Monkey Business in Bali
In addition to countless spas, restaurants and clothing shops lining the streets of Ubud, Bali, there is a remarkable stop right on the edge of town. If you love furry little creatures, you will love Ubud’s Sacred Monkey Forest.
The Monkey Forest in Ubud
Wenara Wana or what is more commonly known as the Padangtegal Monkey Forest is a must do for anyone visiting Ubud. The “forest” is actually a walled area with two entrances where visitors pay the 15,000 Rupiah ($1.65 US) fee for admission. There are no gates so the monkeys roam freely, but they know that their main source of food comes from the tourists (more…)
Zen in Ubud
On our drive from Seminyak to Ubud, Bali for the remainder of our trip, we stopped at one of the many Batik producers where you can watch how Batik is made. The process begins with crafters carefully applying melted wax to the fabric forming the pattern where die will not adhere to the fabric. Die is then applied and the wax melts off leaving the natural color of the fabric.
Melted wax is applied to the fabric.
Once the pattern is created the fabric can then be cut and sewn into any number of garments, (more…)
The Road to Bali
The country of Bali has always held a tremendous amount of mystique and tropical allure to me. Perhaps it began when I was a child and heard Bloody Mary sing about the forbidden island of Bali H’ai in the musical “South Pacific.” Images of a volcano surrounded by lush green palm trees and beautiful beaches were beckoning me to an island that is so far away from home one could only dream of ever going there. It wasn’t until later that I learned Bali H’ai was a Hollywood concoction and not the same as the island of Bali, Indonesia.
Amala Hotel in Seminyak, Bali
Nevertheless, the allure remained and when it came time to start planning our annual Christmas/New Year’s trip this past summer, Bali was one of the front runners (more…)
Christmas Around The World
This year we spent Christmas in Singapore. It is so much fun and enlightening to travel to other countries and experience how they celebrate the holidays. Last year we were also in Asia, Bangkok to be more specific. Not only is the weather so very different than where we live but the culture is very different also. One thing that is a constant, however, is holiday lights and decorations.
Christmas Tree in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton, Singapore
There may not be a lot of Christmas trees like North Americans are used to seeing but there are always some type of lights and decorations, even in countries where (more…)
Travel to Temples
No trip to Asia would be complete without visiting some of the local temples. Any trip to a foreign land should include experiencing the local culture and Southeast Asia has plenty (more…)
Remember Love?
Do you remember your first love? How about your second? Remember how you would lie in bed thinking about what exciting adventure tomorrow would bring? How you couldn’t wait to see that person again. It didn’t even matter how you spent your time with each other. It was the chemistry and the magical feeling you had, just being with that special someone.
Lanterns in Hoi An, Vietnam
Love doesn’t apply only to people. Most people love their pets. Some people love to sing. Others love (more…)
Amazing Vegetable Details in Vietnam
One of my first impressions of the people of Vietnam was that they were mostly very hard working people who often make little money yet remain cheerful and friendly. They seem happy to take on tasks that Westerners would typically scoff at. Talent, ingenuity and a little love were evident in many of the details I saw while visiting their country.
The edible garnishes were simply awesome! Keep in mind that each and every dish served at this restaurant in Hoi An was accompanied by (more…)
Faces of Asia
On a recent photo tour of Bangkok and Vietnam, I decided to spend some time capturing the beauty of the area through the faces of its inhabitants. I found the people to be very friendly and accommodating.
Having only spent two weeks in Southeast Asia, I had little time to get to know any single person but generally speaking the people seemed to be happy and hard working. (more…)
Brad Bell Photo 