Weekly Snapshot: Karangasem Rice Fields

A view of the rice fields near Amlapura, Karangasem, east Bali.

Click here to see more of my snapshots of Bali, Indonesia!

Made in Bali: Natural Mosquito Repellent by Neemba

Following on from the last post in my Made in Bali I would like to tell you about a product which I use on an almost daily basis, Neemba's Mosquito Spray, made from natural substances contained in neem seed extracts, along with lavender, citronella and velvet extract. 



As you probably know, malaria is extremely rare in Bali but you should bear in mind the risk of dengue fever as it is more common than malaria. Therefore, a good mosquito repellent in Bali is a must.

Although Neemba's Mosquito Spray does not contain any DEET, it uses a natural ingredient that has been known for centuries to keep mosquitoes away: citronella.


Being natural, it is a great repellent to put on at night as it is not sticky, greasy or oily like many other commercially available mosquito repellents sold here in Bali (Autan and Soffel are two which, after putting them on, are so greasy that I can't sleep).


You can order online direct from Neemba (which is the cheapest) or you can buy it in shops such as Little Tree on Sunset Road (on the opposite side of the road and a few hundred metres down from Carrefour).

Made in Bali: Raw Chocolate - Narkabo (85% Cacao)

For the next installment in the Made in Bali mini-series, I thought I'd do a post for all of you who love healthy or raw food, and those of you who love chocolate, as it is now possible to find healthy, raw chocolate made in Bali! It is currently produced under the simple brand name of Bali Chocolate.

The different processing stages of the
raw gojiberry chocolate and coconut syrup

There are a few different varieties, mainly the Narkabo Chocolate Nibbles which are available with 69% cacao/cocoa or 85% cacao/cocoa, with gojiberry thrown in for some extra goodness! As it says on the box,this organic and natural dark chocolate is 'Rich in magnesium, full of anti-oxidants and [is] the best brain food ever'.  


There's also other goodies available like Bali Krunch, a snack-sized bar of crunchy (but sweet) rice coated in dark chocolate and the Deep Tropic Natural Coconut Syrup made from the fallen coconuts of the surrounding trees.

My personal favourite,
the Narkabo Chocolate
Nibbles with 85% cocoa/
cacao.

Obviously, being raw, dark chocolate, it is not as sweet as the usual stuff you find in supermarkets and corner shops but the health benefits of 85% cacao/cocoa chocolate are already well known.

I can only state for definite that Narkabo Chocolate is available in Zula Vegetarian Paradise in Jl. Dhyana Pura (Seminyak) and its sister-business the Earth Cafe in Oberoi. Also, you can check out Bali Chocolate's website for info on the history of chocolate and its benefits and uses past and present. You can also fill out their contact form to speak to them directly.

Weekly Snapshot: Impossibles Surf with my GoPro

A still photo taken from my GoPro camera surfing at Impossibles, Bali.

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Weekly Snapshot: Galungan 2012 Penjor Decorations

A decorative bamboo pole (or penjor) for Galungan back in February 2012 in Denpasar, Bali.

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Weekly Snapshot: Taman Ujung Water Palace

A statue overlooking the water at Taman Ujung Water Palace, Karangasem, east Bali.

Click here to see more of my snapshots of Bali, Indonesia!

Made in Bali: Geko Grip Surf Wax

Continuing on with the Made in Bali series, I've decided to write a short post about Geko Grip Surf Wax as it's locally made and I think it works pretty well.

When arriving in Bali, you will see the stuff all around in surf shops everywhere and it is generally the cheapest wax also.

You might also want to check out their site which shows that these guys don't take themselves too seriously ('Made in the shade in Bali, Indonesia since who cares!').

They also do four different types of wax for different seas/water temperatures - check it out!

You could also check out my post on the price of surf stuff and surfboards in Bali/Kuta for further info on all things surf-related.

Cheers & happy surfing!

Made in Bali: Ketut's All-natural Bali Muesli

For the next post in the Made in Bali series, I thought I'd give you a heads up on a great new product that should keep many of you Bali expats happy, a locally made muesli, called simply Ketut's Muesli!


I have just bought the Tropical Fruit variety from Papaya Supermarket in Kuta and it tastes great. As with all muesli in Bali, it's not that cheap, at around 67,000 Rp for a 500g bag, but a bag should
last you more than a week as the stuff's so filling, and on top of that it's all natural, made in Bali, and extremely healthy! Check out the pics for the ingredients!

For further contact info, call Ketut on 0361 8605228 or e-mail him: originalbalimuesli(at)gmail.com (Please insert @ symbol, I have removed it to avoid spamming!)

Enjoy! I certainly am! :-D