So, this week in THE JOURNEY we can actually begin to celebrate some good news! Bali Travel is Open Again! Yes, Bali has announced their plan to definitely open in the next few weeks, and on top of that, Australia announced intentions to begin a staggered opening of borders. Exciting stuff for a travel blogger! As a result, I decided what better time than now to get some updated articles penned about Nusa Dua, including Nusa Dua guides of where to eat, where to stay, and point out a few hidden gems.
Being a Nusa Dua local, I sometimes forget about my own backyard. I know I can be very guilty of it, and that fact hit me like a freight train this week. I have been all over Bali and written articles about some of the most remote parts of the island, but have limited stuff about Nusa Dua. Today, I began to correct that!
The good news is, that by waiting until now, the articles that are going to be found on my website are up to date with all the post covid details. So much has changed over the past 18 months that many similar articles are simply out of date, with premises moved, closed their doors, or simply just disappeared.
So yesterday I got on the bike and heading around to some of my favorite places to eat, snapping photos and getting hungry. Of course, that’s the downside of going to all these great restaurants and not actually eating there!
I also went for a good walk around the path past all the resorts along the Nusa Dua beachfront. All I can say is WOW, has it changed!
Even though Bali travel is open again, The Bay area of restaurants is looking terrible. They are in such bad shape that they will probably never open again. For long term locals here in Nusa Dua, this is not a bad thing.
A bit of history…
The bay is the area between the two islands at Nusa Dua. It used to be a park for the locals, with a nice grassy area for picnics and a beautiful little beach. It was basically the only area that locals could relax and enjoy the beach amongst all the big resorts that have robbed them of everything else. Then, along came “The Bay” and built expensive restaurants and beach clubs, taking away from the locals the only thing they really had left.
So, needless to say, the fact that Covid has killed The Bay is not lost on the locals as a pretty piece of Karma.
Anyway, in the words of the great Sean Connery, “Here endeth the lesson.”
Beyond The Bay, it was great to see tourists coming back to the resorts along the strip, with more than expected numbers turning out at the Melia, Laguna and Westin in particular. I took a few snaps and headed back to my bike at Mengiat Beach.
From there I headed off to a couple of other locations before finally stopping at Geger Beach, my favorite beach in the Nusa Dua area. I love it there because it’s quiet, non-touristy, and you can have a beer and club sandwich for “Kuta” prices. I had it practically to myself, and ended up sitting for a few hours, enjoying the sun, sand and ocean breeze as I emptied quite a few Bintang bottles.
So that’s my tip for the day. Geger Beach. If you are in the Nusa Dua area and want to chill out and relax at the beach “Kuta Style”, then get on down and check it out.
As for now, I have just put the finishing touches on my first two new Nusa Dua articles, and will be starting work on more articles over the weekend. Keep an eye out for them early next week.
Now that Bali Travel is open again, all is beginning to look up for the Island of the Gods!
Cheers
J
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