Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Charter Transport
It's easy to find a vehicle to charter - just
walk down a street and you will be assailed
with offers of 'transport'. And, just in case
you don't understand, the driver will ef-
fusively gesticulate the motions of driving
a car.
A full-day, eight-hour charter should run
between 300,000Rp and 400,000Rp, but more
if it's non-stop driving over a long distance.
You can estimate a price for shorter trips
on a proportional basis, but you'll have to
bargain. The 'first price' for transport can be
truly outrageous.
Medical Ser vices
Taiga Pharmacy (
SEMINYAK
Seminyak may be next immediately north of
Kuta and Legian, but in many respects it feels
like it's almost on another island. It's flash,
brash, phoney and filled with bony models. It
is the centre of life for hordes of the island's ex-
pats, many of whom own boutiques or design
clothes, surf, or seem to do nothing at all.
It's also a very exciting place to be. It's
home to dozens of restaurants and clubs.
And it seems that when a hot new place opens,
it's in Seminyak. Along Jl Legian and its suc-
cessor in the north, Jl Raya Seminyak, and
the odd side street, are a wealth of creative
shops and galleries. World-class hotels line
the beach. And what a beach it is, as deep and
sandy as Kuta's but less crowded.
There's a lot of good and bad about Semi-
nyak that seems to be taken from the pages of
a glossy magazine, but there's also surprises.
Not every beachfront hotel is world-class or
charges world-class prices. All those restau-
rants and clubs combine to give the great-
est choice of style and budget on Bali. And
sure there are exclusive boutiques, but there
are also workshops where everything is whole-
sale. And just when you've tired of trying to
cross the street in front of zooming expats in
SUVs, a religious procession comes through
and shuts everything down.
In the end there's no way to characterise
Seminyak. It has everything to offer and you'll
only miss out if you don't give it a whirl.
ORIENTATION
The southern border of Seminyak runs north
of Jl Double Six. Jl Raya Seminyak is the con-
tinuation of Jl Legian from Kuta and is lined
with interesting shops and other businesses.
Jl Dhyana Pura is lined with bars and restau-
rants and accesses many hotels. It is some-
times one-way.
Jl Oberoi heads west to the resort of the
same name. From here things get real tricky
as the road wanders north through a part of
Seminyak that some people call Petitenget, is
properly called Jl Pantai Kaya Aya, but is also
known as both Jl Oberoi and Jl Laksmana!
Either way, the road commonly called Jl Oberoi
is home to a profusion of excellent restaurants,
upscale boutiques and more. Meanwhile as Jl
Seminyak continues north it changes to Jl Raya
Kerobokan and is lined with many craft and
furniture showrooms and workshops.
See 'Pick a Name, Any Name' (opposite)
for more information on the confusing street
names in the region.
INFORMATION
Seminyak shares many services with Kuta
and Legian.
732621; Jl Raya Seminyak 19;
%
24hr) Has a full range of prescription medications.
h
Money
ATMs can be found along all the main
roads.
Post
Postal agency (
761592; Bintang Supermarket, Jl
%
Raya Seminyak 17)
SIGHTS
North of the string of hotels on Jl Pantai Kaya
Aya, Pura Petitenget is an important temple
and the scene of many ceremonies. It is one
of a string of sea temples that stretches from
Pura Luhur Ulu Watu on the Bukit Penin-
sula, north to Tanah Lot in western Bali. The
temple honours the visit of a 16th-century
priest.
AC TIVITIES
Because of the limited road access, the beach
in Seminyak tends to be less crowded than
further south in Kuta. This also means that
it is less patrolled and the water conditions
are less monitored. The odds of encountering
dangerous rip-tides and other hazards are ever
present especially as you head north.
Taxi
Plenty of taxis work the Kuta area. Most use
their meters regularly and are relatively cheap.
Taxis are indispensable for getting around
town at night, and they can also be hired
for longer trips anywhere in southern Bali,
and even as far as Ubud. As always, the blue
taxis of Bali Taxi (
701111) are far and away
h
the best bet.
PICK A NAME, ANY NAME
A small lane or alley is known as a gang, and most of them in Bali lack signs or even names. Some
are referred to by the name of a connecting street, eg Jl Padma Utara is the gang going north
of Jl Padma. Many are too small for cars, although this doesn't seem to stop some drivers from
giving it a good go.
Meanwhile, some streets in Kuta, Legian and Seminyak have more than one name. Many
streets are unofficially named after a well-known temple and/or business place, or according
to the direction they head. In recent years there has been an attempt to impose official - and
usually more Balinese - names on the streets. But the old, unofficial names are still common -
the only place you're likely to encounter the new names is on some new, small street signs, and
in some tourist brochures.
In this guide, all names are shown on the maps, but in the text, the street name that the busi-
ness uses is the one given. For reference, here are the old (unofficial) and new (official) names,
from north to south.
Spas
Spa (
10am-9pm)
in the Legian is suitably lavish and clients can
avail themselves of various private spa suites
set among gardens.
At Jari Menari
730622; Legian, Jl Pantai Kaya Aya;
%
h
(
736740; Jl Raya Seminyak 47;
%
10am-9pm) , true to its name, which means
'dancing fingers', your body will be one happy
dance floor. The all-male staff use massage
techniques that emphasise rhythm. Fees start
at 180,000Rp for 75 minutes.
Live the 1970s movie Shampoo at Body Works
h
Bookshops
The Bali Deli (p118) and Bintang Supermar-
ket (p121) have large book and periodicals
sections.
Periplus (
Old/unofficial
New/official
10am-9pm) where gos-
siping, beautifully coiffed hairdressers min-
gle with a gorgeous crowd. Massage starts at
139,000Rp.
The name says it all at Chill (
Jl Oberoi
Jl Laksmana
(
733317; Jl Kayu Jati 2;
%
h
Jl Raya Seminyak
Northern stretch: Jl Raya Basangkasa
734843; Made's Warung II, Jl Raya Seminyak)
Has the usual good selection of art books and periodicals.
%
Jl Dhyana Pura/Jl Gado Gado
Jl Abimanyu
Jl Double Six
Jl Arjuna
Internet Access
Most of the top-end hotels have broadband
connections for guests. A growing number
of cafés and bars offer free wi-fi for patrons
as noted in the listings.
Jl Pura Bagus Taruna/Rum Jungle Rd
Jl Werkudara
734701; Jl Kunti;
%
10am-10pm) . This zen place embraces reflex-
ology with treatments starting at 80,000Rp.
Spa Bonita (
Jl Padma
Jl Yudistra
h
Poppies Gang II
Jl Batu Bolong
Jl Pantai Kuta
Jl Pantai Banjar Pande Mas
%
731918; Jl Petitenget 2000x;
9am-
h
 
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