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Text & Photos : Leonard Theosabrata
| It is a nice feeling to arrive in Bali, especially when it’s for a holiday, the island possessed an intoxicating air of that ultimate retreat, a mix of laid back lifestyle with availability of modern amenities, which is great for a poster boy for city dwellers like myself, we are not built to be released in a secluded island, we still need to be in touch with civilization and the rest of modern world, so thus Bali is ideal for just that.
I’m sure there are many writings about Bali on the net that can lure people to come and experience Bali first hand, but what I would like to do is to write a memoir of this particular trip, which I hope can give you some insight. I strongly suggest skipping the touristic agenda, unless it is your first time, and go straight to create your own Bali experience, I would also avoid big chain hotels and pick a nice villa in an area where your most activities will take place, for me and my family that would be Seminyak area, the now uber-trendy area of Bali is popular with both local and international crowd with less backpackers and more sophistication. We choose the area because of its convenience, you can travel less than 10 minutes to a number of interesting places, so you can spend more time relaxing than in traffic, or go on foot if you prefer.
After settling at the villa, we met up with our friends, a Canadian couple, it’s their first time in Bali, so they did the horseback riding on the beach and other touristic thing prior meeting with us, so then we can focus on the first agenda of the day, which happens to be shopping, Seminyak area have an abundance of interesting shops selling from fashion to accessories and crafts, the selection seem to change from year |
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to year, some survived the passing trends and others failed to keep up with changes, but that is part of the excitement, you always see something new.
One of the few that sticks out is a shop called SKS ( Simple Konsep Store ) on Jalan Lesmana who happens to sell Accupunto and recently also carry selected WhiteBoard Journal merchandize in their wonderful shop. Its good mix of traditionally inspired and international products, Mario Gerotto, the owner, is a unique guy, a cross between a retired punk rocker and fashion’s wild card, ultimately his products speaks for itself, I picked up this summer shorts by Nakal ( SKS house brand ), I swear by its comfort level around the waist area, especially if you are not the athletic kind like myself, I would wear this with Whiteboards White Henley Tee and a pair of Castaner slip on, another great item I saw is this killer fixed gear bike, with Cinelli frames, Brooks leather seats, and the best of all, front brakes, hell!! Not all of us can ride like a New York’s bike messenger. While having lunch at Warung Itali on Jalan Kunti, Mario introduced me to a prominent jewelry designer, Johnny Ramli, whose shop Wrkshp 13 in Petitenget is one of the best places in Bali to pickup jewelry and accessories, Johnny lived in Jakarta and studied in Australia, before settling in Bali.
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