Well, it’s been a while since my last update in The Journey #14, but they will be coming thick and fast from now on. Life is moving quickly now – this website is growing, and I have trips coming up that will be bringing many new and exciting destinations for me to blog about. That started this past week with a few nights away at a wonderful little Eco Resort in Tabanan.
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Now, this eco resort in Tabanan is a place that I probably never would have considered going. Usually. Firstly because as much as I love the concept of Eco Resorts, they just aren’t my thing. I will happily trek through a jungle to a waterfall, or hike up a mountain. But to stay in the jungle just isn’t my idea of fun. Probably due to being a boy scout when I was a kid and waking up to one too many spiders or snakes in my tent!
Yes, that did happen more than once. That’s camping in Australia for you.
So finding myself booking 3 nights at this eco resort in Tabanan was a bit of a change for me. And guess what? I very much enjoyed it!
Kusfarm Bali Eco Resort in Tabanan
So where is this resort? It’s called Kusfarm Bali, and they can be found in a beautiful location, not too far off the main road, with a river running right by their back door. They grow all of their own produce, and the bungalows that you can book are really nice without being too extravagant. I personally think they have really managed to strike a nice balance between “almost” luxury, while still keeping to the eco resort thinking.
When I arrived there were a few hiccups with my room, but the staff really came to the fore and bent over backward to get me settled. These sorts of things are still happening everywhere in Bali, and probably worldwide, as travel gets started again, and resorts open up more and more rooms to guests.
I won’t even BEGIN to go over some of the issues that we have encountered around the island in the past 2 years. In some places we have stayed, we were the only guests in 9 months. Sometimes even longer. So things got a little “rusty”. On the other side of the coin, we have been happy to stay in these places and help the locals out, so that never really bothered us. Our favorite place at Munduk only had us and a couple of other frequent guests that pretty much kept them going over the pandemic. Now, they are constantly booked out!
The other reason that I would never normally see myself booking into an eco resort in Tabanan, is because, as you all know, I simply don’t need accommodation in Bali. I already have my own. So for me to head away and even check this place out meant that I figured it was worth it. And it was!
So if you are in Bali, and want to just get away and relax, hibernate and get a little back to nature, then give Kusfarm Bali at Tabanan a thought. There are only about 10 Bungalows, and you really feel the peace when you are there. Honestly, for 3 days my best friends were a couple of frogs, two rather large local geckos, and about 30 Koi in the pond outside my front door!
Next Stop – Penang!
Ok, so the heading gave it away. But yes, in a couple of days I am heading to Penang, Malaysia.
Now, when you have lived in Bali for nearly 3 years, you aren’t exactly longing for tropical beaches. You literally see them every day. But my visa is coming to an end, and I had to begin thinking about what I am going to do next. I need to keep growing my blog, and after nearly 100 articles about Bali, I need to think about moving on.
But not right away. My daughter is coming to Bali next month, so that turns “leaving” Bali into a Visa Run. This means leaving Indonesia, spending some time elsewhere, and coming back in on a new Visa. My first choice was Kuala Lumpur, because I love it there. But then I noticed something.
The flights to KL were via Penang. I have never been to Penang, so I checked out the direct flight prices, and wow! I changed plans and am now flying to Penang for $70AUD and back to Bali 4 days later for $80AUD. So the lesson there is to shop around and check every option. KL (same country as Penang) was going to cost me double!
So if anyone has any tips for what to do in Penang, other than the great Street Art, let me know in the comments below. I will spend my time extensively exploring, and will hopefully be able to write a really good guide with the info that I glean from my visit.
After Penang it’s back to Bali again, but only for a short time. I have a friend coming to visit, and then my daughter. So it’s mostly going to be friends and family time. I can’t wait!
Turkey, The Balkans and Beyond!
Then, it’s off to Turkey! It’s been many, many years since I was in Istanbul, and I can’t wait to see how it’s changed. I was younger then, and mostly just saw the inside of a lot of bars. This time I can’t wait to explore more and really get to know the city. Beyond Istanbul, we will head to Cappadocia, of course, and then do some exploring along the coastline. I really have no plan at the moment, and will go wherever the opportunities arise. That’s the way I like to travel, after all.
From Turkey we are going to do something that I don’t think many have done, and that is winter in the Balkans. I won’t tell you exactly where as yet, as I am still planning it myself. But there are some really great spots that I want to check out, that not many people go to.
Well, that’s it for now. Other than my Eco Resort in Tabanan visit, all of my news is about the future. But that future starts in two days, so hold onto your hats, because the updates will be coming thick and fast!
See you next time in The Journey #16!
J
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