Photo gallery and postcards
Bali
Paradise
Bali is an Indonesian island located at the eastern-most of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces and the provincial capital is Denpasar towards the south of the island.
The island is home to the vast majority of Indonesia"s small Hindu minority. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather and metalworking, and music.
Bali is so much more than it's beaches, tour the whole island and see the waterfalls, rural landscapes, the beautiful volcano lake on top of the mountain, maybe a little hazadous getting there but certainly worth it.
The
staff at the restaurant fish off the side, can't get much fresher than
that! The golf club is worth a look even if you don't play golf. Apparently
it was designed by an Australian and the landscaping is beautiful. We
did see a cock fight at a historical village but didn't stay watching
for long, not quite my idea of entertainment. Ok, the sunnies and shorts
leave a bit to be desired but it was awhile ago..! Our first trip in
fact.
I made a
later trip to Bali and went to the mountain town
of Udbud for a pampering, a much recommended try. It is cooler and as
I am not a beach person I found the mountains suited me better. Ubud
is the centre of artists whether it be silver, wood carvings or paintings
and is a fascinating place to be. The Hotel Tjampuhan and Spa was a
very beautiful setting with massages available. I chose to use both
local and hotel facilities. The local place is called the Cantika House
of Health and Beauty and is run by a very independant lady named Jasi.
Address is JL. Raya Penestanan Kelod, Mobile phone 081 236 84818 and
comes well recommended by me!
The tourism in Bali is still very quiet and the people are feeling the pinch. The hotel was at 50% full when I arrived but more people were leaving than arriving so that by the time I left it was about 30%.
The Cantika pronounced Santika was a short distance from the hotel, which was walkable but the hotel shuttle bus will take you there for free. If you really want to be pampered at a low cost to you, then please try Jasi's place, you won't be disapointed. It is set in the paddy fields with ducks and workers around it, a tranquil setting by anyones standards Cantika Traditional Balinese Massages email: santika@indoline.net.