The little town of Pemuteran in northwest Bali reminds me of Bali when I was a young girl: still a tad touristy, but retaining an authentic, Real-People-Live-Here vibe. And compared to the uber visited areas of south Bali, it feels a world away. It’s peaceful. A bit more gentle and easy going. Definitely less touristy….
Read More
We recently took the Java to Bali ferry from Banyuwangi, Java to Gilianuk, Bali, and though the trip was more or less an accident, we are so glad that we chanced upon the experience! Most people arrive in Bali via the Denpasar airport: Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport. Perhaps because of this, the most developed…
Read More
Ever considered visiting Western Australia and fancied cycling from Fremantle to Perth? We did! Admittedly, when originally researching this activity from my little home office in Balikpapan, Indonesia, the prospect felt a little overwhelming. Turns out, cycling from Fremantle to Perth is super straightforward … and fun! This is Part 3 of our seven day…
Read More
Stone jewelry sales have exploded in Indonesia; particularly for men, who love to wear enormous stone rings and/or stone pendants strung with gold or silver chains. Within the sixteen months we’ve been in Balikpapan (East Kalimantan Indonesia), we’ve noticed a marked increase in stores and little stalls selling various raw and polished stones within the local markets…
Read More
The Pinnacles Desert at Nambung National Park is a stunning moonscape of limestone pillars rising like jagged teeth from the dusty, terracotta-colored earth. Located about a three-hour drive north of Perth and/or Fremantle, this place is definitely worth a visit! We combined our trip to Pinnacles Desert with a super-fun sand boarding stop at the Lancelin…
Read More
A highlight of our seven day Western Australia road trip was a self-tour of the Lancelin sand dunes and then on to The Pinnacles Desert. Without stops, the journey takes just under three hours one way, but you’d be seriously missing out on the fun if you didn’t stop to sand board a/k/a sand surf…
Read More
This post covers Part Two of our week-long road trip through Western Australia, spanning days 3, 4 and 5, where we drive from the logging town of Pemberton to Cape Leeuwin, then up Caves Road to Margaret River, and finishing halfway through Day Five with our drive to Fremantle with a few stops at beach…
Read More
Living in Balikpapan, Kalimantan, Indonesia is, for the most part, like living anywhere else … sort of. Even if you’re here as a dependent instead of the work visa spouse, you still have your chores and errands: shopping for groceries, house cleaning, laundry, exercise, cooking, and all the other day-to-day activities that are a part of being…
Read More
One of the reasons Sam accepted his current job offer to work for a while in Indonesia, was the amazing destinations we might not otherwise be able to visit. So, for our mid-year time off in late May, we decided upon a road trip through Western Australia. The problem was, Western Australia is an enormous (and…
Read More
Balikpapan’s Sun Bear Sanctuary lies in the Sungai Wain preservation area of East Kalimantan’s rain forest, off Kilometer 23 on the road to Samarinda. Here, seven sun bears rescued from poachers and other threats roam the 3.25 acre natural enclosure. Twice daily, the bears, whose Indonesian name “Beruang Madu” actually translates to honey bear, pad…
Read More