The Magic Carpet Layali in Bali
Who had never heard about Bali?
Bali is a small island and province of Indonesia which is include a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan. For tourism, Bali has seen a significant rice since 1980s and for some people, Bali is more famous than Indonesia itself, and succeed in branding itself as Island of Gods.
In 2006 Eat Pray Love book released had become another reason to visit Bali. It was a book about Gilbert the author after getting divorced she traveled to Italy for eating a lot, India to pray a lot and Bali to finally in love again. That story became a film in 2010 and had inspired many women all over the world to 'find themselves'.
Bali deserves the place as a world-class destination because this island has never ending fascinations: a natural beauty, unique culture, and hospitality. This island in Asia ranked first ahead of Maldives and Phuket and received the second best tourist islands in the world after Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, by Travel and Leisure Magazine Award in 2015.
These were enough reasons for tourists to fall in love with Bali. Who doesn't? People packed their stuff and moved
to Bali and started their life here. Including Hamid Ismail a Lebanese man in 2010 who decided to permanently moved to Bali after his first trip to Bali in 2008 to introduce his exotic cuisine to the island because during that time he noticed that were difficult to get Arabian restaurants around. Then Hamid partnered up with an acclaimed Lebanese Chef from Beirut, Lebanon, Ziad Mzannar to open one of the first Lebanese Restaurant in Bali, to start a journey in culinary with Layali as Lebanese Restaurant and Shisha Lounge.
Layali has been born as one of the first Lebanese restaurant in Bali since then and has become a magic carpet to bring customers to Lebanon while holiday in Bali. It has become the best restaurant to have an authentic Lebanese cuisine in Bali and until now is the only Middle Eastern restaurant in the island which has a Lebanese Chef behind the scene as a value from the owner to bring a perfection to their valuable customers. Most of the customers are from Middle Eastern countries especially Arabians, but also mix with other nationalities. Local customers are usually 'foodie' also like to hang out to place like this because the shisha and the meals are no difference with Indonesian food, only more sour fresh from salad, more breads, and special Middle Eastern herbs.
This restaurant is not only serves Lebanese food, but also special shisha or hookah - a glass-bottomed water pipe in which flavored tobacco is covered with foil and roasted with charcoal. It has become one of destination for tourists in Bali to smoke shisha but not many places serve good quality of shisha. In Layali, the flavored tobacco and the pipes were imported and this place provides some cozy traditional lounges for people to enjoy it in its lush outdoor garden at the back of restaurant.
These lounges are the best seats at this restaurant whereas groups in family or friends will be able enjoy the dining and shisha. This restaurant is the only restaurant in Bali which provides lounges where women in burqa (enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions to cover their bodies when in public) be able to enjoy eating comfortably without being seen in public while they take the burqa off.
The combination from the music, the decor, the food, and the attentive service from the staff and the Chef, makes this place a perfect gateway in Bali to feel like in Lebanon. Layali is a truly magic carpet that will take you a ride to a Middle Eastern majestic place.
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