Back to Bali

Bali Highs

For residents of Jakarta, the most affordable and enjoyable escapes are the islands of Bali and Lombok. It costs around $100 USD for a round trip plane ticket and once you get there, you will likely pay no more than $25 USD a night for a villa. Not only this, but Bali boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and the most amazing food and culture. As a result, anytime we were blessed with visitors from the USA, we went back to Bali.


When Andrea's best friend Spencer came to visit in February, they went to Amed, Ubud and Kuta. We had visited Amed and Ubud previously during Christmas time, and Andrea loved returning to visit the friends we had made. Amed is a wonderful little port town with amazing snorkeling and a laid back vibe, while Ubud features the more cultural side of Balinese life with crafts, ballet, and art. Kuta, however, was more of a tourist trap and a shady one at that. When Andrea reported home, she explicitly warned me never to go to Kuta especially at night. Evidently, as we discovered, the beach towns of Seminyak and Kuta were far too touristy for our tastes where the bule (aka foreigners) outnumber the locals and prositution runs rampant. It is a rather ugly side of Bali we would suggest avoiding.

For only $5 USD, you can rent mopeds and ride them without a license or insurance. The only caviot is that you occasionally run into corrupt police looking to scare a tourist into bribery. Andrea and Spencer ran into such trouble, but when asked her name and living location, Andrea pretended to be a "Naomi Johnson" and basically sped off away from the police without paying a dime.

There are some spectacular views in Amed. 

Here is our good friend Spencer hanging with the "Bali Boys." They will sleep with anyone for money whether they are fat, skinny, young, old, a man or a woman. But this is not the extent of their services. They will also teach their eager customers about the beauties of Balinese culture, how to fish, cook, sing, and speak. Indeed, it is almost a noble form of prostitution where the paying customer doesn't simply get laid, but enjoys a cultural experience as well. No worries though, Andrea and Spencer did not indulge in their offerings.

Andrea having a moment.

Looking good guys!

Andrea and our friend Nyoman, a maseuse and restaurant owner in Amed.

On the way to Ubud from Amed, it is always advisable to stop at the Luwak coffee stop. Luwaks are bizarre looking raccoon/cat creatures that eat coffee beans and then poop them out partially digested. The result is a delicious flavored coffee bean. 

They not only make Luwak coffee, but a variety of other flavored coffees and teas as well.

Balinese coffee is very good in particular, but also very strong.

Look out, Carmen Miranda.

In Kuta, there are many nightclubs and venues to have a good time, perhaps too good of a time!

Good karma is only attained if one pays homage to the gods. 

This is what Bali is like. This is why we go.

When Spencer returned, I was a little upset that he got to go on an awesome vacation with my wife...but only a little upset. 

Awesome trip with Uncle Spencer

In March, we returned to Bali with Auntie Juliah, Pea's namesake. We again visited the same locations in Amed and Ubud. Amed especially holds a special place in our hearts.

Penelope loved visiting with her Auntie from Seattle.

We also had the pleasure of hanging out with our good friends, John and Sarah and their kids Cian and Aine. This is Cian chillin like a villian. 

Good times in Amed!

Pea relaxing with her friends after a long day at the beach.

Lovely evening with our friends.

That is corn fritter, chicken sate, spicy vegetables, Balinese rice and freshly caught barracuda, an insanely delicious dinner and perhaps one of the best I've ever had in my life. 

One morning, we woke up at about 4 AM, and took a boat to go fishing. In the distance, hundreds of sail boats graced the waters as the sun slowly rose above the island of Lombok. This may have been one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. 

Andrea and I were very happy, but also very tired.

I may have taken a short cat nap while I fished, though I don't remember. This photo evidence might have been tampered with!

Despite maybe falling asleep, we managed to catch thirty mackerel using a very old trawling method using over 200 fish hooks. 

What an amazing day.

This freshly caught feast was one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten in my life. It was a feast for the soul.

Balinese sambal, pictured here, is the most delicious spicy garnish known to man. It is simply cabai peppers, lemongrass and coconut oil mixed together. The result is insanely delicious flavor. 

I found a monkey sidekick along my travels. He ended up betraying me in the end however, or was that just in a movie I watched?

Auntie Juliah's spirit animal is the elephant. Thus, we naturally thought it was a great plan to visit the Taro Elephant Park in Ubud.

Penelope loved feeding the elephants or "Gajah" as they are called in Bahasa Indonesia. 

Stampy and I enjoyed a nice hug. 

Elephants are pretty cool.

I was very happy that Auntie Juliah got to have some special moments with her spirit animal. 

The next visitor to Bali came in May and that was one of my oldest and dearest friends, Reid Nelson. In just two short days, we visited Seminyak, Bali. Although I would not recommend staying there due to the touristy nature of the area, we had a very good time. We rented mopeds and rode around the area taking in a very cool temple called Tanah Lot and an awesome restaurant called Deux Ex Machina. We also took a lot of selfies together resulting in an ongoing joke as we called our trip our "Gay-cation."

Tanah Lot is quite the sight. I like Tanah Lot a lot. Way better than Camelot. In short, Bali is quite the place and ranks very highly in our favorite places in the world. Go there! Right this second! Okay that is a lot of pressure, I apologize.