Day 13
After a pretty lazy day by the pool yesterday, we decided to strike out and discover Bali. Having not seen barely a Western face in Java, it’s immediately obvious that travellers flock here, but what is the magical hold?

Well, for a start, the architecture here is stunning, and it lends a mystical vibe to the island. But it’s not all authentic. For example a third of Tanah Lot, one of Bali’s most famous temples, is artfully constructed artificial rock to conserve the structure from continuous crumbling. There are obviously several opposing views to this: should buildings of historical interest be preserved to a point that there is no history left? Isn’t architectural preservation just as important? At what point do you start reconstruction? Should surrounding structures be built in the same designs? History is a matter of evolution and over time things change. The issue is really about tipping point, but where that point is, is anyone’s guess.

Our first stop today was Batuan village temple. It is a stunning structure, and even if there has been some reconstruction, it has been done sensitively. The designs and thought behind the creation are still intact and visitors can get a glimpse into the past through the stone carvings, which tell a story.

Ubud draws visitors like bees to honey. A mix of rich culture, interesting crafts, cafes and shopping makes it a major pull and travellers often find themselves staying longer than they planned.

Our main focus for the day was the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, or Mandala Wisata Wanara Wana, home to more than 600 Balinese macaques. The jungle surrounds several 14th century temples, and in the humid conditions the green moss clings to stone. Cheeky monkeys own this place, and visitors are not allowed to forget. Leave your glasses on your head, or a guidebook in your hand, at your peril. As if to demonstrate that they were in charge, they surrounded our three year-old and took the water bottle from out of her hands, untwisted the lid, and drank greedily. They may be used to people, but they are not pets, and a visitor hoping to make a new hairy friend will be disappointed to realise that wild animals are exactly that.

It is, though, a great way to get up close to these creatures, watch them playing and nurturing their young. And it seems that they do have a caring nature. We saw one mother carrying a tiny kitten in her mouth and feeding it. One of the first things a baby monkey learns to do is grab on to its mother for a lift. A kitten is unable to do this, so the adult monkey had adapted and carried the kitten like a mother cat.

Take time to visit the silver and carving workshops too. The artisans’ skills are still very much alive and it makes shopping a more enriching experience when you understand how a product is made, and how the community is supported by its creation.

For an outline itinerary for this two-week trip, please click here. It involves a lot of travel, but the sights are spectacular. It is possible to hire a car and drive though Java yourself but we strongly advise you to hire a local driver. Not only does this make the trip more relaxing, but drivers make excellent tour guides as well. It also gives you the option to take a train for part of the journey to view life through a different window.


For more photographs, please click here.

As soon as you drive from the airport or ferry into Bali you can’t help but be impressed by how different the island is from the rest of Indonesia, and for that matter the rest of the world. Everywhere you look there are temples, and hidden courtyards, and the feeling of spirituality can be immediately uplifting.

Bali is predominately Hindu (Java is predominantly Muslim) and the number of festivals is pretty staggering, but travelling in late March, early April, out of the main tourist season, is a special experience as it coincides with when Hindu’s celebrate Galungan, the creation of the universe. The central focus of the holiday is an expression of gratitude to the Supreme God through offerings of flowers, incense and fruit.

For a whole month, the streets are decorated with towering bamboo palms, called penjor, each still traditionally and lovingly crafted by households. The penjor is embellished with coconut, cabbage and banyan tree leaves. The upper edge curve down to symbolise the mountain, and the pole is decorated with rice, coconut and fruits. A piece of white fabric symbolises purity.

The island is home of many mystical stories and the legend of Rahwana and Hanuman is one of Bali’s most famous and enduring. It is often narrated through dance, known as the Kecak or fire dance, with as many as 50 dancers.

It is thanks to Hindu and Buddhist teaching that Bali came to adopt the story, which is originally from India. With roots dating back to 100BC, the audience is presented with religious, moral and cultural lessons through the Kecak dance. It is a story of love, faith and bravery.

While the story unfolds, a circle of male dances, wrapped in black and white check sarongs, surrounds the stage, waving and chanting rhythmically “Caca cha, caca cha, cakcakcak...”.

A beautiful princess called Sita is kidnapped by the demon Rahwana. While trying to rescue his wife, Prince Rama and his brother Laksamana are attacked and tied up by Rahwana’s son. The King of all birds, Garuda, frees the Princes. With the help of the supernatural powers of a white monkey called Hanuman, and surrounded by flames, the Princess is rescued.

This is of course, a very simplified version of a hypnotic dance that leaves the audiences swaying and entranced. Hanuman, the incarnation of Lord Shiva, a Hindu deity, is a central character.

The costumes, make-up and choreography are immediately recognisable, and it is difficult to leave Bali without a lasting impression of this spiritual introduction. If travel is about learning about how we come to live like we do, then this introduction is an essential step in understanding Bali.

Day 11
Indonesia’s islands are small and compact, each one a unique jewel box full of promise. Sometimes the contents are an insight into life as it flashes past the car window; a women combing her child’s hair, chickens scratching around, a tethered cow chomping grass in a paddy field, a fruit market. Often it is the poorest elements of life that line the street. It is the poorest elements of life that can not afford the luxury of privacy.

Sometimes the contents of the jewel box are something glittering; a glimpse of a temple, streets decorated for a festival, the split second when you realise the Kodak moment has passed uncaptured, untrapped, still free.

Indonesia might geographically be small and compact, but the distances are deceiving. Each country seems to measure distance in a different way. When we lived in the States, the answer to the question: “how far is it to the shopping mall?” was a sensible; “twenty minutes”.

Ask the same question in the UK and the answer isn’t a matter of time, but of distance. It might be five miles to the shopping centre, but it could take you 15 minutes or an hour depending on the traffic.

And in Indonesia the answer is different again. It’s non committal. It could take you three hours or five hours. And this is dependent on a range of factors: the state of the road, which are only single lane; the number of mopeds that buzz around you; whether you get stuck behind a lorry. I frequently cast a furtive glance over the speedometer to reassure myself that we were going faster than 40 kph. Each time I was disappointed. This makes planning a trip quite difficult. Of course, we’d seen a map before we’d left, and made rough estimates of how long it would take us to do each leg of the journey. We even sought advice on how long it would take us to get from point A to point B. But then we choose to ignore it. After all, how could it possibly take us seven hours to drive 200km. We were so widely out on our estimations. So the lesson learnt is that, if travelling with young children, or even if you don’t want to be stuck in a car all day, listen to advice!

That said, I don’t think you can learn so much, or experience real life, without spending time on a road trip.

Today we drove from the plantations of Kalibaru, and hopped on a ferry to Bali. And all of a sudden life has changed. Where Java is predominately Muslim, Bali is predominately Hindu. The streets are lined with life and every second house is a temple. The architecture is absolutely stunning.

So I suppose the lesson is, even if the road you travel is long and winding, you’ve made a decision and, whether right or wrong, out of the decision you will be rewarded with new experiences, sights and sounds. And that’s what travelling is all about.

Ferry Crossing: Ferries leave every hour from Ketapang in Java to Gilimanuk in Bali, and the crossing takes just over an hour. Don’t expect luxury, but it’s a fun way to arrive on the Island. You can buy tickets very cheaply before you board.

Accommodation: The Westin, Nusa Dua, family suite. Superb five-star hotel with excellent children’s facilities and spa. www.westin.com/bali

Day 10
Another day spent in the car with the scenery whizzing past went surprisingly fleetingly with new sights to keep us entertained. When you set out for a day trip you’re searching for something. You want to learn something new, and the endeavour is about the destination. A day spent travelling is practically the reverse. Yes, you are heading to a final destination, but the journey is the point of the exercise and instead of searching for something, life comes to you. You couldn’t walk into a village with a list of today’s sights to tick off. We’ve seen horses being led at speed downhill by mopeds; trucks overfilled with sugar cane with half a dozen or so farm labourers bouncing on top; bikes carrying half a field of sugar cane or boxes of live chickens as big as a minivan; mopeds carrying beds; snails and spiders practically the size of a child’s fist; bamboo shoots as tall as a four storey house and landslides that have turned roads to mud baths. Although long drives can be frustrating, especially with young children, the cliché exists for a reason: it’s journey not the destination that matters.

This is a great area to explore the rural way of life, from the plantations to the farms. The children were fascinated to see cacao beans, with sticky white fruit inside, and peanuts growing underground, not on trees where monkeys could find them. We met one man whose job it was to shimmy up the palm trees, without a rope, to gather the sap for a special potent home brew. With incredible agility and speed, just using little cut outs in the trunk, he had climbed to the crown of the tree almost before I could get my lens cap off. When you're on the road you never know what you are going to see.

Tonight we’re staying tucked up in a small guesthouse deep in the forest, surrounded by the deafening sounds of crickets and rivers. The sides of the mountains are carpeted with coffee, tea, rubber and cacao plantations. It’s a petty place to end our Javanese tour. Tomorrow we drive to the ferry port at Ketapang and cross to Bali.

Accommodation: Margo Utomo Hill Side Resort. Beautiful infinity pool overlooking the mountains. Well-maintained gardens surround the simple but clean bungalow-style bedrooms. www.margoutomo.com

For centuries, people around the world have soaked, scrubbed and rubbed the day-to-day stresses away with massage. And with its long connection to this ancient practice, I find one of the spiritual homes of massage in Indonesia.

The source of Javanese massage comes from several places and so elements of this healing ritual are drawn together to create a unique experience. And those are two key words: healing and ritual. This is a physical and a spiritual experience. Relaxation is often the key to health, but other benefits include easing muscle and joint pain, improving circulation, and muscle tone, and so massage also becomes a beauty treatment.

So what is the secret recipe? Start with a mixing bowl and add ayurvedic medicine, a traditional medicine based on plants from the Indian Subcontinent, and then add ancient Chinese medicine. Then a sprinkle of Hindu religion and Buddism. Finally, introduce a drop of trade, brought by the winds on Arabian boats searching for spice.

Each massage experience is different, depending on who is looking after you, the ambience, the environment and the patient’s state of mind. It was a real sacrifice, but in the name of research I underwent two massages and gained two completely different experiences.

Apsara Spa, Hotel Tugu, Malang, Java
As soon as you cross the threshold of Hotel Tugu you step back a thousand years to be surrounded by the legend of the beautiful Cambodia dancing goddess, Apsara, and her love story with a Javanese prince. This is a tale of opposites, and the Javanese massage offered if based on this Yin and Yang.

Like waves, the ritual starts with a hot aromatic soak, which includes lemon, ginger and a larder of herbs. This is followed by lots of oil and a strong, deep tissue massage. Javanese methods mainly focus on the use of the thumbs to invigorate, while the Balinese offer a more relaxing approach, using the palm of the hand. Pushing and stroking techniques ease knots and tension from the muscles to aid post massage relaxation.

Westin Spa, Westin Hotel, Nusa Dua, Bali
If you are looking for a more dreamy experience, the eternal beauty ritual should not be missed. Originating from the royal palaces the Javanese lulur is an ancient ritual that leaves you drifting off to sleep. Each step leads you down into a complete state of relaxation, washing away the stresses of everyday life. Starting with a sandalwood body wash and a spice scrub, the highlight is a full-body massage that breaks down even a fisherman’s net of knots. And at the end of this two-hour pampering there is a soak in a milky bath decorated with candles and frangipani flowers. The only trouble is you’ll be so relaxed you’ll have trouble dragging yourself out of the bath.

Understanding the context and history of a type of massage only helps you to enjoy the experience more. Imagine yourself to be a princess in a palace, as you inhale the fragrances deeply, and try to carry the Zen-like state back with you to the real world.

The practical bit
·       Hotel Tugu, Malang: Apsara Herbal Massage, 60 mins, www.tuguhotels.com
·       Westin Hotels and Resorts, Bali: Eternal Beauty Ritual, 120 mins, www.westinnusaduabali.com