The best of Bali

In our last blog post we shared our Bali travel tips to help you make the most of your Balinese holiday and stay out of trouble… this week we bring you some of the TID team’s Bali favourites:

Top 5 places to eat in Bali:

1. La Lucciola – on the beach so great to watch the sun go down, Jl. Kayu Aya, Seminyak.
2. Mozarella restaurant and bar, www.mozzarella-resto.com
3. Mamasan Kitchen Bar Lounge, mamasanbali.com
4. Zanzibar – beach front restaurant, www.zanzibarbali.com
5. Sardine, overlooking a vista of rice paddies, www.sardinebali.com

And for coffee, try Mugshots, on Jl. Padma Utara 5 in Legian.

Top 5 places for a drink in Bali:

1. Ku De Ta – stunning beachside bar and restaurant, one of the places to be at sunset, www.kudeta.net
2. Rock Bar at the Ayana Hotel is the hot new place to go, at Jimbaran, www.ayanaresort.com/rockbarbali
3. Potato Head Beach Club, great to take the kids, www.ptthead.com
4. Uluwatu – watch the surfers from the bar at the top of the cliff at Uluwatu, particularly stunning at sunset.
5. Hu’u, huubali.com

Top places to stay in Bali:

1. Villa de La Vie, www.villadelaviebali.com
2. Semara Luxury Villa Resort, Uluwatu www.semarauluwatu.com
3. Warwick Ibah Luxury villas & spa, Ubud www.warwickibah.com
4. Ayana Resort, Jimbaran www.ayanaresort.com

There are so many hotels, resorts and villas to choose from – if opting for a villa there are a few things to look out for:

• Does the villa have staff (ask if the cost includes services like cleaning, washing, ironing and whether babysitting services are available)?
• Is breakfast included?
• Is there air-conditioning in all bedrooms?
• Is there sun on the pool during the day?

Top spas in Bali:

1. “Bodyworks II”, www.bodyworksbali.com
2. Prana Spa, www.pranaspabali.com
3. Jari Menari, or “dancing fingers”, for a four-handed massage, www.jarimenari.com
4. Chill Reflexology, www.thevillas.net/english/chill.htm

If you’re just after a relaxing or therapeutic massage, there are plenty of options. Some local therapists pride themselves on how firm their massages are so be warned: you can feel like your head is getting ripped off which may not be the kind of relaxation you’re after!

Top places to shop in Bali:

1. Geneva Handicraft Centre: huge warehouse of homewares & fashion accessories, www.genevahandicraft.com
2. Discovery Mall opposite the Waterbom water park, www.discoveryshoppingmall.com
3. New Beachwalk Mall at Kuta
4. Carrefour: massive supermarket that stocks everything including alcohol and freshly baked goods. There’s a food court and a few fashion outlets in the complex. On Sunset Road (Seminyak bypass)