Travel
BLISSFUL BALI
BY RICHARD CHIN
E
ven though I’ve been living
on this side of the world for
quite some time it seemed
as if I was the only among my
expat friends who had not been to
Bali. Whenever we got together (and
inevitably started to recount our travels)
at least one person was bound to begin
to talk about the various sides to the
island. It was therefore no surprise that
when the stars of school holidays and
decent fares aligned, I immediately
booked a trip to experience the island
paradise for myself!
While walking from the airplane into
the arrivals terminal, I was overcome
by a sense of calm. Maybe it was the
tasteful décor of the spacious, clean
and well-laid out arrivals hall of the
airport, or perhaps it was the swift
and hassle-free experience with
immigration and customs. Whatever
it was, it made for a great start to
the holiday. On exiting the terminal
my friend and I walked past a wall of
agents from various taxi companies.
Unlike touts in other countries, we
didn’t feel hassled or pressured by any
of them. Once we were satisfied that
we had bargained for a good fare we
set off to our final destination, Ubud.
Although we’d arrived mid-morning
the traffic had already started to
build up. However, because I was in
such a good mood from the arrivals
experience, I was content to sit back
and drink in all the sights on the way
to the hotel. Notable along our drive
were the impressive statues that
stood imposingly in the middle of
many roundabouts. It was also hard to
escape the vibrant colours of the lush
landscape and vibrant tropical flowers,
as well as the brightly decorated
temples that seemed to pop up
around every corner.
By noon we’d arrived at our hotel
and were immediate ly in awe of the
simple beauty of the rice paddies that
surrounded the building. As always
with me when I travel, I didn’t hesitate
to drop the bags and head out the
door to start exploring. Walking
around the area in which our hotel was
located we were taken by the contrast
in architectural styles between
traditional Balinese dwellings and the
contemporary houses that were dotted
around the community. The locals
we saw along the way were friendly
yet unobtrusive, and paved our short
walk with smiles. Though only in the
country for a few hours, I already knew