Life is an adventure. Let’s go!

Island of the Gods.

Bali always sounded so exotic to me. My relationship with this magic island actually started long before it became my home for ten wonderful years. Bali was where my parents went on their honeymoon back in the 70s. My English dad and Indonesian mum, had recently married in Singapore and were living in South Sumatra at the time.

I had an opportunity to go to Bali in the early noughties, but somebody’s passing remark of ‘oh, it’s so touristy’ changed my mind, and I went to Lombok and the Gili Islands instead. Looking back, that was so ridiculous, considering how much the island has been hit by insta-travel-spiration and mass tourism today.

I finally made it to Bali in 2009. What started out as ‘my year of living dangerously’ away from my corporate working world, ended up becoming my own version of ‘eat, pray, love’ and finding new freedoms. It’s where I met my American husband, built a home, got a dog, and started a family.

In Bali I embraced the culture, the ceremonies, and the melting pot of people from different countries and backgrounds, as well as having Indonesian and Balinese friends. I loved the festivals and colors, the super spicy food, the rainy season, the dry season, riding around on my scooter, and the sticky heat. And everything from the stunning beaches and cliffs of Bukit, the lush greenery of Ubud, mountains, lakes, and rice paddies, the chaos of downtown Kuta and Seminyak, the pop-up of new, hip, and happening scenes, to chickens and cows in my own backyard.

Everyone wanted to come and visit. And it was so fun to show people around and help plan their trip. I worked for a women’s wellness retreat, and volunteered my time with a non-profit before joining a luxury hotel brand to manage their PR & CSR programs. I then worked as a wedding events coordinator for an exclusive boutique resort.

I have so much to share about traveling to Bali on vacation, as well as living and getting by in Bali, and understanding how all the different culltures come together. If I’m honest, when life presented a time for change, I wasn’t really ready to leave. Going with a leap of faith and planning ahead for my family’s future, I’m always prepared for my ‘where to’ next.

Bali has changed a lot in the past five years, but it remains very special to me. You do need to travel a long way to get there, but as a vacation destination, there are some really amazing and unique experiences. I hope to go back and revisit some of the places with my daughter. Underneath all the new shiny development, there is still the magic of Bali, its many temples, and all the people I knew and loved. Astungkara!

Notes

• https://uluwatusurfvillas.com/
• https://escapehaven.com/
• https://escape.banyantree.com/
• https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/dpsolol-umana-bali-resort/resort/

Photo credit: Stijn Dijkstra