With its god-awful footpaths, sorta-upscale boutiques, trendy restaurants and sophisticated beachside bars, Seminyak may not be the sort of place you’d think of as being terribly family-friendly. And well, on those fronts, perhaps it’s not. But there’s a great little hotel tucked behind Jalan Laksmana/Oberoi/Eat Street that actually makes this corner of Seminyak very accessible … read the full post

Having long been a vocal whinger about there being so little to do on Bali for tiny kids, my ears immediately pricked up when a friend mentioned a new book is out here called Bali with Kids: Families’ Guidebook for Babies to Teenagers. I popped into La Tartine (on the bypass in Sanur) to pick … read the full post

Update Monday August 27, 2012 We were deeply saddened to hear this morning that Brian has passed away. Many ribs and way too many martini with martini chasers were enjoyed alongside his wit and fine humour. Our deepest condolences to his family. RIP Brian. Roadside shack Naughty Nuri’s is an Ubud institution, open since 1995 … read the full post

So what do you do when you’ve got two friends and their two under-threes visiting Bali for a couple of weeks? Well, one option is to put your own two under-fives in the car and meet up with them to share a beachfront house for a few days. And so that’s how we found ourselves … read the full post

We’re up in Amed for a long weekend with some friends who are visiting from Bangkok. We’ve rented a beachfront shack between the four of us (before you get jealous, that’s four adults plus four kids under five!) for a few days. If there is one definite upside to being in the possession of young … read the full post

You must have been thinking we were never going to get out of Amed, huh?! Compared to the windy coastal route from Candi Dasa to Amed the road onwards to Lovina is a breeze. It’s a long drive, but plain sailing with barely a hill along the way. That’s not to say it isn’t scenic, … read the full post

It won’t win any awards for its decor, atmosphere, or location, but if you’re heading past Simpang Siur from the airport and onto Sunset Road and need a caffeine boost, Caswell’s is the place to make a quick stop. There’s another outlet inside Gourmet Garage in Jimbaran, but I haven’t made it there yet, and … read the full post

Babi guling, or suckling pig, is one of Bali’s most famed dishes. The pig is stuffed and infused with a spicy concoction typically involving turmeric, coriander seeds, lemongrass, black pepper and garlic, and traditionally spit-roasted. It’s also available at a range of warungs where locals flock for a quick lunch or dinner. Ibu Oka’s in … read the full post

I often complain about the lack of things to do in Bali with toddlers. Jenggala paint a pot in Jimbaran won’t really help you with a two-year-old (that’s what Jari Menari is for…) but I’ve taken a three-year-old there with great success. Added bonus: the excellent coffee and cake at the cafe, and the ceramics … read the full post

The area commonly referred to as Amed is actually a series of villages and bays running along the northeast coast of Bali. Known for black sand beaches, calm waters, fine snorkelling and impressive scenery, Amed forms a low-key counterpoint to the bustling yellow sand surf beaches of southern Bali. With over a half dozen beaches … read the full post