Accommodations
A big, clean, and comfortable place to get away from Legian yet enjoy nicely furnished bungalows, Dhyana Pura on Jl. Dhyana Pura (Box 1010, Interport Ngurah Rai, tel. 0361-731047, 731048, or 731049, fax 730683, e-mail intouch@denpasar.wasantara net.id) sits on four hectares of meticulously kept grounds near a romantic beach. Two types of rooms, old and new, have a/c, bathtubs, hot water, and cost Rp120,000. The older rooms have only fans and are a little tattered around the edges. Tariff includes continental breakfast in an attractive 24-hour restaurant and bar on a raised, open pavilion. Other strong points are the seaside pool and the open-air stage. The Dhyana Pura, with its big conference rooms and some dorm-style accommodations, is extremely well-suited for groups. Operated by a branch of the Bali Protestant Church, it is also a hotel training center for young Balinese Christians. They arrange Christian weddings, the couples outfitted in Balinese dress. From the hotel to Jl. Legian, there are about 10 good restaurants. The Dhyana Pura offers free shuttles into Legian and Kuta.
     Next door, the Raja Gardens (Box 41, Kuta, tel./fax 0361-751494) is also very friendly, cheaper than the Dhyana Pura but without a/c and hot water, and it's not on the beach. Rp40,000 s, Rp50,000 d.
     Puri Tjendana, on Jl. Dhyana Pura (Box 2037, Denpasar, tel. 0361-753574 or 753573, fax 753518), is a mammoth three-star international-style hotel and resort, like dozens of others along Bali's southern coast. Standard two-story bungalows are Rp150,000 s, Rp175,000 d; superior are Rp180,000 s, Rp200,000 d (with cooking facilities); suites are Rp350,000, plus 17.5% tax and service.
     Legian Garden Cottage (tel. 0361-751876, fax 753405), at the end of Jl. Double Six, with lush gardens and big trees, has 22 cottage-style rooms for Rp75,000 s, Rp90,000 d. The three deluxe suites run Rp130,000, with TV and fridge in suites. No IDD connection, but calls can be put through hotel operator. Parking area. The grounds are patroled, bars on windows. The beach is only a three-minute walk, but it's also next to cliquey Double Six Disco, so it can be noisy at night. Blue Ocean Restaurant is nearby; other restaurants, pubs, and shops are within walking distance. Car rental and tour packages can be arranged.
     Nusa di Nusa (off Jl. Dhyana Pura, Box 191, Denpasar, tel. 0361-751414) means "island in the island," which describes this serene, secluded hotel with a row of rice-barn shaped bungalows surrounded by tropical gardens. Rp60,000 s, Rp75,000 d with a/c, Rp50,000 s, Rp60,000 d with fan. Restaurant, pool, sunken bar, and snack bar on the beach. Rates subject to 15.5% tax and service. Also ask about the family houses available for monthly leasing. Facilities include kitchen, two or three bedrooms with private mandi, hot water, spacious living room.
     For a little luxury, the Bali Agung Village (Jl. Dhyana Puri Sarinande, Box 2089, Kuta, tel. 0361-754267, fax 754269) in the rice fields near Bunga Seminyak is phenomenal. Separated by traditional Balinese compound walls, rooms have all the perks: TV, a/c, hot showers, private courtyard, garden terrace, luxurious bathroom, kitchen, fridge, room service. Tariff is Rp125,000 for a twin double bungalow, Rp325,000 for a villa. If you stay a few days, ask for a discount. Beautifully designed, the whole complex is small and cozy, very peaceful, and the decor is extremely tasteful. Good restaurant. Nice pool with swim-up bar. It's only a 500 meter walk to the beach and the Gado Gado.
     Bali Subak Inn, on the same road, rents well-furnished a/c rooms for around Rp100,000. Swimming pool, laundry, tour desk, taxi counter, room service, and reasonably priced cafe attached. For a sweeping view of Kuta and Legian, take an elevator to the Sunset Bar at the top of the hotel, which is one of Kuta's highest buildings.
     Designed to resemble a Balinese village, the spacious Indian-owned Bali Oberoi on Jl. Kayu Ayu (Box 351, Denpasar, tel. 0361-751061, fax 752791) has private, thatched-roof cottages, each with four a/c double rooms, on 35-acres of immaculate tree-filled grounds enclosed by a weathered stone wall. Designed by noted Australian architect Peter Muller, the Oberoi represented a radical new concept in hotel design when built in the early 1970s. One of the first hotels on Bali to use traditional Balinese architecture for non-traditional purposes, it was built on a site once considered remote. Unfortunately, that was atop an ancient cemetery. Too advanced for its time, the hotel eventually went bankrupt, was put up for auction, sold for a ridiculously low price, and completely renovated. Today the property is an enclave of good taste, unobtrustive personal service, tranquility, and lovely splendor very much in theme with island life. Each villa has its own split-gate entrance; each room its own sumptuous garden bathroom with sunken bath partially open to the sky. The aesthetically pleasing bungalows start at US$225 (the ones facing the ocean are US$265). Deluxe (US$475) and presidential (US$650) villas have their own private pools and isolated beachfront. The five-star Oberoi is too exclusive for tour bookings. The Oberoi's open-air poolside Kura Kura is a first-class restaurant.
     South of the Bali Oberoi on Jl. Dhyana Pura, the five-star Bali Imperial (Jl. Dhyana Pura, Box 384, Denpasar, tel. 0361-754545, fax 751545) looks like a gigantic ultra-modern Zen temple. The first hotel on Bali to be operated by a Japanese chain, it has 17 independent villas (US$150 and up per night) and exclusive maisonette suites (US$400-750) to attract Japanese upmarket clientele (80% of guests are Japanese). Built on 4.5 hectares of beachfront. Each bungalow has its own pool, jacuzzi, spacious bath. Embarrassingly devoted staff of 350, lush gardens, tranquil ponds, the last word in kitsch sculpture (a kecak dance in stone), restaurants serving Japanese, Balinese, and European cuisines, business services, shopping arcade, full recreational facilities, private beach. In Jakarta, reserve with Bali Imperial, Medco Building, Jl. Ampera Raya 20, Cilandak, Jakarta 12560, Box 757 JKS, tel. 7804766 ext. 505, fax 7804666.
     Long-Term Stays: If you want to buy or rent real estate in the Seminyak/Legian/Kura area, contact P.T. Bali In Touch, Jl. Raya Seminyak 22, Seminyak (tel. 0361-731047, fax 730683). Also, Peter Rieger, a hard-working and conscientious property manager, has leads on hundreds of first-class holiday homes for rent or lease on Bali. He's available through Private Villas Ltd., tel. (0361) 751546.
     Your first choice for hotel-living should be Lalu Village (tel./fax 0361-752548), behind Alas Arum minimarket. Like living in your own full-service private villa in the middle of the rice fields, it's nine open-style bungalows nestled around the pool and gardens, featuring upstair master bedrooms, kitchen (caters to six people), lounge room, panorama windows, and breakfast balconies. The minimum area per villa is 200 square meters. Twenty-four-hour reception, phone and fax, babysitting and laundry, restaurant, room service, pool with built-in spa and children's pool, private parking, beach shuttle.
     Another oasis of quiet and beauty is Bunga Seminyak Cottage (Jl. Camplung Tanduk, Seminyak, tel. 0361-751239, fax 752905) between the Nusa Di Nusa and the Dhyana Pura. Twelve elegant, thatched-roof rooms with private terraces within sound of the surf, marble bathrooms, hot water, self-adjusting a/c, telephone, color satelite TV, and tasteful tempo doeloe-style antiques in each room. Standard Rp100,000, cottage Rp150,000, superior Rp120,000. The best is Bungalow No. 3 at the end of the garden, beyond the main house. Guests commonly stay two to three months at a time. All rates include tax and service. No restaurant but your choice of continental or American breakfast. Pool, jacuzzi, postal service, laundry. The west end of this long, thin property faces the beach. Bicycles, motorbikes, and jeeps for rent. To get to there, go down Jl. Camplung Tanduk 800 meters toward the sea and turn left at the sign.

Food
The warung in Seminyak are much more reasonably priced than those in Kuta. There are several on the right as you head west past the Pesona Bali. The Taman Sari at the north end of Jl. Legian is owned by a German-Balinese couple. They specialize in a few authentic German dishes as well as some creative vegetarian dishes. Their formidable breakfast comes with whole-wheat bread, smoked ham, cheese, eggs, toast and jam, fruit, tea or coffee. If you want a pleasant, quiet atmosphere, this is it.
     Ryoshi's (tel. 0361-261019) on Jl. Raya Seminyak 17 (between Jl. Double Six and Jl. Gado Gado) is a full a/c restaurant serving fresh, delicious sushi, tempura, and robata at surprisingly low prices. Open everyday from 1200-2400. Clean, often crowded, take out also available. A late-night sushi bar is found in Goa 2001 almost opposite Ryoshi's.
     Taj Mahal, Jl. Oberoi (tel. 0361-730525), bills itself as the only true Indian restaurant on Bali. Chef Jafar Dawood boasts that his fine ingredients, the secret of his success, are imported directly from India. Count on about Rp15,000 per person or Rp40,000 for three or four people for a meal of tandoor, korma, naan, masala, and curries. Extensive vegetarian section. Very comfortable and airy with a garden in back; enjoy the breeze coming in from the sawah. This very large place is located halfway down the road to the Oberoi Hotel on the left-hand side. Open 1900-2400 every night. With a little advance planning, they can easily accommodate a large party of 20 or so. Dance-party night every Wednesday at 1100; sometimes a DJ, other times live music. Also near the Oberai is the very chic La Lucciola, a beachfront open-air restaurant with an Italian flair, serving light Italian meals, trendy pizzas, polenta with pesto sauce, etc. Go for the sunset.
     A very good Thai restaurant, the Kin Khao at Jl. Raya Seminyak 37 (fax 62-361-730824), is on the south side and about 150 meters from the Legian-side of Jl. Dhyana Pura. The chef/owner is from Thailand. Opens at noon and closes at 2100. Their menu is extensive.
     Located in the middle of rice fields, Warisan Resto (tel. 0361-754710) has a romantic, candlelit atmosphere. Established in 1992 by three enterprising, astute women who wanted someplace out of the ordinary to go. You usually only hear about the Warisan, which means "heritage," by word of mouth. Its elegant nouvelle cuisine—avocado vinaigrette with blue cheese and walnuts, veal scallopini with prosciutto, sautéed baby lobsters, leg of lamb, tournedos artichoke hearts, and so on—is not really Italian but a continental, mixed-style. Dishes are beautifully presented and fine wines from California and France fill their racks. Count on about Rp50,000 per person for a full dinner. Opens every day at 1600. Tasteful art gallery and nice bar, the Aura, downstairs. Not a hustle-bustle place. To get there, turn right after the Oberoi turnoff and travel one km in the direction of Krobrokan. You'll see it on the left-hand side. It's about two km north of Legian. This is a sophisticated crowd, so dress accordingly. In the same class, while you're in the neighborhood, is the ultimate in hotel restaurant dining—the restaurant (not the coffee shop) in the Oberoi Hotel on Jl. Oberoi. A dinner for two without wine will cost around Rp200,000.
     Another stylish eatery, Cafe Seminyak in the area above Jl. Double Six, with a color scheme reminiscent of Santa Fe, has indoor and outdoor seating, a comfortable bar, good music, and delicious Mexican food. Try the nachos and Key lime pie.
     A great, casual place for Mexican food is TJ's Cafe Seminyak on Jl. Basangkasa, a few hundred meters beyond Jl. Dhyana Pura. You can't miss it because of the roomy dining patio in front. The guacamole, flauta, and chimichanga get very good grades, and their salsa top honors. Open for dinner only. Thursday is "Buffet Night." Friday is "Tequila Night." Very extensive bar menu, including cocktails and Corona in bottles. Good music, very clean, easy to find.
     Cafe Krakatoa (tel. 0361-752849, fax 752824) on Jl. Raya Seminyak at the corner of Jl. Gado Gado, is a superb restaurant, especially for breakfast. Pricey but servings are generous. Here you can order "the best eggs benedict in S.E. Asia." Sunday brunch is 0900-1500, and on Sunday nights they lay out an outstanding buffet, complete with fine meats, bagels, lox, smoked salmon. Good service. Definitely caters to North American tastes. Watch CNN news by satellite mornings and afternoons, and the latest laser movies Mon.-Sat. at 2030. Kids Club matinee Saturday at 1530. Cafe Krakatoa also handles faxes, places telephone calls, and sends mail. Open Mon.-Sat. 0800-2330.
     Next door to Krakatoa at Jl. Raya Seminyak 56 is Temuku Bakery, a health food store that carries freshly washed, organic salad lettuce, fresh herbs, homemade cakes, and excellent bread, including sourdough, raisin, and pumpernickel.
     The Alle Zoo on Jl. Double Six, about halfway down on the right-hand side, across from the Blue Star, puts on a vegetarian buffet every Monday and Thursday evening starting at 1900 at a cost of only Rp4500. Get there on time because lots of people show up for this one.
     In a hurry? Pizzeria Rosticceria on Jl. Double Six sells authentic pizza by the slice for just Rp1500—served fresh, hot, and delicious. Or try one of their sandwiches served on homemade bread rolls with imported salami, prosciutto, and cheeses, freshly roasted beef, and cut salad. A range of desserts and great coffee available. They also do catering. A good place for real Indonesian food is Warung Manja (tel. 0361-756819) on Jl. Padma Utara, open 1800-2100. Free welcome drink and dessert.
     Pica Pica (tel./fax 0361-751485), a little way down Jl. Dhyana Pura on the left (no. 7), is a Spanish tapas bar. Tapas, the name for an appetizer or light meal, is accompanied by Spanish drinks. The food is prepared by an expert "Tapiolo Gist." El Mesón is another Spanish restaurant at Jl. Raya Legian 80 A, Br. Pengabetan (tel. 0361-754261). Free transport in Kuta area.
     A healthy alternative to the widespread bland and greasy Western food, the Aladdin Restaurant (Jl. Raya Seminyak, next to Golden Village 1), under a Casbah tent, offers the only Middle Eastern and Arabic cuisine (halal) on Bali. If you order mezze, you get to sample seven home-cooked dishes. Eat well for under Rp20,000. The owner moved from Canada, where he first established his business. Open everyday 1200-2400.
     At Gado Gado Restaurant, Jl. Dhyana Pura (tel. 0361-730955), delicious Thai dishes are still the emphasis, but a mixture of grills, salads, and some nouvelle Western touches have been added, making it a menu offering great variety and excellent quality. Situated right on the beach, this is a clean, orderly, and romantic place to eat and socialize. A well-established crowd of expat residents meet here regularly for the sunset. Open for lunch and dinner, then it turns into a nightclub at midnight with lots of vendors.

Entertainment
The A.J. Hackett Bungy Jump, Jl. Pura Puseh, Legian Klod (tel./fax 0361-752658), offers free transport from Kuta and Sanur. Videos and photos of the horrific jump off a 45-meter tower are for sale after the event. Know that this enterprise has jumped over 500,000 clients without a mishap. Open 0900-2200.
     Each night the fully air-conditioned Jaya Pub, Jl. Legian Kaja 2 (tel. 0361-730973), has live music (jazz, rock, oldies, country music) by the "Jaya Pub Band," the consummate entertainers "Hendrix and Lia" (the home band), and the "Surf Trio." The place is subject to spontaneous jam sessions in which visiting musicians, both amateur and professional, may join in. International menu. Happy hours are 1900-2000. Great atmosphere; Indonesians love it because it's air-conditioned and upmarket. Open until 0200.
     Opposite the Jaya Pub, about 50 meters south of Goa 2001 is Cafe Luna. With a row of big motorcycles out front, and its humming crush of people, this is perhaps the trendiest late night hangout in south Bali; their motto is "to eat, drink and make noise." The street-front cafe is especially popular with Italians, expat entrepreneurs, and garment exporters, and is a little more expensive than most restaurants. Unequaled people-watching venue. Great interior and bar. Small menu of Italian dishes and cakes. It gets really crowded after 2000 and stays open until 0200; the kitchen closes at 0100.
     Double Six (tel. 0361-753366) and the Gado Gado (tel. 0361-752255) alternate disco nights. There's no need to go to these nightclubs/pubs before midnight; after 0200 they are about the only places still open. Dine in their beachside pavilions at sunset or later—much later if you wish; they close at 0400. You can meet just about anyone in these clubs. The Italian food at Double Six is worth raving about, served until midnight. Also late-night pizzas. Located beside the A.J. Hackett Bungy Jump, you can eat to free entertainment—watching the screaming jumpers. On Sunday at sunset there's a live band, and the large pool is open to the public. On Monday, Friday, and Saturday nights, the club's first-class dance music draws big crowds. Cover charge is Rp15,000 on Saturday, Rp10,000 on Monday and Friday.
     The Strand Bar on Jl. Double Six (five doors down from the Alle Zoo) exhibits art by local and Western artists on a monthly basis and sometimes hosts theatrical performances. Jazz on Thursday nights. Great cocktails; no cheap stuff. After the Strand closes, patrons go to the Blue Star to wile the night away.
     On Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday a fish barbecue and live guitar are the draw at Rum Jungle (Br. Legian Kaja, tel. 0361-751992) on Jl. Pura Bagus Taruna off Jl. Legian, a secluded and unique two-bar nightspot with a jungle hideout atmosphere. Locals and tourists party here on a raised dance floor. Perfect for a beer, game of pool, or just hanging out watching CNN news. Also has a restaurant in front, a pool, and accommodations.
     The Balisani Suites, on Jl. Batubelig (tel. 0361-752314) in Batubelig, puts on an occasional Asian buffet dinner with legong or the Ramayana Ballet poolside at 1930 for Rp30,000 per person. For reservations, call (0361) 754050, ext. 222. Also check out the program at Warisan (tel. 0361-754710), two km north of Legian, which puts on lively dress-up parties several times a month.

Shopping
Citra Batu Alam, Jl. Tanjung Mekar 27 A (Banjar Pelasa), tel./fax (0361) 738266, specializes in coral, fossils, minerals, eggs, old coins, and lapidary work. For pretty baubles, also check out Ishmala Beadworks, Golden Village 1, No. 16, 100 meters past Jl. Dhyana Pura (tel. 0361-752401).
     Getting a lot of attention lately is the Talismans of Power Gallery on Jl. Raya Seminyak, a spectacular collection of ceremonial daggers, hand painted silk robes, crystal wands, gem-encrusted pill boxes, and unique silver and 22-carat gold jewelry. The creator of these spellbinding objects is the talented designer, internationally acclaimed ceramic sculptor, and white magician Jero Made Ariani. The eccentricity of the pieces appeal to a very select audience. Many of the rich and famous have acquired Jero's unusual and breathtakingly beautiful pieces—Cher, Kate Bush, Samantha Fox, Liza Minelli. Look for the shop with the black glass windows, which only increases the mystery that lies behind. Besides in the gallery, her work is also on display in the gift shops of Nusa Dua's Amanusa Hotel.
     On the bottom floor of Warisan Resto is a very chic antique shop called the Gallery, which displays antiques, textiles, and curios to die for, and all in good condition.
     Noteworthy are Ikat Art, Jl. Bakung Sari 12 (tel. 0361-752684 or 236722, fax 754959), for textiles, beads, and folk art from all over the archipelago; and Homeboys, with three locations on Jl. Legian at nos. 365 and 490, for technofashions and nice shirts. A small shop, Biasa (Jl. Raya Seminyak 39, tel. 0361-752945), owned by an American/Italian husband and wife team, creates very original unisex designs, makes clothes to order, and does a lot of wholesale.
     Buy something to use and remember at Dalung Village, 3.5 km past Krobokan, which makes and sells ceramic products. Design your own, specify color, and pick the article(s) up a month later. Prices run Rp2,000 to Rp12,000. Near Dalung, in Banjar Tuka, you'll find Father Shadeg, an American who became an Indonesian citizen. He has one of the largest book collections on Baliana in the world.

Services
A Bali Government Tourist Office is on Jl. Bena Sari. Open 0700-1400, closed Saturday and Sunday. Personnel are reasonably well informed, but there's a shortage of handouts. A less orthodox but just as reliable source of information is Jon Zuercher at the Swiss Restaurant. The address is Jl. Pura Bagus Taruna (tel. 0361-751735), near the Kuta Palace Hotel. This is also the office of the Swiss Consular Agency.
     For postal services, go to Ida's Postal Agent (tel. 0361-730092) at the start of the road to Seminyak after Legian. A convenient postal/shipping agent, PT Yasa Utama International (tel. 0361-752883, fax 222535), opposite Glory Restaurant. They sell stamps, postcards, mail parcels, clear customs, forward cargo, pack, truck, warehouse, handle export details. Another reputable Legian freight/mail handler is Mangu Putra, Jl. Benasari 7 (tel. 0361-225661).
     The Protestant Church (Gereja Kristen Protestan) on Jl. Tanjung Mekar, Gang Menuh, Banjar Plasa, holds a service every Sunday morning at 1000. Refreshments served at conclusion of service so you have an opportunity to meet fellow Christians. If heading north on Jl. Legian, take the first right after the Mastapa and walk 500 meters; the church is on the left. Their phone is (0361) 754255.
     For both men and women, Bodyworks offers massage and beauty treatments dispensed by professionals: manicures and pedicures (Rp11,000), full traditional massage and body exfoliation (a two-hour treat for Rp32,000), flowered herbal baths, and a hair cream bath that includes a head and neck massage (Rp17,500). A very pleasing environment with soothing music and colors. Open 1000-2200. For appointments, call tel. (0361) 751454.
     The minimarket Alas Arum, Jl. Raya Seminyak (tel. 0361-751705 or 753133, fax 752214), has the largest stock of groceries, canned goods and beverages, toiletries, hardware, and household goods in the area—essentials for the expat resident. Lots of imported items. Also baked goods, tapes, appliances. Prices are much higher than in the Denpasar supermarkets, but you're paying for the convenience.

North of Seminyak
A few kilometers beyond Seminyak is Krobokan; the puri here contains over 75 temples. Tucked away in the village itself, next to rice fields, is moderately priced Taman Ayu Cottage, Jl. Petitingit (tel. 0361-730111 or 730112, fax 730113). From Krobokan, take the back road via Gaji north to Sempidi—rural Bali at its best. To do a complete loop, turn east from Krobokan to Denpasar, then back to Kuta.
     A string of small fishing villages stretches along the coast north of Seminyak, each with at least one large and several smaller hotels. The isolation of these hotels is at the same time their drawback and chief asset. The drawback is you need transportation to get there and away. This is somewhat resolved by the hotels' free shuttle service to and from Legian and Kuta up to six times a day; metered taxis can also be called from the lobbies. Their asset is they're close enough to the nightlife, shopping, and services of Legian and Kuta, yet far enough away so that all the activity and noise won't disturb you.

Accommodations
A few kilometers beyond the private road to the Oberoi—about where the rice fields start—is the three-star Pesona Bali Beach Hotel and Cottages on Jl. Kayu Ayu (Box 1085, Denpasar, tel. 0361-753914, fax 753915). Popular with European tour operators for its 69 rooms (US$70-200), seven bungalows (US$110-180), big pool, coffee shop, game room, and lobby in the shape of a huge bale banjar. The restaurant serves a continental breakfast for Rp14,500, American breakfast for Rp16,000, lunch Rp25,000, dinner Rp30,000, and a mind-boggling once-weekly rijstaffel for Rp25,000 (make reservations by asking for ext. 238). All prices subject to 21% tax and service. The strength of the Pesona is its isolation. There are only a few warung and practically no shops nearby. The famous Petitenget temple is just a 10-minute walk north on the road.
     Safely cushioned from the Legian/Kuta scene is two-star, villa-style Puri Ratih (Jl. Puri Ratih, Petitinget, Krobokan, Box 1114, Tuban, tel. 0361-751546, fax 751549), winner of the "RCI Design Award." This property features eight individual, self-contained, wantilan-style bungalows, which resemble private homes and incorporate every modern convenience. Junior suites, 50-square-meters with second-floor bedrooms and outdoor terrace; deluxe lanais, 75-square-meters; lanai suites, full-size kitchen and upstairs study; and luxurious villas, 180-square-meters and sleeps six. Prices fluctuate with the season. The norm is US$288-320 in the high season.
     The Puri Ratih has a very exclusive feel to it. They don't accept groups; its charm is its small hotel atmosphere. Even when the hotel is full you seldom see other people unless you're sharing the main pool. All bungalows are spacious, with a/c, outdoor living and dining areas, Bali-style bath, original paintings, color TV, electronic safes. Some have kitchenettes and fridge. An ocean view restaurant, library, squash court, and pools with water spouting from Balinese statues complete the facilities. The nearest places to eat are a small warung and the Agape Seafood Restaurant up the road. The latter has lousy food and is always empty. Most guests just eat on the verandas of their bungalows. Go for the basil chicken or sate lilit (minced spiced seafood)—both excellent.

Accommodations and Food
There are only three hotels along Berawa Beach; in order of rank, they are the Dewata Beach Hotel, the Legong Keraton Beach Cottages, and the Bolare. The Bolare and the Legong Keraton get Dewata's overflow. Travel agents don't send people here because they think Canggu is too far away from Kuta and Denpasar. Good!
     The hotels' staffs are relatively callow rural youth who live in nearby Canggu village, thus the hotels have a warm and personal touch. As far as development is concerned, the hotels are all that's here. From their front you see the ocean and from their back you see rice fields.
     As far as food is concerned, you're pretty much forced to eat in the hotels as there aren't any competing restaurants around. Not only do you have to pay for food but also a punishing 15-21% tax and service. There's only one warung at the beginning of the road to the Dewata and Bolare. It starts serving coffee and nasi campur at 0900, but has a droll, depressing, unkempt atmosphere and the warung dogs bark at you at night when you go for a stroll.
     Between Legian and Canggu, the best thing about the small 21-room Bolare Beach Bungalows (Box 256, Denpasar 80001, tel./fax 730258) is its location on a white beach, surrounded by coconut palms and rice fields. The hotel's Bali-style bungalows are equipped with a/c, private bath, hot water, shower, spacious patio, and your own garden. Tariff is Rp100,000 s, Rp140,000 d; suites are Rp150,000. Rooms are a little damp-smelling, and the hotel isn't as snappy, clean, and well-managed as the Dewata Beach next door, but it's lower in price. Prices don't include 15.5% tax and service or breakfast.      The Bolare offers great sunsets from the beach bar at the small pool and occasional cultural shows. Hotel shop, travel agency, car rental service, library, launderette, doctor on call, drugstore, safety deposit box, and restaurant. Breakfast is Rp12,000, seafood, Asian, and Western meals are Rp4000-15,000. Only two shuttles per day, 0900 and 1900. A specialty of the Bolare is marrying Westerners, which costs US$1000 and includes lunch, dinner, all particulars for four people, traditional Balinese costuming, travel to Tanah Lot for a photograph, photo album, champagne, and priestly blessings. They've already married more than 100 couples, and the majority of guests are honeymooners.
     The very quiet, 20-room Legong Keraton Beach Cottages (Box 617, Kuta, tel. 0361-730280, fax 730285) is a cheaper version of the Dewata, but more in tune with the island's rhythm and decor—alang-alang-thatched-roofed bungalows no taller than a palm tree, authentic Balinese furniture, woodworking, coral masonry, tile verandas. Beautiful tropical landscape, nice beachfront lawn, private beach, clear blue pool, sunken bar. Rather high-priced Balinese, Asian, and European specialties available in the delightful open-air restaurant. Hotel shuttle service operates only on Wednesday and Saturday (dropoff 1000, pickup 1600). All other times it costs Rp17,000 for dropoffs and pickups. It's a five-minute walk to the beach (good for surfing), or a 45-minute ride to the airport (free transfer), and 60 minutes to Denpasar. It doesn't have TVs or newspapers like the Dewata, but rooms do have full a/c, bath, shower, hot water, fridge, and IDD phones. It always runs below capacity (35%). Rates are Rp130,000-200,000 s or d, the super deluxe cottages with two bathrooms and jacuzzis being the most expensive. All prices subject to 15.5% tax and service, but continental breakfast included. All credit cards accepted.
     The best of the Berawa Beach hotels, and perhaps Bali's most remote four-star beach hotel, is the Dewata Beach Hotel, one of the 3,400 Best Western hotels world-wide. The hotel staff is made up of 300 employees, for the most part disarmingly shy boys and girls from Canggu. Even the general manager is laid-back; sit and have a chat with him at the bar. Dewata is divided into the main building and the cottages. The two executive suites in the main building, at Rp345,000 per day, are much better value than the single rooms in most of Bali's most luxurious hotels. There's a view of the sea and you have your own private terrace. The furniture is Western. There are 25 cottages (116 rooms) in an immaculate, thriving, and tranquil garden—except in the morning when it's alive with chattering birds. They use no pesticides and grow vegetables for the restaurant. The hotel has a 24-hour coffee shop. Canggusari Restaurant serves an Asian buffet breakfast and the Khayangan has a European breakfast menu, both catering to differing tastes. No MSG. The food is not brilliant but okay. The winners on the menu are the pasta dishes and sate campur presented at your table in a brazier. To all prices add 21% tax and service. The Dewata has three bars, one of them karaoke, a kids' playground, tennis courts. Shuttle service six times daily to Kuta; for partygoers the last pickup from Kuta is at 0230!

Transportation
From Kuta, Canggu is about a 1.5-hour walk at low tide or a 20-minute drive (16 km). To get into Denpasar, you don't have to go to the time and trouble of going via Kuta. Just take one of the hotel shuttles two km from Canggu to Krobokan village, then a microlet 12 km (Rp500) further into Stasiun Gunung Agung in Denpasar from where you can hitch a bemo into city center.
     Canggu makes a good base from which to explore coastal or inland Bali. Distances: 20 km to Sanur, 26 km to airport, 36 km to Nusa Dua, 38 km to Ubud. A beautiful 34-km-long road winds through villages to Tanah Lot. You can also walk north to Tanah Lot through a completely natural area in a little less than two hours during low tide (five days before the full moon) if you start out by 1400.
     If you get stuck in Kuta/Legian, it'll cost you Rp15,000 to get back to Canggu. If it's low tide, reach Canggu by motorbike or bicycle along the beach. Or take a bemo down Jl. Legian toward Krobokan, then turn west toward Berawa Beach. The most convenient way to reach Berawa's hotels is by taxi.

Kapal
Sixteen kilometers north of Denpasar on the main road northwest to Tabanan (get a bemo from Ubung station) lies Kapal, a ceramics center that produces folksy, gaudily painted red clay articles as well as temple ornamentation and motifs used all over Bali. Stores lining the main street sell everyday, primitive-style ware including vases, satay holders, bowls, ashtrays, drinking flasks, plates, and lamp bases.
     All the pieces are thrown on foot-operated potter's wheels. The prices are good, but the ware is brittle because it is unglazed and not very well fired. The best ceramic shop is Jati Agung. Though small, it carries better stuff than even the government ceramics research center in Suwung near Nusa Dua. Find Chinese-style handmade plates, cups and pots—very original designs.
     Kapal's numerous roadside shops are also the place to buy gray, volcanic-stone statuary of mythological demons, gnomes, deer, and religious figures such as a brightly painted Buddha statue, all used for embellishing family gardens and shrines. Also sold are such common architectural motifs as balustrades, wall cappings, curlicues, and cornerstones.
     While in Kapal, visit the unusually decorated and intricately carved Pura Sada, 200 meters south of the main road (turn in at sign near market). Dating from the Majapahit period, this originally was an old dynastic sanctuary for the Mengwi royalty. Destroyed by the 1917 quake, the original building was restored in 1948-49 by the Archaeological Service with the help of the villagers. The split gateway and the 16-meter-high tiered tower inside the pura are constructed much like the candi of Java.
     As on Javanese candi, there is a small niche in front for visiting deities during temple celebrations. A big tree stands in the center. Along with a few of the sculptures, only the restored candi bentar, with its finely carved decoration and detailed kala-head, is truly ancient. The split-gate leads to the main courtyard where you'll find another gate to the west leading to the inner court. Here are 16 shrines and 54 stone seats—similar to megalithic ancestral shrines—which commemorate followers of the king who died at sea. The temple is dedicated to Ratu Sakti Jayengrat, the "Divine World Conqueror."

Mengwi
Sixteen kilometers northwest of Denpasar, Mengwi is Rp600 by minibus from Denpasar's Ubung station. If driving, take the main road to Tabanan through Kapal to the Mengwi turnoff, then proceed north. This quiet town is important as the former seat of a long dynasty of kings; its large temple belongs to the group of Bali state or "national" temples. Since its beginnings in 1634 under Raja I Gusti Agung Anom until its demise in 1891, Mengwi was a separate kingdom that extended its political power as far as Blambangan, East Java. The dynasty was ultimately defeated by the neighboring Balinese kingdoms of Badung and Tabanan.
     The elegant Pura Taman Ayun is the second largest temple complex on Bali, and one of the island's most beautiful shrines. This trim, impressive garden complex lies only one-half km east of the main highway (turn in at the market), accessible by a long walkway. The original structure dates from around 1740 when ruler Cokorda Munggu built what was to be his state temple on high ground. It's partly surrounded by a wide moat with lotuses, which gives the impression the temple is floating. Unlike the overwhelming majority of temples on Bali, the orientation of Taman Ayun is toward Gunung Batukau and not Gunung Agung.
     Consisting of 50 separate structures, this clan temple evokes a palpable sense of calm and beauty. Constructed in four spacious, rising levels, the pura symbolizes the Hindu divine cosmos. Carved demons stand silhouetted against the sky; ancient gray stone contrasts against the brick-red plaster. Restored and enlarged in 1937, today Pura Taman Ayun is looked after by descendants of the royal family. It's clean, with toilet facilities, trim gardens, and an orchid nursery. Donation Rp500-2000.
     Notice the tall, beautifully crafted split gate with wooden doors and a half kala-face to each side. Inside the older, second courtyard is a long row of 29 shrines where visiting deities can relax and enjoy themselves. The stone altar facing east is dedicated to Ibu Paibon, the royal ancestor. A great number of shrines are replicas of Bali's sacred volcanoes or major temples built by Mengwi's rulers. They sit on moss-covered stone foundations, topped by slender, tiered black-thatched roofs, their small wooden doors masterfully carved. The replicas are located in the temple so the people of Mengwi can worship and derive benefit from them without the expense and trouble of traveling to the originals. Uluwatu, for example, is symbolized by the 11-tiered meru in the far right-hand corner. This inner court also displays a superbly carved stone trimurti padmasana (three-god throne). To the left are various bale for visitors, dancers, priests, and musicians. Climb the small tower in the lower southwest corner of the complex for the best view of the temple, moat, and surroundings.
     There's a lot going on in and around this complex. Hire a little boat and tour the sanctuary from the moat. Pavilions display paintings for sale as well as postcards, textiles, terra-cotta figurines, and fashions. Before the entrance is a huge wantilan where cockfights, barong dances, and other cultural events are staged. Farther on is a big collection of orchids; on the banks of the moat grow fruit trees and perfumed flowering cempaka and frangipani. Visit Pura Taman Ayun when the three-day odalan occurs; watch hundreds of women file over the bridge into the courtyard carrying high, multicolored offerings. The temple filled with people, music, dance, and processions is a magnificent sight.
     The Mandala Wisata ("Museum of Cremation"), near the Taman Ayun temple, contains palm-woven offerings. Climb on the small raft pulled by ropes for a ride across the moat to the rather high-priced and touristy Royal Garden Restaurant. Visit only if tour buses aren't parked out front. The Indo/Chinese food is delicious and the view over the moat and the tall meru towers superb. Or eat more cheaply and authentically in the market or at the bemo/bus station.

Accommodations
A very nice homestay, the only one in town, lies south of the temple in Banjar Alang Kajeng. The owner, I Ketut Arya, is informative and helpful; six rooms at Rp8000 s, Rp10,000 d, breakfast included, other meals for around Rp1000. Ketut is quite willing to show his guests around Mengwi, Tanah Lot, the Monkey Forest of Sangeh, the cattle market, or take them on a walk through the rice fields and perhaps even arrange for them to participate in a religious event.

Vicinity of Mengwi
On the main road south to Kapal, just before town, is a strikingly painted pura puseh with relief panels on the outside wall portraying scenes from the Ramayana; also check out the long bale gede. Once every three days a pasar hewan is held in Bringkit, 1.5 km north of Kapal; see the pura dalem nearby that receives unusually high offerings.
     It is time-consuming to take public transport from Mengwi east to Ubud through all the country towns. In Abian Semal, the road from Mengwi meets the main road from Denpasar to Sangeh. Two km before Sangeh is the village of Blahkiuh whose claim to notoriety is a particularly large and holy waringin tree just east of the intersection.

Sangeh
Travel fifteen kilometers beyond Mengwi on the road to Gunung Catur, Rp1000 by bemo from Wangaya station in Denpasar to Sangeh's parking lot, filled with Super-Kijangs and Suzuki Katanas and surrounded by a big souvenir shop scene. Here, under towering 30-meter-tall trees, is the holy Monkey Forest, with three clans of sacred, very aggressive monkeys crawling over lichen-covered Bukit Sari ("Nectar of the Mountains") Temple. Built by the royal family of Mengwi in the 17th century, the temple is dedicated to the god Vishnu and was initially used as a place of meditation. Restored in 1973, today it functions primarily as a subak temple where offerings to agricultural deities are made. Notice the old statue of Vishnu's mount Garuda, and the relief of a Japanese shooting at an airplane.
     Legend says the monkey general Hanuman seized the giant cosmic mountain Mahameru in order to deal the evil demon Rawana a death blow. A piece of mountain with monkeys still clinging to it fell on Sangeh and there they live to this day. There are 10 hectares of pala (nutmeg) trees here, a species not native to Bali; their presence has never been explained, thus contributing to the mystery of the place. Another puzzle is that no monkey bodies or skeletons are ever found.
     Buy a bag of peanuts and watch for the King of the Monkeys; also watch out for monkey claws and teeth (carry a stick). Don't get too close to their young and hang on to your glasses, cameras, and hats, and for God's sake don't go with money sticking out of your pockets. These descendants of Hanuman's warriors will grab at any protrusion and won't return a thing unless you divert them with a stick, peanuts, or a banana. Pestering peddlers and begging children are even worse.
     Between the tour buses, absorb some of the quiet and serenity of Sangeh's magnificent forest. Walk down the pathway by the river gorge in back. From Sangeh, take a rocky side road that crosses over to Mengwi. From Sangeh an unpaved path leads through the rice fields to Ubud. A poor road leads from Sangeh to Ubud.
     North of Sangeh is the rugged Petang district, with lots of fresh air, coffee, cloves, vanilla, and chocolate. Beyond, climb up to Pelaga through rice fields, vegetable gardens, bamboo stands, and more plantations.