In the end of February a friend of mine who I traveled with before tempted me with an irresistible offer to come to Bali with her in March. I gave in to temptation and I was off to Bali on March 2 for 11 days. I’ve never been to Asia before, never mind Bali, so the thought of two new travel firsts was even more exciting. Much like Paris, I believe Bali is a fantasyland that many people dream of going to but with a more exotic nature to it.
The flight was long- seven hours to Doha, Qatar with a three-hour layover and then 9.5 hours to Bali. I left Paris at 9PM and landed the next night in Bali at 10PM. I always find it a bit disconcerting arriving in a foreign place I’ve never been to before at night and during the 40 minute taxi ride mostly on single lane roads clogged with motor scooters and fast food joints and mini-marts, it was difficult to figure out where I was. My hotel was located in the upscale resort beach town, Seminyak. My friend arranged the hotels and locations for most of the trip. The one thing I felt right away was the much-appreciated heat, about 85 degrees Fahrenheit, since it was the tail end of a long Paris winter.
I woke up the next day to sunshine, heat and lots of humidity, close to 80%. My hotel seemed to be on a main road with clothing boutiques, restaurants, cafes, mini-marts, and day spas. I ventured out for breakfast and luckily a café recommended by friends who had been to Bali was a few doors down. Watercress is a throwback to California health food restaurants from the 70’s with mostly vegetarian, organic food and fresh pressed juices. I had a yummy omelet, excellent coffee (Bali consistently had good, strong coffee during my whole stay) and coconut water. I liked Watercress so much with its reasonable prices ($8 for my breakfast including tax and tip), friendly service and easy atmosphere, I went back later that day for lunch.
One thing I always remember people telling me about who have been to Bali is the ridiculously cheap massages and spa treatments. There must have been at least ten spas within the vicinity of the hotel and I had a heavenly 30-minute reflexology treatment to rebalance my body from the jet lag for about $7.
Later that day I moved to the hotel my friend booked, The Seminyak Icon, an all villa hotel, as she was arriving that night from New York. Our villa had a spacious bedroom, a sprawling bathroom the size of my bedroom in Paris and a separate living room/dining area with a full kitchen. The cherry on this already extravagant cake was our own private pool with a canopied daybed lounge. Now I’m not talking about some little wading pool to cool off our feet, I’m talking about a serious pool where you could almost swim laps. So the next few days we alternated between dips in the pool and lounging on the daybed, getting cheap massages, and eating excellent, cheap Asian food. Shivering in the cold in my down coat and wool hat in Paris was all but a distant memory now, as a pair of shorts and T-shirt almost seemed too dressed up.
Our villa- want to come take a swim or lounge on the daybed?
My friend had already been to Bali and had seen most of the tourist attractions, so I hired a car and driver to take me to the famous temples, the mountains with the rice fields and the town of Ubud, which became enormously popular after the film Eat, Pray, Love was shot there and put in on the map.
The scenic drive on narrow roads up the mountains was chaotic and fascinating at the same time as I got an eyeful of the local culture. Our first stop was the famous Tanah Lot Temple. Built in the 1600’s by Danghyang Nirartha, the temple has been part of Bali’s folklore for centuries. Much like Mont Saint Michel, its setting on a rock formation is on the sea and only accessible during low tide. The views of the Indian Ocean from the cliffs of the park area of the temple were stunning.
Next up was a visit to a coffee and tea plantation. I was offered a tray of samples of about 15 different teas and coffees grown from the leaves and coffee beans from the plantation. Their specialty, Luwak coffee, is one of the most expensive coffees in the world, a rare type of coffee not actually made from a traditional coffee beans but from part-digested coffee cherries eaten by civets.
About an hour from the coffee plantation were the Tegallalang Rice Terraces. The multi-tiered grass fields formed an optical illusion when you stared at them from different viewing spots and my camera went wild shooting all the different angles.
Our last stop was the village of Ubud where I hung out with the monkeys at the sacred Monkey Forest and Sanctuary. The mischievous but lovable creatures were in free form in their natural habitat. I refrained from the optional banana feeding but it was fun to watch others feed them and see their reactions.
I spent the evening and half the next day exploring Ubud, returning with my friend for three more days at the end of my trip. Since the 1960s Ubud has been a magnet for artists and later for yoga retreats and laid back, hippie like feeling is present, although certain streets in the downtown area are more commercial with chain shops and a Starbucks. I found hidden treasures such as temples and gardens in the alleyways and side streets away from the center.
I will be back tomorrow with a story about a very special, sacred day in Bali. Stay tuned!
Tanah Lot Temple
Tanah Lot Temple
Eye Prefer Paris Postcards
I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.
Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.
Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or
Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or
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Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store
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Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more. In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.
Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
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