Blogs from Candi Dasa, Bali, Indonesia, Asia

We were not going to venture back to Bali as it is just so overcrowded down in the Kuta to Seminyak area BUT John came across some fantastic fares just $750 return for the two of us, so here we are! Booked our taxi transfer on Booking.com and that was perfect good price and were messaged the night before and day of the flight, was there waiting for us, in no time in the car and on our way, two hour trip to Ubud. Now they have E-gates we were out of the immigration area in probably 10 minutes from landing but the luggage took an hour to come out....improvement in some areas and worse in others. By the time we arrived at our beautiful little guesthouse we were both suffering whiplash.....I dont think the driver ... read more

Suzanne here... We arrived in plenty of time for our 11 am boat from Gili Trawangen to Bali only to discover that the real departure time was 11.30... which then turned into 12 pm. Can't say we were too surprised but it was a bit of a long hot wait. The boat (Ganggari) itself was at least more comfortable than the one on the way over. Unfortunately I got the obligatory cockwomble in front of me that had to immediately throw her seat back, although everyone else seemed quite capable of sitting upright for an hour and a half. The crossing was uneventful but we had to wait a little while to dock, then a little while longer for our onward shuttle van as it seemed we were the only ones continuing to Candi Dasa. We ... read more

We had beautiful weather as we cruised up the Timor Sea to Indonesia. I had forgotten the idyllic setting that is the home of the Komodo Dragons. A calm bay dotted with islands and surrounded by steep verdant mountains. The Voyager was going to be at anchor off Komodo Island for just three hours. The tour staff did a terrific job of getting 400+ passengers tendered ashore, toured around the island to see the dragons and back to the ship on schedule. A real smooth operation! It was hot as an Indian curry on shore and we hiked for about a mile through a tamarind forest to get to the dragons. There were four of these giant lizards hanging around a water hole. Usually during mid-day they are quite lethargic but this time they seemed very ... read more

We took two hikes up the "big hill" in Candidasa, actually the first hike I thought it was a big hill, the second hike was after the really big hill- Gunung Agung, so Gumang Hill then became the "not so big hill"- follow me? Anyway, we asked the guys at the hotel if it would take long to climb, they said- nope, not so long so off we went (which we believed because usually anything longer than 5 minutes and "you need transport?taxi?where you going?" is being offered!). The definition of ill prepared springs to mind. I wore my crocs (dumb move), we both had sunscreen on from earlier in the morning (worn off for sure!), did wear a hat (smart). However, it would have been very smart to take more sunscreen, water (yes, water!), more ... read more

Hello friends and family, I recently spent a very relaxing week on my own at the Gandhi Ashram in Candi Dasa (East Bali). I really like their vision statement: To translate Gandhian ideals of living into action and to promote a life of simplicity (which also implies sustainability and care for our environment), self-sufficiency and service to the community. Thus while ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truth) and karuna(compassion and, by extension, universal brotherhood) are its guiding principles, in practice it isswadeshi (self-sufficiency) that shapes the Ashram's economic and productive activities. The Ashram is located on the sea and doing yoga outside to the sound of the waves is very amazing. The Ashram runs a small kindergarten, so we all enjoyed the sound of children's laughter in the mornings. The guests and members of the Ashram all ate ... read more