Goodway hotel baliBut with some gentle persuasion, a friend’s recommendation and after reading Eat, Pray, Love, and snagging a bargain flight to boot, I began to wonder what all the fuss was about and figured why the hell not? I was adventurous and willing to give anything a go – once.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar. End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.So it was hiking up Mount Batur – the island’s second highest volcano at 1717m on Bali’s north coast - at sunrise when I began to eat my words and realised just how wrong I had been about this surprising island.It wasn’t just the cheap massages, the warm hospitality of the Balinese, the lovely accommodation or endless beers (Bintang of course) by the pool.
It was the first holiday I had taken where I didn’t feel I had to rush around – in short I was turning Balinese and learning the art of not doing much in a hurry.
But it had taken me a couple of days and after finally learning how to relax, I was beginning to like it.
The island, which has only just recovered after the terrible Bali bombings in 2002, is as inviting as its people, who rely on tourism to exist.
But be warned, the place is swamped in dry season so go in the wet season if you can as not only are flights cheaper (ours were $199 from Darwin return on Air Asia) but so is accommodation.
In saying that, for a relatively small island there’s plenty to keep you occupied and if, like me, the thought of the busy tourist coast turns you off, head to Ubud – about two hours inland from Kuta filled with art shops, cafes, museums and lots of culture.
You can easily spend a few days wondering around the markets, cafe hopping and indulging in some massage or beauty treatments, which considering the price (in most cases $5) is a pretty easy way to lull away the time.
Those game enough to take on the wildlife can visit the monkey sanctuary ($2) but beware they do bite and can take your sunglasses and possessions.
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