Okay friends, I know this isn’t farm related; but we REALLY have to talk about Bali. I knew that going to a country on the other side of the world was going to be a new and exciting adventure, but I never anticipated just how much I learned while we were on our honeymoon.
In the past I have typically been the kind of person that travels to places like Mexico, books an all inclusive resort, and stays at the same place for an entire week. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being one of those people! However, I knew that in going to Bali I wanted to really experience the country and culture. During our trip we never spent more than 3 nights in any one place and we made it a point to go into town and walk the street markets and shops. You guys, I could not have been more out of my comfort zone, and I loved it!!
The entire country of Bali is about the size of Montana, so over the course of our two weeks there, we were really able to explore all the different areas that Bali has to offer. We started out in a lavish beach resort, not too far from the airport. Here we were able to recover from our 36 hours of travel in luxury with great drinks and delicious food. This first resort was called Ayana Resort and Spa. Of all the places we stayed this was by far my favorite; but also by far the most expensive!
From there we crossed the island to the east side and checked out some of the bigger surf beaches and stayed at an affordable but comfortable hotel called Bali Tropic. This place was great because they did have an all inclusive option if you wanted to do that, but otherwise you could just pay as you go. The exchange rate from the US to Bali is crazy and everything there is SUPER affordable on the US dollar. We are talking like $5 for a decent meal.
From Bali Tropic we had a driver pick us up and we headed into the mountains. Now, if you don’t know already, Bali has an active volcano. We headed to a resort high up towards the mountain peaks where we stayed in a bungalow that was literally on a mountain cliff side. This was by far my favorite location of the entire trip. The bungalow had windows facing out on three side and you could wake up to exotic birds chirping out your window and even see the occasional monkey swinging from tree to tree. If we ever make it back to Bali, I will want to spend more time at this place. It was called Puri Sebatu resort and saying the views were breathtaking would be an understatement.
From Puri Sebatu we headed down into one of the most popular cities in Bali; Ubud. There was a lot of hype from locals and other travel bloggers about the shops and restaurants of Ubud and they were right! This is the perfect place to get dropped off for a day and just spend your time walking the streets, eating delicious food and checking out what the local street vendors have to offer. We stayed in an Airbnb on the outskirts of Ubud and it was a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of Ubud, while still being close enough that we could head into the city center if we wanted to.
Our last stop on the trip was Canggu (pronounced Chang-oo). This was an impromptu decision as we had left our last two nights completely open so that we could make a game time decision on where we wanted to spend our last few days. I’m so glad I set aside my type A personality and went for it, because Canggu ended up being our favorite city of the entire trip. We stayed at another Airbnb that was a 10 minute walk to the beach. This area was magnificent because you could literally walk everywhere. Restaurants, grocery stores, and beaches were all within a 10-20 minute walk.
The Balinese people are remarkable, and I felt totally safe walking around the cities while we were there. The religion there is Hinduism, and they are firm believers in karma. As a result of this deep rooted belief, they are some of the nicest, caring and fun people I have ever met. There wasn’t a single Balinese local we encountered on this trip that was anything less than cordial to us.
If you have ever spent any time traveling outside the US then you have probably felt this way before; but for me, one of my biggest takeaways from this trip was that there are so many things going on in the world every second of every day that are SO much bigger than our personal problems. There’s nothing like seeing children running bare foot through the streets, or raw sewage in every gutter to make you thankful for some of the “basics” that we as Americans can take for granted. I often find myself getting caught up in things that are going on at work or in my personal life that upset me, but ever since we returned from Bali, when I find myself getting upset about a comment someone made or something in my daily routine that didn’t go the way I planned, I stop and remind myself that often times the things that seem big at the time, are actually so small in the grand scheme of things. No one’s life is perfect and nobody has a good day every day, but I think we could all take a small lesson from the Balinese people in that what we put into the world is very likely what we will get out of it too.
So the next time a co worker makes a snide comment, or I feel betrayed or angry with someone I am going to remind myself of the simple phrases that sum up the people of Bali, “the only person’s actions that you can control are your own.” and “what goes around comes around.” Sending all the positive vibes to you buddies today, and everyday.
With love and good karma,
Chelsea