Blessings from Bali

Words & Photographs by Samantha Roche

There’s a lot to be said for venturing beyond the tourist hustle and bustle, and taking a few excellent reads along for the ride.

I’ve just returned from a Bibliocarta trip to Bali, Indonesia - a stunning combination of place-based literature and community-oriented travel. On this occasion, tour leaders Bri Lee (who founded Bibliocarta) and Tini (a local Balinese guide) designed an itinerary fit for those who want to be deeply enriched by a journey (and devour a few books along the way).

On these small group tours, travel begins long before you board a plane, with a curated selection of books sent to you, hinting at the immersion to come. We spent six days in Ubud under the luscious forest canopy of Adiwana Suweta Resort, where we rested, read and nourished. It felt like a fusion of fact and fiction, walking the rice fields with more knowledge of colonial history, with the time to notice Balinese spirituality. We were delighted by the local cuisine too, from traditional markets and contemporary restaurants, to step-by-step guidance in a cooking class.

Our final four days were spent in the glorious mountains of Munduk, where the clouds rolled in and out like the tide, and every view was framed by bougainvillea. We visited Ulun Danu Beratan on the shores of Lake Beratan, refined our creative practices with Bri, hiked to see the Munduk Waterfall, and slept deeply each night at Munduk Moding Plantation. Readers became writers, and travellers became friends.

Indonesian novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer once said ‘life can give everything to those who try to understand, who are willing to receive new knowledge.’ It’s true. The effort and time it takes to be still with people, places and histories is part of the privilege of travel. And for those willing to let the knowledge transform, every moment thereafter will be imbued with blessings.

To learn more about Bibliocarta and its tours, click here.