Part of the birthday surprise that David planned for me (Sam), was that our friends who came to Singapore to celebrate my birthday, were also going to go to Bali with us. In total we were a group of twelve adults and two kids that went to Bali and it was so much fun. The adage "The more the merrier" certainly holds true here.
Bali is a wonderful island with something for everyone. Bali is known for its splendid beaches, world class resorts and restaurants, and lively nightlife. However, the countryside is equally as charming with the lush green beauty of the rice paddies and the surrounding small villages. The Balinese people are deeply religious and spiritual people, and it was so interesting to see many small shrines and offerings to the gods, all over the island and in some cases in the most unusual places. We found the Balinese people to be kind, gentle, warm and friendly, and Bali is definitely a place that we would want to return to one day.
Seminyak
We stayed in Seminyak which is situated on the the south west tip of Bali. Seminyak is known for its lovely beach, exclusive shops and wide array of restaurants. We stayed at a lovely villa resort, which offered private swimming pools and just a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere. Each morning the villa's staff would come and prepare a full breakfast for us, so we were really spoilt. Although we were not that close to the beach and did not have the typical Bali beach holiday, we all really enjoyed the amenities that the villa resort had to offer. Many of us took advantage of the affordable spa treatments and massages, and we all enjoyed having our own private swimming pools right outside our villas.
The Beach at Seminyak
Early one morning, a group of us took a walk to the beach at Seminyak (about a twenty minute walk from our villas). There were hardly any people swimming that morning as the undercurrents were very strong. I was completed swept off my feet by one of the undercurrents and fell backwards into the water. Fortunately David came to the rescue! Needless to say, I was the only one that got completely drenched that morning.
Early one morning, a group of us took a walk to the beach at Seminyak (about a twenty minute walk from our villas). There were hardly any people swimming that morning as the undercurrents were very strong. I was completed swept off my feet by one of the undercurrents and fell backwards into the water. Fortunately David came to the rescue! Needless to say, I was the only one that got completely drenched that morning.
Ubud
Ubud is situated in the centre of the Island and is the main arts and cultural district of Bali. We hired two drivers and two mini-vans for the day to take us to Ubud and Jimbaran. It took us roughly an hour to get from Seminyak to Ubud. One of the main reasons for going to Ubud, was to meet a man named Ketut Liyer. Ketut Liyer is a 9th generation Balinese medicine man, who is mentioned in the bestselling book "Eat, Pray, Love". Ketut Liyer plays a key role in helping the author, Elizabeth Gilbert in her quest to find balance in her life. Although I didn't love the book (for reasons I won't get into here), the author's encounter and experience with this healer piqued my interest. When we arrived in Ubud, our first mission was to find Ketut Liyer. From my research on the internet, it appeared that this would not be hard to do, as he is a well-known healer in Ubud. The first person that we asked was our driver, but he didn't know who Ketut Liyer was. Next stop was the tourist bureau of Ubud and when I mentioned Ketut Liyer's name, the officer immediately said that he knew of him and wrote down his address on a piece of paper and gave us directions on how to get to his house. Jenny decided to walk around Ubud with her mom and Sabrina, but the rest of us wanted to see Ketut Liyer. At first we decided to try and walk to the village where he lives (it didn't look far on the map that the officer had drawn), but after walking for about half and hour, David suggested that we take a taxi there (he was afraid we might run out of time as we had to leave Ubud by 4:30pm to get to Jimbaran before sunset). The first taxi driver that we approached knew where Ketut Liyer lived and so we got into two taxis and made our way to his house. Fortunately when we arrived, there we no other people waiting and he could see us immediately.
Ubud is situated in the centre of the Island and is the main arts and cultural district of Bali. We hired two drivers and two mini-vans for the day to take us to Ubud and Jimbaran. It took us roughly an hour to get from Seminyak to Ubud. One of the main reasons for going to Ubud, was to meet a man named Ketut Liyer. Ketut Liyer is a 9th generation Balinese medicine man, who is mentioned in the bestselling book "Eat, Pray, Love". Ketut Liyer plays a key role in helping the author, Elizabeth Gilbert in her quest to find balance in her life. Although I didn't love the book (for reasons I won't get into here), the author's encounter and experience with this healer piqued my interest. When we arrived in Ubud, our first mission was to find Ketut Liyer. From my research on the internet, it appeared that this would not be hard to do, as he is a well-known healer in Ubud. The first person that we asked was our driver, but he didn't know who Ketut Liyer was. Next stop was the tourist bureau of Ubud and when I mentioned Ketut Liyer's name, the officer immediately said that he knew of him and wrote down his address on a piece of paper and gave us directions on how to get to his house. Jenny decided to walk around Ubud with her mom and Sabrina, but the rest of us wanted to see Ketut Liyer. At first we decided to try and walk to the village where he lives (it didn't look far on the map that the officer had drawn), but after walking for about half and hour, David suggested that we take a taxi there (he was afraid we might run out of time as we had to leave Ubud by 4:30pm to get to Jimbaran before sunset). The first taxi driver that we approached knew where Ketut Liyer lived and so we got into two taxis and made our way to his house. Fortunately when we arrived, there we no other people waiting and he could see us immediately.
Meeting Ketut Liyer
Ketut Liyer was exactly as Elizabeth Gilbert described him. He was very warm and friendly when we met him and had a really good aura. Most of us had a palm reading with Ketut Liyer on the porch of his home. We all had individual readings, but when I had mine, he insisted that David come and sit next to me (some of the things that he mentioned were relevant to us as a couple). Not only did he examine each of our palms, but he also checked our pulses, examined the back of our necks and looked at our knees. It was an interesting experience for all of us and I think we all went away happy that we met him. After the readings, we headed back to the centre of Ubud and did some quick browsing. Ubud is a very interesting place with many craft shops, galleries and restaurants. I think most of us were very disappointed that we didn't have enough time to explore more of Ubud.
Ketut Liyer was exactly as Elizabeth Gilbert described him. He was very warm and friendly when we met him and had a really good aura. Most of us had a palm reading with Ketut Liyer on the porch of his home. We all had individual readings, but when I had mine, he insisted that David come and sit next to me (some of the things that he mentioned were relevant to us as a couple). Not only did he examine each of our palms, but he also checked our pulses, examined the back of our necks and looked at our knees. It was an interesting experience for all of us and I think we all went away happy that we met him. After the readings, we headed back to the centre of Ubud and did some quick browsing. Ubud is a very interesting place with many craft shops, galleries and restaurants. I think most of us were very disappointed that we didn't have enough time to explore more of Ubud.
Dinner at Jimbaran Bay
After spending a few hours in Ubud, we asked the drivers to drive us to Jimbaran Bay. Jimbaran Bay is situated in the southern part of the island and is known for its many seafood restaurants on the beach. We had a dinner reservation at one of these restaurants and the plan was to have dinner and watch the sun set. When we got to Jimbaran Bay at around 6:00 pm, the sun was just starting to go down and it was a very pretty sight. Fortunately we still had good light to take some nice photos and take in the scenic view. Unfortunately when the sun did eventually set, it was hidden by some clouds, but it was still a spectacular view. For dinner, of course we had to have seafood ! We could either select our own fresh seafood (displayed in tanks and on ice, and charged by the weight) or we could select a set menu that came with a nice variety of seafood. We all decided on the set menu, as it offered us the opportunity to try different fish. All the seafood was prepared the same way (except the calamari) - soaked in garlic and lime marinade, doused with chilli and oil, then grilled. It was a delicious meal !
After spending a few hours in Ubud, we asked the drivers to drive us to Jimbaran Bay. Jimbaran Bay is situated in the southern part of the island and is known for its many seafood restaurants on the beach. We had a dinner reservation at one of these restaurants and the plan was to have dinner and watch the sun set. When we got to Jimbaran Bay at around 6:00 pm, the sun was just starting to go down and it was a very pretty sight. Fortunately we still had good light to take some nice photos and take in the scenic view. Unfortunately when the sun did eventually set, it was hidden by some clouds, but it was still a spectacular view. For dinner, of course we had to have seafood ! We could either select our own fresh seafood (displayed in tanks and on ice, and charged by the weight) or we could select a set menu that came with a nice variety of seafood. We all decided on the set menu, as it offered us the opportunity to try different fish. All the seafood was prepared the same way (except the calamari) - soaked in garlic and lime marinade, doused with chilli and oil, then grilled. It was a delicious meal !
Day Tour to Northern Bali
Some of us joined a tour on one of the days to see the Bali countryside. The tour that we chose took us 80 kms north to Lovina Beach, stopping along the way at different places of interest. It was great traveling through the countryside, passing by little villages, seeing many small shrines, coffee plantations, tobacco plantations and the spectacular rice fields. The tour itself was a little disappointing, in that our tour guide just drove us to the different places of interest without giving us much information or history on what we were seeing. Our guide also didn't keep us on a tight schedule, so we missed seeing one of the major sights at the end (Pura Tanah Lot). Nevertheless it was still worth taking the trip up north to see more of Bali and what the rest of the island is all about.
Some of us joined a tour on one of the days to see the Bali countryside. The tour that we chose took us 80 kms north to Lovina Beach, stopping along the way at different places of interest. It was great traveling through the countryside, passing by little villages, seeing many small shrines, coffee plantations, tobacco plantations and the spectacular rice fields. The tour itself was a little disappointing, in that our tour guide just drove us to the different places of interest without giving us much information or history on what we were seeing. Our guide also didn't keep us on a tight schedule, so we missed seeing one of the major sights at the end (Pura Tanah Lot). Nevertheless it was still worth taking the trip up north to see more of Bali and what the rest of the island is all about.
Ulun Danu Temple
The first stop on our tour was at the Ulun Danu Temple. The Ulun Danu Temple is a famous and beautiful Balinese Hindu temple that is situated along the Beratan lake in the northwestern part of Bali. This temple is dedicated to Dewi Danu, the goddess of the waters.
The first stop on our tour was at the Ulun Danu Temple. The Ulun Danu Temple is a famous and beautiful Balinese Hindu temple that is situated along the Beratan lake in the northwestern part of Bali. This temple is dedicated to Dewi Danu, the goddess of the waters.
Lakes
The next stop on our tour was to see the twin lakes of Buyan and Tamblingan.
Gitgit Waterfall
After visiting the twin lakes, our guide took us to Gitgit Waterfall, the tallest waterfall in Bali. Gitgit waterfall is situated in the northern part of the island, in the middle of a rain forest. To get to the waterfall, we had to walk about one kilometre along a paved path and some steep descending stairs (the waterfall is located at the bottom of a valley). On the way we passed a rice field, some local vendors and some local homes.
After visiting the twin lakes, our guide took us to Gitgit Waterfall, the tallest waterfall in Bali. Gitgit waterfall is situated in the northern part of the island, in the middle of a rain forest. To get to the waterfall, we had to walk about one kilometre along a paved path and some steep descending stairs (the waterfall is located at the bottom of a valley). On the way we passed a rice field, some local vendors and some local homes.
Lunch at Lovina Beach
We stopped for a late lunch at a small local restaurant opposite the beach. Lovina Beach is situated on the northern tip of Bali. We had a nice local meal that consisted of fish, rice, satay and vegetables.
We stopped for a late lunch at a small local restaurant opposite the beach. Lovina Beach is situated on the northern tip of Bali. We had a nice local meal that consisted of fish, rice, satay and vegetables.
Rice Paddies in the village of Pupuan
After lunch we headed in a south-westerly direction to Tanah Lot. Along the way we passed the village of Pupuan and the beautiful terraced rice paddies that this region is known for. These terraced rice fields were very impressive.
After lunch we headed in a south-westerly direction to Tanah Lot. Along the way we passed the village of Pupuan and the beautiful terraced rice paddies that this region is known for. These terraced rice fields were very impressive.
Tanah Lot
We were hoping to get to Tanah Lot in time to watch the sun set, but unfortunately we got there just after dark. We were all very disappointed, as we really wanted to see the famous Pura Tanah Lot temple which is situated on a large rock jutting out of the Indian ocean. Pura Tanah Lot is one of seven sea temples that is situated along the Balinese coastline. Unfortunately all we got to see was the outline of the temple.
We were hoping to get to Tanah Lot in time to watch the sun set, but unfortunately we got there just after dark. We were all very disappointed, as we really wanted to see the famous Pura Tanah Lot temple which is situated on a large rock jutting out of the Indian ocean. Pura Tanah Lot is one of seven sea temples that is situated along the Balinese coastline. Unfortunately all we got to see was the outline of the temple.
Our last night in Bali
Our last night in Bali was spent at Cafe Bali, where we had good food, good conversations and an enjoyable time.
Our last night in Bali was spent at Cafe Bali, where we had good food, good conversations and an enjoyable time.
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