Indonesia

To be more accurate, I should say this is our report on Bali. Though Bali is surely in Indonesia, I am equally sure it is not representative of the country as a whole.

For one thing, Bali is 93% Hindu.  Indonesia, on the other hand, is the world’s largest Muslim country. It is also Indonesia’s biggest tourist destination, and one of the country’s wealthiest regions.

We came to Bali because so many people had recommended it.  We found it a pleasant and affordable place (in the off season) to hang out for about ten days.

When we first arrived we spent a few nights at the Bamboo B&B in Kuta.  The B&B was lovely, but we found Kuta to be loud, crowded and busy.  We decided to look for a quieter place to settle in for a while.

We considered both Ubud and Sanur before settling in the Swastika Bungalows in Sanur.  It proved to be a good choice.

During our time in Bali, the kids continued to get a lot of schoolwork done (albeit poolside).

Still, we had the chance to explore the south side of the island, including:

• A couple of day trips to Ubud, the spiritual and artistic capital of Bali, a destination made famous in the bestselling book Eat, Pray, Love.
• A visit to the Bali Bird Park – taxi drivers must get a commission for bringing them customers because every taxi we got in wanted to take us there.  Still, it was an interesting chance to see tropical birds.
• The Sacred Monkey Forest, really fun place to visit, observe and feed dozens of mischievous monkeys.
• A sunset dinner on the beach at Jimbaran – by far the most expensive thing we did on Bali, but a really wonderful way to cap off our visit.

For families visiting Bali, I definitely recommend you consider making camp in the town of Sanur.  It’s a quiet town, but there are dozens of restaurants and a gentle beach.

For those looking for a faster pace, the town of Kuta would be the right choice.  It’s full of bars, restaurants and action.

Those on a spiritual quest or focused on arts and culture should consider Ubud (but only if a beach is not important).  There is something very calming indeed about looking out over a Balinese rice field.

Our pictures from Bali are here.