retreat

I didn't bring an underwater camera with me on this dive trip, so you'll have to take my word for it that it was beautiful.

What I do have is photos of the bungalow we rented at Uluwatu, which is at the southern-most point of Bali. Uluwatu is a classic stop for surfers, and there's little to do if you don't, but I wasn't in any mood except to do very little.

Besides, how does one resist the little slice of heaven that is Mu Bali?









It's a collection of little bungalows on a clifftop with breathtaking views, and unbelievable food. All breakfasts should look like theirs. They also have a communal dinner every evening and ours was amazing.

This is not a resort for those icky about bugs and animals. Our particular bungalow is one of the most open there is (no walls of any kind except for the hedges and walls surrounding our little compound), and you can't be put off by hummingbirds flitting around when you're sitting on the toilet, a little frog greeting you in the bathroom sink in the morning, and monkeys occasionally popping in (they kept a respectful distance, luckily). Not to mention the little beetles that march across your table. No A/C in our bungalow, just a little fan. No TV.

Not everyone's cup of tea. But I'll rather have the smell of frangipanis wafting by everywhere I go than a hermetically-clean hotel room.

It does get hot and sticky, with Bali's humid climate, but then there's always the pool to dive into and cool off. I'm already planning my next visit.

Anyway, just one shot of the view on the way from Tulamben to Padangbai (the two dive sites I visited) from my van.



Bali has so much beauty to offer, and I'm often thankful that party scene of Kuta and Seminyak is well-confined to those zones. Elsewhere, there seems to be normalcy. I infinitely prefer Bali to the islands of Thailand (Phuket, Samui) and I feel lucky to live just 2 1/2 hours away by plane.

Thanks everyone for the well-wishes, I think your blessings help to make the trip go swimmingly!