Author and foodie Tjok Maya Kerthyasa on her transition to slow travel

The pandemic has changed the way the Indonesian-Australian writer looks at travel.

Tjok Maya Kerthyasa is embracing walking journeysl. Picture: Getty Images

“Before I look at travelling abroad again, I want to climb all the mountains in Bali.”

My earliest memories of travel are of arriving in Bali or Sydney; I’ve lived between the two places for most of my life and we did a lot of travel back and forth. I remember the familiarity of the humidity hitting my face in Denpasar airport, which always made me happy. We usually arrived in Sydney in winter, which was the polar opposite, Australia felt so dry and vast. Going to Bali was like being cradled, while going to Australia was being let loose to explore.

I spent a lot of my childhood running around the back of house at Ibah, my parent’s hotel in Campuhan in Ubud. We would also visit friends who had hotels and restaurants in other parts of the world. It was interesting to see how people invite guests in and give them an experience of different places. We went to San Francisco and spent a lot of time in India. Through that, I developed a strong love of hospitality and ended up writing about travel and food as an adult.

Kerthyasa spent most of her childhood in the idyllic village of Ubud. Picture: Getty Images

When I was younger, travel was about seeing lots of different places. As I grew older, I started to realise that pilgrimage or purposeful travel was more valuable to me. India is a great example; I went there every year for about five years. Varanasi was probably the most potent experience; it was fascinating to visit a city completely centred around devotion. I went there with my mother, father and brother when I was about 12 or 13 years old.

Most of our time was spent walking along the banks of the Ganges and looking at the way devotion is based around the river. In Bali, we have a water prayer or purification ritual called Melukat, so it was interesting to see water devotion take place in such a different setting. It was also beautiful to see different communications of prayer and expressions of deities or gods. Even though I’d never seen some of these things before, somehow it felt like home.

The Indian holy city of Varanasi had a profound impact. Picture: Getty Images

Another memorable trip was visiting relatives in London when I was about eight. We also stayed at my aunt and uncle’s beautiful country home in Yorkshire, which had a barn with a white owl, and Clydesdale horses. It was the first time I’d experienced anything colder than an Australian winter and I really enjoyed it. I just felt a strong connection to England. My father’s culture had been such a prominent part of my life, this was my first chance to explore my mother’s ancestral culture.

I had a similar feeling about London to what I feel about Varanasi and Bali. I love places where the old coexists with the new. In London, you can visit a hundred-year-old bookshop, and then see contemporary art in a modern gallery. There are some beautiful old heritage houses that human hands have built, using materials found in nature. There’s still this inherent connection between humans and earth, which is important. I like places that still have a bit of history.

One of the best things about London is the blend of old and new. Picture: Getty Images

When I look at all the places I’ve been to in the world, from Europe and America to Southeast Asia and India, the most moving experience was climbing a volcano about two hours from my house. I consider it travel because it was the most significant pilgrimage I’ve made. I lived and worked in Sydney for about a decade before returning to Bali at the beginning of 2020. Bali has so much to offer, whether you’re a visitor or you’ve lived here all your life.

In the last three years, I started exploring the mountains. I climbed Mount Abang, Bali’s third highest peak, and my brother and I climbed Mount Agung, which is an active volcano and Bali’s highest mountain. Climbing mountains allows you to have an intimate exchange with both the natural landscape and the people guiding you. Before I look at travelling abroad again, I want to climb all the mountains in Bali. There are quite a few, the next on my list is Mount Batukaru.

Kerthyasa also visited San Francisco at a young age. Picture: Getty Images

We’ll see if anywhere else can lure me onto an aeroplane after that. But I haven’t travelled in a long time. I don’t feel great about flying thousands of feet in the air, air travel takes me from one place and energy to another way too quickly. Whereas walking journeys, horseback and boats allow me to get used to the idea that I’m leaving one place and approaching another. It’s a more conscious transition. Especially since having a child, I’ve realised the importance of slow travel.

See also:

The 10 best coffee spots in Bali

Bali with kids? We’ve got you sorted

I hired a private villa in Bali (it was a huge mistake)

The surprise Bali has been hiding

Originally published as Author and foodie Tjok Maya Kerthyasa on her transition to slow travel