I’ve been traveling to Bali through work and for pleasure now for about 7 years. In the beginning I used to go over about 4-5 times a year and thankfully now things have settled down and I only have to go once or twice a year. In the beginning it was fast and furious, trying to set up a new business and trying madly to understand the people and the way things are handled.

After few years into my work I invited my partner to join me on one of my trips. I had run into a wonderful woman many years back who had a holiday home in a location called Bonian, which is on the coast in the south eastern corner of Bali. After having finished most of the work I could, my partner David and I asked a driver we knew if he could take us to Bonian.

Several hours later we ended up in a small village. Things were very quiet… And I mean very quiet. The next beach up is known for its surfing and gets early morning buses, mainly Japanese and American surfers. They are usually gone by 10 am. So there were two beach/roadside cafes dealing in big breakfasts which also closed when the surfers went home.

We finally managed to find the house. There was a security guard on site and a house keeper who lived off site who introduced herself to us but quickly disappeared. It was David’s first trip to Bali so he was wide eyed and interested to see what happened. We arrived mid afternoon and after unpacking, took ourselves up to the security guard to find out about getting some basic supplies. He gladly offered to locate items for us. I had brought some toast, avocado and tomato from Bintang supermarket, and our guard was able to locate some hot Bintangs – several, as well as a menu from a warung that was not far away.

We poured ourselves a gin and tonic (supplies we’d brought with us) and had a swim, then went for a walk on this amazing beach. The sand down on this part of the island is a dark grey colour. It was weird at first but very beautiful. We took a long walk on the beach, past a temple ceremony. For one of the first times for me in Bali, this was the first time I was completely ignored. Everyone (except of course for the dogs) continued on. We re-wrapped our sarongs more appropriately and kept clear, but it was amazing to watch. I hope we weren’t intrusive, we stopped for a while to observe and were respectful. Future walks along the beach revealed many locals who came out to say hello and to let us know that we had been seen. This to me was the real Bali – where family, religion and farming are a priority. People were warm towards us, and spoke very little to no English. I have some very basic language skills so it was enough to communicate where we were from, how long we were staying etc.

During the next few days people came to offer us home made food, invite us to local gatherings, and just to say hello. It really was paradise. After 4 days we reluctantly left and it has been a beautiful memory of mine ever since.

So the moral to the story is this… Bali can be a wonderful place. My most treasured experiences have been away from the main beat, out of the spotlight, in places where I can drink in the environment, and where I’m not trying to drill out of it an experience that I am expecting. So if you can brave it and get out into the middle of it, the surprises, and the beauty will come.

What a wonderful story. Loved it, sounds just like the place we would love to spend some time.

Catherine