Bali, Java, and a Whole Lotta Scooters: Our Indonesian Adventure
Next stop on Jenny and Mike’s Excellent Adventure: Indonesia! We kicked things off in Bali, the island paradise that Instagram dreams are made of — but, spoiler alert — it’s even better in real life, even if you’re constantly dodging scooters.
We visited two spots in Bali: Benoa (hello, heat and humidity) and Celukan Bawang in the north, where it felt like we stepped into a National Geographic special. In between sweating through our clothes and marveling at the sea of scooters, we squeezed in some serious temple hopping.
Bali is home to some of the most stunning temples we’ve ever seen — think Indiana Jones vibes, complete with ancient stone walls and trees growing out of the cracks like Mother Nature’s graffiti artist. Plus, we arrived during the full moon festival, which meant colorful offerings were placed at every altar and doorway — flowers, food, even tiny woven baskets — all creating a moving, living tribute that made our hearts happy (and our cameras very busy).
It was interesting to note that, alongside the amazing sights, Bali and Java are still grappling with some very real challenges. Trash management, especially plastic recycling, is a big issue, and you can see how environmental and social struggles are part of daily life. Yet, despite it all, the spirit and hospitality of the people shine through.
In Bali, spirituality is a huge part of everyday life. Every home has a shrine, and there are four types of temples: home temples, community temples, professional association temples, and public/historic temples. Interestingly, although Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, Bali has existed as a Hindu-dominant island since its inception. It is home to five officially recognized religions — Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Confucianism — and the people here generally live in a spirit of harmony and mutual support. They even provide security and support for each other's festivals, making every celebration feel like a true community event. The whole island feels like a living, breathing celebration of devotion.
And speaking of happy hearts (and bellies): Babi Guling. Oh man. This is Bali’s legendary roast baby pig, lovingly coated in a spice paste, slow-roasted to perfection, and served with fluffy rice and that crispy skin dreams are made of. We’re still drooling just thinking about it. Mike got so inspired he’s now determined to become a sambal master, sampling hotter and hotter chili concoctions until our taste buds cried uncle. (Spoiler: they did.)
Of course, every Balinese street is its own Netflix series during rush hour. Scooters, buses, cars — all performing this chaotic, magical dance that somehow just... works. Honk, zip, swerve, repeat!
From Bali, we hopped over to Java, Indonesia’s most populated island — and the heartbeat of the country. We explored the cities of Surabaya and Semarang, each with their own flavor but sharing that same laid-back, scooter-filled charm.
One of our best days started with the brilliant idea to ditch the big group tours and hire a local driver. Best. Decision. Ever. Our driver whisked us off to a Monkey Park, where we met the true rulers of Java: the macaques. These monkeys had full VIP access to the park — napping in the sun, stealing snacks, chasing each other, and generally living their best lives. We learned a few critical rules: don't bare your teeth (they think it’s a challenge) and don’t stare them down (unless you want a monkey-sized problem).
Later that day, we visited a Luwak coffee farm — yep, that coffee. Locals in Java even have a cheeky nickname for it: Cat Poo Chino. In case you’re not familiar (lucky you?), Luwak coffee is made from beans that a little creature called a civet eats... digests... and, uh, passes. Those partially fermented beans are then cleaned (thankfully), roasted, and brewed into what turned out to be a surprisingly smooth, low-acid cup of coffee. Jenny was brave enough to try it — and, not gonna lie, it was pretty darn good! (Note: if you find a tiny bag of suspiciously expensive coffee beans in your Christmas stocking, now you know why.)
We loved meeting locals who were excited to show us their cities — like Ganis, our new favorite tour guide. Ganis took us on a private tour of Old Town Semarang, exploring an old Dutch colonial railway station and a museum about Denmark’s brief, forgotten flirtation with Java. He even brought us to the beautiful, peaceful Sam Poo Kong Temple, the oldest Chinese temple in Semarang, where we got to soak in the history without elbowing through tour groups.
Next up? A couple of days in shiny, bustling Singapore! (And maybe a few more sambals for Mike’s growing hot sauce empire.) Stay tuned — the adventure continues!
