Monday, October 01, 2007

Beautiful Bali!

My dad took a trip to Bali last year, and frankly, he had me worried.  What with volcanoes, earthquakes and a history of instability within Indonesia, it seemed like a risky venture.

Yet, my dad went without any worries and came back with joyful memories to last a lifetime.  What follows is my account of my dad’s visit to this beautiful and tropical paradise!

First off, let me provide you with some information on Bali.  Amazingly, it is one of over 13,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago!  Almost 4 million people live on the island located eight degrees south of the Equator.  The temperatures are great as the island is always humid, warm and tropical.  November to March is considered the rainy months, but the only real difference is that it tends to be cloudier, have a higher probability of thunderstorms, and of course, more humidity.

What struck my dad when he first arrived were the many motorcycles, cars and trucks that seemed to be everywhere.  He also remarked about the offerings for the spirits – be it flowers, incense sticks or rice – they were prevalent on many family temples and shrines.

My dad’s trip was Virgin Vacation’s Bali All-Inclusive, which was a seven-night stay at the Bali Tropic Resort and Spa.  On top of the airfare, hotel accommodations, and transfers, the package also included three amazing tours that really gave him a great overview of the island.

First off, he couldn’t say enough about their accommodations.  The resort was super laid back and incredibly relaxing.  The pool was idyllic and a perfect place to spend a warm, sunny afternoon.  Being an all-inclusive, food and drinks were included, and for the most part, he enjoyed the wide selection of meal choices.  Much of the food was Balinese – so it was different flavors and choices than he is normally used to!  Overall, he found the service, the cuisine and the surroundings to be excellent.

Shopping was a pastime that he and his partner enjoyed immensely.  Bali offers a treasure trove of handcrafted items.  You’ll see bamboo, rattan and teak furniture for prices so low you can hardly believe it.  Other prevalent items include silver jewelry, stone sculptures and woodcarvings. According to my dad, don’t buy gold, as it is low quality while the silver is of high quality, well crafted and well priced.

Probably my dad’s only complaint is the roads on the island.  Overall, they are way too narrow, have way too many people on them and have many open drains on the border.  Traffic laws seem to be nonexistent and don’t even think about walking along the roads.

I could go on and on about the stories he has told of his travels on this beautiful island.  In his opinion, it really is paradise and anyone visiting will love the friendly, warm people, the unique and spiritual culture, unbelievable beaches and the amazing water sports.  Bali is a little slice of paradise that he feels everyone should visit – at least once!

Posted by Scott on 10/01 at 01:40 PM
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