Lombok, located in the Lessser Sundra Islands, was Island #2. Sparsely populated Sumbawa, Komodo, Rinca and Flores would follow on this, the island route less traveled. Cendana Resort & Spa, Ubud transferred us back to Denpasar International Airport after another hearty breakfast with cheese jaffles instead of banana jaffles (those fritter like yummies). Allow plenty of time [...]
“Travel Tips & Advice on Java and Bali”
From Bali to Lombok in The Lesser Sundra Islands
April 20th, 2012 
Sheila Simkin 
Posted in Featured, Java and Bali, Lombok 
Tags: adventure, airlines, culture, destination, events, Indonesia, Lesser Sundra Islands, log, Lombok, Mataram, nature, restaurants, sightseeing, transportation, travel 
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What to Do in Ubud, Bali? Get Templed Out!
April 18th, 2012 Sheila Simkin “Pura” is the correct name when referring to a Balinese Hindu Temple, a little technicality I always seems to forget. However, I’ll refer to them as both “Pura” and Temple throughout this article. There is a reason why Bali is called the “Island of 10.000 Temples” (or “Island of the Gods”) as you’ll see for yourself. [...]
Posted in Featured, Java and Bali Tags: adventure, Bali, Balinese temples, culture, destination, events, Hindu, Indonesia, log, nature, religion, restaurants, sightseeing, travel, Ubud No Comments »
What to Do in Ubud? Take A Cooking Class and Eat
April 17th, 2012 Sheila Simkin Have you ever taken a cooking class? What better time than on vacation. ex-Marine and I watched a Bumi Bali class in progress last time and their food looked pretty darn good (they also have a restaurant). Rates are 250,000 IDR ($25 U.S.) a person for a half day class, reserve 24 hours in advance. Bumi [...]
Posted in Featured, Java and Bali Tags: adventure, airlines, Bali, Bumi Bali, cooking, cooking class, culture, destination, event, events, hotels, Indonesia, Kafe Batan Waru, log, nature, restaurants, sightseeing, travel, Ubud No Comments »
What to Do in Ubud? Dancing and Drugs (the Pharmaceutical kind!)
April 16th, 2012 Sheila Simkin Ubud is famous for it’s nightly traditional dance performances. Kecak Fire, Trance, Legong, and shadow puppets arranged for tourists on a regular schedule. Each takes place on different nights and at different locations. The Tourist office has a schedule of all performances.Many of the travel agents and tourist agents can provide programs, and book seats [...]
Posted in Featured, Java and Bali Tags: adventure, Bali, culture, dances, destination, event, Indonesia, Kecak, Kima Pharma, Legong, log, nature, sightseeing, travel, Ubud No Comments »
What to Do in Ubud? Visit The Central Market and Craft Villages
April 15th, 2012 Sheila Simkin Ubud’s neighboring villages are each known for a speciality: weaving, silver, painting, wood carvings, stone carvings, furniture, bamboo crafts (all within a 5 kilometer/3.1 mile radius of the Central Market) and that’s all we saw on the ride from Seminyak to Ubud. Shop after shop along the road with fabulous looking “stuff” to buy. I [...]
Posted in Featured, Java and Bali Tags: adventure, Bali, central market, crafts, culture, destination, event, log, markets, nature, sightseeing, travel, Ubud No Comments »
Cendana Resort & Spa in Ubud
April 14th, 2012 Sheila Simkin I agonized for weeks before finally selecting the Cendana Resort & Spafor our stay in Ubud. Looked at one hotel, than another; e-mailed back and forth; read reviews; and made myself completely crazy. It came down to Cendana for two reasons: Proximity to Monkey Forest Road in the center of Ubud Village where the majority [...]
Posted in Featured, Java and Bali Tags: accommodations, adventure, airlines, Bali, Cendana Resort & Spa, culture, destination, events, hotels, Indonesia, log, nature, review, sightseeing, travel, Ubud No Comments »
The Magical Island Destination of Bali
April 13th, 2012 Sheila Simkin Forget all the “Eat, Pray, Love” hype for Bali (on a side-note, I hated the movie). Bali has been on everybody’s list as the “go-to” destination for eons. Unlike South Bali (Kuta Beach, Legian, and Sanur visited in 1980), Ubud is gentler, and culturally richer. Read already published articles with details about our previous in-and-out [...]
Posted in Featured, Java and Bali, Singapore Tags: adventure, Bali, culture, destination, events, Indonesia, log, sightseeing, singapore, Singapore Airlines, transportation, travel, Ubud, visas on arrival No Comments »
Visiting Indonesia? Know Before You Go!
April 9th, 2012 Sheila Simkin Travel Insurance? Some don’t buy travel insurance, we always do…just in case. These trips are too expensive to risk losing everything if any problems arise. Case in point? We recently cancelled a hiking trip when Steve developed back problems. Travel Guard reimbursed every penny of the deposit without any hassles. Contact Travel Guard for insurance needs. [...]
Posted in Featured, Java and Bali, Lesser Sundra Islands Tags: adventure, airlines, Bali, culture, Denpasar, destination, event, Flores, hotels, Indonesia, Komodo Islands, log, Lombok, nature, sightseeing, Sumbawa, transportation, travel, Ubud 3 Comments »
Visiting Indonesia? How to Plan Air and Hotels
April 8th, 2012 Sheila Simkin Air? Our carrier of choice, United Airlines doesn’t fly to Indonesia. Actually, no airline flies direct to Indonesia from the United States. Search Booking Buddy, Priceline, Expedia, Flight Network, Orbitz, CheapOair.com. for schedules and possibilities. Happy Trails would take care of the inter-island flights. Flights to Indonesia always involve flying somewhere else first. The airlines with [...]
Posted in Featured, Java and Bali, Lesser Sundra Islands, Singapore Tags: adventure, airlines, Bali, Cendana Resort and Spa, Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Hotel, culture, destination, event, free airline tickets, Fullerton Hotel, hotel tips, hotels, log, nature, sightseeing, singapore, Singapore Airlines, transportation tips, travel, Ubud, United Airlines No Comments »
Revisiting Indonesia – Bali, Lombok and The Lesser Sundra Islands
April 7th, 2012 Sheila Simkin Past trips to Indonesia have included: – A beyond incredible exploration of Sulawesi with Toraja-land the mother of all sights a few years ago; – Borneo with personality-plus Orangutans and Dayak villages; and – An Imaginative Traveller journey through Java and Bali (click on Adventure Center’s offerings on this site for more about this trip). [...]
Posted in Featured, Java and Bali, Lesser Sundra Islands Tags: adventure, Bali, culture, destination, event, Flores, Indonesia, Komodo Islands, log, Lombok, nature, sightseeing, Sumbawa, travel, Ubud No Comments »
