Incredible Bali

Bali is an Indonesian island known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches and coral reefs. The island is home to religious sites such as cliffside Uluwatu Temple. To the south, the beachside city of Kuta has lively bars, while Seminyak, Sanur and Nusa Dua are popular resort towns. The “artistic capital” of Ubud is the perfect place to see a cultural dance performance, take a batik or silver-smithing workshop, or invigorate your mind and body in a yoga and meditation class. All this can be enjoyed  for a very affordable price.

Bali has become a very popular holiday and honeymoon destination for Indians.

How did we get there :

On our way back from India we did a three day stopover at Bali. We flew Singapore Airlines and had a layover in Singapore. From Singapore we took a 2.5 hours flight into Ngurah Rai International Airport or Denpasar International Airport (IATA : DPS). Flight costs us about @250 per person.

Time Zone : 
Bali is in the UTC+8 time zone (known in Indonesia as WITA, Waktu Indonesia Tengah), same as  Malaysia, Singapore, and China.

Where to Stay:

Finding the perfect place for your stay in Bali is not that hard of a task to achieve. Most tourist choose to stay in South ((Kuta, Bukit Peninsula, Canggu, Denpasar, Jimbaran, Legian, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Seminyak, Tanah Lot) or Central Bali (Ubud, Bedugul, Tabanan) mainly for the location for easy access to many of the attractions in Bali. Kuta and Ubud are two very popular towns.

Choosing a place to stay in the South or Central Bali would depend on whether you are travelling alone, with a partner or with your family. Here are the top ten areas to stay in the south and central of Bali.

 

One could choose from a luxurious beach resort or a  private villa with a pool or  live in a Safari or choose a budget accommodation such as homestays and guesthouses.

We were considering staying in Mara River Safari Lodge. But for our dates it was turning out to be very expensive and also its far from most tourist attractions. However this would be a unique experience for families with kids under ten.

Since we spent Christmas in Bali many accommodation options were either sold out or very expensive. We stayed at Rama Beach Resorts in Kuta.

Best Time To Go

The rainy season lasts from October until March, with monsoon-level downpours, and is not the best time for tourism. The best time to find deals for Bali travel is between September and December, However Christmas week is very busy and everything gets expensive. During December it could rain anytime and that means you may not be able to do many outdoor activities.

However we got lucky as weather was good all three days that we were there.

The best time to visit is during the dry season, April through October.

Top few things to do in Bali:

We only had three days in Bali. Thus we had to pick and choose from the fantastic options Bali has to offer.

Also our focus of activities was very kid centric.

A friend had referred us to Bali Golden Tours and I went back and forth with them on deciding our itinerary. However we ended up renting a Taxi with English Speaking driver from them. One can rent full day Taxi for about $45 or less. Renting a taxi instead of choosing individual tours gave us the flexibility to change our plans as we wished.

Contact Details for Bali Golden Tours
Contact Person: Adika
Phone : +6285100966391 l Mobile : +6281558449505 ( 24 hours – Call and WhatsApp)
Email : baligoldentour@outlook.com l Website : http://www.baligoldentour.com
Day 1:

Most of us during a holiday in Bali will look for some sense of adventures. This feeling of thrill and adventures you can get it in Tanjung Benoa beach. An amazing white sand beach with a lot of Bali marine water sports activities going on.  You can pick and choose from variety of water sports like parasailing, banana boat, flying fish, Ocean Walker, glass bottom boats, ocean ball.

We enjoyed Ocean Walker and Ocean ball the most. Due to weather conditions unfortunately could not do parasailing and flying fish. Feel bad as parasailing cost only $30 per person! Would not recommend visiting the Turtle Island.

Key to getting a good price in Bali is BARGAIN! BARGAIN and BARGAIN!

You can easily spend about 4-5 hours depending on the number of activities you select. Beach has got decent shower and locker facilities.

Next we headed to Uluwatu Temple, or Pura Luhur Uluwatu, one of  key temples believed to be Bali’s spiritual pillars, is renowned for its magnificent location, perched on top of a steep cliff approximately 70 metres above sea level. Pura Luhur Uluwatu is definitely one of the top places on the island to go to for sunset delights, with direct views overlooking the beautiful Indian Ocean and daily Kecak dance performances. Balinese architecture, traditionally-designed gateways, and ancient sculptures add to Uluwatu Temple’s appeal.

A small forest lies at the front and hundreds of monkeys dwell here. They are believed to guard the temple from bad influences. The serpentine pathway to the temple is fortified by concrete walls on the cliff side. It takes about an hour to get from one end to another as there are several fenced points along the way to stop. The views from the bottom of the water surging up against rocks and the ocean horizon are remarkable.

The Balinese Hindus believe that the three divine powers of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva become one here. That belief results in making Uluwatu Temple a place of worship of Siva Rudra, the Balinese Hindu deity of all elements and aspects of life in the universe. Pura Uluwatu is also dedicated to protect Bali from evil sea spirits.

One thing to note about Balinese Temples is that – for religious beliefs visitors are not allowed inside the temple and offer prayers.

Also there is a fee of about $7-$8 per person to enter the temple premises.

A Kecak fire dance based on the story of Sita Haran from Ramayan is performed everyday at the adjacent cliff-top stage at 6.00 PM to 7:00 PM. Visitors are charged a $10 per person fee. What makes it the most favourite venue to watch a Kecak dance is the sunset background of the performance. Show is very entertaining for the whole family.

Day 2:

We started our day at 8.00 AM and headed towards Ubud for river rafting in Ayung River.  The Ayung River rafting valley location lies northwest of the Ubud main hub, and the river runs down an approximate 75km, where different white water rafting operators take their various starting and finish points. This was about an hour and half drive from our hotel in Kuta.

We had to go through the rice fields and climb down about 400 steep steps to get to the river. Ayung River rafting in Bali comprises class I and II rapids, with water levels fluctuating at different times throughout the year. Usually, the journey is a mix of paddling action and steady cruising – just after you wind through among Central Bali’s most verdant landscapes and relax to enjoy the view, another of the random rapids in the route thrusts you and your co passengers into some more fun and action.

Rafting costs us about $35 per adult and $25 per child. Generally the tours offer pickup, rafting adventure, BBQ lunch buffet (not vegetarian friendly) and drop-off. We had to negotiate the price as we did not need pickup and lunch services.

This was a great first time river rafting experience for our kids and we had an amazing family time.

After tiring 4 hours of rafting all we needed was food! Read Balinese food options.

After lunch we headed to Ubud Marketplace and Ubud Palace. Ubud Palace not too exciting and we were out in ten minutes. Good part was there was no entrance fee for the Palace.

Ubud Marketplace offered street shopping for a variety of merchandise . The market sells plenty of art with traditional and religious themes, from Buddha heads to topeng masks to statues of Wisnu and Garuda. You can also pick up hand-painted kites, brightly-colored sarongs, and intricately-patterned batiks, home décor, incenses, fragrances, ceramics, wall hangings and carved picture frames for sale.

Carry sufficient Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) and BARGAIN to the last penny!

Other things to do in Ubud is visit the Money Forest, Tegenungan Waterfall, and hike down the Tegalalang Rice Terrace. We skipped all of this as we were tired from rafting and also had to rush for night Safari.

Next we headed to Bali Safari & Marine Park. It took us a little less than two hours to reach the safari.

Bali mainly has small narrow one lane streets and this could mean that even a distance of 5 kms could take upto an hour depending on traffic.

Right next to Safari was a small Luwak coffee farm.  I had never heard of Kopi Luwak before, but it is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling in New York and London for up to $100.00 a cup! The staff explained the process for making the coffee and its sure not vegetarian friendly! The civet cat is a nocturnal tree cat in Indonesia which snacks on the ripest coffee beans in the field. The civet cat eats the coffee berry but doesn’t digest the hard stone, which is the coffee bean, which is then excreted in it’s poop. This process “lowers the bitterness of the coffee imparting a musky smoothness”.   The poop is collected, the beans are washed, roasted and then ground up. We got to try various flavored teas and coffees like lemon grass tea, coconut coffee etc.

Bali Night Safari is a family thing. Definitely very pricey at about $80 per person and no refunds if you pay by credit card. You need to reach there by 5.30 PM. and Safari lasts about 3.5- 4 hours.

Night Safari Package offered

Walking Safari (we could hardly see animals in the dark).
BBQ Dinner at Tsavo Lion Restaurant. Restaurant offered views of lion through their glass walls.
Afrika! Rhythm of Fire Show
Natural Wildlife Encounter.

I felt the Safari was very pricey however kids had a good time.

If you plan to visit Safari, I would recommend spending a day there as they have a animal safari, water park, marine park and  various shows.

You can check various packages that they offer https://bes.hybridbooking.com/BSM?&setcurrency=IDR

That was end of day two!

Day 3:

We started around 10.00 AM and headed to Tanha Lot temple.

Tanah Lot Temple is one of Bali’s most important landmarks, famed for its unique offshore setting and sunset backdrops. An ancient Hindu shrine perched on top of an outcrop amidst constantly crashing waves; Tanah Lot Temple is simply among Bali’s not-to-be-missed icon.  Highly recommend enjoying sunset at this temple. However we visited it during day time as rain showers were predicted in later half of the day.

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On the way for lunch we stopped at a Ikatbatik Workshop,a traditional Indonesian textiles shop. Women weave and paint Batik cloth. You could also buy their products. The quality is very good and the selection is big but prices are steep.

After lunch we headed to Dream Museum Zone (DMZ), Korea’s 3D Trick Art Museum DMZ. It consists of fun and interactive art gallery featuring a vast collection of three-dimensional, life-size murals for visitors to pose and play with. The gallery features a rich array of masterfully painted artworks that each serves as interactive backdrops for illusory three-dimensional photography. There are an impressive total of 120 unique artworks in 14 different categories spread over three levels, which provide a full-day of discovery and creativity. There is an entry fee of about $7-$8 per person.

The friendly staff helped us take photos from the best angles and positions as we went from room to room. The artwork is skilfully done, and when you see the result on your camera or phone screen the result is often surprisingly effective. Be prepared to do a bit of acting as it adds to the final result. This was the first time we had visited a Trick Eye museum. There is one in Singapore Sentosa Island too.

Fantastic two hours spent at the museum with lots of funny memories to bring home!

And that brings to the end of our fun filled three days at Bali.

However we would have loved to do the Mount Batur Sunrise Hike or visit Kintamani Village to capture glimpse of Mount Batur and lake. Generally, all tourists who visit to Kintamani will arrive in the day time where they can enjoy the panorama or enjoy the lunch in the local restaurant with lake view.  Kintamani is also home to Pura Ulun Danu Batur, one of Bali’s key nine directional temples. Maybe take a Balinese Cooking Class or visit a natural hot water spring. One could also visit Wood Crafting and Handicraft villages.

And if you are in Bali for a week then you could also take a ferry and visit the pristine Gilli Islands in Lombok province.

All this maybe next time!

Balinese Food

Balinese food consists of a variety of spices, blended with the fresh vegetables, meat and fish. Part of Indonesian cuisine, it demonstrates indigenous traditions, as well as influences from other Indonesian regional cuisine, Chinese and Indian.

While the menus are largely meat-orientated, with pork considered a mainstay of many meals, vegetarians have still lots to choose from.

We used HapyCow.Net to help us find Vegetarian/ Vegan Restaurants. You would be surprised to find pure vegetarian restaurants serving delicious Balinese Food.

We loved Warung Sopa (Warung means restaurant) in Ubud area. This family owned restaurant has a cafe like informal environment.

Their Nasi campur (nasi meaning rice and campur pronounced champur) is my favourite meal because of the diversity of flavours offered. It’s like a Balinese-style Thali, allowing you to sample multiple styles and flavours in just one meal.

The mouth-watering combination included curried tempe, Balinese vegetables, a tofu-based curry, zucchini fritters, potato-pea samosa, chayote like squash vegetable cooked in coconut oil, all served around a mound of red and brown rice.  Topping it off for me, because I freaking love spicy food, was a side dish of sambal, a fiery chili chutney. Be careful while trying sambal as it could be made from shrimp or fish too.

Also we tried vegan sushi, dahl soup, vegan tomato quiche, chilled sugar cane – ginger juice was perfect to beat the heat and ended with delicious vegan chocolate and mango-coconut pie. Kids were happy finding pasta. We sure were very hungry after four hours of rafting! And all this food for about $20.
Don’t forget to try Gado-Gado (salad) -it’s full of vegetables and topped with a peanut sauce, making for a perfect lunch or dinner.

 

 

We also tried Gopal Vegetarian restaurant in Kuta. Each restaurant has a slightly different take on nasi campur and be forewarned that some don’t offer a vegetarian version. Hence we always preferred vegan/vegetarian restaurants.

Do try all the delicious Tropical fruits – Dragon Fruit, Passion Fruit, Snake Fruit.

Also try Gelatos made with local fruits.

And last but not the least after all the travel do not forget to pamper yourself at one of the SPAs and grab a drink at Ayana Rock bar with backdrop of setting sun.