Bali, Indonesia (Part VI: Uluwatu, Jimbaran)

More Bintang for me

Our 4th day is our last full day in Bali. This time, we are moving to another place again so we first checked-out from Brown Feather. Before heading to Legian, we grabbed some quick lunch at Wah Wah Burger. Their food is quite expensive but good.

Wah Wah Burger

After our quick lunch, we headed down to check-in at our last place - Ossotel. More about this place in my last post about our Bali trip.

Ossotel Hotel

Before heading out, we decided to check the Legian Beach area. The beach is similar to Seminyak Beach with the difference of having light-brown sand here. I prefer this beach better than the one in Seminyak. Beach bumming and water activities are more prevalent around this area.

Legian Beach

After, we headed straight to our last destination - Uluwatu Temple. It took us awhile to get to this area but it was worth it!

Stone cliffs at Uluwatu Temple

Stone cliffs at Uluwatu Temple

Uluwatu Temple is situated along a cliff which required walking. There's one area there without a concrete trail. It was nice to just relax and catch the sunset while you hear the waves crash along the cliffs.

Couple at Uluwatu Temple

Since we were running out of time, we did not wait for the Kecak Fire Dance. Heard some good reviews about it so you may want wait for the show.

Uluwatu Temple

For our last dinner (and sunset view), we headed to Jimbaran for a seafood feast. This area is well-known for their seafood restaurants. You can choose your own seafood and have it cooked the way you like. As the area suggests, it is a touristy spot so the prices can become expensive.

Sundown at Jimbaran

Despite the deep hole in my pocket, the food was great and the view was really nice! We were also fortunate to get a table nearest to the shore so our sunset view was unobstructed.

Dinner at Jimbaran

We then headed back to the Kuta/Legian area to do some last minute shopping. This was the only time we went to the more commercialized district. Probably something you can do as well (if you're into shopping) when you visit Bali.

Some well-known international brands in Kuta area

I did not want to sleep when we returned back to Ossotel since it was our last day already. I even drank some of the Bintang I bought to busy and keep myself awake. But fatigue took over and I slept the last few hours before we departed.

Ngurah Rai International Airport

This caps off our wonderful Bali trip. Before we decided to go here, I knew Bali did not have the best temples. I also knew Bali did not have the best white-sand beaches. Neither did I surf nor trek mountains (yet). But everyone who has been here really enjoyed and loved this place. So we took their word for it...

A heart-shape buried in the ground

From Ubud to whatever it is beyond to the more hip scene along the Seminyak area; and finally, the wonderful beaches down south.  Bali has this magical vibe that we easily fell in-love with. One must experience Bali as a whole to fully understand this place. Whatever floats your boat, Bali will be ready for you!

Wait, there's still Part VII for those who are interested to stay in Legian.

- Just Another Wanderer

Bali, Indonesia (Part V: Potato Head, Ku De Ta, Pandawa Beach)

Entrance to Potato Head Beach Club

Day 3 means a more relaxing day for us after two days of temple touring. Our first stop was Potato Head Beach Club. Contrary to what I thought it would be like, this place has a laid back vibe to it. People were casually lounging around pool beds. We were hoping to stay around that area but it was full when we arrived.

Potato Head Beach Club

Potato Head Beach Club

Right at the back of Potato Head is Seminyak Beach. It is a long sandy beach connecting Legian, Seminyak and Kuta. Unlike other beach lines, you can only see a few resorts along the front. There were only a few tourists along the beach. The sand is more on the darkish-grey color and the water is bluish-green. 

Seminyak Beach

Seminyak Beach

Afterwards, we decided to go to a beach that our driver, Boron, has been mentioning about - Pandawa Beach. We headed to the southeastern-most part of the island to reach our next destination.

Passed by this road to Pandawa Beach

Before you reach the beach, you will pass by a road that cuts straight through the mountain. I am not certain but this seems like a quarry before the beach was discovered. Looks like it!

Pandawa Beach

We stayed at the far end of the beach as there are less people here. The place is not yet that well-known to tourists as majority of the visitors are locals.

Pandawa Beach

Bintang by the beach

Pandawa Beach

The sand is soft and almost-white in color. Water is clearer compared to the one in Seminyak Beach. We keep seeing signs not to swim though. The beach gets rocky along the shore during low tide.

The signs that says swimming is not allowed

Because this was more of a chill day for us. We decided to head back to Brown Feather after our beach excursion. For dinner, we went to a nearby place called Crab Bar. As their name suggests, they specialize in crabs cooked the way you want.

To cap off our night, we headed to Ku De Ta. Bali has really been great to us so far!

Head to Part VI for our last day in Bali.

- Just Another Wanderer

Bali, Indonesia (Part IV: Brown Feather Bed & Breakfast)

Brown Feather Bed & Breakfast

Brown Feather is probably my favorite out of the three places we stayed in at Bali. I found this place at the last minute which gave me a bit more breathing space in terms of our budget.

Brown Feather Bed & Breakfast

Situated along Batu Belig, it is near the other places we wanted to see like Ku De Ta and Potato Head Beach Club.

Suite Magena

Since we got a good rate when we booked this place, we chose their largest room called the Suite Magena. This room features a copper bathtub in the bathroom. The overall design is rustic and has a very homey vibe to it.

Copper bathtub in the Suite Magena

Our room is located in the ground floor at the far end of the establishment.

Brown Feather Bed & Breakfast

View at the back

If you're planning to stay around the area (near Seminyak) but don't want to blow your budget, I strongly recommend staying at this place.

Brown Feather Bed & Breakfast

Go to Part V to see where we went during our third day in Bali.

- Just Another Wanderer

Bali, Indonesia (Part III: Monkey Forest, Ulun Danu, Tanah Lot)

Our second day is again, temple day! The plan is to finish Ubud and the upper parts as we are moving south afterwards. We first headed to Monkey Forest since it was near the resort.

Monkey Forest

Monkey Forest

As the name suggests, there were lots of monkeys around the area. For those who have not been warned, avoid bringing headgear and sunglasses. Tourists usually fall prey to monkeys grabbing those accessories.

Spot the real monkey

Morning prayers

Since the area was long, it was always good to see fellow visitors walk-by. We sometimes get scared of the larger monkeys as they seem aggressive at times. We tried to stay on the main pathways.

Curious monkey

We wanted to walk around Ubud since it's regarded as the "artsy" part of Bali. There were lots of small shops and boutique stores around the Monkey Forest area. Instead, we just headed straight to the Ubud Market since we did not have the time.

Ubud Market

Here, you can buy your typical souvenirs to bring home. Like any other market, don't forget to bargain your hearts out to get a good deal! I was able to buy a few Bintang t-shirts, some shot glasses and an ashtray (that everyone in Bali seem to have with the same design). We also found a tourist shop that sells postcards. It has always been our thing to write postcards to each other when we travel. Something to look forward a few months after we return from our trips. (Unfortunately, we never received any of the postcards we sent)

Ulun Danu Temple

Our next stop took us up north to visit the Ulun Danu Temple along Beratan Lake. This temple is one of the must-sees according to a lot of travel reviews. There were lots of people taking pictures within the lake temple so it was hard to capture a good shot.

Ulun Danu Temple

Fishermen in Beratan Lake

Alas, I was lucky enough to take one last shot of the temple. There was no one around for a moment.

Ulun Danu Temple

As the sun was about set, we headed south for our last stop - Tanah Lot. I was really looking forward to seeing this place. We rushed towards the entrance as you had to go through several gift shops before reaching the temple.

Watching the sunset at Tanah Lot

We made it just in time! The sunset was great!

Tanah Lot

I have seen photos with a much better angle of Tanah Lot. We did not have the time to plan it so we just went straight to the far right of the temple. Maybe, we should go back again.

Tanah Lot

At this point, we were already so exhausted from two days of temple touring. By sun down, the tide was already getting high so we decided to head to Batu Belig to check-in at our next place - Brown Feather!

Brown Feather Bed & Breakfast

I was hoping that this place would look like the photos we saw when we were searching for places to stay near Seminyak. Very affordable and the location is near places like Metis, Potato Head Beach Club and Ku De Ta. This was indeed a hidden gem! More about this lovely bed and breakfast in my next post.

Brown Feather Bed & Breakfast

It was already getting late but we still had to find a place for dinner. Luckily, there's a nearby Naughty Nuri around the block. It took us around 15-20 minutes of walking down the main road to get there at night.

Naughty Nuri in Batu Belig

Naughty Nuri is famous for their ribs. Since the place was jam-packed, we stayed in a large square table with other guests.

Their famous ribs with some Bintang beer

Good food and some nice temples for Day 2! Head to Part IV: Brown Feather Bed & Breakfast.

- Just Another Wanderer

Bali, Indonesia (Part I: Ubud)

Last September 2014, I went to Bali, Indonesia with my girlfriend. It was both our first time in this country. After months of planning and making sure we had everything covered, we were finally set to go! We booked our flight via Cebu Pacific direct from Manila to Denpasar. Our flight was 4:00 am and we arrived in Bali around 8:00 am.

Ngurah Rai International Airport

I was quite surprised that their airport in Bali (Ngurah Rai International Airport) is very nice! Considering this is not their capital, it's way better than any of our airports here in Manila. Since we moved to 3 different places during our short stay, we decided to hire a driver who will drive us around Bali. Our driver, Boron, picked us up in the airport. (More about our driver in the last post of our trip)

Batik making

Jewelry made of silver

Since we arrived way early for check-in, Boron decided to drive us around certain areas near Ubud. Our first stop was a batik making facility that doubled as a souvenir shop. This was followed by a silversmith facility that sells jewelry. We were a bit wary when Boron brought us here. There were lots of other tourists who may have just arrived in Bali like us. On the bright side, they did not force us to buy any of the goods. And yes, some people appreciate these kinds of things. I actually ended up buying a silver cross necklace for my dad.

Babi Guling Ibu Oka

After the first two stops, we decided to grab some brunch before checking-in. Right off the bat, we were able to try the popular Babi Guling (at Ibu Oka). Babi Guling is quite similar to our local lechon. The main difference is probably the sauce and garnish that it comes with. We got one full order of Babi Guling with an extra order of skin and vegetable soup. If you love lechon, this is a must try!

Babi Guling Ibu Oka

The popular Indonesian beer Bintang

Afterwards, we decided to check-in at our first place - the Alaya Resort. Since it was still early, we just left our luggage and headed out again. I was able to take a few shots of the hotel grounds. More about the Alaya Resort once we return from our tour.

Alaya Resort in Ubud

Alaya Resort in Ubud

Alaya Resort in Ubud

For starters, we visited the closer but lesser known temples called Goa Gajah and Pura Gunung Kawi. Be warned that both temples require some walking especially the latter one. There were some large stones with engraving on the bottom part of Goa Gajah but we decided not to go further down.

Goa Gajah Temple

Goa Gajah Temple

Pura Gunung Kawi required a longer walk downwards. It was a good thing that the view was wonderful heading to the temple.

The view towards Pura Gunung Kawi

The view towards Pura Gunung Kawi

Tourist trying some coconut

After several minutes of walking, we finally reached our destination. These massive rocks were engraved to create these temple structures. We stayed here for quite some time since we needed to rest. It was also nice that the temple complex is set along a river.

Pura Gunung Kawi

Pura Gunung Kawi

Returning back might be the most excruciating part of our first day of temple touring. We had to walk upwards this time. Since we wanted to maximize our day, we headed to the more popular temple called Tirta Empul (also known as the Water Temple). The water temple is much easier to walk-around.

Holy springs in Tirta Empul

Contrary to it being more popular, I actually prefer the first two temples we visited. Tirta Empul is flocked by lots of locals and tourists as this place is still actively used as a religious site. One can actually bathe in one of the "holy springs".

Holy springs in Tirta Empul

It was around 4 in the afternoon already and we still had several stops to visit. I was very tired at this moment so what better way than to drop by an actual coffee plantation. We tried several Balinese coffee and tea before we purchased a few bags to bring home.

Balinese coffee including the infamous Kopi Luwak (civet coffee)

(Unfortunately, the coffee we bought did not taste like the ones we tried at all. I was very excited to try them when we returned back to Manila. The taste is not even near. It was rather bland and tasted like ash. Very disappointing...)

Mount Batur

Our next stop was a glimpse of Mount Batur. We headed towards a higher (and colder) area where we passed by several orange and lemon farms. I was very surprised that they grew those in Bali thinking that their weather is much like ours which is tropical. 

Rice terraces in Bali

The last stop before we checked-in was a view of one of Bali's rice terraces. Nothing much to stay since we also have our very own rice terraces in the Philippines. I was also too tired at this point.

Stay tuned for Part II: Alaya Resort!

- Just Another Wanderer