Originally shared on Instagram on November 14, 2025. Photography and story by Mark Middleton.
When people ask me, “Of the 92 countries and all the places you’ve visited, which one was your favorite?” — I always say Bali.
I stayed in Ubud for a time back in 2014, drawn there by stories from Eat, Pray, Love and my own need to see the place for myself. What I found was beyond anything I could’ve imagined — a place where beauty isn’t just seen, it’s lived every single day.
The rice terraces here, like these near Ubud, feel alive — carved from the earth and shaped by centuries of devotion. Outside the city centers, life still moves to a rhythm that hasn’t changed much in a hundred years. And what struck me most was the reverence in everything — the morning offerings placed carefully by hand, the quiet gratitude in greetings, the sense of balance and peace woven into the smallest moments.
I haven’t been back since that journey, but Bali has stayed with me. It’s a place that doesn’t just visit your memory — it lodges in your heart.
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