Some things are touristy for a good reason: they are very enjoyable to do.  One such activity in Bali is going for a seafood barbecue at Jimbaran beach on Bali. Sure, cheaper places to eat seafood are around, but the setting at Jimbaran, right on the sands, often with a brilliant sunset to boot, is … read the full post

Many first-time visitors to Bali find themselves a little underwhelmed by the beaches. It’s a response easy to imagine considering all the beautiful beaches featured on Bali brochures and the reality of crowded Kuta. Luckily, Bali is a big island with pretty beaches enough for everyone, and over the next seven days we’ll show you … read the full post

There are few points on Bali further from the airport than Pemuteran. Set towards the far northwestern point of the island and very close to the Bali Barat National Park, Pemuteran is a gently curving dark sand beach that is best known for its diving and snorkelling, and also for use as a base to … read the full post

Pantai Putih (White sand beach) is set about a 20-minute drive north of Candi Dasa on Bali’s eastern coast. It’s one of those hidden away beaches that gets a mention in most guidebooks but few people ever actually bother getting to because it involves a bit of travelling to reach. That’s good news for you, … read the full post

Balangan is basically the next beach of any size between what used to be known as Dreamland (now fittingly referred to as “New Kuta”) and the Ayana Resort (and Jimbaran after it). The beach is down a steep staircase (easy to climb when not carrying two small, wet children) and an assortment of warungs and … read the full post

Why settle for one beach when you can have a bunch of them? In practical use, Amed is used to refer to a series of bays in east Bali (well, it’s really to the north of the island, but it’s lumped in with the east — no idea why). Each of these black sand (and … read the full post

Balian Beach was the place we first really fell in love with Bali. The black sand beach is set at the mouth of the same-named river. It’s a big river and the combination of large surf, strong currents and the volume of water pouring out of the river — especially in wet season — doesn’t … read the full post

This little beach on the Bukit peninsula is a favourite with families due to its calm waters by the sand, and with surfers for the break on the offshore reef. It’s reached via a narrow staircase that passes under an overhang (watch your head!) and the compact beach has plenty of unbrellas for rent and … read the full post

Photojournalist John Stanmeyer, who lived in Bali from 2003 to 2008, has an exhibition at the Ganesha Gallery, Four Seasons Resort on Jimbaran, the Wall Street Journal reports. The exhibition, “A View of Balinese Rituals”,  supports his recent book  Island of the Spirits, which was itself a result of his concerns about the loss of … read the full post

Bali is famous for its glitzy bars with menus awash in martinis and umbrella-festooned drinks, but one of our favourite local spots is Pantai Indah Seafood (we just call it “the shack”). It’s little more than a few planks of wood and long roughly-hewn tables right on the sands of Sanur Beach. The menu is … read the full post