Bali is one of the thousands of islands in indonesia, located just east of the main island of Java. It is know for it's unique hindu culture.. unique to a land which is 95% muslim. Bali has been thought of to be an island paradise, and it is. Though overcome by commercialism, i'm not sure what is worse. To see a land that was once vibrant with tourists, or to come back to a land which, where their main source of income was hit hard by the bombings. Kuta, the main beach area in Bali was a ghost town in late '03.. but i've heard it has since been increasing.
Kuta Beach Sunset on a cloudy day
Kuta Beach, Bali
Due to the jakarta bombing in early August 2003.. we decided to stay away from the large american hotels in Bali, and opted to stay on Sanur on the east side of the island. I'm a pseudo "off the beaten track" kind of traveller... but i don't like roughing it. We stayed in this newly opened boutique hotel called 'Sri Phala'. It' looked beautiful from their website, and upon arrival it did not disappoint. It's very typical balinese in architecture, and the service was impecable. It is not located right in the Sanur hotel strip, but off of a fairly busy road. The fist building (in front of the hotel) is the Sri Phala batik centre (they make indonesian batik - fabric printing). But right behind is a little hidden gem. Lush vegetation. cute swimming pool, outdoor covered restaurant, and amazing service.
Sri Phala
Sri Phala [view of the restaurant]
Breakfast is included with the cost of a night's stay. the food caters to a tourist crown, where you had the option of banana pancakes, eggs with bacon [i think], or your standard typical nasi 'rice' dish - if you want to eat like the locals. you had a option of juice and coffee/or tea all served with fresh fruit.
Aside from this beautiful hotel, Bali has a wonderfuly artistic culture specializing in painting, woodworking and silver... and for the surfer in you, one can try their luck on kuta beach with the beginner waves.
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