After 3 weeks in Bali… it would’ve shaken all the things we take into consideration our way of life, work, and the place we wish to stay.
For a little bit of context, we left our house in Bulgaria round mid-January as a result of we had been uninterested in the chilly.
I imply, Bulgaria just isn’t chilly in any respect in comparison with our house nation of Canada… however there was a stretch of chilly climate so we thought possibly we’d change issues up a bit.
So we determined final minute to ebook a visit to Asia. We hadn’t been East since COVID… and we had been actually craving one thing completely different.
We booked our flights lower than 2 weeks earlier than flying out. We needed to pack up our home, get in some final minute appointments, make amends for some work and we had been off.
However what occurred on this journey and the times main as much as it actually shocked us.
From the minute we hit “ebook” on these flights… there was a welling within us. A sense that we didn’t anticipate in any respect.
A sense that possibly we forgot. And a sense which may culminate in us altering our total lives, environment, and enterprise within the subsequent few months.
Bali particularly appears to have some sort of energy over us.
They are saying that this island is an “vitality heart”, and whereas I don’t know if that’s true… it does all the time appear to ship ripples by means of our lives after we go there.
Earlier than I get into that although, I wish to share with you slightly bit in regards to the travels we did main as much as Bali.
It’s been a very long time since us Goats have come on the weblog simply to share a journey replace.
So let’s begin with a superb outdated style “journey weblog put up”. You understand? Like again within the day?
The Cause For The Journey
Earlier than we get into the journey, why did we even go?
It began as a result of a few of our greatest pals, Vivien & Aaron (who we met whereas we had been pet sitting within the Caribbean) had been getting married in Australia.
At first it was simply going to be a fast 2 week journey over to Aus for the marriage and festivities, then again to Bulgaria.
However as anybody who’s been to Australia is aware of… it’s not shut. So we figured… why not make a visit out of it.
That 2 week marriage ceremony journey rapidly was 3 months+ as we stored including new nations and locations to the itinerary.
We determined we’d fly into Hanoi first as a result of there was an amazing flight from Bulgaria to Hanoi.
Then we’d go to Taiwan as a result of it’s a brand new nation for us and solely a brief flight from Hanoi.
Then Bali to go to a few of our different finest pals, Tom & Anna… then onwards to Aus for the marriage.
And since you possibly can’t go all the way in which down underneath and NOT go to New Zealand… we added that on too (plus New Zealand has a number of the finest fly fishing on the planet… so that you higher consider half our baggage is filled with my fishing gear).
And that’s when the journey went from being simply in regards to the marriage ceremony… to one thing fully completely different.
It was about shifting gears. Stepping away from our acquainted rhythm in Bulgaria and making an attempt out the digital nomad life once more.
Leaving Bulgaria
We’ve liked our time in Bulgaria. To us, the nation is simply coming into what we name “The Goldilocks Zone”.
There isn’t a lot tourism that the magical locations are ruined, and but there’s sufficient that there’s a good quantity of facilities and worldwide range.
There are nice eating places, each native and overseas, there’s a rising neighborhood of expats, there are lovely locations which can be but to be found, and a few up-and-coming hotspots which can be simply beginning to get on the vacationers maps.
I like the mountains, the character, and the unbelievable delicacies, which is a mix of Balkan, Mediterranean and Center Jap.
We’ve nice Bulgarian pals and there’s improbable wine and fly fishing.
We additionally adore it’s location. Proper on the fringe of Europe, Africa, and The Center East, it’s surrounded by a few of our favourite nations (like Greece and Turkey) in addition to some we haven’t spent a lot time in but like Romania and Serbia.
Plus it’s the proper gateway to the remainder of Europe.
The truth is, it’s the situation that’s stored us right here for therefore lengthy.
Previously 3 years that we’ve lived there, we’ve achieved loads of journeys.
In actuality, we solely actually spend 6-8 months a yr in Bulgaria.
The remainder of the time we’ve been touring round Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean, or again to Canada.
However that’s mainly been it. And people nations and areas are so “simple”.
They’re lovely. They’re inspiring. They’ve the historical past, the meals, the pleasant folks, the pure magnificence.
However they don’t have that one factor that we’ve realized was lacking from our lives since COVID.
Tradition shock.
That feeling of being barely uncomfortable, barely disoriented… the place the language sounds completely different, the rhythms of day by day life don’t fairly match what you’re used to, and even easy issues power you to be current once more.
It’s the sort of expertise that wakes you up – not simply as a traveler, however as an individual… reminding you that there are locations that simply transfer to a unique beat.
So after we hit “ebook” on these flights to Hanoi, Vietnam… we had this new surge of vitality.
I used to be virtually gitty about getting again to Asia.
It felt like we had been again in 2008 about to embark on our first ever journey.
I assume as a result of it had been so lengthy, I simply felt like this was going to be a wholly new sort of journey for us – despite the fact that we’ve spent over 5 years complete touring and residing round Asia.
We yearned for the sound of Asian languages, the hum of motorbikes on the road, the style of overseas spices and fruits, the sensation of sitting on plastic chairs with a chilly bottle of beer in hand, folks watching on the busy streets.
That is what Asia is all about. We had been lastly going again. Lastly going to the place all our travels started. Our nomadic “house”.
Touchdown in Hanoi
We landed in Hanoi after a 24 hour complete flight day. It was solely alleged to be a 12 hour flight from Sofia, however after we landed in Istanbul at 1am for our deliberate 1.5 hour layover… we bought some information.
Our subsequent lag was delayed for five hours!
There was nothing we might do however sit within the lounge for the following six and a half hours and attempt to get some sleep.
We did handle to get some sleep, and really despite the fact that the journey ended up taking rather a lot longer than anticipated, after we landed in Hanoi we had been instantly charged with a brand new vitality.
We arrived at evening (which we all the time attempt to do to keep away from jet lag) and so we checked into our Airbnb and went proper to sleep.
The following morning we awoke early feeling refreshed and prepared to take a look at the town.
Stepping out of our house constructing and onto the road, I couldn’t shake my goofy smile.
I used to be grinning ear to ear as we pushed by means of a sea of motorbikes to cross the highway.
I used to be smiling as we bought our first vietnamese espresso and after we sat on our child-sized plastic stools to eat some mysterious and scrumptious road meals.
And I used to be beaming after we bought misplaced down a tiny alley for the primary time and watched because the locals sat behind tiny metallic tables, slicing recent fish and arranging piles of herbs and greens for the afternoon rush.
It simply felt prefer it was all the things I had been ready for for the previous couple of weeks since we booked the flights.
Have you ever ever gone someplace, achieved one thing, or felt a second hit you the place you all of the sudden thought… why has it taken me this lengthy to do that once more?
That was us in Vietnam. What took us so lengthy to get again to Asia?
What took us so lengthy to make it to Northern Vietnam?
We really travelled to Vietnam on our very first journey. Again in 2008. It was our second nation on the journey.
However shortly after arriving in Vietnam, Dariece bought Dengue (or another unusual illness) that rendered her bed-ridden for 10 days with a loopy excessive fever and no solution to preserve in fluids.
That delayed our journey, which meant we solely made it as far north as Hue earlier than our visa ran out. We all the time stated we’d return, however it took us 18 years to do it!
The truth is, 18 years virtually to the day. We appeared again at Dariece’s journal entries from that 2008 journey (sure in some way she nonetheless has them) and we realized that we left Vietnam 18 years in the past on virtually the very same day as we had been touchdown in 2026.
Loopy how the universe has these methods of drawing us again to locations and the timing at which these issues appear to occur.
Generally it feels fairly serendipitous.
Halong Bay
Except for wandering round Hanoi, consuming unbelievable meals, and assembly cool folks, we knew we wished to go to Halong Bay whereas we had been in Vietnam.
This bay is a pure surprise of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Website. It’s well-known for its limestone karsts jutting out from emerald-green waters, creating probably the most surreal seascapes in Southeast Asia.
Cruises, yachts, and “junk boats” all ferry vacationers across the islands and cease for snorkeling, sundown gazing, and squid fishing.
We’ve by no means really achieved a cruise collectively, so we thought this may be a superb time to splash out.
We booked a luxurious cruise in a phenomenal suite that had a king sized mattress, a deck overlooking the ocean, and an enormous toilet with a free-standing bathtub tub.
It was beautiful! It wasn’t low-cost, particularly for Vientam, however not one of the nicer Halong Bay cruise boats actually are.
We paid $250 for the evening together with transport to and from Hanoi, all meals and excursions, kayaking, and so forth.
You possibly can ebook the identical one Right here on GetYourGuide.
The journey was wonderful.
Whereas we had suffered by means of a number of the coldest days on latest file in Hanoi (5°C / 41°F) and loads of cloudy days and rain… as quickly as we bought to the boat the sky parted and 20°C / 60°F turned the day by day highs.
We spent a number of time simply chilling in our room on the deck looking on the view.
However after we peeled ourself away from there, we’d go as much as the highest ranges for scrumptious meals that had been served by onboard cooks, or we’d be out on a kayaking journey or doing morning Tai Chi on the highest deck of the ship.
I undoubtedly would suggest that ship we went with, or no less than visiting Halong Bay should you’re ever in Vietnam.
We had heard that there was a bunch of trash within the water that actually took away from the expertise, however our ship really spent a number of time in Lan Ha Bay.
I’m undecided if that bay is cleaner, or we simply bought fortunate with currents, however we didn’t see any rubbish apart from one or two rogue plastic luggage floating by within the water.
Heading to Taiwan
After per week in Vietnam, consuming improbable meals, exploring the town, ingesting at rooftop bars, listening to stay music and cruising Halong Bay, we had been off to Taipei.
We’ve been wanting to go to Taipei for years. And it was thrilling to lastly get to go.
Once we landed it marked my 82nd nation and Dariece’s 83rd (she visited Dominican Republic with a girlfriend earlier than we bought collectively… I’ll catch up sooner or later).
I’ve to say… had been had been each blown away by Taiwan.
Having lived in China for a yr as English Lecturers again in 2012-2013, we’ve all the time liked Chinese language language, tradition and … meals.
Oh my god the meals.
Once we attempt to describe Chinese language meals to our family and friends who’ve by no means visited China, we all the time have to elucidate that Chinese language meals is nothing just like the Americanized deep-fried cantonese fusion dishes that we get within the west.
It’s not all chow mein, candy and bitter pork, ginger beef, spring rolls and fortune cookies.
Though except for the American invention of the latter, the opposite issues might be present in variations in several elements of China… the actual delicacies is a lot extra numerous and refined.
If you wish to style layers of daring flavors that gentle up your pallet, then it’s a must to strive actual, genuine Chinese language meals.
In fact, as a result of Taiwan has such a protracted historical past with China and Japan, there’s an unbelievable assembly level of those two world class cuisines that makes for probably the most unbelievable meals locations on the planet.
Fusion consolation dishes like Taiwanese beef noodle soup (牛肉麵) are the star, however you’ll additionally discover road meals legends like xiao lengthy bao (小籠包 – broth-filled soup dumplings), gua bao (割包 – Taiwanese pork stomach burger), Taiwanese popcorn rooster (鹽酥雞), and scallion pancakes (蔥油餅), together with some extra uncommon native favourites like oyster omelette (蚵仔煎).
There are additionally loads of homey classics like lu rou fan (滷肉飯 — braised minced pork on rice) and three cup rooster (三杯雞 – soy-glazed rooster historically cooked in a clay pot).
I actually suppose I had the perfect meal of my life in Taiwan, or no less than the most effective.
It was at this little gap within the wall restaurant identified for it’s “award-winning beef noodle soup” and I ordered 3 dishes that blew me away.
The meat noodle soup, the bottom pork wontons in a soy sesame glaze, and the congealed geese blood (I do know it sounds bizarre) had been phenomenal.
When you’re in Taipei, don’t miss that restaurant.
Except for hanging out in and round Taipei, we wished to see a bit extra of Taiwan so we booked a day journey on GetYourGuide that might take us to Shifen, Jiufen, and Yehliu.
The locations had been improbable, however the tour itself was completely horrible.
Usually we love GetYourGuide excursions however this one we undoubtedly don’t suggest.
We thought it was going to be a small guided group tour. Once we arrived it was an enormous bus of fifty folks with just one information.
You understand a majority of these excursions. The follow the teddy bear on the tip, the microphone, the entire bit.
The information spoke English the whole time, and despite the fact that we’ve lived in China for a yr, so are acquainted with the accent, it was unattainable to know 99% of what was stated.
On prime of that, he didn’t give us ANY data. He simply repeated the identical issues over and over about 10 occasions earlier than every cease.
He would merely repeat the time we had been arriving, after we would go away, the place the bus could be, and the place the loos had been. Again and again. For an hour earlier than each cease.
It was so dangerous it was comical.
I’ll hyperlink the tour so that you don’t make the identical mistake we did:
https://www.getyourguide.com/taipei-city-l190/yehliu-jiufen-shifen-guided-tour-from-taipei-t496437
However like I stated, the stops had been lovely.
The gorgeous Shifen Waterfall surrounded by jungle clad hills, the city of Shifen with it’s Hanoi-like practice road and Chinese language lanterns, the mountainside outdated city of Juifen, and the beatiful rock formations of Yehliu.
I might undoubtedly suggest checking this out on any journey to Taiwan, however simply not on the above tour.
Taking public transport, a personal driver, and even one other GetYourGuide tour could be a significantly better choice.
We actually wished to make it all the way down to Taroko Nationwide Park as properly however we simply didn’t really feel like we had time, plus a number of the trails stay closed after a latest main earthquake.
South To Uluwatu, Bali
Each time we return to Bali we do it with slightly little bit of apprehension. Have our favourite spots been overdeveloped? How has this little island modified since our final go to?
And each time we we return, we’re slapped within the face with contradicting emotions.
On one hand, we see the overdevelopment.
We see the site visitors getting worse.
We see them slicing down as soon as lush jungles that had been house to elephants and tigers, or paving as soon as vibrant inexperienced rice terraces with spas, gyms, cafes, and villas.
Bali is such a magical place, even in the present day. But it surely’s flame is slowly being snuffed by overtourism, overdevelopment and an absence of regulation.
That is what we noticed as we drove south from the airport in the direction of Uluwatu. A 9 kilometer drive took us an astonishing 2 hours and quarter-hour because of the insanely dense site visitors.
However as we neared Uluwatu, a cliffside surfer city, the site visitors thinned and we began to see the appeal of the place.
I might say Uluwatu is nearing the tip of it’s goldilocks part.
Simply a few years in the past this city was an up-and-comer. A quieter oasis miles from the chaos of Changuu, Bali’s most up-to-date tourism casualty.
However now Uluwatu, or ‘Ulu’ as its typically referred to as, is in full swing.
Each mile of shoreline has new villas, strip malls, eating places, and spas being constructed. You possibly can’t go anyplace within the city with out listening to the deafening roar of building.
And but, when dodge site visitors and stroll alongside the sidewalkless streets, you possibly can nonetheless see the fantastic thing about this place.
It has all the things you want. Bars, eating places, well being, wellness, magnificence… it’s fashionable Bali life at it’s best.
And whereas it could solely have a few years left, at present it’s most likely the perfect place in South Bali to go to.
As digital nomads, what struck us about Uluwatu was the approach to life for folks like us.
Our pals, Tom and Anna simply purchased a shocking villa there, so had been had been thrilled the get to stick with them for just a few nights.
Their location was down a quiet again road, and whereas there was nonetheless building, it was removed from the site visitors of the principle heart of Uluwatu referred to as Bingin.
Their villa was lovely, however what we had been actually impressed by was the approach to life there.
Morning coffees and coworking adopted by spas, chilly plunges, saunas, the health club, a therapeutic massage, a bit extra work, sundown drinks after which dinner at one of many many scrumptious eating places on the town.
It was wonderful. There was neighborhood, inspiration, well being, magnificence, the ocean… all the things that somebody must be comfortable.
And it actually bought us fascinated about why we went into this life within the first place.
Sure we love Bulgaria, and we love our life there too.
We particularly love our home – a big two story home on the foothills of the mountains with a pleasant automotive, a giant again yard, and loads of good mountaineering and fishing close by.
However what it doesn’t have is the neighborhood. It doesn’t have the ammeneties. We are able to’t simply go to a spa / health club with 3 completely different temperatures of chilly plunge, a well being resaurant, and a sauna.
We are able to’t be part of morning yoga lessons on the ocean or do breathwork retreats surrounded by rice paddies.
On prime of that, the Balinese folks reminded us how nice hospitality could make you are feeling welcome and even brighten your day typically.
The Balinese folks, regardless of the apparent unfavorable impacts tourism has had on the island, nonetheless deal with us like honoured company.
They exit of the way in which to assist us. They all the time greet us with a smile, they usually’re genuinely fascinated with the place we’re from, what we’re doing, why we’re in Bali and all the time… the place we’re going subsequent.
Bulgarian persons are a number of the coolest folks I’ve met. Our pals, our neighbours, the folks we all know there, they’re simply actually nice folks… when you get to know them.
However the service business in Bulgaria remains to be rising and there are many occasions you’ll get actually poor service once you’re out for dinner or lunch, and it’s not customary to greet folks with a smile there, which might come off as “grumpy” to some guests.
We undoubtedly know higher, however it was nonetheless wonderful to really feel the real kindness from strangers in Bali who would simply wave at us as we walked by, or cease and speak to us for no motive.
This stuff all added as much as make us actually take into consideration spending extra time exterior of Bulgaria within the coming years.
We don’t wish to transfer away from Bulgaria, we nonetheless adore it there, however we wish to stay extra of a digital nomad life.
One the place we go to Bali for just a few months yearly, and possibly we spend a while in several elements of Asia like Vietnam and Thailand.
We liked working from cafes, assembly up with different entrepreneurs, going for massages and simply residing the nomad life that’s actually solely accessible at that degree in Asia.
Our 5 Evening Staycation in Bali
As a substitute of staying within the busy South of Bali the whole time, we wished to rise up north the place we had been hoping to nonetheless catch a few of Bali’s magic… and we had been blown away.
Going north introduced us proper again to 2009, the primary time we ever visited Bali, and we had been so comfortable to see that the island has retained some pockets of its former glory.
Ubud
The primary cease was Ubud. The situation of the Indonesia a part of Eat Pray Love (we watched that film once more from our villa there).
A LOT has modified in Ubud since that film was shot, and since we visited just a few years previous to its launch.
The middle of the village is now bumper to bumper site visitors, honking horns, car fumes, and zooming motorbikes snaking their approach by means of the vehicles and huge vans.
However we did discover a few good again streets that also had some Ubud vitality to them, though between the warungs had been numerous ramen, smashed avocado cafes, matcha retailers, and present shops.
All of the issues that us vacationers apparently must have anyplace we go.
However what actually blew us away about Ubud was the place we stayed. About 10 minutes north of the town by bike, our non-public pool villa was set on the sting of the rice paddies.
Owned by a neighborhood Balinese man who grew up in Ubud after which constructed the villa after spending 10 years working in resorts within the USA, this place was most likely one of many nicest Airbnbs we’ve ever stayed at in our lives.
An ideal mix of Balinese structure, fashionable touches, and nature, it was so lovely that we didn’t wish to go away.
The infinity pool appeared over the rice paddies, there was a kingsized mattress, a full kitchen, and an open air toilet with a free standing tub, an enormous mirror, and a bathe that appeared prefer it was popping out of a jungle wall.
However what made it so particular was the view. As a result of it didn’t simply overlook one rice subject, like so many Ubud villas – it appeared out over an vista of rice paddies and palm bushes.
As a result of the proprietor of the villa additionally owned the land in entrance of it, the view of the rice terraces was expansive.
There was islands of jungle, then extra rice, then some palm bushes, then additional off extra rice, and Mount Agung within the distance.
It actually felt just like the Ubud we remembered. So we spent most of our time there, and little time on the town, except for visiting with our pals Jen & Stevo for lunch, who we taught English with in China a few years in the past.
Stepping Again in Time in Sideman
After Ubud, we headed to Sideman. This place is known for its rice terraces. Whereas Ubud is slowly filling its rice fields with cement to construct villas and resorts, Sideman is what Ubud was 20 years in the past.
The day by day life right here nonetheless revolves round farming.
There are in fact villas and resorts popping up all over the place and sure, even right here the sound of chainsaws, hammers, and metallic grinders is difficult to disregard… however it’s virtually silenced by the fantastic thing about the realm.
I can’t even clarify this place and the movies and images actually don’t do it justice.
It’s so serenely lovely that each time we appeared out of the window of our 2 degree “barn” house, it felt like somebody had turned on an Ai picture of the panorama.
It simply didn’t look actual.
Mount Agung loomed darkish beneath a blanket of clouds, whereas a winding river spilled from its foothills, carving by means of the deep valley beneath.
On both facet of the dashing river, emerald hills rolled into the gap – damaged solely by the occasional palm or banana tree standing beside tiny bamboo-thatched farmer huts.
We spent hours strolling by means of the rice fields which, due to the season of our go to, had been really planted with marigolds, corn, and peanuts between harvests.
It was absolute bliss. Strolling by means of the uninterrupted fields of inexperienced we got hope once more that a few of Bali’s magic has remained unchanged.
Sideman was like a time machine, transporting us proper again to our backpacking days almost 20 years in the past when the Island of Bali was extra jungle and rice terraces than it was strip malls and seashore golf equipment.
Once more we had been speaking about what it could be wish to spend extra time right here. Perhaps spending just a few months in Uluwatu however taking extra of those “staycations” to Ubud, Sideman, the deep jungle oasis of Munduk or the coastal calm of Candidassa.
Bali actually does nonetheless have all of it in so some ways.
The place can we go from right here?
Geographically, after Bali we proceed this 3 month journey in Australia after which New Zealand, however past the map, this journey has left us with some larger life questions we’re nonetheless making an attempt to reply.
Can we wish to preserve residing in Bulgaria for 6-8 months per yr, or can we wish to get again right into a extra digitally nomadic way of life.
Many of the members of our Distant Goats Neighborhood are constructing their companies in order that they will turn out to be digital nomads. That’s the final word aim for therefore many.
Have we been squandering it by residing in a single place so lengthy?
Although we’re over 40 now, there’s nonetheless a draw for that way of life. It’s all the time so exhilarating spending just a few weeks or just a few months in a spot, after which shifting on.
Attending to know a spot. Having a gaggle of pals. Being in an entrepreneurial scorching spot. These are all issues that we sort of miss residing in Bulgaria.
Perhaps we’re not totally able to pack up and transfer but, however what I do know is that this journey, and Bali particularly has planted a seed.
One thing is rising within us and I feel the Goats may be again on the highway once more quickly.
We actually aren’t certain but… however what we do know is that this journey has been unbelievable up to now, and we’re excited to see what the following few weeks has in retailer.
