bali.

i had an incredibly enchanting weekend in the very beautiful Bali, Indonesia. it was one of those moments that left me wondering why on earth i left Southeast Asia in the first place?! England is such a hole in comparison! and to think that after spending 10 years in this region, i've only visited a handful of places. the natural beauty, the people; their generosity, cheerfulness and craftsmanship, the FOOD and spiritual satisfaction left me in complete awe. all this while i thought that the Thai were probably the most friendly and welcoming people i had come across but the Balinese are equally (if not more) inviting. i could honestly live there forever, in my own little hut right on the beach, indulging in fresh, grilled seafood every night with chilled coconut water (i'd of course take occasional trips back into the city as we all know i cannot live without my tall buildings and bustling crowds). my trip consisted mainly of an abundance of sightseeing temples, palaces, forests and markets and here is a little glimpse of all things Bali:

fresh seafood dinner on the first night on a cliff by the sea in Tanah Lot

infamous Bali stone carvings at Le Meridien in Tanah Lot (where we stayed for the first two nights)

my room from the outside at Le Meridien

the golf course at Le Meridien, on macro mode

the Tanah Lot Temple in the distance, from Le Meridien

white stone carvings that you can find in almost every street in Bali

chickens! and little chicks that were too fast for me to capture

i fell in love with this little old man who very enthusiastically posed for me when i asked him for a photo

the Sacred Monkey Forest Sactuary

the temple inside the Sacred Monkey Forest Sactuary

the Ubud Palace

the Ubud Palace

stone carvings at the Ubud Palace

market by the Ubud Palace

Balinese cultural dance on the beach

fresh seafood dinner on the beach at Jimbaran; probably the best seafood i have ever eaten in my entire life!

ah, a relaxing little hut on a cliff overlooking the sea at Le Meridien

the main entrance of Le Meridien

religious offerings: they had these all over the place in Bali; flowers and others in flat, banana leaf boxes

a religious procession taking place at the Tanah Lot Temple

market by the Tanah Lot Temple

the Tanah Lot Temple

the Tanah Lot Temple

colourful! at the market outside the Tanah Lot Temple

the Taman Ayun Temple in Ubud
the Taman Ayun Temple in Ubud

a random street in Bali

the view from outside my room at Bali Handara; a hotel and golf course up on the hills (where we stayed on our last night)

the view from outside my room at Bali Handara

pretty, pretty colours; at the Garuda Wisnu Cultural Park

the ginormous Garuda at the Garuda Wisnu Cultural Park

the ginormous Wisnu at the Garuda Wisnu Cultural Park

right outside the airport in Denpasar

a beautiful, beautiful sunset in the sky on my way back to KL