Introduction Bali, often referred to as the “Island of the Gods,” is a tropical paradise that beckons travellers from all corners of the globe. Its stunning landscapes, vibrant culture, and breathtaking beaches make it a top destination for tourists. To truly immerse yourself in the beauty of Bali, having a reliable and convenient mode of transportation is crucial. Echo Bali Car Rental, with its commitment to excellence and a wide range of services, stands out as a premier choice for exploring this enchanting island. Explore Bali with Ease Echo Bali Car Rental, with its user-friendly website at http://www.echobalicarrental.com, provides a comprehensive array of services designed to cater to all your transportation needs during your Bali adventure. Here are some of the great services that Echo Bali Car Rental offers: Diverse Fleet of Vehicles: Echo Bali Car Rental boasts a diverse fleet of well-maintained vehicles, ranging from compact cars to spacious SUVs, and even luxury options. Whether you’re traveling solo, with a group, or with family, they have the perfect vehicle to suit your needs. Affordable Rates: Traveling can be expensive, but Echo Bali Car Rental understands the importance of budget-conscious choices. They offer competitive rates that won’t break the bank, ensuring that you have more resources to explore and enjoy Bali to the fullest. Easy Online Booking: Planning your Bali trip is made hassle-free through their user-friendly website. You can conveniently browse their selection of vehicles, check availability, and make reservations online. This ensures a seamless and stress-free booking process. Airport Pickup and Drop-off: Echo Bali Car Rental provides airport pickup and drop-off services, making your arrival and departure convenient and worry-free. Their friendly and professional staff will be waiting for you at the airport, ready to assist you with your rental vehicle. Flexible Rental Periods: Whether you need a vehicle for a day, a week, or longer, Echo Bali Car Rental offers flexible rental periods to accommodate your itinerary. Additional Services: In addition to car rentals, they also provide additional services like GPS rental, child seats, and local SIM card rental, ensuring that you have everything you need for a comfortable and safe journey. 24/7 Customer Support: Emergencies can happen anytime, and Echo Bali Car Rental understands this. Their 24/7 customer support ensures that you can reach out for assistance or information whenever you need it. Insurance Options: Travel with peace of mind knowing that Echo Bali Car Rental offers insurance options to protect you against unexpected events on the road. Local Knowledge: The staff at Echo Bali Car Rental are well-acquainted with Bali and its attractions. They can provide you with valuable local insights, tips, and recommendations to help you make the most of your visit. Conclusion Echo Bali Car Rental is more than just a car rental service; it’s your gateway to experiencing the magic of Bali with ease and convenience. With their diverse fleet, affordable rates, and commitment to customer satisfaction, they have earned their reputation as a trusted partner for travelers exploring the island. Whether you’re here for the serene beaches, lush rice terraces, vibrant nightlife, or cultural experiences, Echo Bali Car Rental is your ideal companion for a memorable Bali adventure. Visit their website at http://www.echobalicarrental.com today and embark on a journey to discover Bali‘s wonders at your own pace. ECHO BALI CAR RENTAL Jalan Pantai Sentosa No 4,Canggu, Seminyak, Bali Mr. Wayan Suyadnya   Tel: +62 87860131999  /  +62 85100151909 FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/echobalicarrental info@echobalicarrental.com Licence #: 99/SK/XI/2008. NPWP #: 1.672.139.1-901l http://www.echobalicarrental.com READ OUR ACCOUNT OF NORTH BALI HERE FOR AN AMAZING TREK OR HIKE IN THE NORTH OF BALI, READ HERE

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Japan is an amazing country. Apart from centuries-old cherry blossom trees, castles, tranquil temples and other famous landmarks located along the tourist track, there are lots of hidden beauties that are somewhat difficult to reach with public transportation alone. Renting a car is the first solution that comes to mind. Follow along as we share a few things you will want to know before you take on driving in Japan. Is it useful to rent a car in Japan? It depends. If this is your first time in Japan and you plan to stay for not over thee weeks, the answer is no. The most interesting things to see in Japan are concentrated between Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima, with a number of day trips that start from these cities. Logistically speaking, the most comfortable thing to do is to use these cities as hubs, traveling between them by train. If, on the other hand, you wish to see the less traveled areas of Japan, a car is essential because public transport does not always reach these places, and also because moving daily on a train with a suitcase or a backpack is not very convenient. Where to rent a car? If you are in less-traveled areas of Japan, we recommend using well-known car rentals (Avis, Hertz, etc.), as there is a higher chance to find someone who speaks English well in order to have answers to any doubts you may have. What car should you rent? Kei cars are a type of car that can have a maximum dimensions of 3.4 x 1.48 mt and 660 cm³ of engine size. They are narrow and short but they are quite tall, with back seats that can flatten out to load stuff you need to carry with you. By hiring a kei car, you will save yourself a lot of trouble: considering that outside the big cities Japanese roads are extremely narrow, and that the maximum speed limit on the highway is 100 km/hr, these are the perfect cars to drive. However, you can opt for a kei car only if you are alone or up to two people, and have little luggage, since the room in a key car is indeed limited. If you are a party of three or more, you will need to rent a different car, suitable to the amount of seats and space you will need. Bearing in mind that you will be in a foreign country with road signs and road markings different from ours, with very few people who speak English, and that you will be driving left-hand over narrow roads: the last thing you want is to have to worry about driving a car that is too big. Consider also that if you are not used to having the steering wheel to the right side of the car, checking your side mirrors may be tricky: the bigger the car, the harder it will be to evaluate its dimensions at a glance. Another important thing: ask ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) as an optional. Some tollgates will not allow you to exit without an ETC. Is it difficult to drive in Japan? Let’s say driving in Japan is possible but it’s not easy. The nice thing is that the speed limits are low and the drivers are disciplined. On the negative side, you must always be attentive as sometimes tasks like entering a lane or  interpreting road signs correctly can be tricky. How do Japanese drive? Let’s debunk a myth: it is not true that Japanese people strictly respect the speed limits. It is true, however, that they drive slowly (speed limits are very low) and that they would not overtake a car in front that is driving within the speed limit. Instead, they will follow it diligently at a safe distance.  Very important things you should know In Japan, free on-street parking is practically non-existent, especially in the cities. It is always advisable to program the legs of your journey by setting the address of the car park where you want to leave your vehicle on the navigator. If you book hotels in advance, ask them if they have a parking space on-site, or where is the most convenient parking place to use. Also consider that hotel garages can often only accommodate cars with a maximum height of 150-160 cm., so first check the height of the car you rent and any height limits at the establishment you intend to use. Almost all cars in Japan have automatic transmission: if you have never used one, it is useful to at least check on the internet to find out which gears are to be set for driving, parking and reversing, and remember that there is no clutch. Also, the Japanese have foot handbrakes: to engage and disengage it, you need to find a small pedal to the left of the brake pedal and push it down with your left foot. Again, if you come from a country that is left-hand drive, you will find the steering wheel controls in the opposite position: indicators on the right and wipers on the left. During our whole holiday, we set the windscreen wipers every time we wished to set the indicators. ________________________________ We hope these tips will be useful when you are our there driving in Japan.

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I wasn’t on a dark desert highway (Penang roads are anything BUT a highway), neither had cool wind in my hair (Penang weather is hot hot hot, plus I was wearing a helmet!), but still: a Vespa tour of Penang is a great way to discover the island and to get to use one of the iconic symbols of my fatherland: Italy! For this particular adventure I had planned in advance, contacting the one and only company in Penang (and please don’t quote me here, but I think they are the only ones in the whole of Malaysia) that does Vespa rentals, and we are not talking about vintage vespas here, but flashy, well-maintained new models of the most amazing colours. Fateha and husband Feroz welcomed me in their office at the end of Chulia Street in the tourist area of Penang capital Georgetown on a cloudy afternoon. They explained a few tricks on the vehicle: the way to behave in Penang traffic, how to park and avoid getting a ticket, the way to use the stand and the petrol refilling process. A map of the island, a raincoat, the right helmet and a pat on the back, and off they waved me! I negotiated the busy traffic of Georgetown and as the sun was quickly setting behind the green mountains of Penang north, I sped off towards my destination where I would spend the night, the Hard Rock Hotel Penang, along the coastal road. The amazing lights of a reddish sunset accompanied me all the way to Batu Feringghi, a popular beach area spot for those who want to have picnic and spend time on a sandy beach, and home to the Hard Rock Hotel Penang. I had a great evening there, albeit an early one since the following day was going to be exploration time! I woke up very early; from my Hard Rock Hotel Penang sea-front room balcony I marveled at the Andaman sea. The temperature was perfect at that time of the year, not hot nor cold, and I went down to fill the belly at Hard Rock Hotel Penang amazing breakfast buffet. I then started my white Vespa, wore my white helmet and drove off, proud as only a Vespa rider can be, crossing hip and chic Batu Feringghi and heading north-west with the intention of driving a ring route around the island. These were my stopovers: 1- First stop along the way was the Penang Tropical Spice Garden: set up 13 years ago by a British couple who transformed what was an abandoned rubber plantation into one of Malaysia’s award-winning eco-tourism destinations, Penang Tropical Spice Garden feels like a park: giant butterflies, dragonflies, birds, sounds of nature, cicadas, frogs… the kind of place you will not want to leave when the staff will finally announce it is closing time… 2- I then drove on to the nearby headquarters of Penang National Park. Gazetted in 1958, Taman Negara Pulau Penang is one of the few protected areas left in Penang Island, with 1,213 hectares of land facing the sea, an area that consists of forests and wetlands inhabited by a diverse habitat. I took advantage and drove the Vespa along the small roads of the fishermen traditional village that spans a block off the National Park, enjoying the activities of the local fishermen. 3- Next destination was nearby Teluk Bahang Dam, the largest dam on Penang, created to provide an alternative source of water supply to the Ayer Itam Dam and the Botanic Gardens Waterfall. From its crest I enjoy a scenic view of the northern coast of Penang, but that was all, since Teluk Bahang Dam is not open to the public. Across the dam is Taman Rimba Forestry Park, starting point of numerous jungle trails which either circle the boundary of the park, pass through, or link up with Batu Feringghi. 4- The next 20km of road then took my two wheeled Vespa to an amazing village called Balik Pulao, which literally means ‘the back of the island’. With the island experiencing a development boom, locals say this part of Penang is disappearing quickly, but it is still lovely, with its views of the island’s west coast, the local farms, the rice fields and the communities of local fishermen. Visit it now before it changes. 5- I drove up the hill and down to the east of Penang, and I decided to stop in Georgetown for a lunch of Indian food and teh tarik and a walk along the town’s Unesco-protected roads. 6- The stopover to Fort Cornwallis was followed by a one-hour guided visit to amazing Peranakan Mansion, the place to go to if you are interested on the history of the Babas and Nyonyas, a prominent community of acculturated Chinese unique to this part of the world that adopted selected ways of the local Malays and later the colonial British. Get more information on http://www.pinangperanakanmansion.com.my 7- I had just a little extra time left and I decided to get more into nature, heading to Penang Botanical Gardens. Known as ‘Taman Botanical’, this garden has a very well-managed landscape that consists of plenty of exotic plant species. It is well-worth a visit, as the trek along its roads is light and refreshing. And finally, back I drove to Batu Feringghi, savouring local food along the way at the Gurney food market. In the evening I still had the energy to dance the night away at the Hard Rock Cafe: the live music was great and I could not resist the temptation, in spite of being extremely tired. It proved to be en extremely interesting day full of sights. Sites visited apart, the Vespa was indeed a great surprise: hip and reliable, I enjoyed very special moments on the saddle of this amazing 150cc machine. Riding it I felt quality, when compared to other scooters. Plus, as there are not so many of these yet on Penang roads, many pointed at it and marveled...

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The drive downhill was a steep and nice affair of winding roads through local farming villages, until housing got denser and denser and I finally reached the town of Singaraja, the ancient capital of Bali in Dutch colonial times. The weather was hot and sticky, what a change from the freshness of the Bali mountains. From there, it was only a 15 minutes drive towards the tourist area of Lovina, where I checked in at the Lata Lama – a magnificent boutique resort located in the middle of the rice fields, a collection of 3 Java joglo houses with pool with 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms respectively, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Lovina tourist scene and the traffic of the main road. I must say I really enjoyed my time there, I felt like a colonial attache’ relaxing and contemplating life in the tropics. For this reason I decided to just take it easy, put some order to my notes, do some writing and enjoy a couple of days at leisure. In the evening, after a great meal at Lovina’s vegetarian restaurant Akar Cafe’ vegetarian & vegan food – Jalan Pantai Binaria, 081936644190 – I booked one of the most popular activities in Lovina: a boat trip to watch dolphins. The morning alarm clock rung at 4am, and it was quite hard to get out of my comfortable bed, but dolphins awaited so I made my way to the beach, where our pick up boat was scheduled to arrive at 5. What a magnificent trip that was, read all about it HERE ! In the afternoon I took a drive along several of the small roads that take to the Singaraja hills and mountains, I visited Banjar Hot Springs and took a detour to a Buddhist Temple not far from the springs. On the way back, I had a great meal at one of the colourful and picturesque road stalls that dot Seririt town main street each evening. Needless to say, the menu is meat meat meat, with goat being one of the favourite food served. The morning after, I struggled through a big and earthy breakfast of muesli granola and natural yogurt, croissants butter and jam, boiled eggs and fruit, after which I said goodbye to my host Seger and his lovely staff at Lata Lama and drove west towards Bali Barat National Park. I passed the tourist coastal village of Pemuteran, with its restaurants and diving shops, and reached Labuan Lalang Pier, the starting points for the boat trips to Menjangan Island – about 30-40 US$ for a boat for 10-12 people, or about 8-10 US$ if you come alone and wait for a boat to fill up, guide is included. There I parked the car, refilled with a Bali coffee at one of the local joints, and joined one of the few boats that take the cruise to and around Menjangan, the island of deers. Back from the boat trip, I drove back east and made a quick stop at the Pura Pabean temple, in time to enjoy the sunset and also deal with insolent monkeys that came out to meet and greet me. I then continued to a fantastic peninsular area called Ume Anyar, where I spent the night at a Mayo Resort, a great resort with good character, and right on the beach. The pizza at their signature Bora Bora Restaurant was nice and crispy, the way Italians like it! TO BE CONTINUED… STAY TUNED ! A drive around Bali – Part 1 – the south A drive around Bali – Part 2 – Ubud, hills and mountains A drive around Bali – Part 3 – Bedugul lake and valley A drive around Bali – Part 4 – scenic Munduk A drive around Bali – Part 6 – the West coast The Toyota Agya was kindly supplied by Echo Bali Car Rental

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The next day I headed towards the central foothills of Bali. I drove along the magnificent and very convenient Bali Mandara Toll Road, a 13km bridge road over the water that stretches across the Gulf of Benoa, preventing traffic jams in the Jalan By Pass Ngurah Rai, which was the only connection to the south of the airport and to the Sanur and hills areas. A mere IDR 11,000 (about 1 US$) saved me a long traffic queue, and projected my Toyota to the plains first, with their stunning palms, frangipanis and amazing vegetation, an area where artisans work the stones and the wood, carving them magnificently; and later to the terraced rice paddies, small farms and dense forest that surround the town of Ubud. Considered to be the artistic and spiritual center of Bali, with the times Ubud has engulfed 13 of the villages that surrounded it, becoming a town of 0ver 30000 people. Ubud is also home to the world-known BaliSpirit Festival ! I checked myself in at the SenS Hotel & Spa – www.senshotelsresorts.com -, a boutique hotel in downtown Ubud, located within walking distance to the major attractions in town. It was indeed a great choice, as it was convenient, comfortable and indulgent at the same time, and a great value for money. BOOK A DISCOUNTED ROOM AT SENS HOTEL AND SPA, CLICK HERE ! I spent the afternoon checking out the hundreds of stalls at the Ubud market and the myriad of boutique shops, art galleries, restaurants and coffee shops that dot the area around the Hanuman Road, and I had a great time with primates at the very popular Monkey Forest – entrance fee IDR 40,000 (about 3.50 US$) – http://www.monkeyforestubud.com – a spiritual and conversation center for Ubud, submerged in 12.5 hectares of dense forest that 186 species of trees and around 700 monkeys call home. I then enjoyed an evening Balinese dance performance – a must-do in Ubud including a Legong and  Barong – 90 minutes show – entrance IDR 100,000 (about 8 US$) – at the Ubud Royal Palace, one of the most prominent places in Ubud, located right on the main road. I ended my long day with a yummy dinner of Indonesian favourite food at Yonne Café and Bar, SenS Hotel & Spa poolside signature elegant restaurant, which serves up international favourites and the best of Balinese and Asian cuisine prepared in a vibrant show kitchen. At Yonne Café you have the choice to eat in air-conditioned comfort or al fresco, and it is opened 24 hours! The second day in Ubud took me to a very interested Bali eco educational cycling tour with Bali Eco Cycling – www.baliecocycling.com – a company  providing authentic eco-educational cycling tours since 1999. I loved the passion both owners Komang and wife and the guides put in their mission to please discerning Bali visitors. Their full-day downhill  tour allowed me to escape the Ubud hustle and to discover the magic of rural Bali, as well as to  have an amazing day out in the nature. The first stop was at the mesmerizing rice terraces of Tegallagang. We then had breakfast at the family restaurant in a terrace overlooking Kintamani village, active volcano Mount Batur, Mount Agung and Lake Batur was a plus! After a nice shower and a swim and relaxation time at SenS Hotel & Spa swimming pool area, I went out for a stroll and along the way, right on the main road, I was drawn by a consistent knocking, like a door shutting in the wind: Bang Bang Bang… I followed the noise and entered Oka Kartini Bed & Breakfast, where a traditional shadow puppet performance was underway. A shadow puppet show is one of the Balinese traditional favourites of visitors to Ubud, and I was lucky it was Sunday, since performances only run three times a week: Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, starting at 8 pm – 1 hour show – entrance IDR 100,000 (about 8 US$). I was a bit late, and also did not understand a word since the story is told in Sanskrit, but I still enjoyed the theatre feel, the action and the humor. I have read online comments of people who found the performance expensive, or boring. Well, the group of talented artists work for a full hour, reciting and playing and moving the puppets, and these expert artists do their best to present this traditional art form in a digestible way to tourists, so, still a good value, and a nice way to spend a cultural hour while in Ubud. Dinner was once again at Yonne Café and Bar, SenS Hotel & Spa signature restaurant, where this time I dined on a great pizza 4 stagioni washed down by a beer, a special offer at IDR 100,000 (about 8 US$) NET! I had a drink and enjoyed live music at the Bali Bohemia – www.balibohemia.com – located at the south entrance of Monkey Forest, then returned to the hotel. Bed came as a relief, after two days of no stop activities in Ubud. TO BE CONTINUED… STAY TUNED ! A drive around Bali – Part 1 – the south A drive around Bali – Part 3 – Bedugul lake and valley A drive around Bali – Part 4 – scenic Munduk A drive around Bali – Part 5 – the North coast A drive around Bali – Part 6 – the West coast The Toyota Agya was kindly supplied by Echo Bali Car Rental BOOK A DISCOUNTED ROOM AT SENS HOTEL AND SPA, CLICK HERE !

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