Bali — The Return 10 Years Later

Last Updated on 10/05/2026 by Marlene Marques

I left the airport to the street, and soon, the heat made my clothes stick to my body. It was almost midnight, and the 28º Celsius reminded me that the cold of Portugal had been left behind.

Ten years later, I was back in Bali. The heat was the same, as the smell of this island that I can’t explain in words.

We got in the car we rented to Ura, a friendly Indonesian who stood out from the rest of his countrymen by his height. The Balinese are not usually tall, but Ura managed to grow a few inches longer.

With a GPS that wasn’t going at the right pace, we headed to Bingin Beach in the Uluwatu area and to Leggie’s Bungalows, our mainstay for the weeks we spent in Bali.

Back To Bali

Everything about Bingin was as I remembered. Well, maybe not everything. The road is now paved, and there are many more buildings. But the descent to the beach is still the same, made in irregular stone steps; the warungs facing the sea are there; as the photographer who takes the photo of us surfing in the hope of selling it at the end. The lady who makes the path carrying on the top of her head a large pack of pareos; the morning offerings on every door, temple, and statue. These are the images I remember.

Whatever they say, the essence of Bali continues, even if camouflaged by the modernization brought by foreigners who have moved there or are always visiting.

For three weeks — except for the five days I spent in Lombok — I revisited old memories in the Uluwatu Temple, Ubud and the beaches of Balangan and Kuta, but also places I didn’t know, such as the Canggu and Keramas areas.

I’ll tell you everything here on the blog! The best coffee shops I’ve visited in Bali, the accommodations I’ve been to, my favorite surfing beaches, the island’s new Cultural Center, and my visit to the Monkey Forest in Ubud. Everything!