Some of my favourite memories in Bali have never been on an itinerary. They've happened because som

Some of my favourite memories in Bali have never been on an itinerary. They've happened because someone smiled, I smiled back, we somehow managed a conversation using my very questionable Indonesian, a bit of English and plenty of hand gestures... and before I knew it, I was being invited to see something I would've otherwise walked straight past. This was one of those moments. A couple of local bapaks were sitting in their little beach hut looking after the newest turtle hatchlings. I'd stopped to say hello, we chatted for a few minutes, I stumbled my way through a few Indonesian phrases and then one of them smiled, waved me over and said, "Mari." Come. Inside was this tub, filled with tiny baby turtles that had only recently hatched. They weren't there for tourists to pose with or as part of a commercial attraction. They were being cared for until the conditions were right for them to be released, giving them the best possible chance of survival. Standing there, I couldn't stop smiling. Not just because baby turtles are ridiculously cute, although they absolutely are. It was because I'd been invited into someone else's little corner of the world. I've realised that learning even a handful of Indonesian words has opened so many doors for me. My grammar is terrible, I forget words all the time and I'm forever mixing things up, but I've learnt that people rarely care if you get it perfect. They care that you tried. A simple "Selamat pagi." A "Terima kasih." Or even asking, "Boleh lihat?" Can I have a look? Those tiny efforts seem to turn strangers into conversations, and conversations into moments you'll remember long after you've forgotten where you had lunch that day. I think that's one of the biggest lessons Bali has taught me. The most memorable experiences aren't always the ones you pay for. Sometimes they're quietly waiting behind the door of a little beach hut, shared by someone who's simply proud to show you something they care about. And all it took to get there was a smile and a few words of very imperfect Indonesian.