I know, we are going through hard times because of this pandemic and It feels like we are stranded in an island looking for a way to escape. Lately, I have been reminiscing about past, when time was not still.
Just before the pandemic, I and my husband had visited Bali, Indonesia for a vacation. In this write up I want to share my travel experience.
The reason I chose Bali is, I found that it has much more to offer than just few beaches and waterfalls. We had planned a trip of just 6 days and I am happy as we were able to cover all the must visit places. So, if you are looking for a week long vacation, here is how you can plan it.
Nowadays it is common to self-plan the vacation rather than going to a travel company who prepare itinerary for you. I for one agree with this trend. There is a kind of fun and adventure in exploring a new place by yourself.
To start with here are few things you need to do first:
As soon as we landed in Bali, the first thing that caught my attention is the architecture of the airport. It has a fine blend of modernity with traditional art. You can feel Bali's culture right from the airport. We picked our pre-booked car and headed off to hotel which was just 5 mins drive from airport. That day we rested and just roamed around by walk.
Day1: Uluwatu temple and Nusa Dua beach
First place we visited was the beautiful Uluwatu temple on the cliff by the sea side. Every temple in Bali has a unique architecture but you cannot enter any temple as it is prohibited for travellers. Although this disappointed us but it was good to roam around the outskirts of the temple.
Next place is Nusa Dua beach towards the south. This beach is spread across long stretch. You can find luxurious resorts and 5/7 star hotels by the side of the beach. It is a good place to visit in the evening and take a long walk.
First day was well spent but I had already started missing Indian food. My biggest weakness is, I cannot live without rice so we always end up spending lot of time searching for an Indian restaurant when we are abroad. If you are also like me then don't worry, there are a good number of Indian restaurants in Bali and I was lucky to have found one right next to the hotel we were staying. Yay!!!
Day2: Mount Batur trekking and other activities
One of the must do's in Bali is trekking to the summit on mount Batur and watching sunrise. Long time ago a volcano had erupted on this mountain and has reduced it to half of its original size. The trek is around 2000+ feet and takes about 5-6 hours.
We had booked a package which contained sunrise trekking, luwak coffee plantation visit, silver making factory and balinese SPA. This also included pickup and drop to and from the hotel. We had to start midnight 12:30 AM as we were staying in south and mount Batur is situated in NorthEast side. We reached the basecamp around 2:00 AM and were provided with light breakfast of pancakes and coffee/tea.
We were divided into small groups of 4-6 people and each group was assigned with a local guide, who would take us to the summit. The trek started around 3:00 AM and our aim was to reach the top before sunrise. I would not call it an easy trek because there were places which were very steep and was difficult to climb up. But no pain, no gain💁🏼. Once we reached the sunrise point, the view was totally worth the pain and struggle.
We were given bread and eggs while watching sunrise and was a beautiful sight to hold on for. The climbing down was also bit difficult because of the slippery rocky terrain. This was the best experience to take away from Bali.
As part of this package, next destination was Luwak coffee plantation where they show the step by step process involved in making this special, unique and ridiculously expensive coffee in the world. If you have never heard of this before please look it up, it's an interesting thing 🧐 to know about.
After this the guide took us to a silver factory. Balinese silver is different from the silver obtained in other part of the world. It has an oxidised texture. You can even buy silver jewels as souvenirs here.
Now comes the best part of this package i.e., balinese SPA. I was super excited for this as it was the first time we were trying couple massage and SPA. The SPA was good and very relaxing as it was a long day after trekking. After this we slept the entire day once we reached the hotel.
Day3: Tegallalang rice terrace and Tanah lot temple
Tourism is the main occupation in Bali so there are few places which looks too mainstream to be a tourist place and one such place is Tegallalang rice terrace. It is just a paddy field, but the way it is presented attracts tourists and is a must visit in Bali.
There are lot of cafes around here facing the view where you can click very beautiful photos. Also, there are variety of big swings to ride on and have fun. If you are shopaholic, you can find lot of local vendors selling dresses, bags, key-chains etc. P.S: Don't buy anything in Bali without bargaining.
The best place to watch sunset is at Tanah Lot. It is an authentic temple by the ocean. The famous kekak dance of Bali is performed here. You can book show tickets online or buy it over there. This dance form depicts Ramayana in Bali's version. We missed the show due to time constraints but I would suggest it as a must watch in Bali.
There is no nightlife in Bali compared to other tourist places. It's a very peaceful country. There is a restaurant on a rock by the sea which is famous for its location called Rock Bar. We went there for dinner. The ambience is quite unique. It is actually part of a luxurious resort but outsiders are allowed with the condition that you have to buy at least one drink. And as you guessed everything in the menu is overpriced. Still it is a place you can visit once.
Day4: Besakih Temple
On our last day of trip we visited a temple known as the mother of all temples. It's a shrine which contains the holy trinity of Hindu tradition Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva. As usual tourists are not allowed inside the temple building. It took us good amount of time to look around as it was very big and was very serene.
As a whole it was an amazing and memorable trip. These kind of vacations are very much needed in our busy lifestyle. I hope this blog helps you to plan your vacation. Have a good and safe trip!!! 😊
