Friday, May 30, 2008

Four Seasons Bali at Jimbaran Bay

This Bali icon overlooking Jimbaran Bay with views to Mount Agung in the distance has been looking after honeymooning couples since it opened a decade ago.

A fifteen minute ride from the airport, it contains 147 luxury villas with their own dining areas, a 34 meter long swimming pool spilling over into a seven meter waterfall, a beach front international restaurant and a range of recreational facilities including tennis courts and water sports equipment.

Its staff will arrange scuba diving, rafting, cycling and trekking tours and day trips to art galleries, workshops and cultural events, while an 18 holes golf course is just a short distance away.

For couples who do not want to leave the hotel, there is still plenty to do at Four Seasons Bali. The cooking school offers lessons in Balinese, Indonesian, Asian and Spa cuisine designed by the hotel’s former executive chef Marc Miron.

No honeymoon is complete without some spa time. For the ultimate pampering experience, the private royal Spa Suite contains double massage beds, a Swiss shower and body treatment area, and a garden courtyard with a large soaking tub and cascading rinse shower.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Give you feet a special treatment in Bali

After a hard day of pounding the pavement looking for that perfect gift for the whining hordes back home, take the time to treat your tired and exhausted feet, with a special foot treatment at the Melia Bali Spa in Nusa Dua.

The Foot Bath treatment begins with a foot cleansing, using warm water with bath salts and herbs, followed by gentle pressure massage for 35 minutes. This is all will guarantee you to feel the stress dissolving away.

The Aromatherapy Foot Treatment is specially tailored to moisturize and smooth rough feet. It begins with a foot scrubbing, meticulous massage using a choice of essential oils, and finishes with a fruit mask and moisturizer application.

The Melia Bali Spa consists of seven private treatment rooms with eleven massage bed, all carefully appointed with soothing colors and quality material. This Bali spa is open seven days a week from 9am until 9 pm.

For those who seek a natural location, the four Bal Bengongs set outdoors in a peaceful beachfront setting within the Spa garden, provide the perfect options. Contac this Bali spa at (62)(361) 771510. I hope you will enjoy your visit to Bali, the island of Paradise.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Several bars and café at Ubud, Bali

If you happen to visit Bali and plan to come to Ubud which is usually imagined as a place only for handicraft, you should also try several bars and café.

One of those café you should consider is Barandi which is located at Jl Hanoman. This is the talk of the town in Ubud. Barandi is the latest addition to Ubud’s burgeoning nightlife scene which also already been celebrated for its lychee martinis.

The other choice is Exiles. Saturday night is the night here when local jazz musicians turn up for a lively jam. Pretty basic jazz actually but it is fun.

Jazz café is another option. This is a real hit in Ubud, the live music is always good, sometimes great, very easy atmosphere, quality drinks and plenty of people to talk to in between sets. Snack off the menu or enjoy a full dinner. Live music plays nightly except Sunday and Monday, 7:30 pm until 10:30 pm.

If there is a Balinese warung with a touch of New York then Naughty Nuri should be the one. This café is a busy local hangout place filled with Ubud style characters. In this café you can find a laid back communal table, a small bar, roadside barbecue and an absolutely mean Martini. You can find this place at near the Neka Museum.

Putra Bar is a casual bar offering live reggae music. This is a good place to hang out if you can’t be bothered dressing up. So just go casual this time.

The other places you can chose are Sai Sai Bar which also offers you the live music and parties, and Terazo at Jl Suweta with a stylish cocktails bar or Wunderbar which its sophisticated interior design that makes you feel like being inside a Tequila Sunrise. You can find German food at Wunderbar, as well as live music.

Well, there are many options for you to live up your nightlife at Ubud, now the choice is yours!

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Japanese Restaurant at Nusa Dua Bali for your choice

Any restaurant that is still around after more than fifteen year in business has to be pretty good. Opened back in the early nineties, Matsuri Japanese Garden restaurant near the Grand Hyatt in Nusa Dua is one of those long term players that has built its reputation on solid no nonsense Japanese cuisine in a cozy traditional atmosphere. The first thing you will notice about the restaurant is the outdoor seating. Complete with hanging paper lanterns, manicured Zen gardens and babbling ponds, the outdoor garden seating is very atmospheric and popular with guests.

On the inside you will encounter the full size suit of Kabutho Samurai armour which stands guard in front of the teppanyaki counter. Across a small bidge you go past tanks of live lobsters to the sushi bar. To your right are the tatami rooms and an ethnic pavilion.

To your left is the main dining area. Matsuri’s many seating options mean that it is suitable for any occasion; be it a romantic dinner for two in the garden a rousing party at one of the teppanyaki counters able to seat up to 25 respectively. A family dinner, a business meeting can be placed in a private room or at the sushi counter.

The beautifully presented lacquered box included a delicious grilled fillet of marinated codfish, a selection of sashimi, crispy prawn and vegetable tempura with light dipping sauce, prawn and seaweed with pickled vegetables, steamed vegetables in a special sauce with a very tender slice of beef, an egg custard dessert, steaming hot miso soup, steamed rice and pickled vegetables on the side. The Nigiri Sushi includes six tuna rolls and a selection of eight other sushi pieces with tuna, salmon cuttlefish, octopus, prawn, marbled fatty tuna, egg and roe.

Matsuri extensive menu also includes Japanese curries, Chinese dumpling and noodle soups, succulent chicken and beef teriyaki and lots more.

Of course there is a good selection of seven different types of sake, Japanese beer like Sapporo and Ebisu, Japanese plum wine, as well as a limited selection of Australian, Chilean, Italian, and Balinese wines.

And to make everything’s perfect for you this restaurant offers a free shuttle pick up service for people staying in hotels at Nusa Dua.

Let’s go to Bali and taste this distinguished Japanese restaurant.