Bali: Is this a paradise we have been seeking?

After a good night's sleep, we woke up in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time in our lives, 8 degrees south of the equator—this is a major milestone for us both. As is being almost 8000 miles from our girls, family and dear friends; it's beginning to feel like a true adventure.

The air here doesn't just feel warm; it feels alive. It's thick with the scent of frangipani blossoms, burning incense and the distant, rhythmic crash of the ocean. After what felt like a whirlwind getting here, we've finally allowed ourselves a proper, deep breath.

Bali is simply stunning. You can just feel it's completely different, unlike anything we've seen before. From the open-air breakfast restaurant and unique food offerings to the relaxing water features, koi carp and the in-house temple, the architecture is a world apart. We've now traded the green grass and hills of home and the modern metropolis of Dubai for the vibrant Indonesian, tropical hotspot that is Bali!

Relaxing by the pool and taking in the ambience of the environment around us, our senses are stimulated by the gentle running water from ornamental fountains as they cascade into the pool, the abundance of delicate flowers and their scent and the tranquil music almost serenading the whole environment. We're feeling blessed and relaxed.

We could've happily melted into the pool loungers all day, but less of that we decided to hit the road and see what Bali really had to offer.

The Chaos and the Coast

Stepping out and into the local streets was an instant shock to the system: the sheer volume of people, the relentless movement, the chaos. "Where are they all going?" I asked Helen, the words barely audible over the roar. It was a non-stop, rumbling tide of scooters, scooter after scooter after scooter, some speeding past like the road-rage artists we know from home, others weaving through the throng with entire families clinging on, often without helmets. It was a cocophany of sound, yes, a little like revisiting Marrakesh, but this felt like a more fluid, ordered chaos. The air was thick with the twin scents of petrol fumes and sweet incense, a constant pulsing that gets right into your chest.

Scooter, scooter everywhere!

We headed for the beach, recalling recent press about significant plastic pollution. I'm not saying the pollution didn't exist, but what we actually witnessed was a frantic urgency to reinforce the sea defences. As we walked along the stretch of what should be an idyllic beachfront, workers were driving in wooden structures and sandbags to stop the ocean's advance. The cruel irony, these sea-defences were themselves supported by sandbags made of plastic, a visible sign that the very effort to save the coast only amplifies the issue.

There's more to this place than meets the eye. It's bar after bar after bar, many with an unregulated, makeshift feel, plastic cooler containers serving as their infrastructure. Yet, everywhere you look, you see hard graft and hope, people carving out a livelihood one day at a time. Bali is beautiful, but life here is clearly a struggle. The picture postcard only tells half the story.

The Balinese dedication to spiritual harmony.

Back at the pool side we were fortunate to see the preparation of Canang Sari, those beautiful, little woven palm-leaf baskets filled with flowers, rice, biscuits and sometimes a few coins. They’re offerings to the spirits, a daily ritual that anchors the entire culture.

It's a beautiful, tiny act of devotion that happens hundreds of times a day on every street, every home and for us by the poolside in the hotel. It wasn’t just a tourist sight; it felt like a silent, powerful reminder to slow down and be present. Watching the lady gently place one on a small pedestal while murmuring a blessing was a profoundly moving introduction to this aspect of island life.

This two-day pause was more than just a holiday; it was a cultural appetiser. We leave this serene spot early tomorrow no doubt feeling recharged and grounded, although we will remain intensely curious. Anyone who knows us, will understand we seldom return to the same place, but here we have been captivated and for now never say never!

Cheers!