Ubud, Bali, Indonesia – travelling with a little one

Our trip to Bali was our first family holiday with the little one. Bali is a convenient three and a half hour flight from Perth.  We hadn’t been there before together, and since it is relatively tourist friendly and not too expensive to travel, we thought it would be a great choice for a short trip.  We decided to stay in Ubud, a bustling town in the island’s central area, famed for its picturesque rice paddies, temples, culture, food and art.

Our accommodation was a lovely Balinese style villa set amongst the rice paddies – such luxury for us who are accustomed to hostels and backpacker joints. It even had its own private pool! The villa was in the village of Mas, a little out of the main city, and though it meant we needed to catch a shuttle to go into town, it was pleasant being away from the smells and sounds of the city. We took a few early morning walks around the rice paddies and it was quite enjoyable.

Cambodian children, Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

We brought some small trinkets with us and gave them out to children who we met along during our exploration of the Angkor Wat temples.

Below is a photo of some children we met around Prasat Banteay Kdei Temple.

 

Phnom Penh Night Market, Cambodia

We arrived in Phnom Penh after a two hour flight from Singapore. We caught a tuk-tuk from the airport to downtown where we would be staying. Upon our arrival at the hotel, the staff advised that while we had made a room reservation, they did not have a room available and sent us to a sister hotel a few blocks away, a bit further from the main tourist area. We were quite annoyed  and frustrated, but as we were only staying for one night before heading to Siem Reap, we decided to accept their discount and stay at the other hotel.

It was still walking distance to the riverside road, Sisowath Quay, so we decided to wander there in the afternoon.  We passed the Royal Palace, which looks extravagant from the outside. Due to the recent King’s death, the Palace is closed to visitors for three months.

There were many tourists around given it was peak visiting seasons. We were hungry and stopped at a local restaurant who claimed its proceeds were given to less fortunate Cambodian children. We ordered a delicious amok (Cambodian fish coconut curry) dish and La Lok (beef with rice).

After our meal we headed to the Phnom Penh Night Market for a stroll. It was a Saturday evening so there were many stalls selling all kinds of items from clothing, jewellery to souvenirs. We immediately went to the food stalls – a colourful display of Cambodian snacks – skewers of meat, fish, and all sorts of unidentifiable delicacies. Having just eaten we were very full but still decided to sample a few fresh rice rolls which were only one-thousand-five-hundred Riels (approximately twenty-five cents) each! In the centre of the food stalls were many bamboo mats which the locals used for eating their meals. We also tried a sweet dessert, similar to ais kacang (a Malaysian dessert), consistent of various sweet/savoury snacks and mixed with shaved ice, coconut milk and syrup.

One of the many food stalls at the night market
Rice paper rolls and other delicacies
Fresh sugar cane juice
Fresh seafood on skewers
Various processed meats on skewers
The very popular Angry bird featured on skewers
An assortment of Cambodian foods, rice paper rolls and papaya salad
Cambodia ais kacang dessert

A wedding in Sri Lanka

We went to a friend’s wedding in Sri Lanka on our way home from India. The wedding was held in the capital Colombo.

Much of two days there was spent with other visiting friends (mainly eating glorious seafood), and then there was the beautiful Buddhist wedding.

Whilst brief, it was a really enjoyable side trip and end to our adventures – we’d love to go there again someday!

Sonya wearing a sari for the Sri Lanka wedding
Travis and Sonya at the Sri Lanka wedding
Traditional dancers welcoming the groom and bride
Sonya with friends at restaurant Ministry of Crab
Table setting at Ministry of Crab restaurant