Trip to Bali-Indonesia

 Traveling to India during summer holidays is our annual tradition. This year we wanted to do a vacation within a vacation juz to take our parents out on a nice trip, so they get a break from their usual rut. When I started exploring vaca locations closer to India- Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia were the initial options in the shuffle, I dropped the pin on Indonesia looking at the stunning beach pictures online.😊 And trust me, the pictures online don't do justice to the astonishing view you experience in person.

Vacation planning is my forte and that is something I thoroughly enjoy doing, however this time I wanted to outsource this task, so we went to Great Argus Boutique Travels and they did an amazing job planning and booking this entire trip for us. The best part is we will have a travel guide and car with driver accompanying us for the entire duration of our trip. So it’s hassle-free and the most relaxing trip, we just got to get ready and hop in the car and enjoy visiting all these touristy places, they take care of logistics completely for us. Below is their Instagram page for reference.

https://www.instagram.com/greatargus?igsh=MXM2a2J6NnltZmZsbg==

In terms of price, it worked out great, it was roughly USD 1100 per person for a 6-day trip which includes Flight ticket, accommodation, and food partially included (everyday breakfast included, lunch covered for 2/3 days). In addition, we will have a van 🚐 with a driver and tour guide accompanying us every day. If you do the math, it is reasonable. Price is subject to change depending on the time of the year and changes in flight and hotel fares, but just wanted to give a rough ballpark here.

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state. Indonesia comprises of several islands and Bali is one of the most famous tourist destinations within Indonesia. Bali is the only Hindu-majority province in Indonesia, with 86.9% of the population adhering to Balinese Hinduism, so there are some really beautiful Hindu temples that are built closer to the shoreline and on cliffs which are a visual treat to watch, and the serenity of the place pumps up your dopamine and serotonin levels. You will experience a state of bliss within when you are in these places, absolutely amazing and magical experience!!!

Here is the link to Indonesia map, just so you can have an idea on the itinerary that I will be sharing below.

https://neptunescubadiving.com/nusa-penida

Once you land at the Denpasar Bali Airport, there is a line for Visa on Arrival, jump in and get in the line instead of scanning the QR code and doing it online as it is faster to get it directly from the immigration officers. Once you pick up your luggage, the next big step is clearing customs, they have a weird process of filling a doc online, and a QR code gets generated once you complete the doc and you need to show that to clear customs. They have computers for you to fill the doc or Connect to airport Wi-Fi they specify and then do it online, LTE connection won't work properly.

MONEY EXCHANGE:- There are several money exchange centers within the airport to exchange cash  from USD or INR to Indonesian Rupiah. Money is required in some places where credit cards aren't accepted, otherwise tipping is not a thing in Bali, sometimes people in certain places look perplexed when you tip them as they aren't used to getting a tip. We just tipped our travel guide and van driver at the end of the trip.

Here is our trip itinerary that was compiled by Great Argus Travels for us. I requested a 6-day package, however, in hindsight, I would have requested an 8-day trip instead as there are so many beautiful locations to cover and it was hard to hustle. 

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Trip to West Side -Nusa Penida has 4 major spots to visit in a day and each location is absolutely beautiful. We got mesmerized looking at these lovely beaches and wanted to spend more time in each location. We missed going to Crystal bay as we didn't have the time to cover all 4 places on the same day, wish we had allotted 2 days for Nusa Penida island. Also, if you would like to hike down to the beach shoreline then add another day just for hiking these stunning beach trails.

STAY:- We stayed at NUSA DUA SPA Resort and it was spectacular. If you are planning to go to Bali, look no further for a stay this hotel is hands down the best one to stay. I missed adding an extra day in my itinerary just to enjoy the resort in itself. So carve out a day to explore the resort beach, restaurant and spa. We were told that the G20 convention was hosted at this resort.

For the second part of our trip we were relocated to a Village farmland resort called ALUM PULSI UBUD, it was good. Rooms come with a private pool for each room facing the farmland. I wouldn't say it was an extraordinary place but was a nice place given the location.

FOOD:- Balinese food is very appetizing for food lovers. Fried rice and noodles are their staple food along with some signature appetizers and desserts to enjoy.

WATER SPORTS:- Bali offers plenty of water sports activities if you are into it. I wanted to try some new activities and Sea Walking was the one we went with. I can't explain in words the beauty of spectacular fishes in rainbow colors that you get to see in this activity, you are inside the water touching and playing with these fishes, incredible!

WATERFALLS:- Bali is known for its beautiful waterfalls and I asked my travel agent to sneak in a small waterfall hike within the itinerary. If you are not able to hike the entire distance there is motorbike taxi to hop on, that takes you to the stair entrance. We went to Banyumala Twin Waterfalls, you get to jump inside the natural pool, it was so refreshing and rejuvenating.

 

I would definitely go back to Indonesia to explore the Java side of the country known for its wilderness and hiking trails. Bali being a very popular tourist destination in South Asia a lot of tourists tend to litter such a beautiful place with plastic wastes all around. I hope the Indonesian government takes some serious measures to contain and control the pollution caused by littering.

Bali has its indigenous culture and heritage still intact and it's a pleasure to watch men and women in the traditional Balinese costumes. Kecak dance show was nice to watch. 

Overall it's an amazing place to visit. If you are into Photography don't forget to take your SLR Camera, I missed taking mine, and I now have to revisit Bali just to click some doozy pictures in my SLR camera. 😊

Matur Suksma!

Sleep Hygiene

Sleep is one of the primary elements for both physical and mental health. Quality sleep of 6 to 8 hours is a must for all adults. Often times people take it for granted until they realize their other health issues are related to poor sleep quality. Insomnia/Lack of sleep can cause domino effect on health if not corrected in early stages.

Don’t fall into that default bucket of taking pills forever, instead fight to find the root cause. Yes, take a pen and paper and start writing down list of changes that happened in your life ever since you stopped sleeping well.

So how to improve your sleep quality?

FOLLOW A GOOD SLEEP HYGEINE

Make sure you can tick all the below items to be guaranteed a good sleep.

# No caffeine 5 hours before bedtime.

# No nicotine.

# Exercising at least 3 to 4 days a week.

# No TV or Phone or any blue screen 1 hour before bedtime. Or at least put your phone in night mode while browsing before bedtime.

# Don't drink too much water before bedtime to avoid waking up to use restroom in the night.

# Make a to-do list for next day, so you don't brood over it while trying to fall asleep.

# No stress/depression-try relaxing yoga poses in bed to calm down your muscles.

# Stick to disciplined sleep time and wake up time. Random schedules will disturb your biological cycle and will confuse your body and mind on the sleep routine.

# Check your vitals and make sure all your vitamin levels are at par. I would recommend a blood test to check vitamin and mineral deficiency levels.

If you are doing all of the above and in spite of that you are not getting good sleep, check if there are any other underlying health issues. In my case I had an internal nasal problem which deprived oxygen that inhibited from getting a good sleep and I also had severe Magnesium deficiency.

# Can it be Deviated Septum or Enlarged Turbinate or Turbinate hypertrophy or Sleep Apnea or on-allergic rhinitis or may have narrowed nasal passages. Check if you can breath well through your nose when lying down.

# Use Neti pot to clean your nose before bed if you have allergies or sinus. It will help clear you nasal passage and in turn aid in good sleep. 

# Take magnesium supplements and take nuts that are rich in magnesium if you have magnesium deficiency.

I got below notes from another website so added it here for ease of reference.

Adopting new habits to help you sleep

• Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Support your biological clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends.
• Avoid naps. Napping during the day can make it more difficult to sleep at night. If you feel like you have to take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes before 3 p.m.
• Limit caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Stop drinking caffeinated beverages at least eight hours before bed. While alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it interferes with the quality of your sleep, and nicotine is a stimulant.
• Avoid late meals. Try to avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Fatty foods can take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and spicy or acidic foods can cause heartburn.
• Get regular exercise. Regular exercise can improve the symptoms of insomnia, but it’s not a quick fix. It takes several months to feel the full effects. Aim for 30 minutes or more of activity on most days—but not too close to bedtime.
• Take plant-based multivitamin
• Eat 1.5 oz Organic Almonds everyday

Develop a better bedtime routine

It’s not just what you do during the day that affects the quality of your sleep, but also those things you do to prepare your mind and body for sleep.

• Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool. Noise, light, and heat can interfere with sleep. Try using a sound machine or earplugs to hide outside noise, an open window or fan to keep the room cool, and blackout curtains or a sleep mask to block out light.
• Avoid stimulating activity and stressful situations before bedtime. This includes vigorous exercise, big discussions or arguments, or catching up on work. Instead, focus on quiet, soothing activities, such as reading, knitting, or listening to soft music, while keeping lights low.
• Turn off screens one hour before bedtime. The light emitted from TV, tablets, smartphones, and computers suppresses your body’s production of melatonin and can severely disrupt your sleep. Instead of emailing, texting, watching TV, or playing video games, try listening to a book on tape, a podcast, or reading by a soft light.

Learn to associate your bed with sleeping, not sleeplessness

• Use the bedroom only for sleeping. Don’t work, read, watch TV, or use your computer in bed or the bedroom. The goal is to associate the bedroom with sleep alone, so that your brain and body get a strong signal that it’s time to nod off when you get in bed.
• Get out of bed when you can’t sleep. Don’t try to force yourself to sleep. Tossing and turning only amps up the anxiety. Get up, leave the bedroom, and do something relaxing, such as reading, drinking a warm cup of caffeine-free tea, taking a bath, or listening to soothing music. When you’re sleepy, go back to bed.
• Move bedroom clocks out of view. Anxiously watching the minutes tick by when you can’t sleep—knowing that you’re going to be exhausted when the alarm goes off—is a surefire recipe for insomnia. You can use an alarm, but make sure you can’t see the time when you’re in bed.
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Challenging self-defeating thoughts that fuel insomnia

Self-defeating thought	Sleep-promoting comeback
Unrealistic expectations: I should be able to sleep well every night like a normal person.	Lots of people struggle with sleep from time to time. I will be able to sleep with practice.
Exaggeration: It’s the same every single night, another night of sleepless misery.	Not every night is the same. Some nights I do sleep better than others.
Catastrophizing: If I don’t get some sleep, I’ll tank my presentation and jeopardize my job.	I can get through the presentation even if I’m tired. I can still rest and relax tonight, even if I can’t sleep.
Hopelessness: I’m never going to be able to sleep well. It’s out of my control. Sleep tight and stay healthy!	Insomnia can be cured. If I stop worrying so much and focus on positive solutions, I can beat it.

Sleep tight and stay healthy!