This is a holiday week for us well, I mean a week we are not on the road or going to look at something everyday, just a time to draw breath as we reach the half way point of our trip. A six hour flight from Sydney and we are into the humid tropical air of Bali. It’s a warm welcome to all.

Coming to the end of the low season, the hotel we stayed in on Sanur Beach has been pretty quiet throughout the week as has the town in general, with many restaurants pretty empty and the t-shirt sellers desperate for a sale. The hotel is a very nice place to chill even though there is is fair bit of building work going on. 

Bali is known as the “Paradise of the Gods” and it is certainly unique however, I am not sure this title fits modern tourist Bali and certainly the sea and beach in our area are a disappointment. Look beneath the commercial and scooter mayhem though and there is undoubted beauty and culture here. The islanders themselves seem genuinely friendly. 

The one day that we left poolside, we headed up though the centre of Bali to explore temples, rice fields, coffee plantations and to admire Mt. Batur and it’s lake below. The views are quite spectacular. The green of the island really comes home as you climb into the mountains, the rice fields glisten in the sunshine.

We get a taste of Lowak coffee (that’s the one where the Lowak cat eats the beans, digests them and then the red beans are washed, peeled, roasted and made into coffee) £45 a small bag but £3 a cup gives us a taste. I’ll stick to Columbian! 

Lunch at Mt Batur is excellent as is the view of the volcano and lake. Final stop is the Goa Gajah temple famous for its ritual bathing and cleansing in it’s natural spring waters. We don’t partake to avoid the wet ride home but many people do. 

I think to really enjoy this island therefore, it’s really a case of travelling around it. 

Food out on the street is fantastic and there is plenty of choice. Meals are generally washed down with bottles of Bintang. It’s nice to meet up with Suzi and Kevin most nights for those late night beers and to share travelling tales. 

Our own travelling continues with a couple of days back in Sydney then it’s off to New Zealand next week.

Pete & Jules