Surreal Sunsets and Bamboo River Houses

Morning walks getting lost

Bamboo shoots thick as arm jutt out of the jungle that surrounds you. Birds and monkey scurry through the trees above. This was day one in Ubud. Not on some excursion through dense Indonesian forest or a pilgrimage to the temple at Goa Gajah. No, this was the trek to my hotel room at Bambu Indah, complete with a bamboo bridge that stretched across a river. And for the rest of my stay there it never stopped being a surreal experience.

Its their country, you're just an intruder

Ubud is absolutely beautiful and full of humbling experiences. Whether it’s watching a line of ten mopeds speed through traffic in a city surrounded by jungle or watching the sunset over Kintamani Batur volcano and lake, I was never far from an unforgettable experience. When people think of Bali, it’s easy to get carried away with images of tiki huts on a white sand beach. But I had a better time in Ubud than I would have on any beach. The mountains, the rivers, you feel connected to all of it when you’re in Ubud. It’s alive with spirituality and alive with culture. I’m incredibly grateful for the time I got to spend there. Tarima Kasih, Ubud.