Amazing Bali!

Carole Garnham from Go4iT Travel - Carole Garnham

I had the good fortune to travel to Bali earlier on this year and it’s not a place that I have visited for 20 years. I remember tumbling out of a Garuda Indonesian plane to a small customs hall in the heat, being slowly cleared through and then, being besieged with guys wanting to carry bags and transport you to Kuta. Velvet dresses were in, the place stunk outside and people talked about getting Bali Belly and being robbed! Being harassed on Kuta beach by people wanting to “flat” my hair or sell me a knock off watch and or decidedly questionable top end perfume, was the norm. And even by today’s standards, whilst Bali has moved on, the old hawkers are now the new taxi drivers, things are not helped by the Australian TV series based on the antics their youth get up to over in Bali. And yes it is off putting and it’s easy to think that maybe Bali is not for you.
On arrival, I honestly had to double check that we have indeed flown to the right place. Brand new spanking airport, air conditioned, massive big baggage handling facilities and no problems with customs on arrival. On the other side waiting for us was our transportation, where we loaded up our bags and we were off, no argy bargy nor soft sell going on in fact all very rather civilised.
For this trip my husband and I decided to stay in Sanur, on the Eastern side of the island. Sanur is one of Bali's biggest traditional villages but it's also one of the most established tourist areas. Sanur was Bali's first beach resort but still retains its Balinese character and old style village ambiance. I quickly learned that locals refer to the sleepy little beach town of Sanur as “Snore” due to the older, laid back crowd that gravitates to the area.
This ain’t Kuta, folks. Nor is it Ubud, or any of the small villages located on the Bukit. Sanur has a different feel than any other area of Bali. And yet it wasn’t always so – Sanur has its own storied history. In the seventies & eighties, Kuta was about as backwater as you can get – just a somnolent little fishing village – while it was Sanur where everything was happening. And I mean happening. Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall tied the knot there, David Bowie was a frequent visitor as were Yoko Ono and Sting. Some of the venerable institutions that entertained them are still going strong in Sanur – most notable among them probably the famous Kafe Batu Jimbar, which is well worth a visit for its tasty Indonesian dishes.
In contrast to Bali’s west coast, which is habitually lashed by big ocean rollers, Sanur’s placid beach front is ideal for bathing as well as for watersports like windsurfing. The offshore islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida are also just a short boat ride away – home to some world class dive sites, though the currents can be intense to say the least. You can see the iconic mola-mola or sunfish in these waters

We decided to opt for a Villa style set up which gave us the opportunity to experience traditional Balinese life, the lush tropical landscapes, and the gangsa's renowned ability to service your every need. I certainly did not miss being in a 'hotel' room slapped bang in the middle of a touristic resort nor being right next to the beach. We had a beautiful double-story 2 bedroom villa that had all the artful Balinese design ascetics, matched with the latest contemporary comforts. Very private and very quiet! Our set up came complete with a kitchen (which we really didn’t need to use), our own swimming pool (no problem getting hold of a deck chair) and private butler. The minibar was stocked and replenished daily with water and local beer. Nice touches like the jar of freshly made homemade cookies, and bath salts provided for the bath took it up a notch or two! The shower was a rainfall one and located outdoors. Mosquitos were kept at bay by about half a dozen coils that had a great smell, and they were without fail, lit every night.
Our day usually started with a quick early morning dip in the pool followed by great coffee and an eggs bene or anything else that took your fancy from the menu, being served to your Villa. We felt fantastically spoilt, not to mention the daily Afternoon Tea, also brought to our villa. Exploring the back streets surrounding the villas was made easy as free bicycles were on hand. Complimentary transportation is also provided should you wish to use the Villas beach facility which is just 10 minutes away or maybe if you just want to wander around the township and discover the cool boutiques, contemporary bars and art on offer. In the Villas grounds there was a fabulous award winning Indonesian restaurant and whilst we ate here a couple of nights, we also checked out the thriving foodie scene and night markets this area has. With transportation provided by the villa, everything was made very easy and arranged as and when we required it. I haven’t mentioned the Spa facility on the property and whilst expensive by Balinese standards, it was still very reasonably priced and worth paying that bit extra for, as staff were highly skilled and the premises blindingly serene. 2 hours on their massage table disappears very quickly!
One of the highlights of our stay was that our visit fell over Nyepi Day and three days before the coming of Hindu New Year, the place was awash with various rituals and statues of Ogoh-ogoh started to appear. These are large statues of demons and other evil creatures made out of bamboo and paper and are taken to a large street parade for everyone to see. It is believed that the ogoh-ogoh will absorb the negative energy of the spectators and ward off evil spirits. After the parade, the ogoh-ogoh are burned in a large public bonfire. In addition to warding off evil and purifying the Balinese people, the bonfire is also believed to satisfy Batara Kala, the god of the underworld. Everything shuts down and during the Day of Silence, Bali’s people are expected to reflect on their actions over the past year. Many Balinese people will take this as an opportunity to rest and think of ways to improve themselves throughout the upcoming year. To ensure that all aspects of the Nyepi rituals are followed, Nyepi policemen patrol the island of Bali. Everyone on Bali must abide by the Nyepi rituals. Because of this, the Bali airport closes for the day and all visitors stay indoors or leave the island. Nyepi Day itself, we slept in, read our books, swum and lounged around! Not a great hardship and yes it does provide plenty of time for reflection and that is not something we get a chance to do in our busy lives, living in today's world.
Speaking of flights this leads me to mention that United Emirates has just started operating non stop flights up Bali and not only is competitively priced, but they provide more scheduled services than any other airline. Next time we head back to Bali I would like to try one of the many Yoga/Wellness retreats which is something the Balinese have really excelled in offering and is another completely different side of Bali that is there to be enjoyed.