Eat. Pray. Love.

We’re finally figuring it out. It’s like when they realised it was going to be too expensive to actually build cyborgs and robots, the costs of that were impossible so they decided to just let humans turn themselves into robots. That is what is going on right now. Why not? There are billions of us just laying around, not really doing anything. We don’t cost anything. We’re even pretty good at self-maintenance and reproducing constantly. And as it turns out, we’re already biologically programmed for our little cyborg upgrades. When you hear that ding on your inbox you get <g data-gr-id="111">like </g>a dopamine rush in your brain. It’s like we’re being chemically rewarded for allowing ourselves to be brainwashed. How evil is that? We’re living life, but not really living it as there’s no real interaction.

We should be <g data-gr-id="138">winging</g> it, you know? To explore, make perspectives, to want to be well-travelled and the good news is that it would teach us to feel stuff and we’ve got to hold on to that. To feel what we remember and to not remember what we once felt. I just think that there are so many things that we could be doing and probably want to be doing that we’re just not, as we’re living life through a screen than being a part of it. That’s what travel does to us, there’s no time limit, there’s no rule to this thing. We can stop whenever we want; we are able to learn to change for the better. We can make the best or the worst of it and we must hope to make the best of it. To hope to see things that startle us, to feel things we’ve never felt before, to be able to meet people with a different point of view.

A place full of excitement, spontaneity, and adventure, where we can actually cut loose and be ourselves is Bali, as it has plenty to offer. “Kuta” is the central point for tourism in Bali. It’s crowded, but you feel engaged out there. Though it could be a dirty noisy party town at night, and there is probably nothing about Balinese authenticity you would find <g data-gr-id="142">there,</g> if one loves interaction, socialising, and blending in with the crowd then, “Kuta” would be the place for you! It is that part of town that never sleeps. It’s a wonderful place for crashing into waves, surfing on them unsteadily until you’re swallowed, engaging in water sports, taking a cruise, getting tattooed by the locals under palm trees, building sand castles and imprinting memories in the sand as the sunset begins. Tourists can take surfing lessons at the Odysseys Surfing School. It’s quite a challenge, but a fun one to overcome. 

There are plenty of cafes and restaurants on the road with locals offering massages and spa invitation! I mean, come on, how bad could it be? This place offers you the pleasure of living and Starbuck’s is always just around the corner. “Seminyak”, located a little north of Kuta, is where one can find luxury spas and boutiques. There are also some good craft and furniture shops one can explore along the street. The Deus Ex Machina, the temple of enthusiasm is also a popular destination which is hard to describe, it’s like a store but is also much more than that, it’s a restaurant, a café, a surfer’s paradise - it is mixture of a perfect combination.

“Sanur” is a place for the old souls to rest, to rent a villa, or buy a house. For the older folk to walk down the beach first thing in the morning, or late at noon, putting forth perspectives, analysing life and feeling the importance of moments that are right now, Jazz music is regularly played and hangs in the air, giving a breathing room for the spirit. It has a great ambiance. What would make 

tourists excited is that there are several breakfast spots in Sanur. The Porch and Bread Basket and the Weekend Beach Market hosted by the Tandjung Sari Hotel on Friday nights is a place where traditional food carts selling traditional Indonesian food is served to customers, are also treated to lively live music. Another activity to enjoy while staying in Sanur is cycling around the beach! If you plan on visiting Bali in the summer, during July maybe, you’d want to make plans for the annual International Kite Festival which is held at Padang Galak Beach, which is a bit north of Sanur.

“Nusa Dua” is another interesting area in Bali where the luxury hotels lie, entertaining honeymooners and those who bring children and the entire family! The beaches here are glorious with white sand and are safe for swimming too. Nusa Dua Block, where deluxe hotels and restaurants are located, has a venue for international conferences and meetings, keeping a strict security system held together. The Pasifika Museum would be a place of leisure and comfort for art lovers as they would be exposed a lot of paintings and sculpture. Even for those who don’t know art, they may learn to appreciate what they see. An infamous spot in Bali is “Canggu”, which is actually a small village beside the beach with rice fields. Canggu is famous for the best pork ribs one could possibly find in Bali, it’s called Naughty Nuri’s!

If you’re seeking inner peace, cleansing of the body, mind and soul, you’d be going to “Ubud” which has something to do with the spa, the yoga, the meditation, the art, the rice paddle, the feel of the place to make one forget about daily routines and monotony. A favourite <g data-gr-id="149">dinning</g> place for many in “Ubud” with its reviews and recommendations is the Café Wayan and Bakery which serves a tasty strawberry <g data-gr-id="150">cheese cake</g>. Believe it or not, this is the famous Cafe Wayan that was in the movie Eat Pray Love! If you’re going to dine in Cafe Wayan & Bakery, do look for the outdoor seat at the back side of the yard. Ask for a table at the back by the small fish pond and do sit on cushions, not at the tables and you’ll find yourself relaxing and even taking a nap. Ubud also has the Antonio Blanco Museum, named after the founder, Don Antonio Blanco that prizes over so many of its paintings that showcase exotic naked art. <g data-gr-id="103">Yes</g> there is a lot of nudity there.

A place to keep you on your toes is the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, which is a real experience, as monkeys are everywhere, swinging through in the banyan trees, pestering visitors, ordering for peanuts and bananas. There are some temples and a graveyard too, so do go figure! “Padang Bai”, also known as the “Blue Lagoon”, is a small town on the eastern side of Bali where there’s a port for travel to Lombok which is a snorkeling zone. The colour of the ocean is blue as one see’s in pictures. The view from up above is magnificent and breathtaking; tourists just don’t want to go home. 

“Lovina” should be on everyone’s list as beautiful sunsets are on display. One must make time to witness the “dolphin show”; it’s amazing how intelligent they are. Visitors are also allowed to swim with them and even have a chance to be kissed by them. Diving is allowed too! “Jimbaran” is famous for dinners at the seashore with fresh coconut water and seafood being served. For “foodies” and tired <g data-gr-id="275">travelers</g> there are plenty of restaurants lined up on the beach and so one definitely shouldn’t miss out on the traditional Balinese dishes! The most popular are Babi Guling (suckling pig) and Nasi Campur Ayam which consist of white rice, Balinese shredded chicken, vegetables, minced fish satay, peanuts, chicken skin and a slice of boiled egg. The Balinese chili with onions tastes “<g data-gr-id="280">authetic</g>”.

However, there is also a great amount of western food available, which is also inviting. Well, this would be quite funny, especially for tourists to hear that Bali is not used to having public transportation. However, there is a <g data-gr-id="307">city-bus</g> called “Trans Sarbagita” which takes one to the ins and outs of <g data-gr-id="305">Bali,</g> though it’s always better to rent a car or motorbike.

With Bali, there are always moments to capture, it’s a busy town and one is always on the run with plenty to do. Sometimes it is not just about seizing moments; it’s about giving moments the opportunity to seize you.