Travel Bits: June 2023

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Spontaneous vacation...... 


Due to my fast expiring air miles which had already been repeatedly extended out of goodwill by the airline company because of the COVID pandemic from 2020 to 2022, I realised I have to quickly book a trip by this month or I will lose those previous air miles. I don't actually have to travel within the month but need to get the booking confirmed.

And because I am no big spender or frequent flyer, I only have enough air miles for a regional return-flight ticket. Best option? Bali, of course! I have two travel windows available for the trip. December 2023 or April 2024. Debating with myself, I argued that traveling in December will be expensive due to the year-end peak travel season and local school holidays. So, I checked out several hotel websites on accommodation prices for both December 2023 and April 2024. To my surprise, the accommodation prices are similar for both periods and still reasonable, at least in my economic context. Just for the record, I am not aspiring to stay at some motels or hostels. Not that there is anything wrong with doing so but I wanted to pamper myself a bit and go a little more upmarket. 

My usual accommodation in all my previous Bali vacations were in the Nusa Dua area. This time, I wanted to experience something different. For this week-long trip, I decided to book a 3-night stay in the Jimbaran area. Why? Because I still love the beach and sea. Hence, besides Nusa Dua, Jimbaran Bay seems to be the next best location for a beach-escapade in Bali. I personally find the Kuta area a bit too loud while Seminyak does not seem so traditional Balinese to me.

The next 3-nights of my vacation will be spent in the hills and padi fields, away from the beach and sea. Ubud! Despite having vacationed in Bali almost every year since 2003, except for 2020 and 2021, I have only once stayed in a hotel in Ubud. And that's way back in 2003 during my first ever Bali trip! After such a long absence, I will be back in Ubud and looking forward to spending 3 quiet and restful days amongst the hills, padi fields and villages to catch up on my readings and writings.

And if any one of you are wondering which accommodations I have chosen, I will be staying at the Intercontinental Bali in Jimbaran Bay and Kalyana Resort in Ubud. My stay in the Intercontinental will come wth Club Lounge access while in Ubud, I have booked a one-bedroom villa with private pool. Not too shabby for a year-end vacation to pamper myself and to wrap up my travels for 2023, right?

Kite, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (2022)


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