B is for Beautiful Bali

Posted on by cassmob

This is the next instalment of my Special Moments, Magic Memories series for this year’s A to Z Blog Challenge: B is for Beautiful Bali.

For many Aussies, Bali offers a “soft” overseas travel option: not too far, friendly people, beers, bargaining, beaches and beauty treatments. For residents of Australia’s northern city, Darwin, it has a particular appeal: closer than most Australian travel options, similar climate and vegetation (good for planning a Balinese garden at home), and those beers, bargaining and beaches. What is life without a mani/pedicure or massage on the beach closely followed by a chilled Bintang beer?

Bali had never really hit out travel agenda until we relocated to Darwin in the late 90s. On the spur of the moment, a few years after the 2002 Bali bombing, in which 202 people including 88 Aussies lost their lives, we decided to head off for a week or so in Bali. We were already on recreation leave, it was our anniversary, and we needed to chill out from work. We threw our faith in the travel agent’s hands and enjoyed our novice experience in Nusa Dua and Ubud.

The memorial edited to exclude children in the photo.

As time went by we revisited Bali twice, in 2009 and 2011. Once again I’m hearing it call to me. Its appeal to me lies in a range of things.

Let’s get what I don’t love about Bali out of the way so I can focus on the ones I love: the hype of Kuta and its brashness (Yes, probably I’m just the wrong demographic). And I simply can’t come to love gamelan music, least of all while sitting at Denpasar airport near midnight waiting for a flight home.

What do I love about Bali that I don’t see in many other places?

The happy nature of the people and their affinity to their culture, religion and traditions. It’s typical to see the women attend to shrines daily with gifts made of woven palm fronds and flowers. Tropical flowers are everywhere along with the moss-covered pots of plants and water features.

I also love the statues, some fierce, others quirky, some with religious significance.

My particular favourite is the monkey peeking as one of the female staff walked by 😉

We’ve been incredibly spoiled in the beautiful places we’ve stayed in Seminyak and Ubud. I love the colour of the pool water made by the dark tiles lining the various private or public swimming pools at each accommodation. I love the colourful Balinese umbrellas and flags (Umbul umbul) which decorate temples, dining places and gardens.

I love how, so often, the accommodation has a true flavour of Bali with batiks, traditional carvings and paintings, and perhaps a Balinese-style doorway to your villa. And perhaps a view of a rice field and the ducks that are also so often seen as carvings.

Have you visited Bali? What did you like or dislike about it? Is it on your travel bucket list?

Bali is the sort of place where you can walk down the street and find something picturesque.

Henry Golding, British actor. https://www.brainyquote.com/
The garden at Nusa Dua.

25 thoughts on “B is for Beautiful Bali”

  1. G’day Pauleen,
    I have never been to Bali but many Asian countries I have been to also have lots of statues, which as you say have quirky looks. I tend to find those Asian countries too hot for me which is why I live in cool Tasmania.

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  2. I love your beautiful pictures which make Bali look so appealing. You have such fond memories of your times there. We have only spent a few days there and also found the people so happy and welcoming.

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  3. I’ve never been interested in going to Bali. Bali to me means crowded market and beaches. However I must say you post has me very interested. You’ve shown the other side of Bali and that does appeal to me

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  5. I’ve been to Bali twice. The first time was with the family and we were based at Sanur. The second time was three weeks on an educational tour with a group of teachers. We were supposed to travel around Indonesia but at the time it was felt to be unsafe except for Bali. That was 1998/99. It was a very different side of Bali that we saw but it was lots of fun visiting schools and trying to converse in Bahasa Indonesia.

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      1. Yes. I have been to Canada since we lived in Detroit and it was just a drive through the tunnel or across the bridge and no passport in the olden days.
        Family members have been to the Carribbean and Mexico, unfortunately, I haven’t done that either. Why I don’t write about my travels 😀

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      2. Seems so strange to be able to drive to another country when you live on an island 🙂 I can’t see us getting to either Mexico or the Caribbean. Travel has been our obsession as you’ve probably gathered.

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