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Published: April 30th 2016
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Bali's usually on the list of top favourite destinations of most people in Asia and there's no reason to suggest why not, as Steph and I spent a good 5 days here in a variety of surroundings, with vastly different experiences altogether. I shall recount our experiences with our "many firsts"...
1. First time trapped indoors, with nowhere to go! It wasn't by choice, but by local rules! It was Nyepi Day on 9th March '16, the Balinese New Year, which meant that everyone (except the police patrolling the streets) had to stay indoors for 24hrs on that day. And of course we had to abide by it! Initially we thought maybe, foreigners would be 'spared' from this but nope! The reason why was due to religious beliefs that the evil spirits will not descend upon the island if it is perceived and seen to be deserted (hence everyone indoors, no one out). A day of no people, no cars, no lights, minimal pollution for the entire island. Pretty amazing. So, we spent the day eating, and eating, and yup eating again. Slot some nap, lazing around and time in the pool (thankfully for it!), our day is pretty
much summed up! A very interesting, but once-in-a-lifetime experience, 'cos we probably wouldn't want to go through it again!
2. First time beach-hopping the whole day The day after Nyepi (incidentally my b'day!) started off with a filling breakfast at Livingstone Cafe, a gem we chanced upon, before heading down south to Uluwatu temple. The temple perched atop the edge of the coast coupled with the enchanting surroundings were amazingly beautiful, and huge waves could be seen crashing against the rugged coastline. After wandering around the premise 'guarded' by dozens of wild monkeys, we scooted off along the coastal roads in search of 1 beach after another! Firstly, after a short 15 mins ride, we reached Blue Point Beach carpark, where a steep flight of stairs greeted us :O Following a small crowd of beach enthusiasts, some with surfboards, we reached the small stretch of sandy beach. There was a small 'door' rock formation where we could watch the strong waves crash against the coast. The 2nd beach, Padang Padang beach, another short ride away was the most memorable. We swam in the open, much more calmer waters, laze around on the beach, got ourselves a mat in
the form of a batik cloth, and indulge in the grilled sweet corn, french fries and ice cold beer. Heavenly! We could even fall asleep in the hot sun on the beach after our fulfilling 'meal'. The 3rd beach, Bingin beach, was a short visit, as it kinda pales in comparison with the previous one. We took a stroll on the rough white sand, and sat down on the beach chairs in a closed stall to admire the calming scenery. Last but not least, we headed to Jimbaran beach, where we witnessed the sunset while getting our hands dirty on superb seafood at Menega Cafe by the sea. Minus the crowd, this would have been a perfect place for relaxation. It was a fun-filled day of getting our face and bodies burnt to compensate for the previous day of staying indoors :p
3. First time up a mountain together (my favourite 'first' of the trip!) After staying at Kuta the first 2 days, we headed to Ubud for the remaining of our trip. It's my 2nd time to Ubud and I could vividly remember some of the shops and streets from the previous trip. We settled for insanely
good pork ribs at Naughty Nuri (a must!) for our first meal and walked along the town centre in search of bargain buys a couple of times. Also, not visiting the rice terraces near Ubud would be a pity if anyone who's here, and we headed to Tegallalang, just 30 mins ride away on bike. Beautiful landscapes against the setting sun while we were there, as we sat and had dinner at a small eatery overlooking the padi fields. The highlight to me, though, was our climb the next day to the top of Mount Batur. I have always loved scaling heights and to do it together who someone I love meant even more 😊 The 2-3 hour morning hike up wasn't that bad for Steph after all, who by the way, hated climbing stairs. Haha. We were up in no time, greeted by crisp fresh air and hot coffee (milo for her). Although the rise of the sun was obscured by the morning mist, we were treated to another spectacle in the ever different landscapes and views the summit could offer. We stayed at the top for a while, walked along the ridge line and even felt the steaming
air coming out from a couple of 'natural ovens'. We were to eventually descend after 1 round around the crater, and it was a shared experience I will truly treasure, no matter how many mountains I have climbed/or will climb in the future. Hopefully this will be the first of many mountains we will scale in the future! (Be it physically or metaphorically) 😊
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Beautiful Bali
Spectacular