bali

We’ve got nowhere to be, and all day to get there…

Yep, this was the mantra during our recent visit to the Indonesian island of Bali.  (Thanks to good friend, Christian Cantalupo for lending us such words of wisdom – they came in handy on an almost daily basis.) 

Bali marked the start of our Southeast Asia sojourn precisely because we knew (or at least hoped) that we would appreciate the laidback, small island atmosphere for a bit after spending nine very busy weeks exploring the vast land of India.  Those weeks in India were in fact so busy that we were still in research mode and booking accommodations for our Bali trip after we left Delhi, during our layover in Singapore.  (Having heard mixed reviews about Bali while on the road, we were a little reluctant to book anything sight unseen.)  We ultimately decided to start with two nights in Semanyak, on a trial basis. Semanyak looked like a good bet – an outer suburb of the over-crowded yet popular city of Kuta, it seemed far away enough from the madness, but not too far away from the action (there’s always a delicate line there, no?).  And, knowing that we could not see every temple on the island, by staying in Semanyak, we put ourselves within striking distance of two major temples located on the southern part of the island.  Happily enough, we wound up liking both Semanyak (good selection of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars) and our hotel (Bali Ayu), and so we extended our stay for the rest of the week.

To get around, Aman and I rented a scooter, which is the cheapest (roughly $5 per day), and hands-down most efficient mode of transportation in Bali.  Although the roads can get a little confusing, having a scooter means you can sail easily through the heavily trafficked streets.  And, with nowhere to be and all day to get there, it’s plenty okay to get lost/take the long route home. 

We first rode up to Tanah Lot, an impressive temple on the coast of the Bali Straight, about 45 minutes north of Semanyak.  Somehow our visit coincided with a major holiday for Balinese Hindus (even though Indonesians are overwhelmingly Muslim, over 90% of Bali’s population adhere to Balinese Hinduism).  This was really special.  We saw lots of devotees in traditional garb, praying at the temple and bringing offerings to the spirits.  Plus, the temple – perched on an outcropping of bedrock – was festively adorned in yellow and white decorations. 

A few days later, we took a ride further up north to check out the centrally located town of Ubud.  Similar to our strategy for finding Tanah Lot, we got there by capitalizing on the opportunities that the occasional red light provided – that is, we would stop, get the attention of the person on the motorbike next to us, point our finger in whatever direction we thought was the right way and shout – quickly, quickly, before the light changed – “Ubud?? Ubud??”     

Ubud, widely considered to be the cultural seat of Bali, is quite a contrast to the Kuta-Legian-Semanyak (KLS) region.  KLS is known mostly for its nightlife, which includes some top-notch beach clubs (e.g., Potato Head, relatively expensive, but it has a creatively designed space that is worth checking out) and various bars and restaurants that range from dives to tourist chains (e.g., the Hard Rock) to chic lounges (e.g., Sarong, a fairly stylish restaurant offering yummy Asian cuisine).  Ubud, on the other hand, is full of art galleries and craft shops, and has more of a chilled out, hippie feel.  (There is also, thankfully, a noticeable lack of McDonalds and Starbucks, which are popular in the KLS area.)  Aman and I both agreed that, if we had another day to spend in Bali, we would have spent it exploring Ubud for another day.

In terms of beaches, we found some great ones in the south on the Bukit Peninsula – namely, Balangan and Padang Padang, which were our two clear favorites.  Balangan is a little bigger than Padang Padang, and a little less crowded.  But both have clear blue water and are good for surfing and sunbathing alike.  The other highly recommended beach, Bingin, was okay, but it is a HAUL to get there… after parking our scooter, we went first in the direction of a wooded area, over a footbridge, up a hill, through a cow pasture (I’m dead serious) and along a maze of narrow corridors that eventually led to an endless series of staircases carved along the side of a cliff.  Way too remote in our opinion.  As for the beaches at Kuta and Dreamland, not so great…  we found Kuta sadly to be a cesspit, with litter in various states of decomposition strewn everywhere.  (Despite this, it was packed and we have seen guidebooks that refer to Kuta as one of the best beaches in Bali – not sure how to reconcile that one.)  Dreamland was clean, but it was overrun with tour groups of people who get dropped off solely, or so it seemed, to take pictures along the shore.  It also is marred by a massive event venue/”condotel” development, which takes away from the natural beauty of the beach, in our opinion.

Padang Padang:

Balangan:

Apart from our scooter explorations, we opted in for a one-day package of fun that included all sorts of sight-seeing activities.  The cultural highlight of that day was Ulu Watu – the other key temple that we wanted to see, which is perched 70 meters above the Indian Ocean on a fascinating cliff.  

The comic highlight of our day was snorkeling in Benoa, which was prearranged for us by the company who organized our overall tour package.  Aman and I arrived at the beach in the late morning, got fitted for fins and masks, and were promptly whisked into a boat with a scrappy-looking local who drove us to the snorkel site.  It was just the three of us on board.  About 15 minutes offshore, our skipper killed the engine and threw anchor.  I was busy getting my gear on, when I heard Aman ask the man an innocent question.  This was the dialogue that ensued:

AMAN:  So, how long do we have out here?

CAPTAIN [with a wide apologetic grin, shaking head]:  Sorry…. no English…

AMAN:  You don’t speak any English?

CAPTAIN [still grinning from ear to ear]:  No English…

AMAN:  [nonchalantly, for sport]:  You understand, Help?

CAPTAIN [grinning still]: …

AMAN:  Help? Help? Help?  Help me – I’m drowning??

CAPTAIN:  [shaking head again]:  Sorry… no English…

With that said, I reassured Aman that I would look after him and we jumped in the water.  

Overall, we had a blast in Bali.  With striking temples and beautiful hidden beaches, it is a very chill place to explore, especially on a scooter or motorbike.  You don’t get the same experience from the back of an air-conditioned van.  The roads can get crowded, but they are in good condition and the landscapes (cascading rice paddies, little temples covered in moss) are pretty, particularly on the smaller winding roads leading to and from the secluded beaches in the south.  When not out and about, Bali is also just a great place to unwind – we spent many days simply hanging by the pool (catching up on journal, and sorting photos) or hanging out at the bar of our hotel (lots of Aussies, lots of cricket games).  Good times.