A special wedding in Bali

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Bali is one of my favourite travel destinations, dear reader. This Australian tourist mecca on the Indonesian archipelago is only a seven hour flight from Sydney, and the first five hours are spent flying over the mighty Australian continent. Friends from home decided to have their wedding ceremony in Bali, and I was privileged to be invited at what turns out to be my second flight to Bali as a wedding guest. I've visited the magical island several times, but this was the first time since the Bali bombings in 2002. On arrival I paid my respects at the memorial to the victims in Kuta, built just across the road from the remains of the two clubs that were totally destroyed in the terrorist attack. I spent some time alone reflecting on the huge loss of innocent lives inside the clubs (which I'd previously visited) and also reflected on the complete destruction wrought on the tourist industry in Bali, which is so crucial to the livelihoods of these beautiful people. Here in Bali up to 80% of the economy has traditionally come from tourism, but now the tourists were few and far between.

After a few days at a Kuta resort I headed south to Rumah Bali resort in Tanjung Benoa, where the wedding guests were booked in as guests of my friend's business partner. The legendary chef Mr Heinz von Holsen is the owner of the villa, and also owns the famous Indonesian restaurant Bumbu Bali in Nusa Dua. Over the next few days the guests continued to arrive for the wedding from Australia and around the world. The bride and groom to be have a successful career together in the hospitality industry, and this stylish and classy couple really know how to entertain, even before their own wedding! When I arrived at my villa I was greeted by a personal message of thanks for making the trip together with a basket of goodies, fresh flowers and a bottle of champagne. Now that's what I call an impressive welcome! Together with the best man they arranged an itinerary of group activities for the duration of our holiday at the resort. A few days later a friend from Germany flew in for the wedding to share the villa and enjoy the celebration.

We'd wake up each day to a different list of group activities, whether it be a tennis competition, a game of beach volleyball, a variety of water sports offered by the beach side hotels, or simply relaxing in the shade of a hotel sipping on a cocktail and having a chat. Of course the guests also lounged around the beautiful resort pool at all times of the day and night to mingle. I was totally in the swing of a relaxing holiday in this tropical paradise amongst good friends. What helps to makes Bali so special is the Balinese people, and I've never come across a friendlier or more gracious group of locals in any of the countries I've visited. The Balinese are the epitome of Buddhist peace and good karma.

Finally the bucks and hens nights were upon us, so we left the girls to their own devices and headed out on a wonderful boys night out organised by the best man. He surprised the groom when a larishly decorated tray truck arrived, and we all piled in to get the party started. The back of the truck was set up with a large table and bench chairs, he'd also arranged eskies full of gin and tonics, and we proposed toasts as the driver took us to a cliff side resort in Nusa Dua overlooking the Indian Ocean. We certainly got a lot of stares from the local motorcycle riders, but as always the Balinese had huge smiles on their faces. At the resort we enjoyed a fully catered evening, and I'm sure my friend enjoyed his last night as a single man immensely, and we all had an excellent evening.

Then the wedding day was upon us. What can I say ... I love weddings! They are such romantic occasions, and the love and goodwill on display helps reaffirm one's faith in humanity. The ceremony was beautifully done; the bride looked absolutely gorgeous, the groom dashingly handsome, and we all had a wonderful day. There were beautiful photos taken by a professional photographer at sunset, and then we returned to the villa where Heinz had his staff from Bumbu Bali cater for the guests. The speeches were great, the food was to die for and it was a great night of celebration. Bumbu Bali has been voted the best restaurant in Indonesia on three separate occasions, so we really did have the best of the best to cap off a perfect evening.

After the wedding many of the guests made their way back to their respective home countries, but some of us stayed a while longer to continue our Bali celebration. We went to Bumbu Bali in a large group for a meal under the supervision of the master chef, and the food was just as delicious as at the wedding. I also enjoyed daily runs along the beach, swimming, sun baking, and of course relaxing with friends. I got in trouble one day at the villa for cranking my friend's AC DC album full bore while a guest nearby was trying to put her daughter to sleep for an afternoon nap, and was told in no uncertain terms to turn the music down. Oops!

Bali is a wonderful island to visit, cheap and friendly with gorgeous beaches and glorious weather. There's so much more on offer in this peaceful island than you would expect from back home in Australia. The locals practice the Hindu religion and are gentle, kind and welcoming to visitors. There is an element within Australia who treat Bali as merely a cheap resort town to get trashed in and misbehave, but the kind and forgiving nature of the ever smiling Balinese is sure to put even the most errant traveller to rights. If you are coming for a wedding or plan to visit for a holiday the Balinese will always greet you with a smile, basically all of you should be here now!

On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions." Prince Gautama Siddharta

It's home time so until next time, I'm signing off for now

Tom

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Photos

The Happy Couple
This gorgeous photo by MJY Photography was given to me as a thankyou gift by the newlyweds. Don't they look so happy!

Rumah Bali resort, Tanjung Benoa
The pool surrounded by the gorgeous villas of the wedding guests celebrating the upcoming wedding.

Clifftop resort, Nusa Dua
With friends overlooking the Indian ocean on a previous trip to Bali.