a city like Singapore or Hong Kong, you can understand the charm of feeling a bit cold, holding a cup of hot tea and just relaxing together.

• The empty and abandoned buildings: It may be strange to you, but the romantic atmosphere was enhanced by the sight of abandoned villas and hotels. Nothing creepy, just the charm of ruins and the impression of being ones of the few knowing this secret place overlooked by others. The places that I am mentioning here are scattered in the area, it is as if I was saying that the Bedugul area is littered with ruins! For instance, our chalet-villa was standing on a hill with other chalet-villas of the same style. The ones nearby were in perfect shape, but most of the ones on the other side of the hill,

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around the entrance road to the compound, had been abandoned. This was very strange and I first wondered where we were going. Then, there was the mysterious Bali Handara Golf & Country Club. Picture a beautiful, manicured 18-hole golf course, with no one in sight. We drove through the place, a spectacular area with the crater as a backdrop. We arrived at the country club itself, which looked a bit dated. It’s a great place to golf, but from what we’ve seen the hotel needs major renovation works. Last, there is also in the vicinity Bali’s most famous abandoned hotel, the Bedugul Taman Rekreasi Hotel & Resort, a huge 4-star hotel that was ready to open in 1998, but never welcomed any guest, due to some political and financial troubles. If you like modern ruins, it is quite spectacular. Faded glory can be romantic, and this definitively added to the mysterious charm of the overlooked, but so worthwhile Bedugul area.

My personal advice:

Book a chalet villa like “Villa Bukit Bungga” (where I stayed) or like “Bali Lakeside Villa“.

Buy some food at a supermarket on the road, so that you can cook in your rented villa. There are only a few restaurants

We went to a strange, but good restaurant near Lake Bratan (no lakeview), owned by a Japanese guy. Lots of different kinds of food (Indonesian, Western, and Japanese) and even a chimney (first one I had seen in Bali).

About the author, Thibault Masson

I hope these 3 original experiences will have surprised you. If you like the way I help friends and visitors travel in Bali, you be interested in renting one of my 2 Bali homes:

#1 Villa Bulung Daya

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• Discover an exclusive vacation hideaway between rice fields and beach

• Live a memorable romantic experience in harmony with the real Bali

• Get time for yourself in a stunning fully-staffed luxury villa

• Unwind, contemplate and get new ideas for your life or your business

Bulung Daya, my holiday home, is located away from the hectic pace and crowded streets of the modern Bali that you can see in Kuta. This unique beach retreat lets you live an unforgettable experience by the sea, in the middle of the Balinese countryside, with the people you love.

#2 Villa Adagian

Adagian is villa for those who want to experience Bali they way they like: – to be able to hop on a bike in visit the latest trendy bars and restaurants like Métis, Sardine and Mozaic

– leave the busy Seminyak area quickly to visit the rest of the island (e.g. Ubud) and avoid the traffic jams

– spend the day at home, near the private pool, with 100% privavy

Villa Adagian sleeps 6 people, in 3 bedrooms (+3 bathrooms). The villa is made of 2 Indonesian wooden houses : 1 big Joglo (2 bedroooms, 2 baths, kitchen and living room) and 1 small Gladak (1 bedroom + bath). Between the 2 houses, a 12-metre long pool reflects the surrounding bamboo trees with its jade green waters.

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To know more about the house, visit the official website: http://www.RealBali.com/Adagian

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