Food isn’t really the first thing that comes to mind when one speaks of Bali. What this island paradise south of Indonesia conjures up are images of white sandy beaches filled with skimpily-clad bodies and moss-laden temples perched on cliffs. Bali has become such a popular year-round destination for tourists that modern air-conditioned restaurants and popular fastfood places can be found just about anywhere. But dig deeper through the local eateries they call warung and you just might be surprised to find something unique to eat in Bali.

BALI’S INFAMOUS BABI GULING

Yes, they do serve local dishes on the many fancy restaurants in Bali, but for a more local taste—which is a lot easier on the wallet, by the way—the way to go is to eat where the locals does. Be brave. Go down and dirty, and legitly eat your way through Bali.

A TYPICAL HAWKER SELLING LUNCH ON A MOTORBIKE

From my observations, Balinese dishes are cut into three categories—rice meals, noodles, and soups. That’s not discounting snacks and desserts, of course. The difference between the food here to the rest in Indonesia is that they do serve pork, Bali being Hindu instead of Muslim. The taste usually gravitates to a mix of salty and mild spiciness with nary a note of sweetness. It’s a tad similar to the food in Malaysia, albeit with the flavor and spiciness toned down in half. Eating in Bali is generally cheap, with a serving at a warung costing at an average of IDR10,000.00 to IDR20,000.00 (USD0.75 to USD1.50)

Mention Bali and the first things that come to mind are its white sand beaches and the hundreds of ornate temples that dot its landscape. But there’s more to Bali than these, and no, it’s not babi guling—although that porky delight is indeed another aspect of the island worth considering. It’s the traditional Balinese villages that still celebrate the way life was on the island before hordes of tourists started invading this paradise.

COLORFUL TRADITIONAL WOODEN MASKS BEING SOLD ON THE VILLAGES

During the course of my visits to Bali, I’ve visited only two of these so-called Bali traditional villages. There are more, like the Trunyan Village which has the custom of leaving their deceased above ground, a cloth and bamboo canopy its only cover, to the more famous jewelry-making village of Celuk and the culturally rich and more touristy Batubulan Village in Gianyar.

How many beaches are there in Bali? That was the thought that was running through my mind as we savored our last sunset on the island, pastels painting the lower part of the horizon as surfers glide through the curling waves. We’ve just spent almost two weeks on the island, exploring the temples of Bali and waterfalls of Bali, and of course, its beaches. We’ve seen quite a lot, swimming on a few and wishing we actually know how to surf.

Bali, the Land of the Gods. Separated from mainland Indonesia, this island paradise has a belief unique from the rest of the country, practicing Hinduism instead of Islam. With it comes temples, lots of them, sacred grounds carved on mountainsides, built over lakes, and standing over cliffs, all dedicated to their faith’s gods. And they literally have millions of gods, thirty three million to be exact.

HINDU IMAGERIES ON BALINESE TEMPLES

Imagine how hard it was for us, unfamiliar with Hinduism, to choose which temples to visit—each Balinese village having no less than three temples on their soil. We consulted guidebooks and read about Sad Kahyangan, the six cardinal temples of Bali, the holiest and most revered pura or temples in the whole of the island. But not all of these are easily accessible, being located on the heart and perimeters of Bali, and this island is huge.

I was under the impression that Penang holds the seat when it comes to Malaysian cuisine, but I was told otherwise by my friend from Melaka. She may be biased about it, since she comes from Melaka, but this was what she told us; people from Melaka goes to Penang for food trips, while people from Penang goes to Melaka for their own food trip.

During our short two-day Melaka adventure, we got to taste firsthand if this UNESCO city can indeed holds its own against its northern counterpart.

We have exactly two nights in Kuala Lumpur for our whole two-month ASEAN Summer Loop trip and we wanted to make the most out of it. For us, that means having mee goreng, our all-time favorite noodle dish from Malaysia, every other hour.

How addicted are we with mee goreng? After checking in at the Traders Hotel KL and freshening up a bit, we headed out by midnight to hunt for one.

► CHECK TRADERS HOTEL DISCOUNTED RATES

MADAM KWAN’S MODERN INTERIORS AT KUALA LUMPUR’S PAVILION SHOPPING CENTER

The next day, we rose early, eager to head over to Jalan Alor food street, excited to have a plate of our favorite noodles from one of the stalls that serves the meanest mee goreng in the whole of KL. But our plans suddenly took a turn as my travel mate got a message that her aunt was also in the city. Jalan Alor got ditched and we met up with her at the Pavilion Shopping Center instead.

After a bit of looking around, she asked us what we wanted for lunch. Well, we all know the answer to that burning question.

► BOOK A DISCOUNTED KL FOOD TOUR

Whoa. My jaw smashed to the (softly carpeted) floor when we opened the drapes in our room. The gleaming Petronas Towers were literally shining across the midnight cityscape of Kuala Lumpur. We knew we’d have this view when we booked a couple of nights at the Traders Hotel KL, but I didn’t know it would be this breathtaking when we actually get to see it in real life. I was totally blown away.

We were exhausted.

Coming from three breakfast meals—first in our hotel, The Imperial Heritage Melaka, the second at the Chung Hwa’s Chicken Rice Ball, and the last at Hassan’s Mee Goreng—you’d think we’d have more energy for walking around Melaka’s narrow streets and ogling at all the well-preserved colonial houses in the area than an Energizer Bunny with a camera.

But no.

The heat in Melaka is quite unbearable during the summer, draining us of our morning meals faster than we can type Dutch Square on our Google Maps-enabled phones.

JALAN LAKSAMANA, OUR INTRODUCTION TO MELAKA’S SIGNATURE COLOR

Coming straight from the massive KLIA II airport by bus, the first thing that indicated we were finally at the UNESCO World Heritage City of Melaka was not a sign, but the light maroon-colored colonial buildings lining both sides of Jalan Laksamana. It leads directly towards Melaka’s Dutch Square, dubbed by some as the Red Square, not because it resembles anything from Moscow, but literally due to the buildings’ paint job.

It was searing hot as we made our way across the narrow streets of Melaka to its famous shopping street, Jonker Walk. We’ve just had a good dose of the city’s famous chicken rice ball and mee goreng (aside from our breakfast fare from the Imperial Heritage Melaka Hotel where we were staying).

And now that its time to burn all those calories, the weather seemed hell-bent in helping us with our task.

► CHECK DISCOUNTED IMPERIAL HERITAGE MELAKA RATES

JALAN HANG JEBAT OR JONKER STREET IN MELAKA

Jalan Hang Jebat, read a sign pointing to our destination. More popularly known as Jonker Street or Jonker Walk, this 500-meter stretch is arguably one of the most popular streets in Melaka.

F, our friend from the city, dropped us off near its arch and told us to simply walk. We’d see lots of things there, she said as she bade her farewell.

► BOOK A DISCOUNTED MELAKA TOUR FROM KL

Our boat leisurely cruised along the dark sparkling waters of the Melaka River. On the background, our guide spoke languidly in Malay. I turned to my companion and flashed a confused look, this was supposed to be a historical tour, but I couldn’t, for the life of me, understand a single word being uttered.

MELAKA RIVER CRUISE DOCKING STATION AT SPICE GARDEN

It was our first night in the city and after checking in at the Imperial Heritage Melaka, we immediately headed to the Spice Garden with F, our newfound friend from Malaysia. We were not there to eat though, what we were there for was a boat cruise.

► CHECK IMPERIAL HERITAGE MELAKA DISCOUNTED RATES

Kuala Lumpur has always been a favorite for us, but during our two-month ASEAN Summer Loop trip, we wanted to explore a new place in Malaysia. Melaka was the first thing that came to our mind. Not only is it just a couple of hours away from the new KLIA II airport, but it also boast of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listing.

► BOOK BUS FROM KL TO MELAKA ONLINE

BEAUTIFUL SUNSET AT MELAKA

Coming straight from the airport, we arrived at Melaka just before twilight sets in. I quickly whipped out my phone and opened my map. Our hotel of choice, The Imperial Heritage Melaka, was just walking distance from the Mahkota Medical Centre bus drop off. We followed our map as the sky exploded into an array of reds and oranges.

We were flabbergasted when the massive, stately façade of the hotel loomed from across the street from where we were standing. It was stunning, very imperial indeed!

Hundreds of hands reaching out to the heavens crowd over a pit. It looks like a scene from a rock concert mosh pit or even a scene from a horror movie depicting hell. But it definitely isn’t both, in fact, it’s the farthest thing from anything you might imagine. This is actually the entrance to one of Thailand’s most famous landmarks—Chiang Rai’s White Temple.

HANDS REACHING OUT REPRESENTING OUR EARTHLY DESIRE

From the city’s old bus station, we left our bikes—which our hotel, Chayadol Boutique Resort, provided for free, by the way—in the middle of our Chiang Rai temple run and boarded a bus that would take us to Wat Rong Kun. This structure, which was formerly a run-down Buddhist temple fifteen kilometers south west of town, is now one of Thailand’s most iconic places to visit.

► BOOK A DISCOUNTED CHIANG RAI FULL DAY TOUR

Our room was already dark when pangs of hunger woke me up. We arrived in Chiang Rai some hours before, but we were too tired to explore the city; besides, Chayadol Boutique Resort’s bed seemed too inviting. We gave in, our planned quick nap blooming into a full-blown snoring concierto. Now fully awake, I took a peek outside and saw the translucent glimmer of the lighted pool below. I was, again, torn. do I swim or find some chow?

PINKS AND SWIRLS AT CHAYADOL’S RECEIVING AREA

Chayadol Boutique Resort is small three-star, modern-styled boutique hotel located about two kilometers away from the Chiang Rai Clock Tower, the city’s town center. From the old bus station where we were dropped from our ride in Chiang Mai, we rented a tuktuk to bring us to the resort—a couple of kilometers seemed nothing if you have no bags with you, but us, we were hefting quite a bit of luggage. The place is, honestly, quite a ways off from downtown. Good thing they have free bikes for guests, and motorcycles to rent out.

I was in need of a pair of boxer shorts since we haven’t done our laundry yet as we were supposed to for a couple of nights running. And since we parked our bikes near the market cum bus terminal area where Chiang Rai’s usual night bazaar runs after our Chiang Rai temple run, we decided to take a peek—I just might score me some muay thai-inspired underwear.

EARLY CROWD AT THE NIGHT BAZAAR

COLORFUL HAND-WOVEN FABRICS

Like most tourist hubs in Thailand, Chiang Rai also has its own night market which I guess are targeted primarily for visitors. I’ve been to Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar, Bangkok’s Khao San Road, and even Phuket’s Bangla Road. What differentiates this one from those is its level of craziness. This one in Chiang Rai is super tame.

Before crossing over the Mekong River onwards to Laos, we decided to hang out for a few days on the northernmost city of Thailand. We reached Chiang Rai after taking a four-hour bus ride from Chiang Mai. And after taking the rest of the afternoon and evening off at Chayadol Resort, we braved the streets of the city on bikes for the obligatory Chiang Rai temple run the next day.

A YOUNG MONK AT WAT PHRA KAEW  /  OUR BIKES FOR THE COMING TEMPLE RUN

From our map, we marked four temples within the downtown area, plus one more—the famous Chiang Rai White Temple—farther off the city limits. It was easy enough to race through the five ones, well if you consider dodging motorized vehicles easy, but the White Temple put us on a quandary.

Crossing myself three times, we boarded our free bikes and I clumsily pedaled my way to the busy streets of Chiang Rai.

I was trying to hide my two cameras swinging right beside my arms as we walked through Pai’s narrow Rungsiyanon Road. Even if the scene set before me spoke much loudly of touristy trappings, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat abashed that I was hefting two big cameras right along with all hippie backpackers this side of Northern Thailand.

CUTESY POSTCARDS BEING SOLD AT THE WALKING STREET

Say sawadikap to Pai’s version of Khao San Road. Aptly called the Pai Walking Street, it’s a half-kilometer road running along the main artery of the town. Along both sides, there’s nothing but shops selling souvenirs, handicrafts, artsy-cutesy-touristy stuff, restaurants, and bars.

Strips of pork, chicken balls, bean sprouts, liver, peppered with leafy greens, and swimming in piping hot soup flavored with pork blood. We wanted some local noodles and that’s what we had for lunch during our last day in Pai.

CRAZY BACKPACKERS IN PAI

When we asked Kiki, the sweet owner of House of Love Pai, where we can get the most authentic local food in Pai, she not only directed us to one, but she even drove us to the place herself! I told you she’s sweet. Passing by crazy backpackers near the Pai Walking Street en route to the public market, we eventually found our way to Phee-Bon Restaurant.

► CHECK HOUSE OF LOVE DISCOUNTED ROOM RATES

We were undecided if we were going to push through with our visit to the Pai Memorial Bridge. We debated, what can we really see there? It’s just a bridge after all. But with plenty of time left to spare before sundown, which we plan on spending at the Pai Canyon once again, and with nothing else on itinerary, we finally decided to give it a quick visit.

THE ARMY GREEN PAI MEMORIAL BRIDGE

The memorial bridge, which a few dub as the World War II Memorial Bridge, is located some ten kilometers from town. Coming from the Pam Bok Waterfall and the nearby Pai Land Split, it was actually much closer to where we were lodging at the time, the Pai House Of Love.

► CHECK HOUSE OF LOVE DISCOUNTED ROOM RATES

The view from our motorbike on the way back to the land split from Pam Bok Waterfall was very scenic. But we were so hell-bent on finally having a meal that we didn’t even stop for a single photograph until we saw the yellow sign indicating we finally made it for lunch without blacking out from starvation.

PAY WHAT YOU CAN FOR LAND SPLIT’S CAFE

The owner of the Pai Land Split welcomed us with a smile as we entered his gate. He immediately offered us crispy banana chips, peanuts, potatoes, and fresh papaya with roselle jam. He asked us if we wanted to try his home-made juice too, which was also made from roselle flowers.

► CHECK OUT: PAI HOUSE OF LOVE

Unfazed by our minor motorbike fall and a flat tire during our morning visit to Pai’s Chinese village and Mo Paeng waterfalls, we again ripped through the town’s empty highways in search for its second waterfall. We were quite hungry since we haven’t had anything substantial since our very early breakfast at the House of Love and the single bowl of noodles we bought at the village.

En route to the second waterfalls, we made the mistake of ignoring the Pai Land Split where there’s a stall selling some organic food. We thought we’d pass another one selling something less organic since we wanted sinful meat for lunch. We were quite wrong; there was nothing in the seemingly unending kilometers until Pam Bok Falls.