Farewell to Bali

So, it seems like an eternity since we arrived that moved in the blink of an eye, but so many things had changed, we'd traversed from expats to tourists and back to 'home' again.
No one wanted to leave Bali this time, and it wasn't just the "I don't want the holiday to end" type feeling, it was gut wrenching, like we were leaving a place we belonged in again.

But life moves and changes and is never the same from day to day.

We had rekindled some old favourite haunts, fallen out of love with some previous favourites and discovered new favourites.

On the last evening, we decided to take the kids up Jalan 66 for a bit of nostalgia.
Years ago this was the seediest nightclub in Bali (& one I personally worked as a dancer at, hosting full moon rave parties and all night disco events), even back then it was a dive (one we totally loved - but a dive none the less).



Zula Vegetarian Restaurant

 Riding down 66, all the electricity was out again and it seemed eerily quiet, tourists sat hunched over candles in dark restaurants and locals sat on the street outside the front of their shops, we drove past a local vegetarian restaurant and decided we must come back here for dinner (more further on).

Arriving at the beach where 66 used to stand, we were surprised to find it had been revamped and made into a VERY exclusive and horridly expensive restaurant, disappointed we walked along the beach wondering what had become of our old haunts. In the distance cool laid back reggae music soothed our ears - all hope it not yet lost!

We walked on to a little shack on the beach decorated by rows of paper parasols lining the beach down to the water with lights underneath them.
On the beach around them were long beanbags where you could lay back, watch the waves, sip on a sangria and share plates of tapas.

Ah, yes, that was more our style, the kids delighted in the little shack that looked like a beach treehouse, built so carefully it felt like it would blow away in the wind.

Further on, there were the delightful little warungs selling Nasi goreng (friend rice) and "japples" the Balinese often replace 'F' with 'P'  and vice versa which has created much fun for us in the past (especially when they invited us to 'parties' and told us to 'park your care there'.


Bali Beach Sunset at Night

Alas - the kids were hungry, although they loved to run along a moonlit beach.
So we headed back to Zulu's.

Yuuuummmmm............... our new favourite restaurant as it turned out!

Their menu is like a little novel, each dish has a story behind it explaining the positive benefits or the list of ingredients it contains

Here's the blurb from their website (copied with permission from the manager):

Zula is a Middle Eastern term for hospitable home. It's a place where one welcomes their friends. It's merely an invitation to enter ones home, to relax and rejuvenate with with proper food and drinks. Zula is a home away from home.
We do our best in using as much organic as possible. Most of the dry goods are imported and certified organic. Since there is no national accepted and legal definition of "organic" in Indonesia we can only offer what is offered to us and trust. Mineral water is used in cooking and filtered water for washing and sourcing of the vegetables. We do our best to treat food right...with love and care. The quality of care, attention, and respect food is given during it's preparation is as important as the quality of the ingredients.


Cool beach hangouts



The food and it's preparation is based on macrobiotic understanding. It provides a wholesome, balanced meal that includes all vital nutrients, vitamins, minerals , fibers, and micronutrients. You'll find that our menu is versified with ethnic origin vegetarian cuisine and an abundance of health drinks and juices. Our desserts contain no sugar, dairy or artificial flavoring as well as the rest of the dishes. Zula is the only place in town that is totally vegan. therefore we are proud to say: WE DO NOT USE ANYTHING WITH A FACE OR A MOTHER. Find us at: Jl Dyhana Pura (gado-gado), Seminyak, Bali

We had the best meal here with gorgeous plates of food to share and divine drinks. The staff were lovely and we recommend it to you.

The night was cool and crisp as we departed Zula's, donning motorbike helmets and leaping aboard for the last time, we swung past the Bali Boulangerie (I know we'd just eaten........... but we saved dessert and coffee for here), the kids loaded up on enough sugar to get them back to Melbourne next week.

There was the last minute shopping in the supermarket here - bypassing the Kopi Luwak (coffee made essentially from the poo of the Lewak monkey - google it - it's quite the delicacy apparently - pass!)

Then the long ride back to the Holiday Inn, where we took a last midnight stroll on the beach, said our sad farewells and thank yous to Bali and retired for the last night here on this journey..................... Thanks Bali!