Six of the Best Places to Beat the Crowds on Bali
One of the most bizarre elements of life on Bali is how very concentrated tourism is. Chinese tour groups seem to cluster in the Bukit...
Category: Indonesia
Where to Get the Best Views of Bali’s Volcano
There are a few natural phenomena that truly impress: total eclipses, calving glaciers, avalanches, tornadoes and, yes, erupting volcanoes. Back in November, we were lucky...
Is It Safe to Travel to Bali with the Volcano Erupting?
Last updated on 29 December 2017. In mid-September, Agung, Bali’s sacred volcano, which has effectively been sleeping for the last half century or so, woke...
Rash: An Eminently Readable Bali Memoir
Who hasn’t fantasised about chucking in the rat race to live the dream on a tropical island? Well, writer Lisa Kusel, whose memoir Rash came...
Seven Reasons to Visit Nusa Penida
Remiss, I know, but after over three years living on Bali – and at least five years thinking about getting to Nusa Penida – I...
I Think We Just Hit Peak Bali
Our gardener comes from a long, long line of balian, or magical healers. He’s a lovely guy. We know him as Pak Kiko, or “Kiko’s...
My Teen Can Literally Sleep Through an Earthquake
Earthquakes, like venomous snakes and everything breaking all the time, are one of those Bali facts of life. As with snakes and broken objects, I...
Where Should I Stay in Ubud?
At least once a month somebody asks me, “Where should I stay in Ubud?” To which my answer is, generally, “What’s your budget?” As someone...
Indonesia Travel Tips
With anything from 13,466 to 18,306 islands, depending who you ask, sprawling over 5,000 kilometres across the equator, Indonesia isn’t the easiest place to navigate...
CSI: Food
I have undergone some unpleasant eating experiences in my time. Decades have passed since I repressed my gag reflex to swallow rancid, sandy goat fat...