By the time we are supposed to board a plane back to Sri Lanka, after ten days in Bali, the political upheaval in Sri Lanka has still not stabilized. In fact, it is growing in complexity and has become a real life incarnation of House of Cards, in the Indian ocean, where political intrigue between President and Prime Ministers has ensnared and taken captive the entire population and economy of Sri Lanka.
In short, no point in rushing back. And this happens to suit my girlfriend just fine. More time in Bali is not a hardship, not at all. So the onus turns to Peta to figure out a low cost solution for us to extend our stay and it ends up being a combination of home exchange and then a rental.
Indulge me in a tiny bit of history here…
The single most important historic event that set the stage for Bali’s unusually strong concentration of artistic talent goes back to the 15th century. When the Majapahit kingdom that ruled over vast areas of Southeast Asia collapsed in the 15th century, coinciding with the spread of Islam as a major religion in the region, there was a large migration of (Hindu) Javanese royals to the island of Bali, eventually establishing the Gelgel kingdom. Along with the Javanese royals and their court, came craftsmen and artists from all over the island of Java. Once they finished building palaces and royal residences, these artists chose to stay in Bali. Their descendants make Bali an incredibly rich artistic community with a proud tradition of artisans practicing a wide range of crafts handed down from one generation the next.
In this land, rich with artistic capability across the board (paintings, sculpture, dance, music, textiles, jewelry…), we are drawn to the architecture and interior design. This is perhaps because of our former entrepreneurial endeavors, designing and building bamboo homes in Nicaragua (https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/10771499/list/my-houzz-sustainable-bamboo-for-a-prototype-home-in-nicaragua) and before that as entrepreneurs in the interior design industry, importing ethnic pieces from Argentina and Peru to the U.S.(https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-05-23-0405230405-story.html ). So, with our eyes trained on architecture and interior design we delight in experiencing, even for a short while, several beautiful homes in Ubud.
On our very first visit to Bali in 2014, one of our home exchanges was a jewel of a house in a rice paddy in Penestanan, a neighborhood of Ubud which is very much away from the crowds. We fell in love with this tiny wooden house immersed in nature, and stayed here the second time we visited as well.
In the process of doing these home exchanges, we developed a friendship with the owners, and now on our fourth visit to Bali, we get to stay in our favorite jewel of a house yet again!
A tiny stone path cuts through what used to be a rice field, now overgrown, and leads to the little wooden house, barely visible from a distance.
Since our first visit, everything has grown tall around the little house and it is completely surrounded by lush green foliage
The subtle scent of frangipani is quintessential Bali ~ the fallen petals “litter” the little path way in front of the house.
An ancient joglo ( traditional Indonesian Javanese wooden house) was dismantled from a field in the island of Java and brought to Bali where it was reassembled and augmented with amenities ~ bathroom, plumbing, electricity etc… But the soul of this house lies in the all around weathered colourful wooden paneling.
Yup, we are very happy to be back in this little gem. For the record, it was here that we decided that living immersed in nature is a priority (if at all possible) for us and led to where we live today in Sri Lanka. It was the sound of the frogs at night that we remembered the most… and as we are here in rainy season, we are again enchanted by the chorus of different frog sounds that lull us to sleep each night.
Every carefully thought out design detail is captivating to us. The gentle slopes of the railings, the turquoise textured layers, the rattan style blinds which roll up and can be lowered in heavy rains…
Color, texture, design.. all so pleasing to the eye.
Soft rain greets us and we spend time reading and sketching… Super chill mode.
And after a few days, our friends tell us that their other guest house is available and invite us to experience that one, since it has a pool. Hard to leave the little jewel house in the rice paddy, but my oh my we are in for a wonderful surprise…
This guest villa has its own magnificent botanical garden. A large pond in the center of the garden attracts small birds and butterflies to the feathery bullrushes. From the bottom of the garden (where there is a covered pagoda with a day bed and bathroom), this is the view of the villa, barely visible amongst the lush foliage and trees.
A wide veranda wraps around the huge bedroom ~ providing a wonderful view across the ponds and garden towards the pool.
Swimming in the pool is like taking a dip in a river due to the bullrushes which grow in the pond right next to it.
Antique Balinese furniture, carvings, sculptures…. just glorious. We feel like Balinese royalty!
The wall at the back of the spacious bedroom is the wooden carved wall of another traditional Javanese house…
Indonesia is where we experienced gorgeous outdoor bathrooms for the first time, which inspired our creating one in Sri Lanka.
At dusk, the garden is full of life. The bedroom is super comfy and has so many artistic details to enjoy.
The wooden beams show off Indonesia’s wood carving mastery.
The ceiling in the bedroom comes from an entry hall of a traditional Balinese family complex and was brought in piece by piece and reassembled for this room.
Like the “gentleman farmer inspecting his land”, Peta has taken to meditatively walking the little path many times a day (here in the morning after a shower). Each time, the path through the garden yields different treasures: a yellow bellied lizard scuttling away, tiny birds landing in the fluffly bullrushes, brightly colored butterflies, and crimson red dragonflies.
So much beauty to behold… always different in the changing light. Blissful days. Other than yoga and going for food, we spend considerable time enjoying the tranquility of these gardens.
The fast WIFI speeds in Ubud are notable, courtesy of the ever growing population of digital nomads who are drawn to Ubud. This internet infrastructure certainly facilitate my doing solid work for current projects that require online research.
I fall into an Ubud routine of early morning intense work sessions, leaving time for afternoon explorations. After intense work sessions, the ideal way to change gear is to head to one of our favorite places in Ubud ~ The Sacred Monkey Forest.
The Sacred Monkey Forest is a place where long tailed Macaque monkeys have a protected area to roam freely, dating back roughly to the same time period when Javanese royals relocated to Bali, around 500 years ago.
Indeed, this monkey forest means much more to the Balinese culture than just being an urban habitat for monkeys. From its earliest days, the decision to conserve this ancestral forest was anchored on the Balinese traditional philosophy of “three causes of well being: harmony with God, with other people and with nature.” Thus people stroll, macaques swing from the branches and frequent ceremonies are held for prayers at the important and impressive temple in the forest, built hundreds of years ago.
This small forests hosts 116 different species of trees. Many of them, like this one, are massive.
There are about 600 Balinese long tail Macaques living in the Sacred Forest. We watch a little baby peeking out from the protection of its mom.
There are monkeys everywhere. Here a group of them are socialising on a thatched roof of the temple.
One day, as we drive our motorbike past the Sacred Monkey Forest, we see brightly-coloured women arriving, some by foot, but mostly on the back of motorbikes, all carrying beautiful wicker baskets full of offerings. We quickly park our bike and follow them!
Balinese women always wear colorful clothing for ceremonies, which include intricate handmade lace tops, sarongs and a bright sash.
Through the Sacred Forest we go…
The women pass one of the feeding station spots for the macaques eagerly awaiting their cassava treats.
Arrival at the main temple…
We may not enter the temple area as visitors are not allowed to this particular temple during ceremonies. But thanks to our height, we can unobtrusively peak over the walls surrounding the temple…
The reason for gathering at the temple today is for the Dark Moon, when the moon does not reflect any of the suns rays. One of many lunar cycle ceremonies for Balinese.
We admire a very interesting and extensive set of stone carvings which runs all along one of the exterior temple walls. Mythical creatures, half human, half monkey are part of the depicted scene.
The forest provides a safe haven for the monkeys as well as a supplemented food source, while making it possible for humans to observe them in their natural habitat. Goobye little guy ~ until next time!
We nearly made it to Bali in July. 🙂 I’ve heard contrasting opinions on Bali. Some say it’s very touristy whilst others seem to love it. Your quiet retreat in the midst of nature is what I’d love to experience. It’s beautiful and serene. It would be a perfect escape from the city views we’re used to. 🙂 Thanks for taking me along on your wonderful trip.
Cheryl, I think as with most places, it depends where you choose to go. It is very true that some of the beaches in Southern Bali are crowded and perhaps over rated. Because of the location of where we were staying, it was as you say a “quiet retreat” and I could happily have stay there endlessly. For beaches if that is the kind of vacation you are looking for I personally would not head to Bali, but rather to Thailand.
Thanks for reading us and leaving your comments.
Peta
So sad to know about the turmoil of Sri Lanka’s politics. I’m not sure if it makes it dangerous for you to be in Sri Lanka or if you just don’t want to be there in the midst of the mess.
At least you can enjoy this beautiful Bali. Your photos show how lush it is, and as you note, how rich with culture, architecture, and art. The women in their lace blouses and patterned skirts, the baskets with their offerings balanced on their heads, look elegant and focused as they walk to celebrate the moon festival. I like seeing the sun rays sifting through the jungle. What a serene place to be.
Sharon, happy to report, that things are on the verge of being resolved in Sri Lanka and in a democratic way. The supreme court intervened and the results are very positive. No, it was not dangerous to be in Sri Lanka, although of course things had the potential to turn violent, but thankfully did not. But because Ben’s work is with the government and that was at a standstill for weeks, we had no particular reason to be there as he can do his work and research anywhere with wifi.
The lushness of Bali is absolutely incredible. After all Sri Lanka is pretty lush too, but I think Bali wins hands down. There is also a very positive beautiful energy that is quite palpable compared with Sri Lanka, which has had a much more troubled recent history, with an extensive tragic civil war that only ended 7 years ago and as well the tsunami which took many many lives.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments.
Peta
Here’s hoping things settle down in Sri Lanka soon. That said, Bali is a great place for a break.
Peggy happy to report that the political situation in Sri Lanka has finally been resolved. The legitimate prime minister is back in office and democracy rules.
Peta
This post fills me with admiration, seasoned with a touch of envy. You two really know how to roll, make lemonade from lemons.
All that, and MONKEY BABIES!
Well thank you Sharon for the nice compliment!
Those monkey babies are something huh! This visit there were way more baby monkeys than usual and we had so much fun watching them. Some of the large males can be a bit intimidating, but the little ones… And they are so huan like in their behaviors.
Peta
You manage to find one exquisite home exchange after another! I am in love with that veranda from the first set of photos. It looks like a cozy oasis with those gorgeous painted wood panels!
I’ve enjoyed this little tropical vacation via this post as I look out at a typical gray winter morning in Canada 😏
Joanne, finding the right home exchange requires a fair amount of time, to find one that works for the times we need it and I think of it as a part time job. A different type of income to be sure, but given our lifestyle it really makes travel affordable. And occasionally we do get a “dud” ~ in fact, on this trip we started off in a different home exchange than the one shown here. After two days of sleeping in a rather uncomfortable bedroom and generally not great situation, I quickly wrote to our friends from our former exchanges and luckily their place was available and so we quickly moved and improved our lot significantly!
Peta
Sorry to hear of the political issues in Sri Lanka although, it sounds likes things are getting resolved. Your stay in Bali looked absolutely exquisite, surrounded by such beauty & calm.
Lynn, happy to say that the political issues in Sri Lanka have been resolved and democracy reigns! We have loved our time in Bali, but with our visa soon expiring, we will need to move on elsewhere. Stay tuned…
Peta
That is all so beautiful. Like others who have commented i’ve thought of Bali as a bit too touristy, but the part you are in looks amazing.
Since I read your piece about Sri Lankan politics a few weeks ago I have been looking out for it in the news and was pleased to see the rightful PM being restored (well, I hope it’s something to be pleased about!)
Anabel, thanks for your comments. Bali can be touristy, of course… there is plenty that draws tourists here. In fact, we were just looking at statistics about tourism in Indonesia. The country received one million visitors in in 2013 and their ministry of tourism is shooting for 2 million by 2019. However, as we find so often, that even in very popular places, one can always get off the beaten track, as most tourists tend to stick to a very narrow set of options.
YES, the rightful PM being restored is big and positive news. It is unfortunate that the country has unnecessarily hurt itself in a number of ways. Of course the tourism industry has been hit at the start of the high season, but the stock market has also dropped sharply and the currency has taken a meaningful plunge. The PM will no doubt take steps to recover but these were self inflicted wounds.
Peta & Ben
One of the greatest perks of travel is witnessing how others in the world live.
If everyone (especially here in the US) would step out of their comfort zone and experience a different culture, at least once, I suspect the world would be in a much kinder place.
Patti hear hear, we totally agree with every word. And perhaps, given the high octane politics about America’s relationship with its Southern neighbor, Mexico, Americans would do well to just take a hop over and develop an appreciation for Mexican culture. This is both immediately useful to the country, an inexpensive trip and Mexico is full of richness from the architecture to the food to the culture.
Ben
What an incredible place to while away the time until it’s productive to return to Sri Lanka. I can easily see how Ubud influenced your later life choices; it’s just so outdoor-friendly and has such a feel-good vibe. Can’t wait to experience for myself some day!
Lex, you are absolutely correct about the feel good vibe. One of the things we both love about Ubud, is the positive energy that stems from the fact that the locals have held onto their traditions and have not had the same kind of colonialist trauma that has psychologically impacted so many nations, Sri Lanka included. Do hope you get there, and when you do, shoot for the off season if at all possible as that makes a huge difference.
Peta
I fell in love with your first house, but then I saw the second – wow! Glad to hear things are being resolved in Sri Lanka.
Tracey that is how WE felt going between these two homes. And then we moved to yet a third which we rented for ten days and really enjoyed that one as well… stay tuned. In short, Ubud is full of beautiful and affordable options.
Peta
The architecture is fabulous. Who wouldn’t mind to spend a little time there? Wishing you both a peaceful festive season and much joy in the new year.
Johanna the architecture is absolutely unique to that region and it never fails to astound us.
Thanks for the good wishes and for you the same!
Peta
I can see how this amazing “earthy” Balinese/Javanese home has influenced your abode in Sri Lanka. What a beautiful place. And, I wouldn’t even mind the rain! 🙂
Your posts about Bali, and especially Ubud, make me want to return and take Mark. Right now, it looks and sounds like heaven to just sit and relax, either in one of those rooms, or in the Monkey Forest!
Liesbet, the rain was fabulous! It gave me good reason to spend more down time in our home base, than I might have done otherwise. It also rained really hard a few nights, which only added to the magic. More rain means more frogs in Ubud. And those guys can hit quite a few high and baritone pitched notes at night! There is no other place we have been where the frog singing is so pronounced. Such a Ubud sound for us both.
Peta
Your home exchange house is just exquisite! When I see the decor, the gardens and the graceful ladies in the Monkey Forest I go back to my comments on your last post about how aesthetically pleasing Ubud is. It makes me feel good just looking at your beautiful images.
Caroline, thanks for the lovely compliment on the photos. Glad to hear that the serenity and pleasure of our experience comes across so well. This certainly was a top home exchange for us, yet again.
Peta
What beautiful places you stayed it. Don and I spent a month in Ubud a few years back and our room looked out over a rice field – just gorgeous. Bali remains high on the list of places we’d like to return to. It’s a very special place.
Thanks Alison. We just never tire of being there. This was our fourth visit and I could quite happily had stayed longer, only our visa had expired after a month in Indonesia. But we will certainly be back. Luckily it’s not a huge trip to get there from Sri Lanka!
Peta
One more place added to my bucket list….
It’s definitely a good one Siva!
Peta
Such a beautiful guest villa! I wouldn’t mind being stuck there forever..
Haha Dee, that is but exactly how we felt!!! It was such an amazing experience.
Peta
This post is so FULL of so much, I don’t know where to start or how to comment. The Balinese homes are magnificent in every way a “McMansion” is not. I’m just awed by the sense of harmony within these places, as well (as you say) the sense of soul within the walls. I do believe that a house can have a “soul” because of those who reside in it, and from the heart put into building it. The monkey retreat – if I could close my eyes and make a wish, I’d be there right now. Thank you so much for sharing these delights with me (and my guy, who is standing over my shoulder peeking at the photos also). 🙂
Pamela thanks for your enthusiasm and positive response to this post. We are definitely fortunate that Ubud is in close proximity to Sri Lanka and we know we will be back again. Next time we will get a longer visa for Indonesia as it ranks one of our favorite places!!!
The Monkey forest has become much more crowded than it used to be… much like all the good spots in the world. The now travelling Chinese have changed the landscape ~ pretty much everywhere. But still, we found quiet spots and waited for crowds to disperse.
Peta
You find such exquisite places to stay! It must have been hard to leave Bali—but then again, you have an exquisite home to return to. 🙂
The Sacred Monkey Forest is fascinating, and I love the photos of the women with the baskets on their heads on their way to the temple ceremony.
Laurel, we certainly struck gold with this exchange. It WAS hard to leave Bali, but then again we were only supposed to be there for ten days and we ended up extending our stay to three weeks… So can’t complain. We are still on the road until end of February as our own home is fully booked with exchangers until then.
Thanks for the compliments on the photos.
Peta
OMMMmggggosh,
the monkeys THRILL me.
You guys bring EAT PRAY LOVE to an entirely new level!! Seriously.
What a LIFE))))!!!!
Thank you for sharing w/ us! xx From MN.
Aren’t those monkeys just incredible? We loved watching them…
I assume you make reference to the book “Eat Pray Love” as the Bali section was written about Ubud and it is that one book that has transformed the once quiet little village into a mecca for travellers. One also notices that there is an unusually high number of single women in Ubud ~ all looking for love, as in the book.
Peta