Friendly Footprints in Bali with Dera

For the penultimate ‘Friendly Footprints’ interview of 2020, Dera talks to me about her “fantastic” trip to Bali.

How did you decide on Bali as a destination? Bali is gorgeous in pictures. I’d always wanted to visit, but it wasn’t on top of my list to be honest. I was actually hoping to do a Euro trip with some friends that summer, but I didn’t feel like spearheading that (apparently no one else did) so no solid plans were in motion. Separately, my brothers and some mutual friends had planned a trip to Bali (and a few other countries). One evening, one of them called to tell me flight tickets were on sale if I was interested in joining. The deal was so good I booked my tickets that night and that was that. 

I know you traveled with a group of people, what was that experience like? It was a blast! I traveled with a good group and absolutely loved sharing the experience and making new memories with them. We did really cool activities (tourist attractions, snorkeling, the infamous bali swing etc.) and ate a lot of really great food (nasi goreng ftw!). Also, the villa we stayed in was nice enough that we intentionally freed up some time to stay home and enjoy it.

One afternoon, we took a break from all the exploring and just hung out in the villa, having drinks by the pool while blasting Afrobeats music. If you know me you know there was a lot of dancing happening – my zanku might just have been perfected this day. Oh and we also acted out scenes from Love Island UK (because that’s what you do when you’re in a dope villa and have far too much time on your hands). 

If you could describe your time in Bali with one word, it would be: Fantastic (this might be my favorite word right now)

What did you do for the first time in Bali? Took selfies with a monkey (the monkey took them…jk they just made it look like he did). Oh I also used a proper outdoor shower for the first time. One night I heard some very strange sounds that seemed like they were coming from the other side of the wall. Best believe it was the fastest shower I ever took haha!

What were your favorite things to eat, see and do?  Eat: I honestly loved just about everything but Nasi Goreng (fried rice) was the highlight of a few of my days. It hit every single time. 

See: I’m a big city girl so all the greenery was extremely refreshing. 

Do: I absolutely loved dancing my way through La Favela. It was honestly a magical place. Hands down the most unique bar/restaurant I’ve ever been to. It kinda felt like being in a vintage, artsy jungle, but like, during Christmas. The crowd and drinks were A1 too. 10/10 would highly recommend. 

Bali is absolutely beautiful. It’s the perfect place to visit, whether you’re looking to have a relaxing getaway or if you want to spend most of your time exploring.

-Dera

If you got to rewind and relive your trip, what things would you do differently?

A few things actually: 

• I would’ve stayed a little longer and spent some more time exploring and meeting locals (and other tourists as well!). 

• I was gutted I never got to have a floating breakfast, that’s a must-do when in Bali. I’d fix that. 

• And last but by no means the least, I’d skip the Gin & Tonic. I knew in my heart that G&T was not my friend, but my girl made it so good I couldn’t resist. Ended up missing out on an in-villa barbecue dinner because of it and I was not happy.

What do you miss most about being in Bali? Ah there’s a lot to miss. Mostly the food (can you tell I’m a big foodie yet?), the villa, the cheap massages and just the peace that came with being there. That last one’s hard to explain, you’d have to experience it for yourself. 

If you had to convince someone to visit the island, what would you say to them?“Try dey enjoy, problem no dey finish”.

On a more serious note, Bali is absolutely beautiful. It’s the perfect place to visit, whether you’re looking to have a relaxing getaway or if you want to spend most of your time exploring. There’s a lot to do, the people are great and the food is amazing. I think everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. 

When we can all travel with far less restrictions, where are you looking forward to visiting next? Hmm, probably Mexico. Mexico’s been calling my name lately. Estoy escuchando (I may or may not have googled that.) 

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Indonesia is an archipelago; meaning a group of islands. Bali is one of those islands. I loved experiencing pieces of this beautiful place through Dera’s interview. Thank you Dera, for sharing with me and all of my readers.

What was your favorite thing to eat in the last place you visited? Mine was a delicious Nasi Goreng from a Chinese restaurant in London. I was of course influenced by Dera. Leave me a comment to let me know your answer!

As always,

thank you for reading!

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Same footprints, Different sands