Blissful Bali

Our next stop was a much smaller island, but perhaps one with which readers might be more familiar...Bali. The only Hindu province of Indonesia, which has one of the largest muslim populations in the world, this island has now seen more than one million Australian and one million Chinese tourists alone over the past two years. It also features on South African's radar as a prime tourist destination. With Dale wondering why the other incredible Indonesian locations such as Sulawesi, West Papua or Sumatra were not on our destination list, we landed at the much sought after island. (So yes, Esti does get a fair say in our travel plans.)

Our first stop was the surfer paradise of Uluwatu, on the southern peninsula of Bali. The visa requirements here seemed to be a tanned, muscular body covered in tattoos. We tried our best to blend in - fortunately some time on the beach in Borneo came to our rescue. Bali is also the land of the scooter; these small motorbikes are the transport modus operandi for locals and tourists alike. I opted to rather use said budget to hire a bodyboard to enjoy the excellent waves, leaving Esti and I trudging along the short roads, seemingly the only tourists on foot for miles around. (NOTE - we also reduced our carbon footprint by choosing to walk - although that doesn't quite offset the massive impact of multiple long haul flights!). Walking didn't always go according to plan, as we set out on our first morning and walked 45 minutes in the wrong direction, mostly uphill. We eventually snapped and flagged a passing taxi with instructions for a local sim card retailer (to allow the use of maps to avoid such mishaps), followed by a drop-off at the beach.

Our days in Uluwatu centred around the beaches and we explored Bingin, Dreamland and Padang Padang beach. All were different, but equally beautiful in their own right, and Dale managed to get some great waves at Padang Padang and Bingin. Surfing directly above shallow, rocky reef was a new, and somewhat daunting, endeavour, but the quality of the waves more than made up for it. Esti of course managed to get some great, quality tanning in too, so everyone was happy. Dreamland beach was replete with asian tourists posing for the classic beach selfie, occassionally hiring surfboards specifically for the "shot", or waving kimonos seductively in the breeze (the odd person getting taken down by a freak wave provided some great entertainment). We also managed to catch up with a South African friend - Karl - and after a tough day on the beach, enjoyed an incredible seafood braai, with the table legs literally in the sand and gentle waves lapping not far from your seat (the larger, not-so-gentle surfing waves being a bit further offshore).

After a couple of days in the sun and surf we decided to head inland to the healing and yoga mecca that is Ubud. We were perhaps not quite prepared for the massive number of tourists which pass through this town (of course after two months on the road we now consider ourselves travellers, rather than tourists - I'm not sure if there is a real distinction, but we like to think so...). The days were filled with various spiritual practices, the first being a rather tough yoga class at the "Intuitive Flow" studio. The amazing views over the surrounding forest best enjoyed as you contort your body into some weird position. In Ubud we managed to catch up with another South African friend - Sharni - who has now made Bali her home, working here as a health and wellness coach and healer. Upon her recommendation we set off early the next morning for a stroll through the "alternative" rice terraces area (of course, being travellers we would rather not do the touristy rice terrace area!). The sunrise light made it all the more beautiful and also allowed for a bit of birding. This stroll was taken on our way to the "Pyramids of Chi". As chance would have it, another South African, and friend of Sharni's, led us and others through an incredibly relaxing sound healing session within the large pyramid structures. The pyramids amplify the sound energy, created as Vanessa played ancient chinese gongs, didgeridoos and various other instruments, whilst also using different chants, to induce a state of deep relaxation. We left the pyramids feeling extremely chilled out...having finally found "blissful Bali". The relaxing day ended with a dinner at Pomegranate cafe, where we enjoyed front row seats for a stunning sunset over the rice fields.

The next morning we did the obligatory Monkey Santuary Temple visit, primarily to obtain the famous monkey selfie shot. This was followed by another Ubud staple - the full body massage - which again left us in the blissful Bali state of mind. Our final healing session in Ubud was done with Sharni herself, as we attended her first workshop on her new "Living Yinly" series. Readers are probably familiar with the Yin and Yang energies, with Yin being the calm and peaceful, while Yang is the action-driven side. Much of our modern world is characterised by Yang energy - always doing, always assertive, always achieving. In fact, perhaps too much, and what is sometimes required is the ability to slow down and reflect. The first workshop, rather appropriately for us, focused on "Letting Go". This is exactly what we have been doing, as we let go of our previous chapter in life and move forward into a new one. The workshop and passive Yin yoga session provided a great end to our few days in Ubud.

Our next stop was the tiny town of Amed on the north coast of Bali. This had been recommended to us by a few different people on our travels, and it most certainly lived up to the recommendations. A tranquil break from the bustling Ubud, this was perhaps even more blissful. We had also hit on this spot due to its famous wreck dive and the opportunity for Dale to complete his Advanced Scuba Course. I had decided this was necessary after being told in Borneo that I was still registered on the PADI system as a "junior open water" diver. This was news to me, as I had basically been diving as if I had an advanced qualification for many years. Whilst that sufficed for our long time friends / diving operators in Mozambique, it doesn't cut it abroad.

Another recommendation took us to Amed Fun Divers, where a chilled frenchmen named Remi took Dale through the course over two days, while Esti tagged along for fun. Given our extensive diving history, Remi opted for the less onerous course skills. This gave us a chance to have some real fun, namely in the form of "Diver Propulsion Vehicles", or the underwater scooter, as they are also known. Zooting along underwater, being pulled effortlessly by the scooter, with stunning reefs and coral walls dropping off to the side is a serious amount of fun! The calm waters and 30+ meter visibility adding to the enjoyment. A night dive saw us descending as the sun set behind Mt Agung, and the bizarre, nocturnal marine life came out to play. Incredible Octopus sightings, massive lobsters, and strange invertebrates of all manner popped up in our torch light.

This part of Bali has become famous for its ship wreck diving, which we enjoyed the following morning. Diving an old japanese fishing vessel, complete with a "swim through" its various compartments, followed by a dive on the famous USAT Liberty. This old american navy ship has broken apart as it slipped off the beach and into the waves, providing stunning topography of right angled reef walls and a plethora of reef fish and corals growing on its rusting body. The epic diving by day was complemented with stunning sunsets by night, usually enjoyed from one of the many beach restaurants (again - tables in the sand), as the large nearby volcano - Mt Agung - provided just the right kind of silhouette to our holiday....I mean travels...I mean holiday?