BALI TRIPPIN'
May 07, 2019As a kid, I was nearly never afraid of anything. I was once the terrorizing kid whom my parents had to constantly be worried about. But as ...
May 07, 2019
As a kid, I was nearly never afraid of anything. I was once the terrorizing kid whom my parents had to constantly be worried about. But as I grow up, society and situations shaped me into a timid soul. I started having anxiety issues - something I never thought I would come to face with. My thoughts and feelings are often closed to the outside world. I became such a serious person, I wasn't having much fun in life as much as I was working, and knew that needed to change.
When Matt suggested a hiking trip, I was all up for it. It was a long time since I participated in my last marathon race and I really needed to challenge myself to 'Live life to the fullest'. And so, I kick-started my virgin hiking experience with Mount Batur - an active volcano in Bali. Flight tickets, checked. Accommodation, checked. I soon found myself packed for Bali, unsure of what this journey would bring to me.
We stayed at Pradha Villa in Seminyak, where the beach is close by and most restaurants and cafes gather. Our 1 bedroom villa came with a private pool with jacuzzi, a spacious, open-air living and dining area. You can see my villa tour IG story here
We arrived at Bali in time for a late lunch before retreating back to our villa to slumber the day away, just because we needed all the rest we can get to prepare ourselves for the Mount Batur hike the next morning at 2AM. We settled for traditional Indonesian cuisine (mainly because I was craving for Nasi Campur, Matt's not much of a spice fan) at Warung Mina Seminyak, conveniently located outside our resort.
Just like how I really love Chai-peng (Economic vegetable rice), Nasi Campur is like the chai-peng of Indonesia. It comes with multiple small portions of side dishes to go with your rice. I mean, when one travels, what is the best way to learn about another’s culture other than starting from their food right? Matt had the Nasi Goreng Ayam; an order of fried rice that was served with a sunny side up, some chicken bits and crackers. We ended the meal with ice-cream from Gelato Secrets, just a couple stalls away. It was literally our savior for the scorching hot weather.
DAY 2
While the sky was still dark and the streets quiet, we were up getting ready for our transport to Mount Batur. Decked in sports gear and windbreaker, I was all excited for the unknown. Around an hour’s ride, we reached the foot of the mountain and was joined by another 3 hikers to form a group. Our hike guide was just a young, teenage village girl who wore an old pair of white Converse sneakers. We were handed a torchlight each and soon, began our steady pace forward.
Mount Batur was nothing near our MacRitchie Reservoir Park or Bukit Timah hill. Apart from that tiny warm light shining out from our torches, the path was hardly visible in the darkness. I was on full alert with my surrounding, exhausting my mind and senses even before the tough part arrives. Once the path got steep it was a constant struggle between physical and mental strength, plus my fear of tripping over wasn’t helping much. I was climbing up a high level of steps with tiny loose rocks beneath my feet, there was no turning back with the trail of hikers behind me. All I could do was to push on despite my muscle stiffening and refusing to go further.
I was honestly surprised at my hiking stamina, seeing how I am a regular long-distance jogger, I was expecting the journey to be manageable. Anyhow, when we finally reached the top after 2 hours odd later, my legs were shaking but it felt amazing. The view was magnificent (watch here), nature has always been this good-looking. We took our place on the grass patches, ate bread and hard-boiled eggs served by our guide (part of hike package) while waiting for the sun to rise. It was beautiful to watch the tiny yolk rise from the horizon and spread its light across the land. I did an IG story about it here
After another hour of rocky journey down, I was clearly drained of whatever energy left in me. Traveled back to the villa to wash up before we head for a massage at Bodyworks. Slightly pricy, but Bodyworks have always been my go-to spa salon in Bali. There is something about their Moroccan tile designed room that always felt so calming and beautiful. Of course, their friendly and skilled masseuses are the reason why I patronize them too.
We did not exactly arrange any particular itinerary for this trip, so we headed straight to Ultimo for dinner right after we were done with the heavenly massage session. If you ever search for “food places in Seminyak, Bali”, Ultimo will not be a stranger to you. One of the wallet-friendly restaurants in Seminyak, Ultimo offers western cuisine at reasonable prices despite its posh dining ambience. We definitely had a good dinner before the day ends.
DAY 3
Every night, breakfast choices have to made so that the resort staff can arrange to visit and prepare the spread for us. One of the reasons why I picked Pradha Villa was because of their floating breakfast option! Breakfast in the pool is undeniably Instagram worthy, I have always wanted to experience the floating breakfast and I finally did.
In reality, our pool’s heater broke down. It was too cold to enjoy breakfast inside the pool, so I dragged the entire floating basket to the edge of the pool where we sat and eat. The breakfast choices were good enough and we had quite a spread that morning – American breakfast set, pizza, yogurt fruit bowl and some toast with jam. It was truly a relaxing moment being away from work and having completed the hike. I just immersed myself in the now and realised how much I have neglected loving myself in the midst of chasing after life.
Spent the last day doing really touristy activities like exploring the paddy fields, tasting Luwak coffee and experiencing the Bali swing. I would love to share a live video of me swinging across the beautiful paddy field scenery but I was so taken aback by the strong force of from the staff, which send me shrieking while flying across the field. Everyone there seems to have a good time, except me. Only until my last few pushes that I finally managed to get a grip of myself and focus on the view in front of me ha-ha!
The paddy field plantations, on the other hand, are really enjoyable. I highly recommend this activity if you love nature or have a great interest in photography. Probably because I had too much coffee on an empty stomach (or maybe it was just the Luwak coffee), I had a terrible night. And the day after wasn’t any better either. I was vomiting a lot, I puked out almost everything I ate. So very glad Matt was there to take care and accompany me all the way back. I was later diagnosed with food poisoning after a visit to the doctor back at home. It was truly an unfortunate way to end my trip but Bali will always have a place in my heart.
