Thursday, July 20, 2023 and Friday, July 21, 2023 – It is time for our trip to end. We were packed and ready to leave our hotel by 7:30 a.m. to make our way back to the Bangkok airport – the beginning of a long journey to the U.S.
Our trip back was in three legs, one more stop than our trip to Thailand. We flew 8 hours (6 hour flight time plus 2 hour time change) on Korean Air from Bangkok, Thailand to Seoul, South Korea. Then we traveled 22 hours (8 hour flight plus a 14 hour time change) on Delta from Seoul to Minneapolis, MN, USA. The final leg was a 4 hour trip (3 hour flight with a 1 hour time change) from Minneapolis to Boston, MA. All together we spent the equivalent of 36 hours traveling.
As we did on the way to Bangkok, we splurged for first class seats on our return trip. Again, we loved the additional space, the ability to lay our seats flat for sleeping, and the delicious and plentiful food and drinks. Being able to sleep comfortably on the planes definitely helped us adjust to coming back to the U.S. and avoid too much jet lag.
This Southeast Asia adventure included 10 flights. Fortunately, all of them were on time except for our final flight (Minneapolis to Boston) which was delayed for 2 hours. We landed in Boston, collected our luggage, found our driver and got on the road, arriving in West Hartford, CT at 5:00 am. We took a long nap and forced ourselves to get up at 10:00 am and stay awake for the rest of the day.
This 18 day adventure was an absolutely amazing trip filled with new sights, foods, cultures, and experiences. We are very grateful that we had this opportunity. Thanks for virtually coming along with us.
Wednesday, July 19, 2023 – We had one last day in Bangkok to explore some things we had not seen before. After breakfast at our hotel we headed out on the Sky Train and Metro system (feeling like Bangkok subway experts now). Our first stop was at another temple – Wat Traimit which houses the Golden Buddha. This is one of the four main temples in Bangkok but we had missed it on our earlier visit. The main feature of this temple is a beautiful gold Buddha. The body of the Buddha is 40% pure gold, the chin to forehead is 80% pure, and the hair and top knot are 99% pure gold. At a weight of 5.5 tons it is estimated to be worth approximately $250 million (US). Interestingly, in the 1700s this statue was covered in plaster which was painted and adorned with bits of colored glass to hide its value from Burmese invaders. The plaster covering was so convincing that the underlying gold Buddha was forgotten. It was moved to Bangkok in the 1800s where the plaster Buddha was placed in a small temple. At one point it was only covered by a tin roof. In 1955 a new temple was built to house the Buddha statue. During the move of the large, heavy Buddha some of the ropes broke, dropping the statue, which chipped the plaster revealing the gold underneath. All the plaster was removed and the gold Buddha was placed in its new stone temple where it remains today.
Having already spent several sweaty days in Bangkok we knew the importance of taking a break from the heat, so our next stop was a small (air conditioned) tea shop in Chinatown. We sat for a few minutes and enjoyed a delicious iced Thai tea before taking the Metro to our next stop, Museum Siam.
We had gone by Museum Siam several times in our travels around Bangkok so were happy to have time to stop in. The museum is on three floors and houses several exhibits all focusing on Thai culture. The exhibits – on food, dress, religion, advertising, etc. – were unique and very interactive. We really enjoyed learning a lot about the culture, and especially the recent (1900s) influence of various kings to create a national identity to make Thailand a tourism destination. In fact, this is how Pad Thai was born. There was a great desire to have a unique Thai dish. Most food in Thailand has been greatly influenced by Chinese, Burmese, Indonesian, and Indian culture, but Pad Thai is uniquely Thai. We learned a lot in a couple of hours spent at this museum, and enjoyed lunch at the museum cafe.
After that we reversed our subway trip and headed back to the hotel to meet with the tailor we met during our first couple of days in Bangkok. Our custom-made dress, sport coats and suit were finished and ready for a final fitting (all perfect fits!). We decided we had just enough time for one last massage in Thailand, so headed out to a branch of a now favorite chain called Let’s Relax for a lovely aromatherapy massage.
The spa was located in a nice hotel, so we had dinner at a restaurant there and then walked back to our hotel. Along the way we walked through huge street markets and were fascinated at the amazing variety of things for sale. Everything from electronics to shoes, clothing, suitcases and homegoods were for sale in various stalls. We couldn’t believe how complex the set ups were – elaborate shoe displays and lights everywhere, all of which had to be put up and taken down each evening. It was a great way to get a unique glimpse of Bangkok on our last evening.
Tuesday, July 18, 2023 – We were up bright and early for breakfast and an 8:30 am driver pickup. Fortunately the drive to Depensar Airport in Bali was only just over an hour (often traffic makes it closer to two hours). This meant we had time to relax and enjoy an airport lounge for a bit.
A slightly delayed 2½ hour flight to Singapore resulted in only a 2 hour layover at the Changi Airport. The downside of this was that we did not have enough time to exit the airport and come back in (through security each way) to explore the Jewel – a dining and shopping “experience” that is a new part of this large airport. But, we did have time to ride the tram through a couple more times to see the huge waterfall fountain in the middle of the Jewel.
Our flight from Singapore to Bangkok was uneventful. We remain HUGE fans of Singapore Airlines. The flight crew was excellent, the baggage allowance generous, and economy seats received full meal and beverage service (even on just short 2 hour flights). Plus we loved the uniforms that the flight crew wore!
We arrived in Bangkok in the evening and easily checked into our hotel (a different one than we stayed in a couple of weeks earlier). As we had been well-fed on the plane we didn’t need dinner, but headed up to check out the rooftop bar for a drink and snack before ending our day.
Monday, July 17, 2023 – After a busy couple of days we decided to take it easy today. We had a late breakfast at our hotel and walked into town to see the Ubud Palace. We unfortunately could not see more than the fountains and front gate and courtyard, but like so many other places we’ve visited the architecture was ornate and beautiful.
Interesting addition of modern art.
We then walked just down the street to the Saraswati Temple. This temple was built in the 1950s and dedicated to the Hindu goddess Saraswati. Again we could not enter the inner temple, but enjoyed the beautifully carved doorways, gorgeous architecture, and huge lotus ponds.
After a lunch stop in the middle of town, we spent the rest of the afternoon shopping at street markets and small shops throughout the city. It really is different to be in a place where the cost of goods is so very low (by American standards).
We went back to our resort for a break to put our feet up by the pool. Then we headed back out (by Grab – Southeast Asia’s Uber) to a spa to try Mandi Lulur. This traditional Balinese treatment included a 65 minute oil massage, a 20 minute body scrub, and then 25 minutes to soak in a flower bath. The final cost was about $15 (US Dollars) per person. Quite delightful and a great way to end our last day in Bali.
Sunday, July 16, 2023 – Today we scheduled a driver to take us to a number of sights outside of Ubud. Our primary goal was to see a few of Bali’s amazing waterfalls. Our first stop was the Kanto Lampo Waterfall. Still early in the morning, we opted not to get into the water and the waterfall itself, but enjoyed watching a young woman being coached by a local guide on how to pose to get the best waterfall photos.
A short drive brought us to the Tiburmana Waterfall. After walking down several flights of stairs through lush tropical plants we arrived at this powerful waterfall. At this stop we did get into the water for a few pictures. Due to the amount of water coming over the waterfall you cannot get too close to it.
We then went to the Goa Raja Waterfall, a less visited location. Again, after going down some very steep steps and walking across a couple of bamboo bridges we reached a human made infinity pool at the base of a small waterfall and saw the large Goa Raja Waterfall tucked back in a cave (Goa Raja in Indonesian means “king cave”). Because this waterfall was in a cave we could feel the force of the water coming down from the mist blowing against us as we inched closer to get a few pictures. We learned that just a week earlier there had been sturdier bridges and nicer walkways to this waterfall, but heavy rains had caused mudslides that destroyed them.
Our next stop was at Santi, a small coffee plantation. We took a short tour and sampled their coffee, tea and chocolate. We also learned about the Balinese specialty coffee, Kapi Luwak, made by collecting and roasting coffee cherries that have been eaten, partially digested and pooped out by luwaks (weasel-like animals). No thank you! Our brief visit was followed by lunch at a restaurant just down the street with an amazing view.
Our final stop on this excursion was the Abian Desa Pakudui Rice Terraces. A beautiful area of tiered rice terraces with the traditional Balinese cooperative irrigation throughout. This was definitely a tourist destination… lots of photo opp spots, a couple of ziplines, and a few famous Bali Swings that will provide a few swings over gorgeous, lush scenery for a fee.
After a quick stop back to our resort we headed out again. Ubud is a city known for being a hub for yogis. We were told the Yoga Barn was the most famous studio. Karen enjoyed a yoga class at this huge facility while Greg took a long walk. A casual dinner on our way back to our resort was the end of this busy day in Bali.
Saturday, July 15, 2023 – Today we started with an early breakfast at our resort and headed out to explore Ubud. We had been advised to get out as early as possible to hit some of the popular local areas before they got crowded. One thing that was very evident walking around last night was that Ubud was filled with tourists from around the world. So we set out to visit a few places that were within walking distance of our resort.
Our first stop was the Campuhan Ridge Walk, a 1.2 mile (2 km) paved walkway along a ridge between two river gulleys. Our hike started with a mishap. On the stairs down to the start of the ridge walk Karen slipped and landed on her bum. Fortunately the slip was not serious, but Karen ended up bringing home a large bruise as an additional souvenir. The Ridge Walk was a nice hike with a climb at the start and then a relatively flat path along the top of the ridge until another small climb at the top end of the walk. It was a beautiful sunny morning and we took in views of some incredible houses and resorts built into the opposite hillsides.
After our walk we stopped by the @LazyCatsCafe to refuel with a snack and beverages. The cafe offers a nice street view from the second floor to watch the city morning activity. We liked the saying displayed on the wall: “BEING LAZY DOES NOT MEAN DOING NOTHING, IT MEANS DEDICATING TIME TO YOURSELF WITHOUT THE NEED TO BE PRODUCTIVE.” It was great for Karen to find decaf coffee (Thailand and Indonesia are both famous for their coffee, but decaf is not a thing!) while Greg enjoyed a delicious Masala chai tea.
Next up was a visit to Mandala Suci Wenara Wana (the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary). This is a protected park on the edge of Ubud city that houses 3 Hindu temples and is home to about 600 macaque monkeys. As you walk through the park you can experience the monkeys up close and personal. You need to keep food, drinks and all personal items tucked away, otherwise the monkeys will be happy to take them off your hands. Literally – we saw monkeys jump up and reach right into people’s bags. There are no fences or cages and the monkeys are allowed to roam and freely interact with whoever is inside the park. A few of these clever monkeys even go outside the park in search of tourists and their treasures. The village that manages the park feeds the monkeys sweet potatoes and bananas throughout the day so the monkeys are well fed and typically stay within the forest. We were not able to go into any of the temples as there were Hindu ceremonies happening (and we saw many people come into the park for those ceremonies) but we certainly did have fun watching the monkeys.
After getting many steps in for the day we returned to the resort for a shower and a massage. Our resort arranged for two women to come to Kano Sari and give us massages. We felt it was our responsibility to compare a Balinese massage to the ones we experienced in Thailand – thumbs up for Balinese massage!
Relaxed and refreshed we headed back out to attend one of the local traditional dance performances. There are many to choose from each evening that are held in various locations around the city. We attended the Kecak Fire and Trance Dance presented by the Taman Kaja Community. The Kecak Fire dance is the telling of Ramayana, an old Hindu story, that is shared through costumed dancers and is accompanied by vocal percussion music from a choir of about a hundred men that sit, stand, and lay in concentric circles around the fire. The dance involves almost all the adults from the Taman Kaja community. The Trance Dance (Sanghyang Djaran) depicts a horse rider who is “lulled into a trance” to walk over hot coconut husk coals. We found the costumes magnificent, the dances and stories fascinating and the supporting music provided by the men’s choir fantastic.
Kecak Fire DanceTrance Dance
We ended our night with a very nice dinner. I took a picture of the bill because it came to over 1.1 Million Indonesian Rupiahs. It sounds like a lot until you realize it is equal to approximately $76 US. This was at a very nice restaurant that clearly caters to tourists – the pricing was extravagant by Balinese standards (and a nice treat for us).
Friday, July 14, 2023 – After a day of relaxing on the beach we started to look toward our next destination in Bali: Ubud.
While at Sanur Beach on the east side of Bali we decided to get up in time to watch the sun rise. One thing that we learned while traveling in Southeast Asia was that the location being closer to the equator means that each day has approximately 12 hours of daylight. So we rose to see the sunrise at 6:35 a.m. knowing that it would be dark around 6:30 p.m. This created a new appreciation for the longer summer days we are used to in Connecticut.
After taking time to admire the sunrise, we enjoyed a leisurely morning breakfast overlooking the beach followed by a long walk on the paved path along the beach. We took advantage of one more outdoor shower, packed up, and checked out of our beach bungalow in time to meet our driver who took us to our next stop, Ubud, Bali.
Hot Chai Tea with Breakfast
Our driver for the hour-long trip was the same driver who picked us up from the airport. During our first ride he offered to take us for a traditional Balinese restaurant for a lunch of Babi Guling. This is a plate of pork cooked in a variety of ways (roasted pork, pork belly, ground pork, and two kinds of sausage) with rice and some side dishes. We found it to be quite tasty.
Once we were at our new resort, Kano Sari, we unpacked, settled in, and then went for a walk to explore Ubud. Our resort was just a 15 minute walk from town where there were a number of shops, restaurants, outdoor markets and lots of tourists. The biggest challenges were trying to navigate the narrow and uneven sidewalks and crossing the street without lights or stop signs. Stepping off the sidewalk to cross the street or get around people or various obstacles required good timing and awareness of the many scooters and cars going by, but we managed to do just fine. We found a place for dinner and sampled one of the many gelato shops in town.
Thursday, July 13, 2023 – After a week of busy sightseeing we built into our itinerary a couple of days to slow down and relax on the beach in Bali. We stayed in a cute bungalow steps from the beach at the Tandjung Sari resort in Sanur, Bali.
Our day started with Karen taking a local yoga class while Greg went on a walk to explore the long walkway along the beach. After a late beachside breakfast we spent some quality time relaxing on the beach.
After a late afternoon walk we headed back to Tandjung Sari. The resort offers dinner at tables right on the beach. The lighted umbrellas and pole lamps created a beautiful ambience for our delicious beach dinner with the sound of crashing waves in the background. We ended our evening with a walk into the town for gelato – a great ending to a great day.
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 – Our Singapore day started with a visit to the original Ya Kun Kaya Toast for breakfast. This location originally opened in 1944, serving its thinly sliced Kaya toast for almost 80 years. It now has locations throughout Southeast Asia, including some airports. Kaya toast is a very is white bread dipped in a sweet sauce before toasting and is a very traditional Singaporean breakfast.You can order your Kaya toast with butter or peanut butter, and with or without a soft boiled egg. Karen enjoyed her toast with butter and kopi (Singaporean coffee with sweetened condensed milk) while Greg had peanut butter with his toast and an iced Thai tea. There was a line out the door of the restaurant the entire time we were there. It appears that this inexpensive breakfast continues to be quite popular.
From there we walked through Chinatown, stopping by the Thian Hock Keng temple. We observed the beauty of this Chinese temple and threw a couple of coins in the wishing well for good luck.
We were struck by the architecture throughout Singapore both old and new. The older buildings show the British influence with rows of three story buildings with shutters on the windows. And the new modern architecture is really inventive, unique and striking.
Our self guided walking tour took us to Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore built in 1827. In addition to being a strong place of support for Indian immigrants it is well known for its annual fire walking ceremony held each October or November where devotees are asked to walk across hot coals as a sign of their faith.
Our walk then took us to the Buddha Tooth Relic temple where, you guessed it, they have a Buddha Tooth Relic along with a number of other relics and artifacts. There is a beautiful garden on the rooftop along with a prayer wheel that you can walk with in saying your prayers. We were grateful to be able to spend some time looking at exhibits in an air conditioned space.
A trip on the subway took us for a quick visit to Little India. While there we walked through some street markets and made a visit to the colorful house of Tan Teng Niah. Built in 1900, it is the last surviving Chinese villa in Little India. The house was originally built to house a small business making sweets from sugar cane. In back of the building the business also made rubber which is a by-product from processing the sugarcane.
After getting some lunch we headed back to the hotel, gathered our carry-on bags and headed to the airport for the final leg of our flight to Bali. With a little time to explore the Singapore airport we discovered “the Jewel”, a large oval shaped building adjacent to the airport that contains shopping and a large internal garden with an incredible fountain that rains down from a circular opening in the ceiling. We were only able to glimpse the Jewel from a railway connector between terminals that passes through the Jewel. We learned that to go into the Jewel you would need to exit the airport, go through immigration, and then return through security to come back into the airport. The airport only recommends making the visit if you have at least a 5 hour layover. Since we learned about it on our way out of Singapore we will need to wait to explore the Jewel on another trip.
This leg of our trip was our first experience on Singapore Airlines. We were quite impressed. It was quite nice that each flight included wine, beer, soft drinks and a meal, even in economy seats.
With an evening arrival to Bali we could not see much on our way to the beachside resort. One additional bonus for Karen who made all of our travel plans was that our driver held up a sign with her name on it.
Tuesday, July 11, 2023 – Today was a travel day as we made our way to Bali for the second half of our Southeast Asia vacation. As part of our flight plan we scheduled a 20 hour layover in Singapore to give us an opportunity to explore and experience a new city.
With a late afternoon departure we had some time to walk around Chiang Mai one last time to see one of the old city gates, do some shopping, and grab another iced Thai tea.
We arrived in Singapore around 8:00 pm after a three hour flight from Chiang Mai. Fortunately this was only a one hour time change, so no adjustment was necessary. While our luggage remained checked through to Bali, we rushed out of the airport with just our carry-on bags to see the 9:00 pm nightly water and light show in front of the Marina Bay Sands casino. Karen read that the best place to see it is from Level 33, a craft brewery on the 33rd floor of a business building. After the fact we realized that being 33 floors up to see a water and light show that is only 4 stories high requires you to be sitting at the edge of the outdoor seating. So this was a planning fail – we did not see the water and light show but we were able to have a late light dinner while sampling a beer at the “world’s highest urban microbrewery.”
While there we took in the magnificent view of the Singapore night skyline. Then we checked in and dropped off our bags at the nearby Singapore Westin and headed out for a walk to explore the Marina Bay area and see the Singapore Merlion. After a day of walking and traveling we were quite tired, but planned an early morning to get up and explore Singapore before resuming our trip to Bali.
Hammond Adventures 