Indonesia

We arrived in Osaka yesterday morning from three and a half very relaxing days in Bali. We spent our first two days in Ubud - a town in the middle of the island set amongst rice paddies and forests - and the last day and a half on the beach in Nusa Dua.

In Ubud, we stayed at the Alam Jiwa, a charming little hotel on the outskirts of the town. Not only was it a really great deal (in an area where everything was pretty cheap), but also boasted incredibly friendly staff (though pretty much everyone we met was friendly and outgoing). We took much advantage of their affiliated spa and each had a massage (only $15/hour!) every day we were there.
While not enjoying the spa, we wandered around the town, taking in some of the scenery. Though it rained (hard!) every day we were there, it was only for a little while and actually added to the atmosphere. There was water absolutely everywhere - even little channels running through our hotel - and the sound was actually pretty relaxing.

Rice Paddies in Ubud

We also made two visits to the monkey forest where you can get up close with long-tailed macaques (we had to go back as feeding monkeys turns out to be a great way to spend part of your birthday). There were literally hundreds of monkeys in the sanctuary and they were all crazy for the mini-bananas that you can buy from women at the entrance. Its captivating to watch them peel and eat bananas with their little hands and I think we probably would've gone back a third time if we had spent longer in Ubud. Photos don't really do them justice, so I've also included two videos below.

Monkeying around on my birthday

Monkey and Mom

Initially we had planned to only stay in Ubud, but after seeing a report on the new St. Regis Resort in Nusa Dua, we decided it would be an excellent way to spend the night of my birthday and became Nicole's present to me (for anyone considering a trip, there's also some great deals to be had right now). We were certainly glad we decided to split our time as Nusa Dua was a really different. but equally wonderful, part of Bali and the hotel was fantastic too (they were nice enough to let us stay until we had to leave for our 1AM flight). We made sure to take full advantage of the beach and pool and probably spent at least half of our time there just lounging outside and also enjoyed a birthday dinner on the beach. Most of the time, we felt like it was just us, which was probably helped by the small size of the resort, but also by the fact that they're only 50% full right now (maybe that AIG-effect in action?).

Beach at Nusa Dua

Lounging by the Pool

All-in-all a great and laid-back few days!