07-Sep-2024, After many, many years of only talking, the time has finally come… my parents are in Bali! It is up to me to show them around and be their driver. I want them to experience the magic of Bali and I will do my best to be an excellent tour guide.

My parents have always taken good care of me, so now it’s my turn to give back. They deserve nothing but the best. I book them a business class seat with Qatar airways where they can enjoy the luxurious and famous Qsuite. As faith would have it, we land at exactly the same time. My parents are on a long journey from Amsterdam to Denpasar (Bali) and I am coming from Singapore, where I just finished a four week long project. We meet each other even before the immigration post and this is perfect. They don’t have the same kind of experience I have when it comes to traveling and now I can guide them every step of the way.  

The first few days we stay in Sanur so my parents can ease into a new country and culture. Sanur has always been my favorite spot. It has all the things you need, yet it is not as crowded as the west side of Denpasar (Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu etc.). It is the perfect spot for my folks to recharge before we start driving through the island. While they are chilling at the beach and enjoy relaxing massages, I have time to hang out with friends and do my yoga. I have been out of Bali for three months and I have been missing it. It feels like an eternity. In the daytime we do our own thing and in the evenings we reunite and I take them to a few nice restaurants for dinner.

Our first cultural daytrip during this holiday is a visit to famous Uluwatu temple. A temple built in the 11^th century on a high cliff in Uluwatu with breathtaking views. It is also a temple where many monkeys roam around freely and visitors are warned to keep a very close eye on their belongings (Hats, sunglasses, phones, etc). I thought I was being very careful but out of nowhere a monkey jumps up from behind and steals my Rayban glasses clean of my face. Unfortunately my sunnies did not survive, this cheeky monkey chewed on it and destroyed it. Ah well, just sunglasses, nothing that can bum me out. In the evening we attend the Kecak dance at the temple. Also known as the Bali’s fire dance, a beautiful and cultural Balinese dance.

The next evening we are invited by Ayu and Eric for dinner and games at their home. They prepare a delicious dinner and we enjoy good food with a nice glass of wine and fun games after the meal.

After a few days of rest we start our Bali trip and our first stop is at the cultural center of Bali; Ubud. But before we go here, we make a quick stop in Belega, the place where I have built my little bamboo shala many months ago. I am proud to show my parents my creation. I am equally surprised by the many more bamboo projects that popped around it but it is nice to see.

As we drive onwards to Ubud, we visit famous temples like Gao Gajah (Elephant cave), take a stroll along the traditional Ubud market and we enjoy great food at Bebek Tepi Sawah. A famous Duck restaurant situated amongst rice fields. A visit to Ubud is not complete without a visit to the Monkey forest. Initially mom is not fond of visiting a place with more monkeys, but she was pleasantly surprise. She did enjoy her morning at the Monkey Forest very much. It is after all a beautiful place to walk around and enjoy the beauty of nature. My parents had a great time here and that makes me happy.

Since I have already been to the Monkey forest twice, I did not join. I went to the Yoga barn instead. I was craving for some exercise and I always enjoy this place (The Yoga barn) very much. It’s a large community place with several yoga studios, a restaurant, a healthy bar, accommodation, a yoga shop, chilling spots and beautiful gardens. I came for only one yoga class, but left after three classes. After the first class I felt energized so I stayed for a second class; flying yoga (yoga with suspended ropes from the ceiling) and it was great. So why not stay for a third class? So I had lunch here and I stayed for a third class at 2pm; Mat Pilates. After all that hard work on the mat, it was time for a nice relaxing massage! A perfect day; lots of activity in a beautiful and serene place with a relaxing massage by the end of it. In the evening I meet up with my parents again for dinner.

It is our last evening in Ubud and the next day we will visit the Unesco site rice terraces in Jatiluwih and go dolphin watching in Lovina but this is a story for next time, so stay tuned!

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