My apologies for bad wording....I meant that Jl Bisma was a lovely street and not Jl. Monkey Forest. Sorry, my husband came in and started talking to me while I was typing. Tragic how I just can't multi-task any more these days. That's not to say that Jl. M Forest is not interesting but nothing like the sight and sound of nature and good old Bali rural tradition, as in rice farming, to soothe the soul.

There is a walk through the Pertiwi Resort in Jl. Monkey Forest that brings you out in Jl. Bisma, as it runs between the two streets. The gardens of the Pertiwi are quite lovely. Otherwise there is a goat track at the end of the shops that brings you out at the end of Jl. Bisma.

I'm also often pleasantly surprised at the undeveloped land behind the shops and restaurants in some places. I watched a rice padi farmer direct the water from one padi to another and the ducks go about their daily work while sitting in Three Monekys. Apparently the farmer sold a piece of land (1 padi field) to the restaurant owner and keeps farming the remainder so it seems everyone is a winner.

Ah, Cafe Des Artistes, also a favourite of mine.

I must put Singaraja near the top of my list if it's like Hanoi. Sounds very interesting and well worth a visit.

Catherine