Hi,

After years of travelling to Thailand, next september I will go to Bali for the first time.
I rented a villa in Seminyak (Anakula Villas) and I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for good restaurants in and around Seminyak ?
Furthermore, does anyone have suggestions on what to see on Bali ?
I'm planning to rent a car with a guide for a few days and I'm interested in culture, landscape, temples.....

Thanks !

Anakula Villas looks lovely and location is very central.

Some restaurants I would recommend are Mykonos Taverna, the Greek Restaurant, Rumours and the moroccan restaurant which I think is called Khaima, all located in Jl. Laksmana (the Oberoi Road) and also known as 'eat street'. There are a number of restaurants along this strip that are all very well patronized so there are many to choose from. Also close to your Villas is The Bali Deli in Jl. Kunti and Cafe Moka which is on Jl. Raya Seminyak. Cafe Moka is great for lunch or dinner or take home deli food and cakes.

In Jl. Petitenget there is Ku De Ta, The Living Room and Warisan (Warisan was in Jl. Raya Kerobokan but I believe is has relocated to Jl. Petitenget). These are upmarket places but well worth the experience. Jl. Petitenget is at the end of Jl. Laksmana near where the Oberoi Hotel is located. The Bali Bakery, located in Jl. Laksmana near the Seminyak square, is also a great place to eat. There is a very nice deli at the 'other end' of the Seminyak square - just follow the pathway alongside the shops from the Bakery.

The Bali Deli in Jl. Kunti is also a great place to stock up on deli food, snacks and all manner of fresh and imported foods and there is a large supermarket, Bintang, on Jl. Raya Seminyak. Taxis and your driver will know all these places.

Bobby's in Jl. Rum Jungle is a lovely little place for a light lunch and the Flying Piano also in Jl. Rum Jungle is worth a try for a well priced meal. The owner is Swiss I think and I've never had a bad meal here.

Made's II is also worth a try and is also on Jl. Raya Seminyak. It was being renovated when I was there last November so I'm assuming it will be open again now.

Two publications you might like to look for are Best Bets and Bali Beat which list restaurants, shops, nightlife and other information. Many places have free copies of Bali Beat that you can pick up. My copy of Best Bets is 2003-2004 and not sure how I came across it of if it was free. Bali Beat also lists home delivery restaurants which is a wonderful service when you just can't be bothered going out.

As far as sightseeing goes I would recommend The Mother Temple at Besakih, Goa Gaja (the Elephant Cave), Gunung Kawi an ancient site with interesting rock carvings, The Water Palace at Tampaksiring, Tanah Lot Temple at Tanah Lot, Kintomani and the crater lake, Lake Bratan and Mount Bratan, an active volcano.

A day trip to Ubud with lunch at somewhere such as Cafe Luna and a wander around the Ubud market is well worth it. There are may lovely cafes and restaurants in Ubud to choose from however Cafe Luna is lovely and very central.

For wildlife experiences you have the Bali Zoo which we found to be excellent, The Bird Park and Reptile Park and further north of Ubud at Taro is the Elephant Park. All these places are extremely well run.

I hope this is helpful. Let us know if you would like any more detail or further information.

Catherine

Catherine has been amazing with her suggestions!!! She's been there more recently than me so she would know.

One other item to add to her comprehensive list is Warung Batavia. It's on Jalan Raya Kerobokan and has consistently served traditional Indonesian (West Javanese) style food. I hate the gado gado most people trot out and claim to be the real deal. Try it here - it is completely different - crunchy, salady, tasty etc. Also try the Urap which is a lovely salad of green beans, bean sprouts, coconut, coriander and chilli. So lovely... Also their corn cakes when they have them.

So you just go up to the counter - they will ask you what type of rice you'd like, then you make your food selections. I usually get some water spinach curry, some grilled eggplant if they have it, a piece of beef rendang and some chicken curry sauce over the top, with sambal (the red one, I don't like the green one - it's too bitter). Then we get a side of the gado gado to share at the table which they make on the spot and you will dream about for years.

Have a lovely trip.

Carolyn

Hi Catherine and Carolyn,

Thanks for the information, I'm sure I'll follow some of your suggestions !

Greetings from Amsterdam, Tanja.

hallo tanja

anakula is the right villa for you
because of its location is perfect for your daily shopping.
I have some advice for you but this you may not make sense to you and maybe you will not believe this.
you better hire a car for your trip and unlimited length of time and location and you will also have the right to select drier and car rentals
if you use traditional taxi as your means of travel for the Bali will cost more that you need to be able to visit the location you desire.

Just one small thing. I think Catherine might mean Tommy's (not Bobbys) in Rum Jungle Rd. Great place but only open for breakfast and lunch. Enjoy.

absolutely right. Thanks for pointing that out, much appreciated.



Catherine