One of the greatest ironies in travel is that we very often find ourselves yearning and learning more about other travel destinations, and take for granted our own hometown. Yes, we are culpable. And it is when we’re on our travels that we then often think about where we come from and we left behind.

The recent economic downturn put a dent in anyone’s wallet, and their travel plans. It has reigned in our appetite for travel – albeit by no means did it evaporate the idea – travelers started looking at their own backyard, and see their home town in a new light. And… Voila! It’s just as interesting! And there are a myriad of ways to experience it.

Here’s a look at San Diego, California’s gem of a sunny playground, with as strong a lure for travelers as it is for San Diegans themselves. It does of course have an unfair advantage, a favorable weather to enjoy the outdoors all-year round. (click on picture)

One of the greatest ironies in travel is that we very often find ourselves yearning and learning more about other travel destinations, and take for granted our own hometown. Yes, we are culpable. And it is when we’re on our travels that we then often think about where we come from and we left behind.

The recent economic downturn put a dent in anyone’s wallet, and their travel plans. It has reigned in our appetite for travel – albeit by no means did it evaporate the idea – travelers started looking at their own backyard, and see their home town in a new light. And… Voila! It’s just as interesting! And there are a myriad of ways to experience it.

Here’s a look at San Diego, California’s gem of a sunny playground, with as strong a lure for travelers as it is for San Diegans themselves. It does of course have an unfair advantage, a favorable weather to enjoy the outdoors all-year round. (click on picture)

One of the greatest ironies in travel is that we very often find ourselves yearning and learning more about other travel destinations, and take for granted our own hometown. Yes, we are culpable. And it is when we’re on our travels that we then often think about where we come from and we left behind.

The recent economic downturn put a dent in anyone’s wallet, and their travel plans. It has reigned in our appetite for travel – albeit by no means did it evaporate the idea – travelers started looking at their own backyard, and see their home town in a new light. And… Voila! It’s just as interesting! And there are a myriad of ways to experience it.

Here’s a look at San Diego, California’s gem of a sunny playground, with as strong a lure for travelers as it is for San Diegans themselves. It does of course have an unfair advantage, a favorable weather to enjoy the outdoors all-year round. (click on picture)

One of the greatest ironies in travel is that we very often find ourselves yearning and learning more about other travel destinations, and take for granted our own hometown. Yes, we are culpable. And it is when we’re on our travels that we then often think about where we come from and we left behind.

The recent economic downturn put a dent in anyone’s wallet, and their travel plans. It has reigned in our appetite for travel – albeit by no means did it evaporate the idea – travelers started looking at their own backyard, and see their home town in a new light. And… Voila! It’s just as interesting! And there are a myriad of ways to experience it.

Here’s a look at San Diego, California’s gem of a sunny playground, with as strong a lure for travelers as it is for San Diegans themselves. It does of course have an unfair advantage, a favorable weather to enjoy the outdoors all-year round. (click on picture)

Not bad for a day's catch. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

For the seasoned Bali visitor who yearns to explore all the Isle of Gods has to offer (even an extended vacation will never suffice) and anyone who is intrigued by unique travel experience, with some fishing thrown in, here’s a Safari Camp like no other.

Join Cyrus Boyum and Michael Owen, two American adventurers and fishing aficionados for a safari camp to Grajagan, East Java, for some serious Ulua fishing. For the novice, Ulua is Giant Trevally. All fishing trips depart from Bali.Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures. And while in the area you can always go surfing at the world-famous G-Land.

Let’s start with the location, along the coast of the southeasternmost tip of East Java, deep in the Alas Purwo National Park. Alternatively, you could mention one name to any serious surfer and they’d lead you right to it: G-Land, a popular surf spot in the same area, that has been secretly on the surfers’ radars for years, before it went mainstream, thanks to the internet.

A TRUE STORY OF A SURFERS HAVEN DISCOVERY
G-Land, the surf spot was discovered by two American brothers, Bill and Mike Boyum, in 1972 when Bill spotted the area from his plane window enroute to Bali. They soon ventured to surf there. And a new surf haven was annointed as among the world’s best left! Eventually they set up a Surf Camp, and the rest, as they say, is history. G-Land has seen some of the world’s best surfers ride its waves; Kelly Slater, Shane Dorian, Joel Fitzgerald, Taj Burrow, Jamie O’Brien, Gerry Lopez, Peter McCabe, Ozzy Wright and many others.

Bills’s son Cyrus was literally born with G-Land in his DNA. Born in Hawaii, never venturing far from water. Cyrus is based in Indonesia, where he has spent much of his adult life.

Entrance to Alas Purwo National Park. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

2010 SCHEDULE
Trips are conducted only from June through mid-September (during the dry season only).
Indonesia is tropical and only has two seasons. During the rainy season (monsoon) road and beach conditions do not permit trips.

All trips depart the exotic island of Bali.
Generally trips depart every 3rd day of the week, however schedules can be tailored to specific groups’ needs. For further info, please contact the founders Cyrus Boyum (email: jungleulua@gmail.com), or Michael Owen (email: kaowenoz@hotmail.com) of Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures.

Just your average daily catch. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

True adventurers ~ founders and guides Michael Owen & Cyrus Boyum. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

The trek may be somewhat treacherous, but look at your bonus sight! Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

An hour's trekking northeastward takes you to the magical Bropos Point. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

Living well ~ all in a day's work... in a tropical jungle in East Java. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

Everything is brought in on foot-head porter & security Mariati. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

All the day's fresh catch on the grill. All-organic cuisine-par excellence. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

Guide Cyrus and his catch. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

Guide Cyrus with blue omilus (blue fin trevallies). Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

The Camp. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

The world famous G-Land break near camp. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

Lobsters. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

Local fishing boat-East Java. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

Who doesn't have a weak spot for this scenery? Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

We mean business. Photo: Jungle UIua Fishing Adventures

Beauty of the sea. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

Tt takes a village to go on a fishing trip. Photo: Jungle Ulua Fishing Adventures

Source: Enchanting Eden

Dreamland started life when surfers discovered it enroute to the other nearby surfing spot of Uluwatu and Padang Padang. Now that the “secret is out”, Bali-based expatriates and visitors alike have converged upon it.

The white sandy beach and the world-famous surf-break for long rides, coupled with its remote setting, makes for the perfect escape from all the worldly cares.

Source: Enchanting Eden

Sanur BeachScuba diving courses
These are more in depth courses provided for beginners by a highly qualified instructor. Special iInternational scuba dive courses in English and Japanese are available. Includes days with an open water diving course program, also theory and practise in the pool, open water dives with all necessary gear like air tanks are ususally included. Open water certificates will be awarded to divers passing the test.

Tulamben shipwreck diving. Bali

The Preferred Scuba Diving locations around Bali

Sanur Beach is well known because of it’s beautiful scenery and atmosphere. This white sand covered beach spreads, from Bali Beach Hotel to the south. This beach is facing to the east, so we can always see a beautiful sunrise. Sanur is a very nice place to enjoy marine sports activities such as : Jet ski/wave runner. parasailing, water ski, wind surfing, scuba diving etc. It’s under water panorama are also very beautiful with colourful tropical fishes, soft coral, and sponges growing on the 25 kilometers of barier reef up to Nusa Dua. You can enjoy scuba diving here from 6 meters deep up to 15 meters.

Nusa Dua Beach
Nusa Dua is a beach at the south of Bali, part of Bukit Paninsula. It is call Nusa Dua because there are two Islands that are united with Bali Island, and the coast arround the Island is called Nusa Dua Beach. The beach has a very white sand and the waves are quiet in the north and bit bigger at the south. Nusa Dua is also the center of water sports activities. It’s under water panorama is similar with Sanur sea, because their reef is part of the reef that lies in front of Sanur Beach.

Padang Bai dive site, Bali

Padang Bay
Padang Bay is located east of Denpasar, just one and half hours by coach. Padang Bay was once a small fishing village but is now a lively tourist center with small restaurants and shops strung along a white sandy beach a port for visiting cruise ships with ferries going to Lombok. However on most days, the bay is used by local ferries and fisherman in small outriggers. These same outrigger are modified with outboard motors to take divers to local sites just ten to fifteen minutes away. The area is known for it’s abundance of soft corals, gorgonias and crinoids. The number and variety of nudibrances would excite divers who enjoy finding photographing them and diverse fish life and coral.

Tulamben, Bali

Diving the wrecks of Tulamben, East Bali

Tulamben
One hour from Padang Bay, or 2.5 hours from Denpasar by bus, Tulamben is Bali’s most famous dive site at the base of majestic Agung vulcano. The main attraction here is the sunken Liberty Ship just off the volcanic beach. The wreck is 6 meters from the beach until 35 meters, it is provided an accessible and interesting under water attraction for both diver and snokelers. Arriving at Tulamben, local porter carry the dives gears down to the beach, a short swim over black sand brings you to the wreck, where you are going to meet schools of sergeant majors, battish, wrasse and other small fish. The wreck is fully ground with different varieties of clams, coral gorgonias, here you also can feed fishes. Drop off diving also offered here a few meters south side of this Ship Wreck.

Nusa Penida, excellent dive spot in Bali

Nusa Penida/Lembongan Island
One and half hour by boat from Sanur beach is the Island of Lembongan. The waters between Nusa Penida and Lembongan are subject to strong currents so the feasibility is generally excellent and the soft coral growth prolific. Along the island rocky cliffs are hard coral gardens and diversity of sea life. Most dives are drift dives and experienced boat men always watch for surficing divers. Lembongan is also great for non divers as it has excellent snorkeling in more sheltered in shore waters and cruising arround the island between dives makes a pleasant day with lunch and refreshments.

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After you’ve exhausted all your options of touring the magical island, surfed all its shores, reached your nirvana at all the Spas… well, we all know that’s virtually impossible. As there’s never enough time to experience everything Bali has to offer. But AJ Hackett, an international household name for extreme activities, founded by a Kiwi with a knack for adrenaline pumping has brought the excitement of Bungy Jumping to the Isle of Gods. Here’s a look at it.

Bungy jumping in Bali. Photo: AJ Hackett Bali

I quietly said a prayer to whoever might’ve been listening and prepared myself, as best I could, for the inevitable.

Ready to take the plunge. Photo: AJ Hackett Bali

Standing underneath the tower in the blazing sun that Friday morning I was starting to wonder if I had met my match with this whole bungee lark. In fact, if truth was to be told I was thinking about beating a retreat from this endeavour, tail between legs, waving the white flag of defeat – never to return to 66 beach and the large gallows of doom.

Bungy jumping in Bali. Photo: AJ Hackett Bali

Weighing in on the scales the news only got worse for me when my partner didn’t meet the minimum weight of 45 kilos leaving her with no option but a tandem jump, whilst I rocketed the needle to 80 plus landing me with the solo option.

Harnesses in place we took to the lift which grinded slowly up past the surrounding palms and rooftops of neighboring hotels eventually delivering us at the summit with a commanding view of south Bali from Jimbaran down to Canggu and beyond. When you’re up there 50 metres looks pretty damn high and peering over the edge to confirm that there was indeed correlation with the ground below was the worse mistake I could’ve made. A bout of dizziness and downright terror started to take grip and I wasn’t even on the launch pad yet. ‘Fight the brain, fight the brain’ was all I could repeat to myself, trying to keep a handle on a rapidly deteriorating situation.

Clipped in and (not) ready to go I inched my way to the edge of the tower and peeped over just for added drama. “You have to let go of the handrail,” came the voice of Chris, I wasn’t even aware of the fact I was hanging onto the structure. “I got you by the harness and I’m gonna count you in on five, first wave to the photographer.” I cast a very sheepish glance at the lens man on the rig and returned my gaze to the horizon.

Looking back on matters now I still can’t explain what gave me the strength to pitch myself off that platform headfirst, I would’ve hated to disappoint the guys on the tower I suppose, I do remember taking a solid breath and throwing myself into some sort of bastardized swan dive, I never waited for Chris to hit one in the countdown. I just went.

The rest is a blur, a rush of blood to the cranium and an eye bulging moment of relief when the elastic cord kicked in and propelled me back up towards the launch pad on the tower. As gravitational equilibrium took hold and the cord was lowered to the waiting platform below I was as close to tears as I’ve been in months, nothing I had ever done in my life came as close to that insane adrenalin rush when you commit to taking that leap of illogical faith.

“You wanna go again?” asked the guy whose job it was to land me safely on terra firma. Considering it for a brief second I thought that one was enough for the day, I didn’t want to taint my impression of the first jump; I intended to savour that one awesome moment when you just let go, for as long as I possibly could.

Source: Hello Bali

The Bulgari Resort, Bali is a 59-villa luxury resort property located near Uluwatu on the southern tip of the Jimbaran Peninsula in Bali, Indonesia. Perched on a cliff 150 meters above the sea shore, the resort commands magnificent views of the Indian Ocean. All villas feature unobstructed views, a plunge pool and patio and lush tropical foliage.

The ultimate in luxury right on the southern tip of Bali where the Indian Ocean southern swells hit land, some of Bali’s best surf spots are mere steps away. Just down the beach is Uluwatu and Dreamland.

All the luxuriously-appointed private villas feature exquisite Balinese antiques, open-air pavilions, terraces, private plunge pools, and of course luxurious Bulgari amenities.

Bulgari’s luxury is not its only claim to fame, as the hotel makes a mission of partaking in the community and environment, through efforts such as the recent planting of one thousand trees in the Bukit Peninsula area which is in its vicinity.

And then you have the resort itself, where privacy and seclusion are the resort’s hallmark . While not attempting to make any design statement, the biggest secret are its rooms. No standard rooms here — just 57 casitas and luxury suites, all with private terraces and ocean views. The décor is a safe contemporary Baja look, with plenty of stucco and exposed beams, and a smattering of works by local artists. Beds get special attention, all linens are Frette, no need to mention thread-count.

The restaurant offers an improbably beautiful view, as it is carved into the bluffs of Punta Ballena (Whale Point) overlooking the truly pacific (as opposed to Pacific) Sea of Cortez. Breakfast is served on a seaside terrace, La Terraza Americana serves the inevitable array of American style cuisine, and, not to be outdone, the Palapa Bar offers drinks with an ocean view, and a prodigious selection of tequilas.

Whale-watching, perhaps unsurprisingly in a place called Whale Point, is an option, as are all manner of other seafaring activities, from sailing to surfing. Land-lovers may prefer a day of spa treatments or yoga classes, a spin through the open-air art gallery, or a visit to either the historic town of San Jose del Cabo or the less historic nightlife of Cabo San Lucas.

It would be difficult to find bad food around here, whether in a proper restaurant or at a streetside vendor, and bars and nightclubs span the spectrum from local favorites to the Hard Rock Cafe. Then again it may be difficult to force yourself to leave the resort grounds, so comfortable and scenic are the surroundings.