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Best things to do in Bali. Surfing at Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Best Things to Do in Bali from Rice Paddy Walks to Riding Mythical Waves

The best things to do in Bali for us aren’t the things you gawk at in tourism ads or highlight in travel guides. In keeping with our slow, local and experiential travel quest, they’re as low-key and laidback as strolls through rice paddies and learning to cook Balinese food.

Bali re-opened to all international tourists in February and like most Southeast Asian destinations – from Cambodia to Thailand – the Indonesian island is desperate for tourists to return to support local businesses that have been struggling to survive throughout the pandemic.

Travellers will need to be vaccinated, apply for an Indonesian tourist e-visa online (applications take 2 days to process), register online, buy travel insurance, and provide proof of your negative PCRs 24 hours before arrival. Easy.

If you’re still concerned about Covid, perhaps you’re immunocompromised, book one of Bali’s government-approved Covid-safe hotels, which take extra precautions: These are our picks from the list: Maya Ubud Resort & Spa, Ubud Village Resort & Spa, The Ritz Carlton at Nusa Dua, The Bulgari at Uluwatu, Ayana at Jimbaran, The Grand Hyatt Nusa Dua, Maya Sanur Resort & Spa, and Hyatt Regency at Sanur.

If you’re planning to head to Bali as soon as you can get on a flight, don’t forget it’s the gorgeous green rainy season right now, and while that shouldn’t affect you too much, it’s worth consulting our guide to the best things to do in Bali when it rains.

Grantourismo is reader-supported. If you’ve found this information helpful and our ideas below inspiring, please consider supporting Grantourismo by using our links to book accommodation, rent a car or campervan or motorhome, buy travel insurance, or book a tour on Klook or Get Your Guide.

You could also shop our Grantourismo store on Society6 for gifts for foodies, including fun reusable cloth face masks designed with Terence’s images or consider contributing to our epic Cambodian cuisine history and cookbook on Patreon.

There’s also the option of purchasing something on Amazon, such as these James Beard award-winning cookbooks, cookbooks by Australian chefs, classic cookbooks for serious cooks, cookbooks for culinary travellers, travel books to inspire wanderlust, or gifts for Asian food lovers, picnic lovers and travellers who love photography. We may earn a small commission but you won’t pay extra.

Now let me tell you about the best things to do on Bali — the things that we love to do on Indonesia’s beguiling island.

First published 9 November 2016; last updated 18 May 2022.

Best Things to Do in Bali, from Rice Paddy Walks to Riding Mythical Waves

Taking time to absorb the local rituals, connect with villagers, and get a taste of everyday life in a village are some of the best things to do in Bali as far as we’re concerned. 

Meet Balinese People

“Hello! Hello!” I remember two skinny little kids calling out to us from behind a dilapidated brick wall, a short distance down the lane from where we stayed in a beautiful villa on our first trip to Bali. “Hello!!!” we shouted in response and they smiled shyly back. Opposite, at the entrance to another home, a young woman looked up from sweeping her courtyard to smile generously. Chickens sprinted across the yard behind her where an elderly man, dressed handsomely in a batik sarong and headband, placed an offering at a shrine, before waving to us. Moments later, an old lady twinkled her eyes and gave us a toothless grin. By the time we reached the end of the lane, we had been greeted by a handful of people and we would be welcomed by two dozen more by the end of our stroll a couple of hours later. Bali must be home to some of the world’s friendliest people and one of the best things to do in Bali for us is simply meet Balinese people. Read more about our encounters amongst the rice paddies, below, and click through to meet our Local Knowledge expert, Kiki.

An Amble Around the Rice Paddies of Tumbak Bayuh, Bali

Surf Mythical Waves

Bali has always been a mythical destination for surfers around the world, Terence included, and that was one of the reasons why we finally went to Bali in 2010 after putting off a trip for years. Some surfers settle into Bali for months on end, knowing that during the time between April and September when the trade winds blow offshore, the swell is as persistent as a sarong seller on Kuta Beach. The famous surfing spots of Uluwatu and Padang Padang on the Bukit Peninsula are legendary and even the tamer surf spots of Kuta Beach and Canggu, near where we stayed, turn on classic surf for much of the winter. That combined with the beauty of the beaches make it a surfer’s paradise. Surfing is definitely one of the best things to do in Bali for Terence and it was one reason he was keen to return to Bali last month. 

Bali, a True Surfer’s Paradise

Delight in Lush Landscapes

Bali’s rural landscapes are bucolic, so make an effort to get out into the countryside for a drive. The island’s narrow country roads are lined with towering palm trees heaving with coconuts, banana plants bearing bunches of the sugary fruit, and lush terraces of rice paddies. In the rice fields, workers shake mechanical contraptions that stretch convolutedly above the green fields, making a pretty tinkling sound that’s intended, along with the ubiquitous scarecrows, to frighten the birds from the crops. In the late afternoons and on weekends, children fly kites high in the sky. From sunrise to sunset, workers tend their farms, helped out by their neighbours. For me, getting out of the cities and into the countryside to savour the picturesque views is definitely one of the best things to do in Bali.

Absorb Village Life

Bali’s diminutive villages are worlds away from crowded Kuta and busy Seminyak, as you’ll discover if you go for a drive, stop the car in some out-of-the-way village, and take a wander. Villages are dotted with warungs, simple wooden stalls and eateries selling local food, and shacks boasting little more than basic groceries, a fridge of cold drinks, and a table with a few stools that serves as a meeting place for locals. In between the warungs are temples decorated with stone carvings and flowers growing out of the cracks between bricks. Walled family compounds house moss-dappled pavilions, their yards hosting a motley collection of animals. Everywhere there are people, whizzing by on motorbikes and scooters, doubling two and three and four family members or friends, and riding bicycles laden with sacks bursting with freshly harvested crops that spill onto the bitumen as they cruise past.

Watch Ceremonies and Festivals

There is a ceremony or festival somewhere on Bali every day. Hanging on the wall of our villa kitchen and almost every home in Bali are Balinese calendars, consulted by locals on a daily basis. No Balinese person would hold a ceremony — or do pretty much anything — without first studying the calendar to select an auspicious date. Balinese make offerings and perform temple-cleansing rites on significant dates such as the Sasih New Year.

Tanah Lot Temple, Bali – Hindu Traditions and Sea Temple Ceremonies

There are many local ceremonies where dates are chosen from the calendar due to their auspiciousness: there are times when it is best to meditate or socialise, marry or divorce, bury or cremate. Watching ceremonies and festivals, large of small, is easily one of the best things to do in Bali, so ask a local to consult their calendar to tell you the best date and time to visit a temple. That was how Terence was able to photograph a Royal Cremation Ceremony during our stay. Otherwise, if you serendipitously happen upon a ceremony or festival, do stay and watch. As long as you are modestly dressed and behave respectfully, the locals won’t mind at all.

A Balinese Royal Cremation Ceremony

Observe Rituals and Offerings

Life on Bali is imbued with rituals – spiritual and social; complicated and simple – from the religious events marked on the Balinese calendar to the daily tributes made at home and at Hindu temples. Every day Balinese people make offerings to please the gods and appease the demons, around their compound and at their temple, where they place woven palm baskets — which the women of the household probably woke at dawn to make – that they fill with fruit, frangipani, piles of bougainvillea petals, and incense. The offerings or banten is the only demonstration of Balinese spirituality that most visitors will witness and it’s wonderful to be given the privilege to watch – from the respectful placement of the offerings on a shrine to the lighting of the incense sticks and wafting of the fragrant smoke, it’s a considered gesture that invites us to stop and focus for a moment on the little things that matter. I learnt to make offerings one day with my mum up at Ubud.

Learning the Art of Making Offerings in Ubud

Cook Balinese Food

While Balinese food shares some characteristics, dishes and influences with the cuisines of other Indonesian islands, and other Southeast Asian countries with which it shares history, it is also distinguished by distinctive dishes traditionally eaten for feasts that were part of religious rituals and ceremonies, such as bebek betutu (marinated duck wrapped in banana leaf) and babi guling (suckling pig), which you’ll now see everywhere from roadside stands to fancy restaurants. Another dish that is special is Bali’s version of satay, ayam betutu, consisting of mince pounded together with basa gede, the same sauce that’s used to marinate the meat, and shaped around ‘skewers’ of lemongrass or bamboo. Our villa cook, Desak, with whom Terence traded cooking lessons, provided us with a wonderful introduction to Balinese cuisine and some delicious recipes. Learning to cook Balinese food is definitely one of the best things to do in Bali so if you don’t have access to a local cook, sign up for a Balinese cooking class when you arrive on the island.

Cooking in Bali with Desak in a Cultural Cooking Exchange

Eat Balinese Food

Bali is home to some of Indonesia’s best restaurants but you really need to know where to go. On our last pre-pandemic trip, eating and drinking in Seminyak, Bali’s most appealing destination for lovers of good food and drink, had never been better or more interesting, with brilliant restaurants and cafés offering everything from pan-Asian favourites to contemporary Indonesian cuisine. We’ve not yet had a chance to check which restaurants have re-opened, so do call ahead to check and book a table.

Our Guide to Eating and Drinking in Seminyak, Bali

 

Experience Arty Ubud

The artistic and cultural heart of Bali for centuries, Ubud‘s streets are lined with galleries, handicraft shops, boutiques, and cafés. There’s no denying the town is commercial and it does get crowded with tourists, but amongst all the shops selling tacky souvenirs, there are beautiful stores specialising in traditional textiles, crafts and original art. See our itinerary for a perfect day in Ubud.

One Day in Ubud, an Itinerary for a Perfect Day in Bali’s Verdant Heart

 

Art lovers should visit Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA), Museum Puri Lukisan and Neka Art Museum. A major centre of learning, Ubud makes a wonderful base for the experiential travellers. You can learn almost anything, from Balinese painting and woodcarving to dance and drama. ARMA has a popular program of cultural and artistic workshops. While I learnt to make offerings there, Terence had a lesson in playing the gamelan. Enjoying Ubud? Also see our post on the best resorts to stay at.

Gamelan Lessons in Bali — Getting Giddy with the Gamelan in Ubud

 

Take Home Balinese Crafts

Bali has long been a centre for traditional arts and crafts and almost every visitor returns from a stay on the island with a suitcase crammed with carvings, masks and textiles. Every town boasts a market and Ubud’s Market is one of the island’s best. For the finest quality mementoes, however, visit fair trade shop Threads of Life for authentic, exquisite Balinese textiles, handicrafts and prints. The traditional weavers that Threads of Life works with live in villages too remote to benefit from tourism, so you can leave knowing that you’ve known only bought some very special mementoes, but the makers of these special things have benefited from your purchases.

Bali Take-Homes: Textiles, Fair Trade and Threads of Life

Don’t Take Cheek from Bali’s Monkeys

Okay, so I was meant to be suggesting the best things to do in Bali that are alternatives to the tourist attractions where you need to fight off the mischievous monkeys intent on taking your stuff. But let’s face it: monkeys are adorable. They’re also sacred to Balinese culture and meandering Ubud’s Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary to see the cheeky Balinese long-tail macaques tops most travellers’ to do lists. Visit any Balinese temple or museum and you’ll notice that the monkey features prominently in the architecture, sculpture and performances. The sanctuary is home to about 300 macaques and if you stroll through with food, you’ll quickly be befriended by a monkey or five. They are cute — until they attempt to steal your backpack or handbag.

Savour Sublime Sunsets

One of the best things to do in Bali is savour a sublime sunset. Whether you’re photographing the postcard-perfect sunsets at Uluwatu Temple, perched atop a 70-metre cliff, set against a vast expanse of ocean and sky, or you’re capturing the big ball of fire sinking behind the silhouette of the tiered temple on the rocky outcrop at the sacred Hindu site of Tanah Lot, Bali’s sublime sunsets are worth the effort. Personally, I prefer to take them in from a comfy spot by the sea with a cocktail in hand, whether it’s at a breezy lantern-lit bar by the beach, such as Woo Bar or Ku De Ta, or slap bang on the sand in bean bags at La Plancha at Seminyak. Because as much as we love going local, nothing screams “I’m on holiday in a faraway place!” more than sipping a heady cocktail as you watch the sunset with your toes in the sand.

Best Bali Sunset Watching Spot – Seminyak for Sundowners on the Sand

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About Lara Dunston

A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

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Comments

  1. atravelthing says

    May 28, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    Never been to Bali, but all the things you describe and love about it makes me want to go there even more than before. Thanks for a great blog with a great mission and aim!

  2. Lara Dunston says

    June 9, 2013 at 5:16 pm

    So glad we’ve inspired you. That’s what we’re here for. Thanks for the kind words and for dropping by.

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Lara and Terence are an Australian-born, Southeast Asia-based travel and food writers and photographers who have authored scores of guidebooks, produced countless travel and food stories, are currently developing cookbooks and guidebooks, and host culinary tours and writing and photography retreats in Southeast Asia.
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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
#blackcat #blackcatsofinstagram #picoftheday 
#christmas #christmastree #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas #cambodia #siemreap
This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

#recipe #recipes #vietnamesefood #cambodianfood #asianfood #southeastasianfood #ricenoodles #rice #noodlebowl #meatballs #igfood #igfoodie #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #writingacookbook #writingacambodiancookbook #patreon #patreoncreator #grantourismo
It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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