Seminyak: traffic and mayhem

---

On our first full day in Seminyak we wandered around the town, getting our bearings and getting a feel for the town’s character. The Lonely Planet describes Seminyak as “flash, brash, phoney and filled with bony models”. Perhaps I should have read that part of the book before setting aside four days there. It’s certainly worth a look, the beach is great, there are lots of boutiques and designer shops, and there is an abundance of restaurants and massage spas. Every man and his dog will offer you a taxi ride, a massage or some trinkets as you pass by. It’s great for the outer pleasures, but not really conducive to delving deeper.

Most tourists tend to stay in Seminyak and, now that we realise how small Bali actually is, it makes sense that many people base themselves here and explore the rest of the island on day excursions.

We discovered a great little café called Down To Earth, which has a couple of outlets in Bali and has a strong focus on sustainability and offers vegetarian and vegan food. Their slogan is “nothing with a face or a mother”. For fellow Melbournians, it’s a bit like walking into a tiny and calm version of Terra Madre, with all sorts of health foods, skin products, essential oils, jewellery and snacks. Add to that yummy meals, smoothies, juices and the like.

After breakfast we walked up to the north end of Seminyak, Petitenget. We had planned to visit the temple Pura Petitenget but it turned out to be for locals only. Even the beach in front of the temple is dedicated to religious ceremonies and a sign politely asks tourists not to sunbathe here.

Petitenget is also where all the luxury hotels, complete with infinity pools, are set back from the sandy beach. The trendy restaurant/bar Ku De Ta offers fine dining and drinking with a fantastic view of the beach. We had a delicious lunch here and recharged after our long hot walk. The temperatures in Bali certainly are something at this time of year, so we decided to catch a taxi back into town.

In the afternoon we explored the many shops of Seminyak. Big names such as Ralph Lauren, Pandora and Rip Curl are found alongside small local shops selling everything from clothing and accessories to bottle openers and trinket boxes.

---