Sedate beaches and waves in Sanur, Bali on the east coast.

This is rather a special day, since it commemorates the day that we got engaged in Bali.  Thinking back on my time in Bali brings back memories of one very special day of ultimate pampering and an incredibly romantic candlelit dinner.

A few days before he popped the question, John moved us from our beautiful Bali hotel:  Biyukukung.  We spent a week here and enjoyed being able to wake up and look out on the rice paddies and farmers tending the fields every morning.

I was perfectly content at Biyukukung, but my guy always has other tricks up his sleeve.  He decided to move is to a private villa at Nefatari Exclusive Villas a week later.  We were utterly captivated by the staff and old world charm of Nefatari.  Our villa was tastefully decorated with traditional Balinese prints.  We had our own private plunge pool and a huge outdoor bathroom and jacuzzi bath.  We spent a lot of time at our villa and completely enjoyed the quiet and solitude it provided after leaving the busy beaches of Thailand.

John took every opportunity to create the perfect private moment in order to pop the question.  After shipping me off to the spa for a whole day, he spent the day organizing an utterly unique dinner ensemble that took place in the courtyard of our private villa at Nefatari Villas.

The first rate staff of Nefatari created an enchanting atmosphere for us by placing our dinner table next to a softly splashing fish pond filled with floating candles.  They hung lengths of white gauze and pinned orchids to it to create some privacy.  Soft music played and the air was filled with the heady scent of crushed flowers.  Then we were treated to a traditional Balinese meal.  John asked me to marry him when we returned to our villa, and of course, the answer was yes.

Our favorite activity was sitting out on our front porch and watching the wildlife at our feet.   We especially liked sitting through the early afternoon rainstorms to watch Ubud be reborn again.  This rainstorm gathered within minutes of arrival.  We were astonished to see the many forces of nature at work here.  I was unaware that it rains almost every afternoon in Bali.  Generally, rainshowers and storms are fast, furious and dissipate within an hour or two.  It leaves me with the impression of Bali rising like a phoenix from ashes.  The cleansing rain leaves everything sparkling like gold and silver.