Bali | GlobalSalsa: travel writer Belinda Jackson

Sep

Of giant mice and free feeds in Bali, Qld and California: travel deals September 8, 2013

Holiday Inn Resort Baruna Bali

Just because you’ve got kids in tow doesn’t mean getaways are goners. It may mean, however, you find yourself surrounded by giant mice or are lured by the promise of feeding the children for free. Here’s a taste of three kid-friendly faves in Bali, Disneyland and Queensland.

GO NOW: USA

Visiting Disneyland Anaheim? Check in for three nights at
the Desert Palms Hotel & Suites in Orange County, only 1km away from the
action, and get the third night free. Includes breakfast and parking, until
September 13. expedia.com.au/promos/usa-sale.

Hamilton Island, Queensland

GO LATER: BALI

Save up to 30 per cent on your stay at the Holiday Inn
Resort Baruna Bali, with breakfast, internet, a massage and access to its
departure lounge for late flights. Kids under 12 eat and stay free, too, until
December 31. From $127.25 a night. 1803 656 888, bali.holidayinn.com.

GO SOONER: QUEENSLAND

If the kids are eating you out of house and home, book a
Palm bungalow on Hamilton Island for four nights, with use of catamarans,
snorkelling and windsurfing gear, and kids eat and stay free. From $679 a
person, twin share. 131 398, travelscene.net.au.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun-Herald newspaper

Jun

Shopping Seminyak: Bali beyond the basic

Eclectic treasures: Horn Emporium

Seminyak’s shopping is a treasure trove of fabulousness, as Belinda Jackson discovers.

The
girls are clad in a uniform of floaty tunics and kaftans, strappy
sandals and big sunglasses, each arm jangling with bangles and glossy
paper shopping bags.

I run into them at three boutiques in a row
and at each stop, someone’s pulling out a gorgeous gauzy shirt or new
belt to show the rest of the gang.

They’re on a serious boutique hop,
riding the pure, glistening wave of the retail high.

It’s not
Rodeo Drive, it’s not Milan: it’s Bali. Seminyak, to be precise.
Balinese shopping isn’t all Bintang singlets and dyed sarongs guaranteed
to turn your laundry cerise. The chic enclave of Seminyak is a United
Nations of designers lured by sun, sand and a culture that breathes
beautiful design.

If
you’re expecting cheap Billabong surfwear, forget about it. You don’t
go to Bali to buy the big international brands: they’re imported, so
they’ll be expensive.

Once you’ve jumped that mental hurdle, then
you can start to explore the real treasures of Balinese shopping:
handmade clothes made with a level of detail and finishing for a price
you’d never pay in Australia. Additional tailoring is also fast, cheap
and most boutiques can organise it for you overnight.

Seminyak’s
boutiques gather in clusters on Jalan Laksmana and in Jalan Raya
Seminyak, and you’ll see a number of names crop up on both, including
Magali Pascal for beautiful lacework (177X Jl Laksmana), and the
Brazilians, Lily Jean (102 X Jl Laksmana) and Lulu Yasmine, for sexy and
standout statement pieces (100 Jl Laksmana).

Haveli homewares

Australian designer
Penny Pinkster’s Mist boutique is a favourite for those after soft,
yielding kaftans in a subdued palette (42 Jl Raya Seminyak), Namu will
kit you out, from totally covetable lunching ensembles to killer
cocktail kit (234X Jl Petitenget) and pick up your saucy nix at niconico
intimo (12 Jl Raya Seminyak).

Shop fashion with a conscience at
Puravida, owned by two Italian sisters, which produces all its bright,
easy-wearing cotton and jersey clothes locally, and supports Eco Bali
ventures (38b Jl Raya Seminyak). It also pays its staff fair wages with
healthcare, as does Buddha Wear, which also locally manufactures
gorgeous jerseys. Hot tip: nip upstairs to riffle through Buddha Wear’s
bargain racks if you’re on a tight budget (15X Jl Laksmana). Low-key
Jamila is a must-stop for the basics (tees, leggings) in black, white
and grey, at very reasonable prices, with alterations done in-house (49
Jl Raya Seminyak).

Bargain hunters will love the boutique
clearance shops: try Animale for end-of-season flats, sandals and
costume jewellery that won’t fall apart after the first hour (31 Jl Raya
Seminyak). Steer clear of the overpriced kaftans and tatty fashion in
Seminyak market opposite Seminyak square.

Men, all is not
forgotten: French designer Jacque Ruc’s Animale does more tailored,
pared-back men’s fashion suitable for Australia’s sober streets, while
Susanna Perini’s super-chic Biasa is a hot stop for deconstructed
layering for both men and women and also has an artspace for
contemporary Indonesian artists (36 Jl Raya Seminyak).

You can
snap up cheap, emergency sunglasses, big earrings and your shell
jewellery in the stalls at the front of Seminyak Square. Hit Aura for
handmade, customised leather goods (21X Jl Laksmana) while Tasmaniac has
a cult following for its, er, high-quality, less original handbags (501
Jl Raya Seminyak).

Another little pocket of fabulousness is Jalan
Kunti, not far from the intersection of Laksmana and Raya Seminyak.
Think of it as “the Paris end of Seminyak”.

Here, the beautiful
people cool down with cocktails at Word of Mouth‘s cafe in between
cruising its deeply gorgeous homewares and fashion (9 Jl Kunti). Then,
it’s a few short steps down to the beautiful interiors of Sydney
designer Natasha Welsh’s Allegra for floaty, girly statement frocks:
beware, they’re cut small, so strapping lasses should steer clear to
avoid changing-room angst (6 Jl Kunti).

Colourful White Peacock

Homewares hunters are in
paradise in Bali, and not just lovers of the omnipresent Buddha statues.
Jalan Kerobokan is the place to buy lighting. Rice paper, woven
branches, statement chandeliers: choose your taste point. Jump in a taxi
and kerb-crawl, then hit The White Peacock for super-colourful throws
and cushions, located obligingly opposite the Grocer & Grind for
good coffee or nearby Petitenget for a luxe lunch and cocktail option.

Carga
is chockers full of gorgeous homewares and trinkets (886 Jl
Petitenget), and an absolute must-visit is Horn Emporium, by Anita Horn,
whose unerring eye will steer you into unchartered territory (100X Jl
Petitenget). For homewares with an ethical bent, make for indi vie, in
the Made’s Warung complex, which stocks the cutest little dolls made by
Bali’s street kids, under a not-for-profit charity (Jl Raya Seminyak).
They’re also sold at Press Ban cafe, one of the few places you’ll find
nuevo-retro and vintage fashion (50 Jl Laksmana). Put Kody Ko on the
list for knockout artworks (C002 Jl Kayu Cendana).

Seminyak takes
its after-shop care seriously: it knows how to reward and rejuvenate the
jaded shopper, with a foot massage at Jari Menari (47 Raya Basangkasa)
followed by sunset cocktails at Ku De Ta (dress up), La Plancha (dress
down) or Potato Head Beach Club (dress however you want, except Bintang
T-shirts) to celebrate a job well done.

Belinda Jackson was a guest of Space Villas.

Trip notes

Staying there Seminyak
is heaving with accommodation, from budget to break-the-bank. Try Space
Villas, No. 8 Jl Drupadi, Seminyak. +62 361 731100, spaceatbali.com.
Getting there Virgin Australia (virginaustralia.com), Jetstar (jetstar.com.au) and Garuda Indonesia (garuda-indonesia.com) fly Sydney to Denpasar direct.
More information indonesia.travel.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Jun

Balinese food adventure, drink in the Napa Valley, hit St Kilda: travel deals June 9 2013

Go on a Balinese seafood adventure, drink it in the Napa Valley or hit St Kilda, flashpacker style in this week’s international and domestic deals.

NSW
Learn to love the snowflake
at the annual Hunter Valley Gardens ‘‘Snow Time in the Garden’’, main
picture, which runs through the winter school holidays. The festival
features ice skating, snow tubing and snowball challenges, and there’s
always wine tasting at the nearby cellar doors if you want to grow up.
Families of up to two adults and two children can stay at the nearby
Mercure Resort Hunter Valley Gardens during the festival and get tickets
to the festival’s evening Snow Time. Kids under 12 also eat breakfast
and dinner free. The festival runs from June29 to July 14. Costs from
$209 a room. (02) 4998 2000, mercurehuntervalley.com.au.

VICTORIA
Beachfront
St Kilda is the hangout for Melbourne’s beautiful people, as well as
European cafe devotees, live music lovers and flashpackers staying at
Australia’s top hostel. Stay two nights in a private room at Base
Backpackers Melbourne, just off the beach, and get one free Great Ocean
Road day trip worth $125, a welcome drink and breakfast daily, between
June 1 and August 31. Costs from $240 a room, two nights. (03) 8598 6200,
stayatbase.com.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The
Perth hotel scene is on fire with another new opening, this time a
five-star, all-suite apartment hotel overlooking the Swan River in the
CBD. The Fraser Suites Perth, pictured above left, has 236 apartments,
from studios to two-bedroom premier apartments that can be
interconnected, with kitchens, as well as a heated pool, sauna, bar and
restaurant, and 24-hour gym. Studios will cost from $420 a night, but
snap up an opening special with free wi-fi until August 30. Costs from
$245 a night (studio). 1800 099 465, perth.frasershospitality.com.

CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
Delay
the onset of winter and head to Australia’s hot heart: Intrepid
Travel’s four-day Central Explorer departs Alice Springs for the classic
desert sights of Uluru, Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and the sandstone walls
of Kings Canyon. You’ll get a guided tour of local rock art by the
Western Aranda people at Wallace Rockhole and the last day is spent
exploring the western MacDonnell Ranges before returning to Alice
Springs. Book by June 28 for travel until June30 and save 25per cent.
Costs $776 a person. 1300 018 871, intrepidtravel .com/australia-sale.

QUEENSLAND
Hit
the road with a trip from Cairns to … wherever the dart hits the
map. Hire a Travellers Autobarn campervan for at least 10 days and save
20per cent. The fully-fitted vans include cooking equipment and
sleeping bags and can be returned to any mainland capital excluding
Adelaide. Book by June30 for travel August1-September 30, quote code
‘‘SUNH’’. Excludes insurance and any one-way fees. Costs from $437 for a
two-berth campervan for 10 days, travellers-autobarn.com.au.

PHILIPPINES
One
of the truly great shopping destinations, Manila’s must-buys include
pearls, fashion and shoes (surprise!). The 538-room Dusit Thani Manila
is in the thick of it all, in Makati City. The “Just for two” deal
celebrates lovers with one night’s accommodation and lays on the
strawberries and pralines, rose petals in the bath, a couples’ massage
and dinner for two. Available until December 31. Normally $458 a night,
costs from $320. +63 (2) 238 8888, dusit.com.

INDONESIA
Bali’s
far eastern coast is so quiet, it makes Ubud look like a concrete
jungle. Stay three nights at the homegrown Design Hotel Alila Manggis
and get a complimentary culinary experience for two: it could be a
Balinese cuisine and market tour with the chef, or a seafood adventure
on a fishing boat where you cook the catch. There’s also an organic
garden cooking program and a junior chef experience. Valid until
September 30. Costs from $510, three nights. +62 363 410 11, alilahotels.com/manggis.

UNITED STATES
Take
time out like a local with a dip in the natural underground hot springs
and a glass of Napa Valley wine at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. An
hour north of San Francisco and 30 minutes from Napa, the iconic hotel’s
spa is one of the country’s best, and there’s also a Michelin-star
restaurant and championship golf course on site. Stay four nights and
pay for only three until August 30. Costs from $1077, virtuoso.com.au.

NORWAY
Spot
killer whales, visit fishing villages and admire Norway’s mountains on
this five-day, self-drive tour of Tromso and the Lofoten Islands,
pictured. The tour includes four nights’ bed and breakfast, car hire,
ferry tickets and return flights from Oslo to Tromso. Save 10 per cent
when you book by June 30 for travel until September 30. Costs from $1604
a person. 1800 221 712, bentours.com.au.

SOUTH AFRICA
Flowers
and the Big Five go hand in hand in South Africa in August. The 14-day
Wildflowers and Wildlife tour travels from Cape Town to Johannesburg,
guided by botanical artist Jenny Phillips, who’ll help you capture your
botanical safari on paper. Book by July 31 and save up to $1000 a couple
while solo travellers save $1867. Tour departs August 25. Costs from
$8395 a person, twin share, or $10,763 for solo travellers. 1300 336
932, botanica.travel.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

May

Bali: savouring Seminyak

Fois gras trilogy, Metis

Beyond the rice paddies and the beaches, Seminyak is the heart of Bali’s dining scene – and whether it’s organic, local or international, you’ll find fine cuisine for all tastes.

Seminyak’s streets are pumping with a cosmopolitan array of chefs and restaurateurs, dishing up everything from Aussie steaks to Balinese crispy duck and Jimbaran Bay seafood, and offering up a potpourri of produce that’s never languished on a supermarket shelf.

If you can’t say Petitenget before you hit town, you’ll learn quickly enough. Jalan is the Indonesian word for “street”, and Jalan Petitenget is home to some of the island’s top tables.

Coconut rhumballa, Chandi

It’s also the name of a newcomer to the restaurant scene. When we meet, Petitenget‘s executive chef Simon Blaby is eating slow-braised pork belly with confit green-apple puree, shredded cabbage salad and sweet potato puree. “It’s a true homage to great local produce. Balinese pork is second to none,” says Simon, who hails from Queensland’s much-loved Spirit House.

If you’re out to impress, earmark a date at Metis, which opened in 2009 amid the rice paddies and lily-filled water gardens. French chef Nicolas Tourneville serves French Mediterranean cuisine, including a dedicated foie gras menu.

Looking for a Zen-like, Ubud vibe? Neighbouring Sardine has also tapped in to the rice-paddy gastronomical scene. If you’re obsessed with sustainable seafood, hand-plucked herbs and knowing where your onions came from (the mountain village of Bedugul), book a table for what fourth-generation Burgundy chef-restaurateur Pascal Chevillot describes as cuisine du solei1 (“food of the sun”) and sample the gourmet fare from the kitchen, run by Californian Michael Shaheen.

Funky MamaSan

If sand isn’t your thing, slip on some stilettos and trip upstairs to the rootop of Anantara Hotel to find SOS Supper Club, which mixes fine dining, lounging and clubbing.

Local seafoodies gravitate towards the Sunday brunches at W Hotel’s Starfish Bloo by Mauritian-born, Australian-bred chef Kevin Chung, and gleefully feast on the snapper dumplings of MamaSan, helmed by chef Will Meyrick of Sydney’s Longrain fame.

Head to Chandi for its New York take on local cuisine. With lounges facing the crushingly busy Jalan Laksmana it’s also an unsurpassed people-watching locale. “The clientele in Seminyak is a great mix of glamour meets health nut,” says chef-owner Agung Nugroho.

“The clientele in Seminyak is a great mix of glamour meets health nut.”

The glitzy alternative for local cuisine is Jakartan newbie Potato Head Beach Club, which is givinglong-timer Ku De Ta a run for its money with a kids’ pool and the sexiness of a swim-up bar balanced by its fine-dining restaurant, Tapping Shoes.

Overlooking the rice paddies at Metis

Its less formal pan-Asian tapas bar, Lilin, has communal tables overlooking the Indian Ocean, but chances are you’ll have eyes only for the catfish with red chilli sambal or the locally beloved buntut samba1bajak (braised oxtail with traditional chilli sambal).

“Bali is attracting great international chefs who still wish to dream and bend the rules more than you could in a Western kitchen,” says Petitenget’s Blaby, of Seminyak’s embarrassment of dining riches. “It’s magical, not logical.”

TAKE ME THERE
PETITENGET Jln Petitenget 40, tel, .+62 3614733054, petitenget.net
POTATO HEAD BEACH CLUB Jln Petitenget, tel: 62361 473 7979, ptthead.com
SARDINE Jln Petitenget 21, tel: +62 361 843 6111, sardinebali.com
ANANTARA SOS SUPPER CLUB Jln Dhyana Pura,tel, 62361 737773, sosasupperclub.com
W HOTEL Jln Petitenget, tel:.+62 361 473 8106, starwoodhotels.com
BIKU Jln Raya Petitenget 888, tel, +62 361 857 0888, bikubali.com
CHANDI Jln Laksmana 72, tel: +62 361 731 060, chandibali.com
LA LUCCIOLA Jln Petitenget, tel:.+62 361 730 838
MAMASAN Jln Raya Kerobokan 135, tel, +62 361 730436, mamasanbali.com
METIS Jln Petitenget 6, tel: +62 3614737888, metisbali.com

To view as a pdf, click here

Source: Belinda Jackson, Jetstar magazine

Mar

It’s guinea pigs on the barbie and Pi Mai in Laos: travel deals March 24, 2013

To die for: Sofitel Sydney’s Addams Family suite.

Roast guinea pix in Ecuador with Celine Cousteau. Go on, you know you want to. Or stay with the Addams family in Sydney, sniff out a bottle of fabulousness in Tassie or hang with pandas in China, in this week’s international and domestic travel deals.

NSW

For lovers of all things creepy, kooky and French, check in to the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth’s Addams Family suite, main picture, for the night – complete with cobwebs, watchful family portraits and a haunted mirror – and do high tea, Addams style (“It’s to die for,” the hotel says). The Addams Family musical opened last night at the Capitol Theatre, and the Sofitel’s Soiree lobby bar, resplendent with coffins and tombstones, is serving a blood-red Morticia’s Martini and bubbly Pugsley’s Poison to celebrate. The Addams Family suite package includes an ‘A’ reserve ticket to the musical, Club Sofitel access, breakfast, high tea with cocktails and, of course, late checkout (though still in daylight hours). Book by April 28. Costs from $275 a person, twin share. (02) 9228 9188, sofitelsydney.com.au.

TASMANIA

Follow your nose to some of Australia’s best cellar doors and gourmet haunts in northern Tasmania, between Launceston and Cradle Mountain. Stay one night at the Country Club Tasmania, just outside Launceston, and another night at Cradle Mountain Chateau and get full breakfast and two-course dinners each night, a bottle of local wine and entrance into the privately owned photography gallery, The Wilderness Gallery, until June 30. Costs from $283 a person, twin share, quote code “CC009”. 1800 420 555,countryclubtasmania.com.au.

QUEENSLAND

Hervey Bay is the jumping-off point for Fraser Island, pictured top left, a delight for whale-watchers and simply a place to relax. Save a precise 31 per cent on three-night stays at the four-star Peppers Pier Resort. The resort has two pools, a children’s area, day spa and fully-equipped suites with balconies overlooking the bay. Book by April 15 for travel April 2-July 4. Costs from $516 a room for three nights. 1300 888 180, zuji.com.au.

NORFOLK ISLAND

Although it is more than 1600 kilometres from Sydney, Norfolk Island is still part of the ‘hood, even though you fly over seas to get there (and you also need your passport). This eight-day tour of the south Pacific island sees you staying in the top hotel, the Governor’s Lodge resort, experiencing local culture at the Sunday markets and exploring its rainforests and gardens. Book by September 30 and save $125 a person. Costs from $2770 a person, twin share. 1300 723 642, scenictours.com.au.

CENTRAL AUSTRALIA

Enjoy your own bird’s-eye view of Australia when you cross the country on a Bill Peach Gulf to Gulf aircruise. There are only two journeys annually, this year departing from either Adelaide (June 21) or Darwin (July 1). The 10-day aircruise visits iconic outback towns and villages including Innamincka, Birdsville and Arkaroola, as well as raucous Mount Isa and up into Arnhem Land, where you’ll stay at the remote Seven Spirit Bay, on the Cobourg Peninsula. (PS: atlases out. The gulfs are Carpentaria and Spencer). Costs from $11,595 a person, twin share. 1800 252 053, billpeachjourneys.com.au.

INDONESIA

Stay five nights in a deluxe room at
Kuta’s Hard Rock hotel and get two extra nights free. The offer includes
breakfast daily, shopping vouchers and airport transfers as well as a massage,
white-water rafting adventure or water-sports experience. Travel from April 1
to June 30. Costs from $519 a person, seven nights. 1300 883 887, travelonline.com.

LAOS

Laos celebrates Pi Mai from April 13-15. The best spot to experience
it is in the Luang Prabang. Stay three nights in a garden
room at the former royal residence, the 25-room Maison Souvannaphoum and they’ll
include a boat tour on the Mekong to watch the celebrations, guided tour of the
Lao New Year parade, market fair and city festivals and a Lao Prince dinner as
well as half-price spa treatments. Costs from $488++ a room. 856 71 254 609,
angsana.com.

NEW ZEALAND

Celebrate winter in style at the famed luxury lodge,
Matakauri Lodge, and save 33 per cent. Set outside Queenstown, the view from
the 11 suites is of Lake Wakatipu with the remarkable Remarkables towering
behind. Stay two nights in a deluxe suite
between May 1 and July 31 and get a third night free: the offer also includes
pre-dinner drinks, breakfast and gourmet dinner. Costs from $1430+ a person,
three nights. +64 3 441 1008, www.matakaurilodge.com.

EUROPE

It’s veteran tour leader Jeanette Savage’s last European hurrah
when she leads Interlude Tour’s 36-day journey through Europe, departing
September 18. Just 17 guests will fly to Paris and travel to
the Loire Valley, visit Bilbao’s Guggenheim, see Gaudi’s masterpieces in Barcelona
and revel in the beauty of Provence, Cinque Terre and the Swiss Alps, staying
in boutique hotels. Book by April 19 and they’ll include airport transfers and
two nights’ accommodation for two at the Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok on the way
home. Costs from $12,240 a person, twin share, includes economy air fares. (02)
9405 2218, interlude-tours.com.

CHINA

Intrepid My Adventure Store is cutting 25 per cent, or $550, off its two-week tours from Beijing to Shanghai when booked by April 15, for travel May 20 and June 3. The tour ticks off the Chinese icons, including the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors and Tienanmen Square, as well as volunteering at the Bifengxia Panda Breeding Centre and staying at a rural farm. Costs from $1500 a person. 1300 021 123, myadventurestore.com.

TOURWATCH

Celine Cousteau in underwater action.

With a pedigree that lists Jean-Michel Cousteau as her father and Jacques
Cousteau as grandfather, you know that an adventure with French
explorer Céline Cousteau is going to be a wild ride, indeed. Céline will spend
three days with you on Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands as part of Contiki’s 11-day
Galapagos & Ecuador tour. Remember, it’s still South America, so expect
guinea pig on the barbie, hip-flinging salsa and a chance to stare into the
abyss at Cotopaxi volcano. As part of Earth Month, Contiki will donate all profits from this trip to local Oceanic
initiatives in the Galapagos. The tour departs April 21. Costs
from $2685 a person, twin share. 1300 266 845, contiki.com.au.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Mar

Find the romance of Persia or follow the Great Migration: travel deals 10 March 2013

Ancient cities, warm hospitality, wild landscapes: the romance of Persia is calling. Closer to home, get fabulous in northern NSW or Thailand, or follow the Great Migration across the Serengeti and Masai Mara.

TASMANIA
Walking is the new cycling, which is of course the new golf, and one of the best walking destinations in the country is Tassie. The new Three Capes walk hugs the sea cliffs of the Tasman peninsula and out to Cape Raoul. This three-day tour also includes a visit to Port Arthur and a jet boat wilderness cruise (yes, you read that right). Normally $1095, book before March 23 and save 15 per cent on the April 24 departure. Costs $930 a person, three days. 1300 666 856, tasmanianexpeditions.com.au.

Toulouse-Lautrec, Canberra.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Travelling to Canberra to see the best of Toulouse Lautrec is a whole lot cheaper than hauling off to Paris. Stay at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra during the boho Paris exhibition and you’ll get overnight accommodation in a Park Room as well as two tickets to the Toulouse Lautrec exhibition, breakfast and free parking. The offer runs until April 2, quote code ‘TOUL’. Costs from $345 per room. 131 234, canberra.park.hyatt.com.

VICTORIA

Golf aficionados head far west for a putt in the sun, and non-golfing spouses will enjoy the diversion of staying a houseboat on the Murray River. Stay four nights on a deluxe houseboat and play Mildura’s two 18-hole courses, including buggy hire and get full breakfast provisions, dinner at the Gol Gol hotel and a gourmet barbeque. Normally from $900 a person, save $350. Costs from $550. 1800 800 842, willandrahouseboats.com.au.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
It’s billed as the ultimate fishing safari, and when you spot the barramundi lurking in the shadows of the waters around the Kimberley Coastal Camp, you’ll have to agree. The remote camp is on the Kimberley’s Admiralty Gulf, and is offering half-price fishing safaris from March 19-22 or March 22-25. Includes air transfers from Kununurra, a scenic flight over the magnificent Mitchell Falls, all meals, accommodation and fishing tackle use. Costs from $3382 a person. 0417 902 006, kimberleycoastalcamp.com.au.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Cabarita Ocean Spa, NSW

You’re a healthier you, on the NSW far north coast. Book a health retreat at Cabarita Ocean Spa with a friend and save 25 per cent on all stays until March 23, and singles get 15 per cent off. Expect surfing and stand-up paddling, as befits an ocean retreat that’s moments from the coastline, as well as lashings of organic, locally sourced food and Sodashi in the spa. Costs from $1650 a person, twin share, three nights. (02) 6674 3111, cabaritaoceanretreat.com.au.

EUROPE

Canny backpackers have long known that an overnight train journey saves on the cost of accommodation. Do it in style and save, as Rail Europe celebrates its 18th birthday with up to 65 per cent off City Night Line trains, which operate in eight countries including Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic. Book by April 2, travel by June 30. Costs from $59 in couchette, $70 in double sleeper economy. raileurope.com.au.

INDONESIA

Bali bargain hunters alert. Fly with Virgin Australia from Sydney to Denpasar and stay seven nights for the price of five in a deluxe pool view room at the Kuta Lagoon Resort, on Jalan Legian. The offer includes breakfast, airport transfers and regular shuttle buses to the surf and bangle sellers at Kuta Beach. Book until 3pm June 7 for travel from April 28 to June 14. Costs from $1,079 a person, twin share. 1300 130 485, travel.com.au.

CHINA

It’s time to get your skates on, literally, to catch an earlybird ski bargain. Club Med’s Early Bird Ski Booking deals knock up to 30 per cent off all bookings made by July 1, including five nights in Yabuli, China as well as Europe and Japan. Packages include ski passes, lessons, all meals, open bar and snacks as well as travel insurance. Valid for travel from December 1 to April 7, 2014. Costs from $1033 for adults, $584 for children, five nights. 1800 258 263, clubmed.com.au.

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary, Koh Samui, Thailand

THAILAND

Heal thyself: at a discount price, at Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary on Koh Samui’s south coast. First-time guests can stay four nights, pay for three until April 30. Repeat guests are not forgotten, with a stay five, pay four deal until May 31. Includes airport transfers, all meals and treatments in your wellness program as well as an initial wellness consultation and holistic activities. Costs from $3500 for seven nights on a wellness program, or accommodation only from $224 a night. +66 (0) 77 429 800, kamalaya.com

KENYA & TANZANIA

Follow the migration paths of wilderbeest and zebras across Tanzania and Kenya, across the Masai Mara and the Serengeti. This package includes eight nights’ accommodation in luxury tented camps and a treehouse, as well as game drives and a visit to the Ngorongoro crater. Book until March 31 for travel until March 24, then May 1 – May 24 and save $1840 a person. Costs from $6629 a person. 1300 320 795, www.adventureworld.com.au.

TOURWATCH

Wind towers, Iran.

Blow the myths out of the water and discover one of the friendliest countries on earth: Iran. This tour departs from Shiraz, reached easily from Dubai or Abu Dhabi, where there’s no drinking wine, but plenty of beautiful gardens and the astonishing ancient city of Persepolis. Highlights include the romantic desert city of Yazd and one of the world’s largest plazas, Naksh-e Jahan Square, in bejewelled Isfahan. There are hill villages, palaces and fine museums as well as plenty of tea stops and fine Iranian cooking to be sampled. The 18-day Highlights of Persia tour departs October 1. Costs from $3850 a person, twin share. (02) 9418 7803, byroads.com.au.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald newspaper

Dec

Animal antics in Africa and Adelaide: travel deals 25 November 2012

Discover the Way of the Panda in Adelaide, go gorilla-tastic in Africa, or hitch a ride on a camel in Broome in this week’s best international and domestic travel deals.

TASMANIA

Stepping into summer, it’s shaping up as peak walking
time for Tasmania’s hills and mountains. Yes, you can camp, but it’s so much
nicer to fall into a hot tub after a day trekking the highlands. Cradle
Mountain Chateau is knocking its rates almost in half until December 20, quote
booking code ‘PT004’. Normally from $105 a person, costs from $65 a person. 1800
420 155 www.puretasmania.com.au

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL
TERRITORY

Canberra celebrates its centenary in 2013, with a
year-long calendar of events, with indigenous cultural explorations, art
exhibitions and sporting face-offs, canberra100.com.au. Stay at the 4½-star Pavilion on
Northbourne in a deluxe room with the
big buffet brekky, and save up to $286 a night. Valid for stays until February
2013, quote ‘Canberra Sale Special’. Costs from $140 a night. 1300 88 7979, wotif.com/hotelW6953.

WESTERN
AUSTRALIA

Where else can you ride a camel along the beach but
in Broome? Soak up that golden WA sun on Cable Beach and save up to 30 per cent
off your room at the 4.5-star Oaks Cable Beach Sanctuary, curled around a
lagoon-style swimming pool. Book by November 30 for travel until April 30,
2013. Costs from $139 a night for two in a studio room or stay five and save 40
per cent, from $595 for five nights. 1300 888 180, zuji.com.au.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Let Wang Wang and Funi show you ‘The Way of the Panda.’
Adelaide Zoo’s two pandas are one of the city’s great drawcards for kids and
adults, set in eight hectares of botanic gardens. The zoo is a pleasant walk
(ok, five minutes in a cab) to BreakFree Adelaide, in Hindley St, which is offering
the fourth night free for families who stay three nights in a two-bed apartment
until March 27, 2013. On top of that, stay before January 18, 2013, get a
two-for-one Gray Line Barossa Valley tour. Costs from $615 for three nights. 132 007, breakfree.com.au.

VICTORIA

The few weeks before Christmas is when bargain hunters
slip in a sneaky getaway: take San Remo,
for example. Just over an hour south of Melbourne, the sleepy town is
the gateway for Phillip Island, and the place for fish and chips on empty,
windswept beaches, visiting tiny cellar doors and shopping the weekend produce
markets. Stay two nights, get 10 per cent off, or stay three or more and get 20
per cent off at Silverwater Resort on stays until December 20 quote code
‘Santa12’. Costs from $278 a room, for two nights. 1800 033 403,
silverwaterresort.com.au

TRANS-AUSTRALIA

It’s time to break out the iconic Aussie songs,
Gangagang’s ‘Sounds of Then (This is
Australia)’ and
of course Icehouse’s ‘Great Southern Land’ – you come over all patriotic when
you’re crossing our country’s Red Centre.
Save up to $611pp on The Ghan, travelling from Adelaide
to Darwin or vice versa. Book before December 24 for travel until March 31,
2013. Was $2116, costs from $1505 a person, Gold Service, and was $3210, now
$2259 a person, Platinum Service. 13 21 47, greatsouthernrail.com.au.

The Dipan Resort Villa & Spa, Seminyak, Bali

BALI

Seminyak is
Bali’s hip and beating heart, with the best boutiques, bars, spas and
restaurants on the island. Stay in The Dipan Resort Villa and Spa, a
22-suite hotel in the pinnacle of Seminyak hip, Petitenget, for half the price,
but still get breakfast, wi-fi and a welcome massage. Stay four night and get a
dinner in the resort restaurant as well. Book now for travel until July 3,
2013. Costs from $130 a night in a hotel room, or $241 a night in a one-bedroom
villa. 1300 85 95 65, cantikbalivillas.com.

Flamingoes on Lake Nakuru, Kenya.

KENYA

Kids travel free
when they’re with two adults on an eight-day Kenya Highlights package. Each
couple can have one child under 12, who stays in the same accommodation and the
deal includes all meals and sightseeing. Highlights include meeting the Maasai
and the masses of flamingos on Lake Nakuru. Costs from $1895 a person, twin share.
1300 195 873, benchinternational.com.au.

CHILE & ARGENTINA

With a BMW F650 GS between your legs and the panorama of
snow-capped volcanos before you, is there any more beautiful place in the world
than the Andes? This nine-day tour by road bike starts and ends in Santiago and
covers 2100km, travelling south into Patagonia, where you cross the Andes to
Argentina and beautiful Bariloche. Compass Expeditions is offering US$800 off
for the rider and $400 for co-riders. Tour departs 28 December, 2012. Includes
bike hire, fuel and 10 nights’ accommodation. Costs from $3490, $2190 for
pillion. 1300 887 327, compassexpeditions.com.

AFRICA

Spend 20 days visiting the gorillas of Africa in some of
the continent’s most spectacular scenery, including Masai Mara, Victoria Falls
and Tanzania’s Lake Manyara and the Serengeti. There’s mountain gorilla
trekking in Rwanda, game drives, a boma dining experience beneath the
stars. Travel Associates is offering one free return economy flight with South
African Airways when two people book together. Book by December 31 for travel
on May 31, 2013, includes all internal flights and up to eight game park
drives. Costs from $16595 a person, twin share. 1800 044 066, travel-associates.com.au

TOURWATCH: SWEDEN

The low Swedish coastline was surely designed for
kayaking, and the new West Coast Sweden: Bohuslän Archipelago journey with
Southern Sea Ventures is a girl’s or boy’s own adventure writ large. The
itinerary includes beach camping and stays in snug lodges, paddling through
thousands of granite islands while observed by seals and seagulls. You’ll be
led by Swedish seakayaker Ulrika Larsson, who started her paddling career in
the Stockholm archipelago and has paddled the Swedish coastline solo. The
10-day trip includes eight days’ kayaking, and has a moderate grading, so some
paddling experience is necessary, and it helps if you’ve seen the inside of a
tent before. Departs August 25, 2013 from Gothenburg, in southern Sweden, and
includes all kayaking equipment. Costs from $2250 a person. (02) 8901 3287, southernseaventures.com.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Dec

Home of the island gods

Candi Kuning temple at Lake Bratan, Tabanan. Photo: Getty Images

Belinda Jackson swaps the noisy demands of the south for a slice of serenity amid temples and hillside rice terraces.

The main road through the beautiful Balinese village is blocked by a parade of about 100 people, led by women in glittering costumes bearing offerings on their heads and men playing percussion instruments.

It’s a pretty event, and I wind down the window of my car and take plenty of pretty photographs. Everyone smiles and waves.

They’re happy, I’m happy.

Eventually, the parade is over and we start on our way again. “What’s the occasion? I ask my guide, Nata.

“It’s a cremation ceremony,” he explains, still smiling.

There are 17,508 islands in the Indonesian archipelago and we all go to just one, Bali. But while southern Bali heaves and pumps, there is a slice of serenity less than an hour’s drive west of the choked roads of Denpasar, in the Tabanan regency, as “states” are known in Bali.

Tabanan is a quiet state of farmers and royal dwellings, the rice bowl of Bali, and famed for its traditional dancers and plays. It’s also home of the extremely well-loved sea temple, Pura Tanah Lot and, blending rusticity with glamour, Alila Villas Soori hotel, which is set between the ocean and rice paddies.

Jatiluwih in northern Tabanan is the site of Bali’s famous terraced hillsides of rice fields that recently made the UNESCO World Heritage list, but there are plenty of examples of the traditional farming techniques in the south of the regency.

There’s no need to ask the driver to slow down so I can photograph the terraces; we’re inching between a string of potholes masquerading as the road. Nata snaps photos to send off to the government to plead for repairs.

“It would normally take about 15 minutes to drive from Tanah Lot to the hotel, but we allow about 45 minutes,” he says, as we lurch, teeth crunching, into yet another crater.

Fighting cocks ready for action.

On either side of us, field workers wearing their caping – conical hats made from leaves or grass – bend down to tend their muddy rice paddies. The fields are dotted with little shrines and Mount Batur is just visible through the haze.

The villas of Alila Villas Soori overlook either the rice paddies or face a black-sand beach, where tourists ride sedately trotting ponies. A local zips past on the wide beach, the noise of the old motorbike’s engine dwarfed by the rolling surf. It’s not a swimming beach, it’s a beach for dipping your toes, walking along and admiring from the comfort of an overstuffed sofa, with a large tropical drink in hand.

Alila is a home-grown success story, an Indonesian-owned group whose Uluwatu property has cleaned up the world’s architecture awards and a new Seminyak hotel is in the making.

We check into our villa, guided by our host Iyu, and head straight back out for a sunset dinner on a platform jutting out towards the ocean.

If you’re up for action, hunting for the next club, this is not the hotel for you. In fact, you may even rule out the entire regency.

“Why would you go to Tabanan?” a smug Ubud resident asks. “You get there, then there’s nothing to do.” I guess it depends on who you’re there with.

The hotel is buzzing with a large wedding, and darkened corners are the scene of much hand-holding and long gazes. There are also a few families with small children who are being cooed over by the staff.

The night is quiet, save for the crash of the surf, and the next morning we’re up with the sun. The full-length windows of the villa open out to the ocean and our pool, so it’s with great delight that I jump from the lounge room into the water for a frolic before breakfast is served in our cabana.

I enjoy fresh tropical juices, beautiful eggs hollandaise and, to end, a petite, perfectly chewy almond croissant with a cup of kopi luwak, Bali’s famed “civet coffee”. You know the one: Where the beans have been eaten by a small mammal, passed through their digestive tracts and popped out the other end, where they’re collected, dried and ground to make an oh, so smooth coffee. You just have to banish the idea of civet poo from your mind while you’re enjoying your cuppa.

Today, I’ll journey with the gods, through a few of Bali’s 20,000 temples (puras), with Nata as my guide. He is dressed in a white-collared shirt, a sarong over his trousers and a udeng – a cloth – knotted around his head. A woman ties a cotton sarong over my trousers, and we are declared suitably dressed to visit the temples.

Nata at Pura Timan Agung

Pura Penarukan is the main temple in the nearby village of Penarukan and, unusually, the three deities are all here – Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva: the creator, the preserver, the destroyer. We cleanse our hands with fragrant incense smoke, wave a flower through the incense and hold it in cupped hands, tearing off a small piece that we tuck behind the right ear. Three times the temple’s priest pours water into our hands, and three times we sip it, then splash a few drops on our heads. We place a few grains of uncooked rice on our forehead and at the base of our throats, where they stick as though glued, and leave an offering at a shrine.

The canang sari is an offering of fruit, flowers and food, with fire from the incense stick and water, the universal symbol of life, sprinkled on top. Rice signifies life and prosperity.

“We consider rice as a goddess,” Nata says. Dewi Sri is the goddess of rice, “padi” is the name for unhulled rice, “baras” is uncooked rice and “nasi” (think nasi goreng) is cooked rice.

“You have only one word for rice, yes?” he asks, looking at me sorrowfully. I struggle to think what we Australians have a multiplicity of words for: tax?

Back in the four-wheel-drive, we weave through the regency to five temples. It’s only the ornate stone gates that indicate where one village ends and the next one starts. The roadsides are lined with upside-down woven baskets covering roosters, ready for a bout of cock-fighting. “They’re fed a special diet of vitamins, eel, slugs, corn and beef,” Nata says.

Each village we pass has its own speciality: Penarukan for its stone and timber sculptures, Kerambitan for is its magical tektekan orchestra and 17th-century palaces that line the main road that runs through the town. Pejaten is best known for its ceramics and terracotta tiles, and the village is dominated by mountains of coconut shells, which fuel the flames to fire the tiles. The rich orange afternoon sun spills over a busy courtyard where newly pressed roof tiles are laid out on the earth.

At Kelating, the village is preparing for temple celebrations, and the local orchestra has its instruments unpacked and ready. Some gongs are more than 100 years old, their metal notes scarred and aged, and the men sit among them, cross-legged, barefoot and smoking.

If you thought Tabanan was all country roads and quiet villages, you’d be forgetting two of its biggest temples – Pura Alas Kedaton and Pura Tanah Lot – which are also two of Bali’s biggest drawcards. Alas Kedaton sits alongside a state forest dripping with monkeys. To get into the hugely popular temple, you run the gamut of souvenir-sellers who double as guides: there’s no getting around it – no guide, no go to the monkeys.

After the shops, you pass a bat show, where you can hold a furry little fruit bat by the tips of its wings, if that takes your fancy. The demo bat looks bored, and I bypass it to see the temple guardians. From every tree, dozens of sets of eyes stare out at us. Fangs, tails, eyes and limbs – all are working overtime. Tiny babies cling to their mothers while bullish teens box each other and try, with fairly serious intent, to get a leg over. They’re draped over the temple’s stupas, and scamper along its walls.

Equally mobbed by the crowds, Pura Tanah Lot, on Tabanan’s coastline, is the classic case of having been loved too well. Come sunset, it is besieged by sightseers waiting to catch the sun setting over the island temple, which is linked to the mainland by a small isthmus. The walk down to the water is fraught with decisions: Hold a snake? Eat suckling pig? Buy plastic frangipani hairclips? Spiritual, it is not.

The last stop of the day is an anathema to the crowd-pullers – it’s a simple temple five minutes’ walk along the beach from my hotel. Nata tells the story of a journeyman whose body was stolen by evil spirits on this beautiful headland. His brother built Pura Timan Agung to protect future travellers, and his descendants, from the faraway village of Pandak, still care for the pura today.

The views are every bit as dramatic as those at Tanah Lot, but we are alone on the headland. The beach ponies are in their stables, the farmers have gone home; there’s just the thunder of the surf and the call of the night birds. A black-and-white temple cloth flutters and a yellow parasol twirls as the night air rises and the little temple casts a shadow as the sun dips down over the ocean.

The gods are resting and the south Balinese coastline disappears into the sea spray and sunset.

FAST FACTS

Getting there Garuda has a fare to Denpasar from Sydney and Melbourne for about $950 low-season return, including tax. Fly non-stop from Sydney (6hr 25min) and from Melbourne (6hr 10min); see garuda-indonesia.com. Virgin Australia and Jetstar also fly from both Sydney and Melbourne. Australians need a visa for a stay of up to 30 days; obtained on arrival for $US25 ($24).

Getting around The one-day Journey of the Gods costs $106 a person, including lunch, transport and guide, alilahotels.com.

Staying there Alila Villas Soori has 44 villas, including a 10-bedroom residence. A member of Design Hotels, it costs from $US510 plus taxes for a beach pool villa, alilahotels.com.

Belinda Jackson was a guest of Alila Villas Soori.

Nov

Peace in Bali, bustle on the Bund: travel deals 11 November 2012

Cinque Terre, Italy

Peace is found in Bali’s Tabanan district and in a Tuscan villa. Or find fabulousness on Shanghai’s Bund and Hobart’s Salamanca market in this week’s Australian and international travel deals.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Named one of the state’s top pubs by the AHA, the 4.5-star
Walkers Arms Hotel is spitting distance from the CBD, in happening Walkerville.
The hotel has a huge beer garden and there are gigs on Friday nights, DJs on
Saturdays and live acoustic music on Sundays. Save 20 per cent on stays until 28 February. Costs from $135 a night. 130
130 483, travel.com.au.

QUEENSLAND

Budget hotel aficionados know the Traders hotels: owned by the luxe Shangri-La gang, they’re aimed at 4-star corporates, with the benefits and panache from a glam big sister. Australia’s first Traders Hotel has opened on Brisbane’s Roma St, with prices starting from $289 weekdays and $159 weekends, always with free wi-fi. It’s celebrating the opening with a ‘Stay Connected’ package that includes one night’s accommodation in its recently, 34sqm renovated rooms, and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, all for the retail price of the tablet, $459. (07) 3238 2222, tradershotels.com

Sofitel Melbourne

VICTORIA

The acclaimed play ‘War Horse’, about a man and horse’s journey through World War I, makes its Australian debut at Melbourne’s State Theatre Art Centre in December. Well that’s a good excuse to head south. Usually, a night at the Sofitel on Collins costs from $260. The ‘stay and see’ package includes a five-star sleep for two and one ‘A’ Reserve ticket, worth $124, from December 23 – February 10, 2013. Costs from $269 a night. 1300 306 341, showbiz.com.au/warhorse.

NEW SOUTH WALES

It could well be the best deal in town: stay in one of
the Sheraton on the Park’s 48 suites, take home a Boucheron diamond. Between
November 17-25, and you’ll be on a treasure hunt for a diamond pendant and a
diamond bracelet hidden in the suites, but could be consoled with other surprises
including a splash from Moet, bath butler service, Polynesian spa treatments by
Thalgo or a sparkling midnight swim – it’s a surprise, people. Costs from $599,
includes access to the Sheraton Club, with pre-dinner drinks, canapés and
breakfast on Level 21. (02) 9286 6000, sheratonontheparksydney.com/sparkle.

The Tarkine, Tasmania

TASMANIA

Hobart’s been cosying up with San Fran, Amsterdam and
Beijing, all named in Lonely Planet’s top 10 cities to visit in 2013. The new
Unknown Wilderness itinerary from Inspiring Journeys travels from Launceston to
Hobart, visiting the mountains, lakes and rivers in between, not to mention
dishing up your fair share of wine and cheese. Departs from January 31 to April
28 with more dates pending: book six months in advance, save $190. Costs from
$3750 a person, twin share (excluding flights) 1800 467 747,
inspiringjourneys.com.au.

NORTH-WEST
AUSTRALIA

Play spot the croc along Australia’s remote north-western
coastline. This 22-day adventure travels in coach-style 4WDs from Darwin to
Perth, crossing the Kimberley until the Coral Coast. Includes cruises on the
Ord River and through Katherine Gorge at sunrise and four nights at Bell Gorge
and Bungle Wilderness Lodge. Save up to $575 a person when booking six months
in advance, until December 31, for travel May 1-September 30, 2013. Costs from
$10,920 a person, twin share. 1800 044 066, travel-associates.com.au.

Palais Amani, Fez, Morocco

MOROCCO

Your home in the open-air theatre that is Fez is a riad;
those perfumed, inward-facing homes beloved by Morocco’s old merchant class.
With only 14 rooms, the luxury riad,

Palais Amani, is set within the medina. Normally from
$169 a night, save 33 per cent on stays until January 31, 2013, excluding
December 20 – January 1, 2013. Includes a traditional Moroccan breakfast, and a
spa with hammam and rooftop showers for those hot summer nights. Costs from $125
a night, minimum three nights’ stay. 1300 896 627, mrandmrssmith.com.

CHINA

Shanghai’s promenade the Bund has another swanky
resident, the Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund. Its 130 rooms overlook the Bund
and the Huangpu River. Check out the three-floor spa and 150-minute hot stones
therapy, made more delicious by a 30 per cent discount. Until February 28, get
your second night free and half-price on all subsequent nights, breakfast and
free non-alcoholic minibar on stays in the riverside retreats. Costs from $460
a night. +86 21 2509 1188, banyantree.com.

INDONESIA

Alila Villas Soori, Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia

Bali’s Tabanan district is famed for its traditional
dancers and gong (gamelan) orchestras, and private viewings can be arranged by
Alila Villas Soori, a collection of villas set between beach and rice paddies.
Save 20 per cent off the internet rate when you book one of their newly
relaunched Mountain Pool villas, when booking seven days in advance for stays
until December 19. Costs from $490++. +62 361 894 6388, alilahotels.com/soori.

ITALY

From your base in the spa town of Salsomaggiore Terme,
you’ll explore Bologna, Milan, Cinque Terre and then Lake Maggiore in this
eight-day Hidden Treasures of Northern Italy tour. Book before December 27 to
get an early-bird fare of $1475 for return flights with Cathay Pacific to Rome,
and book four months in advance to save 2.5 per cent on the tour cost. Costs
from $1134 a person, twin share. 1300 230 234, cosmostours.com.au.

EUROPE

A Contiki tour through Europe is a rite of passage for
first-time travellers. Tick off all the biggies – Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Rome’s
Coliseum, Athens’ Acropolis, Amsterdam’s red light district – in one fell swoop
on the 33-day European Explorer. You’ll also get into the boat in Venice, shake
it in Mykonos and dream on the Isle of Capri. Book before December 27 for
travel from April to September 2013 and save up to $620. Costs from $5154 a
person, twin share. 1300 266 845, contiki.com.au.

TOURWATCH

Cycling, yoga, Italy: the recipe for perfection. Throw a
little hiking in, as well as a 17th-century country villa near Lucca, Tuscany, and
it’s music for the soul. This seven-night retreat sees you practising yoga each
day, with views of the villa’s olive groves and peaceful panoramas, and cycling
through quiet country lanes. Yes, there is eating. This is Italy, after all.
There’s one completely free day in the midst of the retreat for guests to do as
they please, and non-cycling friends and spouses are welcome. “It’s a retreat,
not a boot camp,” says organiser Virginia Slevin, and there are no
super-humans, the 14 guests require just a general level of fitness. Runs from
June 8-15, 2013 (yoga & cycling) and June 15-22, 2013 (yoga, cycling &
hiking). Costs $2450 a person, twin share with a shared bathroom, or $2855 with
a private bathroom. 0407 788 600, soulfitadventures.com.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Nov

Twenty reasons to visit Seminyak

Surfers on shore at Legian beach. Photo: Getty Images

1 Kopi luwak

“Civet coffee, where cherries are passed through the native cat”, is a very nice way to describe the natural process of creating Bali’s special kopi luwak (or civet coffee). By passing through the civet’s digestive tract, the coffee beans are mellowed out, creating what’s arguably the world’s most expensive coffee. Cruise homewares and sip kopi luwak at Becik (Jl Dhyana Pura 4, +62 361 737 816) or pull up a chair, poolside, and sip at Anantara Seminyak hotel (Jl Dhyana Pura, +62 361 733 7773, anantara.com). Expect to pay about $9 a cup. (PS: jalan, abbreviated to Jl, is Balinese for “street”.)

2 Bodyworks

In a land of cheap spas, Bodyworks has the edge. It’s cheap, efficient and the 80-plus staff will try to squeeze you in for that urgent facial/pedicure/hairdressing fix. Expect to pay about $20 or less for most services. “And you’ll always get a reliably good treatment every time,” Bali-based Australian fashion designer Penny Pinkster says. “I opened my second boutique next door so I could pop in when it’s quiet.” (Jl Kayu Jati 2, Petitenget, +62 361 733 317, bodyworksbali.com) Jari Menari (“dancing fingers”) also gets a guernsey for its yoga-influenced stretching massage, from 300,000 rupiah ($30) (Jl Raya Basangkasa 47, +62 361 736 740, jarimenari.com).

3 Rooftop dining

Seminyak is having a love affair with rooftops. And why not, when the weather is this good? SOS Supper Club, on the roof of Anantara Seminyak hotel, is the leader of the pack, with nightly DJs and unfettered views of the Indian Ocean. Book a table under the stars for a steak dinner or flop on a day bed to snack and watch the stars come out with a Bali Classic in hand (strawberry, lime, cranberry, lychee with pomegranate juice and sparkling wine) or a pitcher of SOS punch. Of course, they do bottle service, too (Jl Dhyana Pura, +62 361 737 773, sosasupperclub.com).

4 Beach sunsets

South Bali is blessed with sunsets over the water and the cheapest entertainment in town is a walk along the long stretch of Seminyak beach at 6pm. On the way, you can buy drinks, hire a surfboard, rent a sun lounger or just park on the sand to watch the golden sun dip down over the Indian Ocean. Sunday is the day off for most workers in Bali, and everyone heads to the beach. Pop down late afternoon to see a slice of local life, from kite flying to beach soccer and plenty of perambulating.

5 Pura Petitenget

In a land of temples, even Seminyak’s crazed real estate scene pauses for religion. Pura Petitenget is just beside the beach, and the quiet, well-maintained Hindu temple gives respite from the traffic below. Don your sarong, wrapped over trousers, and visit just before sunset when the light catches the mossy sculptures for a quintessentially Balinese moment.

6 Boutique fashion

The island’s best fashion is found in Seminyak, with beautiful, often handmade clothes at a price you’ll never find in Australia. Fondle a soft charcoal jersey at Buddha Wear (Jl Oberoi 15X, buddhawear.com) and see what the Brazilians are up to at chic and sexy Lulu Yasmine (Jl Oberoi 100, luluyasmine.com) and Lily Jean (Jl Oberoi 102X or Jl Mertanadi 73X, Kerobokan for the sale shop, lily-jean.com). For Parisian “Bourgeois Boheme”, visit Magali Pascal (Jl Oberoi, 177X), and Animale is a good stop for understated menswear (Jl Raya Seminyak 31, animale.com). For accessories, check the gorgeous strappy flats at Kumuru (Jl Raya Seminyak 67) and TropicSurf’s Jack Chisholm suggests you check out Drifter for classic surfboards, imported surf clobber and good Indonesian coffee (Jl Oberoi 50, driftersurf.com).

7 Petitenget

Move over, Jl Oberoi (aka Laksmana or Kayu Aya) and Jl Dhyana Pura (aka Abimanyu), Jl Petitenget is the hottest dining strip at the top of Seminyak, with Metis and Sarong firmly on the faves list. The hot new ticket is the Petitenget, next door to Pura Petitenget, which serves “modern bistro” for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At the latest venture of restaurateur Sean Cosgrove of Corner Store fame, sit on the terrace and order the poached chicken salad with pistachio and celery with a mandarin Bellini, or seek respite from the heat in its cool, chic lounges (Jl Petitenget 40X, +62 361 473 3054,petitenget.net).

8 Surfing

It doesn’t have the wild reef breaks of Uluwatu and west Bali, but the long straight beach at Seminyak is a beginner’s paradise, says Bali surfer Jack Chisholm of TropicSurf, who teaches families and beginners out the front of Anantara Seminyak. “Anantara’s beach also has fun, peaky waves out the back that will keep even advanced surfers happy.” Other reliable locations include the stretch in front of Ku De Ta, popular with intermediate Europeans looking for an easy ride to practise their skills, and at the end of Double Six Road. The surf season runs from April to November, and is best in the mornings before the trade winds kick up. The big beachfront hotels have their own lifeguards, too (tropicsurf.net).

9 Tailors

Forget the $100-and-six-week turnaround of Aussie sewing shops, Bali’s tailors are fast, cheap and obliging. Say hi to tailor Ipong at Tidy Tailors for quality fabric and experience (Jl Kayu Aya 8, +62 361 736 603), while super-fast nips, tucks and copies can be squeezed in at busy Mode Kara: bring your beloved clothes for remakes or repairs (Jl Oberoi 88, +62 361 735 788).

Biku PIC: Belinda Jackson

10 Interiors with a Balinese twist

Seminyak’s interior shops are a haven of treasures for stylist, creator of the Fashion Assassin label and 37-time Bali visitor Alex Zabotto-Bentley (azbthecreative.com). His top five interior faves comprise Horn Emporium, where owner Anita scours Jakarta for early Dutch antiques, while Namu is worth a stop for its very modern, very chic decorative arts from resin. He also lists Kody & Ko for its 2Pac timber effigies, while Carga pulls apart Balinese designs with a Western treatment (Jl Petitenget 886, +62 361 847 8173). “And Geneva is the craziest warehouse on Earth, with beautiful cut coconut-wood tapas trays to bizarre bronze owls,” he says. “Absolutely mental.” (Namu, Jl Petitenget 234X, +62 361 279 7524; Carga, Jl Petitenget 886, +62 361 847 8173; Horn Emporium, Jl Petitenget 100X, +62 361 4738 330; Geneva, Jl Raya Kerobokan No.100, +62 361 733 542; Kody & Ko, Jl Kayu Cendana C002).

11 Biku

Pull up a pew for coffee and a tarot reading at the fantastical joglo (teak house) that is Biku, a gorgeous destination cafe. Fifteen-minute tarot readings cost 80,000 rupiah. The only downside is that everyone knows it’s fantastic. Phone ahead to reserve a table and order the Asia High Tea for two (170,000 rupiah), in which tiers of samosa, Vietnamese spring rolls and ayam sisit (Balinese shredded chicken) are served with green tea, oolong or perhaps masala chai. Yes, they do scones, and the signature cocktail is the Biku coconut martini (Jl Petitenget 888, +62 361 8570 888, bikubali.com).

12 Snakeskin accessories

Vegans, look away, but for the rest of you, dyed snakeskin accessories are a hot buy from Seminyak’s fashion stores. Find gorgeous clutches, belts and ballet flats, all handmade in Bali from Indonesian python skin, and a steal from $50. Try Naputo or sister shops Prathivi (Jl Raya Seminyak 16, Jl Kayu Aya 15, naputobali.com).

13 One for the kids

Until you travel in Bali with kids, you have no idea how kid-friendly it can be. Seminyak is chock-full of beautiful villas, with separate kitchens, big bathrooms and pools, making travel with kids a no-brainer. Nannies booked through villa complexes or hotels cost about $8-$9 an hour, with even better day rates negotiable. Cute kids’ boutiques include French designer Clara Mia‘s divine little costumes (Jl Oberoi 43, +62 361 733 893).

14 Sensational seafood

Mamasan restaurant
PIC: Belinda Jackson

Pull up at smokin’ Mamasan, the cooler little sister to Seminyak dining stalwart Sarong, and order the snapper dumplings for a taste epiphany (Jl Raya Kerobokan 135, +62 361 733 072, mamasanbali.com). Those in the know earmark Sundays for a spectacular seafood buffet at the W Seminyak’s beachside Starfish Bloo, which costs 475,000 rupiah a person (Jl Petitenget, +62 361 473 8106, starwoodhotels.com). Ubudphiles stranded in the craziness of Seminyak should head to Sardine for seafood and organic produce while overlooking the rice paddies (Jl Petitenget 21, +62 361 843 6111, sardinebali.com).

15 Beach bars

A long-time Bali fave, the pouty Ku De Ta, has a rival: the hottest place in town to watch it all go down is Potato Head, a beach club-cum-restaurant on the sands of Seminyak beach. Big and busy, the potential madness is tamed by groovin’ Marvin Gaye or perhaps some Curtis Mayfly. Order from the casual menu, from its pan-Asian restaurant Lilin or Tapping Shoes‘ French fine dining after 6pm. There’s a minimum spend on the beachfront sun loungers (about $50), but get in before the 6pm pre-sunset rush. Kids are welcome, and there’s even a kids’ pool. No Bintang singlets, 11am-2am daily. If you’re into keepin’ it real, grab a beanbag and a jug of sangria at the ultimate beach bar La Plancha for sunset (Potato Head, Jl Petitenget, +62 361 473 7979, ptthead.com; Ku De Ta, Jl Oberoi, +62 36 173 6969, kudeta.net; La Plancha Double Six Beach, +62 361 890 0000, laplanchabali.com).

16 Made’s Warung

Don’t be expecting the usual dingy tiles and rickety tables at the island’s most famous warung (restaurant). Made’s is all-singing, all-dancing, with a cute little Balinese dance show each night. Noisy and fun for first-time visitors, order the Balinese plate for a taste of the warungs (or go the Japanese menu, the Italian, the Western – you get the picture). The shops within the Made’s complex make for surprisingly good, upmarket browsing (Jl Raya Seminyak, madeswarung.com).

17 Ethical shopping

Stylish indi vie is one of a handful of sleek retail outlets selling environmentally sound homewares, locally designed ceramics and jewellery and ethically produced Balinese handcrafts, with profits going to charities such as those helping the island’s street children in Made’s Warung shops (Jl Raya Seminyak, +62 361 730 927). Find similar products in retro-cool Press Ban cafe (Jl Oberoi 50, +62 361 730 486). For a totally Balinese souvenir, grab a beautifully made, locally designed Bali Towel, complete with handmade tassels. The towels are found in top resorts, Lily Jean and uber-emporium Word of Mouth (Kunti Arcade, Jl Kunti, wordofmouthbali.com). The “Nyoman” is modelled on the classic black-and-white saput poleng temple material, from $40 (balitowel.com).

18 Kangkung

If you’re iffy about eating meat abroad, Bali doesn’t disappoint. The king of vegetables, kangkung, is water spinach tossed with garlic, chilli, tomato, galangal and shallot and served with rice: a powerhouse on a plate. Hit the lunch buffet at Warung Kolega (Jl Petitenget 98A), Warung Ocha (corner Jl Raya Seminyak and Jl Dhyana Pura) or the highly rated Warung Sulawesi (Jl Petitenget).

19 Cocktail hour

Indonesia’s crippling taxes don’t encourage wine binges. If Bintang beer isn’t your bag, you’ll just have to drink cocktails stuffed with tropical fruit. Hot spots include upstairs at Mamasan for Lychee Banshees (Jl Raya Kerobokan 135), the low tables at the front of Chandi for a spiced, herbed Mojito (Jl Oberoi 72), buzzy Cubana (Jl Petitenget 12B, cubanabali.com) and old fave La Lucciola (Jl Petitenget, +62 361 730 838) or any of the beach bars mentioned above. Finish with a glass of pop at the Champagne Bar (Jl Oberoi 42C, +62 361 737 889).

20 Luxe-tastic villas

Ombak Luwung Villa

You may be in the crush of Seminyak, but those tiny gangs (Balinese for “lanes”) hide lush, sprawling villas. Those on a budget should check out Maca Villas, from $138 a person, creativeholidays.com), Serene Villas‘ one-bed villas from $212 a night with early-bird and last-minute specials (serenevilla.com), or the fully staffed three-bedroom Villa Natura, which is $US295 ($284) a night, (privatevillasandhouses.com). For a villa with the buzz of a hotel, try the Elysian, from $US385 (theelysian.com), or Royal Seminyak MGallery Hotel’s one-bedroom villas start at $620 (mgallery.com). The four-bedroom Jaja-Liluna, comprising three self-contained pavilions around the pool, costs from $925 a night (marketingvillas.com), while the oceanfront Ombak Luwung starts at $1500 a night (privatevillasandhouses.com).

SOURCE: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

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