Denpasar & South
Why go?
Bustling Denpasar and the gently sloping hills of the south are
temporarily home to the majority of the million tourists who fly
into Bali each year. They are lured by the white sand beaches, the
shopping and the fantastic range of eateries that abound in the
region – from the Sulawesi-style point and eat diners, to
cafés good enough to give Gordon Ramsay a run for his
money.
In the fishing bays, there are a hundred tiny fresh fish
restaurants, where barracuda, snapper and lobster are barbecued
over oil drums filled with coconut shells. On the ocean at night,
you’ll see a long line of lights from the fishing boats on
the horizon – it looks like there’s another city out
there.
If you fancy a bungee jump, a pub crawl, a ‘cute’
phallic keyring or a cheap massage (but a massage is all
you’ll get), then Kuta’s the place to find it. But
it’s also where you’re guaranteed an exploding cherry
sunset, so it’s not to be dismissed out of hand.