Category: Travel

Impressions of Bali

Since we arrived in Indonesia in November, we’ve fallen in love with this country. From the friendly islands of eastern Indonesia we moved on to the center. In between visa runs, we visited Bali a few times, staying on land and on our boat. Although our short stays are not enough to provide a definitive guide to the island, we developed impressions of Bali.

About Bali

Bali is one of the world’s most renowned vacation spots and has been called “Heaven on Earth.” We respectfully disagree. We found this paradise spoiled by overcrowding, traffic, and pollution. When we were there, it wasn’t even busy with tourists, as tourism has been down lately.

Much like Moorea versus Tahiti in French Polynesia, we prefer Lombok over Bali. Lombok is quieter and more relaxed. I know we’ve been spoiled, and after years of traveling we prefer uncrowded places. But our impressions of Bali also include some lovely places and experiences.

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Two Weeks in Vietnam Itinerary

Two weeks is never enough but we jammed  a lot into our Vietnam itinerary. We took three interior flights and multiple grab rides, and it was worth it. Hopefully, one day we can get back and spend another two weeks in Vietnam, or longer. I couldn’t get enough of this busy and beautiful country.

Last Minute Booking

Our trip to Vietnam was one of our most spontaneous ever, even more last minute than Japan. Fortunately, it was easier and more affordable to book tours and visit popular sights in Vietnam. We chose Vietnam because it’s close to Indonesia and we know we will not be going there by boat.

Ha Long Bay karsts, Vietnam
The limestone karst islands are part of what make Ha Long Bay so beautiful – and popular

Rainy season in Indonesia was wearing us down, and we needed to renew our visas again. But, we had to find somewhere safe to leave our boat and Domino for two weeks. For our first trip to Vietnam, we didn’t want to go for any less time. Fortunately, we managed to find both a mooring and a wonderful cat sitter in Gili Asahan, Lombok. Within a few days we were in Vietnam.

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Fremantle Favorites

One of our favorite places in Western Australia was Fremantle. Freo, for short, is a coastal city with history, culture, beaches, and more. We spent a week there, exploring the city streets and coastal paths, enjoying the nightlife, food, and history. Here are our Fremantle favorites.

About Fremantle

Located 22km south and west of the city of Perth, Fremantle is a city of its own with a population just over 36,000. In fact, while we were in Freo, we didn’t visit Perth, knowing we would have time there at the end of our month in Western Australia. We found plenty to do in Fremantle for such a small city. For context, it has fewer people than Port Macquarie, but feels much bigger because of the amount of activities on offer.

Sunset in Fremantle
A sunset from a Freo rooftop

With lots of preserved Victorian historic buildings, waterfront walking paths, and bars and restaurants, Fremantle is a great place to visit for a long weekend. For us, a week was a good length of time to experience our Fremantle favorites and still relax.

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