Legian, Bali
Ubud, Bali
Ubud is a remarkable town in the middle of the island of Bali. For more than a century, it has been the island's preeminent centre for fine arts, dance and music. Arriving in Bali at midnight, we spent one night near the airport in Kuta and then arranged for a shuttle to pick us up and take us to Ubud. Arriving at the Pita Maha, a hotel of lush vegetation, private secluded villas and an infinity pool that you could only dream of, Aaron and I were in heaven. Our private villa included a pool, lounge inside and out, an outdoor shower and bath and a bed fit for a king. We were walking distance from the central downtown markets and Ubud palace. Arriving around noon, we checked in had a look around the property and went for a walk to find some food. We ended up eating at Naughty Nuri's which was a hole in the wall restaurant with picnic style benches for seating, and had some of the best nasi goreng, ribs ( which were cooked on the sidewalk in front of you) and martinis. There was a framed New York Times article on the wall about the restaurant and the last paragraph stated Anthony Bourdain ate here, sucked down three martini's in 1/2 an hour and signed the guest book, "The best martini's in the world." Awesome. We walked a little bit further down the road after a few martinis and stumbled upon an outside art gallery that was just incredible. Ubud is known for its thriving art community and the art there is AMAZING. I could have easily purchased 10 pieces and loved them all the same. We met the artist of these paintings and ended up buying one - a few days later. He arranged for us to meet his brother the next day for a personal tour of northern bali. At 8 am sharp he arrived with his brother and took us to his brother in laws home to show us what a typical "middle class" balinese home looked like. We then went through the rice fields, hiked to Git Git waterfall and had lunch on the Lake Batur. The next morning circa 2 am we arranged for drivers to pick us up and had a guide who lead up on a hike up the volcano. With only flashlights for our light, we hiked up and made it to the top within a little over an hour, which our guide said was incredibly fast! With a bintang in our hands, the sun rose at 4:45 am and it was truly magical. After some much needed R&R by the pool we went to a traditional balinese dance show at Ubud palace and had a lovely night in the heart of Ubud's downtown. |
Melbourne.
Melbourne has been said to be SF without the fog. If this were true, I would be in love with Melbourne because nothing beats SF on a clear sunny day. Unfortunately, I was in Melbourne for work and was only able to spend one day, actually four hours to be exact, checking out the city. I have heard so many lovely things about the place, which just means I have to go back for another holiday before I go! I can say that the few hours I did spend in the city did very much feel like home - the small alley streets, eclectic vibe of people, small boutique shops, a real raw and funky vibe that I miss oh so much. :-)
Sydney Round II
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Sydney the second time around was just as good if not better than the first. I was in good company with my Dad and Joan - two of the best parents you could ever ask for. We stayed in the heart of the CBD only steps away from the famous Circular Quay views of the harbor bridge and opera house. Exploring the botanical gardens, taking the bus to Bondi and ferry to Manly all the while enjoying a cocktail or two along the way including roadies... I mean, can you get much better than that??? The views from the harbor bridge are breathtaking and Sydney's clean, friendly vibe makes me confidently say its one of the best cities I have ever been to. Cheers.
Middleton/Victor Harbor with The Ryans
After our month holiday road trippin' from Sydney to Airlie Beach and beyond, we come back to Adelaide only to go on another mini holiday with the Ryan's to one of their favorite spots, Victor Harbor. It was the whole family, Lynette, Ken, Daniel and Aaron. We stayed in a caravan park in Middleton, just a few minutes walking distance from one of the best surf spots around. We went into Victor Harbor and walked across the bridge to Granite Island where you can see crystal clear water of sea grass and fish. We also were lucky enough to catch the tail end of the State Finals Surf Competition and got some awesome photos of the coastline and a few soon-to-be pro surfers, well one of them anyway.
The WhitSunday Islands
There was no better ending to the road trip than boarding "The Clipper,"a 140 foot sailboat including 52 backpackers, a jacuzzi, and water slide. The Clipper sailed through the Whitsunday Islands and took us to various national parks and coral reef spots within the Great Barrier Reef to dive and snorkel. Whitehaven beach, Whitsundays most famous beach was one of the most stunning beaches I have ever been to with white sand and crystal clear waters. We met people from all over the world and shared a fantastic experience out at sea.
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach was our last stop before we headed back to Adelaide. We spent three days here swimming in the lagoon, playing gin rummy (I beat Aaron every time!), and having cocktails:) The mix of people here was interesting due to Airlie beach being the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. Heaps of backpackers ranging from 18-35 and then heaps of old people coming from around the World Cruise ships.
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