Your Travel – Bali

I am very excited about this post as this is the first contribution for my travel guest series, Your Travel. I was very happy when Kate emailed me last week and asked if she could write a post about Bali. This is the first guest post in this series and I hope you’ll enjoy it. Please be sure to check out Kate’s amazing blog Travelmoon.

I’m very excited to participate in Cammie’s new Travel Blog Series.  Cammie has really been to so many incredible and awe-inspiring locations on her around-the-world journey, which inspired me to share one of my own dream trips here.  

It is nearly impossible for me to pick my favorite travel spot as each trip has evoked a different feeling and experience.  Yet instantly, the first place that came to mind was tropical Bali.  I remember thinking as I traveled through each town peering over at the passing rice fields, rich in in lush greens, and watching people at their local temple steadfastly making offerings, that this was a magical location that was almost unworldly in its beauty.  And you will be hard pressed to find people anywhere in the world who are more welcoming and warm.  

If I could give only one tip it would be to leave your resort pool and check out the amazing countryside.  If you are brave, you can rent a motorbike for the day, where you can swerve in and out of traffic to get to places quicker.  After one harrowing motorbike experience (that is a story for another day), I have sworn them off forever.  Instead, we opted to hire a personal taxi driver for surprisingly inexpensive rates.  The taxi driver will wait for you while you spend the day on the beach, or take you to a temple, or to a different part of the county all for a fixed price agreed upon in advance.  We connected with a taxi driver we met on the first day who practically turned into our own personal tour guide and introduced us to traditional Balinese music.  Almost six months after my journey, I still find the repetitive tinkling tunes hard to get out of my mind from time to time.

There are many places to spot monkeys roaming wild or even visit a monkey forest if you dare.  Monkeys can actually get quite aggressive and you must make sure to not have any food while in the monkey forest unless you are prepared to have them jump on your head.  At a distance, they can be quite entertaining to observe.  If you want the opportunity to ride an elephant, Bali provides a chance for that too.

Make sure to venture inland to Bali’s spiritual center that is brimming with artists: Ubud.  This is where you can see or even stay among the rice paddies.  Ubud has a large market where they sell traditional and native wares and also a plethora of spas as well.  We indulged in hours of spa treatments for rates so low it seemed almost sinful.  Nearby, is Tegalalang, an expansive stepped rice terrace (a mouthful to say but you will be speechless once you arrive).  I sipped ginger tea and ate fried bananas in a restaurant built into the slope to maximize the splendid view and in a fit of madness asked if the owner was willing to sell the restaurant.  I know I am far from the first person who has been seduced into contemplating staying in Bali forever...

The pictures are Kate’s personal photos.

If you’re interested in contributing to this, then please do not hesitate to contact me on cammiewaaden@yahoo.com. I am very interested in posting about your travels and to learn something new.