I don't know about you but my first night sleep in bali is always the longest night of my life. I am so excited and just want to get up and explore and shop and see friends so I usually have a restless sleep. They are digging up the road at the moment Padma utara between Bamboo Corner and Posers Bar and are laying concrete pipes to help with the flooding in the streets.
Due to the various roadworks going on around Legian, the traffic is changed daily with bulk trafffic being directed down Garlic lane as a main thoroughfare!!!!!!
There appeared more beggars along Padma Utara than last year and many kids which we nicknamed the street kids who were out in droves selling leather bracelets for 5000rp. Many of these kids don't go to school because their parents can't afford to send them which is a real shame. We used to buy them icecreams or treats sometimes in the evenings which they loved.
Not many tourists around and it is heartbreaking when shopping as every single person we would walk past would ask us to buy something or offer massages, plait your hair, manicure etc. They appear to be very desperate for business, but always manage to smile and be pleasant.
RESTAURANTS
We mainly stuck to the places that we had the most fun and yummy meals.
Dolphins (dare I mention the word!!) in Garlic Lane, Lou Lou and Made the girls that looked after us there are the funniest ladies we have met over there. Because my husband was the only token male in our party they were fussing over him and playing up to him. We had many laughs there and the food was great and very reasonable.
OUR'S (next door to Dolphins) again the staff make the place. nothing is too much hassle and the food is fantastic and cheap too. They even decorated the restaurant for some aussie girls 18th birthday, so nothing is too much trouble.
Indonational Padma st great food good price
Seaside Cafe on beach just down from Jayakarta. Great place to view the sunset and menu is okay as well. They have salsa dancing on a Sunday night and they teach you to do it too!!
Pantai Restaurant Tuban, I had read so much about this restaurant on the forum so was very anxious to make the trip there. the setting is wonderful and a great place to watch the sunset, but the food was nothing spectacular, but I would go back and maybe try something different on the menu. Small servings and reasonably priced.
La Monde Padma utara opposite Garden view. great food and reasonably priced.
JeJe's restaurant (formerly rum jungle restaurant) one of our favourites. The chicken schnitzels and parmigarnas are awesome and very big. the kids eat the whole lot at this place. they have a pool table you can use and music playing and its just behind bamboo corner.
Krispy Kreme Donuts Discovery Mall
I have never seen so many employees behind the counter in my life. The day we went there was about 15 staff there. orginal glazed 5300rp each and you could buy a dozen mixed 60,000rp yummo
Kathy