The October 24, 2026 Goldring Travel Culinary & Cultural Journey through Indonesia & Borneo on Aurora Expeditions’ Greg Mortimer is my fourth journey to Indonesia. It is a vast and incredibly diverse country that I have only started to scratch the surface of. But this journey starts with a journey of its own just to get there.
Alas, as always, it was up at “stupid o’clock” for an Uber to Reno, Nevada (Thankfully, Truckee, California is now busy enough for Ubers to be available 24/7) for a 6:00 a.m. United Airlines flight to San Francisco, and after a 3-hour layover, an onward to my 17-hour flight to Singapore, followed by another 3-hour layover, and finally a 2.5-hour flight on Singapore Airlines to Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. Yes, it is sort of an expedition to get to this expedition…but it will be well worth it.
As an aside, clients regularly ask me why I take the earliest flight out of Reno rather than the one the airline suggests. The answer is simple: There are so many delays on flights out of Reno, the couple of extra hours of sleep aren’t worth it. On this day, the suggested flight was delayed, so it actually landed when the flight to Singapore was already boarding! So rather than possibly missing my flight, I headed to the United Club and with that extra, no pressure, time, I attended to the flood of emailsI seem to alway receive as soon as I take off.
As I am sure you are also aware, I try to book the least expensive economy seat (with money or miles) and then upgrade (with miles or Plus Points – a perk of my Premier 1K status). An upgrade seemed all but assured… until 48 hours before travel, when I watched my place in line slip further down the list. I called the United Premier 1K desk, and they assured me I would be fine, noting that such assurance was not a guarantee.
My flight was on United’s new 64-seat Polaris configuration. I boarded and was greeted by the beautiful new Polaris pods (which still have that new car smell) and, well, let’s just say I kept walking through Polaris and Premium Economy, and all the way to my Economy Plus bulkhead aisle seat. Unfortunately, with the new configuration, my previously prized seat now has the forward lavatory right next to it. Ugh. BUT, just before the boarding doors closed, I heard, “Mr. Goldring, we have a new seat assignment for you: 22L!” It wasn’t Polaris, but Premium Economy, yet I was more than fine with this last-minute reprieve. Whew!
After enjoying my two double scotch on the rocks and a Hindu Non-Vegetarian special meal (actually pretty good Chicken Tikka Masala, which was better than the standard offerings), I got some good sleep, and after the uneventful 17-hour flight, it was time to combine my lounge experiences at Singapore’s Changi Airport, which is one of the best and most beautiful airports in the world.
It is an “If you know, you know” sort of thing. First, it was off to the Singapore Airlines KrisGold Lounge. It has limited facilities (not even restrooms), but it is a quiet experience and has limited but tasty Asian cuisine. After relaxing there, I headed just around the corner to the SATS Lounge, a Priority Pass lounge, to take a well-deserved shower. (SATA Lounge is given high marks online, but other than the shower – and not exactly a luxury one – it was crowded and loud. But it served its purpose.) Things timed perfectly for me, so it was then a leisurely stroll to the gate to board the final leg of my journey on Singapore Airlines to get to my real journey.
Finally, I arrived in Bali, only to endure the utter chaos of Denpasar airport. Having filled out all three of the requisite forms in advance, I headed to the auto-gates, only to be rejected. When I finally found someone to inquire as to why, I was told I was too old and needed to go to the Special Services desk. What?! (Speaking with some other guests, it seems it is a fairly common penalty if one has grey hair.) Anyway, there I was in line, and everyone there needed special services, so time dragged on for almost an hour. Frustrating, but I have spent longer times standing in passport lines in other countries.
Finally through, I retrieved my luggage and found that my Aurora Expeditions transfer was not there. But grabbing an overpriced taxi (IDR 300,000 or about US$16) for the 30-minute drive was easy, and I was on my way to the Hyatt Regency Sanur for my two-night stay. (I later found out that the driver was waiting for two guests, and since I was taking longer, he just left with the other guest. No call. No text. Nothing! However, when I mentioned it to the Aurora ground staff the next morning, I was quickly given the explanation and an apology. I was fine with it, and the solution was simple. (Honestly, I was more concerned that such a thing wouldn’t happen to any of my clients!) However, that apology was followed by more apologies, followed by a bottle of wine in my room with an apology note, which was followed on the final morning by a quick invitation to speak with a supervisor who gave me another apology and an envelope with $16 in it. Quite the more-than-good recovery!
The Hyatt Regency Sanur is a nice, older property with a maze of buildings (easy to get lost), lots of foliage, and it is right on the beach. My room was comfortable, with good air conditioning, a nice shower, and a well-furnished and private balcony.
After a very nice al fresco breakfast by the pool with a view of the ocean, it was time to wander along the beachfront. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a great idea, as it reminded me of why I am not a fan of Bali. There was dirt and trash; the beach was small, with a band of rotting seaweed; and most of the rental shops and cafes were run-down and uninviting. The resorts in, for example, Ubud may be wonderful, but hit the beach here, and it could be any downtrodden beach town. But on the upside, fortunately, one of my clients recommended a massage at The Nest, which is about a 10-minute walk down the beach, well worth dodging the bicycles and walking past those countless vendors and cafes. I had an excellent 90-minute Signature Massage (30 minutes Thai and 60 minutes deep tissue) for IDR 410,000 (about US$23).
It was then back to the Hyatt to finalize plans for the Goldring Travel Celebration Dinner and the real start of our Culinary & Cultural Journey! I wanted to introduce my clients to each other and to Indonesian cuisine, but since it was a long travel day to get to Bali and we would be flying out early the next morning for another 3.5-hour flight, I focused on an intimate and relaxed venue and a small, but mighty menu:
Amuse:
Starter:
– Rujak Bulung – Fresh tuna, seaweed, coconut, galangal, chili, and kaffir lime
Main:
– Beef Merangi – Marinated beef rib, leek, corn fritter, and coriander with rice and sambal
Or
– Ikan Nyat-Nyat – Fried barramundi fillet, long bean, chayote, Balinese curry sauce, and chili oil
Dessert:
– Martabak Pisang – Crepe, banana fritter, coconut, vanilla ice cream, and pandan sauce
It is not always easy to arrange such things from literally half a world away, but I think we pulled it off. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the welcome to Indonesia and its cuisine.
Next up: Let the Expedition Begin!
