One cannot claim to have been to Bali before going to Ubud. Likewise, one cannot claim to have been to Ubud before exploring the palace: Puri Ubud. Only by watching performances of Balinese dance in the nightly cultural performances in the outer compound of the Palace can one's visit of Ubud become a culturally complete trip...more

After the 2002 atrocities in Kuta people were saying, "this is a one off, Bali will learn from it and bounce back". And bounce back it did, tourist numbers recovered by the end of 2004 and the property market went into overdrive through 2005....more

When it comes to choosing wine, 97% of consumers make their wine selection based on the design of the label, within a particular price bracket. The odds are really in favour of the savvy wine marketer, who dress up their wines in high shouldered, statuesque bottles and colourful capsules...more

The barong—that bushy-tailed, bulging-eyed beast—is one of Bali's greatest cultural hits. As a jet-set visitor to the "Island of the Gods", you know the creature as the winsome hero of the barong dance or as the confounded cause of some interminable traffic snarl...more

Twenty years ago every warung kopi offered a selection of tasty little cakes, and almost every girl knew how to make them. Now even in the back country lanes, the warungs offer only plastic-wrapped bread rolls and mass-produced snacks, with nary a dusting of fresh coconut in sight. Bali's unique sweets may be in danger of extinction...more