Why I Fell For Bali

Why I Fell For Bali

It definitely wasn’t the love from the first sight. The Island of the Gods phrase didn’t strike me through the first, nor the second, time I visited Bali. Shirtless beer-swilling Australians, bronzed Italian women in their tiny bikinis, Russian-speaking locals echoing the Kuta strip trying to sell anything and everything, the somewhat bizarre wooden penis … Continued

Gili Meno, Indonesia

My travel book to Indonesia described the Gilis as a trio of beautiful islands so bare of resources that they were almost unlivable. Yet long before I got on the ferry I was warned by other ex-pats that at least one of the islands, Gili Trawangan, was packed with tourists, while another, Gili Air, was … Continued

In Photos: Tri Hita Karana

The cultural landscape of Bali in Indonesia is largely shaped by the traditional belief systems of its locals. Tri Hita Karana — roughly translated into English as “the three causes of prosperity” – is a philosophy that governs and guides the daily lives and attitudes of Balinese. This unique concept puts premium to the universal respect of and … Continued

Getting lost in time in Indonesia.

“I’ll show you beautiful, unspoiled Simbuang, “Stanis assures me. He is an anthropologist who hails from Toraja, Indonesia and has helped me interview mothers of young infants, several To Pakianak (traditional midwives) and bidans (contemporary midwives), and To Minah Tato Dena, a spiritual leader of the people who practice Aluk to Dolo, the religion of … Continued

Tripping down Asia’s Memory Lane: My Top 10

I have never understood how anyone can like January. The sad, sinking feeling caused by limp, leftover tinsel hanging in shops, braving the dreary weather without any promise of a mulled wine stop, realising that everyone you know has vowed to lose weight, save money or quit drinking- it is a real slog of a … Continued

Bali, Indonesia Inspires

BALI INSPIRES Landing at the airport, the pagoda columns seem to welcome and herald visitors to behold the natural and man-made wonders of Bali the picturesque island in Indonesia. While the majority of Indonesia’s people are Muslim, in Bali, more than ninety percent professes the Hindu faith of its ancestors. By the end of the … Continued

No Lying in Indonesia

No lying At the Water Palace restaurant we sit cross-legged on cushions on a raised platform. A sign at my side says, Please, for the comfort of others, no lying. And I’m not lying when I say I haven’t felt so relaxed in years. At home I swim, walk and do yoga to stay sane … Continued

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