Editor: Helen Murphy, Photographer: Mike Seehagel, Creative Director: Colleen Lennon,
Art Director: Becky Joy, Producer: Alex Friedlander, Senior Designer: Kelly Millington
Learn about the island’s bamboo
Experience a Balinese dance
Visit a sacred waterfall
See Bali’s famous rice terraces
Explore Ubud’s markets
Learn about the island’s bamboo
Experience a Balinese dance
Visit a sacred waterfall
See Bali’s famous rice terraces
Explore Ubud’s markets
The verdant landscapes of Bali envelop you from the moment you step outside. Lush vegetation is everywhere, from the palm trees dotting the land to the cascading rice terraces and serene bamboo forests, all the
way down to the green grasses and colorful flowers at your feet. Those landscapes tell the story of the island’s rituals and traditions, like the bamboo that has been historically used for building ceremonial structures and the waterfalls designated as sacred areas. With its natural beauty,
rich history, and welcoming residents, the island lends itself to a sense
of adventure and a place to find new experiences.
For Oneika Raymond, Bali is also the home of some of her favorite
travel memories. As an award-winning travel journalist, TV host, and
self-described “experience connoisseur,” she’s been lucky enough to
visit dozens of countries and loves learning about the unique culture
and history of each place she goes to. “I love that when I travel I'm learning something new every day,” Raymond, who’s now based in
Miami, said, “whether it's through meeting different people or learning about different cultures, how they live their lives, what they value,
and what matters to them.”
“Seeing people work with the bamboo, it spoke volumes about
the talent, artistry, and passion
of an entire culture.”
Bamboo makes for an ideal building material because of its strength, elasticity, and ability to regrow quickly. Travelers like Raymond can experience bamboo up close at bamboo forests like the one located in Penglipuran Village, where the curved stalks hang above the walking paths. After seeing it in its natural habitat, Raymond watched workers
at Asali Bali shape and build with the bamboo, using a knife technique that Putri shared was inspired by Balinese rituals. “My takeaway was very much the artistry and craftsmanship and the legacy of artisans in Bali,” Raymond said. “Learning about how bamboo is an integral part of Balinese and Indonesian culture was eye-opening for me and very exciting.”
Learn about the island’s bamboo
While in Bali, Raymond visited Teman Dedari, a restaurant and event space located on the side of the Ayung River valley. It offers an unbeatable view to accompany any meal: Towering, intricately carved sculptures of angelic figures overlook the hillside, adding to the panoramic view of the green valley. The space is also known for its traditional dance performances, so while visiting, Raymond tried on a Balinese dance costume and talked with Anggayani about how the dances are performed to help keep Bali’s history alive in the present day. Raymond also learned some choreography from Anggayani, who taught her some of the pendet dance, a welcome dance, and the cendrawasih dance, which is inspired by the bird of paradise.
Experience a Balinese dance
Bali’s temples and religious sites are popular with visitors. During her trip, Raymond explored Beji Griya, a sacred waterfall that opened as a public sanctuary in 2018. There are many sacred waterfalls in Bali, but Beji Griya is a relatively lesser-known hidden gem: Easily accessible with a guide, visitors can take part in rituals like healing baths and purification ceremonies — or just appreciate the natural beauty of the tumbling waterfall and the intricate designs of the moss-covered statues and carvings surrounding the area. “In so many places, a waterfall is just a waterfall, whereas here it not only has a cultural significance, but also a religious significance,” Raymond said of her time at Beji Griya. “I thought that was really cool to see the spirituality and the ritual play out.”
Visit a sacred waterfall
Rice terraces abound all around the island, proving both a quintessential Balinese backdrop but also an essential part of
the country’s agricultural industry. The staggered terraces were built over centuries to help make the hilly land more amenable
to rice cultivation with flat surfaces and an irrigation system known as subak. While in Bali, Raymond explored Abian Desa,
a group of community-owned rice terraces. Raymond walked along paths at the top that offered a stunning view of the terraces, palm trees, and other vegetation below. Visitors to Abian Desa can also partake in an array of activities geared toward adventure-seekers, including zip lining, sky biking, or swinging on a giant swing high above the terraces.
See Bali’s famous rice terraces
Ubud is Bali’s arts and cultural district and a must-visit locale when in Bali. The downtown — a popular place for visitors to walk around — is an energetic flurry of movement, with streets teeming with motorcycles and mopeds veering around cars and sidewalks full of travelers perusing the area’s shops, galleries, restaurants, and markets. Feeling inspired by the kinetic energy of the area, Raymond took time to wander through the miles of art markets on Ubud’s side streets, talking with vendors and perusing their wares, including baskets, bags, necklaces, sarongs, and other souvenirs.
Explore Ubud’s markets
Click around below to see everything Raymond did in Bali, and watch a video of her trip here.
Bali
In Bali, Raymond stayed near Ubud, spending time walking the busy downtown streets and visiting natural sites including a sacred waterfall,
a bamboo forest, and rice terraces. She also met with locals to learn more about the art and rituals that make the island unique, including Dewa Ayu Anggayani, a dancer at Teman Dedari, who taught her traditional Balinese dances, and Olivia Putri, the general manager of Asali Bali, a bamboo construction and engineering company. Raymond visited Asali Bali’s workshop, which is filled to the brim with bamboo projects in various stages of development as well as miniature versions of the buildings they’ve constructed all over the world. Putri explained that Asali Bali uses bamboo sourced directly from the island and many of their techniques stem from the Balinese tradition of building temporary ceremonial bamboo structures. “You see how meticulous it is and how much time it takes and how much love and care goes into building even these little miniatures,” Raymond said. “I love seeing other people being passionate about what they do. Talking to Olivia and seeing people work with the bamboo, it spoke volumes about the talent, artistry, and passion
of an entire culture.”
Raymond closed out her time in Bali with a bucket-list adventure: taking
a hot air balloon ride. Sailing over the textures and colors of the island
from above, she saw the lush landscape from a new perspective, the rice terraces unfolding themselves into tile-like shapes below. After she returned to Miami, Raymond hung the Balinese mosaic from HomeGoods on her wall as a reminder of her trip. “I was able to connect more with the real Bali, with the people who make Bali tick,” Raymond said of the new experiences and adventures she found in Bali this time around. “Whether it was meeting with the dancers or the artisans at Asali Bali, I loved using this trip to Bali as an entry point to connect with different people and cultures.”
Thanks to her career as a travel journalist, Raymond has become an expert at bringing what she’s learned and experienced on a trip back home with her — whether that means snapping a photo on her phone
or discovering a unique souvenir made by a local artisan. She’s able to find that same sense of discovery at HomeGoods, where she can browse their wide assortment of items made all over the world, all available at incredible prices. On a recent trip to the store, Raymond wandered through the aisles of stunning global decor, top-brand kitchenware,
and other fashionable furniture finds before coming across a handmade mosaic crafted in Bali’s arts district, Ubud. Made with hand-painted
inlaid glass, the colorful design sparked visions of lush rice terraces, Ubud’s bustling art markets, and the adventure to be found on the island. Inspired by the eye-catching mosaic, Raymond set off for her next trip
to Bali, looking for new adventures, new experiences, and new ways
of connecting with the island.
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Oneika Raymond, a seasoned travel journalist, set off on a trip to the island after being inspired by an Indonesian mosaic at HomeGoods.
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Portugal
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Restaurant host Emily Fedner traveled to Lisbon for inspiration after finding a cozy Portuguese blanket at HomeGoods.
Like the ceramic tiles (known as azulejos) that adorn surfaces all over the country, Portugal
is a colorful collage of different cultures. The
blend of identities, beliefs, and backgrounds
of the people who call the country home has
bled into its vibrant art, cuisine, music, and overall ethos. In the capital and largest city, Lisbon, that collaborative and artistic culture
is felt everywhere: In the azulejos covering
the walls, the mosaic designs patterning the sidewalks, the nightly buzz of residents making their way up and down the steep hills that comprise the city’s streetscapes, and especially
in the welcomeness and hospitality shown by locals. It’s a friendliness that invites you to
kick off your shoes and feel at home.
That sense of community and hospitality,
as well as a desire for new experiences and adventures, drew Emily Fedner to the country recently. Fedner, who has worked in the restaurant industry for over a decade, hosts regular gatherings at Petite Pasta Joint, an
NYC-based pop-up restaurant that she runs
with her friend and business partner Sarah Raffetto. When hosting those pop-up events, Fedner curates and decorates the space,
helps cook and serve the food, and — most importantly — creates a memorable experience for her guests. “I want to make people feel
like they can ask for anything,” she said. “I
love when people start sharing their drinks
and trying new things.”
The verdant landscapes of Bali envelop
you from the moment you step outside. Lush vegetation is everywhere, from the palm trees dotting the land to the cascading rice terraces and serene bamboo forests, all the way down
to the green grasses and colorful flowers at
your feet. Those landscapes tell the story of
the island’s rituals and traditions, like the bamboo that has been historically used for building ceremonial structures and the waterfalls designated as sacred areas. With its natural beauty, rich history, and welcoming residents, the island lends itself to a sense of adventure and a place to find new, experiences.
For Oneika Raymond, Bali is a place she’s returned to time and time again. As an award-winning travel journalist, TV host, and self-described “experience connoisseur,” she’s had the opportunity to travel to dozens of countries
— over 120, in fact — including multiple trips
to Indonesia. Though she’s always on the move, today she’s based in Miami with her husband and four-year-old daughter (who’s starting to rack up her own list of countries!). “I love that when I travel I'm learning something new every day,” Raymond said, “whether it's through meeting different people or learning about different cultures, how they live their lives, what they value, and what matters to them.”
“What you’re serving is less important than how you serve it and how you make people feel.”
As a professional traveler, Raymond is also
an expert at bringing what she’s learned and experienced on a trip back home with her — whether that means snapping a photo on her phone or finding a unique souvenir made by a local artisan. At HomeGoods, she’s able to find home decor, kitchenware, and other furniture finds made all over the globe that are available for incredible prices. On a recent trip to her
local store, she came across a handmade mosaic crafted in Bali’s arts district, Ubud, with hand-painted inlaid glass. The colorful design of tigers and bamboo sparked memories of lush rice terraces, Ubud’s bustling art markets,
and the adventure to be found on the island. Inspired by the mosaic, Raymond set off for
her fourth trip to Bali, this time looking for
new adventures, experiences, and new ways
of connecting with the island.
In Bali, Raymond stayed near Ubud, spending time walking the bustling downtown streets
and visiting natural sites including a sacred waterfall, a bamboo forest, and rice terraces. She also met with locals to learn more about
the art and rituals that make the island unique, including Dewa Ayu Anggayani, a dancer at Teman Dedari, who taught her traditional Balinese dances, and Olivia Putri, the general manager of Asail Bali, a bamboo construction and engineering company. Raymond visited Asali Bali’s workshop, which is filled to the
brim with bamboo projects in various stages
of development as well as miniature versions
of the buildings they’ve constructed all over
the world. Putri explained that Asali Bali uses bamboo sourced directly from the island
and many of their techniques stem from the Balinese tradition of building temporary ceremonial bamboo structures. “You see how meticulous it is and how much time it takes
and how much love and care goes into building even these little miniatures,” Raymond said.
“I love seeing other people being passionate about what they do. Talking to Olivia and
seeing people work with the bamboo, it spoke volumes about the talent, artistry, and passion
of an entire culture.”
Click around below for everything Fedner did in Portugal, and watch a video of her trip here.
Seek out Lisbon’s famous azulejos
Learn about the island’s bamboo
Participate in a Balinese dance
Visit a sacred waterfall
See Bali’s famous
rice terraces
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