Seminyak Delight

I’ve never really bothered much with exploring the tourist track here in downtown Kuta. It’s all a tad commercial for my liking, but, it is a good place to base yourself if you are wishing to explore the island of Bali.

One area of the ‘track’ to the north, delivered more surprises than I’d imagined. Seminyak is, in reality, where a majority of expats live. It is also a place where you will find some of the best restaurants, nightclubs and gay bars. I met up with a friend of mine who resides in Bali, Nick O’Neil, the main man behind baliblog.com, at a restaurant called Warung Mimpi on Jalan Dhyana Pura. This one street alone had more restaurants and bars than I could count on my fingers and toes – Italian, Chinese, Greek, French, and many more representing countries from around the world.

For now, I was happy to settle for Nasi Padang, food from the island of Sumatra. As we moorishly devoured grilled tuna marinated in sambal, lemon grass and numerous other exotic spices, I was amazed at how quiet the street was with only the odd person passing by where we sat alfresco. Nick reassured me that at night, the street was virtually alive with diners and rockin’ party people.

The Seminyak area consists of four main streets running pendicular from busy Jalan Legian to the beach. Here, beachfront restaurants abound for the concerning diner wishing a romantic dinner at sunset. There are various other restaurants also dishing up delights for the laid-back diner – Italian pizzas cooked in woodfire ovens, Mexican yummies and delicious burgers big enough for two people.

After lunch, I walked down Jalan Dhyana Pura to the beach for a cool swim in the ocean. I guess this is just one of the delights of the area – eating your fill, a gentle slow walk, and then, a swim in the sparkling blue water. Seminyak surprised me, and no doubt, it will continue to surprise me for many more years to come.