Pacific Coast Highway California

Highway 1 is the best decision you will ever make for travelling from LA to San Francisco and beyond. 

 

 



 

This famous route is one of the most stunning scenic drives in the world and is unmissable.  Have a practice driving around LA then you will be ready to brave the right hand side of the windy cliffside roads (think great ocean road).

Geography

We travelled from downtown LA to San Francisco airport on highway 1.  The southernmost portion of the highway ends in Orange County. Make a stop at Newport beach especially if you are a 'The OC' fan.  The highway terminates above San Francisco in Mendocino county.  It stretches just over 1000kms in its entirety.

Planning your trip

The first thing you need to decide is how long you will spend driving highway 1.  Most people will drive from San Francisco to LA.  We drove San Fran to LA which is an easier drive (non cliff side) but supposedly the view is better  travelling south. I can vouch for driving north as an easy drive and the views were still spectacular.  Going southbound you are more likely to have the sun in your eyes vs. rarely travelling north.

Recommendations for how many days to spend are highly varied. We tried to do the drive in two days which was not enough to have decent stops.

There are many options for the drive, this wiki guide was extremely helpful.  It also has estimated travel times for separate legs of the trip.

• There is a fast route: Interstate 5- takes 6.5 hours from  San Fran to LA or vice versa in good traffic without stops)
• The medium route: Highway 1- 7.5 hours without stops but is more scenic. Includes Santa Barbara and St Luis Obispo
• The long way with incredible scenery and excellent stops: Highway 1- allow 2 days at a minimum, recommend at least 3 days

Another thing to consider is the fog created by the warm air temperatures and cold pacific ocean. 



June, July and August are the foggy months whilst September and October are supposed to be the nicest time to travel the Pacific Coast.

Make sure you buy a map, and enjoy the good old fashioned road trip!


Where to stop overnight

Where you plan to stop overnight will depend on how many days you are allowing for the drive. We did the trip in two days and stayed in Carmel. It was a good place to stop over if travelling north as it is close to Big Sur and the areas you will probably want to spend more time in.  Another option is Pismo Beach.  I'd add an extra day's stop over north of here before San Francisco- tripadvisor veterans recommend Monterey or Carmel.  If travelling in summer, it is advised to book somewhere to stay in advanced as most accommodation is heavily booked.


Stops on the Pacific Coast Highway (south to north)

• Malibu
• Just north of Santa Monica, check out affluent Malibu.  We didn't stop here (I wish we did!)
• There are 24 beaches, Zuma beach is supposed to be one of the best.

• Ventura
• Another great beach town, the promenade along the water is great to cycle/rollerblade along

• Santa Barbara
• The "riviera of the west" is a playground for the rich and famous.  Think Noosa crossed with Toorak.
• Known for its California mission style architecture. The main street is State street- good for a stroll and some window shopping. 
• Check out the Santa Barbara Mission and its Spanish architecture.
• Plenty of decent wineries close to the main township along with great beaches.
• Also known for festivals and events such as the Santa Barbara film festival (celebrities are rife), the Fiesta (Spanish/ Mexican / American indian festival!), summer solstice parade etc.

 

• San Luis Obispo
• "slow" as the locals call it, is mainly inland - nestled amongst small volcanic peaks.
• Check out bubblegum alley- and leave some of your gum. equally gross and cool simultaneously
• 733-734 Higuera St, St Luis Obispo
• Madonna Inn
• famous hotel on the pacific coast with 110 individually decorated and themed rooms, almost like you are in a (weird) fairytale.
• visit 'the pink room' and the mens bathroom for the famous waterfall urinal!
• 100 Madonna Road, St Luis Obispo
• Lots of great hiking and mountain biking

• Morro Bay (St Luis Obispo)
• Walk along the ebarcadero and keep your eyes peeled for sealions, sea otters and good old seagulls.
• Stop for a selfie with Morro rock





• Cambria
• We stopped over in Cambria as a halfway point, and it was a good place to stop- you will have Big Sur and all the San Simeon
• We stayed at Cambria Palms Motel
• $106 USD per night (on special), was what you would expect for a motel. They did lose our reservation and double book our room - we had booked online through a third party- but eventually sorted things out.
• Robin's restaurant
• Famed to be the best in Cambria with options for everyone, book ahead.
• 4095 Burton Drive, Cambria
• San Simeon
• Visit the elephant seal rookery near Piedras Blancas
• just off highway 1- 4 miles north of Hearst Castle / 12 miles north of Cambria
• Hearst Castle
• Not to be missed, Hearst Castle is a mansion built by newspaper baron William Randolf Hearst. It was designed by Julia Morgan between 1919 ad 1947.
• You can do different tours of "La Cuesta Encantada" (Spanish for “Enchanted Hill), just make sure you book ahead and arrive in time before the last tour (times vary by season).  The movie room makes me really jealous, as does the list of celebrities that Hearst invited regularly to dinner.
• We did the Grand rooms tour- $25 USD pp, runs for 40 minutes. 
• 750 Hearst Castle Road, San Simeon



• Big Sur
• Big Sur was my favourite part of the drive and has the most beautiful scenery.  Make sure you plan the trip so you can take your time during this part of the trip.
• Esalan Institute
• The hot spring baths here are supposed to be amazing
• 55000 Highway 1, California
• Before you get to Big Sur you should visit McWay falls/canyon- part of the Julia Pfeiffer Burns national park.

• Stop for a day hike in Big Sur
• We tried the highly recommended Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park ($5 per car)
• The valley view trail was good- 2miles (3.2 kms), wear proper shoes.  Be dwarfed by the massive redwoods and watch out for mountain lions (the tips for avoiding mountain lion/cougar attacks freaked me out a bit but don't worry, attacks are rare) 



• Nepenthe restaurant
• Have a coffee or something to eat and soak up the amazing views.  The giftshop shop attached has some really nice things.
• 48510 Highway 1, Big Sur



• Bixby Creek Bridge
• Stop for a photo at the most photographed bridge on the west coast of the US.



• Point Lobos State Reserve
• 4 miles south of carmel
• Lots of short walking trails and a chance to see sealions (we were a bit underwhelmed- they were very far away when we went).  tip- pay the parking fee, it's a long walk trust me!

• Carmel
• Explore Ocean avenue, the main street of Carmel where Clint Eastwood was the former mayor.
• Carmel Mission
• Is still functional and is one of the most beautiful Spanish missions.
• 3080 Rio Road
• Gravity garden
• A sculpture garden of balancing rocks created by Jim Needham
• 97 Corona Road, Carmel
• The Barnyard
• a shopping village surrounded by painstakingly manicured gardens
• 3618 The Barnyard, Carmel



• Monterey
• Go shopping on Cannery row (beachfront street in Monterey)- the site of old sardine canning factories.  We did not spend a long time in Monterey due to time constraints.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• 886 Cannery Row, Monteret
• Fisherman's wharf
• best place to see the sealions

• Santa Cruz
• Experience the bohemian, americana 60's vibe which lives on here.  Another beautiful beach to enjoy.  I didn't visit here myself.
• Beach boardwalk amusement park
• Is the only functional boardwalk amusement park on the west coast of the US, try the wooden rollercoaster- one of the oldest still running.
• rides $2-4USD, free entry.
• The Mystery Spot
• Entertain yourself with the strange illusions, $5 entry
• 465 Mystery Spot Rd
• Pacific avenue
• quirky shopping
• try a hike- there are lots of great spots nearby



• San Jose
• Is the largest city in northern California. I didn't visit here myself.
• Winchester mystery house
• Visit the supposedly haunted home of Sarah Winchester (as in Winchester guns) build in 1884.
• Tours are $16-40 USD pp.
• Silicon valley
• Home to many of the world's largest technology headquarters such as apple, google, facebook etc.

• Half moon bay
• Seaside down with stunning beaches.

• San Francisco
• You made it! See my San Fran post here.

Highway 1 Beyond San Francisco

There are lots of other places to visit north of San Francisco.  Hope I can get to these on the next trip

• Muir Woods
• Stinson Beach
• Johnson Oyster Farm
• Fort Ross
• Northern californian wineries
• Mendocino

If you can afford to- take your time and make lots of stops along the way.  The hikes we did and places we visited were some of my most memorable moments of our USA trip.

San Francisco

San Francisco is the 14th largest city in the USA, located on the west coast of America in California.  What is San Fran really like?  It is like an eclectic version of Melbourne with cool summers, hippies, gorgeous architecture, steep hills, cable cars (trams) and a homelessness epidemic.

I visited San Francisco at the end of the American summer and the first thing I noticed was how freezing it was!  An emergency shopping trip occurred and a coat was purchased stat.  Lesson number one - do your research and pack appropriately!  It is tricky doing a trip around a large continent like the US where there is a large variation in climate in places that aren't that far away from each other.  The only options really are to pack and bring different clothes to wear, or pack a little lighter and buy the things you need when you get there (definitely my preferred option as a keen shopper).  Option C which I exercises on my Europe trip is bring everything you need but bring old clothes or stock up at kmart so you will not have to think twice about throwing stuff away if you have to later on in the trip.


Getting there

San Francisco has a major airport and is easy to connect to from most places in the US. United Airlines fly direct to San Francisco from Australia. Avoiding LAX is great if you need to and United airlines have really cheap flight specials although I'd suggest flying with anyone else.  More about that in later posts about trip planning.

To get from the airport to downtown SF, the BART (train) costs $8.25 USD one way.  Just pick the stop closest to your hotel then either walk/ tram or get a taxi (may be needed as the hills are STEEP with a suitcase).

We drove to San Fran from LA via the Pacific Coast Highway - I would highly recommend this part of the trip. We dropped our car at the airport however it is worth investigating drop off points for each car rental service as many companies will do airport drop off only and charge you a fee to drop the car in a city different to where you have rented it.  I will elaborate on this further in a later post on general overview of the US trip.



Geography

San Francisco is a large city and its suburbs or districts are really noticeably different depending on where you go.  You will notice the architecture, culture, affluence and inhabitants change before your eyes.  Public transport is not as easily navigated as other places in the US despite the fact that there are trams and cable cars throughout the city.  I've marked some of my recommendations on google maps below to give you an idea of which areas they are in.

Major districts we visited



• Fisherman's Wharf
• touristy neighbourhood with Pier 39, Sealions, launching point for Alcatraz, touristy seafood restaurants
• Nob Hill/ Russian Hill
• Affluent area with gorgeous views and cute houses, lots of steep hills, take your walking shoes.
• Union Square
• We stayed near here.  Is the financial centre, lots of chain retail shops.
• The Haight
• Home of the hippies, quirky shopping
• Castro
• Cultural centre for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender ... communities. Great café culture.
• Golden Gate
• Historical landmarks, the Golden Gate Bridge obviously, great views

Getting around

Public transport around SF city is called MUNI.  There are cable cars, buses, trains and it can be tricky to work out which one to use to get around.  To make your life easier, download the hopstop app. This app will change your life! Just plug in where you want to go and what time and it will give you step by step directions.  Make sure you save these so if you are out somewhere with no wifi you can get home.

Accomodation

Lots of accommodation is around the main tourist haunt - Fisherman's Wharf.  Decide where you will stay based on what you want to do (and your general fitness level! It is very hilly away from Fisherman's Wharf).  Accomodation in San Fran is also quite expensive so you may want to move further out to save a few $$.

I decided to stay in the Union Square area after doing a bit of research.  I loved this area in terms of accessibility.  Our accommodation was smack bang between a rich district and a poorer area so the scenery changed dramatically depending on whether you went up or down the hill.

After a lot of deliberation, we chose USA Hostels San Francisco.  Noooo, not a hostel I hear you say? This is one of the best hostels I have ever stayed in.  We had a private room with a private bathroom, television, microwave etc.  The hostel had free basic breakfast, facilities for doing washing and a private movie room. It wasn't noisy and there were hosted activities every day like bike tours, trivia etc.  The age range was mostly 20s-30s and again the location was perfect.  Cost was $125USD per night- an absolute steal.

Next trip I would stay here again or look at renting somewhere via Airbnb.  Do note before you book that it is illegal to sublet and therefore use Airbnb for short term rentals in SF (see separate post on Airbnb).

Things to do in San Francisco

I'd recommend doing a walking or bike tour to get your bearings - try a free tour by San Francisco city guides.  We spent the first day just wandering around, navigating trams, trolleys and buses and checking out some of the districts of SF.

The Embarcadero

• The Embarcadero is the wharf area than runs from AT&T park in the southeast, along the water all the way to Fisherman's wharf.  It is a great spot to wander or jog along.
• The pier numbers go up as you head towards Fisherman's Wharf, the Alcatraz boat leaving from Pier 33.  The Exploratorium is on Pier 15.
• Visit the Farmers market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
• The Plant Organic Cafe
• We had a great dinner here
• Pier 3



 Exploratorium

• Located on Pier 15, the Exploratorium is a crazy science museum for adults and kids alike
• Entry $15

Fisherman's Wharf/ Pier 39

• Prepare yourself for the onslaught of tourists and grab a bowl of famous SF Clam Chowder.  Clam chowder may actually be from Boston and heavily marketed to tourists  in a sourbread bowl but when in Rome.... Check our this post where someone visited every Chowder stand and go from there!

• The best thing about Pier 39? The Sealions! Grab a coffee and watch the humongous beasts play and fight for the best spot on the pontoons.  One of the many free tourist attractions in SF 

Musée Mécanique

• Collection of more than 300 vintage mechanical arcade games.
• Exchange your cash for pennies and enjoy!
• Pier 45, Embarcadero, San Francisco

The Wave Organ

• An acoustic sculpture that makes sound when the waves hit it. Great views of the bay and bridge from here.  Sounds best at high tide.
• 83 Marina Green Drive, San Francisco

Telegraph Hill/ Coit Tower

• Take the challenge and climb the steps of telegraph hill to Coit Tower- an art deco tower built in 1933.
• Your quads will burn but the view is well worth the effort. $7USD to ascend the tower
• Coit Tower: 1 Telegraph Hill Boulevard, SF

Castro

• One of the first gay neighbourhoods in the US, the Castro remains a lively centre for LGBT.
• The home of SF icon, politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to be elected to the public office in California.
• Check our the Castro theatre, Harvey milk plaza, LGBT walk of fame, Harveys (formerly the Elephant walk- raided after the white night riots) and pink triangle park- a monument to gay prisoners persecuted in WWII.
• Don't miss brunch at Café Flor
• 2298 Market St, The Castro, San Francisco

• Hot Cookie
• Buy a delicious fallice shaped cookie
• 407 Castro Street, The Castro, San Francisco

The Haight/ Ashbury

• Catch the bus up to Haight/Ashbury and walk along Haight Street  (from Stanyan street- when you hit Divisadero street you are heading into the Castro.  This walk is great and you will lovely hilly views. along the way  

• The Haight (prounced like "hate")is split into the Upper Haight and Lower Haight, the former has hippy roots and is a tourist destination whilst the latter retains its poorer black roots and is a bit dangerous at night.
• Shopping
• There are dozens of quirky shops, thrift stores and the like to keep anyone entertained.
• Check out Amoeba music for vinyls and a large collection of indie music (1855 Haight Street)
• Giant Robot- a weird Asian manga/ toy shop (618 Shrader street).

Alcatraz

• Do not miss Alcatraz, it was my favourite part of San Francisco.  There is only one company that has tours to Alcatraz that actually docks on the island- don't be fooled!  
• The tours book out very quickly so book your tickets ASAP (they are available 90 days in advance).
• We did the night tour which is supposed to be the best as they let less people on at night and open up areas that can't be accessed during the day ($37USD pp).  They had different mini tours you could access - we went to the ghost stories tour where they lock you in solitary confinement aka 'the hole' and a tour of the hospital which is never open during the day.
• The tour leaves from Pier 33. Try not to get carried away at the souvenir shop like I did.

The Painted Ladies

• Row of Victorian houses painted in pastel colours, backdropped by sky scrapers. If you are an 80s or 90s baby, you may recognise them from the credits of Full House.
• Steiner street San Francisco (at Alamo Square Park)

Union Square

• Shopping at chain stores and Macy's (there's a cheesecake factory on the top floor!)
• Check out little paris - visit claude and belden lanes just off union square with live jazz on weekends.

Downtown

• Fino Bar and Ristorante
• Lovely Italian food, book in advance
• 624 Post Street, San Francisco

Mission Area

• Visit the legendary Dottie's true blue cafe for breakfast (prepare to line up)
• 28, 6th Street, San Francisco (just off market street)

Golden Gate Bridge

• Do not leave San Francisco without walking or riding over the Golden Gate Bridge. The trip there has the most amazing views.
• We hired pushbikes from Blazing Saddles (the main hire company in SF). You can do a guided tour or a self tour.  We picked up a map and did the self tour tide over the bridge to Sausalito. You can then catch the ferry back (the ques can be a little long so jump in the line as soon as you are ready to leave) 
• Bikes are around $8 per hour. The ride was challenging and you will need a basic level of fitness. This was the most challenging tourist bike route we did in the US.
• Pier 31 (also multiple other locations are SF- see their website)

AT&T Park

•  Watch the SF Giants play basketball at AT&T Park.
• 24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco

Sausalito

• Make the trip over the golden gate bridge to check out Sausalito- a cute little town with panoramic views and a ferry back to SF.
• Lovely place to have a wander and a coffee.

Filbert Street

• Filbert street is home to the steepest hill in San Francisco.  The normal streets are so ridiculously steep it is impossible to capture in a photograph.  This street takes it to a whole new level!

Trips from San Fran

• San Fran is well positioned to allow for excellent day trips or ideally to venture out from your home base for a couple of days.
• Try wine tasting in the Napa Valley
• Visit the stunning Yosemite national park (we couldn't go because of bush fires!) 

San Francisco is great place to slow down the pace and just enjoy walking around and taking in the sights.  Take a warm jacket and enjoy all that SF has to offer.

Legian and Kuta

I only have a few recommendations for Kuta and Legian but would highly recommend Legian as one of my favourite holiday destinations.  It is relaxing, casual and a great place to try for your first trip to Bali.  We last stayed in Legian in 2012 and since then the beachwalk mall has gone up but most other things are exactly the same.

Where to stay in Bali 
This all depends on what you like to do the experiences you want to have. I must admit that we usually come to Bali with a huge list of things to do and end up doing only half of them because it is so lovely just to wander the streets or relax at the beach.  I would definitely make an effort and do the 'must dos' on your first visit though.  So in terms of where to stay, Bali is huge and there are many more places to explore but these are the main tourist haunts.

• Legian ~ for beach bums, amateur to moderate surfers, market shopping
• Kuta ~ clubbing, activities to keep kids entertained
• Seminyak ~ high end boutique shopping, world class dining and nightscene
• Nusa Dua ~ high end luxury resorts, honeymoon spot, white sandy beach
• Uluwatu ~ high end luxury resorts, wedding venues
• Canggu ~ surfing, the 'new seminyak' with less tourists but is more isolated
• Ubud ~ arts & cultural centre, markets 

Check out my post on Seminyak here

Getting there

Take a taxi from the airport if your hotel hasn't arranged transport. See my Seminyak post for more detailed information.  Remember to say a polite no to the bag handlers who will try and carry your bags then demand payment.

Best spots to wander
Jalan Legian is a good strip to wander on your first trip to Bali. It becomes Jalan Raya Seminyak in the north as you research Seminyak.  There are some interesting shops from Legian onwards (especially around Bintang supermarket area) with cute boutiques and homewares.  Be prepared for some shops to be classy (absolutely no haggling) whilst the next one along will be a roller door garade selling bintang stubby holders.  Often walking this strip is quicker than a taxi anyway in traffic.

In legian, wander Garlic lane, Jalan Padma, Jalan Melasti, Jalan double six, and be sure to wander down random side streets and alleys.  Walk/ ride a motorbike along Jalan Mertanadi in Kerokoban for unique homewares.

Wherever you stop there are always sights to take in, locals happy for a chat (or a sale usually), intriguing smells and beauty in simplicity and local culture.  I loved exploring in Seminyak and finding all different street art along the way.

Where to stay


My favourite hotels in this are the Padma and Bali Niksoma.  The Padma is a great all rounder mid range resort with a good gym and two large pools. 



The Niksoma is also lovely and is probably better suited to couples.  It is a little smaller and more of a boutique hotel.  There are lots of other popular low to mid range hotels in Legian including the Jayakarta, the Melasti, the Bali Mandira.  At the southern end of Legian where it becomes Kuta you will find the Pullman (modern but uninspiring).  At the Seminyak end of Legian you will find the new kid on the block- the 5 star Double Six Luxury Hotel.  I would love to try this hotel next trip and have heard very good things.  It is ideally located close to both Legian and Seminyak and right on the beach (need to walk a little way down to nicer sand).

In Kuta, we have stayed at Rama Beach Hotel (actually in Tuban) which was AMAZING but is a bit far away from Kuta square and not near a particularly nice beach.  Up there with the best hotel pools I've ever been in though!



We also stayed in The Ramayana near Kuta Square on our first trip to Bali. Basic mid range accommodation near the action in Kuta.  Nothing too exciting, breakfast here was pretty good though.



What to do in Kuta & Legian

In Legian

• Enjoy the beautiful beach and hire a surf board/ body board. 



• Beach chairs/umbrellas are owned by Balinese who will rent them to you for as many hours as you like.  Prices vary depending on high season/low season, weather, busyness etc!  We were paying around 150,000 for two chairs and an umbrella for around 4 hours. You can buy drinks, rent surfboards etc. from the same place. 
• Carla Spa on Jalan Padma Utara does great massages (approx. $7.50AUD for 1 hour full body massage) and manicures etc. with OPI or shellac.  Generally no appointments needed.

In Kuta

• Kuta square is a good landmark to use- not much there except tourists shopping and a McDonalds etc.



• Kuta art market (Jalan Kartika plaza, just past Kuta Square opposite Ramayana hotel) is basically is a big maze of market with tshirts, souveneers etc. where you can have some fun bargaining but it’s nothing you would find elsewhere in Kuta or Legian
• Kuta beach front is busy and full of tourists, the beach at legian is much better.  Hard rock hotel and the beachwalk mall are on this strip.
• The bali bombing 'Ground Zero Memorial' is worth a visit.  It is in the spot where the old Sari nightclub and Paddy's bar stood before the bali bombings in 2002.  There is a carved momument and plaques with the names of the victims killed in the terrorist attack.  Worth a look.



• Waterbom park
• This is waterpark in Kuta is definitely worth a visit if you are into rides. Wetnwild only recently installed some of the rides that they have here in Bali.
• Try 'climax' and 'boomerang'- they are the best. 
• Entry is a steal at only $33USD per adult and $21USD per child
• Nightclub strip
• Even if you don't go out, take a walk past the nightclub strip on Jalan Legian between Kuta and Legian.
• Here you will find famous clubs such as Paddy's Bar, The Bounty and Skygarden.
• If you do go out be careful because pickpockets and gangs do exist especially in this area.  Don't take anything valuable with you, drink from bottled drinks only and ideally take someone along who is sober and can get you home!

Shopping

You will get a good bargain in the markets/street stalls around Legian (prices usually cheaper than kuta and definitely cheaper than Seminyak).  Garlic Lane (off Jalan Padma) is a good place to start.

• Silver instinct
• Excellent quality silver at good prices, they also copy jewellery and do custom designs
• Garlic Lane, Legian
• Dolphin leather
• Well known leather tailor in Legian. I had calf boots copied perfectly here for $110AUD which were very well made.
• Garlic Lane, Legian.
• Victory Collection Tailor
• Tailor that made great suits/shirts for my partner and copied a complicated flowy dress perfectly at great prices.
• Jalan Padma Utara

Four Tailor made pants and three shirts for $150AUD total (2012)

 

• Leather shop in Legian
• There is an excellent leather maker working just down from the Ramayana in Legian (cannot remember the name).  It is a small simple shop displaying mostly handbags. 
• If exiting the Jayakarta go straight then turn right (I think along Jl Padma Utara). The shop is about three down on the left.
• Tommy's
• Tommy's leather is famous for their copies of designer handbags.  Although they are good quality, they are overpriced.
• Jalan Padma (beach end)

Haggling

If you are not in a fixed price shop, Balinese will expect you to haggle.  Start at roughly 1/4 or 1/3 of what you are prepared to pay, then work your way up.  If you start haggling, it is rude to walk away if the owner if giving you a fair price.  It's also rude to start really low the refuse to go any higher.  The Balinese believe making a good first sale for the day will bring them luck and may often make a first sale at a lower price ("morning price").  Shopkeepers will also ask you where you are staying.  Don't tell them you are staying in a 5 star luxury hotel if you want to get a good price bargaining!

  A few tricks to get you started . . .

• "I'm buying two/three/four so you should give me a better deal"
• " we only paid $$$ yesterday "
• "I'm staying nearby and might buy more if you give me a good price"
• "give me your morning price"

Restaurants

• Mozzeralla
• There are a few franchises of mozeralla around legian now (one on Jalan Padma and one at the ? hotel) but the best one is on the beach (next to the Bali Niksoma Hotel).  Two for one cocktail specials are on nearly every night. Nice western and indo food and well priced for the lovely setting overlooking the water.
• Mozzeralla by the sea (best one) - Jl. Padma Utara, Legian (on the beach just near the Bali Niksoma hotel)



• Café Marzano
• Casual atmosphere and great pizza, definitely worth a visit.
• Jalan double six (down the beach end ¾ of the way down, on the left when facing the beach)

• Tekor
• This place has had a major overhaul since we last came to Bali when it was basically a shed!  Lovely Indonesian food and vego options and very reasonably priced.
• Try the bailey’s comet cocktail.
• Jalan double six (on the corner where double six meets the beach, on the left when facing the beach).



• Indonational
• Casual warung, cheaply priced.
• Jalan Padma No. 17, Legian. 



• Made’s Warung
• Is a famous restaurant in Bali, has a sister store in Seminyak.
• Known for their local Indonesian dishes.
• Jalan Pantai Kuta (not far from kuta square)
• Febris
• Restaurant attached to Febris’ hotel where the owner who looks a little like Fabio (presumably named Febris!) sings karaoke during your dinner. Hilarious and the food is actually okay for a touristy area. Try the satays.
• Jalan Kartika (Tuban end)
• TJ's Mexican
• Average tex mex, is best one in Kuta.  Try seminyak for something more authentic.
• Poppies Lane I, Kuta
• Havana Club
• Western favourites in a relaxed setting.
• Poppies Lane I, Kuta

Questions?

Please email me. For a general overview of what to do and where to stay in Bali please see my Seminyak post from my most recent trip.