Congratulations to Gabriela for winning our competition giving away a full four-day pass to the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. The competition was simple. Tell us in 25 words what “Bali” means to you. This was Gabriela’s entry: “Pacifying bad spirits, fearing ricefield rats. Feeling adrenaline in left-hand traffic. Happy ducks. Why is so much … read the full post

This morning I went to one of the most important ceremonies in a Balinese person’s life: the mapandes or matatah, a tooth-filing ceremony performed partly for beautification — fanged teeth are unattractive and coarse to the Balinese eye — but also to symbolically balance-out an individual’s personality. (Skip straight to the bottom if you’d just … read the full post

Despite at least what I perhaps expected, yoga isn’t everywhere in Bali. I thought I wouldn’t be able to chuck an incense stick without hitting a studio, but they’re actually quite few and far between across the island. Today I’ll cover two spots in Sanur: the delightfully herby crunchy Manik Organik, and newer, New York-ier … read the full post

Bali’s Ngurah Rai bypass — stretching from Nusa Dua past the airport, skirting Kuta, Sanur and then, well, we’re not quite sure where it officially ends — can feel like a bit of a wasteland at times (you know, when it’s not slicing through mangroves). If you are using it to get from say the … read the full post

You’ve had enough of sand and you just want half a day off the beach doing something a bit different with the kids that doesn’t involve chasing them around too closely, like you would need to say at the zoo or Waterbom. Here are a few places you can do just that. Lollipops Playland, Waterplay … read the full post

Fluff alert! Yes, this is just about getting your nails or your toes done while you’re on holiday in Seminyak. For something more highbrow, please see here, or here, or here. Still with me? Okay, if you’re preparing to bare your feet for the first time in a while — at say a nearby Seminyak … read the full post

A friend recently mentioned offhand Gaya’s Gelato and my ears pricked up as I often take the Sayan ridge route to get to Ubud from Sanur. This takes you past the large Gaya Fusion, an art space with an attached restaurant and villas, but I hadn’t noticed any ice creamery … What was I missing?! … read the full post