During the period 2012-2015, I went on a bit of an Indonesia binge, visiting the country twice a year and travelling extensively throughout Sumatra, Java, and of course, Bali.
I think for many people, the word Bali conjures up thoughts of tropical beaches and cocktails, not dissimilar to the flower-garland and hula-dancing vibe you might imagine when thinking about Hawaii. Indonesia’s island of the gods is, however, much more than that – and visitors may be slightly surprised (disappointed?) to find its beaches don’t quite live up to the picture-postcard, palm-tree visions of their dreams. Of course some of the beaches are very good, but the fact that Bali is an incredibly popular tourist destination (over 5 million visitors a year) means you aren’t going to get a castaway feel. I myself forgot this fact, and so a large part of our most recent visit in summer 2023 was trying to reframe my expectations of what the island should be.
I admit to being guilty of being somewhat of a travel snob in that if a place is chock-full of tourists I can get a bit down/annoyed as it makes me feel I’m not doing something unique or special. This of course is a ridiculous notion as I am a tourist myself. I think it also stems from the fact that back in the mid 2010s I was constantly seeking out quite mad (even dangerous at times) travel experiences, and so now a ‘normal’ holiday per se can seem a little anticlimactic.
On this trip my absolute favourite moments – besides being a guest at the the incredible Viceroy Bali – were those spent away from the tourist areas and just getting lost among the rice fields. I was also reminded by just how friendly the Balinese people can be.
A photo looking down into Mount Bromo that I took while flying from Surabaya to Denpasar in 2014. Back then, I ended up climbing this volcano at midnight to join in a festival called Yadnya Kasada. During this festival, he Hindu people of Probolinggo, East Java, travel up the mountain to make offerings in the form of foods and flowers and even sacrifices of farm animals to the mountain gods by throwing them into the caldera of the volcano.
Fast forward to 2023, and I flew past this volcano once again as we made our way from Kuala Lumpur to Denpasar.
As morbid as it sounds, it’s not unusual to stumble across funeral ceremonies while travelling in SE Asia. Many are semi-public affairs, with local temples being used. Over the years, I have unwittingly wandered into a fair few, most notably in Denpasar, as well as in Nepal after the 2015 earthquake, where multiple bodies were being burned on funeral pyres down by the river. On this trip, we were cycling through Sanur when we heard the unmistakable sound of gamelan music in the distance. Coming closer, we could see that a funeral was happening in the town’s main temple.
Attendees arriving by motorbike and parking in an unused lot
Anytime I have been in Bali I have chosen to stay over on the quieter east side in Sanur as it offers easy access to the small island of Nusa Lembongan. We were collaborating with a pool villa on the north side of the beach (report here) but in future I think I would make the choice to stay further down the beach towards the Hyatt Regency. The beach, as you can see below, is very nice at the south end of Sanur.
One of the nice things about Bali is its size. The trip from Sanur up to Ubud takes just over an hour, taking a main highway that features a number of statues and monuments. Speeding past these monuments is an otherworldly experience, feeling both ancient and futuristic at the same time.
In between working with hotels, we sorted our own accommodation in Ubud and found a nice place called Sabana where we chilled for a few days, riding around the rice fields, eating breakfast on our balcony and even getting a little photoshoot done up at Campuhan Ridge. At dusk, we ate corn by the side of the road and during the afternoon sipped ice teas wherever we happened to stop.
For me, the best part of travelling is being able to wander the streets, get lost and see what daily life is like for the people who live there. Away from the busy main roads, Ubud’s side streets were filled with quiet corners to explore.
You would think that this was the entrance to a temple, but in fact all the houses over here feature elaborate gates called angkul-angkul. They lead into a small courtyard and the actual entrance to the house. I would love to say these were guard dogs but I think they would be hard pressed to scare anyone 🙂 
As mentioned at the start of this post, one of the main highlights of this trip was collaborating with the fabulous Viceroy Bali in Ubud. Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to work with and feature a number of hotels on IKIMASHO, but this had to be up there as one of the best. From the moment we arrived we were transported into a world of quiet luxury, and I smile when I think back at the experience we had there.
I have no doubt that I will be back to Indonesia at some point. For many years, Sulawesi in the east has been on my radar, so who knows, perhaps that region of Indonesia will be next. But for now, it’s goodbye to Bali and hello once again to Tokyo!
Writing this post inspired me to look back on some old posts from Indonesia. Maybe you would like to read them too.
Sulfur & Sacrifice: Yadnya Kasada Festival, Indonesia
Drinking blood with the Bataks. Christmas Day in Sumatra.
In Pictures: Mount Bromo region, East Java.
Climbing Kawah Ijen Volcano, Java, Indonesia.
IKIMASHO! 