I travelled solo around Bali

In December I went to Bali solo and had the best time! It was my first time travelling to Bali and I absolutely loved it. Here are some takeaways from the trip.

Some random things I didn't expect in Bali:

• They give you receipts for everything. I quickly built up a big collection of receipts. Sounds funny to mention. But in Australia you are always asked, 'would you like a receipt', and as I try to reduce my waste I would generally reply 'no thank you'. What do people do with all their receipts??

• Small businesses promote their business through word of mouth, not through websites. So when you make a friend in Bali they will recommend different products, be sure to listen.

• Everyone uses whatsapp. Grab riders, the taxi scooters, will ask for your number in order to get repeat customers.

Iconic Bali culture:

• Balinese Hinduism is the dominant cultural practice of the local people. There are temples dotted throughout every village and town, also every home has their own temple. There are many religious celebrations throughout the year, so talk to the local people about what is happening and you could find yourself immersed in a dedication.

• Every morning you will see people making offerings or blessings in the form of a beautiful deliberate collection of flowers and some rice held in a bamboo bowl. They are placed in auspicious places both on the ground and in stupas.

• Karma is a big part of the culture.

Why you should travel solo?

• The locals were a bit shocked that someone would come to Bali on their own. I think mainly because family and friendship is such a big part of their culture, they have duties and obligations that mean that they would rarely find themselves travelling solo. So we are a bit of an oddity to them. But when you get past that mental barrier of travelling solo, everything becomes enjoyable.

• Your schedule is for you to create! You can say hell yes or heck no to anything you want. Great for any recovering people pleaser- you are literally on holiday to meet your own needs and wants, which can be healing in its own right. If you want to sleep in you can, if you want to go to have desert for dinner you can go right ahead. You don't have any bossy travel partner determining the outcomes of the day or night.

• You get to spend time with yourself. You learn about yourself and enjoy your own company!! After a hectic year of work, the last thing I wanted to do was hang out with people.

• The best way to get around is on the Grab scooters. As they only take one customer at a time- it is a lot easier if you are by yourself.

• You don't need to wait for your friend to have the right schedule or funds- you just CAN GO. That is liberating.

I would definitely go back to Bali again. I stayed in three different places: Seminyak, Ubud, and Uluwatu. I would love to have more time to explore Ubud and do surf lessons in Uluwatu. Adventure awaits!