Bahtatboy

You lurk?

MataHari

That's such bullshit. Seriously.

Autonomy

Back on track - sort of - did you enjoy SL. What did you think of Bentota? Did you go to Galle....

scrubbedexpat141

I have it in the step-family, which is why I agreed. I receive a total sneer at not having kids yet and mentioning that we're in no rush and may one day decide not to....because they have two and four each and have only just left their 30's.
Not everyone is like that and I do want kids but some people are just knobs about things I guess.

Bentota we walked around, enjoyed and went for a fabulous dinner at Malli's on the train track. Dead though, being low season. Beach was beautiful, absolutely unreal. No hassles, no grief, just pleasant.
Walked other side of the river in Aluthgama which was alright, total chaos but fun.

However that was it. I was far to engrossed in my book, too comfortable on my sunbed, too comfortable at the swim up bar and too relaxed to feel the normal urges of adventure. We didn't go out exploring anywhere else.

What we decided on the way home though, was that we are definitely going to go back in a few years time. That whilst we wrangled with it, we are happy we just chilled and don't feel guilty about it as it's what we wanted. She's very keen to go back and I am too talking to people there who were on big trips etc etc.

Fantastic time though, beautiful weather with no rain at all. Exactly what we wanted, just to chill the heck out for a few days.

jam25mack

I currently have no kids but would like them. I would have liked to have had them super early (and nearly did in Uni ) so that the age difference wouldn't have been huge. I'm not saying this is critical as my old man was 40 when I was born and I had a wicked, adventure packed upbringing.

Although all that said my lifestyle currently isn't conclusive to the responsibility.... also I'm single at the mo, so it would be a struggle. Will need to do some more interviewing though.

I have the best of both worlds though as I have two awesome nieces. One 12 and one 6/7 (I think). As such, I go see them, hang out, have fun, spoil them, buy them really loud annoying gifts (with loads of extra batteries) and then jump on a plane a go home. Perfect.

jam25mack

Sounds wicked. Like I said before you went, I have no problem with full on chilled out trips, especially if they're short. If you try and pack too much in its actually counter productive, as in the end you end up having no fun because you're always running around and come back to work knackered.

I enjoy travelling and I love doing the whole budget adventure approach just as much as I enjoy staying in nice 5* resorts, although I do get bored of that quickly. That said my budget adventure travelling is a lot less hectic than it used to be. It's nice to stop and breath now and again. Also my hangovers last longer these days so I need extra recovery time.

BEVS

It's made me want to go back to Sri Lanka now. We had a fab time there and split it half /half. Half tripping around and then half chilled down in Galle.

Not long back from Bali and that was ace as far as we were concerned.

The kids thing is just whatever happens in life really. I never thought I would end up without children and now I am well past that and seeing people younger than me so enjoying their grand-kids, I do sometimes quietly mourn the lack of.
It doesn't spoil our lives though. We don't dwell on that which we cannot now change.

We've run the complete gamut of people's behaviours and reactions around us for us not having had children. I just bish bosh through all that until they see us for who we are as people. Not the people without the kids.

jam25mack

Where did you visit? I've been a few times and if i'm honest didn't really rate it compared with other places in SEA but my best friend has been there a few months now and thinks its awesome.

DXBtoDOH

The people with children disagree with me (strongly, it seems).

The people without children agree with me.

Which I find interesting

To quote the immortal SJW who first came up with the phrase: check your privilege

Nah, I didn't write the statement to be binary. But having watched too many friends have children there is unquestionably a pattern of literally disappearing once the sprogs come along. Which is understandable. Children changes people's lives, their priorities are different, their time availability changes, they gravitate towards others with children. Their views changes. They start thinking that the childless can't possibly understand, issues take priority over other issues. Actually, I wholeheartedly support this, a parent who doesn't become absorbed by child-rearing and the responsibilities that come with it is a parent I'm sceptical of. But there's no questioning (IMHO) that for far too many parents the thinking does emerge that being a parent gives them a perspective over life and priorities that justifies their views and experiences as superior. Because they "know" something that the childless do not. It may not be blatant, it may be unconscious, but I've seen it quite often.

DXBtoDOH

Not a big fan of Bali either.

It's all right. The island can be pretty but the beaches aren't the best. Too many Australian tattooed trash.

The biggest virtue is the ease of travel and the convenience. Oh, look! There's Starbucks!

Having said that, many people do seem to love Bali and I ate pretty well for the most part. Especially in Ubud.

DXBtoDOH

Sort of. Our tribes really don't get along, however.

That aside the difference is I don't put forward controversial posts and then whinge about civil discord when someone disagrees with me.

Arnold S

Bali, some amazing diving, great accomodation and hassle free with regards to grifters. Been a number of times but can see if you're just doing the traditional tourist stuff then there's no need to return.

Sri Lanka next year.

scrubbedexpat141

Yeah, muck and bullet train rides in 2nd class through Vietnam are something that I've enjoyed and look back laughing about, but don't always want to do. Thankfully there was a Sheraton at the other end. A good mix keeps her grounded....can't always afford the top stuff in all the locations either.

BEVS

We spent a week outside of Ubud. Never actually walked the main street of the place as that was of no interest really . Picked a hotel with a pool and the room had a balcony overlooking paddy fields. Best thing having a few slurps listening to the frogs & monkeys in the distance.

Did a few touristy type visits from there.

Then spent a week at Sanur doing what Scamp did really. Chilling . Pool. Eating out. Likely won't go back to that area but it was fine for what we were after.

We live in a small NZ village and even our local city is , erm , quiet & dull really so to see people & bustling life made a great change. To just walk out onto sand and laze on a sunbed with a book and not be bitten by a cloud of sandflies or instantly scorched by the unforgiving NZ sun was really rather good. Also , this time for a trip I wanted & thought we both needed 'hotel/ pool/feed me' and we got that in buckets. Wouldn't want this everytime as we like a bit more grass roots approach but y'know sometimes it's great to kick back.

We were there for the annual Arts Festival , Ardha Candra Art Centre Denpasar , so we attended that a few times and milled about with the Balinese watching assorted cultural performances. Hardly any other tourists types there at all which suited us well enough. Himself was taken with the shadow puppetry even though we couldn't understand a word. The audience carried us along with the story line & we even got a couple of the jokes .
So interesting as other SEA countries also take part and performances are judged.

I dunno. Perhaps we've been in NZ too long. I wasn't expecting at all to enjoy it as much as I did but we both really enjoyed our 10 days there.

We will go back. There again we would hope to revisit Sri Lanka too.

IKnowNothing

The best way to go through life.