A Balinese Discovery
An experience doesn’t have to be long. It could be five seconds, or it could be a lifetime. Travel works in much the same way. It is about quality over quantity and what you take from it personally. Three nights and three days in Bali was enough time to establish a local connection with the area and its people, a feeling which still resonates with me today.
Denpasser, Bali’s capital city is a direct flight from Sydney about eight hours long. We stayed in the calmer, composed Seminyak over the party towns of Kuta and Legion. Seminyak is a prepossessing area with hip hotels, cute bars, boutique shopping and hidden backstreets.
We lodged at Villa Seminyak Estate and Spa where we had a spacious one-bedroom villa connected onto a radiant pool. The villa’s thatched roofs and local stonework were the ultimate expression of Balinese modern style. It was a real retreat offering comfort, privacy and serenity.
Tinkling temple bells accompanied our morning latte. Breakfast was a fantastic luxury offering the best of traditional Balinese dishes - Dadar Galung (pancake rolls with coconut filling) and Puta Mayang (traditional Indonesian cake made dipped in a sugary coconut sauce) among my favourites. A country’s cuisine has the innate ability to allow you to greater connect with its people and culture.
After breakfast, our satisfied bellies took to the hot, uneven roads walking past local services through the heart of Seminyak onto sunlit beaches. This fifteen-minute walk became the cornerstone of my understanding and appreciation of local Balinese life.
Double Six Beach was beautiful and expansive, people were learning to surf, and beggars were selling sarongs. You could hire beach lounges and umbrellas for around 50k rupiah a day and enjoy ice-cold Bintang’s. The water was invigorating, the beaches wild, and the mood paradisal.
There are two sides to Bali. There is the beach Bali where luxe resorts and great eating accompany those in search of the perfect wave. Then there is a tranquil haven in the mountains where the culture of the island is most noticeable.
On our third and final day we decided to do a full-day traditional village sightseeing tour. The tour commenced visiting traditional artisan villages and temples around Ubud. Unknown to most people, Ubud is the cultural heart of Bali. We viewed local handicrafts in Batubulan and tasted aromas at luwak coffee plantation. In the mountains we devoured a buffet lunch with views over-looking Kintamani Volcano (Mt.Batur). The rice plantations offered picturesque views and local lessons of Balinese rural life. We developed a deep connection with our private guide, his gentle manner and clever mind never failed to impress.
It doesn't take long to establish a local connection. The charisma of the shop sellers, the generosity of the villa’s clerk, and the warmth of the locals all show that the essence of Bali is the Balinese people themselves. Bali is one Island with many destinations and a local aura that traverses the soil. With its subtle beauty and depth of spirituality, Bali is raw, poignant and uplifting.