Let’s Travel to Bali!
I love Bali! I love Bali! I love Bali! Did I mention that I love Bali? In a previous blog article entitled “Favorite Travel Destinations,” which you can read here, I spoke about Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is an amazing place to visit. But now, I want to talk about Bali, which I visited for a few days while in Kuala Lumpur (KL).
Throughout my life I have been blessed to have traveled to some amazing places around the world. Trying new foods, learning new traditions, customs, and cultures, and meeting new people with different perspectives and stories will enrich your life greatly. If you are able to, please travel. By the way, be sure to check out my other previous blog article entitled “Traveling” by clicking here.
As I mentioned in my KL post, the trip to Bali was an extension of the KL trip, since the flight was only three hours, and of course we were already in that part of the world. From the U.S., specifically the Northeast, it would have taken at least twenty plus hours of traveling time.
During our stay in Bali, we stayed for only five days since the majority of the trip was spent in KL, but next time, I definitely plan to spend more time in Bali. From Kuala Lumpur International Airport, we took an airline that quite frankly, I had never heard of called Malindo Air. We flew business class, and it was absolutely wonderful! I normally do not enjoy food on any air carrier, but I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. The flight attendants were extremely pleasant, greeting us by first name. Surprisingly, they pronounced my name correctly, since nine times out of ten, people mispronounce my name the first time.
Prior to our arrival in Bali, I had arranged roundtrip transportation on orbitz.com when we originally booked the trip, and they were waiting on us with a fully air-conditioned, clean, and modern SUV. I believe it was a Toyota Highlander. The already cooled SUV was a welcomed gift because Bali is very hot! It was like stepping into an oven the moment we stepped outside.
From the moment we arrived in Bali, you could feel the hospitality. Initially, it was a little difficult to find our names out of the sea of driver’s holding cards with other travelers’ names to take them to their awaiting transportation. Luckily however, the company that we booked with had the foresight to put our names in black on a bright yellow piece of paper that stood out, which made it much easier to spot. The drive to our hotel from the airport was about twenty-five minutes or so. The traffic in Bali by the way, is just like in KL, which is crazy!
We stayed at the Sheraton Kuta Bali Resort in Kuta, and I have one word; AWESOME!! This hotel more than met our expectations and the staff was wonderful. By the way, Kuta is one of several neighborhoods around Bali, and is known for its nightlife and partying, as well as shopping. This area has many bars, pubs, nightclubs, and shops, and you can always find people out late at night. Other areas, which are quieter, include Ubud and Nusa Dua, both of which I hope to visit during my next trip to Bali.
I must admit that it was a little off putting at first when we arrived at the hotel, because before security would allow us to pull up any further, they ran mirrors under the vehicle to check for bombs and other devices. The driver had to turn off the vehicle, and open the trunk for the drug sniffing dog. We then had to go through a metal detector before walking into the hotel. The same thing happened in Bangkok (More on that in my upcoming Bangkok post). Seems that all or most of the hotels in Bali do this apparently. I guess it is better to be safe than sorry, but a heads up would have been nice.
From the moment we stepped onto the property however, we felt like royalty. Everyone was hospitable and pleasant, going out of their way to ensure that we enjoyed our stay. We were greeting upon our arrival by two women in traditional Balinese dresses, who put flowers in our hair. Our room, which was on the top floor, which was only four floors by the way, had an amazing view of the beach, considering it was directly across the street from the beach. As a side note, we learned in Bali that the buildings are as short as they are because they are not allowed to be taller than the Temples out of respect. I absolutely love learning about other cultures.
During the remainder of our stay in Bali, we went shopping of course, and ate some amazing food. One day, we decided to hire a driver, who took us around Bali. We went to an outside theater, where we were able to catch a traditional Balinese play, which included traditional Balinese dance and costumes. Although we could not understand what they were saying, it was very easy to follow along based on the dances and body movements.
Our driver also took us to the Bali Swing, where we attended a free Tea and Coffee Tasting in what looked like the jungle, and it was so much fun. We tasted a total of fourteen different coffees and teas, which of course led us to purchasing many of them. We also visited multiple temples, and one of my favorite activities was visiting a gold and silver store that had many crystals. I absolutely love crystals. By the way, check out my previous blog article entitled “The Beauty of Crystals,” by clicking here. I purchased a beautiful, pointed quartz crystal, and within this crystal is another smaller quartz crystal. I absolutely love it.
Overall Bali is an amazing place and I cannot wait for my next visit. I hope to see a little more of the island and experience other areas as well, but this trip did not disappoint.
