Travelfish newsletter Issue 332 : Nusa Dua + Surfing nappies + Renew your account made easy!
Hi all,
This week we have new coverage for Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa in Bali—a bit of a lux enclave which nevertheless has some good attractions, distractions and, of course, plenty of good eating.
Last week’s Soapbox generated quite a bit of feedback—thank you to all who made the time to email us their thoughts. A special thanks to Kate Veitch who sent us a link to an essay on photography she wrote some time ago. With her permission we have republished it on the Travelfish forum, please do give it a read—we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Some minor housekeeping, we have added a far simpler way for existing members to renew their accounts. If your account has expired and you want to renew, please just go to the site, log in and then go to the homepage—you should see an option to do it there and then. There you go, that only took us two years to set up!
Good travels,
Stuart, Sam and the Travelfish crew
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Soapbox
Nappies surf
Here in Bali we’re in the last throes of dry season—a last fortnight of scalding heat that seems to turn every motorcyclist into a mad dog and the one time of the year I actually use my air-conditioner.
The heat precedes the beginning of the wet, and last week South Bali got a taste of what is to come, with a cracking thunderstorm and the predictable flooding. Thankfully I was away (the house flooded) for the storm, but I returned the day after and the following day we headed down to the beach for sunset drinks.
The storm had gushed through Seminyak and Canggu’s paltry drainage systems, flooding six months of waste out and onto the beaches—the beach was filthy. In the shallows, tourists, locals and foreigners alike filled to the brim industrial black plastic bags full of flotsam one after the other. It was a good gesture, but the ocean was literally covered in waste.
Some was natural detritus—leaf litter and snapped tree branches—but much was plastic. Water bottles, nappies, plastic bags, flip flops and on and on and on.
As the rains increase, more and more will be washed out and then the prevailing onshore breeze will blow it straight back onto the beach, depositing it at the high water mark, where on some stretches of beach it is bulldozed into pyres metres in height and burnt or dragged off ... somewhere.
Swimming? Forget it. We braved the waste a few years ago and scored a nappy to the face while swimming over a wave.
As the problem worsens through November and into December, expect the annual cycle of hand wringing and press coverage asking what needs to be done? Sadly the answers have been clear for years, yet Indonesia continues to approach the problem at a molasses–like pace.
Our advice? If you want to swim in the ocean, go somewhere else, at least until March. Do not even bother coming to Bali. Thailand, while it lacks a decent wave, does seem to be doing a slightly better job of getting a handle on this, so consider there as an alternative.
Perhaps, when the tourists finally stop coming, the authorities will get off their butts and do something.
If you do decide to come anyway, Trash Hero Canggu stages weekend clean-ups, so why not set aside a half day to spend with them. You can read more about Trash Hero here.
Good travels,
Stuart
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Featured
Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa
Arguably the least Balinese place in all of Bali, the luxury enclave of Nusa Dua dates back to the 1970’s when it was thought to be desirable to keep those decadent foreigners well separated from the locals. Fast forward a few decades and we have a whos who of luxury hotels plonked down side by side along the seashore. Is it worth a look?
Well the lux digs are not really our scene, but we did find a budget hostel which may appeal should you need to hang out in the area, but generally we’d point you a bit further north of this lost horizon, where, virtually giving Bali the middle finger, sits the once sleepy fishing village of Tanjung Benoa. There you’ll find a reasonable selection of mid–priced digs.
High tide or low tide, still pretty. Photo: Sally Arnold
So yes we’d say the area is worth visiting, and perhaps even staying at, and here’s why.
For starters you have the Museum Pasifika that proves the point that one need not travel to Ubud to enjoy the art scene. In fact even if you were staying in Ubud, with a loose day we’d say consider a trip down to Nusa Dua to enjoy some more art and culture near the sea.
BPretty colours as the sun goes down. Photo: Sally Arnold
Secondly, Tanjung Benoa is home to what we still consider to be one of the best cooking schools on the island—Bumbu Bali. Not cheap, but you’ll not just fill your belly after learning to cook, you’ll also learn a whole slice of what happens behind the scenes in Bali’s food scene. Do make the effort to start early to fit in the visit to Jimbaran Fish Markets.
Last but not least, while most think of Kuta and Legian when if comes to water sports in Bali, Tanjung Benoa is home to far more than surf boards with everything from jet skis and banana boats to sea walking are parasailing and, well, anything else that involves being dragged around in the water at high speed.
For when the surf is up. Photo: Sally Arnold
There’s also a fabulous massage spot (Jari Menai, also with a branch in Seminyak), a few temples worth a look, a blowhole and even a pirate ship which may appeal to younger travellers.
Even though this is a solidly tourist–orientated enclave that doesn't mean all the food is toned down for foreign taste. In fact you’ll get some excellent local fare—you just need to know where to look. Luckily for you, we have already looked for you.
So overall, while Nusa Dua would not be the first place we’d head to in Bali, if you do happen to find yourself there, don’t fret—there is plenty to do ... and eat.
Read more about Nusa Dua here.
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News from the region
BURMA: Where Myanmar went wrong
“Suu Kyi’s promise to pursue ethnic peace was a tactical mistake, however, since she has little influence over how the military wages its wars against ethnic armed organizations, and the idea of a federal system is anathema to the generals. ”
CAMBODIA I; Khmer Rouge’s slaughter in Cambodia is ruled a genocide
“On Friday morning — four decades after a total of at least 1.7 million people, a fifth of Cambodia’s population, were culled by execution, overwork, disease and famine — an international tribunal for the first time declared that the Khmer Rouge committed genocide against the Muslim Cham minority and Vietnamese.”
CAMBODIA II: A way of life, washed away
“But despite many being born here and tracing their familial roots in Cambodia back generations, the vast majority of ethnic Vietnamese are either considered illegal immigrants or possess immigration cards, rather than Cambodian identity cards.”
CAMBODIA III: New life beckons for multilingual Cambodian boy at centre of viral video
“Salik, a slight 14-year-old, has become an overnight online star after a Malaysian visitor to the temples posted a video on Facebook of her interaction with him where he speaks in 10 different languages.”
INDONESIA I: 'Waria' told to leave their home in Jakarta amid anti-LGBT campaign
“She attributed the threats to rising anti-LGBT sentiment in the country particularly ahead of the presidential and legislative elections next year, as anti-LGBT statements have been employed by politicians to get votes.”
INDONESIA II: Indonesia mosques spreading radicalism to government workers
“Some clerics also called on the faithful to commit violence on behalf of IS - which claimed the May bombing attacks in Surabaya - and spread hatred or vilify Indonesia's minority religions, which include Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism.”
INDONESIA III: Indonesia: dead whale had 1,000 pieces of plastic in stomach
“Santoso said researchers from wildlife conservation group WWF and the park’s conservation academy found about 5.9kg (13lbs) of plastic waste in the animal’s stomach containing 115 plastic cups, four plastic bottles, 25 plastic bags, two flip-flops, a nylon sack and more than 1,000 other assorted pieces of plastic.”
THAILAND I: Calls for a ban on child boxing grow in Thailand
“Anucha had taken part in more than 170 fights since the age of 8 ...”
THAILAND II: Tourist Police target rental operators over unlicensed tourists renting motorbikes
“In announcing the launch, the Phuket Provincial Police Commander at the time, Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen, explained that any person or business that rented out a vehicle to an unlicensed tourist will be fined B2,000 per instance.”
VIETNAM: “From Hell to Hollywood” and back, Nick Ut’s home
“Nick Ut tried to calm himself, hoping that everyone in the town had escaped, only to see a group of children dashing out of the black smoke.”
Travel writing
BURMA: A home for Om: Yoga in Yangon
“Here’s a list of the studios in the commercial capital that are strengthening and expanding this ancient Indian tradition.”
TRAVEL WRITING: I found the best burger place in America. And then I killed it
When your all time fave place asks you not to list them do you honour their request or do you honour your readers who are paying you to tell them the best?
THAILAND I: The food of Northern Thailand PDF
A free downloadable PDF for places to scoff in Northern Thailand (review coming soon!).
THAILAND II: Bangkok’s tallest building opens skywalk
“Tickets to the skywalk? They come at two levels: 850 baht tickets offer access to the 74th floor, while 1,050 baht tickets offer access to all the three floors (74th, 75th and 78th).”
VIETNAM I: What we talk about when we talk about bánh mì
“This one, however, comes with a type of soy sauce that’s infused with garlic and chili flakes. The condiment alone deserves a place in heaven, should heaven exist.”
VIETNAM II: Phu Quoc’s beaches
“As a general rule, the south and western coast is increasingly developed and in the midst of major construction; whereas the north and eastern coast is still quiet and relatively untouched. Use this maxim as a guide to which part of the island may suit you best.”
Interesting site
Jakarta Now
A one stop stop for what is going down in the Indonesian capital.
Travel shot
At the aptly named Waterblow. Photo: Sally Arnold
Till next time
That’s it from us for now. As usual, enjoy the site’s new additions and drop us a line if there’s something in particular you’d like us to cover in Southeast Asia.
Travel light!
Stuart, Sam & the Travelfish team
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