In the last few months I’ve had a trip of a lifetime to say the least. I travelled half way across the world to the island of Java in Indonesia: the home of Indoensian wood carvings and furniture manufacturing. I was on a mission to find a manufacturer who would be able to turn my designs and pieces of my imagination into reality for my new homeware line, Norbrook Home, which I will be launching later this year. While in Indonesia, I learned so much about myself and my business, in particular how to deal with foreign companies and the art of negotiation. Finding my feet was difficult, but once I could stand and learn to walk in this new place, the hard steps were all so very worth it.

While the manufacturing companies spent a few weeks making samples, I decided to head to the neighbouring island of Bali to see another side of Indonesia. My sister Alliana Bovell and friend Rebecca Hendrickson booked their flights and headed over to join me on my touring. To make the most of our time, we decided to stay in three different parts of the island to cover as much ground as possible. First up was Jimbaran Bay which is in Southern Bali, away from the crowds and surf waves in Kuta. Jimbaran Beach stretched for miles lined with fish shacks and calm clear water along its shores. In two nights we covered a lot of ground — we visited the famous surf beach Padang Padang (also featured in the infamous Eat, Pray, Love film that every girl can appreciate). We also made it to the famous Rock Bar to watch a very insta-worthy Bali sunset. Stopping at the Sundara Hotel Bar for a night cap while overlooking an amazing infinity pool and listening to live music… we walked along the bay back to our hotel with the moonlight shining above like we had never seen. We woke very early the following morning and spent the day at Finn’s Beach Club. To get down to the beach club we had to climb into a little tram that took us from the cliffs to the waters with monkeys swinging from the trees around us. It was almost a scene out of Jurassic Park, minus the dinosaurs, but you’d be surprised: those little monkeys can be aggressive! After relaxing all day at Finn’s, we then took in the sights at the Uluwatu Temple and watched the surfers catching their last waves at sunset while sipping cocktails at Single Fin’s Beach Bar.

We checked into our new hotel for the second part of our Bali tour and as we arrived, we knew we wouldn’t want to ever leave. It was a dream when the two-bedroom garden villa we booked was unexpectedly upgraded to a private pool villa! Seminyak is known as more the hip and happening place in Bali, so naturally our first night there we hit the town. La Favela was a really cool spot for late dinner and drinks; and by ‘late dinner’, I mean a dinner that we almost didn’t have because despite being half way across the globe we were still Jamaicans and late for our reservation! Sunday lunch at Sisterfields the next day was an awesome hipster spot that gave us the fuel necessary for the rest of a day spent shopping (and haggling) in the Seminyak Market.

Monday in Bali still meant I had a bit of work to deal with so I had to play catch up when I met the girls at Potato Head Beach Club. After sunset, and a brief detour thanks to Becca’s terrible google maps skills, we made it for dinner at Motel Mexicola — a place I highly recommend for great Mexican food and a cool vibe. Our last day in Seminyak was spent soaking up the sun at the Azul Beach Club and then driving to see the Tanah Lot Temple.

For our third and final Bali stop we retreated to Ubud, about an hour and a half into the centre of the island. Ubud was a little piece of heaven, complete with yoga lovers, smoothie bowls, and waterfalls. It was the perfect kind of bliss that you only see in the movies (literally, Eat, Pray, Love reference #2). Apart from the nature and tranquility of Ubud, we were also able to get a once in a lifetime experience of visiting the John Hardy complex where we were able to see their new collection in production, from the design stage all the way to the showroom. We then had the pleasure of enjoying a family-style lunch with the designers and some of the management team, all served with John Hardy homeware of course.

A quick change at the hotel, then we were off to the Tegenungan Waterfall. I wasn’t too keen on the ice-cold water, but the girls said it was amazing! Then our last stop for the day was at the picturesque rice terraces! It was a bit hard to navigate our way to the other side since we visited after tour hours (still on Jamaican time yet again, obviously) and our local driver was not a fan of more than three flights of stairs, but nevertheless we made it! While at dinner we impulsively decided to book a sunrise hike to the peak of Mount Batur volcano, sitting 1717 metres above sea level. We woke up at 2 am the following morning (even though that can barely even be considered morning) and drove to the base, starting the climb at 3:30 am. In the pitch black with our small flashlights it was hard not to think about what was crawling in the bushes beside us while trying not to trip over small rocks, but the unbelievable clarity and closeness of the stars above us was the perfect distraction. Making a stop at the first peak we decided we couldn’t really say we climbed the volcano unless we went all the way! Eventually we made it after almost regretting our decision, but the view was absolutely breathtaking. A quick high five and handshake of congratulations from our tour guide, and a sign of relief that he didn’t lose Rebecca on the way up, we could finally relax. We sat there taking in the view while enjoying our freshly made fried banana sandwiches and Bali coffee — an infamous Balinese breakfast — then started our descent.

Before we left the volcano area we swam in the hot springs close by, where the warm water soothed our aching muscles and feet. The sheer size of the surrounding volcanoes left us in awe that we had just hiked up one of those giants!

One last smoothie bowl, and lunch underneath a large tent in the middle of a rice paddy felt like the best possible way to spend the last day on this amazing island.

— Bianca Bovell