See the World Differently
The tiny faces glared at us, wild eyes popping and teeth bared angrily. The message was clear: stay away. In the centre of the twisted mass was yet another face, much bigger than the rest. With eyebrows raised and mouth gaping wide it looked more surprised, staring at some unknown curiosity in the distance. We […]
Arriving at Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, we expected to see a temple. Instead we walked into immaculately manicured gardens. Wide lawns were broken up by colourful flower beds, a stupa and the occasional garishly painted animal statue. Most bizarre were the carefully sculpted vines adorned with animal’s faces and ferocious claws. Leafy owls and eagles […]
Escaping the chaos of the main street, with its tacky souvenir shops, crowded cafes and taxi traffic jam, we weaved through a restaurant and out onto the steps behind. The silence enveloped us as we stood in awe of the view. Golden rice terraces stretched the length of the valley, as far as the eye […]
Beyond the black sand beaches of Tulamben, on the coast of Bali, tufts of coral and brightly coloured sponges cling to the otherwise sparse volcanic slope. For those taking the time to look, these are the best places for divers to find the weirdest and most wonderful critters. Seahorses are just one of the many […]
With fresh, flavoursome food, there’s always something interesting to eat in Bali. A blend of Chinese and Indian influences gives the fare of this corner of Indonesia a unique style. Balinese food is often lightly spiced and enhanced with peanuts or coconut. Here is our guide to the dishes most commonly appearing on menus in […]
A constant stream of worshippers made their way up the stone stairs to the split gate that marked the entrance to the temple. The men wore white headbands. The women sported sashes and carried huge woven baskets on their heads. Everyone had a brightly coloured sarong wrapped around their waist. Even the statues lining the […]
The eel garden stretched out before us, hundreds of slender bodies waving like blades of grass as their tiny heads bobbed to the beat of their own drums. As we cruised above them, the garden eels slowly slipped deeper into their burrows until only their heads were visible. After we had passed by, they regained […]
We heard the squeals of excitement moments before a furry blur darted across the summit of Mount Batur in front of us. Seconds later the rest of the troupe appeared, a mixed group of gnarly, wizened elders, mohawk sporting babies and everything in between. The macaques scurried around, inspecting discarded banana skins and hoovering up […]
The eager tourist patiently held the banana above his head. He didn’t have to wait long before one of the hungry monkeys started to climb up his legs and body. It finally adopted the quintessential photogenic pose on top of his head. As his friend darted around snapping pictures, the monkey suffered a moment of […]
Hovering silently in the dusky gloom we watched for signs of movement. We finally spotted our target as she prowled in and around the coral reef searching for an unsuspecting victim. Dressed to impress in electric blue and orange, this mandarinfish was sure to capture the attention of any virile young bachelor. We could see […]