Indonesia, Bali - Kicking Sand on the Beach

Many of my friends know that once a year, I will travel to the Indonesian resort island of Bali for a short break to re-charge after one whole year of immersing myself in the rat race in my home country.  :-)

Kicking sand on the beach, Bali, Indonesia (2011)

So why do I travel to Bali so often? The reasons are many. The top 10 reasons for my frequent visits to Bali are:

1. Free Air Tickets. Yes, the air tickets for me were usually "free" except for the usual airport taxes, custom fees and airline surcharges. Throughout the year, I mostly used a single credit card with an airline tie-in. This meant that all my purchases on this credit card earned rewards points which were automatically converted into frequent flyer miles with the tied-in airline. I used my cards for everything from paying for my groceries to paying my recurrent mobile phone and home utility bills. Thus, at the end of each year, I would usually be able to earn enough frequent flyer miles to redeem for a return air ticket from Singapore to Bali!

2. Close Proximity. Flying from Singapore to Bali takes only about 2 hours (plus or minus some extra minutes). Thus, Bali is literally a "short hop" from home for me.

3. Culture. I love Balinese culture. Everything about Balinese culture are so attractive to me. I have watched the famous Balinese Kecak Dance many times before but each time that I watch it, the movements of the dancers never failed to fascinate me. This is but only one part of Bali that I am deeply interested in. There is also the local religion and its rituals, architecture, decorations, art, food and the list goes on and on........

The Barong is a mythical creature in Balinese Folklore, Bali, Indonesia (2011)

4. People. The Balinese people are friendly and accommodating. In my many visits to Bali, I am always able to engage and hold conversations with the local Balinese despite our obvious language and culture differences. The Balinese are so welcoming that you are never truly alone when in Bali.

5. Scenery. Although I seldom travelled out of the comfort of my 5-star accommodations during the past few years of my most recent visits, Bali has a lot to offer in terms of sights and sounds. The island of Bali is really very photogenic, ranging from the rolling rice fields to the high hills. If you are a photography enthusiast like me, you will almost never find  a lack of subjects to photograph when in Bali.

6. Rest and Relaxation. Nowadays, my trip to Bali is all about rest and relaxation. As mentioned in point 5, I seldom travel out of my 5-star accommodations in my recent visits. I usually checked into a premier room in one of the posh hotels with a nice beach front and spent my next few days lazing under the sun, kicking the sand with my feet on the beach, reading the books for which I could never find the time to read while in Singapore, penned an article or two at the hotel lounge, sipped a cocktail in the evenings and dressed in nothing but my bathing suit for most of the days.

White sand beach in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (2015)

7. Food. As a true blue Singaporean, food is always on my agenda. I like spicy food and dishes flavoured heavily with herbs. Thus, I am naturally drawn to Balinese cuisine. Deep fried bebek (duck in the local language) is a favourite for me. Nasi goreng (fried rice) with a sprinkling of squid and shrimps and local chilli paste is another personal favourite. And there is of course that refreshing drink of coconut juice, straight from the fruit itself.

Mee soto (noodle soup), Bali, Indonesia (2015)

Refreshing coconut juice, Bali, Indonesia (2015)

8. Late Night Gym. My 5-star accommodations typically come with a fairly well-equipped gym. After a whole day of lazing around and relaxing my mind, I usually end the day with a late night workout at the hotel's gym. Nothing beats pumping the weights and burning those extra calories before my late night supper.

9. Supper. Whenever I travel, late night supper is a personal routine. I know all about watching the waistline but surely I have more than compensated for that with my punishing gym routine just before my supper. I will usually get myself a cup of warm beverage (this is more often than not just a simple cup of piping hot coffee) and an accompanying cup of instant noodles. Sitting in the dim lights of the balcony of the hotel room while listening to the pounding waves on the beach just metres away with the salty smell of the sea in the air, I am truly enjoying my vacation. There are no stressful meetings waiting for me at the office the next morning and I can sleep in late. Sounds like paradise, doesn't it?

10. Beach Combing. At low tide, I enjoy the activity of beach combing. Looking out for tiny sea creatures and small corals to photograph brought me much joy. And there were always the occasional sea snake swimming lazily in the shallow low tides which never failed to bring up the excitement and amazement levels by several notches. I am after all, a simple person who enjoyed the simple things in life.

Crabs seen during low tide by the beach at night, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (2015)

And there are just 2 more reasons I wanted to add here:

11. Watching the Stars. Lying on the beach in the still of the night and trying to identify the constellations in the night sky is another favourite past time during the nights whenever I am in Bali.

The moon and the stars, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (2011)

12.  Breakfast. I really enjoyed those long breakfast hours at the hotel lounge with newspapers in hand. After all, I do not need to rush for that urgent morning meeting in the office. I am on vacation and I am in Bali!