Beautiful Bali

There’s a reason why millions of tourists visit Bali every year. It’s a colorful, friendly, magical place. There’s no place else on Earth like Bali. Stella and I spent most of August here, luxuriating in daily massages, delicious food, fascinating culture, gorgeous scenery and natural beauty.

Bali is famous for its unique Hindu culture. Every moment is a celebration of the senses. Bali kept us thoroughly engaged. The video above is a montage of Bali’s sights and sounds, its traditional performances and its modern entertainment.

Bali offers plenty of outdoor activities. Although Stella and I were based in Ubud, we spent a week on Bali’s north shore. In Lovina, we went swimming with dolphins. Although I’ve seen dolphins before, I’d never been this close to dolphins in the wild. Dolphins swim much faster than I can. So how did we swim with dolphins? In Lovina, we donned masks and snorkels … and got dragged through the water alongside a motorized outrigger. When we saw dolphins beneath us, we pointed in their direction so that the skipper could follow the pod. We saw — and heard — about 50 dolphins. Watching a large pod of dolphins play and chirp together was a fabulous experience!

Indonesia has many beautiful reefs. The best place to dive or snorkel in Bali is on the northwest coast in West Bali National Park at Menjangan Island. Menjangan is far from most of Bali’s tourist traffic. The water clarity is superb. The reefs are clean and healthy. There are no currents to fight against and no stinging jellyfish. I’d rate Menjankan Island 9 out of 10 — almost as good as Kosrae!

Eight months ago, Stella went swimming for her very first time. Look at her now! From the surface, Stella enjoyed many colorful fish on the shallow reef. I saw even more by free-diving. It’s remarkable to think that four months ago, I was in hospital with a collapsed lung and a breathing tube down my throat. Now I have enough lung capacity to dive down 5-8 meters for more than a minute. Thank the Lord!

Our most remarkable and memorable experience was a cremation ceremony in a village in the hills above Ubud. Stella’s manicurist invited us to join her family at her grandmother’s cremation. Unlike a lot of events in Bali, this was a not a tourist attraction. It was the real thing. An event like this only happens every two or three years, so this was something special. Watch this video to learn how the Balinese celebrate the lives of their loved ones.

In addition to all the entertainment in Bali, everywhere you look are remarkable sights to see and photograph.

So what’s Bali’s downside? This little island, smaller than Delaware, suffers from overtourism. When I visited Bali in 1979, I slept in a thatched-roof hut on Kuta Beach for a few dollars a night and had the beach all to myself. Kuta Beach today is starting to look like Waikiki.

During our recent visit, Stella and I encountered gridlock traffic and queues outside restaurants in the evenings. Bali is on its way to breaking records for tourism in 2024. Since July, August and December are the most popular months to visit Bali, the solution is easy: Visit Bali some other time of year.

If you come to Bali — and I recommend that you do — I suggest you make Ubud your base. Ubud is Bali’s cultural center and its transport hub. There are dozens if not hundreds of charming homestays here. When I’m in Ubud, I stay at D’Cliff House, in the center of town and walking distance to everything. Here’s the contact info:

Made Westra, owner
Dcliff.house@gmail.com
+62 853-3348-6610 (WhatsApp)
Gautama Selatan Street, #32

From Bali, Stella and I have continued north and west. Details and photos will follow. Although we don’t have firm plans, we hope to be in the Himalayas by mid-October. If you’re reading this and would like to cross paths with us, send a note and let’s meet up. Until then, happy trails!