Its vacation time once again for us! Following a month of work-related ardor we finally set sail to the pleasure capital of south-east Asia, Bali. This was our second visit and we chose this place for the proximity to our nest, Singapore. We landed on a hot day last Saturday and we hit the initial and the most important rendezvous point - the visa queue. As a rule, Bali has a visa-on-arrival for most nationalities and it is best to keep your USD ready-in-hand since the queues are long. At approximately USD 25 per person it is fairly reasonable, and even including the further IDR 150,000 per person in the form of exit tax, it is well worth it.As a reminder the latter needs to be spent in local currency.
The trip from the Ngurah Rai International Airport to Seminyak/Kuta is approximately 30-45 minutes giving some allowance for traffic, which is a common issue in Bali. Seminyak is a good place to enjoy a mix of activities, but most importantly this area boasts of a plethora of restaurants serving up diverse fares from local to Mediterranean and Continental to Asian cuisines. Restaurants here cater to all pocket-sizes. A bunch of these must-go restaurants are: Potato Head (just do not pay attention to their marketing gimmicks that you need to book in advance), Mykonos (a no-frills Greek restaurant, with some of the best regional delicacies), Cafe Bali (I just love its location and ambiance) and a few others (I leave you to explore a few based on the quality and mood of my suggestions). Once you are done with the exploration of your palate, I suggest you do pay a visit to the Nusa Dua beach. It is approximately 40 min away from Seminyak and is the place for water sports of every kind. (A tip: If you are keen on snorkelling or diving, I suggest that you go on a high tide day).
Second halt should be Kuta, especially for those with partying and surfing on their mind. With its vast collection of party jaunts and cosmopolitan crowd one is apt to make more than a few friends. But be mindful of people posing as friends as they might get you into trouble. Kuta is also a good place to shop for the usual suspects like clothes and other accessories. Both Kuta and Seminyak have been described as a surfer's paradise in Bali. While they do not much compare to the more surf-friendly destinations globally, they have their own charm in a place which does not boast of such beaches!
From Seminyak, one must also pay a visit to the Uluwathu temple and on the return taste the fresh seafood fare at Jimbaran. The Uluwathu temple is located atop a hill and the view of the sea is simply incredible (especially, if you can capture the sunset). The other attraction here is the Kechak dance, a locally dramatized representation of the great Indian epic, the Ramayana. It is a must see in my view since it is like no other. But, please beware of monkeys here which are quite vicious. As mentioned, once at Jimbaran, which is an exemplary fishing village, one can sample a variety of fresh water and sea water fares to their hearts content at very reasonable prices. Who says good seafood comes at a cost?
Another important destination is the TanahLot temple which givens one a sumptuous view of the ocean, particularly during sunset. This can be best accessed on the way from Seminyak to Ubud. This place gives the shutterbug a wide range of angles and views to work on and is simply an exhilarating experience to say the least.
From there we moved on to spend a few days at the seat of Bali's cultural and religious heritage, Ubud. Once here, one must definitely see the Legong and the Barong dance performances, usually held in temple premises at various locations in Ubud. Magnificent attire matched with even graceful dance movements enriched and dipped in an ancient cultural mix renders allure to these performances. Ubud is also a very good place to shop for artifacts made of wood, metal and stone. In fact, a little distance from Ubud Centre, one can find wood, stone and metal carving villages where one can view an artisan busy at his trade. These villages also afford the opportunity of making purchases directly from these artisans. On the other hand, these handiworks are also available extensively in other markets of Bali as well.
Lastly, one must definitely experience river-rafting in Ubud which is conducted along the rivers, Ayam and Telaga. While the former is a 'middle rapid' it provides the rafter with a sense of exhilaration due to its waviness and extensive rock formations. The 10 km stretch by itself is very beautiful. The Telaga deep rapid has a couple of steeper drops but the river as such is much more serene than Ayam.
Hope this gives you a glimpse on how to enjoy a truly tropical paradise we call Bali.
P.S. Please feel free to shoot across any queries you might have on the destination and I will endeavor to help you!
The trip from the Ngurah Rai International Airport to Seminyak/Kuta is approximately 30-45 minutes giving some allowance for traffic, which is a common issue in Bali. Seminyak is a good place to enjoy a mix of activities, but most importantly this area boasts of a plethora of restaurants serving up diverse fares from local to Mediterranean and Continental to Asian cuisines. Restaurants here cater to all pocket-sizes. A bunch of these must-go restaurants are: Potato Head (just do not pay attention to their marketing gimmicks that you need to book in advance), Mykonos (a no-frills Greek restaurant, with some of the best regional delicacies), Cafe Bali (I just love its location and ambiance) and a few others (I leave you to explore a few based on the quality and mood of my suggestions). Once you are done with the exploration of your palate, I suggest you do pay a visit to the Nusa Dua beach. It is approximately 40 min away from Seminyak and is the place for water sports of every kind. (A tip: If you are keen on snorkelling or diving, I suggest that you go on a high tide day).
Second halt should be Kuta, especially for those with partying and surfing on their mind. With its vast collection of party jaunts and cosmopolitan crowd one is apt to make more than a few friends. But be mindful of people posing as friends as they might get you into trouble. Kuta is also a good place to shop for the usual suspects like clothes and other accessories. Both Kuta and Seminyak have been described as a surfer's paradise in Bali. While they do not much compare to the more surf-friendly destinations globally, they have their own charm in a place which does not boast of such beaches!
From Seminyak, one must also pay a visit to the Uluwathu temple and on the return taste the fresh seafood fare at Jimbaran. The Uluwathu temple is located atop a hill and the view of the sea is simply incredible (especially, if you can capture the sunset). The other attraction here is the Kechak dance, a locally dramatized representation of the great Indian epic, the Ramayana. It is a must see in my view since it is like no other. But, please beware of monkeys here which are quite vicious. As mentioned, once at Jimbaran, which is an exemplary fishing village, one can sample a variety of fresh water and sea water fares to their hearts content at very reasonable prices. Who says good seafood comes at a cost?
Another important destination is the TanahLot temple which givens one a sumptuous view of the ocean, particularly during sunset. This can be best accessed on the way from Seminyak to Ubud. This place gives the shutterbug a wide range of angles and views to work on and is simply an exhilarating experience to say the least.
From there we moved on to spend a few days at the seat of Bali's cultural and religious heritage, Ubud. Once here, one must definitely see the Legong and the Barong dance performances, usually held in temple premises at various locations in Ubud. Magnificent attire matched with even graceful dance movements enriched and dipped in an ancient cultural mix renders allure to these performances. Ubud is also a very good place to shop for artifacts made of wood, metal and stone. In fact, a little distance from Ubud Centre, one can find wood, stone and metal carving villages where one can view an artisan busy at his trade. These villages also afford the opportunity of making purchases directly from these artisans. On the other hand, these handiworks are also available extensively in other markets of Bali as well.
Lastly, one must definitely experience river-rafting in Ubud which is conducted along the rivers, Ayam and Telaga. While the former is a 'middle rapid' it provides the rafter with a sense of exhilaration due to its waviness and extensive rock formations. The 10 km stretch by itself is very beautiful. The Telaga deep rapid has a couple of steeper drops but the river as such is much more serene than Ayam.
Hope this gives you a glimpse on how to enjoy a truly tropical paradise we call Bali.
P.S. Please feel free to shoot across any queries you might have on the destination and I will endeavor to help you!
