For August's trip we decided to go to Bali, Indonesia with our dear friends, Matt and Kim Gipson. Bali was another one of those places that I'd heard about and read about but never thought I would actually get to go to.
Bali is a really, really popular travel destination from Singapore. Several airlines offer flights to Bali that fit well with work schedules and the flights are often pretty cheap. I checked on flights a few months ago and a one way ticket was $20 SGD (Singapore Dollar). Places to stay vary from private villas with butlers, personal chefs, drivers, etc. to filthy hostels and everywhere in between. We're the kind of people that stay somewhere in the middle. My criteria for a beach vacation is a hotel that is safe, clean, on the beach, does not charge extra for my kids to sleep in my room, and close enough to anything else we want to do. Oh, yeah, and air conditioned. I'm no princess but I DO need my aircon at night. Food is pretty inexpensive and souvenirs are dirt cheap. I bought several dresses in Bali for $5 each that I love and wear often. So, Bali can be an opulent vacation or a budget trip depending on your needs and wants.
Our arrival in Bali was a circus. There were throngs of people in lines that seemed to stretch forever. My attitude didn't improve when I had to buy a travel visa at $25 USD per person but I got over it, bought our visas, and we settled into the immigration line. And we waited. And waited. And waited. The lines didn't seem to be moving very quickly and I'm convinced I'm always in the slowest line. A worker saw us and told us to get in a different line that was for people with kids. So we got in that line and waited. And waited. And waited. We FINALLY cleared immigration and made our way out of the airport. Thankfully, Kim had pre-booked a shuttle so we didn't have to deal with finding a taxi and worrying if we'd end up at the right place.
We stayed at Komandalu in Ubud and it was gorgeous. I loved the mini-villas, the terraced rice fields, the outdoor shower, and the food. The outdoor shower wasn't as unsettling as I thought it would be. For our first full day in Ubud we did a bike tour of the countryside with a company that had really good reviews on Tripadvisor. A van picked us up in the morning and drove us to a restaurant for breakfast before we began our tour. On the tour, we stopped at a traditional Balinese house and got to see the local way of life, taste cocoa off the tree, see a chicken fight (my first and last), and learn about their system of getting animal waste to the rice fields for fertilizer. The men sampled some Arok which is a liquor made from coconut that contains 45% alcohol. The tour guide said one sample of Arok was good but more than one "would make you smile by yourself." We saw women working in the rice fields, kids riding their bikes to the fields after school, a dam, temples, and people just going about their daily lives. I was amazed at the way they spread rice over the roads to let it dry out and no one seemed to care that the rice was being trampled by cars, bikes, and animals. Bali was the trip that convinced me to wash my rice before I cook it. BGC rode her own bike and did really well going through the muddy fields. Miniman was on the back of his dad's bike where he managed to sneak in a quick nap.
After lunch at the guide's house, the driver was nice enough to drop my family off at the Monkey Temple. The Gipson's skipped the Temple as rabies is a big problem in Bali and Baby Gipson was still in the oven. Rabies treatment and pregnancy just aren't a good mix. I know several people that have been bitten at this particular Temple so I lectured my kids extensively about what to do and what not to do. As one might imagine, there were a lot of monkeys at the Monkey Temple. The Temple itself is interesting and seemed to be the kind of place that could easily be swallowed by the jungle if not for the constant interference of people. There was some sort of a celebration going on that day and dozens of men were sitting on the ground preparing raw meat. Then a procession of women came through carrying what looked like offerings on their heads. I have no clue what the whole thing was about but it was interesting to watch.
The driver from the bike tour had waited for us and took us back to Komandalu. He didn't charge us anything for taking us to the Monkey Temple or for waiting for us and driving us back to the resort. Of course, we insisted on paying him anyway. We enjoyed a late afternoon swim and nice meal in the restaurant.
On Day 2 we made the trek to Tulamben which is the final resting place of an American WWII shipwreck. The USAT Liberty was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine while carrying rubber and rail parts from Australia to the Philippines. I love history and diving and couldn't wait to see the wreck. I was also thrilled that BGC was going to get to see something so significant so soon after getting her certification. The wreck was a good dive choice because it's not far off the beach and part of the ship is clearly visible to snorkelers so even Miniman could get a good look. As it was a holiday weekend, most of the dive resorts were completely sold out by May and we ended up at a place that was, um, less than posh. I think the room was $23 a night and was overpriced at that. The wreck, on the other hand, was fascinating. It was so overgrown with coral and such that it took me a while to even realize it was a warship. Once my eyes adjusted a little, I could make out the outline of the ship then it's handrails and decking then specific things like a ladder and blades.
On Day 3 some of us snorkeled and some went diving again. BGC learned the hard way that you can touch an anemone with the palm of your hand and be OK but not the back of your hand. She got stung and has faint scars on the back of her hand to this day. Lesson learned. One think I loved about Tulamben was the black sand. The sand in this part of Bali is from volcanic rock and looks great in a glass jar. After lunch we left Tulamben for Legian and spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool and exploring the beach.
Day 4 was a great day. A travel magazine wrote an article where they asked kids for their favorite things to do in Bali and several mentioned surfing on 9 Mile Beach. I made reservations for the kids and figured The Man and I would watch, take pics, or rescue a drowning child if necessary. The surf company really had their act together and it was a joy to watch our kids catch their first waves. Each child had their own instructor which I think is vital when you're talking about kids, waves, and no life jackets. Our kids were really, really good! Miniman caught the first wave but BGC had more stamina and stayed out longer. I took too many pictures and videos to count but I cherish each and every one. We ate lunch, went back to the hotel, swam in the pool, had dinner with the Gipsons, and packed up to head back to Singapore.
On Day 3 some of us snorkeled and some went diving again. BGC learned the hard way that you can touch an anemone with the palm of your hand and be OK but not the back of your hand. She got stung and has faint scars on the back of her hand to this day. Lesson learned. One think I loved about Tulamben was the black sand. The sand in this part of Bali is from volcanic rock and looks great in a glass jar. After lunch we left Tulamben for Legian and spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool and exploring the beach.Day 4 was a great day. A travel magazine wrote an article where they asked kids for their favorite things to do in Bali and several mentioned surfing on 9 Mile Beach. I made reservations for the kids and figured The Man and I would watch, take pics, or rescue a drowning child if necessary. The surf company really had their act together and it was a joy to watch our kids catch their first waves. Each child had their own instructor which I think is vital when you're talking about kids, waves, and no life jackets. Our kids were really, really good! Miniman caught the first wave but BGC had more stamina and stayed out longer. I took too many pictures and videos to count but I cherish each and every one. We ate lunch, went back to the hotel, swam in the pool, had dinner with the Gipsons, and packed up to head back to Singapore. 
I think we arrived in Singapore around 2AM. The guys had to leave for work at 6AM and BGC had to be at school at 7AM but no one complained. I let Miniman stay home from pre-school and in his jammies all day. I may or may not have stayed in my jammies all day too.
