If you follow me on Instagram and Twitter or have liked my Facebook page you know I have been on an amazing trip to Bali. To say it was transforming is an understatement. I will be detailing our trip and experiences over several upcoming blog posts so that you can get a little taste of everything we experienced.
We have never been to Indonesia before and we had no idea what we were in for. Our journey took us to Ubud, Bali and we spent all of our time in this region. I tell you this because many think of Bali as a beach destination and it is. We just didn’t do the beach on this vacation. The region of Bali that we focused on is the central, forest region. Most people will recognize it from Elizabeth Gilbert‘s book Eat Pray Love (and the Eat Pray Love movie starring Julia Roberts). It is a magical experience!
We routed Dallas – Hong Kong with American Airlines, spent the night to break up the long trip, and then continued on with a direct flight from Hong Kong to Bali. When you book your airfare, be sure to check the flights to see if you can upgrade your seats. The flight from Dallas – Hong Kong alone is 17 hours (the longest non-stop flight that American Airlines currently operates) and then the connection to Bali is an additional 5 hours. So getting the upgrade to business class or first class really matters. Be sure you have plenty of time to enjoy this trip because the jet lag is wicked. Bali is 13 hours ahead of Dallas (central time zone). You are literally on the other side of the world and just below the equator.
We stayed at the Viceroy Bali and let me tell you, we will be back. This beautiful, luxury hotel is spectacularly perched overlooking the “Valley of the Kings” and offers unrivaled tropical views. There are only 25 villas in this five-star hotel and it has a wonderful restaurant and luxurious spa. The staff is impeccable and we met one of the most charming staff members, Dwi, when he picked us up at the airport. He was our driver every day for our outings and such an incredible tour guide (all scheduled directly through the Viceroy Bali). Dwi did a wonderful job taking us to the temples, monkey forest, elephant ride, Ubud market, John Hardy headquarters, shopping and to meet Katut (the medicine man in Eat Pray Love). You want to hire a driver because in Bali you drive on the opposite side of the street from the USA and the amount of motorcycles zooming in and out of traffic will make you have a nervous breakdown. Best to avoid all of that. All of those details will be in upcoming blog posts so be sure to stay tuned!
The people of Bali are Hindu and absolutely lovely. Hindu culture is a culture of love, respect, honoring others and humbling one’s own ego so that the inner nature, which is naturally pure and modest, will shine forth. Dwi also taught us that it is most important to show respect in three ways: respect God, humans and the environment.
Pete and I are truly transformed. Be sure you are subscribed to the blog for more of our journey on FilmFashionFun.com.
Have you traveled to Bali? Leave me a comment about your journey. xoxo-Tanya
All photos courtesy of Viceroy Bali
Selamat Siang,
I’ve been following your blog this past year. I’m not much of a blog reader but I do enjoy reading yours. I live in Austin but am in Dallas a lot. I’m in fashion and have my own business. I lived in Indonesia for 10 years and still travel there several times a year for work. It’s my second home. What I find so endearing about indonesia, is the people. They are wonderful and genuine. I have been fortunate to be able to go back and work there, as after living and immersing in the culture for 10 years, I couldn’t imagine not spending time in Indonesia. I’ve had my ups and downs and frustrations, but it’s still like my second home. I just returned last week from almost 2 months there.
Sampai Jumpa,
Thank you so much for reading my blog and leaving this comment Sampai.
I am going to add several more posts about our trip to Bali so stay tuned.
xoxo- Tanya