Weekly Snapshot: Wooden Surfboard by Vince Surfboards Bali

                                   A beautiful wooden surfboard made by Vince Surfboards in Pemogan, Bali.

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

Bali for Vegetarians: Happy Buddha , Kuta

Welcome to our new series, Bali for vegetarians! Clicking the previous link will send you to a page containing all of the posts in this series for easy browsing.

For this second post in the series, I've  decided to write about the Happy Buddha in Kuta, which is situated on Jl. Raya Kuta 143. Just like the Loving Hut in Denpasar, the Happy Buddha might take you a while to find, but it is worth it.

 

A small, modest family restaurant, it is run by a Buddhist family who cater mainly for Indonesians but their menu is also in English. As is popular in many of Bali's vegetarian restaurants, they serve lots of the mock meats but they also a wide range of traditional Indonesian vegetarian recipes, all at bargain basement prices. You can eat a hearty meal here and have a drink for US$2.50.

Do not be put off by the service - the family who run it are not trained in customer service but that is not to say they are impolite, they just seem a little awkward. I should also add that they make some nice fresh juices which I would recommend. The Happy Buddha was my lunchtime stop-off spot also as the service is usually very quick.

As for finding Happy Buddha Vegetarian Restaurant, I can tell you that it is on the northern side of Jalan Raya Kuta, the same side of the road as the Bali Bakery, or the opposite side of the road to Harris Hotel. It is nestled in a small pertokoan (a cluster of small shops/businesses) and can be easily missed. If you go past Purimas Bakery on your left, you have gone too far. Keep an eye out for a Pegadaian banner - it's just next door. I have also been told that taxi drivers do not know where it is (understandable given the amount of small restaurants in Kuta!) so be warned.

Here's a map for the Loving Hut in Denpasar!

Click here for more  recommendations for vegetarians in Bali, Indonesia! 

Also, check out Happy Cow's page on Bali - a great reference!

Weekly Snapshot: Balinese Dragonfly

                                       A Balinese dragonfly rests on its perch in Kerobokan, Bali.

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

Bali for Vegetarians: Loving Hut, Denpasar

Welcome to our new series, Bali for vegetarians! Clicking the previous link will send you to a page containing all of the posts in this series for easy browsing.

First up, I thought I'd write a quick note about the Loving Hut in Denpasar, which is situated just of Jl. Jendral Sudirman in Denpasar, at the Watureggong end. It's not the easiest to find, being quite firmly nestled in the office and shopping centre but parking isn't too much of a problem.

 

From the outside, it has a very clean appearance with lots of sparkling white surfaces and a glass-front facade. Going inside it also maintains this clean appearance as, by Indonesian standards, it seems spotless.

However, there are 2 main problems that I have experienced at the Loving Hut in Denpasar:

1. The food was good one time, poor the next two - we ordered some potato wedges which had clearly been microwaved and were still partly frozen inside. When my girlfriend (who's Indonesian) explained the situation to the waitress, the girl replied 'And what?'....not the most helpful response! After explaining that she could cook them in the microwave a little longer, they then came back burnt to a crisp.
2. The service - the Loving Hut is well staffed in terms of numbers but they just seem content to sit around chatting to each other and ignore most of the customers! I had to go up to the counter twice to place an order as they didn't want to come to the table (in a table-service restaurant!!). They were also pretty grumpy. 

So, although the Loving Hut in Denpasar does have some good food on its menu, its poor service and staff can make it a frustrating experience. However, I'd still say it's worth a try as the first time we went was fine.

Here's a map for the Loving Hut in Denpasar!

View Larger Map

Click here for more  recommendations for vegetarians in Bali, Indonesia! 

Also, check out Happy Cow's page on Bali - a great reference!

Bali Bombings: 10 Years On

10 long years have passed since the horrific events of October 12th 2002, which left 202 people dead and countless more injured, mamed and mourning. They shall never be forgotten.

Life in Bali on Internations!

Hi guys - just a quick update to say that our friends over at Internations.org have recently been asking me some questions about my blog and living in Bali - you can check it out here: Internations - Stephen: Life in Bali.

It's a useful site for any of you thinking on moving over as it has an expat network and they seem to organise regular events for people to get involved in, a definite bonus if you're new to the island!