This story about Bestala Durian is an old Bali durian post, and a post mostly about having your heart broken. It’s one that I wrote and then abandoned years ago because I just didn’t have it in me to finish. It wasn’t anything against Bestala. It’s just that durian is supposed to be a happy […]
The 10 Best Durian of 2017 – My Year in Review
When I tell you where I ate my 10 best durians of the year, I’m telling you a story about me. “Best durian” are deeply personal. They’re where I was and what I was doing and what was important to me when I ate them. This post, The 10 Best Durian of 2017 is essentially […]
Bali Durian Variety: Sibadak at Luwus Horticultural Research Center | Luwus, Bali
Rob and I first visited the Luwus Horticultural Research Station back in 2012, on our first trip to Bali. It was here that we first tasted a Thai style durian, a wonderfully yellow Kani (Thai Chanee) that still haunts me as one of the best durians I’ve ever had. It was definitely the best durian I’d […]
Where To Go For Durian Abundance in Bali | Luwus, Bali
Luwus is unmistakable as you zip northwards on your normal tourism activities around Bali. Suddenly you’ll pass a durian stall and feel your adrenaline start pumping. But don’t slam on the breaks – soon you’ll see another durian stall, and another, and another, and another, and then you’re in Luwus and there are durians freaking […]
Bali Wholesale Market
If you want cheap fruit in Bali, you have to go to the market early. And by early I mean really early, way before the sun has risen. Rob and I found this out from Bege, the owner of a local fruit and vegetable warung that we’ve been frequenting for his massive, beagle-sized papayas from […]
Bali Durian Hunt Commences
It’s the end of durian season here on Bali, and the durian pickings are getting slim. Balinese who don’t care for durian tell us that durian season is over, although those in the know tell us its still a good time for the fruit. Our first stop was Ubud Market, a cluttered labyrinth of shops […]
The Stinkiest Fruit: Wani
Richard Sterling wrote that durian smells like “pig-shit, turpentine, and onions, garnished with a gym sock.” Others who share his opinion have added blue cheese, rotting meat, public toilets, and dog farts to the list of interesting odorific comparisons. I actually quite like the odor of durian. To me it smells like… durian, which equals […]
Suprise in Monkey Forest
When Lindsay and I arrived in Ubud, Bali our first order of business was finding her Ashtanga yoga school. To do so we had to pass through the magical Monkey Forest, one of the city’s primary attractions. As is usual, we were traveling with a fruit supply. I was carrying a grocery bag full of […]