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I just got back from Bali Monday night. We were there for 18 days so that’s why you haven’t heard from me for a while. This was my 5th visit but it’s been 10 years since I was last there. The previous visit I was there for 2 months, beaten down emotionally after a year and a half struggle to save my marriage. Bali was the retreat for me to lick my wounds and finally rid myself of any desire to get back with my husband. It was the perfect place for me to heal and sooth my aching heart and soul. I loved it so much I was going to build a house and make Bali my home. After returning to Santa Barbara to file for divorce (my husband never wanted a divorce so would not file the papers) I never went back. I knew I needed to be here to write books and teach seminars. Now I am going to organize trips for women to join me for seminars and tours of beautiful Bali.

This time I went with Chris, my boyfriend of the last year and a half. He had never been and chose to take me to Bali to better know what makes his Kara tick and to discover the magic he’d heard so much about. Bali is said to be the most spiritual place on the planet and I completely agree.

I’ll be posting photos next week, after I get them back from Chris. He tool eleven rolls. No, he’s not digital yet. I’m also going to create a web site for our Balinese driver and guide, Wayan Darta. His English was excellent (essential for a good guide) and he was a delight to spend time with. I’ll share that URL when it’s completed.

One of the things I love most about Bali is the amazingly creative architectrure and gardens. Ponds abound and combine with nature so that your senses are constantly dancing with the beauty that is all around you. Because I love that look and feel so much, I created a Bali garden in my back yard. The link to photos of my home is at http://www.AliveWithLove.com/house/housemenu.html . (I used to be an interior designer in Montecito many years ago. I wanted to do only the tropical look but it was not popular at the time. Now everyone is doing it. Oh well, I guess I was ahead of my time.) The rice house, which is a raised platform where the Balinese rest and visit with each other is my favorite place in my back yard to read by the pond, listening to my waterfall and frog who sprays water from his mouth.

If you are going to Bali you must spend a lot of your time in Ubud. Chris is an expert surfer and loves the ocean so we spent the first 6 and last 2 days on the beach in an attempt to enjoy the famous surfing beaches of Bali. I say attempted because the first 4 days were at Puri Santrian in Sanur where the waves break way out so that the water near the hotel is still and during certain times through the day it looks dirty. The hotel was great. At the second place, Villa Kubu (villa #4) which was like a little home with private pool, we were led to believe that the beach was very close. It was not. It was a 20 minute walk and the hotel was not anywhere where we could walk to anything interesting. We turned the 4 nights that we’d booked into 2 nights and hightailed it to Ubud, where I’ve always stayed and where I was going to build my house and live.

In Ubud we stayed at the Komaneka Resort at http://www.asiarooms.com/indonesia/bali/komaneka_resort.html . I was already convinced that I wanted to stay there when my friend, Gigi, sent me a brochure to one of her favorite hotels and it was the Komaneka. So we booked 6 nights there. You can walk out to the street and be in the heart of all the action. I recommend room 201 because it is upstairs overlooking a beautiful rice field. We watched the farmer and his wife working in the fields, the dogs chasing children, the chickens and roosters. Take ear plugs for the morning rooster rousing. The food from the restaurant was excellent. We had American breakfast on our deck every morning after a dip in the unheated pool. Definitely wakes you up. Later in the day, after walking in the heat, the cool pool feels wonderful.

I’ll give you full descriptions of other places we stayed, what we did and what we saw when I get the photos. If you’re interested in joining me for a women’s trip to Bali, please send me an email and I’ll put you on the list for updates.

With much love,
Kara: OhKara@AliveWithLove.com