A Short Trip To Bali

We landed in Bali at around 2 pm in the afternoon on October 4th 2019. Considering Bali’s no visa policy, we cleared our immigration very soon. As soon as we came out we saw a few mobile network operators desk and decided to buy a local SIM card (our first mistake). The SIM cards were pretty expensive (they charged us 1.5 IDR- the service provide was XL) and had very low talk time. However the 11gb data did suffice the 5 days of our trip. I would also recommend that if you can, then pre book airport transfer to hotel via Klook. The prices quoted by the airport cabs are quite high. However it is negotiable. So never settle for any price without bargaining. We finally got a cab for 1.75 ID

We headed to our resort, Grand Barong in Kuta. We chose Kuta for many reasons - the primary reason was that it is the party capital of Bali, secondly it has lots and lots of roadside cafes and stalls, thirdly you can definitely minimise your to and fro commute from the airport. However if you are neither a party person nor a foodie but a posh beach person, you can chose Nusa Dua beach to relax in the resort. Because Nusa Dua has nothing but some of the amazing beach resorts. The roads in Kuta are very very narrow and it is quite surprising to see the vehicles plying without any difficulty. Well hats off to the drivers

Considering all the happening places were at a stone throw's distance from our resort, we stepped out immediately after freshening up. The famous shopping centre, Beachwalk Bali was only a few hundred metres away and so we decided to take a stroll in the shopping complex. It was quite beautiful. Next we headed towards the famous Kuta Beach. Obviously the beach was very much crowded. As we walked out of the beach, we decided to grab some Indonesian food. And soon a place called The Seven Rooftop Bar caught our eyes. Fancy dinner by the sunset with live music always fascinated us. We did not know what was in store for us as we took the lift to this rooftop bar. We were indeed mesmerised as we stepped in. As the sun soaked in the far horizon, we enjoyed the food and the cocktails, listening to the classic 90s songs. On our way back to the hotel, we stepped into a local Balinese joint and feasted upon some famous Nasi and Mei Goreng with some Bintang. We walked and walked until our feet could take more. The streets at Kuta are so lively at night that you will not get tired of walking at all. Finally we reached our resort and fell into a deep slumber.

We had booked a car from Bali cab for sightseeing at our comfort. Our personal chauffeur, Gusti was waiting for us at the lobby at 10 in the morning. One big Toyota Avanza was at our disposal for the day just for the two of us and we were overwhelmed. We started soon after our breakfast. After an hour and a half we reached Aloha, a place known for its swings and Instagram worthy photo booths. The entry fee here was 300000 IDR. After spending a considerable amount of time here ( weekends are usually overcrowded and to access every swing and the booth, there was a long queue), we headed towards the Tenglagang Rice Terrace. The entry fee is 100000 IDR. Tenglagang had hikes across paddy terraces and Luwak’s shit coffee tasting experience at separate tickets. Next we wanted to make it to the Tanah Lot temple right before the sunset. So we left as soon as possible and headed towards the Tanah Lot. It was a 45 mins drive from Ubud.

We were right on time. We had to pay 100000 IDR each for the tickets. To reach the temple, one has to waddle across the shallow waters- isn’t it a different experience overall? For us, it indeed was. The entry to the inside of the temple was prohibited for tourists but we did seek blessings of the Balinese gods at the entrance. It was crowded. But we were thankful to the tides ( we are not allowed to cross when the tide is high).

A must go place for all the party lovers. Usually booking a table is a must, they say. But we were lucky enough to have gotten two seats by the bar on a Sunday evening. To avail the couches you need to pay a minimum of 700000 IDR. We were foolish enough not to take it because we ended up paying 900000 IDR. The place is huge (literally huge and I mean it). Indeed one of the best beach clubs in Bali and totally worth the hype. Potato Head you were amazing. After spending time to our heart’s content, we left the place. We had a long day planned ahead of us. After Gusti dropped us at the hotel, we stepped out again to relinquish our hunger for some good Indonesian food.

A football fanatic husband also got the chance to watch one great football match in a sports bar tucked in a corner of one of the lively streets of Kuta. We had the best and the cheapest Nasi and Mei Goreng so far. The place was called Turtle Sports bar.

I had watched so many vlogs on Nusa Penida that it did not feel like I was visiting it for the first time. Our Nusa Penida tour was booked via Klook ( we were so overwhelmed by their services in Krabi). It was called “private Nusa Penida day tour”. On the day of the tour, we were shared the driver details. We had a personal pick up from the hotel. The driver dropped us at Sanur Harbour around 7 in the morning. The ferry to Nusa Penida could easily accommodate around 200 people. Until then we had no idea what this private tour was and how would these 200 people travel together. We were clueless. A 45 mins ferry ride led us to Nusa Penida Islands. Upon reaching we saw a local person waiting for our arrival with a placard in hand. We were extremely delighted. He was Gede, who was arranged by our tour operator. Gede had our itinerary planned for the day. A day in Nusa Penida demands a comfortable footwear and a high spf sunscreen because you have to walk a lot in this island.

Our first stop was the famous Kelingkling beach. It was a 90 mins drive from the harbour. The roads were pathetic. The hike down the beach was a difficult one and also quite time consuming. So we skipped it. Instead we tried to get the perfect shot with the beach and the famous fiord at the backdrop. Gede even climbed trees to take our photos. He then drove us to the Angels Billabong and the Broken Beach.

Angels billabong is a natural pool. The sea water trapped in this pool is emerald green in colour and it looks beautiful. It is surrounded by cliffs and rocks on either sides. As we stood there staring at the vastness of the sea, the waves hit the rocks and splashed water. It was amazing.

A stretched part of Angel’s Billabong is the Broken Beach. Obviously you can’t step into the beach. But you can sit at the cliff and stare at the far horizon. It is beautiful.

We met Nasi and Mei again for our lunch. The lunch was organised by the tour operator. It was delicious. We were extremely hungry by then. So we finished our food in no time. Our last stop for the day was Crystal bay beach.

We understood the significance of the name as soon as we stepped into the beach. The beach had small rock like structures that hit us really hard when the waves hit the shore. This beach is ideal for snorkelling. The beach was beautiful. We sat there until it was time for us to head back to the port. Gede got us to the port right on time. We could not but thank him for making our trip to Nusa Penida worthwhile.

A visit to Bali is incomplete without visiting the famous beaches of Bali right?. To name a few that we visited were Nusa Dua, Padang Padang and Balangan Beach. Our Toyota Avanza with driver Gusti was yet again at our disposal for the day ( pre booked through Bali cabs). We started our day with Nusa Dua beach and Water Blow. The Nusa Dua Beach was calm and peaceful as compared to the Kuta beach of course. Usually mornings are not a great time to visit the Water Blow. The waves need to hit the rocks really hard and this happens only when there is high tide. So we could capture only a small water blow.

After this we visited the Padang Padang beach in Jimbaran. One of the specialties of the beaches at Jimbaran was that you have to hike all the way down to reach the beach. On our way, we did encounter monkeys. The beach that took our breath away was the famous Balangan beach. We did not hike down this beach. But as we stood at the cliff, we could see the blue sea and the far stretch of the horizon. We were spellbound indeed.

Friends who visited Bali had highly recommend this day club. So it was in our wish list. The only word that comes to my mind thinking about Omnia is - Amazing. Towards your left and right, there is the blue sea and you are right there at the edge of the cliff. What an experience!! Again this was totally worth the hype. Superb ambience. With an entry fee of 200000 IDR each, we could use the bar seating arrangement and also got access to the pool. We regret not having spent enough time at Omnia. Enjoying some amazing food and cocktails at a cliff surrounded by the ocean, good music , what else can u ask for in a vacation right?

Bali is known for its famous sunset points. And Uluwatu Temple is one of them. We purchased tickets for the famous Kecak Dance (a dance performance without music but with a typical kecak sound) along with the tickets to the temple. It was Dussehra festival in India on the day we had visited Uluwatu. Our driver handed us the pamphlets about the acts to be performed in the kecak dance. We were surprised to see our Lord Ram and Sita in their story too. My husband jokingly told our driver that we have known them since our birth and we explained him the significance of Dussehra (coincidentally it was Dussehra that day too). It was great coincidence to have witnessed the fall of the Balinese Ravana on our Dussehra day.