With our Canadian friend, Rene, and a rental car in hand it was time to leave Ubud after two weeks. Our plan was to drive an hour or so to the east to a small village named Sidemen. Sidemen had never been on our radar until Heather decided to get her hair cut in a salon in Ubud the week before. She chatted with a German tourist in the next chair over. “Sidemen is what Ubud was like twenty years ago” he claimed. “Hmmm” she thought, “we were in Ubud twenty years ago and it was pretty cool then”. Upon returning to our guesthouse she started researching. Pictures showed rice terraces surrounded by jungle-clad peaks with Mt. Agung in the background. A smattering of guesthouses and warungs (family-run restaurants) dotted the valley. It was just so . . . tranquil. And very green. And turned out to be exactly like the photos.

The Sidemen valley capped by the volcano – Agung.

The first afternoon was spent admiring the views from our guesthouse terrace. The next day, under threatening skies, we drove towards Mt. Agung, with the intention of driving up the flank of the volcano to see the temple that perched midway. The road climbed, and switch-backed, and narrowed as we ascended. There was no other traffic to be seen. We started to get almost incredulous stares from the locals as we passed by. Perhaps, we thought, not many folks make the drive up here. At times, the road was so steep our little Suzuki SUV would lose traction on the rain-slicked asphalt, only to grab hold and power us upward again. We eventually reached a ticket-seller just below the temple who waved for us to stop. “Fifty thousand rupiah (about $3.50) each person.” Then he carefully read off each of the items that the ticket covered, which were clearly printed, in English, on the face of the ticket: parking at the temple, entrance to the temple itself, a sari to cover our bare legs, access to the selfie spot (!) and the wooden platform (for views over the valley). We paid the fee and then asked if anyone else had visited this day. “Five other tourists. On motorbikes. Already gone.” We would have the temple to ourselves.

I paid for it – I’m gonna wear it. Pura Pasar Agung.

After descending the mountain, we returned to Sidemen for the afternoon. A drink was in order, so we ventured down one of the three roads in the valley until we found what looked like a promising warung, with a vine-covered bar adjacent. The bar overlooked a garden where a farmer tended to her chili plants. The eighteen-year-old bartender, who was incredibly passionate about his craft, proudly boasted of his drink menu. “We use only fresh fruit in season for our cocktails” he claimed. True to his word, we watched him step out from behind the bar to pick fresh passionfruit and mint leaves to craft our margaritas and mojitos. We chatted the entire afternoon, learning about the rice-growing process, his hopes to gain employment on a cruise ship some day, and the toll having a girlfriend took on his school studies.

Cocktails, conversation and chili-harvesting.

The next day we drove more winding mountain roads, passing through rainforest-clad valleys, past coconut palms and banana trees, eventually bursting out of the dense jungle to reach the eastern shore at Candidasa. There were a number of temples to be seen in the area and the possibility of some snorkeling to be done. After checking in to our guesthouse, we opted out of the temple visits and settled for some time lounging by the pool and a little snorkeling in the bay after seeing several turtles come to the surface just off the beach. The snorkeling proved fruitless, however, as we couldn’t spot any turtles and a recent storm had left the water churned up, reducing visibility. We ventured out later for dinner and were rewarded with a stellar sunset (and the largest glasses of wine we’ve seen outside our own home).

Candidasa sunset.

Finally, to complete our eastern Bali road trip, we drove down to Sanur, an old favorite stop of ours near Denpasar. Sanur is a strip of hotels, smaller guesthouses, warungs, hip restaurants (Soul On The Beach is our new favorite) all linked by a seaside promenade and also the speedboats that make the run out to Lembongan, Ceningan and Penida islands. In the past we’ve used Sanur as a base – to spend a week while extending our Indonesian visas, visiting a dentist for check-ups and cleanings or stocking up on supplies before heading out to Raja Ampat in the eastern part of the country. As in the rest of Bali, good value accommodation isn’t hard to find here. We wanted Rene to see the place in case she wanted to spend more time here after we split up in a few days. The next day we’d all be heading over to Penida for three days of exploring that large island and it’s many rugged beaches. But for now, we’d enjoy a pool, a long walk along the promenade and some really good food.

Can you say ‘Coco Loco’? Coconut water mojitos at Soul On The Beach, Sanur.

“What is it about Bali that keeps you returning there?” we are often asked. Our answer is always the same – the people are genuine, warm and friendly; the Balinese Hindu culture is unique; the value of accommodation is unequaled anywhere. Despite becoming ever more increasingly popular since our first visit back in 1998, those qualities have remained unchanged in the ensuing years. Each and every time we visit (this trip marks our sixth) we marvel at the people, food, architecture and spirit. Our go-to spot has become Ubud, in the central highlands, a cultural and artistic center for the island. People are drawn to the yoga centers, the fantastic artwork on display and sale and the profusion of cool and hip cafes and restaurants. Ubud suffers some from its popularity, however. Traffic is appalling. The sidewalks are too narrow and falling into disrepair. The key, we’ve found, is to find a guesthouse just outside town, amongst the rice fields, where the traffic noise and crowds fade away and the serenity of the terraces and forest envelop you. We typically spend a part of each day strolling through town, peeking into temple courtyards, catching a glimpse of families in their holiday dress making offerings, sampling fresh-made coconut ice cream to find which small shop has the best (hands-down it’s Tukies, topped with toasted coconut curls and ground coconut brittle), and maybe enjoying a few cold Bintang beers at a cafe and people-watching. Then we return to our beautiful guesthouse, take a swim in the pool to cool off (it’s so hot and humid just blinking can make you sweat) and relax on our balcony. That’s when Ubud’s real attraction becomes apparent. Swinging in our hammocks, gazing across emerald fields of rice plants, egrets hunting among the paddies for insects, bamboo chimes making soft music, doves cooing in the trees . . . magic.

Peace and quiet outside our Ubud guesthouse

Yes, our guesthouse is literally in the rice fields!

Our plan was to spend a week in Ubud through the Christmas holiday. Two days into that week, we extended our stay for a second. That would take us through the Balinese holiday of Galungun and into the new year. Galungun is a time to celebrate the triumph of good over evil and make offerings to ensure good luck through the next six months (it’s celebrated twice a year). Locals were busy crafting penjors, tall bamboo poles decorated with colorful fabric, paper cutouts, rice panicles (the top of the plant containing the grains) and flowers, which are erected outside each home and business. Groups of kids roam through neighborhoods, some dressed in a mythical lion costume, called a barong, while others bang drums and gongs, collecting donations from onlookers and homeowners who hope to build good karma. What’s amazing to us is that these types of sights and events happen nearly every day in Bali, as it seems nearly every day there’s a reason to celebrate something or other.

Panjors line a street in Ubud during Galungun.

A visit from a barong

Thinking that New Year’s Eve wouldn’t be a big thing on Bali, given that their traditional calender differs from our western one, we couldn’t have been more wrong. The Balinese are crazy about fireworks! Starting just after sundown (7 o’clock) and continuing until well after midnight, the sky was lit up with the colorful starbursts of fireworks in a circle around us. Bursts from as far away as Denpasar to the south could be seen. At midnight, a deafening crescendo of explosions encircled us to ring in the new year. Just to show everyone that they weren’t done, the fireworks started again, albeit briefly, the next morning at sunrise.