Bali, and the sense of an ending

Do we really have to go home?

The Philippines were supposed to be our last stop. A final holiday before heading back to reality. And yet, that phrase, “back to reality” always gets me thinking. What is “reality” anyway? Was the last 10 months not reality? The many ups, and few downs of life on the road. A life of uncertainty. Not knowing where you will be tomorrow. How you will get there. And where you will sleep when you get there. Is this not “reality”? I contend that it is.

Bali bound

With this in mind, our current reality was going to continue for some time yet. From Manila we had ourselves booked onto a flight to the small Indonesian island of Bali. A place we hadn’t visited for over 6 years. One of the draws of living in Perth was to be regular trips to Bali. The pandemic had something to say about that and we didn’t get to leave the country for the 2 years that we previously lived in West Australia. 

The pandemic was not going to stop us this time, and late in the evening we queued with hundreds of other travellers at the airport, all waiting to get our “visa on arrival”, despite already having an electronic version. By the time we had cleared immigration, then customs, and finally found a taxi, (Grab were very inconspicuous this time of the evening), we rocked up at our hotel in Seminyak well after midnight.

That first day in Seminyak was how we spent the next six days. Coffee in bed with a view of the early morning sun glimmering off the swimming pool. Followed by the included breakfast and a morning stroll before getting settled on a sun bed around the pool, reading. And occasionally drinking cold Bintang beers at the swim up pool bar. This was the Bali we remembered. 

Searching out the best Balinese food in Seminyak

It was our first visit to the Seminyak area. An area bustling with tourists, cafes, and lots of restaurants. What I love about Bali is that the local food is delicious. Who can resist a steaming plate of either Nasi or Mie Goreng. As I love both rice and noodles I found it hard to veer from these dishes.  That said, being a holiday destination, every taste is catered for, and I did appreciate getting a big burger one evening. Looking across at Victoria’s plate I did get a bit of food envy. A steak that looked very good. How long is it since I last had a steak?

One afternoon, over a cold beer, Victoria had that look on her face. I knew that look. She had something cooking in her mind.

“I just wondered if you fancied a week in Nusa Dua?”

That is all she had to say. Once she had opened that door, I was charging through. It turns out she had received an email with a deal on a luxury hotel in the Nusa Dua district of Bali. 

“Let’s do it”, I immediately said. “Life is short. But first, let me go and get one of those $10 haircuts we saw advertised. I don’t want to be strolling around a 5 star hotel looking like a yeti with a failed man bun.”

The Nusa Dua Hotel and Spa

And on checking out of our week in Seminyak, we jumped in a Grab taxi and headed 30 minutes down to Nusa Dua. For a final splurge in a 5 star hotel. With lots of inclusions such as free drinks, lunch and dinners, and four Balinese massages. A great way to end our 10 month travel sabbatical. 

The Nusa Dua Hotel & Spa is situated in the gated area of Nusa Dua, hugging the beach along with its neighbouring hotel complexes. If life in Seminyak was chilled, we had taken it to a new level. No longer having to negotiate the death trap pavements of most Balinese towns, our walks for the week were along the beach. Peace and serenity prevailed. Pausing on the hill to watch the novice surfers crash in the small waves. 

We started each day with a fabulous breakfast and a walk along the beach. Lunch saw us circulating amongst the restaurants of the hotel. Food was included and we only had drinks to pay for. The bar drinks were all inclusive between 3pm and 6pm. And we could often be found around the pool with a Bintang. 

Cocktails and canapes

Keeping an eye on the time we then had to time it so that we didn’t miss the “evening cocktails”. Another inclusion in our package that ran from 5.30pm to 7pm. Who can resist canapes and free drinks? A perfect way to start an evening. Twice whilst we were there we had an included “themed” dinner and got to watch some very traditional Balinese dancing. The week was good. So good in fact we still didn’t want to come home. You can probably guess what was coming next…

Ubud, the spiritual heart of Bali

Our final, final week on the road would still be in Bali, but we moved to the spiritual heart of the island. Five nights in Ubud, and bed number 93, would be a great end to an amazing trip. Ubud is popular. Crazily so. The traffic has to be seen to be believed. Whatever hour, day and night, the road through the centre is gridlocked as cars, vans, and scooters vie for a piece of the road. With the pavements being in such bad repair, we had to contend with the traffic ourselves many times.

In fact, the pavements were so bad that in a moment of absent mindedness, Victoria smashed her big toe on a broken paving stone, ripping off the nail. Welcome to Ubud! A very kind man nearby immediately ran over and offered to take her to the nearest clinic. With blood pouring from her toe we very gratefully accepted. I stood there, still in a little shock myself, watching as she disappeared into the distance on the back of a stranger’s scooter. Will I ever see her again?

I did see her again, and the nurses at the clinic were very good, patching Victoria up, giving her a tetanus jab and sending her on her way with some antibiotics and a bill for the work. Thankfully, this being Bali, the prices were very reasonable. We almost made it through the whole 10 months without any injuries.

Escaping the crowds in Ubud

Hobbling along, we did our best to escape the traffic and the terrible pavements. Wandering down an alleyway, we soon came face to face with the greenery I always associate with Ubud. Rice paddie fields as far as the eye can see. Now, you get a sense of what Bali was like before overseas tourists started descending on this small island. It is paradise. Which is why it draws so many people here.

The infrastructure that has been developed to support all these visitors includes some of the best villas you will ever stay in. Luxury hotels. Spas offering traditional massages at rock bottom prices. Fabulous clothing shops. And some of the best restaurants and bars you will come across in Southeast Asia. It is easy to see why Ubud is a mecca for digital nomads, flocking to the very modern, very flash co-working spaces dotted throughout the town. If it wasn’t easier to get a rental in Perth, and jobs to pay for it, by actually being in Perth, it would have been cheaper for us to remain in Bali.

Our last trip to the airport for some time

It wasn’t to be. Sunday rolled around and we were off to an airport for the very last time on this trip. An afternoon flight would get us to Perth in just under 3 and a half hours. And back to real life, whatever that is.