The original article was published by Escape.com.au. Read HERE.
Writer: Jenny Hewett
A few months before the pandemic, I climbed Mount Batur volcano at sunrise with a Balinese priest. “Every day, I sing to the sun, and in my heart I sing a mantra,” said Mangku Kunawaaran, with more philosophical clout than the Dalai Lama.
The then 38-year-old grabbed a guitar from a small hut on the summit. As the sun cracked open, he sat serenading it with nature-themed hits – Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire and John Denver’s Country Road. It left an indelible mark on me. This was my last memory of Bali before the world changed.
Three years later, Bali too has risen, incense blazing. When the island reopened earlier this year, I hopped on one of the first flights in April and returned in August to a different destination.
Colour and energy now radiate from Seminyak and Ubud, which were both lifeless the previous visit. Walk down Eat Street (Jalan Oberoi) in Seminyak or Jalan Pantai Berawa in Canggu and you’ll find new burger, dumpling and ramen joints and local labels selling jewellery, linen and active wear. The beach bars in Legian are in full swing and its live-music scene is thriving.
Bali has recovered with grace and gusto. Cafés are buzzing with tourists and Gojeks zip past on mopeds picking up orders to deliver to the healthy or hungover at villas and hotels. On the Bukit, where the surf is still as good as it gets, locals and expats are learning how to not drop in on each other and can often be heard complaining about the “macet” (traffic). There’s a strong line-up of international gigs on the cards, too, with Rufus Du Sol and Diplo both scheduled for DJ sets next month.
This is the comeback that Bali and lovers of the island have been waiting for. From forward-thinking stays to wood-fired eats and state-of-the-art healing sanctuaries, discover the “sama-sama, but different” Bali.
CULTURAL KUDOS
Canggu might be attracting tourists in tattooed droves, but Indonesian-owned Hotel Tugu (Batu Bolong) is a coming home to heart. Owned by one of the archipelago’s most prolific antiques collectors, this colourful art stay contains relics that date back to the 12th century, including the ruins of a 300-year-old reconstructed Chinese temple from Java.
