As all good things this must come to an end. Leaving Bali with a heavy heart and some wonderful experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life. This trip to Bali made me fall in love all overagain; in love with my life, with myself and my partner. It redefined my notion of Love. If every city could be defined by a single emotion,that best describes its natural state, for Bali it is LOVE. It was not so much about doing in Bali as it was about just Being. Being yourself in your most relaxed, discovering the many joys and new found ways torelax and pamper and luxuriate in the pace of time which passes slowly in Bali. It takes a few first days to just adjust to this pace, butonce you're in that relaxed zone, you're bound to be delighted by the surprises that await you.
My trip began at the Four Seasons in Jimabaran, where we spent thefirst four days. A very typical Balinese Villa with our private plunge pool awaited us. Right from the time we arrived, the beautiful moments began to unfold. Dinner at the Coconut Grove on the bed on the beachwas a memorable moment. The night market at the hotel to sample local delights was an experience to remember. Yet another moment worth amention was the Balinese Massage on the Bale on the beach with the waves from the ocean crashing over our Bale. Seminyak had charming shops and we sampled lunch at La lucciola on the hotel recommendation and also went to Kudeta which is a lounge on the beach, both fantastic.
We then moved to Ubud for the week to follow and I was taken over bythe Four Seasons there, An estate on 7 hectares of a valley land with stunning views of the forests and trees from everywhere, this was the beginning of a very special week to unfold. With our own private plunge pool villa overlooking the Ayung river, the sound of the rapidwater flowing was a constant background score that helped me to relax instantly. Most mornings were spent relaxing in the spa the many temperatures pools, putting you in a relaxed state. Balinese dance performances accompanied all dinners at the Four Seasons. We tried the signature Anahata treatment one evening which is meant to be anopening of the heart chakra and a Balinese massage on another day.Downtown Ubud is clustered with many shops selling culture and food.One such place I discovered was the Yoga Barn where I enrolled for aone day Zen Meditation workshop which turned out to be a little surprise. With every new day we discovered new eateries with some healing and energising menus at the Yoga Barn, Bunutes, Soma on Jalan Devi Sita. We tried one dinner at the Como Shambhala one evening, but it was not the best experience. Another notable experience was a lunchat Sari Organic in the middle of the paddy fields with local home made wines and organic food made fresh from the garden, absolutely worth the walk to the field.
A trip to Bali would not be complete without meeting the famous 99 year old healer and fortune teller Kutek Lear from the film Eat Pray Love made famous by none other than Julia Roberts who saw him almost all the time she spent in Bali. Kutek was a sheer joy to meet, laughing and making merry without a trace of any worry in his being, almost a living example of how one could live that long and happy without atrace of worry or doubt. Was a pleasure to meet you Kutek and I learnt many things from the wise old man Healers and soothe sayers can befound in plenty in Ubud and we did visit quite a few of them this week.
Thank you to Four Seasons for a very warm and pleasant stay and all their hospitality and strange requests they went all the way out oftheir way to fulfill, be it the odd craving for an Indian meal after being in hotels for over 28 days in a row, or the Jamu that they triedto find for me or ILAs meditation music they burned for me on request.
A heartfelt tear comes to the eye as I bid farewell to a soul stirring experience called Bali.
