Our Ten-Ten Holiday

I love Bali this much!

Each year Taiwan celebrates national day on October 10th.  Hmmm…  That’s quite convenient for someone who happens to have a birthday on October 10th.  We get a four day weekend for the holiday, just enough time to get out of town for a while.  Bali is a 5 hour flight from Taipei so our time there was a little shorter than we’d like, but any time in Bali is better than no time.

In front of one of our favorite restaurants, La Lucciola

We jumped on a flight first thing Thursday morning and were in Bali by lunch.  As soon as we landed we headed for our favorite beach, Seminyak, and then slept, swam and ate our way through the next 3 and half days.  Our hotel this time around was The Samaya Villas Bali.  Would we stay there again or recommend it to any of our friends?  Absolutely yes.

Our home for the next three days

Our villa and pool view from the gazebo

There’s really not much to write home about, because we didn’t really do much.  Surprisingly, we woke up each morning around 6 AM (Yes, being a 40 year-old must mean getting up earlier now).  We headed out to the beach for breakfast each day and then rolled ourselves over into a couple lounge chairs by the pool.  After the exhaustion of eating eggs Benedict and drinking fresh squeezed orange juice we were forced to take a nap.  Repeat that three more times and that pretty much sums up our October 10th holiday.

Here's my perspective on life while in Bali

Back from Paradise

Surya, the manager of Komaneka Resort at Tanggayuda.

One of the dozens of cafes and restaurants in Ubud.

Laura picking up some new salt and pepper dishes.

Ubud was a worthwhile excursion from Seminyak. It has a lot of the same attraction that Seminyak has except that it is in the mountains instead of on the beach. If you’re into hiking you would probably enjoy Ubud even more since there are numerous trails to follow in the surrounding forest and fields.

All good things must come to an end. Bali was perfect again, with a perfect mix of people, food and style. I think one of the biggest exports Bali has to offer is their sense of style. Every hotel, restaurant and shop has a very appealing ambiance.

Ubud’s a good place to find hand-crafted art and furniture.

There’s just something about the rice paddies that I was drawn to. Laura thinks it’s because it’s in my blood…

We found a few new favorite foods: satay with peanut sauce, nasi goreng and mei goreng. Basically it is fried rice (nasi) or fried noodles (mei) with vegetables and chicken. This particular dish was from Komaneka’s room service menu. We enjoyed this meal a few times during our stay.

From Seminyak to Ubud

Walking down the street in Seminyak.

Ramp leading up to small temple in Seminyak.

This temple is near La Luciola.

Every time we come to Bali we end up staying at the same hotel in the same small town, Seminyak.  It’s comfortable, we know the restaurants, we like the beach there and it’s easy to get around.  Everything about it is just right for a vacation.  When we talk with friends about Bali the usual conversation usually goes:

Friends: Oh Bali, we love it there.  Where do you stay?

Us:  We always stay in Seminyak.

Friends:  Have you ever been to Ubud?

Us:  No, maybe we’ll stay there next time.

The truth is, we never change our plans and always end up at the same hotel in the same small town, until this time.  We decided to give Ubud a try and we’re glad we did.  Ubud’s been described as Seminyak in the mountains.  From what we’ve seen so far the description is fitting.  It’s a small town made up of cafes, restaurants and boutique shops.  Ubud is made for strolling with occasional stops for hour-long foot massages for $5.

Laura checking out our new place in Ubud.

We are staying about 15 minutes out of town in a beautiful, small hotel called Komaneka at Tanggayuda.  They have another hotel in Ubud, but this one was recommended by our good friend.

This bathtub is very impressive to see in person; they must have built the villa up around it, because it’s been carved out of a single piece of stone.  There’s a fish pound with some friendly frogs on the other side of the window.

This market off the main road is where you can find just about any kind of Balinese craft or souvenir to take home.

Enjoying a little shade and some chicken satay with peanut sauce.  Delicious!

Hey Erika, this photo’s for you.  Laura wanted you to know that the black hat and sunglasses made it.

Selling tickets to a traditional Balinese performance.

Back in Bali

Feels great to be back.

Hello Bali!

School is out and there’s only one place to go to relax, Bali.  Bali’s casual, laid back atmosphere is perfect for lounging around by the pool, taking a walk on the beach at sunset (gag, how cliche–but it really was nice), and taking long naps.  We decided to break our tradition of staying at the Oberoi and stay at a place next door called the Elysian.  There are 26 secluded villas each with a private pool.  Both hotels are in Seminyak which is just north of the main city in Bali.  Kuta is a large bustling city with lots to do, while Seminyak is much quieter and features mostly small boutique shops.

Our home away from home in Bali.  The living room is the part in the center of the photo and the bedroom is on the far left.

Some Balinese enjoying the sunset from the beach.

Roll out of bed in the morning and right into the pool.

Getting some gas for the scooter from an old bottle of Absolut.  That bottle was 7000 Rupiah, or about US$0.70.

Looking out from the living room toward the pool.  The windows/walls slide back to expose the entire living room in case you want to dive from couch straight into the pool.

This is some good corn.  The cob is roasted over a fire and then you have the choice of a sweet glaze or a spicy, chili glaze.  I went with the sweet and didn’t regret it at all.  We’ll see later if I end up suffering from Bali Belly.

Sorry if there are lots of typos, my editor is fast asleep next to me.

Bali Vacation

While Steve and the three kitties stayed home in the cold and rain, Shalini and I were off to Bali for four days. Our days were filled with lounging by the pool, reading books, walking on the beach, and napping during the afternoon rain. We did take some time out of our busy days to take a trip to the John Hardy jewelry factory. The showroom, which has $3000 water pictures and $2000 earrings, has bamboo floors and a thatched roof (needless to say, I went home empty-handed). Visitors are able to join the staff for a complimentary lunch and then tour the factory.

Outside the showroom

Entrance to the showroom

Inside showroom (Shalini is browsing in the center of the photo)

Another photo inside the showroom

Lunch table (notice the $$ pitcher in the center of the photo)

Offices at John Hardy

Musicians at the Oberoi Hotel

 

 

 

Melissa surprised me at breakfast at the Fullerton in Singapore