Indonesia, Bali — We’re heading to Bali as a family to celebrate Mom’s 60th birthday!

It all started on December 25, 2025. At the foot of the Christmas tree, Mom discovers four mysterious envelopes containing an exciting gift: plane tickets ✈️! In the first envelope: her ticket. In the second: the tickets for Rémi and me. And finally, in the third: the tickets for Lucas and Yarana, my brother and his wife! Opening the fourth envelope is “optional.” “Of course I’m going to open it,” Mom had said. But when she’s told that this last envelope holds the ultimate secret—the destination—she changes her mind. In the end, wouldn’t it be exciting to keep the secret? To leave without knowing where?

Deep down, what really matters isn’t the destination—it’s the fact that we’re all going together ❤️. That hasn’t happened since March 2023, when we were reunited on the Yucatán Peninsula during our two-and-a-half-year road trip from Alaska to Argentina.

Departure date: February 2, 2026. The goal is to be there on February 6, Mom’s 60th birthday. No time to mess around. January flies by, between preparations and stress. “What should I pack in my suitcase?” “Warm clothes, cold clothes?” Mom has all kinds of theories about the mysterious destination—she only knows the airport code: DPS. That doesn’t help her much. But no matter, it’s her suitcase that stresses her out more than the trip itself! Like us, she loves to travel. Besides Mexico, she came to join us twice during our big Jeep road trip: the first time in Salt Lake City for two weeks of adventure in the American West. And the third time in Peru for an incredible three-week immersion in the land of the Incas. Adventure doesn’t scare her.

Finally, Rémi and I arrive from Montreal on Saturday. The last time we were in France was in June 2024, when we shipped our expedition vehicle from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Houston, Texas. Unfortunately, we don’t have much time to enjoy it—we only spend 24 hours in France, just enough to see family in a whirlwind visit. Then, on Monday morning, it’s off to Toulouse Airport, where Mom discovers the first leg of our journey: Istanbul!

We have a 9-hour layover—more than enough time to gorge on free Turkish delight samples and grab a €7 coffee, and to finally reveal our final destination to Mom. After all that waiting, she’s finally allowed to open the fourth envelope. Inside, a riddle that leads her to figure out that we’re going to Bali. Bali! “Bali, what?” A dream destination to celebrate her 60th birthday as a family 🏝️. She can’t believe it. But she has plenty of time to process the news during the 9-hour layover, followed by a 12-hour flight. In the end, it’s on Tuesday, February 3 at 8 p.m. local time that we land in Indonesia, in Bali, at the “DPS” international airport—Denpasar.

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

For Rémi and me, this is our third time in Indonesia. We previously spent six weeks on the magnificent island of Sumatra, with its orangutans—an incredible trip that left a lasting impression on us and only deepened our love for Indonesia. A year earlier, we had traveled through Java, Bali, Lombok, and Flores on a one-month trip. It was actually the destination of our very first big journey together. We loved it. That was nine years ago. And we can’t wait to rediscover the Island of the Gods and its surrounding islands—this time as a family!

A Grab—the local version of Uber—takes us to the hotel. We’ve booked two nights, just enough time to gently recover from our 36-hour journey and the jet lag. We’re talking about a 6-hour time difference compared to France and 12 hours ahead of Montreal! 😵‍💫 And actually, jet lag isn’t the only big difference between Montreal and Bali. For Rémi and me, the most incredible part is strolling around at midnight in a combo of shorts, T-shirt, and flip-flops 🥵. When it was -25°C just a few days earlier when we left Quebec 🥶. With a 55-degree difference, the thermal shock feels especially delightful ❄️☀️.

We also waste no time diving with delight into the pool. By the time we’ve settled into our rooms, taken a shower, and eaten our first nasi goreng (fried rice, Indonesia’s national dish), Lucas and Yarana arrive. They’re coming from Hong Kong after a 5-hour flight and zero time difference! Needless to say, they’re a lot fresher than we are 😆.

The excitement of being together again outweighs the fatigue, and we spend several hours chatting while devouring the treats Lucas and Yarana brought from the airport 🍬. It’s hot, it’s sunny, the hotel is beautiful and peaceful—we’re on a family trip in Bali, with a month of adventures, mishaps, discoveries, and laughter ahead of us. In short, pure happiness ❤️.

Wednesday, February 4

This morning, we wake up in Bali for our first full day together. The night was excellent. The sun is shining, it’s warm, and the pool water is perfectly heated. And the garden is lush, and we walk barefoot through the grass to get to the pool and visit each other’s rooms. What more could you ask for? We have three rooms overlooking the garden. Mom’s room and Lucas and Yarana’s are next to each other, and of course, Lucas takes the opportunity to drop his favorite line: “You’re never alone—I’ll hear you snore even here!” 😆 We gather for an amazing breakfast. On the menu: nasi goreng for some, omelets and bacon for others, dragon fruit porridge, waffles, fresh fruit and juice, tea, and coffee.

Our hotel is located in Jimbaran, south of Denpasar. It’s the only hotel on the trip that we booked in advance! We chose Jimbaran for its calm atmosphere and beautiful beach, a world away from Kuta, north of Denpasar, known for its lively nightlife. However, we quickly realize that during the day, there isn’t much to do in Jimbaran. So, without hesitation, we hop into a taxi that takes us to Kuta in 30 minutes. Shopping malls, souvenir shops, bustling streets, surf schools, restaurants, and beach clubs—Kuta is a tourist paradise, especially for Australians, who flock here for long weekends in Bali. For us, it’s mainly a chance to scout for souvenirs and even make our first purchases.

What a joy to be back in Bali! We had always remembered it with nostalgia from that first big trip together, which had left such a strong impression on us. And now, here we are again. We delight in all the things we loved about Bali: temples on every corner, the island’s traditional architecture, the small private shrines in front of each house, the offerings on the ground that you must never step on, and the incense burning in front of every home and shop, filling the air with a sweet, fragrant scent. For us, that’s Bali: the smell of incense in the streets.

We also take advantage of being in town to withdraw some cash. Each withdrawal comes with fees that vary depending on the ATM, so the goal is to take out as much as possible in one go to minimize trips. We check out the local ATMs and pick the one that lets us withdraw the highest amount—3 million rupiah (about €155). And we do it twice 💰💰. So, with pockets full of 6 million rupiah, we set off to wander through souvenir shops and grab a bite on the beach, overlooking the Indian Ocean and the surfers.

We then spend the afternoon at the hotel, taking a nap and relaxing by the pool. Later, at sunset, we head out for a walk along Jimbaran Beach. This time, it’s busy—everyone has come out to watch the sunset. The atmosphere is unique: the sound of the waves, children laughing and running along the sand, bursts of laughter, the wind. It’s truly beautiful. We walk barefoot, toes in the water, until the sun finally disappears behind the clouds.

We chose Jimbaran to start our Bali trip because we had such a sweet memory of a meal on the beach—and we absolutely wanted to go back! There are plenty of warungs along the shore, so the choices are endless. And we’re approached from all sides by touts, menus in hand, boasting about their fresh catch of the day. “Well, he’s not going to tell you his fish is from three days ago,” Lucas comments 😅. We pick Bamboo Warung, for no particular reason, and settle on the beach with our feet in the sand. There, we order a feast of grilled fish, clams, shrimp, and calamari. And just like in our memories, musicians come over to serenade us. When they find out we’re French, they start singing “Aline,” much to Mom’s delight!

In February, it’s the peak of the rainy season in Bali. We knew that, but we came anyway. So when it starts to rain, we take it in stride. Rain or shine, we’ll deal with it. For the first time on this trip, we experience what the rainy season in Indonesia is really like—torrents and torrents of water pour down on us. So, soaked to the bone under a tropical downpour, we end our first day of our family trip in Bali. We finish the evening back at the hotel, enjoying the peaceful gardens and the pool one last time. Tomorrow, we hit the road to discover two of Bali’s most iconic Hindu temples: Uluwatu Temple and Pura Ulun Danu Bratan.