Mick and I have just returned from a wonderful holiday on the magical island of Bali.  If you haven’t visited yet you really are missing a treat.  This truly tropical island is so picturesque and beautiful it takes your breath away.  It has rice paddies tripping down hillsides, volcanoes soaring up through the clouds, dense tropical jungle, long sandy beaches, warm blue water, crashing surf and the friendliest people who don’t just have a culture but actually live in it.

We flew with Air Asia direct from Bangkok (4 ¼ hours) and pre-booked a hire car from the airport.  Ngurah Rai International Airport is in a town called Tuban which practically tumbles into the famous resort of Kuta which tumbles into legendary Legian which tumbles into the new trendy resort of Seminyak.  Traffic is chaotic so be warned, it even surpasses the surprises we receive on a daily basis on Pattaya’s highways and byways.

The restaurants on the Kuta/Legian/Seminyak ‘strip’ are as diverse as they are plentiful with prices to match.  They range from cheap-as-chips through noddingly moderate to eye wateringly expensive.  Our first evening in Seminyak we ate at The Khaima Moroccan Restaurant Lounge and Bar on Oberoi Street, Kerobokan.  A chef from Morocco ensures authenticity offering a menu which covers the gamut of most specialities from this fascinating culinary region.  Amongst the many starters we recommend chachouka (warm three bell pepper and tomato salad), briwattes (various filo pastry filled savouries), the delicious harira soup or the Khaima sampler which is a tasting platter of all the appetiser favourites.  Recommended main courses are the mixed mechoi (barbequed meats), cous cous,  the famous national dish of Morocco,  served with seven different vegetables and the meat of your choice.  Friday and Saturday evening a duo of belly dancers entertain to complete the Moroccan experience.  Our meal for two with two glasses of (Indonesian Hadden) rose wine and a beer came to approx B. 880.    Open daily from 11.00 am.  Belly
dancers every Friday and Saturday at 21.00 hrs.    Tel:  (0361) 742 3925 or visit www.khaimmabali.com.

Our second evening we booked (recommended) a table at Mannekepis Blues and Jazz Bistro on Jl. Raya Seminyak. Tel: +62 361 847 5784.  We cannot praise this restaurant more highly.  Belgium owned and managed it serves top notch cuisine at very reasonable prices with the added attraction of a world class jazz band (or Blues/Rock)  and an ambiance to put a smile on your face and keep it there!  The owner, Yannick, visits every table in turn making sure that all is well and his guests are happy.

Recommended starters are French onion soup, beef carpaccio, frog’s legs Provencale, grilled sardines and their house pate de compagne.  The steaks are much favoured as are the pasta dishes, wraps, burgers and the celebrated shawarma lamb (pitta bread stuffed with marinated lamb and served with a garlic and chili sauce).  Patriotic Belgian  dishes are not forgotten, not only the traditional mussels with Belgian fries, but also the famous Belgian stover (traditional beef stew).  We chose to sample the fish: Cajun spiced Mahi Mahi
with remoulade sauce and  tuna steak with mango
salsa and fries.  Both were perfectly cooked and the accompanying vegetables and sauces spot on..   Our meal for two with a bottle of Hatten rose wine came to about B. 1,200. Visit their website on www.mannekepis-bistro.com.

You might be wondering if we were ever going to
eat the local Indonesian
food!  Without a doubt, but we were saving this pleasure until we reached Ubud
which is the heartland of all cultural elements, dance, music, art and of course food.  While Kuta and its environs could be considered bodacious, and brash, Ubud is relaxed and refined with its restaurants deemed the best on the island and the “must try” dish the bebek betutu (marinated duck wrapped in banana leaves and slowly cooked in hot coconut husk coals for up to eight hours).  The leaves keep the meat tender and moist while the marinade provides the essential spicing and fire to make this a truly memorable dish.  We recommend Casa Luna on Ubud’s main street opposite Taman Saraswati Temple, but they do require 24 hours notice.  More of our Balinese travels at a later date.

In summing up, Bali is a unique blend of modern tourist facilities, world class hotels, exceptional shopping, magnificent temples and palaces, some of the best surfing beaches in the world and the most spectacular scenery.  The Balinese people are proud of their Hindu culture welcoming guests to their island paradise with heartfelt hospitality and sincerity.