There we were, in the middle of the jungle, walking knee deep up a brown river, dripping wet, our sarongs trailing in the water as we navigated our way and kept our balance across slippery rocks with the use of long bamboo poles. We were completely alone but for our guide and the 2 metre long snake we had just seen exiting from the water and slithering up the opposite bank.
But more on that later.
I am in Bali researching exactly how I can live and work here as a digital nomad from 2023. Without question, some in-place research is necessary – there is only so much you can glean from the internet. For starters – Do I really want to make this my working base? Will I like living here? Will I make friends? Where can I hang out and meet other business nomads and locals alike? Are there co-working spaces to suit my business needs? What is internet connectivity like? How will I get around? Can I handle a motorbike? Can I manage the traffic? Where will I eat? Where will I sleep? Where do I want to base myself? Does that street/hotel/villa/cafe/co-
In my recent article for CEOWORLD magazine – “Bali and the “Wanna Be” Digital Nomad” – I shared how Covid, while having delayed my plans to commence my new nomadic lifestyle, has actually smoothed my way to living and working offshore. The reconnaissance trip to Bali was worthwhile, helping me narrow my preferred home-base locations to Ubud or Bingin. I have also found and trialled co-working spaces, discovered the thrill of riding a motorbike, and made a lot of new connections. My plans are firming up nicely.
But what I didn’t plan for on this trip was a little life lesson reminder of the beauty, power and sheer joy associated with a spontaneous “Yes”.
And so, back to the river.
My daughter was keen to explore some of the famous waterfalls dotted around Ubud. After a little research we chose 2 quite well known spectacular waterfalls: Kanto Lampo and Tibumana and then after checking google earth and working out whether it would be a lunatic idea to try and get there ourselves on a motorbike (yes, it would be) or whether it would be worth paying a driver to take us there (another yes), we threw in a third, apparently lesser known waterfall and set off to be thrilled.
Kanto Lampo was wonderful – an instagram influencer’s dream and, so it would seem, the dream of everyone else in Bali who has an instagram account. Luckily we arrived early and so got to enjoy standing under the steady flow of the fall pretty much on our own for a few minutes. Within 10 minutes however, we were joined by a steady and consistent stream of loved up couples and we spent a highly enjoyable half hour watching each couple recreate the exact same photo kissing under the waterfall with the girl’s leg jauntily cocked in the air at the knee.
Next stop, the lesser known fall. When we arrived I was thrilled to see no loved up couples in the empty field (aka car park), and the lack of an entrance fee signalled that this place is, at least for now, not yet an influencers paradise. We descended the 500 or so steps to the river and followed the sign to the waterfall. At first glance the waterfall was more a torrential cascade across rocks as opposed to a long drop fall. We were completely alone but for a Balinese man who greeted us and explained that as one of the local custodians of the waterfall, it was his job to help tourists physically navigate their way across the rocks without dying – terrific.
