The Last Resort – Bali

Kuta and Seminyak, Bali in September 2016 (Follow my blog with Bloglovin)

Ever since I can only remember (couldn’t have been more than 5) Bali was an ultimate destination not only for me but also for almost everyone else I knew. An exotic paradise ‘beyond the horizon’ everyone was dreaming about but only very few were lucky enough to actually have a chance to visit. In my imaginative mind, there was no better place in the world. That was IT. Once you’ve arrived in Bali you never left. There was nowhere else to go. There was no need to go anywhere else as no place in the world could ever match Bali. The never-ending sandy beaches, warm crystal clear waters, cooling breeze, super chill. Ultimate happiness. Paradise on Earth. Simply, The Last Resort.

Cannot say I was in much of a hurry to visit Bali. No rush at all. The Last Resort has a sense of finality and I wasn’t quite ready for anything final, not yet. There were still too many things I wanted to do and see. Thus, I put that dream of mine on a low burner marinating in the back of my mind and waited. And waited. And waited. Patiently.

And then … one day … not even sure how and why … I boarded a Tiger Air flight and a couple of hours later woke up from a long, long dream at Denpasar International Airport in Bali. Just like that. 

Kuta, one of the beach and resort areas in Bali, closest to the airport was my first stop. Could sense super laid back atmosphere already in the taxi. Seeing all generations cruising the streets wearing only bathing suits felt kind of refreshing, liberating and very appealing. At first. Then the initial positive feeling changed into somewhat awkward one. Hmmm, bathing suits, surfing boards but where is the beach?  Hadn’t I booked a room in a beach resort I wouldn’t have even known there is supposed to be one. But where is it?

Believe it or not but the beach in Kuta is hidden behind a man-high, Kuta long wall separating it from the rest of the village. Kuta beach resorts are technically no beach resorts at all but hotels closest to the wall. What a bummer. 

Not only Kuta is very laid back but also the people that come here to visit. Not surprisingly most of the visitors are Australians of all ages. After all, Bali has always been and still is a number one destination and party place for vacationing Australians. “Australian Majorca” as we say in Europe.    

As soon as I dropped off my bags in the hotel I went through a small opening in the wall to take a look at my paradise white sandy beach and turquoise warm sea. But there was yet another surprise waiting for me.

White sand wasn’t white at all but black (ish). Bali is a volcanic island and the more North you go (closer to the volcano) the darker it gets. Crystal clear water? Neither clear nor crystal but angry super high waves instead. Rather intimidating. And not a swimmer in sight. Nor any families with small children playing in the sand. People don’t come to Bali to swim or build castles but to surf. Bali is a surfer’s paradise.   

With an exception of shift made beach bars (few plastic chairs and a beer cooler) there are no restaurants or bars along Kuta beach. No panic, I must admit I quite enjoyed the made shift bars. Very laid back and very cheap. Even the beer was properly chilled. Just order one and point to the ‘bartender’ where you want to sit and voila. Have fun and enjoy the sunset.

Unfortunately, all these bars shut down just after the sunset and so does the Kuta beach life. For more, you need to visit one of the hundreds of bars in the village. And this is exactly what people do. All night long.

Perhaps Kuta was a bit too laid back for me after all. The seen of half-naked, overweight, tattoed bodies carrying a beer bottle at all times no matter how nice and friendly becomes somewhat monotonous after a while. I needed to change the scenery. Seminyak beach just about half an hour (or so) stroll away seemed like a good idea so I decided to give it a try.

Kuta and Seminyak are like day and night. And I, quite frankly, prefer Seminyak. Big time. While Kuta beach shuts down at sunset, Seminyak beach begins to fill up with life. Some restaurants, yes real restaurants and bars, don’t even open until 4 p.m. This is the magic hour when sunbeds are gradually being replaced with bean bags. The ‘second shift’ begins.  By 6 p.m. there are hardly any bean bags left. The whole of Bali is on the beach to watch the sunset. 

And the best of all – there is no wall. 

Note: there is also another beach between the two mentioned called Legian which more in Seminyak style rather than Kuta.

While Kuta appears to be more of an Australian ‘outback’ Seminyak has a real European upscale vibe where girls dress up for dinner and guys wear city shorts with loafers. Lovely village, lovely small boutiques selling quality clothing, trendy bars, beach resorts that are actually on the beach and of course the after sunset beach life. The bars stay open as long as there are customers. 

The beach is full of people, either in restaurants/bars under colorful umbrellas, or made shift bars (yes, there are few of them in between the stationary ones) or in nightclubs in one of the beach resorts or on rooftops (yes there are couple) or having a simple family picnic or just taking a stroll on the beach.

Night time is a low tide time. Time to take a stroll on the beach. No matter if you are in love or not, solo or with the company, happy or not you join the crowds for a night beach stroll. Period. The scenery is breathtaking and very romantic. This is the time when newlyweds ‘invade’ the beach for best photoshoot opportunities. The temperature drops down, the sand cools off and looks almost white. Paradise at last?

Sadly the sand shows its real color once you get home and try to wash the sticky crystals off your feet but more often than not end up in bed with a ton of glued sand. But it is worth it. Every single grain. There is nothing like a stroll on the beach at night during low tide. Absolutely magical. 

One of the most popular activities on both beaches that attracts a lot of people is releasing of baby turtles into the sea. Twice a week, in the late afternoon, volunteers from Bali Sea Turtle Society come to the beach with buckets full of newly hatched baby turtles that are to be released into the sea. Letting a life, no matter how small, go free is very special and greatly appreciated by onlookers. 

In no time huge crowds gather eager to help with the releasing process. Sadly, some of the hotels turned the release program into a business project and are now trying to cash in by offering their guests release-baby-turtle-activity.

A beach wouldn’t be a real beach without beach commerce. Bali beaches aren’t any different. Every few minutes a vendor selling hats, bracelets, scarves, sunglasses, beach mats/wear or back rub will approach you with a merchandise offer. Some tourists love to dig into their treasure boxes but most would rather be left in peace. Even though the never-ending no, ‘thank you’ may feel exhausting at times the vendors do bring a lot of color and charm into the scene. Just look at this lady and her hat decorated with merchandise.  Smart, well visible and nothing to pull/carry. 

While Indonesia is officially a Muslim country, in fact, the largest one in the world, Bali is not. The predominant religion is Hinduism. So going to Bali is not that much different from going to Majorca (after all) in terms of dress code, partying and adult beverages.

Bali beaches are not only a backdrop for sun, surf, and fun but also for funerals. Mourners gather on the beach for the ceremony and then sink the ashes somewhere in the sea.  

The Bali of my dreams does not exist. If there is one, it is somewhere else, not in Bali and I am absolutely fine with that. It took me some time but I did find another Bali, without white beaches, without crystal clear water but I like it just the same. I found real Bali, as it is. And who knows, the real Bali may still become my last resort. Eventually.

But first, I’d like to make sure that the ‘Bali’ of my dreams is only a dream. tbc…. In search of retirement paradise. 

p.s. in memory of Peter, the Consultant of Last Resort 

Kuta and Seminyak in pictures