Diamond Head Road

The hubby loves this beach for some reason…

When we first moved here, Sunday was all about the food and where we would eat breakfast. Now, it's all about the beach.

Bali has two distinct seasons: dry (May - September) and wet (October - April). I guess we got off lightly this year as except for a few wonderfully dramatic electrical storms and heavy, but brief showers, the "rainy" season wasn't that much different from the dry season we first encountered upon our arrival in early August. 

The one thing that does drastically change with each season is the condition of the beaches around the island. During the "wet" season, the place to be is the Nusa Dua area which is located on the eastern side of the southern tip of the island known as the Bukit Peninsula.

Many of the island's top hotels populate this area for obvious reasons: miles and miles of white sand beaches and the turquoise Indian Ocean without a lot of the trash you will find on some of the beaches during this time of year. 

Our favorite spot in Nusa Dua is a stretch known as Geger Beach located right in front of the yummy Nusa Dua Beach Grill. Here you will find a family friendly party every Sunday. Except for the cliff top Balinese temple overlooking the south side of the beach, I feel like Geger could be in Greece or on an island off of Italy. The vibe is very international as almost every accent and language can be overheard and the atmosphere is a mixture of European and North Shore, Hawaii surfer chic.

The waves are pumping this time of year and the scene is mostly local expatriates as Bali's tourist season doesn't get into full swing until June. There are beach chairs and umbrellas that you can rent for approximately $7.50 or just tell the friendly staff that you plan to order lunch on the beach or up at the grill and the beach chairs are complimentary. The pizzas ($5) are great and the beers are cold.

To Pembantu or not to Pembantu

I remember being so excited about our "laundry room with a view" back home in Hawaii because that's where I spent most of my time: sorting while the baby napped, washing and drying while the kids watched a movie and folding while they were safely ensconced in school.

The truth is I haven't done a load of laundry since we moved to Bali six months ago. Our housekeeper doesn't even do the laundry. Two or three times a week, Ketut hauls a drawstring bag to the laundry service and for about $2 - $5, brings back a tidy bundle to neatly unpack in everyone's drawers. Everything is ironed from the kid's t-shirts, to David's boxers to our sheets and towels.

Life with a full-time housekeeper and cook (pembantu in Balinese) seems somewhat normal to me now that we've settled in, but believe me, I did my time as an all-American "supermom" back home. 

When we were on the final countdown to move here, my fantasy was to be able to sit down to breakfast with my husband and children while breakfast was cooked, served and cleaned up. Imagine…sitting down to breakfast with my family! Before Bali, I cooked, hastily served everyone and then ate my haphazard portion on the run while cleaning, getting Stanley ready for school and David off to work.

Our mornings in Bali are quite different. Ketut arrives at 7:30 a.m. with a beautiful smile, washes the dishes from the night before, sends Stanley across the street to pick up some fresh brown eggs (and to practice his Indonesian) and then gets to work on veggie omelettes, pancakes, fried rice or whatever we have in mind.

Of course, mornings are not always smooth sailing. We still have the lunches to make, the kids to get dressed and the teeth to be brushed. The baby has his meltdowns and I manage to misplace something of importance right before heading out the door, but at least now it seems somewhat manageable and a little more fun.

Most of the expatriates I talk to say they moved to Bali for the culture and experience, but stayed for the help and lifestyle. We are all in agreement that there is no better place for a family with young children to live if you not only want to survive the process of raising your brood, but actually want to enjoy the ride as well.

We're not in Kansas anymore

When I finished reading "Eat, Pray, Love" a couple of years ago, I fantasized about moving to Ubud; finding a cozy Balinese cottage in the middle of a rice paddy with a yoga studio right down the street. 

When we actually landed in Ubud for the first time this summer, I couldn't believe my eyes: the quaint artists' village I had envisioned is actually a bustling mecca of restaurants, art galleries, jewelry shops, cafes and spas - not a yoga studio in sight let alone a spare square inch on the topsy turvy sidewalk we attempted to maneuver with the kids. Note to self: Ubud is not the place to bring a stroller; better off with a Kelty backpack carrier, for sure.

Even in the "slow" season which is regarded as October thru April, Ubud is a beehive of activity. Despite the pace though, there is a different energy here that feels deeper, more grounded than many of the coastal towns; you climb the mountain and the temperature drops a few degrees, coconut, banana, banyan and plumeria trees hover along steep precipices overlooking rocky, flowing streams. You have to take your time in Ubud. It is not the kind of place to spend half a day and feel like you've really seen what she has to offer.

The best strategy is to spend a few days and take each street slowly; shop for an hour then people watch inside a cafe and have a fresh watermelon juice or ginger tea. A fantastic souvenir that a few of the shops specialize in is a double-ply parachute fabric hammock; they are bright, durable and will remind the family of Bali for years to come. The jewelry selection is mind boggling, loungy; eco-fabric clothing shops for men and women as well as really fun children's lines such as Dandelion Baby tempt you in every turn. 

There is also art everywhere; good and bad. Dismiss the oversized, beret sporting Che Guevara portraits and duck into one of Ubud's smart little art galleries such as T-artspace which features temporary exhibits of contemporary Indonesian artists. Right around the corner you'll find Ganesha Bookshop which has a fabulous collection of Balinese Books and Bali Buddha; where Ubud's "hippy set" go for a great vegetarian meal, organic necessities and locally made products. 

If you're in a heartier mood, head to the bright and beautiful two-story Laughing Buddha Bar for an amazing bowl of shrimp wonton soup and live music most nights of the week. And if you're feeling really frisky, head to humble Naughty Nuri's which boasts the most famous martini on the island. A great place to call home base is Honeymoon Guesthouses which is located within walking distance to everything and offers a fabulous cooking school as icing on the cake.