In our October half term we visited Bali. I'd been there as a 19 year old but was too young to appreciate it's culture and stunning beauty. This was Erika's first time and it's certainly left an impression on us. Only two days in we were looking into international schools here...! Hopefully, with the video and Erika's pictures, you'll see why. It wasn't just the scenery, or the Balinese culture that permeated through every joss-stick scented alley, but the people themselves that made this place special. At first we thought everyone was dressed in their traditional attire for the sake of the tourists but it became apparent that this was normal and every corner you turn, there's a religious festival going on. Bali remained Hindu after Indonesia became Muslim and it felt like they crammed as much of their tradition as they could onto this small, volcanic island. Their sense of cultural identity is so strong that it seems that they can fight against the mass development of tourism and keep Bali...well, 'Bali'.
We decided to avoid Kuta Beach (we'll leave that to the surfers and the 'yoot') and headed straight to Ubud, the cultural centre, before meeting up with my Dad in Pemuteran, northern Bali. We bumped into a few people we know back in Thailand and all were left with a feeling of bliss after visiting this stunning island.
You can read our reviews of where we stayed here.
The landscape around Ubud...
The monkeys...
The people, the culture they create...
After Ubud, we took a trip to the volcanic beaches of Pemuteran...
Waking up at 5am, we rented a boat to catch a glimpse of the dolphins, off Lovina...
Next stop: Penang, Malaysia...
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