Global Staci

To be fair, a lot of Bali looks nothing like the Instagram photos promising natural beauty and simple luxury at every turn. Ramshackle dwellings, dogs without homes, farmers bent low, their leathered faces quick to flash a tooth-missing smile. Hindu temples that look to be as old as the gods themselves. Shops and businesses that line its main arteries along with artery clogging cars, motorbikes and pedestrians.

Yet, words cannot express the wonder of this place. Gratitude emanated for my heart with every breath. This island is no cliche. No fictitious love story. Its people are beautiful and kind. And real. Lush green fields terraced with rice, tall with the promise of sustenance. Kite flyers, young and old, harnessing the wind for their amusement. All surrounded by an ocean emanating tranquility.

Still, there’s the traffic.

This tiny island receives about16 million visitors a year. At times it feels like you’re sharing it with all of them. Bali has one main international airport, Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), also known as Denpasar International Airport, the second busiest airport in all of Indonesia. My friends and I flew a short domestic flight from Yogyakarta to DPS and were more than excited to get to our first destination on the island’s southwestern coast. It is a 43-mile drive, give or take. You can imagine that we never expected it would take 4.5 hours to get there. Ugh.

[PRO TIP: Because the airport is in the south-central part of the island, I opted to plan the itinerary beginning in the west, the longest drive first, then work my way back towards the DPS for an easy exit. This was a R&R extension after my Global Village build in Yogyakarta with Habitat Indonesia.]

FIRST STOP: West Bali

FORTUNATELY, upon arrival at Puri Dajuma Beach Eco-Resort and Spa, every bit of tension and built-up frustration was washed away. We dropped our bags in our rooms and headed right to the main dining room, took our places at the table, waves lapping against the background of a warm breeze, ordered wine and exhaled. The memory of the drive seemed somehow distant.

We didn’t leave the resort for four solid days. You don’t need to. At least if all you want to do is relax by the pools, walk on the beach, maybe take yoga, book a spa treatment (or a few), read, write, eat, drink, make friends with the bartender. This is your spot. And the price tag for all this luxury is lower than you’d expect. We loved it here. Just go. Long car ride and all.

Now that we knew what to expect, on day 4 we loaded into the minibus again and headed for Ubud, the island’s cultural beating heart. While this is basically true, everyone else knows this about Ubud and therefore goes there. It’s terribly crowded.

This island has such dual personalities. For example, the extreme sense of relaxation and emphasis on taking care of the body juxtaposed with sitting in mind numbing traffic or walking along sidewalk-less streets lined with beautiful shops and 6,000 of your closest friends.

Bali is a paradox.

SECOND STOP: Ubud

We based ourselves at Swasti Ecolodge Cottages, which felt like a far less glamorous stepsister to Puri Dajuma. However, it does offer some shelter from the crowds with it off the beaten track location. It also has a spa, offers yoga classes, and loads of other wellness events, just check the calendar at check in. The restaurant is lovely and offers vegan and vegetarian fare. This is Bali afterall.

On the same street you’ll find charming shops, bakeries and cafes and wonderful restaurants: French, Spanish, Italian. If you like to shop, or if you happen to be furnishing a house or two, bring an extra 17 suitcases.

[PRO TIP: Try Simond Boulangerie and Blend Cafe, Pescado for tapas, La Cantine for French, and Kat and Cacao for beautiful kimonos.]

One day we were able to get out of the madness and see the countryside on a group bike ride with Banyan Tree Bike Tours. My friends and I loved this activity. Bagi, the owner and local, rode with us along with a few guides. There were several interesting stops along the way, where we saw and learned about what grows locally—passion fruit, durian, pineapples, chili peppers, kaffir lime, avocado—but especially rice, rice and more rice, as far as the eye can see. Indonesians eat rice with every meal, and most families have their own plots.

Each individual grain of rice is inside its own husk. When the rice is ready to be harvested, it is picked by hand. And separated from its husks by hand, the chaff winnowing in the wind during the separation process. Why isn’t rice more expensive?

Individual temples and family compounds are all over Bali. Each family has their own little house inside the compound, and they share kitchens and common areas. As many as 300 compounds may make up a village.

On another day in Ubud, my friend found a painting class for us. We took a rideshare, using the popular Grab App, to get to the house to meet our teachers. We learned the Kaliki style of miniature painting, the perfect souvenir.

On my last day in Ubud, I added 22 new birds to my life list thanks to the remarkable Su of Bali Bird Walk. Su is an incredible birder and her enthusiasm for what she does is contagious. In addition to birds, she pointed out many insects and reptiles including skinks, monitor lizards, spiders and butterflies. We saw guava, lemongrass, tapioca, water hyacinth, breadfruit trees, water spinach (full of iron), silverfern, lotus, hibiscus, clove, bird of paradise, butterfly pea, and Star of Bethlehem which can be used to make an eye wash. And more that I didn’t have time to write down! She also described the water politics of living in a village, dependent upon growing rice.

LAST STOP: Sanur

Trading the congestion of Ubud, for the calm shores of Sanur, a beach town on the southeastern shore of the island was a great idea. We stayed at yet another small, boutique, locally owned hotel off the main drag, Sanur House.

Sanur is a small, laid-back beach town. Parts of it reminded me of the eastern shore of the United States, others Puerto Vallarta. The plethora of tattoo parlors speak to travelers looking to memorialize the sun and sand. There’s even a mall.

There are nice public swimming beaches and places to kite surf. Or pull up a chair at any one of the bar restaurants on the pedestrian only Sanur Beach Walk, order a drink with your feet in the sand and watch the world go by.

[PRO TIP: Eat at the incredible Lilla Warang (Jl. Bumi Ayu 6), The Village Cucina (Jl Danau Tamblingan 47) for pizza and try Magita Home Decor XL for souvenirs.]

The day I left Indonesia was its Independence Day, August 17th. Eighty years ago, that day, Indonesia celebrated its independence from the Netherlands. I’ll admit; I didn’t know it was once a Dutch colony. I was happy that I ended my time in Bali in Sanur in particular.

I found the true beauty of Bali is in the hearts of its people, in the land, both cultivated and wild, and in the hospitality so freely offered its guests.

Eat your heart out Hollywood.

[PRO TIP: I got a great deal on a roundtrip ticket from Dulles Airport to Kuala Lumpur, which is why I began my trip in Malaysia. Therefore, I opted to fly from Bali back to KL the night before my flight home. I spent one night near the airport at the Ibis Styles Sepang, which offered a free airport shuttle and breakfast. I saved on my ticket home also because Turkish Airlines offered a deal that included a stopover in Istanbul, one of my favorite cities. The airline pays for your hotel stay; you pay for the rest.]