Basics - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 55

are all common. Less familiar are seasonal mangosteens with a purple skin and sweet white
flesh; hairy rambutans , closely related to the lychee; salak or snakefruit , named after its
brown scaly skin; and star fruit , which is crunchy but rather flavourless. Jackfruit , which
usually weighs 10-20kg, has firm yellow segments around a large stone inside its green
bobbly skin. This is not to be confused with the durian , also large but with a spiky skin
and a pungent, sometimes almost rotten, odour. Some airlines and hotels ban it because of
the smell, but devoted fans travel large distances and pay high prices for good-quality durian
fruit.
Drinks
Bottled water is widely available throughout the islands (Rp3000-5000 for 1.5 litres in su-
permarkets), as are international brands of soft drinks ; you'll pay higher prices in restaur-
ants. There are also delicious fruit juices , although many restaurants automatically add sugar
to their juices so you'll need to specify if you don't want that.
Indonesians are great coffee ( kopi ) and tea ( teh ) drinkers. Locally grown coffee ( kopi Bali
or kopi Lombok ) is drunk black, sweet and strong. The coffee isn't filtered, so the grounds
settle in the bottom of the glass. If you want milk added or you don't want sugar, you'll have
to ask (see Menu reader ) . Increasing numbers of espresso machines have arrived in the swish-
er tourist restaurants along with imported coffee, and Nescafé instant coffee is also available.
Alcohol
Locally produced beer includes Bintang, a light, reasonably palatable lager. Expect to pay
around Rp20,000 for a 620ml bottle from a supermarket or Rp25,000 and upwards in a res-
taurant or bar. Draught beer is available in some places. There are four varieties of locally
brewed organic Storm beer from the palest (like a British bitter ale) to the darkest (a stout).
Many tourist restaurants and bars offer an extensive list of cocktails (generally Rp50,000
upwards) and imported spirits; the cheaper cocktails are invariably made with local alcohol.
Locally produced wine is available on Bali, made from grapes grown in the north of the
island by Hatten Wines or from imported Australian grapes by L'Artisan or Two Islands -
the Two Islands Shiraz and Chardonnay both hit the spot, as does the L'Artisan Chardonnay,
while Hatten's rosé and sparkling wines get the best reports. Imported spirits are available
in major tourist areas, where wines from Australia and New Zealand, California, Europe
and South America are also available. However, huge increases in duty (now more than 300
percent) have caused prices to skyrocket: expect to pay Rp80,000 upwards for a glass and
Rp350,000 upwards for a bottle. Local brews include brem , a type of rice wine, tuak , palm
beer brewed from palm-tree sap, and powerful arak , a palm or rice spirit that is often incor-
porated into highly potent local cocktails.
Look out for happy hours in tourist areas - the most generous last all evening.