Being a single woman in her 40s and wanting to take an overseas holiday, I thought that my options were limited. I didn't want to do one of those tours packages and be beholden to doing everything that you were told to do. Club Med offered me the security of not having to leave their village if I didn't want to and still giving me plenty of things to do. Having decided on Club Med as the way to go, I thought Bali would be a great country to visit. So off I went to the travel agents and booked my holiday there and then.
Now came the hard part, telling my mother where I was going. A city in Bali called Kuta had been bombed not long before. Many people had been killed or hurt. I still wanted to go, still wanted to visit this beautiful place, and knowing alot of relied on tourists to visit, I was going. "Mum," I said, "I'm going to a place called Denpasar through Club Med." "Ooh that sounds nice" she said. Later that night she phoned me, "Do you know Denpasar is in Bali?" Tried hard not to laugh at that one lol.
For anyone that has never been through Club Med it really is a great option. All your accomodation and food with wine at lunch and dinner paid for. Every night they put on a show for you. During the day there are games for the kids while you relax on the beach or you can play golf, learn archery, kayaking and so much more. Honestly, you don't even have to leave the village. I truly felt welcome and safe. The village is enormous and possibly because of the bombings earlier the year before, the village wasn't exactly full. Being on my own didn't matter at all as when you go to eat you are seated with other english speaking people. That is how I met a group of women from Australia and New Zealand who were going into the city of Kuta the next day and asked if I wanted to go along with them. So yes, I did leave the village and yes, I bought too much to fit in my suitcase home.
I booked a day tour package to go see other parts of Bali and was taken to see a traditional show, taken also to see how the sarongs were made and designed - and bought one. Bartering is expected in the markets inBali. Not something that I have ever been engaged in before. It felt wrong somehow to barter a few dollars for a sarong that with the exchange rate was going to cost me $5. Being a tall white woman, I stood out amongst the Balinese people and whenever I did venture out to the local market or the nearest township, I was surrounded by people trying to get me to buy their wares. Thankfully, I had been told this would likely happen and so made a point of being polite but very firm in my responses to them.
Bali has some beautiful countryside and their cities have all the main attractions for a healthy shopper to endulge in. The Balinese people are very friendly and one day I would love to go back. But for now, I have plenty of memories, photos and new friends from my visit to keep me happy.
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