Follow your passion and see the world

This is perhaps our most popular blog post to date.  Have you ever thought about quitting your job, selling everything, and following your passion to see the world or just live in paradise somewhere?  Well, thats exactly what we have done and we discuss how you can do it as well.  Did you know there are many ways to make money with a blog or website? We detail our own story and ways we have found to earn a living online.

You can read it all here "The Blog that will never be posted” ~ or ~ “How to be a Location Independent Digital Nomad"

Want to become a Location Independent Digital Nomad?I also list travelers, bloggers, authors and personal heros who have inspired me and taught me how to monetize doing what I love to do.

Its not easy and it requires diligent work but instead of being in a cubicle working for a less than optimum boss, we can travel to exciting places around the globe and follow our dreams to create our Wellness Retreat Center in Bali. We are currently building four villas, a yoga studio, Balinese spa, gardens, pools and more to create an oasis for our tour participants. We hope you will come see us when its completed in 2013.

Contact us today to learn more and if you have any questions about what we do, please just let us know.

Happy Travels and don't be afraid to follow your bliss!

Amed ~ Bali's Honeymoon Getaway

One of our favorite spots in Bali is Amed. We go quite often when we need a little break. Yea, I know, rough life her in Bali so we need a break once in a while. We work hard so its nice to just retreat and settle in to a place we really love. Putu and I have a little joke each time we go to Amed. we say lets go on our 25th Honeymoon, 26th, 27th, etc. It is peaceful and easy. It's not crowded like Seminyak, Kuta and other areas in the south and there are some great inexpensive hotels right on the beach. To find out more and learn some great tips on where to stay, where to eat and what to do in Amed, please see our blog post Great Insider’s Travel Tips to Amed, Bali

Amed Bali is a great retreat to relax by the ocean, scuba dive and view Mount Agung Volcano

Bali's Best 'Unknown' Surf Break

While there are no real 'secret' or 'unknown' surf spots left in Bali, there is one that is not on most surf traveler's itinerary. We featured Keramas Surf Break in a recent blog post. There have been pro competitions at Keramas for years, but due to its location, not many surfers crowd the world class rights and lefts here. We explain why in our blog post here.

Keramas Surf Break is one of Bali's best and least crowded surf spots

Tides are best at mid to high tide and sets can easily be overhead in this uncrowded coffee-rock break. Check here for more information on this amazing surf spot and also find some nearby breaks that may be working even if Keramas is not. Click here for more information on this great little known break.

Happy Surfing and as always, please let us know if you have any questions or need any help planning your ultimate surf holiday.

Top 10 Best Experiences Not To Miss on Your Bali Vacation

One of our most popular blog posts.  Click HERE to find out some great travel ideas and things not to miss on your next trip to Bali.

Putu relaxes in one of Bali's best beach spots- Find out where

Arak, Tuak and a Torajan Elder ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

This happy gentleman is an elder from Tana Toraja.  We had a brief chat with him over a few glasses of tuak. Tuak is similar to arak (Balinese arak made with coconut palm flower, not the Turkish and Iranian national drink).  It can be a powerful alcoholic beverage made of fermented rice, sugar and yeast. Quality or well brewed tuak can be 50% alcohol.  It is commonly shared and drank at Torajan funerals, festivals, weddings, hosting of guests and other special occasions.  Both tuak and arak are more than just recreational or celebratory drinks.  They are also used as a base for medicine.  Balians (Balinese healers) will commonly use the arak base and add roots, herbs, and other organic materials and use it both internally and externally to cure a variety of maladies. It is said to provide more than simple intoxication and can lead to visions, messages in dreams and even hallucinations.  Authentic high quality tuak and arak are hard to find and are sometimes completely fake and can even be poisonous.  Unfortunately, reports of death from fake arak are not uncommon.  Perhaps illogically the real arak and tuak can be found at warungs (small roadside stands where you can see them making it) vs. liquor stores where the product can be very weak or even cut with harmful chemicals and liquids.

Please note: Beware when purchasing any arak, tuak or any 'homemade liquors' while traveling.  Balifornian Tours can help you source real arak and tuak.  We do not make, manufacture or gain profit from this, we just want you to travel safely.

Copyright © 2010 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael Doliveck

For more on tuak, arak and Toraja, Sulawesi and its incredible funerary practices, keep an eye out for the upcoming Balifornian Films documentary.

Our Adventure Photo Safaris ~ Are you a photographer or just love to take pictures?  Contact us to find out about our special tours for photographers.  Take a look at the images in the gallery, as they are good examples of the types of images you will be able to create on our tours.  The tours are led by Michael, a professor of art and photography as well as some very special guest teachers and pro photographers.  Contact us atphoto@balifornian.com today for more information.

Do you have some great images from your Indonesian travels you would like to share? Want to submit your fantastic photo for the Balifornian Tour and Travel Blog Photo of the Day?  Please send your JPEG, location and description to photo@balifornian.com  Files must be under 500 kb.

Happy travels! Salamat Jalan!

Michael and Maryam ~

Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ The best website for news and information on Bali and Indonesia.