I was glad we stayed in Sanur Beach because it hadn’t reached the tourist fever pitch of Kuta. Our accommodation was right on the beach where we sat sipping coconut water and enjoying the last of our holiday.
Continue reading The remaining delights of BaliTag Archives: Bali
Bali’s monkey forests
The things we do for children. I’m sorry monkey lovers, these animals do nothing for me, but the thought of going to a monkey forest was a dream come true for my nine-year-old.
We walked through the forest when an Indonesian man ahead screamed before racing into the trees. We weren’t sure what was going on until he returned with a wad of money. Apparently, the monkey whipped the notes out of his shirt pocket. This was just the beginning of what the monkeys of this forest would do.
Continue reading Bali’s monkey forestsReturn to Bali
From Probolinggo, we took a scenic bus ride east, ferried across to Bali and down the coast to Denpasar before we arrived at Sanur Beach after dark—our last stop where we’d stay for ten days. I caught the dreaded Bali belly and while I ran between the bed and the bathroom, my daughter ordered prawn cocktails and swam in the hotel pool.
Continue reading Return to BaliFirst steps on to Java
Years after I left Bali, I often regretted not seeing more of Indonesia—my nearest neighbour at the time. It wasn’t until well over a decade later, I landed in Jakarta with my nine-year-old daughter. Her two older sisters had gone to Canada, so I grabbed this opportunity like an Indian passenger half out of a rail carriage door but clinging on. I intended to explore Java from one end to the other.
Continue reading First steps on to JavaBali before the tourist invasion
From the aeroplane window I spied no buildings, only coconut palms. I asked myself, what had I done? This was my first trip outside Australia, so like the vista below, I was green.
Continue reading Bali before the tourist invasionCould I handle today’s Dar es Salaam?
Karimjee Jivanjee Office Building: Photo courtesy: Planning Unit University College London — Wikimedia Commons
There’s a difference between the Dar I remember, and the one I find on line. Many of the old buildings are demolished, and I stare at a photo trying to place where the picture fits into the map of Dar I hold in my head.
A year before I came to the coastal town, I spent a week in Bali. Kuta Beach had a dirt track leading to the ocean. There were no hotels so I rented a room in a local family’s house. Only traditional Balinese food was available. Continue reading Could I handle today’s Dar es Salaam?
A small haven on the Con Dao Islands
Con Son on the main island, had instant appeal. Tree lined streets shaded French style bungalows where only the occasional sound of traffic was heard. Continue reading A small haven on the Con Dao Islands