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Tag Archives: Indonesia

Ubud & Canggu – Bali – Indonesia – July 2018 & February 2019

14 Tuesday May 2019

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Travels outside China

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Bali, Canggu, Indonesia, Rai Pasti restaurant, Rice paddies, Ubud

A couple of day trips in Bali

fullsizeoutput_7b5Whilst in Bali last year, I stayed in Seminyak but had heard a lot about Canggu so the girls and I hired a van and driver and off we went.  The drive should be about thirty minutes but with traffic we were driving for over an hour.  I think Canggu would be a lovely place to stay if you wanted peace away from the hustle and bustle of Kuta or even the quieter Seminyak. Lots of vegan cafes and restaurants there too. Unfortunately one poor car never made it; clearly misjudged the narrow road and was lodged in one of the gutters…oops!!fullsizeoutput_7b4On our way to the seaside restaurant in Canggu we stopped off at a tourist site with a lovely waterfall.  fullsizeoutput_7acfullsizeoutput_7adfullsizeoutput_7abfullsizeoutput_7aeWe then drove further to a lovely pub/restaurant overlooking the water.  You could choose your own meat/vegetables/fish and the staff cooked it on an outside grill and then you selected your own salad – great selections and topped off with a glass of wine to take in the views.fullsizeoutput_7b3fullsizeoutput_7aafullsizeoutput_7a8fullsizeoutput_7a9My next day trip was this year to Ubud where with my brother, nephew and friend Kylie, we decided to visit the rice terraces but after being in the car for quite some time we decided against it.  Traffic was dreadful so instead we popped into a large restaurant called Rai Pasti that overlooked rice paddies [rather than terraces].  Food was ok but really not spectacular but it was nice to have a break after being in the car for a long period.fullsizeoutput_7b2fullsizeoutput_7b1The restaurant serves Balinese classics such as tempeh goreng [fried bean curd with a sweet sambal sauce], soto ayam (chicken noodle broth) and ikan pepes( fish with spice paste steamed in banana leaves). My nephew wanted more western food on this occasion and the menu was extensive serving pizza, fries and hamburgers.  I think from memory he had a bowl of pasta.  Whilst eating our meal, we did have nice views of the rice fields…fullsizeoutput_7affullsizeoutput_7b0Great couple of days with lovely scenery out but traffic in Bali is horrendous…so just be prepared!fullsizeoutput_7b6

 

Melia Resort – Nusa Dua – Bali – Indonesia – July 2018

12 Friday Apr 2019

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Travels outside China

≈ 23 Comments

Tags

Bali, Indonesia, Lunch with friends, Melia Resort, Nusa Dua, Seminyak

Lunch and a day trip out of Seminyakfullsizeoutput_770

When I was visiting Bali last year, my friends and I decided to have a champagne brunch and chose the most fabulous restaurant at the Melia Hotel in Nusa Dua probably about a half hour drive from our hotel in Seminyak.  On our way we saw a parade of lovely Indonesian women…

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We arrived at this absolutely amazing resort with a magnificent open foyer area which we walked through and saw large structures throughout the gardens.fullsizeoutput_752

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fullsizeoutput_755fullsizeoutput_753The views over the swimming pools, beach and ocean were beautiful…Image 54fullsizeoutput_754We walked down towards the beachfront to the restaurant and because we were so keen we had arrived about fifteen minutes too early.  We waited [hungrily] in the shade and soon were seated at a round table near the window.

I have to say that this was probably the ‘best’ buffet I have ever seen and believe me I have seen a few!! The food displays were incredible and all beautifully presented.  Near us there was a large range of fresh seafood; prawns, lobster, salmon, oysters, mussels and every other kind of seafood you could think of…fullsizeoutput_75efullsizeoutput_766fullsizeoutput_75dOur waiter informed us we could eat from the buffet and we could also order anything from the menu – all included in the one cost ($100 AUD).  And of course we could order any drink we wanted…fullsizeoutput_767I stuck with my usual sauvignon blanc and the other girls ordered espresso martinis, the resort’s signature cocktail and mojitos.
fullsizeoutput_769fullsizeoutput_768There was a roast station, hot quiches, pizza, pasta with a large array of sauces and Asian food including all sorts of hand made noodles.  I saw more bread and cheeses than I think I have ever seen.  My photos absolutely do not show how incredible the food was unfortunately and I didn’t take photos of all stations.fullsizeoutput_761fullsizeoutput_764fullsizeoutput_75bI had become a vegan two months prior so there was so much food I could not eat.  But there was so much I could.  Tempura/lovely breads/amazing salads/warm vegetables/pasta/noodles just to name a few.  I did order an open falafel burger from the menu which was very nice.fullsizeoutput_765fullsizeoutput_76aThen it came to the dessert area – oh my goodness!  Anything you wanted was there and like the entrees and main meals you could also order from the menu.  My friends ordered one dessert which was a chocolate ball which when arrived, hot chocolate was poured over.  The outer layer of chocolate then melted onto the plate and inside was more chocolate; mousse – incredible!  fullsizeoutput_76efullsizeoutput_76cfullsizeoutput_76bfullsizeoutput_763And this chocolate cake looked incredible and the chocolate fountain was a hit with the girls, well with all other diners really.fullsizeoutput_76dfullsizeoutput_762As we were eating dessert (I enjoyed some sorbet), the waiter came around with warm doughnuts and a hot chocolate sauce for those who wanted them…fullsizeoutput_772By this stage we had been at the resort for about four hours and eaten our weight in food…time to say goodbye – what a day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Potato Head Beach Club – Seminyak – Bali – Indonesia – January 2019

03 Sunday Feb 2019

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Travels outside China

≈ 28 Comments

Tags

Bali, Bali Street Dogs Foundation, Feeding the street dogs of Bali, Indian Ocean, Indonesia, lunch with family, mocktails, Potato Head Beach Club, Seminyak, vegan nachos

An overcast last day in Seminyak

fullsizeoutput_54bThe weather on our last day in Seminyak whilst still hot and humid had rain looming along with dark clouds and strong winds.  My brother and nephew wanted to take me out to lunch somewhere nice for our last day so I chose a place recommended by my friend Jane: Potato Head Beach Club.

Last time I was in Seminyak I saw many street dogs and bought food from the local 7-11 type stores to feed them daily.  I know wonderful people help feed and provide veterinary services for the dogs like Aussie Paula Hodgson who is the founder of https://www.balistreetdogs.org.au, but this time I brought dog food over from Australia and set out every morning to feed the dogs.  This particular dog was in a temple area and most mornings he would bark at me when I walked past but I left the food for him and it was gone the next day.IMG_4514I had quite a bit of food left over on our last day so my kind brother and lovely taxi driver were on the look out for dogs.  My brother found one and we stopped and fed him.  Next we found two dogs lying around so we got out of the taxi and fed them.  I had a bit of food left and the locals told me that at this particular spot about four or five dogs came around.  I asked if I could leave the food with them and they were very happy to take the food and feed the dogs later.  I found the Balinese such lovely people; helpful and kind.

The taxi ride took us about twenty minutes and was extremely inexpensive so our driver received a nice tip for helping us spot the dogs.  We arrived at the top entrance of the club where firstly our taxi was searched by security guards as were we when we hopped out of the taxi.  fullsizeoutput_54fWe walked a short distance walking past the open-air amphitheatre structure which was designed by an Indonesian architect and features a facade of coloured antique shutters, salvaged from across Indonesia.fullsizeoutput_54afullsizeoutput_557The next structure we walked past was a tee-pee made from plastic bottles…fullsizeoutput_54eThen a sea of rubber thongs that have been lost by their owners…IMG_4631And finally we arrived at the entrance to the restaurants and bars…fullsizeoutput_555We were met by staff and shown to an area down towards the beach where there was a bar and restaurant and infinity pool.  The bar and restaurant area is open air but covered and there are many chairs and tables and lounge chairs uncovered; all overlooking the Indian Ocean.fullsizeoutput_558fullsizeoutput_54cfullsizeoutput_551As can be seen by my photos, it was very winds so we sat on comfortable chairs undercover but with a view of the ocean.  Whilst there were a couple of people in the pool but no-body on the beach or in the sea.fullsizeoutput_556IMG_4642We were given our menu by a very friendly and helpful waiter.  My brother and I ordered the Tropical Smoothie consisting of banana, mango, passion fruit, strawberry, citrus and coconut nectar. Our waiter, once informed I was vegan, went and checked on her own account to see if there was any yoghurt in the drink; there wasn’t!  It was so good!!fullsizeoutput_552I ordered the Jackfruit Nachos: corn tortilla, pulled jackfruit chili, coconut sour cream, pico de gallo, jalapeno, smashed edamame and grilled corn.  I had not tasted jackfruit before and must say it was really good as was the coconut sour cream – dish was huge however so couldn’t finish it. [shame].IMG_4651I also ordered a plate of sweet potato fries to share with my brother and nephew and these arrived with charcoal salt and a roasted capsicum sauce which the waitress told me was not vegan so I didn’t try it.  Little did we know that both my brother’s and nephew’s dishes would arrive also with fries.fullsizeoutput_548My brother ordered a steak sandwich which arrived on grape focaccia bread with charcoal grilled Tokusen beef, smoked cheese, onion jam, wild rucola, beefsteak tomato and duck-egg hollandaise sauce.  As I mentioned this came with fries which my brother didn’t touch as the sandwich was very filling.  My nephew ordered a Baby Huey Burger; prime beef patty with cheese, tomato sauce, pickles and spiced mayonnaise on a milky soft bun.  Again arrived with fries which Braydon also didn’t eat.  I was the only person who ate some fries that day.  No surprises here!fullsizeoutput_55afullsizeoutput_559I really liked this beach club.  I know that in the later afternoon and evenings it is a place for the younger people with loud music and guess a lot of drinking; am sure it’s one of the places the younger Aussies tend to visit and on occasions sleep on the beach.  So at night it would not be for me but for lunch it was superb.IMG_4637

 

 

 

Seminyak – Bali – Indonesia – January 2019

17 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Travels outside China

≈ 44 Comments

Tags

Bali, Indonesia, Seminyak, travelling with family, Ultimo restaurant, Villa Kubu

I liked it so much I returned!fullsizeoutput_521

Last year in July I met my friend Sandy in Seminyak, Bali for seven days.  I stayed in a hotel with a communal pool on the roof area which was lovely but I wanted to bring my brother and nephew over here and this time I wanted to rent a villa with a private pool.  After much research I chose Villa Kubu and was definitely not disappointed. Gorgeous gardens inside leading from our villa to the front door…img_4484And so many other little gardens areas as well as a pond with a few goldfish…img_4509fullsizeoutput_520

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Our villa has three large bedrooms each with ensuite – well it’s pretty special that one of the two bedrooms downstairs has a private courtyard with an outdoor shower – my brother chose this room; how nice to have a shower outdoors when it is so hot here. But there also is a bath located in the inside bathroom in case it’s too warm outside.fullsizeoutput_526

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The main bedroom upstairs has an open bathroom, lounge room, dressing room and separate bedroom – it really is huge therefore it’s the one I chose (ha ha) !!img_4467img_4468We spend most of our time on the super comfortable lounge downstairs overlooking the pool – its sort of inside/outside (ie no doors or windows but covered overhead).  There is also an air-conditioned television room but we have not put the tv on once since arriving.fullsizeoutput_51eimg_4459I have been getting up early to ensure I exercise so I walk through the tree lined streets then the shopping area down to the beach which is about an hour walk there and back – important for to get my 12,000 steps in ‘most’ days.  On the way I feed the street dogs and try not to get run over by the mad scooter riders.

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img_4511fullsizeoutput_523There are so many amazing restaurants in Seminyak and last night I chose an Italian restaurant called Ultimo.  It’s so easy to travel in Seminyak, we booked a taxi and five minutes and $2 later we arrived!fullsizeoutput_514This turned out to be an excellent choice as the food was truly delicious.  Ambience and service was top notch also.  I chose the Penne All’ Arabiana; a dish of penne pasta with fresh chilli and fresh tomato sauce with basil – wow this was good!fullsizeoutput_513My brother chose the three pasta dish which had spaghetti pomodoro, penne formagi  and fussili pesto.  He couldn’t eat it all.  My nephew chose the Fettuccini Alla Carbonara which like all our meals was delicious and huge; he is not a really big eater so he took half of it back home to our villa.

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My nephew also ordered some cheesy garlic bread which really was very cheesy and came with a pesto sauce – all eaten!  A friend of mine also joined us for dinner and she ordered a couple of entree size meals (which I forgot to take photos of) and the largest piece of tiramisu dessert I think I have ever seen.  She laughed and said she would not be able to finish it; she did it was that good.fullsizeoutput_512fullsizeoutput_515It was an early night which was good as we still have several nights here in Seminyak and we are returning to Seasalt restaurant tonight to enjoy great food and watch the sunset.  Can’t wait!

 

 

 

 

Sea Salt Restaurant – Seminyak – Bali – Indonesia – July 2018

29 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Travels outside China

≈ 39 Comments

Tags

Bali, dinner with friends, Indonesia, Sea Salt restaurant, Seminyak, sunset

My first visit to Bali 

fullsizeoutput_44dI had never been to Bali but earlier this year my friend Sandy who lives in Timor Leste  intended going there for a short break so I invited myself.  We booked lovely accomodation at TS Suites on Luxury Escapes and I flew Qantas from Sydney.  I try to fly Qantas not only because I like the airline but I also increase my Qantas Frequent Flyer points which enables me to either upgrade my seat or buy seats using my points.

We looked up a few restaurants that had views of the sunset and decided on Sea Salt which was a very short taxi ride from our hotel and at an incredibly inexpensive cost of around $3 AUD.  The view when we arrived was wonderful; lush green grass and beautiful sea views.

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It’s lovely when you both walk up to a restaurant and then walk in and get a great vibe.  This was the feeling walking up to and into Sea Salt.

Sandy had booked a table outside in the shade.  We had spectacular views of the surf which also enabled us to do a lot of ‘people watching’.fullsizeoutput_452fullsizeoutput_453Food at this restaurant is exceptional.  fullsizeoutput_46bThey catered well for vegans which was wonderful for me.  Two cobs arrived first; complimentary but this day I decided not to eat any as I had ordered quite a few dishes and didn’t want to fill up on bread.fullsizeoutput_456fullsizeoutput_45bfullsizeoutput_457fullsizeoutput_459fullsizeoutput_45aMy friends ordered a dessert to share but as it contained dairy I didn’t have any but must admit it looked pretty good.  Our waiter offered me a fruit platter but was still too full after lunch so declined.fullsizeoutput_45cAfter our long lunch we decided to move closer to the water for an uninterrupted view of the sunset.  We sat on comfortable large seats and our lovely waitress brought us drinks throughout the afternoon and evening whilst watching the Balinese flying their kites.fullsizeoutput_451fullsizeoutput_45d

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And then it was time to watch the sunset.  Wow what a beautiful sight.fullsizeoutput_45ffullsizeoutput_460.jpegIt became more vibrant as it was setting…the colour was absolutely gorgeous.fullsizeoutput_462.jpegfullsizeoutput_461.jpegAnd just as the sun was reaching the water, the restaurant staff lit fires in large cauldrons, adding to the beauty of the sun setting.fullsizeoutput_464fullsizeoutput_465

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I know there are quite a few fabulous restaurants on the water in Seminyak but this one I would definitely recommend especially with great friends.  fullsizeoutput_467

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