Tag: indonesia travel

View All Tags

/ / / / / /

What Everyone's Buying in Bali: Kopi Luwak Coffee Packets

Where: Bali, Indonesia
May 13, 2013 at 12:26 PM | by | Comments (0)

Welcome to "What Everyone's Buying," a new series on souvenirs, wherein we investigate what tourist trinkets are the hottest selling in hotspots around the world.

Kopi Luwak. In the movie "The Bucket List," it's the favorite drink of Jack Nicholson's character; he calls it "the rarest beverage in the world." We wouldn't exactly say that, but it is pretty rare and not to mention expensive, with a reputation as being only for connoisseurs.

Of course all this makes it a terribly in-demand souvenir purchase for tourists to Bali, though purchasers may not always realize how it's made: an Indonesian civet (like a possum) eats a certain type of coffee berry. Its digestive system digests the meat of the berry, adds enzymes to the bean inside, and then poops out the bean. These beans are then collected, cleaned and sterilized, roasted and ground into coffee powder.

more ›

/ / / /

Where To Go With Your Tax Refund: Bali

Where: Bali, Indonesia
March 7, 2013 at 11:02 AM | by | Comments (0)

Tax day is coming, and you're probably excited...but not because you look forward to sifting through receipts and credit card statements. You're excited because you're getting a fat refund. Probably. The economy may be on its way back up, but you should try to stretch that tax refund as far as you can...like with a little "you did a great job last year" trip—a Tax Refund Vacation.

With what we can only hope is winter's final squeeze on the majority of the 'Lower 48', this blizzard is one of the best reasons to escape the blustery weather is to plan a vacation to a tropical location which gets you way far away, albeit with a few sleepless flights. While many come to mind, one in particular we would recommend highly: Bali.

more ›

/ / / / / /

Oh Boy. Bali Considers Banning Bintang and All Booze

Where: Indonesia
January 7, 2013 at 2:31 PM | by | Comments (0)

...And not just the Balinese beer, but wine, vodka and any other adult libation. A new piece of legislation has been brought to the parliament of Indonesia asking for the potential ban of alcoholic beverages on the tropical vacation island and across the rest of the Muslim country.

If you have ever been to Bali, you know how ridiculous this whole topic sounds. The island is a tourist mecca attracting travelers with daydreams of sitting poolside sipping on a fruity cocktail made from fresh squeezed fruit juice. If relaxing is not part of your itinerary, there are storefronts and cafe-fronts full of sunburned Westerners enjoying a cocktail or beer. Even our own trip last year was dotted with some interesting cocktails and other beverages, both alcoholic and kiddie-safe.

more ›

/ / / / / / /

Inside Garuda Indonesia's Executive Lounge at Bali-Denpasar Airport

October 3, 2012 at 10:57 AM | by | Comments (0)

Saying good-bye to a tropical island like Bali is not easy, but if you are flying on Garuda Indonesia the trip to the airport can be a bit more bearable if you have access to the airline's Executive Lounge.

The Executive Lounge is reserved for travelers flying in business class (Executive Class) on a Garuda flight or those flyers holding gold and platinum status. As we'd bought our own Executive Class tickets, we escaped the chaos of the airport and bid fond adieu to our Bali island getaway. And believe us, the airport is pretty chaotic with limited places to sit and very few food outlets.

more ›

/ / / / /

No Pain in the Ash for Us While Flying Over This Volcano

Where: Indonesia
September 12, 2012 at 3:12 PM | by | Comment (1)

We've said it before so just in case you didn't hear it the first time, when flying to a new destination if you can snag a window seat, do it. Your family and friends will thank you when they're forced to flip through countless photos on your Facebook page.

Our recent trip to Singapore was no exception. More specifically, our Scoot flight offered more plane-window Kodak moments then our camera battery could take.

This particular flight takes us over the dead center of Australia and onto the vast volcanic archipelago of Indonesia.

As soon as one set of small islands would pass our viewfinder, our journey brought us to the next unique grouping of islands, all looking more and more tropical as we neared the equator.

more ›

/ / / / / / /

AirAsia is Big Ballin' and Shotcallin' in Indonesia

Where: Indonesia
August 1, 2012 at 10:06 AM | by | Comments (0)

It isn't often we see airline balance sheets so much in the black that they can acquire entire other airlines at the drop of a hat. Except that's exactly how things played out for AirAsia last week when it went to the ATM and bought its competitor, Batavia Air.

What the Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia did was fork over $80 million cash for the Jakarta-based Batavia. $80 million. In big ballin' bills. Yep, no interest rates, no late payment fees...cash.

more ›

/ / / / / / / /

New Airline Alert: Indonesia's Batik Air

Where: Indonesia
June 12, 2012 at 11:21 AM | by | Comments (0)

Indonesia has just gotten even more accessible for travel to their tropical paradise. With the introduction of a premium subsidiary, Lion Air will try to go head-to-head with the national flag carrier, Garuda. Batik Air is planning to get their birds in the sky by March of next year.

Usually, we see premium airlines creating low-cost offshoots, but this the exact opposite. Lion Air is the low-cost carrier while Batik will be the one with higher ticker prices and, to go with it, high levels of service. It's to be based out of Jakarta, flying to South and East Asian destinations and Australia.

more ›

/ / / / / /

Wanna Go to Bali? Bring Your English Skills and School Supplies.

Where: Bali, Indonesia
June 6, 2012 at 2:31 PM | by | Comment (1)

Bali residents may live in paradise, but that doesn't guarantee them a lifetime free from poverty. Families that struggle to provide also struggle to educate their children, which is where you can help.

Some volunteer organizations have been working towards giving children in Bali the education they deserve, including i-to-i Volunteering.

more ›

/ / / / / / / / / / / / /

Swim, Surf, Lunch, Tan, Plane Spot, Repeat. That's the Bali Formula.

May 23, 2012 at 10:08 AM | by | Comments (0)

We have a little secret, and it involved airplanes, seafood, blue waters and, if you've got 'em, binoculars. It's the secret to what is probably the best place to plane spot on the exotic Indonesia island of Bali: the south seafood warungs of Jimbaran Bay.

Finding it was a total fluke. We weren't even trying to plane spot, we swear! We were hungry. We heard the Jimbaran seafood warungs (super casual, mostly outdoor cafes) were good. We heard the ones on the southern end of the big beach were great. Now what makes them excellent: a perfect viewing angle for watching all variety of airplanes take off from Bali-Denpasar Airport's runway that juts out in the ocean.

more ›

/ / / / / / / / / /

What's Cookin' Good Lookin': Garuda Indonesia's Secret Recipes

Where: Indonesia
May 11, 2012 at 11:42 AM | by | Comments (0)

...And we're not talking in-flight food, but off-flight food.

Did you know that in-flight entertainment systems can be more than just an avenue for catching up on episodes of 30 Rock or Gossip Girl? Well, on Garuda Indonesia, there's heaps of information in a very well stocked seatback TV.

When we perused the offerings to watch some television on a recent Garuda flight, we found more than just Bahasa-language sitcoms. Since we don't speak enough of the language to even get one wise-crack, we opted to go deeper into the pages and pages designed to keep passengers happy until final approach.

more ›

/ / / / /

Foreign Grocery Friday: The Cheese Tim Tams of Indonesia

Where: Bali, Indonesia
May 4, 2012 at 1:50 PM | by | Comments (0)

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

You may remember when we told you about Tim Tams, the favorite Australian cookie. Sweet layers of chocolate cookie, with a creamy chocolate center all covered in what else but chocolate. Along with most Australians and visitors, Tim Tams are something of an addiction for us. That's why we were not only excited to find a new flavor, but super intrigued by the unique taste. Cheese!?

We always had the idea that Tim Tams were for an after-dinner treat or something a bit more sinful when we are feeling naughty. While shopping at a grocery store in Seminyak, Bali, this unique flavor offering threw us off and we just had to get them for a little nibble.

more ›

/ / / / / / / /

An Awesome Day on Bali: Sinking to a Cliffside Sunset

April 27, 2012 at 9:51 PM | by | Comments (0)

BALI. For some, the word conjures up images of infinity pools, surfing beaches and tropical temples. For others, it's a nightmare of topless tourists and sweaty sightseeing. Well, we just got back ourselves and we, with the help of tips from friends and locals, did something in between...something that turned out to be awesome. Put on the SPF, hire a car* and join us this week as we reveal an An Awesome Day on Bali (Jaunted-style).

Our awesome day on Bali comes to a close with the sunset. It's not just any sunset, you see; it's a Bali sunset and Bali sunsets are legendary. Therefore, to see a Bali sunset you should have somewhere completely fabulous to sit. We found that place in The Rock Bar at The Ayana Hotel, just south of Jimbaran Bay.

It actually came as a recommendation to us from @Asia_Surf, who's making a nomadic, surf-and-party living on Bali just fine. In other words, he's a reliable source for these things.

more ›

Use of this Site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (effective 3/21/12) and Privacy Policy (effective 3/21/12). © Condé Nast. Your California Privacy Rights. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast.
Ad Choices