Seminyak is the heart of the ‘New Bali’ – where once were only rice paddies is now a maze of small streets and myriad Bali villa rentals supplemented by hundreds of shops, clubs, bars and restaurants. Seminyak is the chic option for holidaymakers from all over the world who are looking for the finest Bali has to offer. Seminyak is where you’ll find Bali’s finest club, ku de ta, which attracts an international selection of DJ’s and hedonists and hosts legendary parties in Bali’s high seasons. Sip Wine Bar has probably the most sophisticated selection of wines in South East Asia. Bali Deli has probably the largest selection of imported foods. Hu’u Bar and The Living Room are superb late night bars with world class restaurants and just the right balance of fun and atmosphere. The Legian, The Oberoi and The Samaya are hotels with exclusive villa properties and five star everything.

The beach in Seminyak is long and sandy with a great selection of bars and restaurants and is loosely packed with bronzing bodies throughout the year. It’s a great beach for kids although the rip which runs all around the bay from the airport to Tanah Lot means that you must never let your children play in the sea unattended. The surf here is fairly decent but the ride is usually short and sweet and is mainly frequented by beginners seeking a break close to shore or experts seeking a quick surf before work.

The shopping in Seminyak is legendary. Everything is available here from building supplies to gold jewels and all stations in between. Balinese jewellers are amongst the finest silver and gold smiths in the world. Designs range from the archaic to ultra modern and professional buyers export them all over the world. Similarly with clothing; some very well known designers live in Bali and produce garments for very well known labels. Bags, shoes, decorator items, home furnishings – all are available in the few kilometres of this West Bali suburb.

Bali villa rental is the preferred accommodation, whether individual units or hotels comprising of groups of Bali villa rentals.  Prices range from modest to very high and there are all levels of sophistication available from private homes to world class, five star. The Bali villa rental scene has grown in recent years and provides a superb vacation experience at a very competitive price.

Storm Brewing (I know – great name, huh?) is the first micro-brewery in Bali and they create five different varieties suitable for all tastes. Storm beer is also unique in Indonesia as the only beer brewed and bottled without artificial colours, or preservatives. The recipes are over a century old and they only use 100% pure spring water in the brewing process.

Storm beer was initially created by several members of the expatriate community and is the beer of choice for many who drink a few of an evening in their Bali villa. It is seen as perfect for the dinner table, the home cinema or by the pool in many Bali villas for rental. Storm beers have a cool, clear taste which comes from being brewed in the bottle. Because of this, they are best drunk from a glass and poured slowly to give a decent head without disturbing the sediment in the bottom of the bottle.

The five Storm varieties are Golden Ale, Bronze Ale, Pale Ale, Tropical Ale and Iron Stout. Golden Ale is perhaps the most accessible Storm beer. It is reminiscent of Corona, with a light, easygoing flavour and a decent amount of bite for its 5.3% alcohol content. It makes a decent casual drink and is perfect to stock in your Bali villa. The Bronze Ale is more full bodied, with a rich dark flavour and chestnut hue and a slightly higher alcohol content.  Iron Stout is a dark and moody melange of burnt hops and chocolate and is great for a sultry tropical evening.

The growth in Bali villas for rental has been accompanied by an increase in the range of facilities available for the sophisticated visitor. Decent supermarkets and delicatessen selling imported foods from all over the world have provided a market for high quality local produce as well. Excellent chocolate, delicious gelato, juicy buffalo mozzarella and now international quality beer are all available from a local producer. Whether you drink it by your pool, on the beach or in a bar, Storm beer is one of the delights of modern Bali.

In the long lost ‘olden days’ of a few years ago, it was easy to renew one’s British passport in Bali. Simply visit the British consular offices in Sanur, fill in the forms, submit old passport and photographs and pay the fee. Your passport would be returned in a couple of weeks having been quickly and efficiently processed by the British Consul in Jakarta. Now it’s a whole new kettle of fish and the process, although reasonably straightforward, involves sending one’s passport and all the forms to Hong Kong.

Many people who stay in Bali villas for rent for an extended period will need to renew their passport and the process is annoying but fairly straightforward. Of course, applying for a UK passport whilst in Indonesia incurs extra expense – it is more than twice as much as applying for one at home – around £170 as opposed to £90 in the UK, plus courier fees to send your application to Hong Kong.

Until you drill down through the Hong Kong British Consular website one very important fact remains hidden. If you apply for a British passport renewal from Indonesia, you do not have to send your old passport for cancellation. A good quality photocopy will suffice. This is important as not having a passport in Indonesia can cause problems. When your new passport arrives, you must void your old one by cutting off the corner from the photo page and the front and back covers.

Download the forms from the website; they are not complicated and don’t take long to fill in. You’ll need to get a British citizen to fill in the ‘Countersigning’ portion of the form and signing the back of only one photograph. You’ll need two photos and the instructions are very specific about that. You’ll need 45mmx35mm, full face, un-obscured facial shots taken from the front, which show from just above the head to below the collar at about shoulder height. Don’t wear glasses and don’t smile! Yes, we know you are happy with your Bali villas for rent but please don’t show them how happy!

Fill in the credit card payment form and remember to include the extra charge for passport return. Include all documents, photos and forms, remembering that you don’t need to send your actual passport. The FCO have organised a ‘special deal’ with DHL in Indonesia and will charge a reduced rate to send passport applications to Hong Kong and this service includes a pre-paid return envelope so you need to add the number to the credit card form before sending.

The application should take between four and six weeks so you might need to extend your stay in your Bali villas for rent for a little longer. Since the cost of Bali villas for rent is so competitive, maybe it’s time to pour another glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, eat another canapé and stat the next book as you lie by the pool and soak up some more rays!

(See the notes for passport applications from Indonesia here: http://ukinhongkong.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/how-to-apply/indonesia/renewals#much)

Bintang beer is the most well known beer in Indonesia and has been consumed here since the early 1930’s. Bintang means star and is brewed by the Indonesian subsidiary of Heineken, with a bottle and label which echoes Heineken’s design. The taste is also similar and is a long way ahead of the competition as the best selling beer on the island.

Many Bali villas for rent will come with at least several bottles of Bintang in the fridge; or if not, your maid or gardener can be sent to buy some from a local warung (the ubiquitous Indonesian restaurant / shop). Best served chilled to very low temperatures, they are happy to be cooled for a while in the freezer; better not to freeze them as exploding bottles are no fun and such a waste!

Many people like to drink Bintang with their meal and it makes a good companion for Nasi Campur as well as more traditional pub foods. In bars, Bintang is often served with a bowl of peanuts, usually flavoured with small slices of fried garlic. Villas in Bali will often have a jar of these peanuts in the kitchen and they are perfect accompaniment, on a hot sunny day in your pool, for a cold glass of the amber pilsner.

A small Bintang will set you back about two dollars from a warung or a specialised supplier, about three for a large one – which makes it the ideal drink of choice to stock the fridge in many Bali villas for rent. In a hotel, an average price for a large Bintang can be around ten dollars – another reason where villas in Bali triumph!

Drinking Bintang seems to be the hobby of many expatriates who frequent the many bars on the island. One such bar is The Office in Kuta Galleria where the temperature of the beer is legendary and the company very familiar to those visitors from Australia, The UK and Germany! It’s very much a male preserve and the quantities of beer consumed are legendary! At 4.7% Bintang is not to be drunk frivolously but it’s not so strong as to be a danger for the casual connoisseur!