“Dear Robert and Erik, We are reaching out to you with news regarding your scheduled departure on June 9, 2023. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, we are unable to run this trip.”
And with that email, a trip almost 12 months in the making fell away. There would be no weeklong sailing around Indonesia’s archipelago on board a traditional Pinisi boat, no snorkeling in The Coral Triangle with its abundant biodiversity, no Komodo dragons in the wild, and no “going off grid” on a private island where accommodation is fully solar powered and days are filled with luxurious hours doing absolutely nothing.
So, like the resilient travelers we try to be (once we recouped our funds), “you make the best of it”. We changed plans – pivoted as they say in today’s corporate ruled world – and with only two weeks, re-worked a 20-day trip into a little over a week. It would still be Indonesia, but we’d return to Bali, a destination we have visited twice before. Our new goal: rest, relaxation and more rest and relaxation. Exactly opposite of the adventure trip we envisioned.
Bali is a popular holiday destination for Australians and once you've been, you know why. It's a feast for the senses. There are the unending beaches tinted each night by sunsets; the constant hum of that universal beach club soundtrack; the early morning smell of incense, part of the Hindu canang sari offerings; food of every quality and price range imaginable and of course an occasional waft of storm drain stench. Then there is the Balinese massage – the perfect-pressure touch – whose cost depends on how much you’re committed to the bargaining game, or how impatient you are to sip from your Bintang.
In 2012, as a special treat, we booked into The Elysian Villas Resort. This boutique complex is luxury in a very private way, with a small plunge pool in each villa. The service has that old-world personalised style that is the opposite of many of the new, more hip, contemporary spots. Fortunately, our last-minute booking landed us a last-minute deal, and there we were again, enjoying what felt like a visit with an old friend. There have been some upgrades to the décor, but otherwise it was exactly as we’d remembered.
What had changed was the area. Local, a corner coffee truck and café outside the entrance to the Elysian looked like it was overtaking the neighbourhood’s small temple. Young “locals” served perfectly prepared Western style food and drinks to crowds of beach goers -- a testament to the area’s tourist development. We asked if the café was Aussie owned since the menu was right out of Bondi, but were told it had a Balinese owner. This was a good sign as Bali initially struggled to recover after COVID. Our familiar walk into town passed even more exciting new construction sights, but seeing the builders and their young families living in nothing more than plywood boxes was a sombre reminder of the disparity of wealth on the island.
Our 10-minute stroll through Seminyak to the beach takes us by the iconic Oberoi Resort and alongside Ku De Ta, the original Bali beach club. We ended our days with drinks and nibbles here and shared one sunset with some friends from Sydney. It’s easy to get right into the party vibe, but the advertisement for kids’ day on Sundays was a reminder of how things have changed.
We spent most days walking the beach, lounging with a beer, and watching the sunset. At one end, the Legian area offers backpacker and family friendly attractions with a fare-share of Aussie named pubs, fast food spots, group surfing lessons and tourists spread on the beach recovering from whatever big night they’d had before. The crowds seemed tame, which could be a result of a crackdown by the government on what they termed a "lack of cultural sensitivity" resulting in a “how to behave” guideline issued on arrival. We didn't plan on violating any laws on our walks. . . .
As you continue down towards Seminyak, the beach becomes less populated, more laid back and more exclusive, and where we spent most of our time.
The big hitters in the beach club scene like Potato Head, The W's WOOBAR, and Ku De Ta have loads of competition further up towards Canggu. Some of the more recent additions are Finn’s, Vue, COMO and The Lawn and all exude that “cool factor” that you look for as a young tourist in Bali. We did have a great evening at The Lawn for drinks and Skool for dinner to get a taste of this developing new mecca. Both were heaving with energy, the music was spot on and if only we were 20 years younger, we would have accepted the invitation from a group of young Aussie’s who were heading out to make a night of it. They were great to chat with and reminded us of how many years we’ve loved a good plate of food, a cocktail, some convo and a laugh.
While the big beach clubs have the “beautiful people” and the full-on Bali vibe, we find OUR vibe is now more in sync with the many warungs dotted along the shore. Low key music plays, a cheap Bintang or glasses of the local pink drop Plaga (not the sweet one) are always on offer, and the sunset seems even more beautiful when no one is asking you to finish your meal for the next booking.
A few beach side quieter recs:
Cantina on Pettitinget Beach for what felt like a locally run taste of old beachside Bali.
Chiringuito near Legian to lounge on beanbags and nibble tasty share plates with a good cocktail.
Sanje at The Seminyak hotel for a quiet, absolute beachside dinner with a soundtrack of the surf. The food is fine - it’s more about the location - but the burrata salad took us by surprise, YUM!
From the time we received the “unforeseen circumstances” email that dashed our holiday hopes, we committed to at least finding a snorkeling day trip somewhere around Bali. We signed up for the standard jaunt that takes you from Seminyak out to Nusa Penida, an island off Denpasar’s east coast. It was an early morning start over stop-and-go motorbike and scooter-filled roadways and checking in with queues of tourists at the port of Sanur. The crowded ferry ride over to the launch point was a bit of fun with some rough swells; and the beautiful water, plentiful fish and coral did not disappoint once we dropped into the ocean.
It's transformative floating freely with the currents, eyes-locked on the underwater flashes of colour where the only sounds you hear are the swish of your fins gently pedaling behind. It was rejuvenating – and along with the rest of the trip, it gave us back something lost by all the noise that daily life brings.
Suksma Bali - until next time....
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