Originally posted on my Full Frontal Fashion blog.
I stepped off the plane into a wave of humidity, scented with flowers, spice, and ocean air. After a month of roughing it in India, I was looking forward to a little R&R. A long weekend in Bali with two girlfriends from college was just the answer.
We spent our first night drinking mojitos and dancing to cover bands in Kuta, which is party central for long-haul backpackers and Aussie teenagers. The next day, we escaped the hustle and bustle of downtown for the serene beaches and barrel waves of Padang Padang, located on the Bukit Peninsula in the southeastern part of the island. The tiny cliffside town was still buzzing with talk of American movies; several weeks earlier, Julia Roberts had passed through to film segments of the highly anticipated EAT, PRAY, LOVE film adaptation. We indulged in white sand and tender fish for a few days before returning to Seminyak, an upscale neighborhood outside Kuta, for an obligatory sunset cocktail at Ku De Ta. My lychee martini was wildly expensive, but the view of the bright-orange sun disappearing beyond the horizon was priceless.
Next up? Ubud, Bali’s creative and cultural center. As a fashion writer, I was excited to explore the village’s traditional crafts. Ubud is famous for its weaving, textile-making, batik-painting, and silversmithing workshops, but unfortunately, immersing myself in these crafts required a little more time than the few days I had. I did delight, though, in Ubud’s innumerable shops and boutiques, picking up delicate silver earrings, silk batik scarves, and woven baskets for my new apartment. At the end of my trip, I boarded the plane in the same flower-scented heat, but with a considerably heavier bag.
