Life in Bali is imbued with rituals – religious, spiritual and social; complicated and simple – from consulting the Balinese calendar to the daily offerings of incense and flowers made at Hindu and Buddhist temples. Which is why I learnt the art of making offerings in Ubud Every afternoon here at our home in Tumbak Bayuh, … Read more
Each day Desak and Kuman, the cook and housekeeper at our villa at Tumbak Bayuh, consult the Balinese calendar hanging on the kitchen wall. When Kiki, the villa manager, suggests we try to see a traditional ceremony while we’re on Bali, she heads inside to check the complicated almanac. While we naturally have difficulty deciphering … Read more
“Hello! Hello!” two skinny little kids call out as they peek from behind a dilapidated brick wall, a short distance down the lane from our villa in the tiny village of Tumbak Bayuh, Bali. “Hello!!!” we shout back and the kids smile shyly and scurry away. Opposite, at the entrance to another home, a young woman … Read more
This authentic bubur ayam recipe makes the traditional Indonesian congee with chicken and shredded omelette that is a classic local breakfast, a Balinese version of the region-wide congee or rice porridge dishes with which Asian food lovers will be familiar. This bubur ayam recipe that I learned to make from a local here in our … Read more
Bali, a true Surfer’s Paradise. When I was a kid starting to surf in Australia, on the Sunshine Coast (no, not the Gold Coast) in Queensland, Bali was a mythical destination. Surfers would return from Indonesia with tales of epic surf, friendly locals and cheap beer. They would also come back with the scars to … Read more