Confession: I’ve been procrastinating packing. Amid three weeks of work travel, a wedding I still feel humbled to be a part of, my cousin’s wedding, and attempting to be a socially acceptable level of functional as I still have a life outside of work, procrastinating fun stuff like packing leads to this. Regardless, I am STOKED for this and do owe this post and Japan! Now back to the main programming–Indonesia is so big, I’d be remiss to claim more than the island I’m attempting to explore this time around. A coworker warned me to try to take as much time as possible in Indonesia, and after perusing activities for my handful of days there, I can see why. Indonesia is such a vibrant country, and each island is a mammoth to explore. Even while figuring out what to do in Bali (admittedly not my first choice on islands to be in but still super stoked–which should tell you how magical this nation is to visit) I already know I’ll be back. Back to Bali, and back to new parts of Indonesia.

Bali

Confession: I did not want to be in Bali. Lombok’s commute was too long to handle my last leg out, which has me rat race flying to Jakarta to Tokyo. Nusa Penida was out too as I’m not confident in my scooter skills…nor am I extra enough to get a private driver. After an appropriate moping over this privileged problem of wanting to go somewhere else but instead settling, I was able to appreciate what Bali has to offer. Even with all my time on the island, in earnest to respect Balinese pacing, I’m avoiding treating this like an American holiday (aka cram all the activities I could muster into my trip). When in a new land, try to go with the local flow.

That flow, while mostly mercurial does include a few planned items:

  • Balinese Cooking Class
  • Sunrise hike up Mt Batur
  • Spa time in Canggu
  • All things Ubud (okay okay it’s not really a concrete plan but there’s so much to do there!)

Much like the previous post about Taiwan, I reserved a local SIM for while there. There’s been some back and forth as to whether or not this is necessary given how many kiosks exist for this, but I have a feeling I won’t be in the mood to haggle when I land…For those who are unaware, Indonesia is one of many countries where haggle-culture is still thriving. The Broke Backpackers’ 101 to this would be my best recommendation for those wanting to learn more. It really boils down to three simple things (that may or may not also apply to other avenues of life)–don’t look too interested, be willing to walk away if it doesn’t meet your needs, and don’t be a dick (low-balling is just plain rude).

To Hostel or Hotel? That is the Question

This is where FOMO and related indecision peaked for me. As a whole, I think hostels are phenomenal for adventure, digital nomad lifestyles, and new solo travelers. Complete conjecture, but I feel sites like Hostelworld and Agoda have helped bolster hostel use–prices stay competitive and niche/themed hostels do exist. With Bali being so tourism oriented, there’s a hostel for every focus and budget. That being said the same is true for hotels/resorts. With so many places to stay, it really becomes a question what experience you want. In my case I want to both use my time to soak in Balinese culture…but I’m an extrovert by nature, so I’m spending a couple days in a hotel/resort in Ubud and then a couple days in a hostel in Canggu as my bargaining chip to mitigate FOMO. It works for me, but seriously do what makes sense for you.

I will say I generally am more pro-hostel due to the adventure aspect, a couple other pros that have me tout the hostel agenda include:

  1. Hostels tend to be cheaper
  2. Hostels tend to allow for more local experiences
  3. Hostels are often more social
  4. I practically live out of a hotel for my paycheck

That last one is niche but trust me, when you are in travel phases for work that have you confused as to why hotel guests are so loud only to realize you’re home and it’s just your neighbors…you tend to develop an aversion to hotels.

Canggu Spa Time

Given Bali’s tourism, some may be surprised to hear that spas did not just emerge purely out of a response to tourism. One of the first things that I learned about Bali is that is a spiritual heart and healing home to its people. Any quick search will reinforce that with Balinese healers, retreats, and of course Eat Pray Love filming spaces. Since this is being written pre-Bali, I will refer people to The Honeycombers’ Canggu Spa List as a resource to help navigate some highlighted locations. And yes Canggu is known as a big surfer paradise, but also sounds like it’s become a beach bum/hipster tourist attraction in more recent years, maybe even months so I’m really intrigued to see what I’ll see while there.

Honestly there’s so much I want to write, between the cultural aspect of Ubud and trekking the island (I do want to see Tanah lot which is wild since tanah is Indonesian for peanut)…but since it’s all second hand for a few more week’s this will just have to be updated 😉

So stay hungry and I promise to have Tokyo–and maybe a novice’s guide to packing for backpacking–post(s) out shortly! Life’s a wild ride but it’s a treat to share it with folks!