Indonesia Dos and Don'ts

The doorway of Bali but not the heart. Unless you're in Bali for the night life avoid the area and go somewhere more interesting. Ubud is the next city and more relaxed (but more expensive). Keep your anti mozzie creams/sprays/oils ready! If you visit the area then remember prices are inflated for tourists. 200.000 is typically bargainable to 30-40.000. Every time a tourist doesn't bargain the more liberties the sellers take with the next person and the more locals get priced out of the island - indirectly killing the tourist industry. Has been quiet since the Bali bombings which makes it ideal for a more relaxing holiday. Good for both straight and gay travellers.

Eat at the Dirty Duck restaurant. The place has no walls and it overlooks a large, very picturesque rice paddy. The owner could not decide on a name for the place; a couple of days before opening some ducks from the marshy rice field flew into the restaurant and waddled about with their wet feet covered in marsh mud. Sooooooooooooo...dirty duck restaurant. They specialize in duckling dishes (a form of revenge!?). Also, do not miss the shadow puppet shows. Go backstage either before or after the show; most of the performers speak English and they are more than willing to join you for an after-theater supper.

A good place to catch local dance in Ubud at at Padangtegal Dance Stage, located on Jl Hannoman. It is a simple, oven venue where you can find good Kecak and Fire dances. Tickets will be sold at the entrance right before the evening performance or a few days before. worth a few hours of your time.

Licin is a small village in Banyuwangi regency, East Java.

It is known as a starting point for travelers want to trek up to Ijen Crater if they prefer 6-7 hours trekking.

Otherwise they might consider renting a 4WD Jeep from Banyuwangi which also via Licin on the way to Paltuding ranger station or even better try to get a local tour package which usually a combination tour of visiting Mt Bromo and Ijen Crater in 3 days and 2 nights .

They're also a decent accommodation in Licin village which is Ijen Resort Villa. It's a 4 stars accommodation and rates are high especially during high season (june-august).

A day trip to Kintamani, promises mountains, lakes, the chance to get out of of Kuta and see some of Bali. The reality of a trip to Kintamani is a 3 hour ride along main roads, parking next to other tour buses, eating lunch and the main tourist restaurant, overlooking the lake. You will be accosted by sarong and souvenir sellers, and that’s without venturing into the crater.

Batur crater is in my opinion a very cool place, in itself. Imagine a comminity of people who fish and farm at a fresh water lake, inside a volcanic crater! It seems part fantasy, part reality to us westerners. The 2 big problems with venturing into the crater are, the round the clock dump trucks servicing the quarry, on the west side of the lake, and the very aggresive ‘mountain guides’. The truck run about once every 2 minutes, in and out, creating a cloud of fumes, dust and noise. The mountain guides have combined to give Mt. Batur a bad reputation and many guide books have sections dedicated to warning people about the bad treatment they should expect.

Here in Seminyak a small number of people from Kintamani have plonked themsleves here in order to beg for money. Its rather pathetic, rather like me getting on the plane to the US, and sitting outside a mansion in Beverly Hills. For the people involved its complete culture shock, and for the people who live in Seminyak, another person to say no to. At Bintang supermarket there are 2 ATMs. A coulpe of ladies sit outside it with their hand out. one told me she was from Kintamani.

The other night at Poser’s Pub in Legian, while interviewing Dallas Finn, a line of kids about 12, passed by and jabbered at me in Indonesian, to buy stuff. I joked about tidak ada uang (don’t have money) and made a game of it. I feel sorry for them, but someone either in their banjar, local government, island government, whatever, needs to stand up and create a program to educate these people. I was reading an article today about a Kuta shop owner who turned to growing organic rice, as a way to beat the tourist slump. The people in that crater could grow some unique things and market them as unique.

My advice for visiting Kintamani: Drive to Blandingan, on the outside northern rim and do a relaxing, free, pleasant hike, viewing the ocean and the lake simultaneously. Also drive into the crater and explore the western side. There are lava fields and orange groves as well as a couple of villages. I would not waste my money hiking Gunung Batur.