This time a slightly different travelogue. Where you usually see many places, sometimes even several countries, this time there is peace and quiet and smaller experiences, but with a big smile from Bali!


Do you know that feeling when nothing really makes sense anymore? Or you just know you should take time for yourself? You know you love traveling and yet you also want to listen to your body. That’s how I felt this year. The compromise: arrive 2 days before the retreat for 2 weeks and then explore the island with day trips during the retreat.
So I spend my first day in Bali in Sanur. I first visit Jl. Danau Tamblingan and then head to the beach.
The next day, I’m off to Bondalem and the Prana Veda Bali Sanctuary. The driver picks me up and takes me past Ubud, the rice terraces and the Batur volcano, which is unfortunately hiding in the clouds, to the little paradise that I can call home for the next two weeks.
A terrace with a hammock, a beautiful garden and the sea right in front of it welcome me, as do the lovely people I get to spend the next two weeks with. I arrive just in time for afternoon tea with cookies. I am welcomed with a fresh coconut from their own plantation and my timetable for the next week.

The next day starts with oil pulling. After an explanation of why oil pulling is good for both oral health and intestinal health, especially if you take a small sip of oil, we get started. During the little morning ritual, a card is drawn for the day and you can discuss it with the group over a cup of tea. Then it’s off to yoga.
The morning is rounded off with a nice breakfast, according to individual taste. For me, this was a large bowl of colorful fruit with some rice pudding every morning. With a fresh juice. There was also bread with various sweet or savory spreads and egg dishes.
In the time until lunch, I had my first massage and a welcome talk with Tamina. Then I was free until afternoon tea. We ended the day with a meditation and dinner.
The daily routine remains the same for the next two weeks, but is interrupted from time to time by small excursions or experiences.
On my second day, we all drive to a nearby waterfall. On the short walk there, we walk through the jungle and see all kinds of plants, including vanilla for the first time. On the way back we see monkeys.
The next day, I decide to get up even earlier and take the fishing boat out to sea to watch the sunrise from there. With a bit of luck, we might even see dolphins.
Unfortunately, I’m not the best dolphin photographer, but we really did see a lot that morning. I just enjoyed them.
As luck would have it, Galungan, one of the highest holidays in Hinduism, was also in the first week. The ancestors and gods come to visit for 10 days. On Kuningang they go back into the sea.
So for this holiday we also put on our saris with additional cloth and were warmly welcomed in the temples in Bondalem.
We were also able to learn how to cook typical Balinese food from the two cooks.
And to round off my first week, I had a flower bath.
At the end of week one, I also had a day off to go on a day trip. First stop was the Unjung Water Palace near Amlapura. A beautiful temple complex built in 1921 by the Queen of Karagasem.

We continue to White Sand Beach, a beautiful beach on the east coast of Bali.
In addition to the beautiful excursion destinations, I was able to enjoy the nature around me on the trip. I was able to take a look at the island’s highest volcano, Gunung Agung, and end the day with a view of the rice terraces during a stop at the Asli Bali Café. By the way, Asli Bali means the real Bali.
One of the many little pieces of information from my driver. He also told me a lot about the school system, family and culture in Bali. For example, there is no pension system in Bali as we know it, but the sons are their personal pensioners. That’s why there are many families with lots of children, because having a daughter is nice, but it doesn’t guarantee you a livelihood in old age.
The next week, I asked for a day off for another day trip. Thanks to the flexibility at Prana Veda, this was no problem. So I was able to visit Danau Bratan, one of the most important temples in Bali. On the way there, we passed Lake Tamblingan. This used to be a crater lake.
The botanical garden is also very close by. Here you can enjoy the peace and quiet that you miss in the crowded temple complexes. Until recently, you could still drive through here by car, but now only on e-scooters. I decided to visit the garden on foot. Past the orchid garden, the cactus house and the medicinal herb garden to the large ficus tree.
As my flight on the day of my departure didn’t leave until the evening, I also used this day to see something. On the way to Ubud, I was able to see the Batur volcano this time and also had a wonderful view of the rice terraces. In Ubud, after 2 weeks of rest, I was a little overwhelmed by all the people. Nevertheless, I was able to enjoy the time in a nice café and at least get a small impression of Ubud.
Conclusion
My first gut feeling after my trip to Bali: it was exactly what I needed, super relaxing, met nice people, had time to work on my issues, but didn’t get to see much of the country and its people.
With a little more distance and also just writing the post: The compromise was a very good one! I was able to see a lot, use the time on the excursions to learn about the people and culture in Bali and still feel at home.
And yes, at the time of writing this post I’ve been back home for 11 days and so far I’ve been able to integrate oil pulling and yoga into my daily routine.