The Family Trip To Bali

And somehow the strongest impression I have is how narrow the roads were, so narrow that every car slowed down to a crawl. The trip to Bali was filled with car rides. Lots of them, from one point to another, for a long time. After five visits, it seemed like Bali had lost its charm. 

Now let's look back a bit. Bali was my wife's idea. The last time she went to Bali was 15 years ago. Since the kids also hadn't been there before, it sounded like a good idea. Yani did the itinerary, Linda chose the hotel in Seminyak (Courtyard by Marriott), and the rest of us tagged along. When I said the rest of us, I meant my mum and brother, too. Yani suggested we meet up in Bali.

Yani, Audrey and Linda, posing before our flight to Bali.

So there we were, arriving first on Tuesday noon. Ngurah Rai International Airport looked rather grand, but the design was kind of odd. It was quite glaring that the whole stretch of autogates was almost unused while the foreigners, us included, flocked to the center for manual passport stamping. The system was clearly not working here.

Anyway, after about an hour and a half, we collected our luggage and took Grab to Ubud. We spent about one hour and 48 minutes to get to Maya Ubud Resort and Spa, the first of many long hour rides we'd have. We checked in, rested a bit and it was time for dinner. Had our meal at Pison Coffee, a delicious fried rice for me, and that was it for the day!

Taking a break after exploring the paddy fields.

The next day began with Tegalalang, the famous terraced rice fields. It looked beautiful, but going up and down the paddy fields was challenging. I was worried about Audrey and very relieved when the excursion was over. By the time we left around 10:18 AM, the weather was already hot and humid.

Bali Pulina was a more relaxed destination. It was basically a quick, educational trip to hear about luwak, and then it was time for its coffee. I ordered lupis, too, because it reminded me of BL when he queued and bought it for us during our trip to Yogyakarta. The one in Bali wasn't as nice, though. 

Audrey at Bali Pulina.

From there, we went to Sari Dewi and checked out the silver collection, because that's what you do when you're in Ubud, a place renowned for its art and craft. Then it was time for lunch at Bebek Tepi Sawah, where we literally ate ducks next to the rice fields.

The long commute began right after that. The driver and I dropped Yani and the kids at the hotel, a short but badly jammed journey, then we made our way down to the airport. All in all, we spent almost three hours on the road. It was already evening when I picked up my mum and brother, so we had dinner at Pandaloka Signature, a Chinese restaurant. It was nine o'clock by the time we returned to Maya Ubud. After a quick catch-up between grandchildren and grandma, we called it a night.

At Maya Ubud, after we checked out.

The following day began with a visit to the Ubud Art Market and then Ubud Palace. The response was lackluster. Mum wasn't keen on bargaining, and Yani was sweating profusely at the market. We had a late breakfast at Ibu Rai and almost didn't make it to Kayana. I suggested that even though we were still full, perhaps we could share the meal and nibble. Turned out that the pork ribs at Kayana were the highlight of Balinese cuisine. They were the best.

It rained heavily while we were there. We returned to Maya Ubud to collect our luggage and headed to Seminyak. It was another three hours through many, many narrow roads. It suddenly hit me that at the rate we were going, I wasn't sure if I liked Bali anymore. But Seminyak did help a bit. The vibrant vibe of it suited me better than the quiet, mystical Ubud. After we finished eating at Ambermoon Restaurant, my brother and I headed to Hard Rock Cafe and Hotel. Finally, something that excited me! The Rock Shop for Hotel Collection was huge!

Seminyak Beach.

The next morning started slow and near. We had a solid breakfast, then headed to Seminyak Beach. It didn't seem to be as crowded as it should be. Good for us, but wasn't good for the locals that relied on tourism. And we certainly didn't contribute much, apart from paying IDR 100K for a pair of beach loungers with umbrellas. And the heat! We soon made our way to Nook for lunch. 

Lunch at Nook was fine. The place was quite funky. Then it was shopping time at Krisna Sunset Road, but the one that caught my attention was the cash registers. They were still running on Windows XP! Once Mum was done, most of us returned to the hotel. Yani accompanied Linda to check out the thrift store, only to discover that it didn't open. The day eventually ended with the visit of my cousin Dewi and dinner at Dua Sisi, a restaurant nearby. 

When Dewi came visiting.

Last effective day in Bali began with a breakfast with another cousin, Andreas. I last saw him in 2022, when I visited Bali for Dewi's wedding. Always nice to hang out with him again, though both he and Dewi did mention the deteriorating charm of Bali. It just wasn't what it used to be. 

Around noon, we visited Lestari, a proper thrift store that Linda liked. But the shopping ended prematurely because her mum decided it was time to go, haha. We headed to Jimbaran where we had seafood at Lia Cafe. The beach was sad, but at least the food was decent. It was here that Linda declared she liked Koh Samui better than Bali. The weather, especially. Koh Samui was breezy and cooling, everything Bali wasn't.

With my brother Herry in Jimbaran. 

We went to GWK after lunch, but then Yani decided that we wouldn't have enough time for sightseeing as we needed to go to Uluwatu immediately to watch Kecak Dance. The dance was not Phantom of the Opera, but it got better after the appearance of Hanuman. If not for the monkey god, it wouldn't be entertaining at all. It was already dark when the dance finished, so we had dinner at Warung Laota, but not the one in Jimbaran. It was full house, hence we visited the one in Tuban instead.

And that brought me to the question from my wife: "How's the trip?" We had two family trips this year, and I'd say I loved the visit to Perth better. The experience was entirely new. Bali was... tiresome. I think my wife had done her best, but between the weather and the time spent in the car, Bali failed to meet my expectation. The only saving grace was our time together as a family. It was precious, a brilliant moment courtesy of my wife...

Trip Keluarga Ke Bali

Entah mengapa, kesan terkuat tentang Bali kali ini adalah betapa sempitnya jalanan di sana, begitu sempitnya sampai-sampai setiap mobil harus berjalan sangat pelan. Kita selalu duduk di dalam mobil. Sangat sering, dari satu titik ke titik lain, dalam waktu yang lama. Setelah kunjungan kelima ini, rasanya Bali mulai pudar pesonanya.

Mari kita kilas balik sedikit. Bali adalah ide istri saya. Terakhir kali ia ke Bali adalah 15 tahun yang lalu. Karena anak-anak juga belum pernah ke sana, kedengarannya seperti ide yang bagus. Yani menyusun rencana perjalanan, Linda memilih hotel di Seminyak (Courtyard by Marriott), dan kami hanya ikut saja. Yang saya maksud dengan "kami" termasuk ibu dan saudara laki-laki saya juga. Yani menyarankan agar kami bertemu saja langsung di Bali.

Yani, Audrey dan Linda, di pesawat menuju Bali.

Jadi, kami tiba lebih dulu pada Selasa siang. Bandara Internasional Ngurah Rai terlihat cukup megah, tapi desainnya agak aneh. Sangat terlihat mencolok bahwa seluruh deretan auto-gate hampir tidak digunakan, sementara turis asing—termasuk kami—berkerumun di tengah untuk stempel paspor manual. Sistemnya jelas tidak berjalan di sini.

Setelah antri di imigrasi sekitar satu setengah jam, kami mengambil bagasi dan naik Grab menuju Ubud. Butuh waktu sekitar satu jam 48 menit untuk sampai ke Maya Ubud Resort and Spa—perjalanan panjang pertama dari sekian banyak perjalanan berjam-jam yang akan kami lalui. Kami check-in, istirahat sejenak, dan tibalah waktu makan malam. Kami makan di Pison Coffee; nasi goreng yang lezat untuk saya, dan selesailah hari itu!

Bersantai sejenak setelah menyusuri Tegalalang.

Hari berikutnya dimulai dengan Tegalalang, sawah terasering yang terkenal itu. Pemandangannya indah, tapi naik-turun pematang sawah cukup menantang. Saya mengkhawatirkan Audrey dan merasa sangat lega ketika aktivitas itu berakhir. Saat kami pergi sekitar pukul 10:18 pagi, cuaca sudah panas dan lembab.

Bali Pulina adalah destinasi yang lebih santai. Intinya hanya edukasi singkat tentang luwak, lalu tiba waktunya untuk mencicipi kopinya. Saya juga memesan lupis yang mengingatkan saya pada BL saat ia antri dan membelikannya untuk kami saat kita berlibur di Yogyakarta. Namun, yang di Bali ini rasanya tidak seenak itu.

Audrey di Bali Pulina.

Dari sana, kami pergi ke Sari Dewi dan melihat-lihat koleksi perak, karena itulah yang biasa dilakukan saat di Ubud, tempat yang terkenal dengan seni dan kerajinannya. Lantas tiba waktunya untuk makan siang di Bebek Tepi Sawah, di mana kami benar-benar makan bebek di pinggir sawah.

Kemacetan panjang dimulai tepat setelah itu. Saya dan sopir mengantar Yani serta anak-anak ke hotel—perjalanan pendek tapi macet parah—lalu kami menuju bandara. Secara keseluruhan, kami menghabiskan hampir tiga jam di jalan. Hari sudah malam saat saya menjemput ibu dan adik saya, jadi kami makan malam di Pandaloka Signature, sebuah restoran Mandarin. Sudah jam sembilan malam saat kami kembali ke Maya Ubud. Setelah cucu dan nenek melepas rindu sejenak, kami pun beristirahat.

Di Maya Ubud, setelah kita check out.

Hari berikutnya dimulai dengan kunjungan ke Pasar Seni Ubud lalu ke Puri Ubud. Responsnya biasa saja. Mama tidak suka tawar-menawar, dan Yani berkeringat deras di pasar. Kami sarapan agak siang di Ibu Rai dan hampir saja batal ke Kayana. Saya menyarankan, meski masih kenyang, mungkin kami bisa berbagi makanan dan mencicipi sedikit saja. Ternyata, iga babi di Kayana adalah hidangan terbaik dalam kuliner Bali kali ini. Rasanya juara.

Hujan deras turun saat kami di sana. Kami kembali ke Maya Ubud untuk mengambil koper,  lalu menuju Seminyak. Perjalanan tiga jam lagi melewati banyak sekali jalan sempit. Tiba-tiba saya sadar, dengan ritme perjalanan seperti ini, saya tidak yakin apakah saya masih menyukai Bali. Tapi Seminyak sedikit membantu. Suasananya yang hidup lebih cocok bagi saya daripada Ubud yang tenang dan mistis. Setelah selesai makan di Restoran Ambermoon, kami menuju Hard Rock Cafe dan Hotel. Akhirnya, sesuatu yang membuat saya antusias! Rock Shop untuk koleksi hotelnya sangat besar!

Di Pantai Seminyak.

Keesokan paginya dimulai dengan santai dan tidak jauh-jauh. Kami sarapan dengan porsi mantap, lalu menuju Pantai Seminyak. Rasanya tidak seramai yang saya ingat. Bagus untuk kami, tapi tidak bagus bagi warga lokal yang bergantung pada pariwisata. Dan kami tidak berkontribusi banyak, hanya membayar Rp 100.000 untuk sepasang kursi pantai dengan payung. Dan panasnya itu! Kami segera bergegas ke Nook untuk makan siang.

Makan siang di Nook lumayan oke. Tempatnya cukup unik. Lalu waktunya belanja di Krisna Sunset Road, tapi yang menarik perhatian saya adalah mesin kasirnya. Mereka masih menggunakan Windows XP! Begitu Mama selesai belanja, sebagian besar dari kami kembali ke hotel. Yani menemani Linda mencari toko barang bekas (thrift store), tapi ternyata tokonya tidak buka. Hari itu berakhir dengan kunjungan sepupu saya, Dewi, dan makan malam di Dua Sisi, sebuah restoran terdekat.

Ketika Dewi datang berkunjung.

Hari efektif terakhir di Bali dimulai dengan sarapan bersama sepupu lainnya, Andreas. Terakhir saya bertemu dengannya tahun 2022, saat saya mengunjungi Bali untuk pernikahan Dewi. Selalu menyenangkan bisa mengobrol dengannya lagi, meski ia dan Dewi sama-sama menyebutkan bahwa pesona Bali mulai memudar. Sudah tidak seperti dulu lagi.

Sekitar tengah hari, kami mengunjungi Lestari, toko thrift yang sebenarnya, yang disukai Linda. Tapi acara belanja berakhir prematur karena ibunya memutuskan sudah waktunya pergi, haha. Kami menuju Jimbaran untuk makan hidangan laut di Lia Cafe. Pantainya terasa menyedihkan, tapi setidaknya makanannya lumayan. Di sinilah Linda menyatakan bahwa ia lebih suka Koh Samui daripada Bali. Terutama cuacanya. Koh Samui berangin dan sejuk, sedangkan Bali sungguh bertolak belakang.

Bersama adik saya Herry di Jimbaran. 

Kami pergi ke GWK setelah makan siang, tapi kemudian Yani memutuskan kami tidak akan punya cukup waktu untuk melihat-lihat karena harus segera ke Uluwatu untuk menonton Tari Kecak. Pertunjukannya bukan sekelas Phantom of the Opera, tapi mulai terasa seru setelah kemunculan Hanuman. Jika bukan karena sang dewa kera, pertunjukan itu tidak akan menghibur sama sekali. Hari sudah gelap saat tarian selesai, jadi kami makan malam di Warung Laota, tapi bukan yang di Jimbaran. Di sana penuh sesak, jadi kami makan di cabang Tuban.

Dan paragraf terakhir di atas membawa saya kembali pada pertanyaan dari istri saya: "Bagaimana perjalanannya?" Kami melakukan dua perjalanan keluarga tahun ini, dan saya harus bilang bahwa saya lebih suka kunjungan ke Perth. Pengalamannya benar-benar baru. Bali itu... melelahkan. Saya rasa istri saya sudah melakukan yang terbaik, tapi di antara faktor cuaca dan waktu yang habis di dalam mobil, Bali gagal memenuhi ekspektasi saya. Bila ada yang layak dikenang, maka itu adalah waktu kebersamaan kami sebagai keluarga. Itu sangat berharga, sebuah momen luar biasa berkat istri saya...