I had an unexpected encounter last week with the Luxe Hotel Sunset, the new hotel in tony Bel-Air, in Los Angeles. And to pay homage to the awesome Signature 360º Package, here’s a 360 word blog post!  A little fantasy to take you away from work and into a daydream:

Whether you call Los Angeles or Louisville home, it can get stressful. Sure, you had New Year’s resolutions, now long forgotten in the daily shuffle of office, appointments, and, well… life.  While it will be nice to whisk yourself off on our Eat Pray Love Bali tour in April, you’d like to do something sooner… closer.

The Luxe Sunset Hotel is a retreat from your hectic, everyday life, a surprisingly spiritual oasis in the heart of LA.  They picked you up in a Town Car from LAX, so the relaxation started before you walked into the understated, elegant lobby.  Now you feel a further downshift into comfort and tranquility.  The desk clerk is knowledgeable, smiling as she upgrades your room. The personable bartender makes you a drink he invented… Strawberry Fields, a tall glass with vodka, strawberry-ginger syrup, and fresh berries. As you sip, you relax to the sounds of the live jazz guitarists.

At the restaurant, dinner is delightful — fresh and delicious.  You sit at a table under the night sky, pampered by the waiters and the heater that takes the edge off the last of LA’s winter.  Afterwards, the 360º package means there’s a bottle of Shiraz waiting for you in your room.

Oversized and plush makes for a cozy combination, and this space is designed as a retreat from your regular life.  The marble bathroom has clean, zen-like lines, with a soaking tub and a separate shower, and cushy towels and a spa robe wait to envelop you.  The bed has the greatest mattress, the thread-count on the sheets makes you want to sleep in, and there’s a proper European duvet, along with plenty of pillows for reading or watching TV. The room is spacious enough for your yoga routine.  (The iPad2 proffered during your stay tempts you to sit at the desk and book a reservation for the Getty Museum, right down the road).

The next morning, enjoy a complimentary American breakfast, then relax by the pool, soaking in the California sunshine.  The best part? With a two-night minimum, you get to stay another day! Okay, now you can wait until April for Bali…

This was a powerful transformation for me, and, twelve years later, continues to be the most important moment of my entire life.  In fact, I finally sat down to write a book about my experiences.  Red Goddess Rising is being released this month, and I am thrilled with how it turned out.  But sitting at my computer the first time, wondering what the story was going to be, I realized it was about a lot more than my own spiritual awakening.  That moment of pure Spirit energy led to spiritual tours that I co-lead with my partner, Greg Roach, of Spirit Quest Tours. And on those trips, we have seen people have their own experiences, healings, and awakenings, often just as powerful.

Many of these spiritual travel shifts occurred with women who needed some sort of heart healing.  They had been through a traumatic divorce, the death of their spouse, or in some way lost part of themselves to the “stuff that happens along the way.”  Like the woman whose husband had an affair.  She had left him nearly ten years ago, but on some level, still thought it was her fault and had been punishing herself ever since.  Or the women whose husbands or loved ones committed suicide, and years later, they still felt horrific guilt and agonized over what they could have done to stop it.  Sometimes, it’s a man – like the guy who went to prison for something he was only peripherally involved with, then no longer understood his purpose.  For all these people, a single week or two on a spiritual tour with us, and they have gone home lighter, freer, having forgiven themselves.

In some cases the healing that takes place during spiritual travel is so profound they are literally no longer the same person they were when they arrived.  We had one couple who came to Egypt with us, and when we told the wife how much we liked her husband, she replied, “Oh, that’s not my husband.  I don’t know who that man is.  I just hope he comes home with me!” And he did.

So why does this happen so quickly, on what most people believe is just a great vacation? In my observations, it’s because there’s a letting go that occurs when you are taken out of your routine during spiritual travel.  Flying so far away from your “normal” life gives you permission, and the time, to dream.  Once this opening takes place, you can shift, even just a little. And then a little more.  We structure our trips to facilitate the most opportunity for awareness and healing (like on our Eat Pray Love Bali  spiritual tours, where we have daily themes from the book) but it’s more than that.  It’s the allowing and encouraging of your spirit.

We forget—as we drive to work, keep up with our errands, deal with screaming children or bosses, and continue to grind away at our daily lives—how much we need to give ourselves room to grow, to hope.  Getting away from the daily minutiae enables us to stretch, and to remember the truth underneath everything: we are spiritual beings, and our only real job is to experience joy.  As long as we accomplish that, the rest of it falls in line.  On spiritual travel, whether solo or in groups, we are granting ourselves permission to be who we really are in some small way.  Once that seed is planted, it flourishes quickly and powerful shifts occur.  I am blessed to have witnessed so many on our own spiritual tours.

Red Goddess Rising comes out January 18th. Join author Halle Eavelyn at Mystic Journey bookstore for a launch party and reading January 20th at 6:30 pm for excerpts from her spiritual travel memoir, wine, and Egyptian appetizers.  RSVP here: http://www.halleeavelyn.com in the EVENTS section.

This blog was originally published on the Mystic Journey Blog.

The Bliss of Bali Part II

by Kiya Cote

Through the book and movie, the entire world knows the story of Elizabeth Gilbert, who went on a year long search for herself across Italy, India, and Indonesia. Her spiritual journey ultimately brought her to Bali, where she found true love for the first time in her life! She tells her inspirational story in the autobiographical best seller, EAT PRAY LOVE. Thus far, more than 8,000,000 people worldwide have read her story!

Elizabeth Gilbert’s personal transformation touched me deeply, as a woman…and as a Holistic Practitioner who empowers people to live the lives they truly want to live. Across the pages of EAT PRAY LOVE, I saw her doing what so many yearn to do…namely getting in touch with her “true self.”

When given the opportunity to travel to Bali on an EAT PRAY LOVE tour with Spirit Quest Tours, I had to say YES! I followed in her footsteps, having private sessions with Ketut Liyer, and Wayan, the Balinese healers who contributed so greatly to Elizabeth’s spiritual
awakening.

KETUT, the medicine man, read my palm, and offered his wisdom…“You smart woman, you draw on energy from the Universe. Live very long life.” He looked at me intently and  said, “I will dream of you.” I returned his gaze and said, “And I will dream of you!”

And yes, we visited WAYAN, the healer who befriended Elizabeth…who in turn raised funds for Wayan to buy her very own house. At Wayan’s tiny café, we had energy readings, ate one of her famous Vitamin Lunches, and partook of her herbal remedies!

For eleven days, I lived within the pages of EAT, PRAY, LOVE! The fun and excitement was enhanced by meeting Yude, the musician who drove Elizabeth around Bali. And then…Kitty Yancey, travel writer for USA TODAY, interviewed the leaders of Spirit Quest Tours, and other members of our group!

The EAT PRAY LOVE phenomenon, and power of personal transformation, has spread around the world. To enthusiastically join in, you can read EAT PRAY LOVE (again, or for the first time!) See the movie, once or over and over again. And of course….travel to Bali with Spirit Quest Tours!

My life has been forever changed by Bali. And it is out of sheer delight that I share my stories with you! Live the life you long to have…!

Om Swastiastu (Balinese for “God’s blessings be upon you.”)

KIYA

Kiya Cote is a transformational healer and teacher—and a magical, mystical explorer of life. Highly accomplished the field of healing arts, she guides her clients and students to fully living and embodying their Soul Path in life. Her adventurous spirit has taken her on sacred journeys in both the inner and outer realms.

Her ability to tap into the higher plane of awareness has blessed her life, and the lives of others as well! The sheer joy of that spiritual connection, translates into creative endeavors—such as writing, teaching, healing and mentoring. Her enthusiasm for life opens a gateway for her to share her wisdom and wonder with the world!

Kiya feels truly “blessed and blissed” by her travels to Bali with Spirit Quest Tours, and is thrilled to share her stories with you! You can learn more about her at her Bali Blessings web site!

Copyright 2011 by Kiya Cote

The first dog I met in Egypt didn’t want to have anything to do with me. That was a surprise. I am by nature an animal person, so drawn to them that I am distracted from anything else until I make friends with whatever critters are in my sightline (I will skip the embarrassing story about trying to chat up a wild mule outside a temple). We have three dogs right now, all strays, all found within a block of our home: a German Shepherd/Pit Bull mix who was badly abused by the asshole who owned him before we did, a Black Lab who worships me, and a butter-yellow Chihuahua mix who actually came running in the front door. You know how hobos make a mark on the entrance to a house that will give them refuge? Greg thinks our house has a hobo dog mark: the redhead’s a pushover.

I’ve noticed each temple has its own dog pack, except Philae, which is a haven for dozens of cats; I have never seen a dog in the years I’ve been coming. Since Philae is out on an island, someone must have brought the animals in originally (cats are not known for swimming). But now there are many, all flea-ridden and crusty; sweet, friendly creatures who will sit with you and be petted, and then are off to greet another visitor. On a visit to Philae, two cats accompanied us right into the sanctuary, and just as we started our ceremony, began yowling at each other in the most strangulated tones. It was hilarious, listening to a kitty cacophony as we were trying to do our ceremony to awaken the energy of the temple. You could almost imagine what they were saying:
“I got here first, dammit!”
“Temper, temper — you’re on sacred ground, remember?”
“But this group of legs belongs to me — you can take the next one!”

The dogs are different. I noticed my first temple dogs at Sakkhara. Despite almost starving, they kept their distance, wary. Greg and Lyra and I all had brought Power Bars with us — those so-called energy bars that are a cross between a Fig Newton and a Sugar Daddy. So we started feeding the dogs bits of Power Bars, which was the only way we could get them to come near us; Greg nicknamed it “Food of the Dogs.” Egyptian dogs are vaguely domestic, but half-wild and it appears that all have been mistreated in some way or another. Over the years I have seen guards kick dogs, throw rocks or sticks at them, yell and drive them off, but I have also seen others pet them or share their lunchtime sandwiches, even though that is all they (or the dogs) will eat during the day.

The energy of each of the temples may have something to do with the dogs’ behavior, (although possibly the guards’ as well). At the Temple of Horus I have only heard dogs, never seen them. They keep far away from the visitors, but they bark and howl at us. On my first trip, I found only one dog who would talk to me, and, like a little child with a black dog called Blackie, I named him Egypt. He was what I came to consider the typical Egyptian male of the species: medium-sized, the color of the desert, and popular with the ladies. I met Egypt the Dog at Karnak, which we visited at dawn…

This week’s blog is from a guest blogger, the wonderful Joshua Liberman, world travel photographer and lover of all things Bhutanese.  The photos in this story are his. Josh is leading our upcoming tour to the Land of the Thunder Dragon. You can see more of his photographs at Tao of Photography.com

Step on to the path climbing 3000 vertical feet to Taktsang Palphug (known commonly as “Tiger’s Nest”) and you will begin a trek that the people of Bhutan have been making for over 300 years.  The way isn’t easy, but it’s also not hard, and, thankfully, the path is clearly marked.  But to get to one of the world’s highest and most beautiful Buddhist monasteries, you must commit yourself to the path, and steadfast, keep climbing.

Since the building of the temple in 1692, Mahayana Buddhist monks and practitioners have been climbing to Bhutan happiness: the spot where, legend holds, Guru Rinpoche brought Buddhism to the country in the 8^th Century BC on the back of a winged tiger.  There he vanquished the Evil Demoness to the Bhutan mountain.   He then confined himself to a cave on the spot and sat in meditation for three months.  When he emerged (in 8 incarnations), the cave became holy and the land became a Buddhist nation.  Nine hundred years later, monks climbed to this spot and built the temple known today as Tiger’s Nest, one of the most sacred sites in the entire country.

As I begin my winded walk to Bhutan happiness, up the Himalayan path up the mountain, I can’t help but begin to contemplate how the ascension to Tiger’s Nest is much like the ascent toward happiness itself; Bhutan is making that clearer for me.  In a way, the desire to find something beautiful and precious must start with a subtle mixture of risk and dedication, and then persist with complete dedication to the goal.  The payoff, however, is well worth the effort, and usually comes with a few good stories along the way.

And what more perfect place to set out on a search for Bhutan happiness?  For over a hundred years, the country has been considered a modern-day Shangri-la; the birthplace of a contentment so profound, it has evolved into a codified political system known as the Gross National Happiness of Bhutan.

The climb to Tiger’s Nest is roughly two hours (don’t even ask me how long the climb to happiness takes).  Once you’ve reached the overlook, your goal is in full view, the four main buildings of Tiger’s Nest impossibly clinging to the side of a cliff, perched atop a nearly 2000ft sheer drop to the valley floor below.  And just when you think your Bhutan happiness journey is nearly complete, there are still 700 hand hewn stone steps to traverse to finally reach “the top.”

If you are willing to make the climb, and stand at the door of the great Bhutan temple of Tiger’s Nest, and you will know in the core of your being that it was well worth the effort.

At the entrance to Tiger’s Nest, sits a giant gold prayer wheel, over 15 feet tall and 6 feet across.  That prayer wheel is said to contain over a billion hand-written blessings.  With each turn of the wheel, a (Bhutan happiness?) bell is rung and the devout believe that with that chime, the billion blessings ring out into the world, carrying with them peace and harmony to all.

Once you are within the walls of Bhutan’s Tiger’s Nest, there are literally dozens of small temples, alters and catacombs to explore.  Brightly colored frescos depict the stories of the Sutra, Buddhist legends of guru, demons, madmen, and heroes.  Monks wrapped in their traditional purple robes chant the Sutra in constant harmonious contemplation.  The smoke from a thousand sticks of incense fills the air with the pungent aromas of amber, beeswax, and flowers: a fragrant reminder that Bhutan happiness is tangible and visceral, and available to your with all your senses.

Like an afternoon climbing a mountain to reach a remote and sacred place that few ever travel to, in Bhutan or anywhere else, I am reminded that there are places we can travel within, that with a little effort and an amount of perseverance, are definitely worth the journey.

7) Traveling to a place with a different culture can make you really appreciate your own.  When we go to places like Bali or South Africa, we can see the rest of the world, the one where there isn’t a Target in every suburb – where there isn’t even a suburb.  Being outside of our usual community, and outside of America, can make us really appreciate what we’ve got.


6) Traveling outside your comfort zone expands your boundaries and your horizons. While this is related to the reason above, it differs in that stretching yourself can make you grow, and there’s no better way to do that than a spiritual tour visiting a country where English is not the first language (or perhaps even spoken — though it is the “Lingua Franca” of modern day.  Or where perhaps the toilet facilities aren’t what you’re used to, nor is the food, nor the sounds of the forest – and you find it pushing all your buttons.  Sure it’s uncomfortable at first, but eventually, you will find that you are a better person for it – more tolerant, perhaps, or at least have some really interesting stories.

5) Spiritual travel can help you get over the hump. Transitions – we’ve all got them.  You’ve left that job and now you’re considering a career change.  Or you’ve left that old relationship behind.  This is a chance to bridge that gap and give yourself permission to dream for a moment, create your future, and step into the abyss to see where you land. “Leap, and the net will appear” is one of my favorite expressions.


4) A spiritual tour group can help you meet new friends, bond with like-minded people, and see a richer itinerary than one you might seek out on your own. In other words, you can have a deeper experience than on just any old vacation.


3) Spiritual travel gives you room to remember who you are. Sure, you’re a parent, a colleague, a gardener, a hobbyist.  But you’re also a dreamer, a thinker, an artist.  Get back to the truth of you by taking some time away from your daily life – part vacation/part retreat.


2) It gives you a chance to look at the 60,000 foot view of your life. Sure life’s going along okay.  But remember when you didn’t just have plans, but dreams? A Spiritual tour can help you focus on those dreams again, remember them, and take time to put them into plans of action that you can take home with you.


1) It helps you heal. We’ve seen this one over and over again.  My favorite story is the widow who called us after she got home and said she would now celebrate her husband’s life, and no longer mourn his passing.  What a shift! This is the kind of thing that makes me grateful for my work every time!


We hope you’ll join us on one of our upcoming spiritual tours to Bali, India, Egypt, Cuba, South Africa, or Italy (coming in Summer 2012!)  We look forward to seeing you!

So before the borders are flung open, here are our Top 10 Reasons To Travel to Cuba:

10)    The people are warm, friendly and amazing.  From old ladies sucking on fat stogies in downtown Havana to street musicians playing impromptu concerts to barefoot kids running around the whole country, Cubans are smiling, happy, and very glad to see you.

9)   Squint and it could be the 1940s — the cars look fabulous and they’re all antiques!

8)   Havana features wonderful architecture, little surprises like a Chinatown and horse-drawn carriages.

7)   Cigars! Cuba travels would not be complete without visiting a world-class Cuban cigar factory.

6)   Sancti Spiritus is a whole region you should visit when you travel to Cuba. Rivers, beaches, and mountains abound, as you can see from this photo.

5)   Food! From empañadas to Mojitos to the best paella ever, Cuba’s offering are rich in culture and delicious to boot!

4)   Music! Ever heard of the Buena Vista Social Club? This award-winning group was put together from local Cuban musicians, and their music is truly a delight.  Music is so steeped in the culture that on your Cuba travels you might find a streetside salsa festival, a local band of neighbors, or a couple guys with guitars, playing on their barstools. This is why to travel to Cuba!

3)   Trinidad is not just in the Caribbean. Sancti Spiritus is home to the “city that time forgot,” unchanged for over 400 years.  You’ll stroll cobblestone streets where pirates might have walked, or at least the Rat Pack.

2)   Spiritual Cuba — it’s imbued in the very air, especially in Trinidad and the mountain regions. Cuba is very Catholic, a you will see on your Cuba travels, but they have a variety of religions and a deeply spiritual approach to their lives.

1) Spirit Quest Tours is taking you there! Why go on your own, when you can travel to Cuba with our humanitarian tour in January, 2012. Experience the culture and spirituality of Cuba, and bring much-needed medicine to the locals. Did we mention the farewell dinner performance at Club Havana, with the Buena Vista Social Club? Get all the info on our site and you’ll find that very soon you’ll stop dreaming and start living your best vacation ever while on our Cuba travels!

NO DISCUSSION ABOUT returning from a lengthy time abroad is complete without talk of reverse culture shock. And, from my experience, this discussion inevitably turns to perspective. Specifically, that many people don’t seem to have any. Perhaps this isn’t a fair statement, but returning home after long-term travel in the developing world often leaves me in a fastidious state of mind.

There is something to be said about travel also crystallizing your perceptions, honing suspiciously naïve sentiments into firm sets of belief. Even within the context of culture shock, it can help keep life in perspective. And if you concentrate enough, it can help mold you into the person you strive to be.

Read the rest of the article here: How Travel Helps to Keep Life in Perspective

The above article is about how being dropped into the deep end of the pool gave that writer perspective.  From my perspective, there’s nothing better than spiritual travel to give you a greater understanding of your own life.  It can really make a difference.

There are two kinds of perspective switches when you experience spiritual travel, especially when you take a spiritual tour:

1) The 60,000 foot view kicks in

2) Your view once you return home can be radically altered.

Let’s look at each of these in more detail…

What is the 60,000 foot view?

When we’re home working, cleaning, taking care of our families, even writing, we’re focused on the task at hand.  Usually, we’re putting one foot in front of another and we’re not paying much attention to our lives.  When you get away – really get away, like to Bali, Cuba, China, Bhutan by experiencing spiritual travel… you are focused not just on seeing new things, but if you make it a spiritual tour, it’s an opportunity to look at your life not as the ant, but as the human looking down at all the little ants, saying, “Wow, they’re sure busy.” Sometimes it takes a mid-life crisis (“OMG, what the hell am I DOING with my life?”) or a strong pull to make a huge shift overnight (“Hey, this wasn’t supposed to be the game plan!”). These moments of panic go hand-in-hand with not setting goals, forgetting your dreams, etc.  If you can avoid getting to this moment of panic, and experience a spiritual tour or spiritual travel sooner, you can gain perspective which may be less profound, but will ease you to the next level as opposed to drop-kicking you.  The freedom this type of trip affords you, the chance to breathe, can make all the difference in your world when you return.

What about when I go home?

Many of our guests have what we call “re-entry shock.” Going to a country where the culture is different seems simple, but step anywhere outside of Europe (even there sometimes); you will find that once you go home again it’s all different, even more so when returning from a spiritual tour or coming back from spiritual travel.  Maybe too big, too loud, too consumer-oriented suddenly.  After my first trip to Egypt 12 years ago, I couldn’t stand radio advertising.  It was like my nerves were mysteriously sensitized to it.  However it affects you, be gentle with yourself.  Journal, talk with other people who were on the spiritual tour with you, be kind to yourself and give yourself extra sleep and downtime.  It will usually right itself in a few days or weeks, but the residual you are left with is wonderful: a better perspective on our place in the world, and our understanding of ourselves as one country, not THE country.

Happy trails and have fun!

The Bliss of Bali Part I

by Kiya Cote

My trip to Bali was fostered by Halle Eavelyn and Greg Roach at Spirit Quest Tours, two wonderful metaphysical folks, who take people on tours to sacred spots around the world. Our trip was enriched because they designed an EAT PRAY LOVE tour of Bali!

The Restaurant at the Alila Hotel

Like Elizabeth Gilbert, who wrote the book, we did EAT, PRAY, and LOVE, Bali…with good fervor and flavor! The “EAT” part was delectable, sumptuous and delicious. It’s tantalizing to discover new foods that have never been tasted or even seen before!

Breakfast BLISS awaited us at the Alila Hotel! Each morning Alila would bestow upon us “anything and everything” we wanted for breakfast…out of a 4-5 page breakfast menu. Balinese hospitality and zest for delicious food, led many us to celebrate the beginning of our day with “four” breakfasts, instead of one! Indonesian spicy rice, unusual tropical fruits, smoothies, eggs, plus typical fare. Not to mention Jamu…a Balinese health drink made from turmeric and other herbs.

A bowl of black rice in Bali.

My favorite was Balinese Black Rice pudding, cooked to moist perfection, with palm sugar and coconut milk. So smitten was I with black rice, when I returned home, I ordered a 25# bag of Black Japonica Rice from Whole Foods. It’s now a nourishing mainstay in my kitchen!

There were more delicious adventures in our EAT, PRAY, LOVE tour. After walking in the rice fields at Gullingan Village, we feasted on a Balinese banquet prepared just for us! Fried sweet potatoes and tapioca balls were among the bounteous offerings. YUM!

Lunch at Gulingen Village

Fried Sweet Potatoes at Gulingen

And then…great platters of seafood at Jimbaran Bay, with our tables out on the sand at night. Fresh coconut water, straight from a coconut, at the midway point of a rafting trip. And a sumptuous meal at the famous Café Luna in Ubud…an internationally known restaurant and cooking school.

As I traveled through Bali, I feasted on my experiences…and on fabulous fragrant food!

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT STORY!

KIYA

Kiya Cote is a transformational healer and teacher—and a magical, mystical explorer of life. Highly accomplished the field of healing arts, she guides her clients and students to fully living and embodying their Soul Path in life. Her adventurous spirit has taken her on sacred journeys in both the inner and outer realms.

Her ability to tap into the higher plane of awareness has blessed her life, and the lives of others as well! The sheer joy of that spiritual connection, translates into creative endeavors—such as writing, teaching, healing and mentoring. Her enthusiasm for life opens a gateway for her to share her wisdom and wonder with the world!

Kiya feels truly “blessed and blissed” by her travels to Bali with Spirit Quest Tours, and is thrilled to share her stories with you!  You can learn more about her at her Bali Blessings web site!

Copyright 2010 by Kiya Cote

This is part 4 of a 4 part series about a recent trip we took to Bali

the view at the Alila as you walk down to their gorgeous pool overlooking the rain forest.

On our spiritual tour of Bali, we have just received beautiful massage treatments and pampering in a couples suite.  It’s helping me to feel like I’ve found some balance for the first time in a while…

As our Balinese massage therapist leaves, she puts her hands into Namaste (prayer position in front of her chest), and I respond in the same manner. This means, “May the God in me greet the God in thee.” Talk about balance! Balinese pray many times a day and their prayers are deeply joyous and beautifully integrated into their lives. The taxicab driver wants to talk to you about Spirit; so does the hotel manager and the woodcarver. They all have stories about their lives that involve their spirituality. They all want to know what you believe and share what they believe — not to argue with you, but because their belief system embraces God as everything, in everything, in all facets of their lives, beyond death, beyond rebirth. This is reflected in their architecture, in their love of color, in their ubiquitous offerings of flowers and fruit, even in their spa design.

By now it’s mid-morning and I stand under the warm water, enjoying the sun on my face and body, the sounds of the river, the rich scents of the forest. Greg joins me, hinting that the backyard at home might need remodeling into a Balinese garden, complete with outdoor showers. I wash my hair with jasmine shampoo, then we both step into the bergamot-scented lime bath that has been drawn for us, the tub filling over the past hour and now topped with dozens of local flowers – hibiscus and frangipani (what the Balinese call Plumeria). As we relax for twenty minutes I reflect on the trip, on balance. At least these few hours, taking some “personal-me time” has given me peace. For our spiritual travel group, they are happy with the trip, delighted with the hotel and spa. For me… well, we get to return at least twice more this year, bringing other groups. It’s all a balancing act; the trick is to take the time where you can, and to enjoy every minute. Bali has reminded me of this and I will take the feeling home with me until I return.

Please read Halle’s recent interview in Time Magazine for the Eat Pray & Love Bali tour this past May.  Upcoming tours take place in September, 2010 and June, 2011!

The view as you drift down the Ayung River