Text and photographs by Cher Huey

FROM the moment I stepped into the taxi, the driver began telling me how much he had wanted to see me. Not that I knew him, of course, but he was simply happy to see tourists returning to Bali after the bombings in 2005, which created a crippling effect on the tourism industry.

We started talking in general terms, and being a typical Singaporean I soon asked him what was the 'die-die-must-try' food in Bali. "Babi Guling and Bebek Betutu", he replied excitedly.

Babi Guling is similar to our beloved Chinese roasted piglet, except that the Balinese equivalent often uses a more delectable wild-game piglet. Bebek Betutu is roast duck in banana leaf, stuffed with spices and cooked over a charcoaled fire.

As the taxi zoomed towards Ubud, I suddenly recalled that this was my first time in Bali.

The thought surprised me greatly because Bali seemed to imbue in me an indescribable sense of familiarity through its surroundings. Up to this point, my only impressions of Bali were from tourist brochures and other forms of media.

The luxuriant terraced rice fields, with its tall grass swaying to the wind, were a sight to behold along the way. The Balinese architecture - with its heavy usage of dark volcanic rocks - seemed to age with splendour in the tropical weather.

Lush life of mosses, creepers and wild flowers crawled everywhere on the rocks' rough surface, which was a source of moisture and nutrients.

The Balinese seemed to have found a way of going about their lives with an immaculate grace. The Balinese women were elegant in their lacy kebaya, and the men looked honourable in their udeng.

Potted plants of flowers could be found everywhere. There were daily offerings of incense and flower trays (canang sari) on many streets, communicating subtly the devotion and spirituality of the Balinese people to foreigners.

On this trip, I brought along a packraft - an ultra-light one-person raft which weighed only two kilograms. With this raft I was able to explore Bali's most sacred river - the Ayung. I paddled a 10-kilometre stretch which meandered past scraggly cliff faces, waterfalls, beautiful countryside, and expensive 'fantasy-like' resorts.

While on a day-visit to Bali's highlands later in the week, I also had the opportunity to paddle at the volcanic lakes of Bratan and Tamblingan.

The last two days of the trip were spent idling away at the luxurious Nusa Dua peninsula. As night approached, tourists could be seen converging on the sumptuous seafood diners at Jimbaran Beach. With an al fresco setting, great food, and a spectacular view of the sunset, romance was not difficult to find.

I look forward to my next visit to Bali - to visit Ulu Wata, paddle more rivers, scuba dive, and rock-climb.

Despite being a well-visited tourist destination, Bali has been and would always be a magical place to me.

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HUEY is based in Singapore. His writings (www.kayakasia.org) are often about his kayak touring and waterways explorations in Asia. He has over 8 years of experience travelling with a kayak in Asia. His longest expedition was a seven-week, 1800-kilometre paddle from Singapore to Bangkok. Contact him at fullmoon@kayakasia.org.