Reminiscing our trip to Bali

Lockdown has definitely bound us physically but mentally and emotionally one still can travel within and revisit places.

So come along with me to my quick trip to Bali which was not too long ago!

Chapter 1: Travel Dates & Destination

Intro - After this lock down the manner in which we see our lives and surroundings would have taken a 180 degree turn for sure. So was not the case when in the month of September 2019 we were wanting to head out but could not decide "The" place to visit. As friends were occupied it was just the 3 of us (Manuj, Aish & Aryaman) so it definitely had to be a kid friendly place and our itinerary was chosen only if the place had things that could excite Arya!!

After discussions and some more discussions it was BALI. Initially when it was proposed by my very excited to travel husband, I thought this definitely has some spiritual and mythological connect (Sri Rama and Bali) that’s how I assumed (which was totally incorrect) but thanks to Google baba your assumptions can take a back seat and u r all set to explore.

Hence it was BALI for the next 5 nights!

Chapter 2: Arrival in Bali

After the not so exciting flights and a travel of more than 14 hours which included 10 hours of flying. We reached our destination in the afternoon! My tech savvy husband, who is always up to trying new things opted for a customized DIY holiday platform,Pickyourtrail was pursued for all the bookings thereafter. At the airport we had our taxi waiting to take us to our hotel :) after the tiring and exhausting flight the spacious car was a breather. Bali at the first glimpse was quiet, serene and tourist filled place. The weather remained mostly the same 365 days, with days being mostly humid, nights and mornings being pleasant. After a chitchat with our chauffeur who was a true Balinese at heart did mention that the economy of Bali runs on tourism and there were tourists all year round.

Day 1: Kuta

Our day had already started as per our itinerary but we didn't want it to start at all. Until you have checked-in, had a hot cup of tea/coffee you dont want the meter of travel to start! Glad we were not on a packaged tour but customized trips do have a starting point.

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Seeing our levels of lethargy,we decided we shall hit the beach that was the nearest to view the sunset! Kuta which was south of Bali, that’s where our 1st leg of travel began gave us a feel of South Goa -the beach, shacks, hustle-bustle. After a quiet walk at the beach which was very relaxing, we head back to our hotel. In the vicinity there were malls, coffee joints and shopping gulleys. Hitting those places on day 1 was not on cards but we did realize that Semniyak would have been the perfect party place for sure but Kuta was compact and cityish.

Day 2: @ Bali Safari

 The excitement level was high and it was a good morning for us, as Aryaman was up and all set to be part of the safari :) We reached the destination in time and quickly started our day by entering into that arena which looked more like a treasure land. Entire region was divided into zones and depending on the activities we wanted to do we would enter that particular zone. For Example:

1. Safari ride                                                               

2. Feeding the animals

3. Elephant show

4. Tiger training show

5. Petting the cobra

All of these were in one zone, likewise birds and observing various kinds of them was another zone.






 Overall it was very entertaining and educative too. The Safari was one of its kinds as we saw tigers being trained at a distance which was fun but a little scary too.Although barbed fences were around but they were tigers after all. Later on Arya fed the farm animals which he thoroughly enjoyed.We decided to break for lunch after that but imagine you enter a restaurant where on one side you could visually view the daily routine of a lion!

 Gulping our food and monitoring the lion simultaneously was some task to be done although the staff comforted us but we were definitely not used to that. After a quick-bite we followed our treasure map and ventured into some more animal shows. Collecting souvenirs is something we do not miss and within no time it was time to head out of that hugely entertaining and engaging day outing . As we stepped out on the city roads, it only made me feel that the place was very clean, green and tourist ready.

 At every signal there was some mythological/ historical statue erected that would certainly enhance the beauty and make a visual connect with Bali's past. After having traveled on Indian roads, travelling on not very crowded roads was a welcome change.Within no time we were back into our hotel and after a quick change we head out to the pool. After a quick swim we realized that we had gotten hungrier so had to fasten our pace to the restaurant. We are amongst those Indians who start craving for Indian food after few days of travel. Pickyourtrail the app was very handy that located the nearest, well rated Indian joint for dinner. We wrapped up quick as the following day too had to start early.

Day 3: Adventure Sports @ Nusa Dua

            GWK, Cultural Park 

Although Nusa Dua was not on cards initially, we thought let’s give it a shot! It had been a place for adventure sports. Paragliding was the only thing we thought we could venture into, considering the place was hot and crowded.

Turtle island that was adjoining to this place was a small ferry ride away, had hundreds of turtles was another place we hopped into. After a very long and exhaustive afternoon, there was something very exciting that came our way to quench our thirst which was the tender coconut. 5 Indian tender coconut together = 1 Bali tender coconut that was very filling, refreshing, re-energizing for that moment. Heading to our next destination which was visible from kilometers away was the Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) cultural park which apparently had become one of the favorite places in Bali for art and cultural performances.

Manuj & I were awestruck, wonder struck for a few minutes, after seeing one of the tallest statutes of lord Vishnu. Very beautifully constructed and the arena was so spacious and green. Trek to this place was worthwhile and as we returned to the entry point, we had this very beautifully dressed Balinese dancer swaying herself to the lovely tunes sung and musically accompanied by her group.She was very patient with the public trying to click and imitate her moves but she retained her smile n swirled onto the music.

Amidst all this there was a public announcement made that,the kecak dance was about to start at a different location, so lot of us headed to that place.

Kecak is a traditional dance form in which lot of short stories from Ramayana were depicted. It was very differently and distinctly portrayed that kept us captivated for those forty minutes. After a nice and eventful evening it was time to head back and pack as the next few days were meant to be at the countryside.

Chapter 3

Day 4: Ubud

An early morning start was a must as we had a few places to visit and then reach Ubud. Grabbing a quick bite at the hotel and checking out from Kuta and heading to the Taman Ayun temple was on the list.

Well seeing the Balinese architecture, their traditions, understanding the culture was an integral part of the travel. Interestingly people from Bali are still very orthodox about their beliefs and rituals. A perfect example was our own cab driver who was with us throughout and mentioned how everyone around used to perform puja at a particular time of the morning and evening. Outside of every house, shop was a common puja flower and few things with it to keep away the bad and evil from them. Staunch believers of their culture and tradition are the Balinese people who are very grounded and humble individuals. The temple that we reached was a royal one with a dress code, so having planned accordingly we entered the sanctum and the architecture left us spellbound. After Manuj trying his hand on photography we landed to the next destination but before that we got really hungry, that means it had to be an Indian cuisine. After having planned our restaurant which was in the vicinity,thanks to pickmytrail app that enabled us a sumptuous North Indian meal in a jiffy. Surprised by the mushrooming of Indian chains of restaurant in various parts of Bali, we didn’t mind a coffee right after our lunch.

So our next destination was coffee tasting and understanding making of  the very famous Luwak – Coffee. A tea lover from college days, had limited gyan about the various brands of coffee. One of the most expensive coffee’s in the world was made by a poop of a civet cat is what we got to know. The entire processing was step by step explained as though we were on an Industrial tour. But nevertheless it was worth seeing and hearing it out from an orator who was very bollywoodish and an entertainment bag. After a while he started to speak in Hindi and apparently he had learnt all this from Indian tourists who visited the coffee plantation.

So the tour got over and we entered the arena where coffee tasting was happening. There were so many variants of coffee and our guide understood Manuj is a coffee lover, and within no time the cup arrives ---Luwak coffee for tasting.Seriously I on no grounds could have gotten that cup anywhere closer to me. Gosh the very thought of it was making me wonder how did Manuj even manage to finish the coffee and buy a pack for himself? Our tastes and choices can be diverse and opposite too, this was a perfect example. Right after that was heading to our hotel in Ubud, apparently it is the country-side of Bali which is much greener and away from the hustle-bustle. As we entered the hotel and moved into our rooms I had a wow feeling, apparently most of the hotels in Ubud are Villas with private pools. So one must not miss such an arrangement, infact make the most of it too! I could sense the next step was unpacking and heading into our pool.

Day 5: Touristy mission

There were few more places in the list which needed a tick-mark ,to start off was the Tegenungan waterfall. One of the most scenic and photographic places we witnessed was indeed this place. We didn’t have to go to the waterfall but the trek towards it had beautiful, worth capturing shots which made us step down towards it. The day was hot and we started our walk, after few shots here and there we decided to head back. The Balinese hats came to our rescue and without further a delay we headed towards the Kintamani volcano. It’s hard to believe that this volcano is still very much active and was emitting some sort of fumes which was not very heavy or intense but visible.

Apparently there were few more adjoining volcanoes too but they had become inactive. Hence the volcano on the Batur range collectively is also known as Mount Batur. A lot of people trek to a certain distance too or go fishing in the lake nearby, we preferred just shooting the beautiful stretch and heading to the next site. Well no holiday goes complete without trying to get a feel of the local market. Yes without further delay it was time to shop, although no much time was given. Dream catchers and local bags were a big hit in the shops. Ubud hotels, accommodation-wise were very good but being vegetarians, options to eat were very minimal. Packing some desi-food from a popular joint nearby was not a bad idea and as the day just flew it was time to hit back to our hotel. Aryaman was super tired and so were we, after a while we all just retired and called it a night!

The next morning was early again but this time not heading out for an outing but packing our bags and heading to the airport! The feeling of holidays coming to an end definitely seeps in but with the hope and a wish that we shall have another one sometime soon can keep us smiling again J

Goodbye Bali!!