Bali Vacation

JOURNEY TO INDONESIA’S MOST FAMOUS ISLAND – BALI

Bali, one of the most amazing islands in the entire world is located to the west of the Java islands in Indonesia. It is located in the lesser Sunda region and is widely known for its beautiful rice terraces and staggering beaches.

Bali is not merely a place but a supreme thought. Bali is a mix of both spirituality and hard-partying. So, you can find a wide variety of marvelous destinations here. Bali also houses some of the world’s best coral reefs and waterfalls and endless coastline. The beaches are one of the most breathtaking places to visit in Bali. Bali is also one of the most ancient trade places and consists of splendid art and culture.

I came through the beauty of Bali through one of the weekly magazines. It had manifested the beautiful beaches, the breathtaking art, and culture and the amazing cuisine of Bali. The idea of visiting Bali came from there and it was certainly at the back of my mind. 

The opportunity to visit Bali came on my weekly vacation which was offered by my company as I had completed all the given tasks. I packed all my things and went straight to the International Airport. I booked my flight to Bali the previous night.

 My next destination was the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. The flight took about 21 hours to reach Bali. I waited eagerly to see all the splendid destinations and the beautiful landscapes of Bali.

I reached the Ngurah Rai International Airport and checked in at my hotel. It was already night when I reached the airport. I decided to take a refreshing sleep and enjoy Bali the next day. Fortunately, I had a very good sleep and I was now fully ready to explore Indonesia’s most beautiful island, Bali.

1. SOUTH BALI BEACHES 

 I started out with the South Bali beaches as most of the first-time visitors do. First I visited the beach of Kuta. There I did adventurous surfing. I took some rest under an umbrellas on the beach and enjoyed eating watermelon and fruit juice. I could see people from various countries doing all sorts of great fun on the Kuta beach.

I also played beach volleyball with some of the people there. I was quite an expert at volleyball and so I crushed the other side. I also made many friends there. I enjoyed in the Kuta beach till the afternoon.

Now, it was time to go to the  Tuban beach. Well, I couldn’t enjoy swimming in the Kuta beach because of the dangerous currents in the sea there. Hence I enjoyed a peaceful session of swimming at the Tuban beach. I changed into my swimsuit and then I started swimming with the people there.

I knew that the nightlife on the beaches of Bali is quite exciting. So I went to another beach in Bali called the Legian beach which has the most exciting nightlife in the entire Bali. I danced to the summer beach music with all the amazing people out there. I was also fascinated by its acoustic music and fire dance. I had various drinks such as the local beach beers and cocktails. The trip to the South Bali beaches was really a good decision.

 From the beaches, I decided to go to someplace where I would see the confluence of cultural excellence along with green forests and rice terraces. And what could be better than Ubud? So I decided to travel straight from the South Bali beaches to the beautiful site of Ubud.

2. UBUD

Ubud, the district of Bali which is known as ” Palace of the cultural hub ” is home to a wide variety of marvelous destinations and also natural beauty. There were so many fantastic destinations in Ubud that I could not properly decide where to start. But finally, I made my mind to start with the sacred Monkey Forest located in Ubud.

I was getting a little adventurous. From my childhood, I was quite scared of monkeys but I had to overcome this fear. And to do that, I visited the Monkey Forest in Ubud. As soon as stepped on the soil of the monkey forest, I could see all kinds of monkeys jumping from tree to another and eating fruits, particularly bananas without a slight sight of tension on their face.

 A naughty monkey even snatched a packet of cookies from my hand. After that, I met my guide who would accompany me through the Monkey Forest. My guide, who was a monkey specialist, protected me from all kinds of monkeys. Apart from monkeys, I saw the greenery of the forest and its high-rising trees bearing a wide range of fruits.

After I had completely explored the Monkey Forest, I set out for rafting in the Ayung River. I had lots of fun there. Then I came across the Tegallalang rice terraces. I had a cup of coffee in one of the little cafes there while watching the stupendous rice terraces.

 From there, I went to Goa Gajah, the most popular elephant cave in the entire Bali. It is an archaeological site containing various remnants such as that of the Hindu God Ganesh.

  There were also various kinds of temples in Ubud. I visited the Ubud Water Palace in which Hindu Goddess Saraswati is worshipped. I felt extreme peace of mind here. A splendid lotus pond and a pious water garden added to the beauty of the Ubud Water Palace. There was also a classical Bali dance at night. I was extremely fascinated by this classical dance performance.

The next morning, it was the shopping time for me. I was always an admirer of art and craft and Ubud was the place where I  came across some of the finest works of art and craft done to date. I bought some of the most beautiful Balinese craftwork.  I also purchased some splendid silver jewelry and stone carvings. 

The shopping experience in Ubud was quite fascinating and then I had to plan something for lunch and dinner. My lunch and dinner were comprised of Balinese cuisine. I enjoyed the seafood and meat which were topped with various kinds of indigenous spices. The Balinese cuisine is influenced by Indonesian cuisine as well as inspired by Indian and Chinese foods.

From Ubud, it was crystal clear to my mind that I had to go to the Kintamani region. The Kintamani region was majorly mountainous. And being a mountain lover, I could not help but go straight to Kintamani.

3.  KINTAMANI

I took the local bus from Ubud and went straight to Kintamani. I reached Kintamani in about 3 hours. I listened to an audiobook while traveling on the local bus. When I reached the Kintamani region, I was delighted.

The most famous and the most significant location of the Kintamani region which I also first wanted to explore was Mount Batur. Mount Batur is an extremely adventurous location as this mountain is a very active volcano. I was quite fit for hiking and therefore I made the decision of climbing to the top of Mount Batur.

It was quite a difficult task but when I reached the top of Mount Batur, I was feeling like an Olympics gold medalist. I enjoyed the sensational and breathtaking sunset from the top of Mount Batur. This scene was unforgettable for me.

After this marvelous event, I visited the beautiful lake of Danau Batur. This Danau Batur lake is inside of the caldera of Mount Batur. I also visited Mount Abang the next day, which is the second-highest mountain peak in Bali.

Then it was time to get spiritually active. Therefore, I visited the oldest Hindu temple in Bali which is known as Pura Pencak Penulisan. This temple had 333 number of stairs to climb to reach it. At first, I thought that it would be a very easy task but after completing 150 steps, I was very tired. But I did not lose hope and finally reached the temple.  I prayed to the deities present here and then I made my way to another Temple called the Kehen Temple. There were various other temples that I visited such as the Ulun Danu Batur temple and Pura Jati Batur temple.

I also wanted to explore how traditional Balinese people spend their lives. To get a perfect glimpse of this, I went to the most cultural village of the Kintamani region – the Trunyan village. Here, the people had conventional styles of living and strongly believed in their traditional culture. They welcomed me acceptingly. The Trunyan village was full of green trees and boasted of wonderful nature. I saw various kinds of birds which were singing beautifully. The people in the Trunyan village gave me organically grown food. Most of the meals were for vegetarians. But the taste of the food was simply luscious. They gave some of the sweetest rice that I had ever eaten in my whole life. The meal also had plenty of vegetables and fruits. I thanked the people of the Trunyan village from the bottom of my heart for their warm welcome and kind hospitality.

I explored the Kintamani region and now it was the time to go to the final destination of my amazing Bali journey, Lovina  Town.

4. LOVINA

Lovina is a beautiful town located in northern Bali. It is home to some of the spectacular resorts, restaurants, and pubs in Bali. It also has a wonderful beach where you can sit back and relax while keeping your feet on the calming sand and spreading yourself under the warm sun.

As soon as I reached the perplexing town of Lovina, I went straight to Lovina Beach. Although the Lovina beach is much quieter than other tourist places in Bali, it is very delightful to stay in the relaxing climate of Lovina. The black sand beaches are very ideal for swimming. As I had already taken the great experience of swimming in the South Bali beaches, I wanted to try something new in Lovina.

 Then it came to my mind that I should do scuba-diving here. It was really a great idea as Lovina has some of the greatest scuba-diving spots in the entire Bali. I changed into my scuba-diving suit and dived into the sea. This experience was fantastic. I saw a variety of marine creatures – from colorful fishes to awe-inspiring coral reefs. After some hours, I came out of the sea and saw beautiful dolphins coming out and going into the sea. There were making cute sounds. I also saw the splendid Dolphin Monument there.

I rented a motorbike and explored the town of Lovina. I was really amazed at the streets of Lovina. The streets were full of local shops designed beautifully. The coastal trees were also planted along the streets. This gave a perfect look to the town of Lovina.

Now, it was shopping time for me.  I bought some extra-ordinary handicrafts and local commodities such as T-shirts designed specifically for tourists visiting Bali. I bought sunglasses, beach hats, and clothing that were perfect for the climate of Bali. I enjoyed shopping here as I could bargain the things at a much lower price than their usual rates.

I went back to the Lovina beach and searched for a fine restaurant. I found a restaurant near Lovina beach. I watched the glorious sunset at the Lovina beach while eating dinner at the same time. I also enjoyed dancing to the tune of the acoustic guitar played in that restaurant.  

My stay in Bali had come to an end. It was one of the most amazing travel experiences that I had in my entire life. Bali had given me exactly what I wanted. The amazing food, the beautiful people, and the love for nature made me feel overwhelmed. I was really very much attracted to Bali and I clearly decided that I would come at least one more time to Bali in my life.

From Lovina Town, I went back to the Ngurah Rai International Airport and caught my flight home. I returned to my home and told everyone about my journey to Bali. They were really fascinated by Bali as I had expected them to be.  Even today, back in the home, I yearn to go to Bali, Indonesia’s most famous and breathtaking Island.