The ever exotic Bali, Indonesia

Indonesia is an interesting country made up of fourteen thousand islands. We were lucky enough to visit Bali, one of the more well-known islands, last month.

Bali, as well as all of Indonesia, is a considered an “emerging market”, that relies heavily upon the tourist industry. Parts of Bali look like this,

parts of Bali look like this,

and sadly, parts of Bali look like this. There was lots of trash.

However, the resort areas were lovely and well maintained. We had a poolside entrance from our room. I highly recommend it!

Swimming was the first order of business, of course.

We spent the rest of the first day checking out the hotel grounds and magnificent views.

The girls love finding fresh plumeria to wear in their hair everyday.

We found a great Indian restaurant in the town for dinner.

And more swimming after dinner, while Matt and I enjoyed this view!

A quick break for a fancy drink.

The next day was more of the same. I loved how this hotel had a sand entry pool.

The girls spent most of each day here digging in the sand, 

and making elaborate sand castles.

We pretty much didn’t leave the resort on our first full day in Bali. Would you leave this paradise?!

Ahhhh, the view from my beach chair. Yes, I was very content. The breeze was so lovely, I never once felt that hot, sweaty beach feeling, and coincidentally got more sun than I meant too. Ooops!

The pool had many different areas, including these water jets. The girls thought this was hilarious!

I also loved the poolside basket the hotel would deliver to your chair, complete with cold and scented washcloths, water bottles, and a cool scented spray. 

The beach wasn’t the greatest for swimming, there was lots of seaweed. It seemed to be more of a beach for water sports.

Each day we looked forward to afternoon tea in the beautiful hotel lobby area.

Fancy drinks and lots of treats were the norm. Yummmm….

In the evening we loved walking this beach side trail that extended the length of the resort area. (This is Nusa Dua beach, a popular beach at the southern most tip of Bali.)

And every so often you would come across a shack surrounded by trash. Such an odd mix of scenery.

There are always a few shrines in Asia! This man was very friendly and welcoming.

Yes, I know this sign has religious significance, and I apologize in advance, but Matt and I joked about it anyway, wondering if they were going to need proof.

And at the end of the trail was this monument.

In the evening we saw a Balinese dance performance right at our hotel.

I didn’t get great pictures, but the costumes were magnificent.

And more swimming to end the night. I’m pretty sure that the swimsuits never completely dried this whole trip.

Up next, a snorkeling trip and Balinese dress-up….