Trip to Bali

Earlier this month Sheuwen, Kate, and I were fortunate enough to go to Bali for our first vacation together since we moved to Jakarta. If you are like us, we knew very little about Bali while living in the States. We knew it had a reputation for being a Southeast Asian tourist hotspot, but we didn’t know what exactly that meant. Is it like Hawaii, Florida, or something different all together? It seems most expats that live in Jakarta go to Bali at least once during their stay in Jakarta. Some love it and go many more times again, others go once and never go back. So with all these mixed signals we decided it would be a good place for us to go for our first vacation, and then we can see for ourselves what Bali is really like.

One reason Bali gets a lot of visits from Jakartans is the convenience. The island of Bali is immediately to the east of Java Island (where Jakarta is located) and is only about a 2 hour flight away from Jakarta. It is much smaller than Java (and kinda looks like a chicken leg). The major geological feature of Bali is Mount Agung located near the center of the island. At 10,308 ft, Mount Agung is one of the largest active volcanoes in Indonesia and is treated with great respect by the locals. Much of the Hindu worship on the island is aimed at the mountain. In fact, the local Hindus believe the volcano is a replica of the central axis of the universe. The most important temple in Bali is located on the slopes of the mountain, and somehow this temple was spared (by mere yards) during the most recent eruption in 1964 which killed over 1500 people.

We decided to pay our respects to the mountain by staying well away from the mountain for most of our trip. :)

Our first two nights were spent in the formerly tiny, but now sprawling village of Ubud, which is the artistic capital of Bali. I would say it is off the beaten track, but the track to Ubud is becoming more and more beaten over time. Visitors who are looking for an alternative to a sun and surf vacation are drawn to Ubud for it’s plethora of shops, cafes, and art galleries which line the streets of the village. If you are in the market for some Balinese wood carvings, beaded baskets, or original artwork, then Ubud may be for you. Even though we enjoyed looking in a few shops, Sheuwen and I aren’t so much of the artsy/collectable type. However, Ubud does offer some amazing views of various rice fields (see picture) and offers some nice nature walks for those looking to enjoy the scenery. One walk in particular is called the Campuan Ridge Trail. This is a 3 km trail that runs from central Ubud, over a ridge, through some rice fields, and eventually to a real Bailnese village area. The views of the rice fields were quite breathtaking, the fields are an incredible bright green color and the plants look so alive. As we were walking along the trail (which I found online) we got the feeling that we were experiencing something many visitors to Ubud don’t get to experience. There were practically no signs marking the trial and we saw only 4 other trekkers the whole time we were on the trail, but to me that walk was the highlight of our trip to Ubud.

As we reached the end of the trail we had a decision to make. Do we walk back along the trail another to Ubud Center? Do we call a taxi to pick us up? Or do walk another 6 km into this unknown village along an unknown road that is supposed to connect to another road that should eventually lead to the main street which would, if we haven’t made any wrong turns, bring us back to Ubud? Keep in mind that Kate has been a trooper the whole time, riding in the Ergo (baby carrier) and pretty much sleeping most of the time. Also the weather is cloudy, rainy, and not too hot, and we have plenty of snacks. So of course, we decide to walk on. Onward we walked past villagers on motorbikes, cows with horns grazing feet way, roosters running across the road, and a woman bathing (with very strategic towel usage). The rain came and went, but our determination never wavered. Eventually we made it to all the correct roads and arrived safely back to Ubud. We continued walking to a local restaurant called Bebek Bengil (Crispy Duck), and then we headed back to our hotel (Kamandalu Resort). We made it about 1 km away from our hotel before the darkness, some stray dogs, and Kate’ approaching bedtime convinced us that we should call for a shuttle the rest of the way. All in all I believe we walked about 12 km that day. In hindsight, this was probably a bit too far and although Kate was fine, I think we threw her off her schedule quite a bit. Lesson learned, when in Ubud it is easy to “under-plan” and just make up your schedule as you go through your day, next thing you know you are walking down a narrow street, with a decaying side walk, in the dark, rushing home to feed you baby and put her to bed. We’ll know better next time.

The last 3 nights of our trip we enjoyed the
beach life at the Grand Hyatt Nusa Dua. Nusa Dua is Bali’s 5-star resort enclave, developed in the 90’s in response to Bali’s increasing popularity. In Bali’s early years as a tourist destination, the decision was made to limit most tourist development to the southern tip of the island to preserve Bali’s culture and natural condition. The result was that most of the popular hotels sprung up around existing cities such as Kuta and Sanur. Unfortunately these cities were not designed to support large hotels and the visitors they attract. There was a need to develop a new area where space was plentiful, beaches good for swimming, and the area designed for tourists – kind of a master planned tourist community. Thus Nusa Dua was built.

For visitors from western countries, if you come to Bali and stay in Nusa Dua, you may not feel like you are in a foreign country. There is a lot of western food, everything is clean, and almost everyone speaks English well. Having been in Jakarta for the last 4 months, this was a welcome treat. We enjoyed the spaciousness, conveniences, and comforts the area had to offer. While maybe not the whitest sand and bluest water in the world, it was great to breath fresh ocean air with the constant rolling of the waves in the background. While Kate didn’t quite enjoy the sand and was a little intimidated by the large ocean waves, she thoroughly enjoyed the pool and seemed totally at ease relaxing in her parent’s arms under the shade trees.

Overall I would compare Bali to Mexico with its tropical weather, affordability, and laid back culture. There is much the island has to offer that we did not get to experience so it would be nice to go back at some point. And of course if any of you all are ever interested in visiting Bali (or Jakarta), we would be happy to do our best tour guide impression, so come on down!