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INDONESIA
219
June14
Y
ears ago, I soaked up the words
of a travel writer as he recounted
how his global pursuits didn’t
skip a beat after the birth of his
children. He and his wife just strapped
their brood on their backs and off they
went.
So when my husband and I had our
first child, I took these words to heart. We
planned ambitious trips to Europe, the US
and a handful of locations around Asia, all
within one year of our daughter’s birth. The
first trip – to the UK – coincided with the
front-page grilling of Nick Buckles, CEO
of the security firm hired for the British
Olympics, who admitted to UK lawmakers
that a personnel shortage had ended in
“humiliating shambles”.
These two words became the mantra
for the trip. There were more tantrums on
this trip than could be believed. (And the
baby got upset a few times, too.)
After a year of travelling with a baby, I
found myself engaging in make-believe
confrontations with Super Dad Travel
Writer. Was he lying? Was he, similar
to what happens after you give birth,
suffering frommemory lapses that made
him forget the pain and tears? Were my
husband and I not privy to the magic
formula for free-and-easy travel with a
newborn?
Perhaps there is truth in all three. (And
maybe an itinerary covering eight US
states in three days didn’t help matters.)
So, as my daughter’s first birthday rolled
around, we put aside our wounds,
reassessed and booked the easiest trip
we could think of – a weekend in Bali.
Bali: familiar, close, butler-service-
from-morning-to-night Bali. But the old
script of late nights in Seminyak and
leisurely days of shopping in Ubud
was going to need some revising.
Family-friendly Nusa Dua came to
mind, as I silently mourned the passing
of villa-life in favour of a large resort
along the island’s southern tip. The
grieving period was short, however.
A
Conde Nast Traveller
pick for Best
New Hotels in the World in 2013, Nusa
Dua’s
TheMulia Bali
has three types of
accommodation – resort, all-suite hotel
and
yay
, private villas, too.
To Bali
with Baby
By Monica Pitrelli