I had a week to spend traveling after my Bali yoga retreat, and Peggy had a week to join me.  Where can we go for one week and feel like we saw and did enough?  The answer in Southeast Asia was Cambodia. But we would still have to narrow it down to one area, Siem Reap.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – If you remember, we did this a couple of years ago in Malaysia!  The week wasn’t long enough but we did a damn good job!

The first time I said the words out loud ‘we are going to Cambodia’ I had to check myself. Was that right?  Were we really going to Cambodia?  I mean, really, who goes to Cambodia besides Cambodians? 

It turns out, a lot of the rest of the world know about this secret gem of a country and visit there.  It is just us Americans who are missing out.

Many of us remember the horrors of the Pol Pok era of Cambodia and The Killing Fields, and have been wary of Cambodia since that time.  We had an overwhelming desire to see Angkor Wat Temple, so off we went for one week in Siem Reap.

ssn – Angkor Wat is must-do on many travel lists, we like this one: 100 most beautiful places to visit

The Plan

I fly to Siem Reap the morning after my retreat. Peggy flies in the day before and gets spa treatments to kill time until I get there.  We opted to just focus on Siem Reap on this trip. Phnom Penh was just too far (5.5hrs) to spend a day traveling there and a day traveling back.  I say traveling back because flights to the US from Phnom Penh were difficult (compared to Siem Reap, which were relatively easy.)

And we do not regret this decision.

We knew we would need at least two half-days just for visiting the Angkor Wat Temple complex. Plus there are lotus farms, and the floating village on Tonle Sap Lake, and more. So our research and planning confirmed our decision that we could spend a week in Siem Reap and not miss anything on our list.

So, off we go.

Side Note to Start

Your sisters did try to make this into a day drinking and/or speakeasy trip.  And while drinking was plentiful in Siem Reap, and Pub Street was fantastic, we found that speakeasies, aka ‘hidden bars’ were anything but hidden.  We made the decision that there were far too many bars on Pub Street to really throw our cred behind specific ones for a post when we couldn’t consider any of these speakeasies. So we would bypass any day-drinking/speakeasy blogs for Cambodia.

HOWEVER, we absolutely loved ASANA Old Wooden House bar.  It is high up on our list of cool bars we have been to. I had Little Sweet made with gin, wild ginger, sugarcane, and turmeric. It ranks as one of the best cocktails I have had this year.  This is our one big recommendation of places to not miss for drinking in Siem Reap.

Angkor Wat

This is the biggest draw to Cambodia and Siem Reap, specifically. Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious monument. The name translates to City of Temples; it symbolizes the home of the gods. With 5 central towers representing the peaks of Mount Meru and surrounded by a massive moat. It was built in the 12^th century as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu (the Hindu God of protection) but later became a Buddhist site.

Cambodian religious views have swayed between Hinduism and Buddhism for centuries depending on the leadership views.  Angkor Wat was abandoned in the early 15^th century and was rediscovered after the French colonial regime was established in 1863.

The entire Angkor Wat site spans over 400 acres, but the entire Angkor archeological park covers 248 square miles. So we really recommend breaking this up over two days instead of rushing through it all in one, long day.

If possible, do not miss sunrise at Angkor Wat.  Yes, this will require an early morning wake-up to get out there in time, but it is very worth it.  For those that have done Haleakalā in Hawaii for sunrise, this is a similar experience with the crowds, only much warmer.

Angkor Wat is a UNESCO World Heritage site, for those that track their UNESCO visits. It is slightly mind-blowing given the size, the age, and the details of the construction.  The outer walls feature long carved surfaces telling the stories of war, peace, and daily life – many of the carvings have been immaculately preserved (or in some cases, restored), and are fascinating to follow. 

For historical and archeological fans, Angkor Wat is a not to be missed site.

Ta Prohm

Many of you will know this temple.  You will know it by simply two words: Lara Croft.

This is the temple that Lara Croft visits in Tomb Raider.  The one with the tree roots engulfing the stone walls, and large trees growing in and out and over the temple.

Built in 1100s to honor the king’s mother (King Jayavarman VII, if you are interested). After the fall of the Khmer Empire in the 15^th century the temple was abandoned and neglected for centuries.

As it was built without the use of mortar, the jungle crept in over the years and allowed it to become one with the landscape.  Restoration efforts have left Ta Prohm largely as it was been found to demonstrate the power of nature, with only stabilization and site access being points of restoration.

In other words, it is insanely cool.  Rewatch the movie, then go see this temple.  It is absolutely amazing.

ssn – we literally watched the movie the night before our visit in the hotel room in order to prepare ourselves!  We’ve started to make this a little tradition – we did the same in Colombia when we watched Romancing the Stone.

Bayon & Angkor Thom

The Bayon temple known as “the many faces temple” should be visited before Ta Prohm, simply because it is cool on its own, but pales in comparison to the coolness of Ta Prohm. 

Built by the same king (Jayavarman VII, there will not be a test at the end) as Ta Prohm, the Bayon Temple features 54 towers adorned with over 200 massive stone faces.  Could be Buddha, could be the King, the faces are known for the “smiling” expressions emoting a peaceful feeling to followers.  The site is under restoration but has a definite feeling of a sacred space. It is incredible to walk through the maze of narrow corridors and steep stairs (we eventually nope’d out of the last set of stairs).

Thom is closer to Angkor Wat, so it will be a natural second stop on your way to Ta Prohm. There are great carvings, and unique features to Angkor Thom, so do not skip it in favor of rushing to the ultra-cool Ta Prohm.  It is worth your time to make the stop and traverse the unique features of this stone temple.

How to See the Temples

These three temples (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm) were grouped together into the “Small Circuit Tour”.  We hired a private tour through our hotel, and it was a fantastic deal compared to Viator/Trip Advisor.  We paid $35 USD for an air-conditioned car (a tuk tuk would have been $19, a van was $55).  Added $10 for sunrise on the first day.  An additional $50 per day for an English-speaking guide.  Typically, these would have been accomplished in one day, roughly 5 hours.

A “Big Circuit Tour” was available, with 3-4 other temples.  We opted not to do this.

The Small and Big Circuit Tours both require an Angkor Wat entry ticket that you should purchase in advance, here. Tickets are available in 1, 3, or 7 days. A single ticket covers both circuits.

Banteay Srei Temple

Known as the Pink Temple, or Lady Temple. I have had a great time referring to it as my special “Lady Temple”.  Alternately called “Citadel of the Women”, it is constructed of pink sandstone and is the only temple of its kind at Angkor Wat.  Smaller than the imposing structures of the male deities, Banteay Srei is single story. It lies about 20 km from the main Angkor complex and is far less visited. Therefore, less crowded than the bigger temples for Angkor Wat.  This tour was a $20 add on to our Small Circuit Tour.

The original build is inscribed as 22 April 967 A.D., making it among the oldest of the temple complexes, it was discovered in 1914, and restoration was the first use of anastylosis, the process of using the original structural elements in the restoration.  The carvings pay tribute to many devatas (minor female deities) and exist in greater detail than many of the other structures in the complex. Walls are adorned with many intricate carvings and great elaborate story telling designs.  The temple was dedicated to Shiva and many of the carvings are centered around him.  The details contained in this temple were amazingly beautiful.

We recommend visiting Banteay Srei at the beginning of your day two, as it is a drive from Angkor Wat. Due to its low profile, it does not have the shade of the larger temples and can get hot in the afternoon sun. 

Beyond Temples

There are other options in Siem Reap if temples and history do not appeal to you.  First off, shopping and spa treatments are cheap.  The street food is delicious.  Pub Street and the Night Markets provide fantastic fun nightlife.

Our other three must-see experiences are the Rat Museum (yes, really, hear us out on this), the lotus silk farms, and the Tonle Sap floating village.

Apopo Rat Museum

Yes, rats!  We did this tour in an hour and were amazed.  Siem Reap is where they train rats to locate land mines in the country.  Rats are light enough to not set off the land mines, unlike humans and dogs.  The museum has a tour where they explain the training process and show you a demonstration.  And they are a kind of kangaroo rat, so they are fluffier and cuter than the sewer rats we see in America. 

These rats are now used in 12 different countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe to detect unexploded land mines.  They have saved countless lives (and limbs) and are considered heroes for the work they perform.  The program has cleared over 170,000 landmines and other explosives and returned over 143 million square meters of land for safe use in local communities. Their impact has affected over 2.8 million people. 

Rats can clear the area the size of a tennis court in just about 30 minutes.  The previous way with people with metal detectors took up to four days. 

Please visit apopo.org for more information and donate to adopt one of these rats.

Visit the Lotus Silk Farms

Lotus are my favorite flowers. Lotus flowers grow out of the mud and into these gorgeous bright colored, multi-layered flowers. And this was my big to-do for this trip.  The lotus fields are gorgeous. 

The Lotus Silk Farms offer tours and show how they process lotus stems to form silk fibers that are woven into scarves and fabric.  They use the petals for tea, the seeds for jewelry and the leaves for coloring dyes.  They make use of all the different parts, so the waste is minimal.

The farms train and employ local village women providing a much-needed source of income that stays within the community and helps supply economic stability for its residents.

Tonle Sap Lake and the Floating Village

Full disclosure, we visited at the end of the dry season, so the floating village on Tonle Sap Lake was not floating.  In fact, it was much like coastal towns that prepare for hurricanes by having building houses on stilts. 

We hired our new friend Cowboy Tuk Tuk to see sunset over the lake.  Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. 

Houses stood 15 feet up on stilts, and we learned that during the rainy season the lake will rise 6-9 meters in height, giving these houses the appearance of floating on the lake.  Boats line the shores in dry dock essentially just waiting for the rain. 

We did go out to the lake, which does exist at a lower level, and experienced a beautiful sunset with beers and a local family having a beach party. 

I was struck by how happy lake life was for the locals.  Living close to poverty levels, they fished for dinner and grew their own vegetables and rice, and they were all so happy, warm, and welcoming to two women who spoke not a single word of their language.

Kids ran through the streets playing, adults gathered around their open fire barbeques to cook the catch of the day and enjoy a few Angkor beers.

Life is happier and easier for those that keep it simple.

And Speaking of our new Friend

Cowboy Tuk Tuk on TikTok and Instagram, and also known as the Cambodian Cowboy, our new friend provides beer, water, and Karaoke on his Tuk Tuk tours. 

Tuk Tuk Karaoke Night 1

We hired him to take us to the lake for sunset.  We sang, we drank beers, we stopped and saw crocodiles and frog farms and had the best night. So much so that we hired him for the second night to take us to the lotus farms (the next night crocs and frogs were replaced with ducks).

He is kind, informative, helpful, and most of all fun.  And screams Yee-Haw often and loudly, please do not hold back in joining him every time.

Tuk Tuk Karaoke Night 2

He texted us the morning before our second tour and asked if we would be interested in providing notebooks and pens to local children for school.  We had learned on our temple tour that school was free, but kids couldn’t go if they couldn’t afford uniforms and school supplies – thus perpetuating the cycle of the poor stay poor because of a lack of access to education.

We were an absolute yes to helping these children.  Cowboy picked us up and took us to a local market to purchase notebooks and pens and then took us to a local village to distribute them.  He blasted his music so the kids all knew he was coming.  They lined up single-file, he has taught them all to say “thank you” in English, it was adorable.

We were heartbroken to realize that we didn’t buy enough, and we ran out of supplies before we got to the far end of the village.  Next time we know, buy more than enough!!!

We do highly recommend booking our Cowboy Tuk Tuk but prepare ahead of time an amazing playlist of easy to sing-along songs to belt out loudly as your travel to the countryside.

Where to stay in Siem Reap

We broke up our trip into two stays.  Thank you Chase Rewards for the credit so that we can afford to stay at the Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor. 

Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor

While Raffles is usually beyond our typical budget, Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor is one of the most affordable in the luxury line of hotels.  And it was so worth the price tag.

The service is impeccable, the concierge, the bartenders, the pool, the spa, every staff member was helpful and friendly and make the Raffles as good as it is.  It was glorious and amazing to be waited on for two days.  The pool was huge, and came with pool side service including mosquito spray, sunscreen, body oils, hand fans, and a little bell to ring for our pool boy.  The décor was upscale tropical, jungle vibes, from the elephant bar to the lobby, it was relaxed and calming, you just wanted to hang out in the lobby and feel spoiled.

They offer several free classes over the course of the week, including how to make the famous Raffles Sling (Siem Reap edition, although the original Singapore Sling is on the menu), a morning Buddhist blessing, yoga class, and a gin lesson.

And the buffet, holy cow, instead of chaffing dishes they had hot plates with La Creuset Dutch ovens for the hot food, that level of fancy.  They had a crepe station, egg station, and a congee station.  The fruit and pastries were fresh and rotated out periodically to maintain freshness.  Suffice to say, one of the best hotels we have ever stayed in.

If it is in your budget, we cannot stress enough how much you need to be spoiled at Raffles.

Le Grande Indochine Hotel

The Hotel

However, that said, if your budget requires a little more grace and space, our second hotel was Le Grande Indochine, and it was incredible.  A gorgeous white, open-air lobby, connected to the pool and bar area, you feel special upon entry.  Smaller and more intimate than the Raffles, we cannot brag enough about how amazing our new Cambodian sister, Luna, was.  She booked us our temple tours, including securing a guide fluent in English, she booked our spa treatments, and followed up to make sure everything was satisfactory.  They give you the WhatsApp number to the lobby, for convenience of whatever you need from them. The entire staff was friendly and helpful, Luna became family. 

Spa Services and More

But the spa treatment, holy cow!  Ok, first off, I did mention the low cost of all things in Siem Reap (outside of the Raffles), Peggy’s day one spa experience was so good, I was required to repeat it the next day.  For the two-hour experience of a body scrub and hour-long massage, $32.  And it was an incredible massage (side note: if you get the healing scrub, the yellow one, shower off REALLY well, because I had to toss a shirt and live with a permanently yellow stained white bra).

If you love a good massage, this one had an interesting highlight that we don’t get most places, it was almost intuitive – it was not do this on one side and then do this on the other side, each side, each limb, was treated individually, and felt like (I was face down) she was writing little blessings on each one to put the oil on, and then the massage on top of that. I left feeling very special (and wondering if we were now betrothed), relaxed and pampered, I will miss my lovely masseuse forever.  But seriously, if nothing else convinces you to go to Cambodia – Go for the cheap spa treatments (yes, even cheaper than Bali)!

ssn – my 3-hour treatment was only $50!! And possibly the best massage I’ve ever had in my life.

In Conclusion

Cambodia is hot, really hot.  And humid.  But Siem Reap is dry and dusty during the dry season. You will want to be indoors or poolside in the afternoons. 

Tuk Tuks are a major mode of transportation for all your touristy needs; they are cheap and fun but not air conditioned.

Cambodians are among the nicest people we have encountered in our travels.  They are warm and welcoming, and the service people we encountered couldn’t do enough to help us. 

The food is excellent and cheap, do not be afraid to try it all.

Spa treatments are excellent and cheap and may or may not come with a marriage proposal.

US Dollars are the common currency.  Prices are listed in USD; it is widely accepted and is even given in the ATMs.

There is a reason the rest of the world loves this country for a vacation spot, and we highly recommend Americans recognize this underrated spot and give them a visit.

Other Southeast Asia Adventures

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Ipoh, Malaysia
• Penang, Malaysia
• Langkawi, Malaysia
• Bali

Although a small island, Bali has something for everyone, and a certain vibe and feel for each of the towns. Not all towns are created equal in Bali, so before planning your trip, think about what you want to do, what your focus is, and also what will make you miserable (ie, traffic or college kids, old people, or slow service). Updating this after my seventh trip to Bali. I may be obsessed, but there is nothing like this island. And I finally traveled over to Amed on the East side, and then Lovina to the North. So it seems like a good time to update. Updated April 2025

Sister Side Note (ssn) – Bali really is for everyone! It can be so intimidating when all you see are Instagram Models & Influencers who have the perfect settings and edited images. This is not the vibe that you feel when you are there. It is accepting and welcoming and joyful. Don’t worry about getting the perfect shot – there is beauty everywhere and your memories and experiences are wayyyyy more important than your images!

Seminyak & Kuta

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Seminyak and Kuta are great for tourists. It’s a little more hustle and bustle, it caters to tourists, and there are plenty of chain hotels and restaurants. Seminyak is also where some of the best nightcubs and beach bars are located, so if you are young and looking for a great party vibe, Seminyak is your place. It is fun and outgoing, but a little more crowded. It is a big destination for Australian tourists, so there are plenty of western restaurants, bars, and coffee shops.

I find it crowded and chaotic, it’s not my favorite, but it is close to the airport (DPS), so we tend to grab a hotel if we have a late flight in or an early flight out. The Accor line of hotels is my favorite, and they have two in Kuta we love: The Heritage House and The Mercure. They are affordable and located just across the street from Kuta beach, so you also benefit from a fantastic sunset every evening.

• Beach Bars
  • Potato Head Beach Club
  • Echo Beach Club
  • La Plancha
• Hotels
  • The W Bali
  • Kima Surfcamp Bali
  • The Trans Resort Bali
  • Heritage House Kuta Beach
• Beaches
  • Kuta Beach
  • Legian Beach

ssn – my recommendation would be to hit these clubs & lounges first – the longer you spend on the island, the more wrapped up in the essence, the less you will feel like clubbing (just my experience)

Sanur

Sanur is a quiet little beach town on the south eastern side of Bali. This is quiet, and calm, and perfect for sunrise. It is a little more slow and easy going. This is where a lot of the retired Australian tourists tend to head. Also where I head for a few days of recovery after hosting a retreat and holding space for others in their healing and growing.

• Sanur faces South East so watch a bit of the sunrise and a bit of the sunset
• Restaurants & Beach Bars
  • Soul on the Beach
  • Soul in a Bowl
  • Jack Fish
  • Beach House Sanur
• Hotels
  • Maya Sanur Resort and Spa
  • Prama Sanur Beach Hotel
  • Puri Santrian
• Several Museums and Art Centers
• Patti’s Spa Recommendation: The Nest Beachside Spa

ssn – Sanur is where you catch the fast boats to Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida. Definitely worth a trip – whether a day or several. See our Nusa Penida post for inspiration!

Uluwatu

Uluwatu is surfer town. It has a lot of hostels and surf community hangouts. It is also on a cliff, so if you are up for the hike up and down to the beach, it’s a great place for a sunset view. There are some amazing restaurants and bars that sit up on the cliffside overlooking the ocean. If being right on the beach is not your priority, but having an amazing view is, Uluwatu is just amazing.

• The most beautiful beaches
  • Bingin Beach
  • Dreamland Beach
  • Padang Padang Beach
  • Suluban Beach
  • Thomas Beach
  • And a little further up, Jimbaran Beach
• Watch the surfers
• Restaurants
  • The Omnia Bali
  • The Rock Bar
  • Single Fin
  • Lucky Fish Lounge
  • OmBurger
• Uluwatu Temple
  • Check out the Kecak dance at sunset
• GWK (Garuda Wisnu Kencana) Cultural Park
• So many hotels and rentals Cliffside in Uluwatu

ssn – Uluwatu was my favorite for views and relaxation. I can’t imagine going back without spending at least a couple of nights there.

Canggu

Canggu (pronounced Chang-goo) used to be a laid back surfer beach town. Since Covid, it has really picked up it’s pace and embraced the tourist vibe. Young and vibrant beaches, surfing, your epitome of a beach town, a little bit of everything. Definitely a great place to just lay on a beach during the day, and then drink under the stars to the sound of the ocean at night.

• Watch the Sunset
• Restaurants & Bars
  • La Brisa Bali
  • La Laguna Bali
  • The Lawn
  • KuDeTa
  • Segno (Speakeasy)

ssn – Canggu had the best vibe! Just surfy-low-key beach bar-happy.

Ubud

Ubud is considered the cultural and spiritual center of Bali. It is about an hour inland (hour and a half with traffic). You’ll find it to be Bali’s version of a big city, with plenty of scooters weaving in and out, lots of great restaurants and hotels. But in the middle of all this city kind of chaos is this amazing calm flow about everything. This cultural center has a truly a magical feeling. It is also very well located on the island for a centralized location for sight seeing of waterfalls, temples, and seeing Bali as more than just an island with a beach.

If you are not in Bali for a beach, then Ubud is definitely my choice for where to be, a little bit of everything all wrapped up into a fabulous energy. My yoga retreats (we are booking for 2026 if you are interested!) are always held in Ubud. But I love staying in other areas of Bali before and after, to take in the full feel of the island.

• Restaurants/Bars
  • Hippie Fish
  • Laughing Buddha
  • CP Lounge
  • Ibu Susu
• Spas
  • Cantika Zest – hands down our favorite and first stop upon arrival!
  • Green Tara
  • Bali Botanica
• Waterfalls
  • Tegenungan
  • Tukad Cepung
  • Kanto Lampo
  • Tibumana
• Temples
  • Tirta Empul
  • Tirta Gangga
  • Saraswati Temple (visit the Lotus Cafe in front of the temple for amazing views of the lotus flower ponds)
• The Campuhan Ridge Walk
• Tegalalang Rice Terraces or Bali Swing
• Sacred Monkey Forest

ssn – Ubud was amazing (Patti is so right!). Anything you want to do, from spa treatments to waterfalls to the Swing can be done from here.

Tanah Lot

This spot on the Southwest coast is a must for sunset viewing, rock formations, a temple and famous Kecak dance performances. It is beautiful, and one of my favorite places for sunset. At low tide you can walk out to the temple and receive a blessing. At high tide, the temple becomes an island, unreachable, but beautiful.

Munduk, Bedugul

The towns of Munduk and Bedugul are the gateway to some of the most scenic but least visited spots. It is a low tourist experience, with lots of hiking and goregous views.

• Waterfalls
  • Nung Nung Waterfall
  • Banyumala Waterfall
  • Leke Leke Waterfall
  • Munduk Waterfall
  • Sekumpul Waterfall
• Temples
  • Pura Ulun Danu Temple
  • Lempuyang Temple (Gate’s of Heaven)
  • Handara Gate
• Hike Mt Batur or Agung – a very early morning start but this is the most convenient place to stay. Definitely worth it for the sunrise

ssn – I cannot wait to do some of these waterfall hikes on the next trip in 2026!

Lovina

We found the town of Lovina pretty nice.  It was very much what I assume lower Bali towns were 20 years ago.  With a hint of tourism and Westernization, but still retaining Balinese charms and a much lower level of crowds.

Lovina is known for the place where you can swim with Dolphins.  I know, sounds like a horrid tourist trap, right? This is conflicting for me, as I tend to shy away from activities that interfere with animals in their own environment, but we did it.  And it was amazing!  I started off very concerned because we took this little boat out for about 90 minutes to get to “the spot”.  There were about 15 other boats, but we were informed that this is the less busy spot.  When the pod of dolphins is spotted all the boats head for them.  You can get in the water and hold on to this swing-like contraption that pulls you along while the boat drives.

And it was absofuckinglutely amazing!!!! I spotted the dolphins way down below us in the water, and the boat just drives along with them, and when they start to surface for air and jump, you are right there in the middle of it.  Hands down one of the coolest things I have done.

The snorkeling in Lovina is also lovely, we did spot a turtle and some amazing sea creatures on our way back.

• Things to do
  • Swim with dolphins
  • Snorkling West Bali National Park
  • Deer Island
  • Jatiluwih rice terrace
• Hotel
  • Mimpi

Amed

This small town on the eastern coast is technically made up of three areas:  Central Amed (Amed Village/Jemulak), East Amed (Lipah and Selang), and Tulamben. Amed is big for snorkeling and scuba diving.  There is the Tulamben wreck which is a USAT wreck from WII that has become a coral bed, a Japanese shipwreck, and then Jemulak where you can just walk right off the shore and find some amazing coral and fish snorkeling.

Amed is perfect for some quiet down time, just sitting by the sea, enjoying the view, and swimming with some great tropical fish.

• Hotel
  • Puri Witara
• Restaurants/Bars
  • Gusto’s
  • Baby Dragon Bar

I love them all, but they all provide something a little different. So enjoy your trip and I hope you get to see all the amazing destinations that Bali has to offer!

Other Bali posts

• Nusa Penida
• Canggu Speakeasy Guide

Sister Side Note (ssn ) – I would never say that!! But those ticket prices…ugh!

I shall call this segment “Mrs-behaving” – and it will be a rarity.  Not that I am not very much in love with this man, but (sorry, honey) he’s not as fun or funny as my sister.  I was a little concerned if he was up for the task. And could he rally through a one-and-done, and could he be flexible in his plans?  Also, if there were one too many whiskey drinks, I knew Captain No-Fun would be making his appearance.  But the man is a trooper, and always up for a cocktail, so we were in for a night of exploration.

As it turns out, with the growth of Canggu (Chang-oo) since the time of Covid, they have had hidden bars/speakeasies begin popping up. I was shocked at how many there were.  Now, Canggu, plus the adjoining Seminyak and Kuta, are heavily Australian touristy.  What used to be a laid-back surfer paradise has now been filled with beach clubs and overwhelming nightlife.  It’s a bit of a nightmare in my world, but I am here for our supporters who need to know “how legit is the speakeasy scene in an Australian tourist heavy thumping club hot spot.”

I had my doubts.  I assumed they would club it up and make it obnoxious.  Would they miss the vibe of the speakeasy concept?

They proved me wrong in a big, big way.

(PS, I hate being wrong almost as much as I hate bridges, but I am so happy to be wrong in this case.)

Night one was canceled due to major storms and a busted hotel window, so we had to do a little shuffling and then narrow it down to the “Most Likely to Succeed” in an effort to streamline our experience.

Stop One – Fail

Our first stop was The Backroom.  Now, we were a little confused.  Maybe a little lost in translation on their website.  We couldn’t find details to clarify.  Nowhere to make a reservation.  It says Sunday Only on their website and then talks about Afro Roots, but not many other details.  We did see from the drink list that it was a Bruce Lee themed, so we knew we had to figure this out and it needed to be done.

We show up at 6:00, when Google says they open.  A hostess at the front restaurant says no, they open at 7:00 on Sundays (so, they apparently are open other days) – Sundays are a private party from 6-7 – which is apparently the Afro Roots section, and you need to have requested to be put on the guest list.

We got extremely lucky however that one of our missed choices from night number 1 was just a couple of doors down, and so Segno was back on the list! 

We waited at the restaurant right next door called Luma, and it was this gorgeous space, light and elegant.  The espresso martini was made with Frangelico and graham crackers, it brightened our mood from The Backroom failure (omg, does that sound dirty to anyone else).

Segno

This was listed online as a Japanese theme, and looked very elegant, so it originally didn’t make the cut for night number two, but with the convenience of location and availability of reservation we decided to go for it.

And we are so glad we did.

The Entrance

It is well hidden on one of the main streets in Canggu.  On the street sign above the Luma sign is just the S-logo, nothing else.  There is a metal sliding door, with just the same S-logo next to it.  You slide the door open and inside are carpeted stairs, and gorgeous hand carved decorative statue at the top and a turn to the left for more stairs leads you to just the same simple S-logo at the top.

The Experience

Then a man comes around the corner, as they were just opening, he gets our name, goes to check our reservation.  And then this other man comes around the corner, the best way to describe him was “perky”, Hi, how are you?  Welcome Welcome Welcome!!  Down a short hallway and through another door and we are in this amazingly beautiful, super elegant looking room.  Minimalistic, sightly Asian, without being a Peggy back-alley vibe Asian (I’m looking at you Here Kitty Kitty).  And I am honestly in love. 

Perky man in front of us says “Welcome, guests” and the entire bar staff say “Welcome, Welcome!!” – and I’m falling head over heels for this place.  Big long bar and these cushy leather (or pleather?) comfy chairs at the bar, beautiful, elegant lighting, lots of dark wood.  Gorgeous space.

The drinks were intriguing, with a lot of infused spirits with things like blue cheese infused cognac and jamu infused vodka.  Strong lean towards Balinese flavors with yuzu, jackfruit, and a long list of different bitters.

In a nod to my missing sister, I ordered a Canggu Pornstar martini in her absence.  The twist was in the jackfruit butter-washed rum and egg white.  It was creamy and delicious. I would say the second best Pornstar martini I have had (next to the amazing Cartagena experience).  Pat had the “Cloudy Sour”, which was an earl grey infused vodka, with amaretto and Grand Marnier. A strong choice and impressive way to officially kick start the night.

But the service was the highlight.  Everyone was amazingly friendly and engaging.  They have been open for 3 years, and pride themselves on impeccable service and expertly crafted cocktails.  We were absolutely blown away and hated to leave. 

We are sad not to give this a full 5 shaker rating. But they only qualify for 4.5 since there really is no challenge to enter, just a need for a reservation.  However, we have got to give them a 4.5+ because the service was THAT good. 

More disappointment

We dashed back to The Backroom since they would be open.  The hostess escorted us back.  It is a little hidden, but not well, wooden slider door, but there was a security guard standing outside.  There was not a soul inside, but it was still Afro Roots with heavy bass thumping, Afro Roots posters on the wall, but pretty stark otherwise.  We were only in for a quick one and done, and the bartender was not helpful, but the fireball shots were cold and on special.  One shot and out we go for our very much anticipated third stop.

I really think if we can find time to go back, we should.  We should give them a fair review based on their Bruce Lee theme before we count them out entirely.

Cloak and Dagger

Right up the road, and the stop I was most excited about, was Cloak and Dagger. The theme: Serial Killers from Around the World. A little dark, but come on, let’s go explore the creepiness factor of this concept.

The Entrance

Fully hidden inside Mad Ronin Ramen bar, there is not a single sign to be found.  But we asked the Ramen man, and he seemed genuinely happy we were there for the speakeasy.

Down a tiny hallway, through some freezer food locker-looking plastic hangy-things to some steep curved metal steps up we go.  Open the heavy metal door at the top and step into the room at the top.

The Experience

Cloak and Dagger is a serial killer themed speakeasy.  And this was an absolute NAILED it for theme.  Lining the back mirrored wall are books about serial killers. The little tables are lined with pictures and news clippings of serial killers. The back wall has shadow boxes with butterflies and bugs (ala Silence of the Lambs).  On one side of the wall are large apothecary jars filled with floating body parts.  Behind the bar is a huge wall of serial killer photos and police scenes (without being too graphic), with red yarn connecting the different items like a TV police murder board.

The drinks are all named after famous serial killers from around the world.  I mean, who knew?  Serial killers aren’t just a United States thing.  The menu book tells you about the cocktail and then a little rap sheet from the killer – known number of victims, death date, death mode, location, etc.  Completely on point!

The cocktails themselves were creative.  Andreas Mendoz was a Mexican serial killer, so tequila based with banana shrub and salted caramel.  They make a lot of their own “shrubs” for their cocktails and were definitely enthusiastic about the process.  Pat had a Japanese killer drink named Takahiro Shiraishi: Gin, Ginger shrub and umami bitters.  Definitely on-theme, and definitely great flavors. 

Service was great.  One bartender was quiet and reserved, definitely a brains-behind-the-outfit kind of person, very knowledgeable and interesting.  The second one was a happy talker, ready to share the story and concept, and a little behind the scenes about the drinks. 

By now we are starting to realize that Canggu is definitely taking this speakeasy concept to a new level, and we are definitely impressed.

The Mail Room

This was the one most talked about, inventive entrances always make for huge social media exposure.  I had made the reservation on WhatsApp; they kindly moved it from Saturday night to Sunday night when we had the smashed window incident.  I get an email upon confirmation of the change that gives me a mailbox number.

The Entrance

Much like Segno, there is nothing but a sign on the street with a picture of a key.  Turning in, there is just a simple outdoor counter, but next to that there is a long hallway with a door with the same key picture.

We check in with the woman behind the counter with our reservation name, she says “do you have your mailbox number” – why yes, yes, we do!  (with a little squeeeee of excitement).  Down the hall, she opens the key door and lets us into this little room, maybe 6’x10′, with a wall of old-fashioned mailboxes.  We     locate our box number, open it, and inside is a key that matches the logo key.  We use that key to open the second door and walk into this tiny space the really gives off the roaring 20’s art deco feel. 

The Experience

It’s beautiful, and small, maybe seating for 20 people, but only about 8 in there when we arrive.  Blue velvet seats and small tables, a bar at the back that takes up about half the room lengthwise, with mirrors and brass details. 

The cocktails books have pictures of the presentation and details in hand sketched drawings.  Ok, this reminds me of on Great British Bake-Off when they describe what the bakers are making and show you the artist rendition of the details. It looked like that. 

Inventive, Instagram worthy presentations, dry ice smoking, Aladdin’s lamp, floral gardens, and a mini popcorn machine looking one.  Pat orders first, his comes out in a brass stag shaped holder with a beautiful elliptical glass. She sets it down, pulls out the lighter and sets the entire bottom of the drink on fire and it sparks like moss (picture the fire in Bambi).

Mine is next and it was “The Curious George”.  While the picture shows a distillery type set-up, our cute little waitress informs me that they cannot actually bring that to the table. It is used to distill the coffee and parmesan cheese extract into the vodka, and the process takes hours to make this little beaker of flavor.  But wait, yes, I did say coffee and parmesan cheese, it also has Amaro and Bols White cacao liquor.  The presentation itself was uneventful except for the sprinkle of parmesan on top.

Then Arta orders his drink.  Arta is the best driver in Bali and our Balinese family.  He gets the “Aladdin’s Iced Tea” lamp drink which comes out smoking in dry ice. Little by little you pour the contents into a little shot glass and drink, then refill.  It was very cool!  The menu just lists it as “five fine spirits”, with lemon root beer, and orange Jell-o(?!).

Since we were short on locations in Canggu for the night and the drinks were so experimental, we decided round two was in order.  Where I stumbled upon “Into the Wild”:  vodka, mangosteen cheese infused foam, mangosteen juice, and it comes with the best cookie on the planet, the macaron.  Served in an old-fashioned ice cream dish on a bed of flowers and grass. It was gorgeous, and I kept saying it was very Alice in Wonderland-y.

I have no idea what Pat’s second drink was, because I just didn’t care – I had Mangosteen and a cookie!!  Oh, wait!  No!  He had the “Bona Fide”, gin in an earl grey tea infusion with pandan, lime, and clarified soy milk. All served in this super cool smoking teacup suspended like a gyroscope inside this cool porcelain holder.

And this is when the conversation turns to an earlier dispute Pat and I were having.  Pat tries to disparage the #1 drink of the year, the PST Pho back Jameson shot Peggy and I had in Seattle.  I showed him the video, I explained it’s amazingness, and he keeps saying I’m wrong, it sounds gross. I know, dear reader, you will side with me when I say he was just being dumb.  But he tries to sway Arta to his side, swearing Pho Fat washed Jameson sounds disgusting and how could a warm Pho broth be a good chaser, but he is drunk and stupid, so I have to prove my point, obviously.

And that’s when it is found, the drink to prove him officially wrong!  The Mail Room presents the drink I didn’t take a picture of the menu for.  However, it is a Rendang washed Jameson – rendang, as in the SE Asian dish Beef Rendang.  It is a beautiful cocktail, served in a box, with a giant round ice cube floating in a whiskey glass.  And it is beef rendang in a glass!!

It is actually almost too spicy for me, but a definite curry-based drink.  And it tastes like beef rendang (throw back to my liquid ham, Japanese breakfast, obsession)!  And HA!  I HAVE PROVEN HIM WRONG!  Jameson has been infused with beef, and I am happy!  It is served with a piece of beef jerky to add to the experience, and He was WRONG, these kinds of drinks exist and must be experienced. 

And overall, this gets one of our rare 5-Shaker winners.  The service was amazing, our server was knowledgeable and made sure you knew what you were ordering and the flavors and feel of the drink you were interested in, everything came with a presentation, there was the mail key challenge to get in, it was hidden, and we are so very impressed!

Wrap Up

So, our night ends with slightly tipsy Pat, and happy Patti, and a driver taking us back to our hotel. This night was a success, and we are so blown away by Canggu speakeasies.  We need to find time to go back later for more stops, there were definitely some we had missed and now we have a mission for our next visit.

Other Bali Posts

• Bali – A Beginner’s Guide
• Three Incredible Days on Nusa Penida

Being roughly 94 square miles in size, and 1.8 million in population, it means that it is overwhelmingly large. You can barely scratch the surface even after multiple days on multiple visits.  There is a lot to see and do in this city! Kuala Lumpur is very tourist friendly and fairly easy to get to (although the airport is pretty far out of the city). In fact, Kuala Lumpur was the 6th most visited city in the world in 2019.

I have had three overnight experiences in Kuala Lumpur (KL). However, I’m not counting number three as I was sick and didn’t leave the hotel (PS, Sofitel KL was fantastic! Highly recommend this place, the service and rooms were impeccable).

My first trip was in 2020 (see our Penang blog about my getting kicked out). I fell in love with the city in the brief 36 hours I was there. A side note as to how I ended up in Malaysia: in 2019 we were on a manta ray snorkeling boat in Nusa Penida, Indonesia with a lady from Malaysia who said it was one of the most underrated places on the planet, she said it was beautiful scenically and culturally. I was immediately sold and added it on to my 2020 Southeast Asia, post-Bali retreat, itinerary.

First on the MUST DO for Kuala Lumpur:  The Batu Caves

The Batu Caves are just a short distance from KL, a train ride (or Grab) will take you to this amazing Instagram worthy destination just outside of the city. These stunning limestone caves are home to a number of Hindu temples. And climbing the stairs up to the main cave is an experience you won’t forget any time soon.

Greeted by Murugan (a gold statue of a deity 140 feet tall), you walk up 272 brightly colored steps (ok, not so bright when you are standing on top of them), and into a large Temple cave.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – I was absolutely awe-struck. Murugan is incredible!! Not to mention, the caves themselves are beautiful – the limestone is 400 million years old!! Unfathomable.

I know 272 steps sounds exhausting, but in reality, you just break it up into colored sections. Take it in bite-size amounts and you will be at the top before you know it.  Do not let a lack of endurance stop you from doing this climb.

There are several temples on site you can visit. Dark Cave is on the way up to the Temple Cave, additionally there is the Cave Villa, and Ramayana Cave (with a gold statue of Hanuman, the monkey in Hindu Mythology).

Entrance is free, but we suggest you get there early to avoid crowds, and wear pants that cover your knees or be prepared to buy a sarong.  I absolutely loved getting to experience this with my sister, loved the sarong I had to buy, and the cave temple is flat out amazing, absolutely beautiful.

And Because My Sister is the Spawn of Satan

Afer a morning at the Batu Caves, we had to hit up the Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower (or KL Tower).  A 421-meter-tall tower in the city center, the seventh tallest tower in the world, you just can’t miss it.

And naturally it has an observation deck with amazing views of the city.  At the top is a revolving restaurant providing 360 degree views of the city.  And of course. . ..

It has a Sky Deck.

ssn – first of all, I’m telling mom. Second, it is a must do and I think you secretly enjoyed it.

The KL Tower Sky Deck

There are two sky decks, by the way, because apparently having just one is letting us off easy. 

The two sky decks are extended platforms on the observation deck that have glass bottom floors 300 meters above the ground. Hardly terrifying at all.  Technically it’s a fully enclosed glass box in the sky, hanging off the edge of the seventh tallest structure in the world.

And the bonus, you pay extra money for this death-defying experience.

Luckily, once you’ve faced death and have an appropriate adrenaline rush, it’s only a 52-second elevator ride to the bottom.  Nice safe earth space, where you can also explore the Upside-down house, and the World Peace Gong.

Kuala Lumpur Temples and Mosques

With a large Muslim population in KL, the National Mosque is in KL and open for tours.  You have to wear the appropriate garments and they have them available for you to borrow (and yes, they are cleaned between uses). 

Also in Kuala Lumpur are many Hindu and Chinese temples.

One of the biggest, and most elaborate is the Thean Hou Temple, it’s a large temple on a hill, where you can tour the grounds and experience the beautiful décor of the Chinese temple tradition.  They have beautiful sculptures of dragons and mystical animals imbedded into the décor, as well as a garden area with statues of the animals of Chinese Astrology.

If you love the Hindu culture, Sri Maha Mariamman is near the central market and has the same amazing carvings that you will find on the buildings surrounding the Batu Caves. This is the oldest Hindu Temple in KL, founded in 1873 and is right on the edge of Chinatown.

Kuala Lumpur Street Art

While preparing for our visit to Penang and the fantastic street art in Georgetown, we decided to kill some time exploring the city street art scene. 

We recommend starting on Alor Backspace Street Art and walking your way down Jalan Rembia to Frog Street.  Full building murals lining the entire street, with little pieces thrown in here and there on side streets.  Many beautiful art exhibits yours to wander for free in this amazing city center.

Luckily this area will also keep you near Chinatown, Jalan Petaling Street Market, AND Jalan Alor. Don’t miss these for amazing food experiences.

Selangor Pewter Factory

As part of our cultural tour of Malaysia we toured the Selangor Pewter factory.  Interesting tour about the history of pewter in Malaysia and the trade business.  You also get to watch the pouring, molding, and polishing of the pewter pieces.  At one point you can try your hand at imprinting patterns on a mug and realize how talented these workers are.  The tour ends at the gift shop (naturally), and there are some interesting and cool pieces you can purchase, both whimsical, touristy, and practical pieces are all available.

Kuala Lumpur City Center Water Show

Before you Grab to Jalan Alor (and you should, see below) for dinner, the KLCC has an evening water show.  Well, light show? No, music show?  Maybe. . . My Grab driver had an earful for me about what to see and do, and he said to go to this show, and I said “the light show” he said “no, the water show” . . .turns out it’s the same dang thing.

Walkable from our hotel (Ibis KL City Center is affordable and has an infinity pool!), the KLCC Park water show backs up to the Suria KLCC, an exquisite shopping mall with high end boutique stores and some traditional American chains.  Everyone just finds a seat on the grassy hill or on the cement steps outside the mall, and at 8 pm the water/light/music show begins.  American pop hits set to a fountain water show (think Bellagio in Vegas), and yes, it lights up too.

ssn – just keeping it real…the water/light show was just ok. It was no Bellagio. Looking back, I would have rather taken the time to go to Jalon Alor Hawker Stands.

Petronas Towers

This is also at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers, iconic twin skyscrapers 88 floors in height.  They are the tallest twin towers in the world! You can opt to buy tickets to explore the towers and the walkway between.  They are beautifully lit up at night, and are great for a photo op.  However, once you’ve done the Menara KL, the towers are just more views of the city.  But they are pretty to look at.

Let’s Talk a Few Food and Drink Suggestions

Jalon Alor Street Food

If you’re a foodie, KL won’t disappoint. The city is famous for its street food, and there’s no better place to sample it than at Jalan Alor. This bustling street is packed with food stalls serving up everything from satay to seafood to tasty desserts, and it’s a great place to experience the local culture.

It is where I had grilled stingray for the first (and only) time, and had this amazing butter prawn dish, where the butter was spun into a nest for the grilled prawns to sit on. AMAZING.

You can get something for every palette on Jalan Alor, but only in the evenings. Hawker stands provide a great glimpse of real Malaysian food from quick bites to dessert, and everything in between.  Jalan Alor is definitely on my “must-do” list if you are in KL.

Gravy Baby

KL has a Gravy Baby!  And if you loved our Penang post, you heard all about our love of Gravy Baby.

Old Shanghai and The Opium Bar

We were fortunate enough to stumble upon Old Shanghai at the end of our Street Art excursion.  A fantastic restaurant just outside of Chinatown on Changkat Bukit Bintang.  We naturally were drawn to the bar, and experienced an amazing cocktail list that wowed us and kept us wanting to stay longer. 

This street is also home to a number of bars and worth your time to wander and bar hop for an evening.

ssn – I loved this area of KL (Bukit Bintang) – The Opium Bar is on my list of best bars of the year. If Patti would have been feeling better on our last night here, this is where we would have spent our time. The bars looked fun and inventive and the streets had lots of character (and without being night-clubby)

Bonus point for the foot massage palaces at the end of the street! And KL has late night foot massages as a norm.

The area is very late-night activity friendly, and not in a sordid way.  The night we got kicked out of Malaysia, we were getting foot massages at 10 pm, the place was packed, and there were several families with children all getting foot massages. 

The downside of this is there are few early morning activities, as mornings tend to start later (and don’t expect to find a cocktail before 2 pm).

The Sai Hills Corner

We had breakfast a couple of blocks away from the KL Tower at a little restaurant with great reviews.  It was a hole in the wall, life changing kind of find that we lucked out to stumble upon. We were greeted at the door by two Indian men, one of whom exclaimed that Peggy looked like Princess Diana! (I can’t believe the Princess didn’t SSN this) They brought us to our table, showering us with compliments and assured us we would get the best food from them.  As we were there during Ramadan, we believe they were happy to have people eating after sunrise in their establishment. Sai Hills Corner was amazing.  They recommended we try the Roti Cenai, as it is a Malaysian staple, and they would bring us their best, one with egg, one with just butter and sugar.

I got up to look around, and there was grandpa on the flat top thinning out the dough before slapping it down, adding a huge hunk of butter and then sprinkling it with sugar.  This was not the day for me to worry about my cholesterol or blood sugar levels.  This was heaven!  It was truly magical.  They brought us three different sauces to try with it, with different levels of spices.  And then brought us a little bit of their chicken tikka masala from their buffet, which was equally delicious.  It makes me sad that we didn’t go back for a second round.

The Famous Fish Head Curry

Another Malaysian specialty can be found at House of Fish Head Curry by Ratha’s Kitchen.  This was right across the street from our hotel:  Ibis Kuala Lumpur City Center, which in case you missed it above, reasonably priced AND a rooftop infinity pool. . .We gotta add a picture for you).  And I know for some of you the thought of fish head makes you shiver in disgust, but this curry is fantastic.  You should really be brave enough to try this local delicacy.

Kuala Lumpur Wrap Up

Kuala Lumpur is a great place to visit, especially if big cities are your thing.  There is plenty to do, amazing food scene to explore, and a never-ending supply of Malaysian cultural stops to add to your tour.  It is definitely a place you should be eye-balling for your next exploration of SE Asia.

Other Malaysia Destinations

• Penang
• Ipoh
• Langkawi

Our itinerary was 2 nights in Kuala Lumpur, 1 night in Ipoh, 2 nights in Penang, 1 night in Langkawi and 1 final night in Kuala Lumpur. We grabbed a ride from mydaytrip.com in the afternoon and had a lovely 2 hour drive to Ipoh.

Ipoh is the fourth largest city in Malaysia and is about 2 1/4 hours north of Kuala Lumpur and south east of Penang. The most common way to get to Ipoh is by train. The train schedule didn’t match up with our wants and needs, so we decided to hire a driver.

Peggy had seen pictures of this delightful little town online and deemed it worthy of a stop.

This decision became solidified when she found The Haven.

The Haven Ipoh

The Haven All Suites Resort is a gorgeous resort on the outskirts of Ipoh.  Set beside a cute little lake, and framed by natural limestone geographic landmarks, The Haven provides a beautiful backdrop for a “relax and unwind” kind of getaway.

The Haven has won multiple awards for Luxury Travel, being Eco-friendly, and Travelers’ Choice awards on TripAdvisor.

For those who are interested in energy conservation and reducing your carbon footprint, it is important to note that The Haven uses almost all natural energy sources. Wind, solar, and water all are used to generate heating and lighting for the common areas.

Incredible Views at The Haven

There is a gorgeous infinity pool that overlooks a natural lake, and a 280-million-year-old boulder.  Throw in an onsite restaurant, spa, and fitness center, and you never need to leave (nor will you want to).

We had booked a one-bedroom suite. However, we were actually assigned a three-bedroom suite, with the restriction that we would be charged if we actually used the other rooms.  The air conditioner was thankfully quick to cool down the room and our view was amazing. The suite also came with a courtesy bar (that included no alcohol) of snacks, juice, and tea.

We were given tickets upon check-in for a “Free Welcome Drink” in the restaurant.  You can imagine our dismay when we found out that “drink” is not synonymous with “cocktail” in Malaysia.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – not only was the “welcome drink” not alcoholic, it was heavily restricted on the hours it was served. LOL.

Heading into Old Town Ipoh

The downside to The Haven is if you actually want to leave the resort, it’s a 20-minute drive into the town itself. 

We grabbed a Grab and headed out for evening cocktails.

Our first stop was Concubine Lane.

Concubine Lane

Apparently, “back in the day” Malaysian men loved keeping a mistress (see Penang blog regarding Love Lane).  And Concubine Lane was where the mistresses were kept.  Ipoh’s dirty little secret has been turned into a cute little alley appealing to tourists for food and local shopping.  Just over 100m in length, it’s located in Old Town Ipoh. Easy to find, easy to walk, and quite adorable.

Luckily, we were there on a Tuesday evening, and it was almost completely empty. It can get pretty busy during the day and on weekends. 

There is also a night food market on Jalan Yau Tet Shin which brings in plenty of foot traffic and can make evenings on the weekend a little more hustle and bustle than our experience.

Ipoh is a Walkable Town

We noticed a white tower sticking up a few blocks down. Not large, just enough to peak over the top of the downtown two-story buildings.  We took a little stroll and discovered the Birch Memorial Clock Tower, the High Court building, a cute little park called Padang Ipoh, and the Negeri Perak Mosque.

But by then it was finally time. . .

Time for a Cocktail

Reflecting back to previous posts on Penang and Langkawi, what we Americans know as a speakeasy are generally referred to as a “hidden bar”.  This reflects the fact that Malaysians never had a prohibition era, so there was never any such thing as a speakeasy.  However, they love the mysterious vibe of having a hidden bar.

While technically not a hidden bar, Above was a good starting point for us.  The sign is out front, however we feel this qualifies as a hidden bar because once you enter the lobby it gets a little confusing.  It’s on the rooftop, but the rest is an apartment building.  There are stairs, but the roof is at least 4 stories up and we are not sold on the idea of hiking up 4 flights of stairs in the evening heat. There is actually nothing in this little lobby area (lobby is a stretch, picture a mud room with a staircase) to denote that there is a bar or restaurant or anything besides general safety instructions for residents.

But there is an elevator, ah ha, an elevator!  Once you step into the elevator, there is a note that to get to Above, take the elevator to the 4^th floor and then walk up the extra flight to the rooftop, success!

Above Gastropub

And it’s adorable.  Open air, but covered so not in the blistering heat, cute little dining patio, fantastic sounding food, and a bar in the middle of the restaurant. 

The lady behind the bar is nice and chatty and recommends exactly what we were planning on ordering as her favorites.  She had spent time in the United States and was happy to chat in English.  She was also training a young man, who seemed very nervous, and was slow and methodical with his cocktail making.

The drinks were fantastic! After the man had finished making our cocktails, he was happy to tell us about how he was from Columbia, and he and his wife had just moved to Ipoh to be closer to her family. Very cute little story, we love this part of traveling, hearing other people’s story. 

In conversation, we explained our hidden bar mission. The lady told us her favorite hidden bar was Lumi, and suggested we go there.  Upon pulling it up on the map, it was a little too far to walk, but we filed it away in the back of our minds, and headed on to Caina Bank.

ssn – Above had a great vibe – it is just what you want in a rooftop bar….well, just what I want. Meaning, it’s shaded! Great views, lots of plants, little cafe tables, glass partitioning and relaxed atmosphere.

A Great Example of a Hidden Bar

Caina Bank lists it’s address on Google, it appears on Google Maps, but it does not have any outdoor signage.

We found the address, and it was simply a door leading up a set of stairs.

So, we followed the stairs.  On the first landing was a bank vault looking door, and I could hear music coming from the other side. Despite the lock, the door opened easily, and voila, Hidden Bar.

Caina Bank (It’s a Bar!)

A gorgeous hidden bar.  One of my favorite hidden bars to date.  Chinese décor, but with a bank twist to things.  Our table was a floor safe, another table was a fake stack of money.  The seating was fabulous Chinese inspired stools around larger gathering tables.  We opted for the couch.  

My drink was amazing, and I’d love to tell you the name of it, but it was in Chinese, and it turns out I don’t read Chinese (or speak it, but whatever).  Sea Coconut infused vodka, Pineapple, and citrus served in a cute Chinese vase as a glass. 

Peggy opted for the Bartenders Choice, which we always love as an option.

We ordered appetizers at this stop and had the fried scallops and chicken wings.  They were good, but we regretted that they took up our tummy space for getting street food later on.

ssn – Caina Bank was such a good time! And Patti totally won that one with the drink served in a Chinese vase. Not that we keep score…but if you have siblings, you know. <click> for Patti

Next Stop:  Tiga Bar

Tiga Bar is actually a bar above a bar.  If you don’t know it’s there you just are hanging out in Kiki Lalat, a cute bar in its own right. 

But at the back of the bar there is a inventive wall with a “Bar Tinder” board, where people can fill out dating profiles for others to peruse and find their next true love.  Beyond the bar is a set of stairs that lead to Tiga.

A small, unassuming bar. A little dark, but the bartenders love and attention to detail is what sets this bar apart from so many others.

I ordered the Fresh Release: Mango, coffee and mint sounds weird, I get it; however, it was good, in an interesting kind of way.

Tiga Bar – Best Drink Award…so far

Peggy really stepped out of the box on this one and scored a home run.  The bartender highly recommended the “Buttery N I Know It”.  I took a pass as I’m not much of a Bourbon girl, but Peggy is.  This drink was admittedly strange, but absolutely mind-blowing.  Like someone smashed a peanut butter and jelly into a whiskey sour. It also plays on a cold and hot temperature experience.  Berry compote, maple, lemon and bourbon are served chilled.  Then it is topped with a peanut butter foam that gets torched and served hot.  This drink alone is worth returning to Ipoh for.

ssn – <click> for Peggy. Buttery N I Know It is easily the top contender for Best Drink of the Year. But I will not kick back and coast to victory, I will keep searching. I do it for you.

Then There is Lumi

We decided that so much of the town was closed on Monday nights that we would Grab over to Lumi for our final stop before heading back to The Haven.

Our Grab driver dropped us off in the parking lot of a three-story strip mall with a mix of convenience store, retail stores and businesses, with no sign of Lumi.  We asked in the convenience store, and they haven’t heard of it.  So we Google map ourselves to the exact location. Still completely confused as it’s an entrance to an office stairwell. Then I look up, and sure enough, above the door, high up by the windows is an unassuming neon martini glass.

Oops, Not Lumi

In through the doors, up the elevator to the third floor, there is wood panel, and I’m stoked that surely this is entrance.  We push, it pops, we walk in to an empty room with three people at a window table who look up at us in shock.  Not a happening place.  Also, not Lumi. But apparently a new wine and cigar bar that is not open to the public yet.  At least they know where Lumi is.

Ah, Here It Is

So, back down one flight, to another hidden door, and into Lumi.

Where there is one table of three, and a cute, but tiny lady behind the bar looking all of maybe 12-years old in her professional server attire.  She is making quite a few cocktails but assures us she will be with us next. 

And we waited.

Luckily about 5 minutes later and eclectic looking man enters the bar, zips back behind the counter and immediately starts directing her and sampling what she has created before approaching us.

Lumi has no menu.  It’s an Omakase style bar.  Omakase is a Japanese style of dining where the chef creates your menu based on what is fresh that day and typically at a set price.

He explains that they do five different cocktails of differing palette styles.  We only want two drinks (I meant two each, he assumed one for each, but his English was as limited as my Bahasa).  I told him Sweet and Sour palette.

I’m honestly still not sure what I got, but Peggy got a weird margarita.  Neither were terrible, but it would have been nice to have been prepared for a full Omakase experience.

Two side notes:  even as we were tabbing out the lady bartender still hadn’t finished her original round of drinks for the three people.  And, good heavens, those ‘tenders could shake those cocktails, it was really amusing the vigor they put into the shake.

Already Time to Leave Ipoh for Penang

We hit The Haven buffet, which I love SE Asian breakfast buffets because they always have a congee.  Great options, wide variety catering to multi-cultural tastes.

Then a walk around the beautiful grounds, the 280-million-year-old limestone, and the T-Rex.  Signs telling us to not feed the monkeys got us rather excited, but alas, no monkeys.

ssn – ominous foreshadowing…we had no idea we would soon face monkeys in Langkawi.

The infinity pool was calling to us and needed us to have a dip.  Loved the plexiglass walls on the lake side, and the in-the-water lounge chairs built in. There was also a cute little table and chairs in the water with an umbrella, had we found a breakfast cocktail this would have been a perfect spot to have it.

And Off We Go

Our www.mydaytrip.com driver, Raymond, showed up upon checkout.  We convinced him to drive us by a cave temple.  Ipoh is known for having several cave temples.

Peggy couldn’t enter as her shoulders were exposed (hussy), but it was a nice easy flight of stairs to enter the cave.  Perak Cave Temple was beautiful, set into a mountain with a large Buddha statue, painted walls, and prayer seating.  We were glad Raymond was willing to squeeze this stop in for us.  It was beautiful to experience.

Then we were off on our 2-hour drive to Penang, with plenty of Malaysian and Penang facts provided by our local driver.  We didn’t feel like 24 hours was quite enough, but you really didn’t need much more than a full day and a next morning.  Next time we will plan for a little extra time, and more Buttery N I Know it.

Other Malaysia destinations:

• Langkawi
• Penang
• Kuala Lumpur

I have been dying to get to Penang since March 2020 when the Prime Minister of Malaysia kicked me out of the country.

Ok, so technically he kicked all tourists out due to Covid, but I took it personally and have held a grudge against him ever since.  (Cue Frankie Goes to Hollywood – I know you Zoolander fans feel me on this one)

Finally, a Chance to Go

When Peggy agreed to meet me in Malaysia after my Bali Yoga Retreat, I dusted off my 2020 itinerary and jumped right back into planning.

Our itinerary was 2 nights in Kuala Lumpur, 1 night in Ipoh, 2 nights in Penang, 1 night in Langkawi and 1 final night in Kuala Lumpur.

Penang is an island in the northwest of Malaysia. Well, actually, it is split between the mainland and Penang Island. The drive was less than 2 hours from Ipoh and would be about 3.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur. Penang is most famous for its UNESCO Heritage Site in Georgetown, the food scene, the beaches and the Tech industry.

Penang is known as the foodie capital of Malaysia – mainly for their Hawker scene, but they also boast two restaurants awarded one Michelin Star. These restaurants are Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery and Au Jardin. Unlike other Michelin Star restaurants, these are not impossible to get reservations for. However they do have limited days of service (Auntie Gaik Lean’s is Wednesday through Sunday and Au Jardin is Thursday – Sunday) and we were not there during those days. We were really disappointed to have missed out.

From Ipoh we booked a ride with www.mydaytrip.com over to Penang. We added a stop at the Kek Lok Si Temple to the drive, so that we wouldn’t have to worry about transportation to this must-see location once we arrived in Penang.  We hadn’t really figured out how we were getting around Penang, except to rely on Grab until we found a driver.

And Here is Where I Start to Question a Trip to Penang

<insert picture of that fucking bridge>

Sister Side Note (ssn) – I know that was an editing note, but it was too funny not to leave.

I knew that Penang was an island.  I knew there would be a bridge. 

What I didn’t realize was that the bridge was 13.5 km in length.

But it was fine. I mean, giant prehistoric megalodons don’t live in the Strait of Malacca, right? Well, that’s the story I told myself. In Googling a Megalodon fact to throw at you, I found this:

“Fossil remains of Megalodon have been found in shallow tropical and temperate seas along the coastlines and continental shelf regions of all continents except Antarctica.“

So, clearly, we won’t be driving to Penang ever again. EVER.

And Then More Concern

Our driver, Raymond, starts to tell us about Penang (actually side note: it was a cute story, he is from Penang but lives in Kuala Lumpur. The morning we requested the ride, Raymond was just packing up to leave for Penang to see his family and accepted the request so he ended up getting paid for a trip he was taking anyway. Go Raymond!)…so anyway, Raymond gives us the scoop about Penang.  All the tech companies that have moved there, how it’s the second smallest state in Malaysia, but the population is almost 1.8 million people.

Now I’m starting to dread this decision.  A crowded island full of tech companies, NO THANK YOU!

Kek Lok Si Temple

The population of Penang is about 65% Chinese, we knew the temple would probably be a great place to start our visit.

We start to drive up, and up, and up, to the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia. Kek Lok Si temple began it’s construction in 1890, and while the temple was finished in 1905, they do ongoing fundraisers at the Temple to raise money to expand and upgrade the site.

One of the fundraisers was the Wishing Tree. We loved this!  You choose a ribbon based on your wish (long life, love, happiness, good fortune, etc.). Each ribbon is a different color and a different wish topic and you hang it on their wishing tree. It was super cute!

You can also contribute by buying roof tiles to complete the roof over the God of Mercy statue. 

This incredible temple stretches over multiple buildings, statues and gardens set at the base of Air Itam Hill.  The attention to detail at Buddhist temples is mind-blowing, it was truly beautiful. We decided to drive up to the God of Mercy Statue, because it’s a rather steep climb up a lot of steps. 

On to our hotel

We stayed at The Mercure Hotel Penang, I have an affinity for Mercure locations (and all the Accor properties, really).  It was right on the beach, with a incredible view.  There was an Indian wedding going on in the hotel, which made for a beautiful back drop of activity.  The hotel is bit north of Georgetown so we had to use Grab for our back-and-forth as this is where most of the action is.

Sister Time Means Sushi Time

We love sushi!  And we especially love sushi with our sister.  By this point, we were starving after our journey, and both were ready for our first sister sushi meal of the trip. 

When doing our research, we found Kaiden Japas on TikTok and with a 5-star Google rating we were sold. So we grabbed a Grab and headed there.

ssn – the thing that struck me as we were driving from the hotel was that the entire shoreline was being developed. It made me very sad to see such a majority of property being stripped and replaced with modern hotels and apartments. I suppose it is inevitable, but we hated to see it.

We were there at opening time and the place was empty.  It was a cute little place in a strip mall.  We opted to sit on the couches by the sushi bar and spent a lot of time ogling the multi-page drink menu.

A Slight Language Barrier

The official language of Malaysia is Malay or Bahasa with Mandarin and Tamil also common. I speak a little Bahasa from my Bali travels so I thought we could muddle through.  However, we ran into our first real problem with the language barrier.

The problem was that the fairly young staff spoke Mandarin, not much English and my Bahasa wasn’t getting it done; additionally they were really shy.  I get it, they were young, but we were more than willing to stumble through in their language, or even pull up Google Translate. 

We managed to point at the drinks and they managed to get them ordered for us, WIN!  Kaiden Japas had a selection of boozy tea based drinks served in tea cups, so we had to start there.

Luckily, one of their other servers showed up who spoke a bit of English, and she was happy to help get our food ordered.

Sushi and More

We settled on sharing plates.  The Volcano salmon lava roll, added on crunchy octopus tentacles and the Ko-Ebi (fried shrimp) appetizers. Then they had to sub-out the shrimp for Karaage fried chicken.

It was all excellent! So glad we had that Volcano roll, it was a… well, a little hard to explain, see the picture below.  A plate of California roll topped with a lot of salmon, a soft-boiled egg, salmon roe, and a fantastic siracha mayo style sauce.  It was amazing and will take a while for me to recover from knowing I will probably never have it again! SO GOOD!

As we were ready to pay and get on our way, we were informed that the drinks were buy two, get one free. Not ones to turn down free drinks, we HAD to get one more. Would you expect anything less? The drinks were inventive, unique, and tasty.

Georgetown, Penang

Feeling fantastic after sushi and cocktails, we continued on to the heart of Georgetown. Georgetown is the capital of the state of Penang, but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is known for it’s street art, but it is a very colorful area, with many cultural sites and old colonial buildings. It’s a little crazy how there are these old colonial houses, Chinese temples, and mosques right next to these big skyscrapers and tall apartment buildings.

Chew Jetty

Our Grab dropped us off down by the waterfront, and we spotted an area named Chew Jetty.  It turns out that Chew Jetty is actually its own UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Jetty is a couple of long docks with wooden stilt houses built around the walkway, creating an over the water village.

Mostly old, and in decline, there are still people inhabiting the houses, and plenty of tourist shops.  A few restaurants, a temple, a couple of ice cream shops; old, rundown, but still so full of character it was definitely a fun find for us. 

From Chew Jetty, we walked straight up Armenian Street to begin our street art tour.

Off to Find Street Art and Famous Penang Murals

The City of Georgetown Tourist Board hired Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic to create 6 murals for the Georgetown Festival in 2012.  And the urban art trend grew in Georgetown to fill the streets and create the largest tourist attraction in Malaysia.

The original Zacharevic works are now famous and are 3D depictions of the life of the people of Penang. Weather worn over the last decade, but beautiful.  However, there are now many other artists featured along Georgetown streets, including the 100 cats commissioned by the Cat Welfare Charity, and large building size murals. 

The Tourist Board then added to the street art by commissioning cast iron signs (52 total) to tell the story of different parts of Georgetown using cartoon like graphics.  You can find them next to the UNESCO sign, along Love Lane, and super cute one depicting Jimmy Choo (who studied shoe making in George Town!), they come with a brief narrative and can be found adorned all over the area. 

ssn – we completely failed at finding all 6 Zacherevic murals, but we found so many cool pieces. And so many beautiful architectural features! Walking around these streets was probably my favorite thing to do. It was its own kind of beautiful.

One of Our Favorite Bar Finds

While admiring the street scenes, we spotted an open bar called The Canteen at Chinahouse. 

We walk in and it’s dead, no one to be found. We wait a few, but Peggy has to find a bathroom, so we head down the hallway and find a man sitting at a small table eating noodles, he points her to the bathroom. 

Then another man comes down the hall, the bartender.  I ask about drinks. He says absolutely, but you should really check out the back alley and then come back for drinks.

I walk back, past the man eating noodles, find a black and white room, then through that to a courtyard, on through that to another room filled with books and paintings.  This is where we find a wine bar, and then continue through to the bakery.

It was fantastic! 

It started on one street and went all the way through to the storefront on the next street over. Beautiful, inventive, and fun.

We stopped at the wine bar, had one drink and we were off to see the rest of the street art before sunset.

Penang – Foodie Capital of Malaysia

Penang is known for being the food center of Malaysia.  The food scene was one of the most anticipated reasons for our visit. Due to our lack of ability to commit to a schedule, we hadn’t booked a food tour ahead of time (and there are plenty to choose from). Luckily, our Grab driver, Elaine, from the night before slipped in the idea of hiring her to drive us around for the day.

A local to take us to local street food spots.  DONE

Morning 2 Starts with Mimosas

ssn – but first after a light breakfast and watching the lavish Indian wedding on the hotel’s patio, we decided to walk on the beach. The shell hunting was fantastic but sadly, there was a lot of garbage. We wished there would have been bags available to pick it up. Then, out of nowhere, rain storm!! We were quite a distance from our hotel so we had to just do our best to find shelter along the way back. By the time we got to the hotel, we were soaked!! Luckily the wedding had been relocated to the lobby and seemed to be seamlessly carrying on. This would be the first…but not the last…downpour of the day!

Brunch isn’t really a thing in Malaysia, and it is actually really hard to find breakfast cocktails. In fact, none of our four hotels offered mimosas or boozy coffee with breakfast. Weird.

Luckily, we found Gravy Baby, and our beloved new friend Iqbal.  He was adorable and made our cocktails “with heart”.

Although it was a huge menu, it was an easy decision – mimosa flight for Patti and a Porn Star Martini for Peggy. And an Croque Monsieur to share.

ssn – Porn Star Martinis are my single favorite cocktail ever. Although everyone has their own twist, its passionfruit, vodka, vanilla and bubbly. So good but such an unfortunate name.

This is our new home away from home.

After a brief stop for a foot massage, we wandered down or more street art before meeting up with Elaine for our food tour.

But First, Dessert

The Penang favorite for dessert is called Cendol.  It starts with shaved ice, then they add coconut milk, jelled Pandan “rice noodles”, then they add palm sugar and sweet red beans. Sugary sweet and surprisingly good.

The Famous Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow is the most famous dish in Penang.  And it is a MUST try.

Elaine took us to the spot she claims to be the best, Googgle Man. Googgle Man was working hard!! And with a 45 min wait, it was clearly where the locals went.  Thankfully, Elaine offered to order for us to ensure it wasn’t too spicy.

They take your order, gave us a number and we found a seat. You pay when the food is actually brought out to you. So, we settled in for our wait, grabbed a couple of waters, and decided it would not be thorough research if we didn’t also go to another stand.

We chose the fried oysters, which was more like an omelet. The oysters looked suspiciously like clams, but hey, whatever, they were delicious!

Then the Char Kway Teow arrives.  And it is amazing! Fried noodles with prawns and chicken, bean sprouts; slightly spicy and absolutely delicious. Worth the wait and easy to see why it is their signature dish.

And a little failed excursion for more food

As it was Ramadan, we did encounter the problem of a lot of stands being closed during the day (fasting from sun up to sundown).

Luckily, we were pretty full, so we suggested taking the Penang Hill Funicular Railway to the top of Penang Hill.

A bit of a tourist trap

Elaine waited down below to visit with a friend at a souvenir stand.  We scored the front seats of the funicular on the way up.

And while it was a fun trip up Penang Hill, once we got to the top the rain started again.  Additionally, there aren’t any very good view points at the top of the funicular station. 

It’s either hiking out to the view point, or paying money to go to the restaurant for the view there. 

And then there are all kinds of add-on experiences for you to purchase. 

It felt very forced and fake.

And on the car back to the bottom they packed us all in like sardines.  I felt really bad for the people standing up.  While it is a quick ride, it is a steep venture down.

Luckily, we had found an absolute gem of a person in Elaine. She stopped and got us some deep fried banana, which were amazing. In a sweet, fluffy batter (somewhere between pancake batter and tempura) and deep fried, it was a perfect top off to our Penang food experience.

Then it was finally time for drinking

It was still early, so we had Elaine drop us back off near Love Lane (a cute, narrow street said to be named because rich husbands housed their mistresses there back in the day), where we were anxious to try out The Pokok All-Day Bar.  Mainly because Pokok is fun to say, but also because it claims to be an All-Day bar, but it doesn’t even open until 3 pm, so boo on them.

However, we loved it.  Mainly outdoors, we had a cocktail just before the rain started (again!) and we moved under the covered patio.

One and done was the regulation of the evening.

Chulia Street

Just a couple doors down from Pokok was The Tipsy Cow. 

In Seattle, The Tipsy Cow is a fabulous burger joint.  But here there was an adorable man outside drumming up business, and it had a fun name, so we decided to pop in for a quick shot. 

Because shots take up less stomach space.

This is the same strip on Chulia St. where Gravy Baby is, and then in the evenings you can find The Tipsy Cow, Pokok, Brews Sports Bar, The Original Reggae Club, and the Hong Kong Bar.  It really is a great block to start your drinking on.

On to the Hidden Bars

Speakeasies in Malaysia are simply called “Hidden Bars” and are growing in popularity.

ssn – being self-proclaimed Speakeasy Specialists, we had done our research and mapped out a list of seven.

We decided to start with Beso Rosado.  The pictures online were adorable, it opened first, and it was on the outskirts, so we thought we would start there and work our way inward of the neighborhood.

Beso Rosado

It was super cute.  You enter through a lobby covered in bright colored graffiti and a sofa.  Keep going back through the double doors and the bar room opens up to be all pink and pretty.

And the cocktails! WOW! Inventive and served in fantastic, styled glasses.

We loved them and wished we had stayed for longer, just to work our way through the different cute glasses, from ceramic panda bears to upside down golden pineapples.

However, one and done, and it was time to go.

A Rainy Failure Came Next

And here is where our night took a down turn.

Google said it was only .7 miles to Archipelago. About halfway there was when the downpour started. Ducking in and out of doorways, we find the picture from Google of a blue door.  Only there is no way in. We can hear music. But, nope, nothing.

Hidden? Definitely.

So, we find shelter, Google some more, find out the entrance is actually around the next block. We hoof it through the pouring rain.  Some nice man at a bodega offers Peggy a ghetto umbrella (read: big piece of cardboard).

Around the block, to where the entrance is really supposed to be, and the door is closed and locked. The woman at the café next door has never heard of Archipelago.

And now, I am PISSED. Like a sopping wet kitten level of pissed.

ssn – no exaggeration here, she is cranky!! I thought our night was over, for sure.

But We Push On

We debate giving up but decide to walk the quarter mile to Manchu Bar.  And if that sucks, then we give up.

The rain lets up, but my feet are soaked, and my shoes are spongy, and I’m having trouble rallying for the cause.

But we find Manchu Bar.

And we can’t figure out how to get in.  The entrance to the building is a little teeny room.

We check behind the curtains, nothing. I find a door behind the curtains, but I push and it’s heavy and doesn’t really want to move, so I give up.

Peggy Googles, and discovers that yes, that door is the entrance.  We push a little harder, the door gives way, and IT’S FANTASTIC!!!

Great ambiance, very Chinese themed, with red lanterns, and the best thing ever in a bar:  a huge carved dragon hanging from the ceiling.

The drinks are slow to be served, but are a whole new level of cool, containing Asian ingredients like dragon fruit and Yuzu, but also, wait for it:  POPCORN.

ssn – yes, the Pop Pop Corn! Cachaca, popcorn syrup and Campari, topped with popcorn. It was so good!

I insist Peggy visit the bathroom, because it’s super cool, and the fake Chinese Warriors guarding the doorway freak me out when I come out of the stall.

Then Peggy finds out that the decorative headpieces around the room are actually costume headpieces and meant to be worn.

And you know this is where our mood picked up!

We are Still Wet and Worn out

But we agree that if we go outside and the rain has stopped, we will hit The Junk Café, just a few doors down.

Because the pictures remind me of other fantastic dive bars that we’ve been in.

And luckily, it has stopped raining.

And The Junk Bar turns out to be really cool. Fantastic décor, including bar seats that make the one man sitting at the bar look like he’s wearing a G-string.

The bartender is an eclectic man, who you can’t help but feel drawn to, not in a sexy way, but in a “please be my new best friend” kind of way.

And thus ended our pretty tame and sort of lame experience drinking in Penang.

Our Last Morning

We decided to leave the hotel a little before our scheduled flight to Langkawi, for the sole purpose of hitting up our friends at Gravy Baby one last time.

Iqbal is there and has already created an Instagram account in order to follow our adventures. He starts us off with boozy coffees, made of course, “with heart”.

This time we have the full breakfast, which was really good. They have a full selection of, well, pretty much everything:  baked eggs, Croque Monsieur, Eggs Benedict, and French toasts. The “Gourmet Breakfasts” had different combinations of everything from a Full English breakfast to my personal choice: Late Miami, with sweet potatoes, chicken sausage, turkey bacon (no pork to be found due to the halal requirements), and scrambled eggs and spinach smothered in Hollandaise sauce.

ssn – I opted for Baked Gypsy Eggs. Eggs baked in a spicy tomato sauce with spinach and gruyere, with toast for dipping.

And a new server, who is just adorable and flirty with his little winks and sultry stares.  It was adorable this young guy trying to get flirty with the old Americans.  But we appreciated it.  Especially when Peggy ordered the Porn Star Martini and his little face went “oooh, ok” with a little smile.

And then we were off to Langkawi for another amazing Malaysian experience. Sorry to leave Penang, but excited for Langkawi.  Malaysia just did not fail us, despite the rain.

Other Malaysia destinations:

• Kuala Lumpur
• Langkawi
• Ipoh

I am not saying “mistake” because it was terrible and we shouldn’t have gone. I am saying we made a tremendous mistake in not staying in Langkawi forever. We should have planned more time.

We should have just stayed forever.

Arriving in Langkawi

Langkawi is the main island of an archipelago of 99 islands in the Strait of Malacca, off the northwest coast of Malaysia at the border of Thailand.

We arrived after a very quick flight from Penang and ordered a Grab (the SE Asia equivalent of Uber). It is here we met our driver, Arthur, who tried very hard to convince us to go see everything that afternoon. He laughed at us for being stupid enough to only book one night. In the end, he was available to drive us on the next morning’s expeditions.

ssn – many sites will tell you that there is a ferry from Penang but it is currently not running – it did not reopen after the pandemic. There are ferries from a couple of other mainland towns but flying was just so easy.

Where we stayed

When looking at Langkawi hotels, there are some difficult choices to make. Options range from high end resort chains like the St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons to very inexpensive local long-term stays. Prices are generally on the lower side so we decided to splurge a little. And our accommodations at Ambong Ambong Rainforest Retreat were divine.

To say the least.

But you know I have to say more.

The service was impeccable, the view amazing, the whole quality of the resort makes me run out of synonyms for AMAZING.

We were greeted by Nizal in the shuttle to take our bags to the check-in lobby (all uphill), Lina checked us in and offered to secure us reservations for the sunset dinner at the rooftop restaurant.  Yes, please.

Nizal drove us up and up and up to our Singa 3 canopy suite and walked us through our amenities.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – Reception shared a building with their on-site Vegan restaurant, Spa treatment rooms and a small but cute pool. When she says up and up and up, she is not exaggerating. You cannot even imagine the grade of the twisty road to the top bungalow. Fortunately, we were told that the shuttle would take us back and forth whenever we needed to go somewhere.

The Sitting Room

Singa 3 literally sat high up in the canopy of the rainforest. The sitting room was open air to the surroundings and had an incredible view of the sea.

Our tour started with the huge stuffed Tiger sitting on the counter, to scare away the monkeys.  MONKEYS!

The fridge had a lock, because the monkeys can get into the fridge if we don’t keep it secured. There was a huge bathtub, the thrones of judgement (as we refer to any balcony chairs where we can relax and survey our kingdom), a kitchen, dining space and fan controls.

He motioned to the backpack I had left on the floor by the door and said to move that into the bedroom, because of the monkeys!

Into the Bedroom

We entered the bedroom area through the sliding glass doors that needed to be kept locked so the monkeys didn’t get in.

It was beautiful, spacious, floor to ceiling windows, and thankfully, air conditioning. 

The bathroom beyond that had a shower with a view, sarongs instead of bathrobes, and a separate water closet.

Just beautiful.

And Nizal leaves us to relax in our thrones of judgement.

Relax, sure

We changed into sarongs, and decided to just sit and enjoy the view and discuss how much our lives don’t suck.

ssn – it was truly one of those moments where you marvel at how fortunate you are to be in that place, on that adventure, living the most blessed life. So grateful.

And then there was a THUNK behind us.

Then a crash.

Sure, Nizal, the monkeys won’t mess with the water bottles that have been left out.

Until they’re thirsty, then they’ll knock one over and shatter it on the counter.

Then Papa Monkey and three babies joined in the fun.

We slightly freaked out, because wild life is, well, wild.  And we weren’t completely sure Papa Monkey was not going to eat our faces.

So, into the bedroom we retreated, closed the slider, and filmed from behind the safety of the glass.  That’s right, we’ve essentially made our bedroom a zoo enclosure, and we are now on display for the locals.

Luckily, Peggy remembered to lock the slider. As it turns out, the monkeys, too, had opposable thumbs and tried to open the door (cue my Jurassic Park fans).  We watched as they tried to snack on the pillows, the rug, and the rattan chairs. While we photographed, recorded and tried to make nice with our new captors from behind the glass.

Apparently, we weren’t as entertaining as we think we are, because after about 10 minutes they gave up and moved on into the jungle to terrorize the rest of the guests.

We were left to sit and ponder what else lay out there in the jungle watching us, waiting to pounce.

Rooftop Dining and Breaking our first Ramadan Fast.

Not that we were fasting.  That wasn’t happening.

But as it was Ramadan while we were there, many places in Malaysia offered extensive buffets and preset menus for Iftar, the evening meals.  Lina had offered this as an option and we thought we really should give it a try.

We arrived early, because they had a bar and we had monkeys. And we really should have cocktails before sunset.  Our new driver, Putra picked us up from our suite to drive us down the hill, up the road about a block to the other property, Ambong Ambong Beach Villas’ Rimba Sky rooftop bar.  Peggy had an Espresso Martini with three olives and I had a caipirinha for two rounds and then we made our way out to the rooftop table for sunset.

ssn – the olives were not my request, maybe something was lost in translation? But at least the martini was good and did not have olive juice in it!

When I asked if we could have the cute little corner table for two instead of our four top, I am told no. We can’t do that because we have too much food coming we need the extra space.

So. Much. Food.

Apparently Iftar starts with Muslim’s breaking their fast with sweets first.  Traditionally it is three dates, but we were not informed of proper tradition, and I only had two dates, Peggy had one, and now we have blown our new found practice. I’m a little ashamed.  The platter consisted of dates, mangos, grapes, pumpkin in coconut milk, some jelly slices, and amazing little cheesecakes.

ssn – not sure if it was the chef or a restaurant manager, but the sweetest older man came out to explain what we would be getting. He was genuinely appreciative that we wanted to participate in their custom.

Then more food came out.

And then more.

And then they added rice.

In the end we had a table full that included eggplant curry, chicken on lemongrass skewers, spicy prawns, calamari and green beans, and banana leaf grilled white fish. They also served us a small plate of veggies that I don’t eat (cucumbers and tomatoes) with a screaming hot sambal.  Just about burned Peggy’s tastebuds out of her mouth, but she took it well.

Spicy and fresh, it was an incredible meal and incredible service, highlighted with a beautiful evening sunset over the water.

Pantai Cenang – the Beach

A not to be missed occurrence in Langkawi is the fire performance on the beach.  At Pantai Cenang they have a group that performs incredible fire shows, with batons and sticks lit on fire and twirled around (like a Miss America pageant, only for cool people).

The stage where they were performing was in front of a beach bar. The bar provided big beanbag chairs to watch from as long as you are ordering drinks, which we were.

And we had a couple of fantastic mango mojitos and enjoyed a show with our toes in the sand.

After watching the show, and enjoying those mojitos, we walked down and stuck our toes in the water.

The water was warm, but not too warm, perfectly lovely on your toes.  The sand was this fine baby powder sand that just felt cool and soft.

ssn – Pantai Cenang (Cenang Beach) is one of those quintessential beach towns. It felt very much like Mexico to us. Sandy streets, cute shops, beach bars, and huge amounts of happy.

Langkawi Sky Bridge and Cable Car

When planning for this trip started, Peggy called me and said “why do you want to go to Langkawi”, my one word answer: “SkyBridge”.

It’s the reason to go, a big cable car ride up into the mountains to visit the SkyBridge.

ssn – The Langkawi SkyBridge is the longest free span and curved bridge in the world!

I have a huge fear of heights (in case this is your first time reading this blog), but when I saw this bridge, I knew I had to conquer this fear.

So Arthur picked us up, stopped for a quick coffee and pastry, and we headed to the mountains. This also gave us an opportunity to see some of the other areas of the island.

We arrived at Panorama Langkawi, a large complex that includes restaurants, shops, and other attractions in addition to the main features, the SkyBridge and Sky Cab Cable Car.

And because she’s my sister

She made us take the glass bottom cable car up to the top.

Luckily the glass bottom was a little cloudy, and not that impressive.

But the ride up was pretty amazing.

It is a long, high trip to the top, 1.4 miles in length and reaching a height of 2,150 feet above sea level by the time you hit the first station. Just WOW, the view is breathtaking. 

Sky Cab Stop One

You can opt to stay on at the first station and ride all the way to the top, but really you should step out and go check out the view from the first platform. 

They are currently building the world’s longest cantilever platform at this first stop, but luckily it wasn’t done, so I wasn’t forced to risk my life trying that out.

On to the Top

A word of warning. You have to buy a ticket at the top to walk the Sky Bridge, in addition to the cable car ride you purchase at the bottom.

You need to buy a separate ticket to ride the Sky Glide down to the sky bridge rather than walk down (and then have to walk back up).  We support riding as those stairs looked exhausting.

And then I face my fear.

It was a breathtaking view, and the bridge didn’t shake, and I didn’t death grip the entire time.

Maybe my sister is finally wearing me down on this whole scared of heights thing.

There was definitely someone on that bridge more scared than I was.

ssn – I am so proud. Patti has made such progress and rarely complains. Another lady on the bridge was clearly terrified and clinging to her friend, and I mean clinging! If we didn’t feel so bad for her it would have been comical.

The view was spectacular

It was really amazing, being up in hills with views of the sea and the coastline.  It was an overcast day, so we were pretty much almost to cloud height. The cool temperatures were such a welcome relief compared to the stifling humidity and high temps in town.

I’m so glad we did it.  It was stunning, and another moment of “wow, this is my life”.

Sadly We Have To Get Going

We were pressed up against Peggy’s time limits for getting to the airport. We made our way back down in order to eat before we had to head out.

Being that it was daytime during Ramadan we had a little problem finding open places; however, Arthur mentioned the “hidden bar” near Pantai Cenang.

Shockingly, it turned out to be named “The Hidden Bar”, and it was open.

There’s Always Time for a Beach Bar

The Hidden Bar was super cute. We had a couple of drinks, and a couple of appetizers, just to get us flight ready.

Shockingly, the taco was amazing, chunks of beef covered in nacho cheese, sitting on a crunchy slaw base. We threw in a cheese “chaffle” and some calamari, both were pretty good, but the view was the winner of the meal.

Other Langkawi Activities

Because we just didn’t have enough time, we missed out on some of the other activities that Langkawi has to offer. The most popular excursions are boat tours/sunset tours, island hopping to some of the pristine beaches in the archipelago, and kayaking through the mangroves.

Leaving Langkawi

With big regrets for not staying longer, at least two nights, maybe the rest of our lives.

This is definitely going to be a repeat destination for me, eventually.

But for now, it’s back to Kuala Lumpur to finish off our Malaysia excursion.

Other Malaysia destinations:

• Kuala Lumpur
• Ipoh
• Penang

Changi International Airport in Singapore is consistently ranked by travelers as a favorite, with good reason. It has been named Best Airport in the World by multiple publications (Conde Nast, Travel & Leisure, Business Traveler and more), multiple years. In fact, the current award count is 649!

Singapore Changi Airport

If your Singapore layover is less than 6 hours, best to stay put and enjoy the amenities the airport has to offer.

Changi amenities include the standard lounges, restaurants, shopping, chapels, and travel services. Additional services include pharmacies, baggage storage, children’s play areas, spas & salons. These additional services alone would set it apart from other airports, but then they have the Jewel Changi – an attractions destination connected to Terminals T1, T2 and T3. Jewel Changi has attractions that are so cool they’ll have you questioning if you really ever need to leave the airport!

• Gardens
  • Butterfly Garden
  • Cactus Garden
  • Sunflower Garden
  • Orchid Garden
  • Topiary Garden
  • Water Lily Garden
• Art Installations
• Jewel-rassic Dinosaur trek (virtual photo hunt)
• Movie Theater
• Entertainment areas – Video Games and Studios
• Hedge Maze
• Sky Trampoline
• Swimming pool
• Giant Slides
• Canopy Bridge and Park
• Forest Valley and the Rain Vortex Waterfall

Sister Side Note (ssn) – Yes, seriously, the airport has a movie theater and a swimming pool, so pack your carryon appropriately. The airport is amazing, it’s clean and beautiful, with plenty for everyone, make sure you check out the gardens!

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Singapore Layover – Leaving the Airport and Exploring Singapore

Patti and I both were lucky enough to have long layovers between USA and Bali – mine was about 10 hours during the day, hers was about the same in the evening. The Changi airport offers a couple of guided tours but those didn’t align with my time frame so I was on my own.

Getting to downtown was easy – there are buses and taxis and plenty of help to be found. As a starting point, I took a taxi to the Marina Bay Sands – Singapore’s iconic resort & casino featured in movies like Crazy Rich Asians. You know the one, it looks like it has a giant surfboard on top?

ssn – leaving the airport, there is a taxi stand and “Grab” area (like Uber or Lyft in the USA). English is commonly spoken in Singapore, so do not be afraid to venture out. Our taxi drivers were helpful and happy to tell us all about their fantastic country. It’s also only a 20 minute drive to some of the best parts of Singapore.

Marina Bay Sands

This luxury resort is made up of hotel, casino, convention center, high-end shopping, dining, museum and performance space. The hotel has 3 towers which are 55 stories tall and connected at the top by a 3-acre (wow!) SkyPark. The SkyPark features the world’s longest elevated pool, gardens and observation deck.

The cost to go up to SkyPark is $26, which is a little high but I figured it was probably worth it for a one-time visit.

The views from the observation deck are incredible. Singapore is the largest/busiest port in the world but I was still surprised by the number of ships!

After taking in the views, I sat at the beautiful Ce La Vi Skybar and ordered a Singapore Sling (when in Singapore…) before heading over to my next stop. Gardens by the Bay was just a short walk.

Gardens by the Bay

No visit to Singapore would be complete without a visit to Gardens by the Bay. This was absolutely the highlight of my excursion. In their own words, “Gardens by the Bay is a showpiece of horticulture and garden artistry…” and it is truly like no other botanical garden. The three main areas of interest are The Supertree Grove, The Flower Dome, and The Cloud Forest. Admission is separate to each but runs about $30 usd for all.

Supertree Grove

I started at the Supertree Grove. Immediately, I fell in love with this otherworldly sculpture garden. The trees are so cool in person. And they are huge!

You can just walk around the base of the forest, take a walk on the OCBC Skyway (a suspended walkway between trees) or go to the Supertree Observatory located atop the tallest tree.

Patti was lucky enough to be there at night for the light show. I will have her Sister Side Note (ssn) her experience!

ssn – Looking at Peggy’s pictures, it is hard to believe we were in the same place. The Gardens are open until midnight, so you can experience not only the light show, but also the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest in the evenings. It was truly spectacular. People spread blankets under the Super Trees, or just sit on the ground. The light show is set to music, and I vividly remember laying there looking up feeling in complete awe at my life’s journey that had led to this surreal moment, the Beatles music set to a light show was magical. I cannot recommend this experience enough.

Flower Dome

Next up was the Flower Dome. The Flower Dome took my breath away (and not just from the warm, humid environment). The beauty of this botanical garden is unmatched. – both in diversity and sheer size. It holds the Guinness World Record for the largest glass greenhouse! It holds blooms from across the world – Asia, Africa, Mediterranean, South America, Australia, and North America.

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ssn – I will admit that flowers and gardens are not necessarily my jam, but the Flower Dome is gorgeous, and worth the time to wander through all the different displays (especially the Aloe in Wonderland, my favorite, with all the succulents)

The Cloud Forest

The Cloud Forest is the companion dome to the Flower Dome. It is much more of a vertical display of exotic plants that are native to a cloud forest habitat. A cloud forest is defined as a moist (sorry) tropical or subtropical climate with persistent low lying clouds. You wander “through the clouds” on aerial walkways for views of the vibrant plants that cover this indoor mountain. One of the highlights is an indoor waterfall (again, one of the worlds tallest).

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ssn -the Cloud Forest has walkways on many separate levels, so you can wander all the way up, or take the elevator up and walk down. They have amazing displays of foliage, flowers, art and views of the city. It’s a crazy experience to feel so connected to nature and then look out and see the lights of the bay.

Back to Changi Airport

All in all it was a most fabulous and memorable day. I think we both had the same one regret – that we didn’t get to experience some of the legendary Singapore street food. But there is always next time.

ssn – I ate at the Garden by the Bay concession stand, dumplings, noodles, and chicken and rice, and it was actually really great local food. However, Chili Crab from a street vendor is on the list for our next visit.

I got back to the airport with enough time to wander around a few of the gardens, get some amazing food and relax for a bit before getting on a 17-hour flight back to SFO.

This was my first long layover in a foreign country. I can say wholeheartedly that from now on, I will always try to incorporate one in when possible.

Updates!

We have traveled through Singapore a couple more time since this post. In March, I was scheduled to be there from early evening until early the next morning. The flight was delayed and sadly I didn’t get there in time to go into Singapore.

However, I did have reservations at Yotel which ended up being the best decision! This tiny room, which can be reserved for a few hours or overnight, was the ideal way to keep on sleep schedule and stay rested for the rest of the trip.

As it was fairly late, few of the amazing attractions were open. I caught the last lightshow at the Jewel waterfall – it was Disney themed at the time and super cute! I was able to do a quick walk-through of the Canopy Park before I needed to get something to eat. The majority of the extensive list of mouth-watering restaurants were closed.

I wanted to eat at Burger and Lobster but their food service was closed. Next door, I found Tanuki Raw and The World is Flat. It was delicious!! A Singapore Sling (of course!) and a Char Siew Unagi bowl, some great conversation with fellow travelers, a complimentary tasting of rum from Thailand and it was a wonderful end to a day of travel.

Our destinations from Singapore:

• Bali
• Nusa Penida
• Penang, Malaysia
• Ipoh, Malaysia
• Langkawi, Malaysia

Patti is a yoga teacher who had been to Bali previously but was leading her first retreat in 2019.  The retreat was 7 days (click here for more information on her retreats) and was packed full of cultural excursions and spiritual healing that checked a lot of our Bali wish lists. This was her first year, so Peggy attended the retreat to lend a little moral support. We extended our trip an extra week for a some sister time and #sisbehaving after the retreat. Starting with Nusa Penida then on to Canggu and Uluwatu. Our extra Bali days will be covered in another post.

We opted to spend a couple nights out on Nusa Penida, a small island to the south of Bali. There are a few bucket list items on Nusa Penida, but otherwise it is a quieter, less modernized version of Bali.  The people are wonderful and welcoming, but it is definitely a slower, less touristy place, with not very good roads (not a place to rent a scooter unless you have extensive riding experience).

Sister side note (ss) – We opted for an Airbnb that had the option to hire a cook for meals (it was pretty remote) and a driver for touring the island so we had these resources at our disposal!

Getting to Nusa Penida

You will need to take a ferry to get there, about a 45-min ride from Sanur. There are several ferry or fast boat options. We used Idola Express and bought our tickets online before we left home.

The other thing we found out about Nusa Penida is that it is even hotter than Bali, and we spend quite a bit of time pretty miserable due to the heat. That being said, it was beautiful and peaceful, and absolutely worth a trip. 

Nusa Penida Day 1

Broken Beach

The true “must see” sights on Nusa Penida are quite far apart, so plan one day to just spend driving around the island. This is what we did.  Broken Beach was first on the list.  The pictures are crazy beautiful, but I didn’t feel that is was that awe-inspiring in person.  Of course, my recollection could be swayed by the heat, and the crowds.  I look back at the pictures and it is truly a beautiful view.

ssn – I did feel that it was awe-inspiring. I was underwhelmed by the other “must-see” location – Angel’s Billabong – see further down.

Angel’s Billabong

Our lovely driver then took us to Angel’s Billabong. It is on the list of Nusa Penida sights but again, it was a little drive and the roads are a bit primitive. It was really one of those, get out, wander out amongst the other tourists, take some pictures and get back to the aircon (lol, that’s air conditioning for those from the US)

Klingking Beach

After a quick lunch at a local warung, we hit up Klingking beach. It is the iconic T-Rex rock that is all over Instagram.  Its crowded and touristy, but it really is an incredible sight to see.  However, the hike all the way down to the actual beach is about a 45 minute walk, coming up it’s over an hour of a fairly steep climb. So if you plan to spend anytime down on the beach, plan your day accordingly.

ssn – We did not go down to the beach. Next time for sure! We just didn’t have enough time and did we mention that it was hot af?

Our AirBnB

Pretty much called it a day after this and headed back to our AirBnB, because I did forget to mention that it was insane!  What an amazing find, the view was spectacular, and I loved just being alone on this hilltop. 

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Nusa Penida Day 2

Snorkeling with Manta Rays

Day two was a complete score for us.  We decided that snorkeling with the Manta Rays needed to happen.  There are numerous companies that provide this half day snorkeling adventure, and if this is your thing, this is a great place to snorkel.  Boats make two or three stops at different places, including Manta Bay, equipment is included.

We, however, had a taxi driver who knew a smaller side company. Our big hang-up was spending half day on a boat, when we were on a limited time schedule.  Instead we got in on this smaller boat, with 10 other people, friendly staff, and only 2 hours of total time.  Obviously, if you are in it for the full snorkeling experience, take the longer boat trips, but we were focused on just making the mantas happen.  And they did! We saw two fairly up close (not close enough to touch, but still RIGHT THERE).

A word of caution, because there are so many tour boats, be prepared for a lot of people in the water at once, and a lot of people crowding every time there was a manta in the area. 

ssn – three things to note, this was Patti’s first time snorkeling so that was super exciting! Secondly, jellyfish babies everywhere and their stings hurt! Thirdly, just being out there on the boat was unbelievably beautiful. Therefore, you are getting lots of pictures!

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After the boat trip, we were famished and ready for a drink.  The cool thing about Nusa Penida is lots of small beach restaurants, all sitting right on the beach.  We ended up at Penida Colada – obviously for the name.  A couple of cocktails and some fabulous local food, and we were happy for the day.

ssn – I still dream of their Dragonfruit Margaritas

Nusa Pendia Day 3

The Cave Temple

Our final day in Nusa Penida, we made a last minute decision before our boat ride back to Bali that we needed to see the cave temple.  This was my favorite part of the island.

Goa Giri Putri Temple was incredible.  You hike up about 200 stairs to the top, get a blessing before going in, and then there is this little hole in the side of the mountain, just big enough to squeeze through.  You back in, duck under this low low ridge, stand up on the other side, and BOOM, big huge cave temple inside the mountain.  I am so glad we made time for doing this temple.  Completely worth it.

ssn – this was such a special visit. The peace and serenity were so moving. And they will rent you a sarong if you don’t have one, so no worries there.

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Lunch with a View

After the temple we stopped for lunch, again, beachside restaurant. Super cute, with amazing Mie Goreng, and a fantastic view.  We definitely felt these little beach spots refill your soul and make you feel completely grateful for your life.

ssn – The seafood Mie Goreng (fried noodles) was the best of the whole trip!

We headed back on our fast boat to Bali for our last few days in Uluwatu.