Hideaway gem in peaceful East Bali, make you want escape from the hustle & bustle to enjoy the serenity.
Pondok Bambu Dive Resort is located right in the heart of Candidasa. Only one and a half hours drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Pondok Bambu is designed in a Balinese-style bungalow that blends perfectly with the surrounding tropical gardens. This beachfront bungalow not only offers comfortable accommodation and a good location with beautiful views, but also high-standard services that will make you feel right at home. With stunning sea views and easy access to interesting places that Bali has to offered. From natural beauty, beaches, temples to historic sites.
Not only that, Pondok Bambu also has a waterfront restaurant. Overlooks the ocean with incredible views. It offers a selection of local and international dishes and there is also a bar to entertain with a wide selection of drinks ranging from fresh juices, cold drinks and cocktails to enjoy the beauty of the sky at sunset. The restaurant is open daily from 8 am to 11 pm. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and can accommodate up to 70 people.
In addition, Five Star Padi Dive Center Bambu Divers is one of Bali's best diving schools. Speak multiple languages (Dutch, English, Indonesian, South African, and German) Prioritizing "safety is first" for divers, by using new and well-maintained equipment and Padi certified staff who lead you through your dive experience. No matter if you want to dive, snorkel or just relaxing, Pondok Bambu Dive Resort is just perfect for this opportunity.
Proudly declare that I am a Padi diver. Yes, I am qualified as a diver. I've finished my Open Water Dive(OWD) course with Bambu Divers in Candidasa. The OWD course takes 4 days. Theory, skills, exams, and then go to open water. Oh yes, before continuing the story, this is not the first time I dive. I have done 4 dives (Discovery Scuba Diving) 7 years ago. But out of fear, I don't want to dive anymore. I always think of scary things before diving. Therefore I decided that diving is not for me. Wrong, And I'm back again, to change that thought. I want to fight and conquer my fears and enjoy life. And I did that.
Anyway, continue. The first day of OWD is theory, here we learned about many important things about Scuba diving. Learning the basics, rules, history, equipment etc.
The second day is a skills test. We did all the skills tests in the pool, we learned how to clean the mask and mask removal, buoyancy, BC removal, hand signals and so on. Now we have two days to study all the theories and be ready for the test.
The third day of OWD was the day I waited nervously and excitedly, all mixed up. We go to open water by boat from Candidasa. 2 dives in two different places/sites, Jepun and Jepun Wreck. Dive with a depth of 18 meters. The water is warm 30 degrees, clear and calm. We saw soft corals, triggerfish, moray eels, trumpets, the wreck and more. I keep my focus (calmly) and stayed close to my instructor and my buddy. What I do is serious but fun. After all the skill tests while diving, we enjoyed the beauty of the world under the sea and I was stunned. The same day after diving. We take the final test, which we have to pass above 80%, otherwise we will dive in the bathtub rather than on the reef! Finished and of course I passed the exam. and so are my dive buddy. All of that was a great and tiring first day in open water.
The final day of OWD we did two dives in two different places. Performs some skill tests at a depth of 7 meters and after that we swim around the coral wall or often called Drop Off. After the first dive is finished, we dive at the Sculpture Park site for the second dives. It was beautiful and this time, we had time to enjoy the surroundings without having to do any test again. one word I can say it was Amazing!
Still, I am so glad that I did not let fear stop me from giving it try. Even though it turns out I am a person who is afraid of everything and easily panic in the water. But proud that I did it at all. I had other opportunities in the past and never took them out of fear. I never thought it was something I 'd gathered the courage to do. Many thanks to Gerard for not letting me out of the course. One thing that makes me believed in going diving is because of his experience. I have qualified as a diver, so I look forward to the opportunity to go diving again!
Do one step at a time!
One thing that helped me was to take it step by step. I know I'm afraid to go scuba diving in the sea. But I don't have to do that first. All I have to do is wear my wet-suit. Then all I have to do is get on the boat. Can I do that? Sure.
Then all I have to do is put on my gear and fall back into the water. Can I do that? Yes. At that time, all that remained was to go underwater and I scuba diving in the sea.
You only need to answer yourself if you give up or are afraid. Take a deep breath and you can do it. Get out and conquer your fears. Even if things get really bad, you will achieve more than you ever dreamed of, that you can do.
The children of the Yayasan Permata Bali were children at risk. They worked or begged on the streets to survive. These children had either been abused by their parents or abandoned as their parents were too poor to provide for them. Their last resort of survival was the streets. These children are left defenseless, and many times are forced into child prostitution. Without protection, these children would be homeless, starving, abused, uneducated, unloved and alone; fighting each day for mere survival.
Yayasan Permata Bali began as a small social work/community development to the street children who lived in the slum areas. This ministry was pioneered by Ibu Tina, a fiery single mom from the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. By actively working with and supporting the street children Ibu Tina discovered that many of the children were living in abusive situations, or had been left abandoned with no one to care for them. The need for a safe home became very apparent. With blind faith, Ibu Tina rented a home and began taking in children one-by-one as needs arose. Over the years, foreigners have come to either help volunteer their time in the home or give donations. Since the very beginnings of the home, God has faithfully provided the daily needs of the home without fail.
The Yayasan Permata Bali currently provides love, hope and an education for 24 children. Yayasan Permata supports 1 additional new baby girl.
Following this concept they will never stop expanding, offering an ever-growing number of otherwise destitute children love, hope and a meaningful future.
The Temega tree house and Bukit Lemped tree houses are very beautiful and charming tourist attractions. Located not far from Tirta Gangga Water Palace and from Candidasa it takes more than 30 minutes. Ticket for entry are divided into two prices, local and tourist prices. In Temega it is 25K for tourists and 15K for local. In Bukit Lemped tree house are 15K for local and 50K for tourists. Inside the tree house area there is a Warung that sells snacks, local food and drinks. There are also mini-sports cars that can be rented, it costs around 200k for 15 minutes. The view from the top of this tree house is very beautiful. This tree house is a place that you must visit when you are in Karangasem.
Crazy Kangaroo. That sounds crazy, right? But don't be fooled by that name. People say "don't judge a book by its cover". Crazy Kangaroo is one of the most prominent restaurants in Candidasa. However, people get confused when they hear the name. When you enter the restaurant you will find a comfortable, beautiful, friendly atmosphere with a warm Balinese smile as a greeting. Crazy Kangaroo Restaurant serves Asian and Western Cuisine and an open kitchen with panoramic glass windows that you can see in how the chef prepares your meal.
CK has three main areas. The first area is a romantic garden on the front side, surrounded by shady trees and flowers. There is also a fish pond with a fountain that gives a sense of peace
The second area is a sports bar with widescreen televisions, pool tables, darts, and various other board games that you can enjoy and spend quality time with family and friends. And the third area is the main open dining room. Surrounded by fish ponds and tropical plants, classic chandeliers, hanging fans, and a stage for live entertainment.
Popular dishes such as Carpaccio, chicken florentine, fresh mahi-mahi or imported steaks that melt on your tongue. And special menu every week.
Bar that serves a good selection of cocktails. These include local and classic favorites such as arak attacks, blue Monday and long island ice tea. You can play pool tables for free. And, as a family-friendly restaurant, there are also several board games for kids to enjoy.
Entertainment every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday starts from Traditional Balinese Dances, Fire Dancers, and Local Bands covering the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, classic rock and pop and Pub Quiz every 2nd Friday of month. If you stay around the Candidasa area, you can request a free shuttle service.
Permata Bali Orphanage. The foundation is located west of Seraya, Karangasem. About 25 minutes from Candidasa or 7 minutes from Ujung Park (The Water Palace).
Almost all of the children here have received a good education. Some are still sitting in elementary school, high school and some even work. Their ability to speak English is very impressive.
It's rare for anyone to leave this place without change. It is actually very common for someone to come with the intention of giving, only to find that they leave fresh with a new outlook on their own lives.
So, please stay for a while and get to know children and volunteers. Explore pictures and see what everyday life is like here. Share laughter with children, or experience the priceless feelings of a "new" child by carefully expanding their trust and taking your hand.
Who said that the New Year's Eve celebration in Candidasa is quiet and boring? don't get me wrong in Candidasa, no less lively like in other regions in celebrating the new year eve!
if you are on vacation in Candidasa and want to celebrate together with family or friends you can come to several restaurants celebrating the changing seconds of 2018 to 2019.
Crazy Kangaroo Restaurant
one of the restaurants that will celebrate the new year's eve party is Crazy Kangaroo restaurant. This time Crazy Kangaroo restaurant serves barbecue-style meals, which of course you can eat until you drop. Not only that, CK also provides various entertainment such as Traditional Barong dance, Keris dance, Joged, and also performance of Balinese music instrument, Fireworks and last but not least there is also a local DJ who will entertain with disco music until late.
There is something different this time around Candidasa especially in Crazy Kangaroo Restaurant. Every second Friday of the month, Crazy Kangaroo held a Pub Quiz. If you have heard this, surely you already know what it means. And if not, what's it all about?
It's easy. It's a quiz that takes place in a pub. People play in teams (max. 4 persons each team) against everyone else. They put their phones away, turn off their laptops and see just how much random, useless knowledge they have and how that compares to the other people in the room.
The question is randomized, insight into history, artists, music, food, and other social sciences. The final result will be summed and the winner is divided into three winners. Who gets the most points becomes the main winner and earns prizes sponsored by Crazy Kangaroo.
