Blogs from Benoa, Bali, Indonesia, Asia

Our first day was set aside to rest and recover. We got up about 9 o’clock local time and got ready to go downstairs for breakfast. The restaurant was very “cruise ship like” in that there was a wide array of offerings already to go as well as a station where you could order omelettes with any number of fillings. There was a wide range of fruits, breads, rice dishes, sliced meats and cheeses, pastries (the chocolate croissants were especially tasty), juice, coffee, etc. There were lots of things that were traditional dishes as well but we decided to leave the experimentation until tomorrow. The restaurant was open to the outdoors and there was a good stiff breeze blowing this morning. The temperature was 30 degrees with clear blue skies. After breakfast we met with the ... read more

I interrupt your travel blog browsing to announce I AM MARRIED! That’s right my hubby Matt and I tied the knot on May 1st at Hamilton in Brisbane, Australia. The wettest day recorded for Brisbane in over 20 years! We didn’t let the rain dampen our spirits and quite literally had the best day. Despite our friends and family telling us we were batsh*t CRAZY for it, we had about three hours sleep after the reception before getting up at 5am to board a flight to Bali. Our itinerary would take us south to Nusa Dua, central to Ubud, north-west to Pemuteran, east to Candi Dasa and across the Lombok Strait to Gili Menoisland. We honeymooners kicked off our relaxing two-week stay in the south at the beachside area of Nusa Dua, specifically at Novotel Benoa. ... read more

Bali Way of Life tour at our 14 Night gems of Southeast Asia cruise on celebrity Millennium. We were tended into Benoa harbor, where the tour bus was waiting. First stop was at a silver smithy in Celuk - the silver smithy was not so interesting, but it was very interesting to see the property and how the rich houses are decorated. We continued to Bangli where we visited a Hindu temple - here they were getting ready for a big ceremony next weekand the temple was being dressed up for the celebrationwith plenty of decorating. Everybody entering the temple are required to wear a sarong . After the temple we drove to Penglipuran, where we visited a traditional Hindu village where we had free time to wander around the village. The local people were very ... read more

Welcome to the world of Bali. Approximately 13 years ago I was very fortunate to visit this beautiful Island. Much has changed.......Starbucks at the Denpasar Airport, A&W, Kentucky Fried Chicken, paved roads, tons of vendors and 5star hotels dotted along the coast. What hasn't changed is the people, they are still a very gracious, hospitable and welcoming. Our group of 15 ladies are staying at the beautiful Grand Mirage Hotel in Benoa. The Badung Strait offers a gentle breeze, lots of sun and tons of walking vendors. The majority of the Balinese are Hindu, with a Muslim and Christian minority. The spirits are honoured almost everywhere with offerings made of flowers, incense, fruit and many other items. These offerings are found in Balinese public temples (pura), places of business, restaurants and on the streets. Thousands of ... read more