Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/922844
38 maltatoday SUNDAY 7 JANUARY 2018 Travel ≠≠ THE NATIVE Travelling is always risky business – get stuck in a touristy area and your meals are terrible. The same can be said of sightseeing, hotels and nightspots. Travelling to a place where you know people to recommend the right places makes your stay all the more enjoyable. Louisa Attard, 30, was born in Malta, and has been living in Bali for the past two years. If you're visiting Bali and Indonesia, these are the places she recommends to hang out like a native. NEED TO KNOW How to get there Emirates fly from Malta to Denpasar, with a stopover in Dubai. Otherwise you can fly with Turkish or any options to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur and catch a flight to Denpasar from there. Best time to visit June to August Currency Indonesian Rupiah Visas You can get a tourist visa on arrival for 30 days. If you plan to stay longer pay for a visa on arrival and you will be able to extend it at immigration once in Bali. Going native in Bali Louisa Attard, 30, was born in Malta, and has been living in Bali for the past two years BEST AREAS TO WIND DOWN AND ENJOY NATURE If you want sunset and beaches head south towards Uluwatu, a favourite to lie on white sand and enjoy a breath- taking sunset. If you're not into the beach then head up to Munduk and its surroundings, one of my favour- ites places to chill and explore. From watching the view over the twin lakes, to chasing waterfalls and tasting cof- fee at one of the coffee plantations with unbelievable views. The best thing about travelling to Bali is that you are not far from many of the 17,000 islands Indonesia is made up of. Make it a point to visit any of these less touristic islands which will surely be an adventure, while also allowing you to wind down and enjoy nature. To mention a few Lembongan to snorkel and enjoy the beaches, Pe- nida for exploring off the beaten track, Lombok to climb Mount Rinjani and Sumbawa for surfing, you are spoilt for choice. Fly over to Flores Island where you get to explore beautiful islands, pristine clear waters, Komodo dragons, swim with Manta rays, snorkel, dive or go inland and drive across the island through untouched jungles and tradi- tional villages. Once in Bali it is also great to see dif- ferent sides of the place, not just the tourist areas. My favourite place in Bali would actually be the place where I spend most of my days, the Annika Linden Centre. Built as a health facil- ity for persons with disability and an incubator for social impact, it houses a number of non-profit organisations changing lives in Bali. These include an organisation that produces pros- thetic limbs, a school for children with cerebral palsy and a project that helps people with disabilities to find employment. The place is filled with inspirational people and achieve- ments. Created by the founder of the Inspirasia Foundation as a memorial for his fiancée, who died in the Bali bombings, today it's a hub for non- profits, partners and change makers. For more information check out their site www.annikalindencentre.org and www.inspirasia.org.