After almost a week in Bali I had still only managed to acquire one two-word phrase of Indonesian, which is more than a little sad really. Fortunately, terima kasih is a phrase with a lot of mileage; it got me all the way from Denpasar to the magnificent volcanic highlands at Munduk and back again, … read the full post

Bandung is one of those cities that people visiting Java tend to skip through rather quickly, mainly because the surrounding activities all seem like too much of a hassle to get to. Kawah Putih to the south of Bandung is a case in point, but those with persistence will find a crater lake of staggering … read the full post

What exactly does a travel writing scholarship entail? We’ve been busy finding out with New Zealander Hanna Butler, winner of the World Nomads/Rough Guides travel writing scholarship for 2012. We’re only two days in and we’ve surfed, been massaged, eaten and drunken and yes, we have driven quite a few miles. But what exactly is … read the full post

One of the great things about Java is that it’s home to an intense concentration of geological activity due its location on the rim of fire. This means frequent earthquakes, regular volcanic eruptions and an abundance of interesting active geological sites. Garut is one area on the island that in particular punches above its weight … read the full post

I kicked off a series on cheap Indonesian food in Seminyak a while back and am continuing with a little post on Warung Murah, which translates, literally, as cheap roadside restaurant. Located on busy Jalan Laksmana/Oberoi/Eat Street, it’s actually better than roadside, being a proper three-walled restaurant, but the food mentality here is the same: … read the full post

El Parque, a playground and cafe for children and their parents, opened in Seminyak a few months ago and is a great addition to a fairly slim scene when it comes to easy places to take very young kids in Bali, particularly in Seminyak. Yes, there’s Cubbyhouse, but you have to be happy to leave … read the full post

There’s a new kid on Bali’s Mexican block, and she’s a beauty. Well located on Jalan Drupadi just around the corner from Eat Street, Lacalaca offers a short but beautiful Mexican menu in pretty but not silly surrounds. Come here for the quesadilla, stay for the bloody yummo habaneros sauce. We popped in here a … read the full post

Many people travelling to Indonesia enter through the capital, Jakarta, which immediately challenges visitors to move on find the next location check out. Of course different people choose different destinations based on the type of journey they are on, but the difficulty of where to head next remains the same. Some jump on the first … read the full post

We’ve covered some cheap Indonesian eats in the Legian area of Seminyak already, so now we’re turning our attention to the Laksmana/Petitenget loop, where despite the ever-growing numbers of fancy boutiques and pricey restaurants, you’ll still find some bargain eats. A few years ago I interviewed chefs here in Bali about where they like to … read the full post

Joli is a recent addition to the growing dining scene along Jalan Bumbak in Umalas, a still mainly rural area of Bali just north of Seminyak where luxury villas are now springing up like rice sprouts a week after planting. But with the influx of foreigners come the restaurants, and the simple French restaurant Joli … read the full post