THE BALI DIARY #part2

Welcome back today! So as you guys know I’m currently in Indonesia! I’m staying at the island Bali and from what i’ve seen since I’m here, i can say that it was a great choice to come to this wonderful place.

Since it was day of Silence in Bali the day after I arrived, I used the day to relax a little in the hotel and to get energy for the next days. (I’ve planned many maaaany excursions)

Now, some days later, I’ve already seen and done so many amazing things here on Bali! I can’t believe my own eyes!! This island truly is so breathtaking beautiful..

In this blog I’ll tell you about the experiences I’ve had so far. Enjoy! :)

Day 2

The first day after the day of Silence, I went for a walk around the hotel. I went to the local supermarket to do some grocery shopping so I’d not have to eat outside everyday. (I do this because I’m planning to save as much as possible money for other travels as well) The supermarkets on Bali are -in my opinion- not expensive at all. That day I bought some bread, one bag chips, water and lots of noodles for just 25000 Rupiah only! (this is not even 2 euros yet!)

I also went to the beach which was very close to my hotel. The beach was not very special, but it was clean. Before I came to Bali, I have heard people saying that most of the beaches in Bali are covered in trash. This beach wasn’t one of those. It was tiny and very calm. Now, some days later, I’ve visited the beach many times already. I love to do a beach walk after coming back from a busy day full of great experiences.

My hotel at Bali. Name: Bali Beach Resorts

Day 3

For this day I planned an excursion to the Tukad Cepung waterfall in the first place. I also wanted to visit Kumulilir and Penglipuran. Penglipuran is a cute little place which is also known as Bali’s cleanest village. The only thing I did to make it possible to visit those places at the same day was renting a taxi driver who would come with me to this wonderful places. I found my taxi driver by GetYourGuide.com which is the perfect website to book day trips and other great excursions for during your travels.

I was very lucky to have an amazing taxi driver who didn’t just bring me to the places I wanted to go; He also came with me to take photos for me and while enjoying the day he told me many things about the places we visited.

To start with the Tukad Cepung waterfall, this waterfall is located in the Tembuku village of Bangli. From Seminyak it’s about a 1 hour drive. I visited the waterfall around 11:30am which is a great time because the sunlight enters into the cave of the waterfalls during this time of the day. In case you are searching for the perfect photo, I’d recommend you to visit the waterfall between 11am and 13pm. Because of the sunlight entering the cave, your photo will look very magical.

The waterfall itself was very magical too and I enjoyed the place a lot. I had the luck that there were not many people at the moment I visited the waterfall so I really got the chance to enjoy this beautiful pure and clean place.

In Kumulilir I got the chance to enjoy some very delicious tea’s and Coffee’s from Bali itself. Not only were those some of the most delicious drinks I had ever had; The view during this break was perfect! I was in a very natural and clean area with many great rice fields. The girl who brought me the drinks gently explained me how they made those drinks and there was as well a little shop where I got the chance to buy my favorite tase to take with me home. My personal favorite is the Coconut coffee and you may not miss this drink while you are staying at Bali.

In Kumulilir it’s also possible to go on a swing which goes over the rice field. It’s a lovely experience and I’d recommend to go to this swing in stead of the famous Bali swing park. It is just as beautiful , but way more peaceful and calm.

Last but really not least I went to Penglipuran which is known as Bali’s cleanest village. The ambiance of this place is just heartwarming. The people are very open and kind and they kindly show you their homes, so you can really get in touch with the Balinese culture and lifestyle. Visiting this town is my favorite experience of this travel so far.

Day 4

This day I went to visit an elephant care centre. This was a centre for rescued elephants. It was quite a day. I arrived at the care centre around 14:00pm. First of all I want to make clear that in this centre, elephants cannot be ridden and I’m very happy to know that since I’m really against elephant rides.

Anyway, when I got there some typical Balinese snacks were waiting for me and while I enjoyed these delicious snacks, the mahout was introducing us to the program of that day. Together with 2 other people we would give the elephants a ‘mud massage’ and clean them gently. The mahout explained us exactly what we could do and what we couldn’t. He told us exactly what things the elephants would like so we could really give the elephant an enjoying moment.

It was a magical day. I could really see the dear elephant enjoying the moment, just like we did. It was very beautiful and this day will always be a very precious memory for me. I was very happy to see how kind the mahout was to the dear elephants. They really looked healthy and happy and I truly hope the people will always care for them in the best way they can and give those elephants all the love they deserve because I know there are elephants (well not only elephants, unfortunately) that lost their freedom either and who are in much worse situations. :(

Day 5

This is the day where I went to walk trough the amazing rice fields of Bali! It felt unreal! It might be one of the most beautiful sceneries I’ve seen in my life. I went to the Jatiluwih rice terraces. Those rice terraces are really one of Bali’s must-see natural sceneries. The Jatiluwih rice terraces are on the UNESCO World Heritage list and this means that the rice terraces are an protected area. Please be gentle when you visit. The nature is so beautiful!

While walking on the paths trough the rice terraces, you will truly feel like you’re walking trough some kind of fairy tale mix of rice terraces and giant palm trees. I walked trough the rice fields for about 1 or 2 hours. Although the heat, I really enjoyed everything I saw around me and I took many great photos to take back with me as some beautiful souvenirs. Back on the main road, I visited a restaurant from where I had the most amazing view over the rice terraces. I ordered an avocado smoothie. I did never drink an avocado smoothie before but since I’m addicted to avocado, I really wanted to give it a try and it was delicious! :)

On the road back to my hotel, I had the chance to visit a traditional Balinese wedding. It was so beautiful, so sweet, so perfect... I loved the couple and their family. They were the nicest people and I enjoyed every minute of my stay at the wedding.

Day 6

At this day I visited the Ulun Danu Temple on lake Beratan. The Temple was built in the year 1633 and was used for offerings ceremony to the Balinese water, lake and river goddess Dewi Danu. The Ulun Danu Temple is extremely beautiful to see, just as the road towards it. The temple is also very unique because it looks like it is floating when the Bratan river water rises.

The nature around the Temple is very wonderful. It is all so green and alive and the temperatures around this place are more fresh (which was very nice for me since I’m having a really sensitive skin).

On the road towards the beautiful Ulun Danu Temple, I made a stop at Lovina beach which is a very calm and clean beach. The sand at Lovina Beach is a little darker than most beaches which makes it a little special. If you’re coming across Lovina beach, I’d definitely recommend to take a short break at the beach. There are great restaurants around there as well. Those restaurants are quit cheap and commonly are in the buffet style. :)

Having fun at Lovina beach!

So this is basically all I’ve done so far! I want to write everything in so much more details but I don’t want to spend too much time in front of my computer today anymore so i’ll keep it as it is now. In case you have questions, feel free to write me!

In some days I will write one more blog about my stay here in Bali. See you next time, sweet people!

Love,

Sanne