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Published: January 19th 2015
Ever since the book and movie “Eat, pray and Love” was released, a trip to Bali, clime up very fast in the must- see- places in my list.
So here we go, I had accepted my last contract on board a cruise ship, starting my journey in Italy, had a quick stop- over in India and then three days in Bali.
The morning of 16.01.2015, when it was the third and last day for our cruise ship in Bali, the plan was made of leaving the port of Benoa and stopping over in Denpassar ( Puputan Square), driving to Ubud ( in the heart of the island), visiting some of the main sights in there, including the rice terraced fields and then ending the morning at the beach of Komune beach, before driving back to the port and coming back on duty...
The car and driver were arranged with the assistance of a good friend of mine leaving and working in Bali. The pick- up time was set at 6:00am, to avoid the traffic in Bali and due to limited time because of rushing back to work.
Starting the short trip that early had another advantage -
Seniman Cafe, Ubud
" Simply loved the way how the coffee was served"being at places and spots, I wanted to visit first, before other tourists were coming and enjoying the sunrise on the road.
The first stop was the Puputan Square in Denpassar – stop by for a quick picture and left for the area of Ubud.
It took us no more than an hour and something more to reach the town of Ubud. The first impression from the area was- that is still very green and nothing to do with the tourist areas around Kuta Beach and Sanur. Ubud is surrounded by rice fields and majestic fields and majestic volcanic hills situated appr. 300m above the sea level, it felt fresh even chill before the sun was up. The roads were tiny , but full of motorcyclist already.
Just before entering Ubud, our driver named Ketut, suggested of stopping in the monkey forest - a sacred forest full of ravenous monkeys. Lucky us, the cheerful monkeys were more occupied in biting some fruits, they find on the street than bothering with us.
After the visit of the monkey forest, Ketut parked the car, right in front of the Palace of Ubud or Puri Saren, nicely located in
the center of the town with the entrance of the art and craft market nearby, and around the corner of the main street full of little coffee shops for every taste. There was no entrance fee or similar and no other tourists that early, so we could enjoy the tour in it...
Just on the right side of the Palace, situated in the main street was another must- see to my mind.. The “ Lotus Café”, overlooking the lotus pond and the Pura Saraswati.
The plan was to have our coffee and breakfast in the Seniman Café, a bit hidden from the main street with an unique kind of décor, music ,coffee taste and the way it served. The coffee was served in a wooden paddle with a glass of water and a small Balinese cake or sweet delight covered in banana leaf… Simply delicious.
Next to visit was the art and craft market for a quick craft shopping and than back on the road, you’ll end up passing through tiny and artsy villages , with galleries and resident artists having their crafts on display. The high roadside location is cool and breezy and it is a
well-known spot for tourists to stop and take photos. Painters and nature lovers are also to be seen enjoying visiting this spot.
Last before driving back to work, was a 2 hrs visit in Komune Resort, Ubud area, an exotic designed with a magical location fronting world- class surfing breaks.
As a summary, "Bali has it all: beaches, volcanoes, terraced rice fields, forests, renowned resorts, surfing, golf and world and world - class dive sites. But what sets Bali apart of other destinations are the Balinese traditions and the people dedicating in celebrating it. The hundreds of temples, dances, rituals and crafts linked to the ancient Hindu faith aren't show for tourist, but a living, breathing culture in which visitors are warmly received by the Balinese, who cherish their own identities".
What is left behind such a short, but an amazing time in Bali, is the plan to re-visit it soon....
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