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Bali
Island of the gods.
It is true that Bali has changed enormously over the past ten years. Heavy traffic is an annoying feature of daily life and makes the choice of location of your villa eminently important. It is no longer easy to drop into Seminyak for drinks and a spot of shopping – that could take you hours in the car on the wrong day!
However, different areas are building their own identities. The Bukit peninsula in the south, with its fabulous surf beaches, is becoming a new ‘hotspot’ with restaurants, trendy bars and shops all beginning to open.
Canggu also has great surf beaches (more beginner friendly) and has its own personality with beach clubs, cafés, great shopping and good places to eat.
On a recent first visit to the unspoilt north of the island, not only did we find a beautiful and unusual house, but also a part of the island that remains as Bali was: quiet, lush green lanes, little traffic and beautiful beaches. There is no surfing up here but a myriad things to do, from dolphin watching to snorkelling in wonderfully clear water that teems with tiny fish. New restaurants, cafés and shops are opening all the time.
A new airport and better roads are planned but for the moment we would recommend a night or two in Seminyak before being driven up to the north.
Bali represents excellent value for money with wonderful villas surrounded by beautiful Balinese gardens and staffed with charming, well trained and smiling people.
There is loads to do, from cycling through the rice fields to white-water rafting, golf, cultural visits, shopping, dancing, chilling, surfing… Bali has it all.
The best time to go is from June until the end of September when the weather is hot but not humid, although this is a year-round destination with short bursts of tropical showers more predominant from December to February. That said, Balis is still on our list of great places to go for Christmas and New Year.
