November 18, 2016
Despite the stressful start to my journey, my two weeks relaxing in Bali have been a gift, aside from a bout of diarrhea that I always seem to get while I’m here. Here’s a rundown of what I got up to, which actually hasn’t been very much except writing, writing and more writing! Ubud I spent the first couple of…
July 2, 2016
When I went to Bali in January of this year, I brought my travel first aid kit with me. It’s a kit I put together myself and contains items such as Hydralyte, Citravescent, Alka-Seltzer, Imodium, ibuprofen, paracetamol, Phenergan (10mg and 25mg), band aids, Compeeds, antiseptic cream and a broad spectrum antibiotic (I get a script from the GP and fill…
February 1, 2016
I found myself using Airbnb for the first time ever on my return trip to Bali. I know, I know. I’m a bit late to the party. The thing is though, I’ve never really had a need. I’ve done group tours where the accommodation is organised, or independent travel where the accommodation is organised, or I’m only staying a few…
January 10, 2016
Just a holiday fling? I arrived back in Bali full of expectations. I had met Made while I was here in November, and we hit it off immediately. Or so I thought. Y’all know the story of how we met, so I’ll just give you a little reminder: he was the airport driver sent by my hotel to pick me up from…
November 21, 2015
After the end of every trip I do summary of sorts of my experiences—what I loved, what I didn’t, what I’d do differently. That sort of thing. Here are my Bali highlights and lowlights: Bali Highlights Meeting Made on Day 1. In the three(ish) weeks we spent in each other’s company, he gave me access to a Bali I would…
November 16, 2015
My review of Virgin Airlines Australia I hate Virgin Airlines Australia almost as much as I hate Qantas and Tiger Airways. And despite popular opinion, being stuck in Bali because of volcanic ash is no fun. Add Virgin Airlines to the list of airlines that I will never fly internationally with again. After having my flight out of Bali cancelled…
November 12, 2015
After my retreat, I’d organised to stay in Sanur for another eight days. I’m glad I did because I wasn’t ready to leave Bali. Not by a long shot. I was hoping to get more of my novel written during this time… well, that was the plan, anyway. Of course, that plan went the way of the wind because I…
November 10, 2015
The whole reason I came to Bali—Ubud Writers and Readers Festival and holiday romance aside—was to attend Jacq Burns’ five-day Writer a Bestseller retreat at Karen Willis’s Sharing Bali in Singaparang Village, in the north of the island. The retreat first came to my attention on Facebook, in a group I’m in. The price was excellent and included the retreat,…
November 1, 2015
Made had his driver hat on today, but it was kind of like mixing business with pleasure. I was being taken to key spots around Ubud. We started off with suckling pig (babi guling) for lunch, followed by The Elephant Keep, followed by the Water Temple, followed by more tea tasting with a gorgeous view of ravines and rice terraces.…
October 31, 2015
After the Ubud Writers Festival finished for the day, I rang Made and asked him to come and get me: he had said after he dropped me off on Thursday night just to call if I needed a ride, so I did. I was in two minds about it though, because in the cold hard, light of day, I was…
October 31, 2015
I haven’t come to Bali for the Writers Festival, but it was on before my retreat, so it made sense to spend at least one day there. The tickets were quite pricey ($400 for a four day pass, $120 for a one day pass), so I was expecting a lot. Maybe it was the sessions that I went to, but…
October 30, 2015
After Tanah Lot, Made dropped me back to the Sens so I could have a shower and freshen up. A half an hour later, I was astride his motorcycle, sans helmet, careening through the streets of Ubud. All I can say is that my time hanging out with semi-biker dudes in the 80s has paid off. I was balanced, poised…
October 29, 2015
I had woken early—at around 6.30 am—so with the time difference, had only a few hours sleep. Still, I’ve never let lack of sleep stop me from having a wander around and getting my bearings. Plus I wanted to venture up to Taman Baca, where the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival was being held. Coincidentally, the Festival was on at almost…
October 28, 2015
I had booked a transfer from Denpasar airport to my hotel in Ubud, but I couldn’t see my name when I exited customs. I panicked slowly, knowing that it was probably a Bali time thing—probably similar to India—and I was taken to the airport information desk by a man in his early 50s wearing a red Hawaiian shirt and a broad…
October 28, 2015
This is my review of flying with Virgin Airlines Australia. It was not the most pleasant flight, mainly because of the staff, but you get what you pay for. I’m a Singapore Airlines girl. Have been since I flew Qantas to China in 2011 and the fiasco wrapped in a debacle that that turned out to be. I vowed that I…
October 6, 2015
Bali. I must say that Bali is not somewhere that’s been on my radar. I know people who go there love it (and I have friends that certainly do), but there are other, more deserving places to visit. Or so I thought. But now that I’ve gotten serious about my writing, I stumbled on a writer’s retreat that’s happening there. So…