KAREN & THE CONSTABLES

It started in the middle of the night. Stomach cramps, feeling hot and cold, nausea. Bali belly had arrived!

I honestly don’t think I have ever felt that ill before. Throughout the night and into the morning I felt so ill and weak, but we were due to leave for our pre-booked trip shortly and I had to make a decision: do we miss the trip of a lifetime or do I battle through and hope I get better during the day?

I opted for the latter, although I was still feeling really unwell. We were picked up at the hotel in a beautiful car with white leather interior and air conditioning and driven to the Petanu Valley, which was an hour and a half away. We had to make an urgent stop halfway, although the driver didn’t really understand the urgency and took a while to find a nice enough bathroom for his passenger! I didn’t care how nice it was, but I rushed through a lovely jewellery shop to their customer toilet. I must have looked a state! Armed with more water we continued on and finally made it to the Bali Eco Resort in Tegalalang.

I am so glad I didn’t miss this trip. The agro-tourism foundation use sections of the forest for planting and during our walk we saw so many plants and insects that we’d never seen before.

We walked for two hours through the jungle, with an amazing guide. We saw beautiful waterfalls, hidden caves and temples. We had the most peaceful cup of coffee in the middle of the forest with only the sounds of the insects for company.

At the end of the tour we were treated to a locally sourced lunch, but as I was still feeling unwell I was given a cup of herbal tea and allowed to lie down in one of their holiday apartments. The day had been a real struggle, especially in the heat, but after half an hours rest I felt fine! I can’t say if it was just the natural end of my Bali belly or the magical, medicinal tea but I was glad it was over!

Needless to say the next day was a lazy one, but I would definitely recommend a visit to the Eco Resort as a way of getting into Bali’s nature and appreciating how beautiful it is. The team were not only welcoming but they have done an amazing job of mixing traditional agriculture with a business that isn’t very touristy and is so calming and good for the soul.