Balinese life
BALI IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR YOUNGSTERS SEEKING A LONG WORKCATION; OUR WRITER SHARES HER EXPERIENCES
Ahoneymooners paradise and a solo-traveler’s delight, South East Asia’s most cosmopolitan hub, Bali, is soon becoming a creative destination for those wandering hearts that need a place to recharge their creative selves while continuing to work. To me, Bali is the perfect destination for a Workation. Not long ago, I took a month-long sabbatical to discover Bali as a local.
After two years as an entrepreneur, I found that I needed to recharge my creative batteries while continuing to work. Call me a romantic, but, the island welcomed me with its hues of blues, bright and early in the morning, setting a tone for the month to come. Spoiled for choice with the coworking spaces in Bali, I chose the lush, paddy fields of Ubud as my home for the month. It offered the luxury of a simple secluded life while still being a cosmopolitan hub for travelers from all over.
A bicyclist’s haven, I rode from my little Balinese bungalow to Hubud, my workspace each morning. Be it the lovely staff, or the unfiltered view of the Monkey Forest, I found myself inspired to create something meaningful each day.
My weeks were spent meeting minds from different parts of the globe. I found the intellectual cross-pollination remote workspaces had to offer was unlike anything in a metropolitan anywhere else. Workshops in everything from digital marketing to international investments, and music were as much a part of my week as the ongoing work from back home. My evenings were spent learning from a local family about culture and food and music.
The craft families, skilled carpenters, antique dealers, and sculptors make for an excellent design network, and the myriad of minds you’re likely to meet at the coworking spaces in Ubud, Canggu and Seminyak make for an exciting global network.
Ecstatic cacao dances, weekends surfing in Canggu and diving in Gili, hiking up Mt.Batur and Mt.Ayung, cliff jumping into waterfalls, or just lazing by the Folk Pool are some of the truly unique experiences Bali offered me. The locals there are kind, helpful, and love India. They love exchanging stories of our shared mythology, spirituality, and history. Be it ’taxi driver by day, reggae base guitarist by night’, or an ancient Bahasa spiritual healer with an English wife, kids, and many adopted animals, I met an eclectic mix of people.
Food is a huge part of Balinese culture, and there was a decadence in the choicest global cuisines that the large expat population has brought to the island. The tropical lush has much to offer to the foodie heart, from the world’s finest coconuts and mangosteens, to the world’s most coveted cacao and Kopi Luwak.
When I look back on my time in Ubud, I remember days spent writing short stories for children, filling my journals with infinite sketches, watching performances in temples and palaces, and oftentimes doing nothing in the tropical lush. I’ve found that Bali has an unpretentious warmth, reminding you that harmony and happiness are easy if you choose for them to be. If you’re looking to reset, balance work and life, and reconnect with your purpose, Bali is where you need to be on your next Workation.
is a consultant with Che Experiences