Sunset Dinner at Jimbaran Beach

Jimbaran beach is stretching between the barren limestone hill to the south and Kedonganan beach near the international airport on the north. This white beach is so tranquil and just the right place for relaxing in the afternoon while waiting for the sunset. It has been more known after the presence of five-star and luxury hotels since the beginning of the 1990s. Suddenly it was on everyone's lips. 

The new arising tourist resorts at Jimbaran now have more

option to dine out. Along the Jimbaran to Kedonganan Beach

there are many cafes operated by local people. It is something

like night markets where visitors can choose a wide range of

seafoods. Nearly all cafes provide special seafood menus

with local recipes or combination with the western one. Fish

is supplied by a nearby fishermen village at Kedonganan. Some

vendors there still sell their fish until to the afternoon.

When the west horizon turns yellowish red, the cafes spread

their colorful chairs on the sand overlooking the beach.

Slowly the activity on the beach reduces, while other activities begin at cafes. And when the night arrives, it starts getting to be romantic. Candle lights and live musicians enhancing the atmosphere. There are many small and big jukungs that are ready to sail and will become an artistic background for your dinner.

The shining stars in the sky, candle-like lights from the

resorts on the hill and the spotlight from the airport has

changed Jimbaran Beach to something like a celebration night.

Taste the grilled fish on the sand of a open-air beachfront

café and enrich your dining experience with one not usually

available at 5 star hotels . You can choose the kind and size

of fish and other seafood yourself. The local characteristic

of the recipe is that grilled fish is topped with Balinese

raw spices (basa matah). It is then traditionally accompanied

with stir-fried water spinach and white steamed rice.

Only a ten-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport,

also easily reachable from Kuta or Nusa Dua by inexpensive

taxis. Always worth a visit.

The Art of Tropical Living

In the 1960's all local houses consisted of very basic constructions, foreigners rented rooms in family inns (losmen). Shortly after trendy Sanur was the first area that attracted more sophisticated buildings, usually under supervision of western designers and architects.

Around 1980 the situation started to be influenced strongly
by western business people that came to Bali frequently enough
to build their own house. These houses and villas somehow took
some traditional Balinese essentials to blend with imported
Western standards. Although there was suddenly the comfort of
a western bathroom, the bottom line was usually a lack of
professional competence in an overall architectural context.

Starting around 1990 the present situation started to emerge:
Elements of Balinese architecture like thatched materials for
the roof or carved doors are used in a modern context and in
combination with the Western tradition of comfortable
furniture and furnishings.

That is not a general evolution of the "Bali style" it is
rather used as reinterpretation in a decorative and usually
aesthetic way. Many Westerners have build their Balinese dream
home based on a mixture of Western comfort and Asian styles.

The indoor-outdoor living style is dominant to express the
best possibilities the tropical climate has to offer. Natural
materials used are wood, alang-alang, bamboo, stone, glass and
ceramics.

The traditional Balinese way to construct buildings followed
very strict rules of shapes and sizes, also positioning and
orientation was absolutely predetermined. Constructing a
building is guided by religious motives not by practical or
designer aesthetics. Therefore it is originally not an art
form but religious ritual.

The latest development is however an extracting of Balinese
designs to merge with new international styles in an artistic
way, giving birth to a new Bali style.

Now designers are getting creative in an unpreceded way to
redefine this so typical local art of tropical living in a new,
internationally valid way that possibly will set the trend for
years to come.