Bali massages are about long strokes and light pressure. Even though they advertised that they were trained in deep tissue, reflexology, Japanese shiatsu, and other forms, it all came down to basic moves up and down the back. We found terrible massages for $2.50 for an hour to the best one for $9! It even included a shower pre and post massage! A daily massage practically was the norm here for us!

We met an Irish retiree, who moved to Bali 7 years ago & had spent only $5000 on rent to date. A US geologist decided to permanently move here 20+ years ago after his company had sent him to Bali on a contract. It got us thinking that we could easily live off of the income from a rental house in Canada. Wonder if we could retire here? Zipping back and forth along the main street, green dilapidated vans honked at you. John barely squeezed into the front s...

Bali is predominantly Hindu with worshippers setting up offerings everywhere - in front of entrances, on their vehicle dash, on altars in homes / businesses / streets / temples, on the shorelines, etc. The smell of incense permeates the air. Because they pray and set up offerings 3x a day, it becomes quite costly. A fair portion of their income goes towards sweets, cigarettes, incense, crackers / food and flowers that make up an offering packet. They take the...

Sanur may have earned its nickname 'Snore' because of its low key, relaxed feel rather than the party scene in Kuta but we loved it! In Australia's reality show, 'What Really Happens in Bali', the stories about Kuta's Poppies Lane are crazy. The antics of schoolies (under 18 yrs old) and Aussies seeking thrills like cliff jumping abound. Motor accidents from drunkenness and drugs are also common. We wanted none of that so we picked Sanur, a place described for...

We left Australia's wet, cold climate for the welcomed relief of Bali's warm, sunny retreats over Term 2 break. We chose 2 main hubs, Sanur and Ubud, to explore from. Daily tours were cheap to visit the other nearby areas. In hindsight, while our experience was beautiful, we should have selected more remote areas, away from tourists, to find black sand beaches, homestays, and more Javanese ceremonies and local foods. Since our haggling skills were a little ru...