Bali Indonesia Adventure with Tom & Priscilla

Bali was a short getaway from the city of Singapore, where we escaped the concrete jungle for a little oasis of greenery on the Indian Ocean. It is one of thousands of islands that make up Indonesia, where it had for years, attracted a low-key group of tourists who came for the surf and unique Balinese culture.

Priscilla visited years ago with one of her good friends and had a blast – surfing in the morning, relaxing by the pool in the afternoon, and getting Balinese massages as the sun sets. The food scene was also pretty affordable and sophisticated to boot. Tom, being Tom, was simply coming along to explore. Priscilla’s family tagged along this time around.

We did the main tourist routines of visiting the Uluwatu Temple (watch out for the mischievous monkeys who will steal your glasses while you are not paying attention), checking out a Kopi Luwak plantation (coffee beans partially digested and defecated by the civet), catching a scenic view of the Twin Lakes, and browsing the endless silver jewelry in an area dedicated to the craft.

We went on a rafting adventure, learned surfing from one of the local surfers on Kuta Beach, and had an enjoyable spa and massage experience. And of course, simply being present in the lovely backdrop of rice fields, volcanoes, Balinese architecture, and local street scenery.

Noticeably, Bali had seen some changes in the last few years. The airport that greeted us was new and modern, the trendy area of Seminyak had a number of high end restaurants, boutiques and resorts, and the Australian tourists seemed to be replaced by a larger group of Chinese tourists. Bali appeared to be shedding the low-cost hippie image it used to project. As the saying goes, change is the only constant. No doubt, Bali is evolving.