The thing about Pasar Badung, Denpasar‘s main market, is that you’ve got to get up early to make the most of it. Early. I arrived shortly after 07:00 on my last visit, all bleary-eyed and self-congratulatory, but still felt like I was late to the party, even though the market’s open, in theory at least, … read the full post

Most travellers arrive in Bandung by train and immediately head for the nearby hotels that surround the smoggy, noisy and dirty station area. These shocking first impressions of Bandung can lead one to believe that Bandung is nothing more than just another big Indonesian metropolis with absolutely no redeeming features let alone a well-developed eating … read the full post

There’s more than meets the eye to consider when you go for a stroll through Jimbaran‘s fish market. Yes, it’s a stunning sight as traditional boats, or jukung, bring their catches to shore in the lemon-yellow morning light. Going for a walk through the markets with chef Heinz von Holzen, who runs several restaurants and … read the full post

The brochure saying, “Soul food cooked with passion,” and the bright ribbons dangling in the wind at the entrance to Seminyak’s Kreol Kitchen drew us in to this quirky, lovely spot. Entering the cafe, we were met by an enormous blackboard presenting an enticing menu, which at first glance was a tad overwhelming. Australian owner … read the full post

Reborn Reflexology has a chain of 20 outlets in Malaysia, and just a single operation in Bali located near Simpang Siur. This is not the prettiest spa I have ever been to; in fact it leans towards tacky in decor – think fake plants and office-type carpets up the stairs. Nevertheless, news of their therapeutic … read the full post

Italians do all the important things in life well – shoes, bags and food. Most people enjoy Italian food, but it can sometimes be too heavy for a tropical climate. Bali institution La Lucciola, located a stone’s throw from Petitenget temple on one side, and the thundering Indian ocean on the other, manages to put … read the full post

Many people arrive in Indonesia with limited time to travel through this sprawling archipelago of more than 17,000 islands; typically they pick just a couple of islands to focus on, with Java being high on the list of choices. Many times during our travels through Java we’ve been asked about which places should not be … read the full post

There’s a new kid on the Bali mall block, and, for a mall, it’s rather pretty. We’ll put aside arguments about what our beachside Bali dream might be for now and look at the curvy new Beachwalk, across from Kuta beach, for what it aims to be. In summary, if we absolutely had to have … read the full post

When I did my cooking class at Bali Asli recently, chef Penelope Williams told me it was worth checking out the cooking classes offered at Hotel Tugu due to their lovely surrounds. So I booked in for a half-day class, comprising a pick up, market visit, then cooking in the “warung”, a kitchen set up … read the full post

I was poised to write something about roti canai and how it’s the simple things in life that are often the best… and then I remembered we’d written about roti prata over on our Singapore pages. I had a peek, and that’s exactly how we kick off talking about this delicious, basic dish over there. … read the full post