long weekend in bali

Not long after we got back from London and Ireland, we decided we needed another break, so we decided to go to Bali for 4 days. Zara was an angel on the flight and at the airport, but after our long wait in the visa line and then a long ride to the hotel, we were relieved to be in our room at the Tugu Bali hotel.

The hotel was cool. It's built as a small village surrounding an 18th century temple that has been converted to a beautiful Chinese-inspired dining room and event hall. There were gardens and pathways leading to the various parts of the hotel which made it fun to explore. We were right on a black sand beach, which had big waves perfect for surfing. As I don't surf, I didn't really go in the water, but it was still nice to relax on the beach.

Jarom took a day to go diving while Zara and I stayed back at the hotel and had fun exploring the gardens and all the buildings. The water is non-potable, so Zara also got a bath in bottled water. The next day we hired a driver to take us to Ubud, the cultural centre of Bali. We explored a temple, saw the rice paddies, went to a huge and somewhat chaotic market, and ate lunch overlooking a gorgeous green field. The food was good, but it all started to taste the same by the end of our trip. For our last meal we booked a private dinner in the Chinese dining room at our hotel and had a Balinese-Chinese fusion meal.

After that, it was back so Singapore and reality...

Click on the image to see my pictures.

Bali July 2011