bali, indonesia: kuta beach.

During my vacation to Southeast Asia I spent only 24 hours in Malaysia and then boarded a plane for Indonesia. As soon as I arrived at the airport in Bali I took a cab to my hotel on Poppies Lane II, threw down bags, and began to explore the area around Kuta Beach. It only took a few hours to appreciate the rich culture, beauty, and simplicity of the island. The next 3 days were spent lying in the sun, learning to surf, riding a moped along the coastline, shopping in alleyways lined with souvenirs, hanging out with Paul, reading books by the pool, enjoying western food at fancy restaurants, and exploring the city. I found that there are no dull moments in paradise.


this is what $20 a night will get you in indonesia.


the view from my hotel balcony and the place i ate banana pancakes every morning.

“I woke up fairly early this morning in a spacious hotel room with a balcony over-looking wing-tipped Balinese rooftops. I now feel rested and re-energized and ready to enjoy my surroundings. Everything is so beautiful here…the sky, the ocean, the people, the sounds. It’s too much to take in. I must be dreaming. This morning I sat on an oversized futon full of pillows at a street side café, drank rich balinese coffee, ate eggs and bacon, and watched the surfers tackle the morning waves. It’s easy to understand why so many people travel to Bali every year, and why many of them choose to never leave. The laid-back feel of this place is intoxicating. After breakfast I met up with Paul, a friend from Seoul who is also vacationing in Bali. We rented a moped and spent a couple of hours driving along the coastline to Seminyak and Legian. It felt amazing to whiz through neighborhoods and back streets lined with locally owned shops and restaurants and to see people in a more natural environment. This whole island seems to move so slowly. The culture shines through in everyday life. Outside of nearly every home and shop are prayer-offerings left for gods carefully crafted out of bamboo leaves and flowers. Temples are around nearly every corner. Tanned children play and run barefoot in the street. It doesn’t seem possible that a place like Bali can exist on the same earth as a fast-paced, consumer driven city like Manhattan or Tokyo. After our moped ride Paul and I ate dinner at a fancy, western-owned nightclub/outdoor restaurant and watched the sunset over the ocean. Following a meal of pasta and swordfish we enjoyed an hour-long foot massage that set us back $4. Now I am once again in my hotel room…clean, relaxed, and ready for bed. I love knowing that tomorrow when I wake up I will still be in paradise.” –July 28, 2008


kuta beach.


riding the waves.


packing up the boards for the day.


relaxing at sunset.


one of hundreds of women trying to sell junk on the beach.


bali is a surfer's paradise.

“It’s another simply perfect day on one of the world’s most beautiful islands. Nowhere to be and nothing to do. I spent a bit of time laying on the beach this morning and after feeling sufficiently tan for the day I wandered around Poppies Lane I in search of new dresses and postcards to send home. I am in Bali, Indonesia now. It’s still hard to believe. I am so far from home (both Texas and Korea) and I feel so perfectly content and happy. I just finished drinking a fruit smoothie made with pineapples, mangoes, and papayas and eating a chicken sandwich. I’m sitting on oversized cushions only feet away from the ocean. This place is pure bliss…I can’t say it enough. I don’t even know what to do with myself now. Take a nap? Read a book? Grab a cup of coffee? I love that these are the most difficult decisions that I face today. It’s only 4 pm now but already the sun is hanging lower in the sky. Life is moving more slowly as the day comes to an end. Just another day in paradise…”
–July 29, 2008

Next stop: Ubud, Indonesia