Chillin' in Padangbai, Bali

The jumping off point to Lombok, Padangbai is a sweet place with a pretty mellow vibe. It is off-season right now, which means we are getting a pretty good rate on guest houses all over Bali.

Noah on the veranda of our room.

Our current guest house is designed in the traditional Balinese way, with ornately carved door and window frames and woven bamboo "wallpaper". Most patios are nicely tiled.

View looking out from our veranda. To the right is a small snake house, with two boa constrictors in residence.

The Balinese home consists of an outer wall and inside many separate "buildings", designed with a certain feng shui so that the family temple (most Balinese are Hindu, pray to many gods and have many ceremonies each month), the sleeping area, the bathroom and kitchen are always in the same directional spot (east, west, etc.) relative to the entrance. Between the outer wall and the first building is always about 20 feet. So their living space is set back from the street, even if the outer wall is right at the street (which most are).

Their living areas are fairly open, with only the bedrooms being closed completely by walls. The rest of the house is pretty much "open air". This actually keep things cool, allowing breezes to blow into the spaces. The average high temperature is about 85 and the low about 75, with high humidity.

If I can get some photos of this house/compound, I'll post them.