Singapore & Indonesia

Days 1 - 3: The city that shouldn’t work (but does)

Imagine a city with more than five million people crammed into a small island nation; with virtually no traffic congestion, poverty, or crime; with abundant green spaces, phenomenal public transportation, and streets so clean you could probably eat off them (though we don’t recommend trying); with a population representing diverse cultures that mix seamlessly without losing their distinct identities. It sounds completely impossible, doesn’t it? Like an urban planner’s fever dream? Well, Singapore is somehow all of those things, and much more. We’re still trying to figure out how they pulled it off.

Singapore is the 70th country we’ve traveled to together, and we couldn’t have chosen a better place to celebrate this milestone. We feel right at home here, though we’re not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s the city’s cosmopolitan vibe and the genuinely friendly people who seem delighted to give directions even when we haven’t asked. Maybe it’s because the city is relentlessly modern and forward-looking — gleaming skyscrapers, cutting-edge infrastructure, technology everywhere — while simultaneously preserving its historical architecture and traditions with obvious care. It’s a city that refuses to choose between past and future, and somehow makes both work.

We’re staying at the phenomenal 5-star Clan Hotel, which is perfectly situated just at the edge of Chinatown, within walking distance of all kinds of delicious food. We’ve eaten at some excellent restaurants with tablecloths and wine lists, but we had the most fun — and arguably the best food — exploring hawker markets. For the uninitiated, hawker centers are basically large food courts filled with small independent vendors, each specializing in just a few dishes that they’ve perfected over decades. The atmosphere in these markets is casual, inclusive, and wonderfully lively. Retirees gather around portable karaoke machines and enthusiastically belt out song after song, regardless of vocal ability. Groups of friends celebrate birthdays and anniversaries with multiple tables pushed together. Smartly-dressed business people efficiently consume lunch while simultaneously typing on laptops. Students hunker down with textbooks and iced drinks. It’s democracy in action, food court edition.

The food available is gloriously multi-cultural, reflecting Singapore’s complex history and present-day diversity. We made it our mission to explore as many typical dishes as possible, including: laksa (a rich coconut-milk curry base with noodles, fried tofu, and fish cakes — comfort food that kicks back); bak chor mee (a dry noodle dish with minced pork and mushrooms that’s more addictive than it has any right to be); Hainanese chicken rice (deceptively simple steamed chicken and rice with a sauce that makes you understand why this is Singapore’s national dish); and cendol (a dessert featuring coconut milk, adzuki red beans, and pandan-flavored rice-flour jelly that’s both refreshing and weird in the best possible way).

We finished our Singapore visit by heading to the Marina Bay neighborhood — home of the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel that looks like a giant surfboard balanced on three towers, and the massive urban park called Gardens by the Bay. We wandered among the lush tropical greenery, eventually ending up at the futuristic Supertree Grove, which features enormous tree-like structures covered in actual plants. We arrived just in time for the evening sound and light show, which drew a mixed crowd of tourists with cameras and locals who’ve probably seen it a hundred times but still showed up. Everyone enjoyed the free entertainment as the oppressive heat of the day finally subsided into a more tolerable evening.

It’s a fitting end to our Singapore stay: a city that manages to make artificial trees feel natural and five million people feel manageable. We’re still not sure how they do it, but we’re impressed.

• Hotel: The Clan
• Learn about the various hawker markets

Day 4: Welcome to Bali (and to Made’s family)

Today we flew from Singapore’s pristine efficiency to Bali’s beautiful chaos, and then transferred to our Airbnb in Ubud. The contrast between the two places is immediate and dramatic — from orderly city-state to tropical island where traffic rules are more like gentle suggestions and every temple seems to have its own festival happening.

We absolutely love the place where we’re staying. It’s a gorgeous traditional Balinese-style house surrounded by brilliant green rice fields that seem to stretch forever, owned by a local family who live right next door. The father, Made, is something of a Renaissance man: he designed and built this house with his own hands, created the surrounding gardens with obvious care and skill, and serves as our private driver for the duration of our stay — an arrangement that seems almost too good to be true. The daughter, Villi, manages the Airbnb with impressive professionalism and warmth, acting as our primary host and making sure we have everything we need. The other members of the family each play their own roles: cleaning the house to spotless perfection, cooking meals for guests (more on this later), and tending the rice fields with the kind of expertise that comes from generations of practice.

It’s wonderful to feel so genuinely well taken care of by an entire family, in such a gorgeous setting. There’s something deeply satisfying about staying in a place that someone built with their own hands, surrounded by gardens they planted themselves, knowing the family is right there if we need anything. It feels less like staying at a rental property and more like being temporarily adopted by people who take hospitality very seriously.

• Airbnb: Villi’s villa

Day 5: TLC was wrong (we’re absolutely chasing waterfalls)

Back at home in Seattle, we love hiking to waterfalls. In the summer they provide a welcome break from the midday heat, and in the winter we’re fascinated by the delicate ice formations they create when frozen. So it’s not remotely surprising that we started our Bali adventure by chasing waterfalls — apologies to TLC, but we’re going to ignore that advice. And we’re extremely glad we did, because Bali waterfalls are genuinely jaw-droppingly beautiful and very different from Pacific Northwest waterfalls. The tropical setting, the lush jungle surroundings, the pools you can actually swim in — it’s a different category entirely.

There are so many waterfalls to choose from in Bali that it’s almost overwhelming. With a full day of driving from Ubud, it’s possible to visit several, though you’ll spend a fair amount of time hiking down (and more importantly, back up) steep jungle paths. If you’re planning a similar trip, it definitely pays to do some research ahead of time and choose strategically based on your interests and fitness level. Some are easy walks, others require genuine cardiovascular commitment.

Our favorite? It’s genuinely a tie between Banyumala and Leke Leke. We refuse to choose. Banyumala features twin falls cascading into a large natural pool perfect for swimming, surrounded by jungle so green it almost doesn’t look real. Leke Leke is more intimate — a single dramatic waterfall tucked into a narrow canyon, with sunlight filtering through the canopy above. They’re both surreal in completely different ways, and we spent far longer at each than we’d planned, unable to tear ourselves away.

We finished the day with a visit to Ulun Danu Bratan, a gorgeous Hindu temple compound sitting right on the shores of Lake Bratan, with mountains rising dramatically in the background. The temple appears to float on the water during certain times of year, which is exactly the kind of photogenic situation ancient temple builders apparently aspired to create.

Here’s a fun fact: even though approximately 87% of Indonesian people are Muslim, in Bali that ratio is completely flipped — about 87% of Balinese people are Hindu. It’s no surprise then that wherever we go in Bali, we encounter beautiful temples, shrines, and statues devoted to Hindu gods. The island has its own distinct religious and cultural identity within Indonesia, and it’s fascinating to witness. Every doorway seems to have offerings of flowers and incense, every village has multiple temples, and the sound of gamelan music drifts through the air at seemingly random but delightful intervals.

Day 6: Ubud on foot

After yesterday’s adventures exploring distant parts of Bali, we decided to spend today investigating the area around Ubud itself. Our Airbnb is just a pleasant 15-minute walk to the center of town, so today we walked everywhere, which felt both virtuous and practical. We started heading toward town shortly after sunrise, while it was still pleasantly cool outside and we could pretend we were the type of people who naturally wake up early. (We’re not, but sometimes travel temporarily transforms us.)

Along the way, we decided to take a detour to hike the Campuhan Ridge Trail, a decision we’re very glad we made. We followed a wide flagstone path flanked by swaying palm trees, finding ourselves looking out over a patchwork of rice paddies, dense jungle, and scattered houses with their distinctive Balinese architecture. The views were gorgeous — the kind that make you stop walking just to take it all in. There were a few locals getting their morning exercise, moving at a pace that suggested this was a daily ritual, and a couple of early-rising tourists strategically posing for photos at the most photogenic spots. But for the most part, we had the trail to ourselves, which felt like a minor miracle. For locals in particular, this trail serves as a perfect place for a daily nature walk that doesn’t require driving anywhere or paying entrance fees.

After our walk — and feeling appropriately virtuous about the exercise — we headed for the town center. Just like many other towns in Southeast Asia, Ubud is vibrant, busy, and operates at a volume level several notches above what we’re used to. We enjoyed the energetic atmosphere, even if it occasionally felt overwhelming. Idle scooter drivers called out “Taxi? Taxi? Where you going?” as we walked by, clearly optimistic despite our obvious walking trajectory. Kids in tidy brown school uniforms chatted and laughed on their way to school, looking remarkably put-together for early morning. Shopkeepers carefully placed incense and elaborate Hindu offerings made of woven palm leaves and flowers in front of their stores, a daily ritual that happens throughout Bali regardless of how busy the day promises to be.

The roads are impressively narrow — sometimes barely wider than a single car — and cars, scooters, and pedestrians all compete for the limited space in what appears to be organized chaos but somehow works. We’re still not entirely sure how accidents don’t happen constantly, but we’re choosing not to overthink it.

The city is also home to a few peaceful sanctuaries that provide welcome respite from the buzz. The Saraswati Temple, with its beautiful lotus pond, and the Ubud Palace, with its ornate traditional architecture, were both lovely to explore. We spent time wandering through their gardens and courtyards, admiring the ancient architecture and incredibly detailed decorations — carved stone, painted wood, ornate doorways that look like they belong in a museum. These quiet spaces were a nice counterbalance to the energy of the streets outside, giving us a chance to catch our breath and appreciate Balinese craftsmanship without dodging scooters.

• Campuhan ridge trail
• Saraswati temple
• Ubud Palace

Day 7: A food retrospective (and the fanciest spa day)

Today is our last full day in Bali, which snuck up on us faster than we would have liked. Before we talk about what we did today, we need to acknowledge that the food here has been consistently outstanding.

We’ve been delighted to eat several Indonesian dishes that are old favorites of ours, including nasi goreng (fried rice that’s somehow infinitely better than the sum of its parts) with fresh seafood, beef rendang (slow-cooked beef in coconut milk and a complex blend of spices), and gado gado (vegetable salad with peanut sauce).

We also discovered dishes that were entirely new to us, like tipat cantok — a Balinese specialty made with steamed vegetables, rice cake, and peanut sauce that’s similar to gado gado but distinctly its own thing. Our wonderful Airbnb host Villi also made us two traditional Balinese snacks that we’d never encountered before: sticky rice pudding (exactly as comforting as it sounds) and a beautiful sampling of Balinese cakes made from cassava, coconut, banana, glutinous rice, sago, and palm sugar syrup. These intricate little cakes are often used as offerings in Hindu temples, which means the gods in Bali eat extremely well. After tasting them, we understood why they’re considered worthy of divine consumption.

This morning, we visited the famous rice terraces in Tegallalang, which have been photographed approximately one billion times but are still worth seeing in person. We timed our visit perfectly — it’s currently spring, when the rice crop is at its most lush and brilliantly green, highlighting the intricate geometric shapes of the terraced slopes. Photos don’t quite capture the scale or the mesmerizing patterns created by centuries of careful agricultural engineering, but we tried anyway.

For our grand finale — and we really went all out here — we spent the afternoon at the Kaveri Spa in the Udaya Resort, where we got the extra-special-with-everything-on-top couple’s massage, body scrub, and citrus bath. By “everything on top,” we mean the kind of spa experience that makes you wonder if you’ve accidentally wandered into royalty. Hot stone massage, aromatherapy, flower petal bath, the works. It was gloriously indulgent and exactly the right way to end our stay in Ubud.

We’re leaving tomorrow morning feeling deeply relaxed, very well-fed, and already nostalgic for a place we haven’t even left yet.

• Our top three restaurants in Ubud:
  • Asian fusion and Indonesian: Indus
  • Indonesian food, catering to tourists: Murni’s Warung
  • Indonesian food, catering to locals: Warung Pulau Kelapa

Day 8: Macklemore, grunge, and a music education

Today we transferred from Ubud to Nusa Lembongan, a small island east of Bali that promised a completely different vibe from the bustling cultural hub we’ve been enjoying. We’ve been using Grab (the Southeast Asian equivalent to Uber) for short rides throughout Singapore and Indonesia, and today we decided to use it for the longer-distance journey from Ubud to Sanur, where we’d catch our boat. This turned out to be one of those decisions that makes travel memorable in unexpected ways.

We got extraordinarily lucky with our driver, Agus. Within the first five minutes, it became clear he wasn’t just a driver but a genuine music enthusiast with an impressive and eclectic collection on his phone. He had a particular interest in American music of all genres and eras, and was especially curious about Seattle’s music scene — which meant we were uniquely qualified to have this conversation. What followed was essentially a cross-cultural music exchange program conducted at highway speeds.

We told him about several iconic Seattle bands and music genres, pulling examples from our own phones to play through his car’s excellent stereo system: Macklemore representing hip-hop and rap, Pearl Jam for the grunge era that put Seattle on the musical map in the ’90s, and Odesza for the electronic music scene that’s thriving there now. Agus listened intently, occasionally asking questions about lyrics or musical influences, clearly genuinely interested rather than just being polite.

In return, he introduced us to Balinese and Indonesian music, playing several songs by Gus Teja, a popular Indonesian artist we’d never heard of but immediately appreciated. The musical styles were completely different from anything in our usual rotation — traditional instruments mixed with modern production, lyrics in Bahasa Indonesia that we couldn’t understand but found beautiful anyway. It was a genuine learning experience for all of us, the kind of cultural exchange that makes you remember why travel is worth the effort.

Sanur turned out to be a lovely coastal town with a distinctly local feel — noticeably less touristy than Ubud, with a relaxed beach-town atmosphere. We had some time before our boat, so we explored a bit. We unexpectedly witnessed a traditional Balinese cremation ceremony, which was both solemn and celebratory in ways that Western funerals typically aren’t. We also meandered through a lively food market bursting with fresh produce, spices, and street food vendors, and enjoyed the pleasant ocean breeze by the beach, watching local families and fishermen going about their day.

Then in the early afternoon, we took the fast boat to Nusa Lembongan — a journey that lived up to the “fast” part of its name, bouncing over waves at speeds that made conversation difficult and photography nearly impossible. We transferred to our Airbnb and immediately understood why people rave about this island.

Once again, we absolutely love our accommodation. It’s a traditional open-air Balinese house built around a central courtyard featuring a pool and gorgeous landscaping that looks professionally designed but somehow still feels natural. The local caretakers, Kadek and Nyoman, are warm, helpful, and the kind of genuinely friendly people who make you feel welcome rather than just tolerated. We’re already very happy here, and we’re particularly excited about the next few days on this small island where the pace of life seems to have slowed to exactly the right speed.

• Driver: Agus Wedana +62 83 116 039 013
• Ferry: Rocky Fast Cruise
• Airbnb: Villa Ocean Nusa Lembongan

Day 9: Swimming with mantas (time ceases to exist)

We got to snorkel with manta rays today, and it was A-MA-ZING. Genuinely, spectacularly, pinch-yourself-to-make-sure-it’s-real amazing. We need the capital letters and the emphasis because regular words don’t quite capture it.

This wasn’t our first time swimming with mantas — we had the opportunity to do that in Fiji a few years ago, and we loved that experience. But in Fiji, the water was choppy and the current was strong, making it genuinely hard work just to keep up with them. We spent most of that day fighting the ocean and trying not to get swept away, which was exciting but also exhausting. Our experience today was completely different.

We were in a protected bay where the water was remarkably calm and there was essentially no current — just clear, bathwater-warm ocean perfect for extended swimming. Several manta rays were gracefully gliding through this bay, and they swam gently and unhurriedly, coming so close to us that we had to actively be careful to avoid accidentally touching them (which would disturb them and is strongly discouraged). Sometimes they swam right at the surface, heading directly toward us with what felt like deliberate intent before diving elegantly at the last possible second to continue their path beneath us. Other times they swam a few meters down, their wing-like fins moving in slow, hypnotic waves, giving Eric the perfect motivation to practice longer breath holds while freediving down to swim alongside them.

These creatures are genuinely elegant in a way that’s hard to describe — they move through the water with an effortless grace that makes everything else look clumsy by comparison. Their wingspan reaches several meters across, yet they navigate with precision and apparent awareness of everything around them. Swimming alongside them was so completely enthralling that it felt like time stopped, or at least lost all meaning. We were entirely present in the moment, noticing every detail of their movement, every pattern on their bodies, the way the light played across their white undersides.

We could have stayed there all day. Actually, we tried to stay there all day — our guide eventually had to gently remind us that we had other stops on the tour and other people had bookings. We reluctantly agreed to leave.

What an absolutely unforgettable experience. If you ever have the chance to swim with manta rays in calm, clear water, take it. Drop everything and go. You won’t regret it.

• Snorkeling: Aquaman Nusa Lembongan

Days 10 - 12: Freediving, scooters, and the kindness of strangers

The last few days have been an absolute dream, the kind of travel experience that makes you question whether you should just stay forever. We haven’t left Nusa Lembongan yet, and we’re already actively planning a return visit, which tells you everything you need to know about how this is going.

Eric completed his level 1 Molchanovs freediving certification and had an absolute blast doing it. His instructor Agustin was fantastic — patient, knowledgeable, and exactly the right combination of encouraging and safety-conscious that you want in someone teaching you to hold your breath underwater for extended periods. Eric’s technique improved dramatically in such a short time that even he was surprised by the progress. While Eric was diving in the ocean, learning to equalize and extend his breath holds, Bea had the freediving shop’s 20-meter-long pool completely to herself and had a wonderful time swimming laps without having to share lanes or dodge other swimmers. After Eric’s classes finished each day, we spent hours swimming and snorkeling in the bathtub-warm bay, exploring the coral and spotting tropical fish who seemed unbothered by our constant presence.

When we weren’t in the water — which wasn’t often, to be honest — we explored the island by scooter, which is absolutely the best way to get around here. There are very few cars on Nusa Lembongan, and many of the roads are too narrow for a car anyway, barely wide enough for two scooters to pass each other. So renting a scooter is less a choice and more a necessity if you want to explore beyond walking distance. No one wears helmets around here (or even rents them out), which made us slightly nervous at first, but thankfully the driving, just like the general pace of life, is fairly slow and relaxed. The most dangerous thing we encountered was aggressive roosters at a few intersections.

Here’s an interesting fact we learned: seaweed farming is one of the main sources of income for families on Nusa Lembongan. As we rode around the island on our scooter and flew our drone to get aerial views, we enjoyed seeing the mesmerizing patchwork of geometric shapes made by the seaweed farms just offshore — from above, they look exactly like giant strips of nori laid out in precise rows! When we snorkeled near the farms to investigate up close, we could see endless rows of rope tied to wooden stakes driven into the seabed, serving as an underwater trellis for the seaweed to grow on. It looks remarkably similar to grape vines in a vineyard, only completely submerged. We watched farmers working the farms from their small wooden boats, hauling in their harvest — it’s clearly hard physical work, but there’s something peaceful about the rhythm of it.

Every evening without fail, we watched the sunset from the beach, which became a ritual we looked forward to all day. We observed local farmers hauling enormous baskets overflowing with fresh seaweed ashore from their little boats, their silhouettes dramatic against the setting sun. We were thoroughly amused by groups of local kids playing in the shallow water and somehow managing to balance four-at-a-time on a single stand-up paddleboard, which seemed to defy both physics and common sense. And we ate fantastic food at several different waterfront restaurants, each with their own personality and specialty dishes but all sharing that perfect combination of toes-in-the-sand dining and genuinely good cooking.

One last note about this paradise island, and this is important: we were consistently blown away by the friendly, helpful, and remarkably trusting attitude of literally everyone we met here. On our very first day, we went to a small roadside donut stand, only to realize with embarrassment that we didn’t have any cash with us. The owner — without hesitation, without even knowing our names — insisted that we take some donuts anyway and pay later whenever it was convenient. “No problem, no problem,” she said with a huge smile, waving away our attempts to leave some form of ID or collateral. Needless to say, we went back every single day after that for more fresh donuts (they were genuinely excellent) and to chat with the incredibly genial owner who’d extended such trust to complete strangers.

The staff and owners of other establishments — restaurants, the freediving shop, the scooter rental place, random people we asked for directions — were equally kind and helpful in ways that went well beyond professional courtesy. In just a few days here, we somehow got to know so many locals and expats, and every single person made us feel welcome and at home rather than temporary visitors. It’s the kind of genuine warmth that can’t be faked or trained, and it’s made this small island feel like a place we could genuinely imagine living, at least in our daydreams.

• Freediving classes: Blue Corner Freedive
• Breakfast treats: Koa Donuts
• Our favorite restaurants on Nusa Lembongan:
  • Local Indonesian food with lots of grilled fish options: Warung bambu
  • Asian fusion and Western dishes, with beautiful decor: Indiana Kenanga

Day 13: The world’s best airport (yes, really)

Today we took the fast boat back to Bali — saying goodbye to Nusa Lembongan with genuine reluctance and multiple backward glances — and then caught our flight to Singapore. With only one night remaining before our long-haul flight back to Seattle, we dropped our luggage at the Crowne Plaza Hotel near the airport and made what might seem like an odd decision: we set out to explore Changi Airport itself.

Ordinarily, we don’t have much to say about airports. They typically exist on a spectrum ranging from actively frustrating to moderately functional, with occasional stops at “surprisingly clean” or “has decent food.” They’re necessary infrastructure, not destinations. Changi Airport, however, operates in a completely different category. It’s not just spacious, comfortable, and well-equipped — adjectives that could describe a nice hotel lobby — it’s also genuinely worth visiting as an experience in its own right, even if you’re not flying anywhere. We realize this sounds like we’ve been traveling too long and have lost perspective, but bear with us.

We started by checking out the butterfly garden, which is exactly what it sounds like: a climate-controlled tropical habitat inside the airport featuring hundreds of live butterflies fluttering around flowering plants. It’s the kind of thing that makes you forget you’re in a transportation hub and briefly wonder if you’ve wandered into a botanical garden by mistake. Watching business travelers in suits pause their phone calls to admire butterflies is a specific kind of surreal that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Then we headed to see the HSBC Rain Vortex, which holds the distinction of being the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. This architectural marvel drops an impressive seven stories down the center of the Jewel Changi, a massive domed multi-level shopping complex connected to the airport terminals by sleek walkways and elevated trains. The Jewel itself is worth the visit — it’s essentially a giant greenhouse mall hybrid that somehow doesn’t feel ridiculous despite that description.

We arrived in the evening, perfectly timed for the dramatic sound and light show that transforms the waterfall into a multimedia experience with colored lights, music, and projections. To be completely honest, though, the architecture and the sheer spectacle of watching thousands of gallons of water plummet down the center of a building are the real highlights. The light show is nice, but the engineering achievement is what’s genuinely impressive. We wonder why more airports haven’t figured out that making travel pleasant is actually good for business.

After two weeks of tropical islands, Balinese temples, and swimming with manta rays, ending our trip by marveling at an airport waterfall might seem anticlimactic. But somehow it felt fitting — a reminder that travel can surprise you anywhere, even in the least likely places. If someone had told us at the start of this trip that we’d spend our last evening enthusiastically exploring an airport, we wouldn’t have believed them. Yet here we are, impressed by Changi and already missing Indonesia.

• Hotel: Crowne Plaza Changi
• Airport attractions: Butterfly Garden and HSBC Rain Vortex